RE: [asa] Reply to Glenn

Bill wins the kewpie doll. An even more interesting question, how is he
going to convince you? Or what about this person who thinks she had a
personal relationship with Vladamir Lenin?

"As late as the 1960s Lenin was speaking directly to the
Faithful. When Stalin fell from favour with the Party, delegates
of the 22nd Party Congress of 1961 heard this testimony from
Comrade Dora Lazurkina: 'I always carry Ilich in my heart,
comrades, and have survived the most difficult moments only
because Ilich was in my heart when I took counsel with him
[Applause.] Yesterday I took counsel with Ilich and he stood
before me as though alive and said; "It is unpleasant for me to
be beside Stalin, who brought such misfortune to the Party'.'
[Stormy prolonged applause.] Even when translated to immortal
glory, it would seem Lenin enjoyed stabbing his colleagues in the
back. We can only imagine what Marx and Engels would have made of
such utterances; their thoughts, presumably, would be comparable
with those of Jesus if He could witness High Mass at St.
Peter's." A. N. Wilson, God's Funeral,(New York: Ballantine
Books, 1999), p. 97

It is easy to sit in an entirely Christian world and assume that the only
questions one has to answer are those within Christianity rather than those
between Christianity and other religions. Having had the pleasure of
traveling the world and living on other continents, I can no longer have
those simple assumptions any longer. I have seen ancient Pictish customs in
Stonehaven, Scotland, Shinto worshipping in Japan, Buddhists worshipping in
many places in China, Tibet and Thailand. I have been in Hindu temples in
Singapore. I have seen the traditional Chinese temples in Melaka Malaysia, I
have been inside great mosques in Singapore, as well as Xi'an and Langfang
China. Life was so much simpler before I saw all that. There were fewer
questions. Sometimes I wish I could go back to those days before the
questions haunted me day and night--back to when I was safely a YEC. But
then, I can't safely be an Old earther like many who have not seen what I
have seen and who only worry about apologetics within the context that no
other religions exist.

Bill, you understand. They don't.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bill Hamilton [mailto:williamehamiltonjr@yahoo.com]
> Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2006 10:31 AM

> Something that has troubled me about this thread -- and all
> the other threads Glenn has instigated -- is the role of
> true theology in Christianity. Of course we believe our
> Christian theology is true. However, George, I, Terry,
> Michael, and Glenn all have differfences in our theology
> which can sometimes lead to shouting matches. I think the
> real essence of Christianity is that Christ died for our
> sins, and calls us to acknowledge that and enter into a
> relationship with Him. Yes, you can find Scripture to support
> all of the above assertions, but would you believe them if
> you had not entered into a relationship with Jesus? Now
> suppose I have a debate with a "sluggist". If he claims to
> have a relationship with the Great Green Slug, there isn't
> much I can do to counter his arguments. As a Christian I will
> not believe he does, but how am I going to convince him?
>
> Bill Hamilton
> William E. Hamilton, Jr., Ph.D.
> 248.652.4148 (home) 248.821.8156 (mobile)
> "...If God is for us, who is against us?" Rom 8:31
>
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Received on Sat Jun 17 23:53:35 2006