Re: Is that the sound of Flip-Flops I hear?

No it wasn't a threat at all. I have never opposed you (I was just making the distinction from the immature 'doormat' Christian). I have only disagreed with you at times, but I never opposed you. In fact, I have always taken note of your cynicism (I am a cynic also). I think it is a special and unrecognized wisdom to be able to see the fallibilty of this 'plastic' world. There are many things about it to continuously feel uncomfortable about (that's pretty much why I suffered 51 years of suicidal depression). So, I am not FINALLY agreeing with you (it was always mostly philosphical disagreement), and I do agree with (and applaud) your attitude towards the traditional and institutional clones that enjoy the label of Christian as a substitute for conscience. I have only sometimes disagreed with you, but never OPPOSED you. I've heard of those books, now that I've recovered from depression, they'll be first on my list after I brush up on chess.

I do make the distinction between "animate" and "inanimate" (distinction is a very Godly trait) and I also make the distinction that love should only be reserved (and CAN only be given) to animate objects (characters). I am not speaking of love as "having a preference for", I am speaking of love as being the basis for gratitude and 'admiration of attitude' (I love God's ways of good and right and true, Ephesians 5:9 "the fruit of light is found in everything that is good and right and true").

The bible (book) does not determine how I live my life and I am not accountable to it. ULTIMATELY, I am accountable to God. I do not hold myself accountable to pastors, bible scholars, churchgoers or brethren unless I make an agreement with them to help with a special project (obligation). I am INITIALLY accountable to my conscience and ultimately accountable to God. We are to be INTEGRAL (as God is integral,...heart, mind, soul, conscience and spirit should be ONE, "God is ONE", Galatians 3:20). His name forever (in all situations) is "I am who I am", Exodus 3:14. Leonardo Da Vinci's "Universal Man" showed me that the microcosm (us, offspring) can be a "spitting image" of the macrocosm (God). We cannot usurp His authority, assume His rank, or duplicate His ability, but we can love and imitate Him IF we so choose (personal choice). If we have the heart of God, we will want to PLEASE Him (my heart isn't ruled by COMMANDS, but by love,...God's spirit/attitude/disposition). So, I do not pick and choose at all (it is only a philosophical misunderstanding that I do pick and choose, paradigm shift, if you will). I am madly in love with The Creator and His spirit lives in me,...because I ackowledge "that the world was created by the word of God" Hebrews 11:3, not the book. "For the word of God is LIVING and active..." Hebrews 4:12. Traditionally, pastors have always taught a "...rigor of devotion..." and that we should deny our humanity (self abasement) Colossians 2:18, but we should let God's spirit teach us to be truly righteous (humble to conscience, not self-righteous) so that, after recieving the gift of eternal life, our conscience will be purified, Hebrews 9:14.

Genesis, just like all of scripture is BOTH allegorical and factual to the human race. When God wrote (constructed) scripture, He was reporting what the human race would be like (commentary), He was not just revealing Himself to us (in other words, the bible is not journalism). There are and always have been many things about scripture that haven't been understood properly. Many convenient CONCLUSIONS are drawn from the bible because it's easier for the insincere to do that than live according to God's spirit (conscience). Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL (conscience), but no one has ever been able to figure that out because it requires MORE than reading, it requires heart and courage. Neither could all the highly educated figure out that love is a singular attitude, instead they invent a scenario of TYPES of love (agape, philos, eros and storge) that prevents a proper understanding of what God is ("God is love", 1 John 4:16).






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