Hello Bryan,   
      
    BH>> People who grow up without a firm belief in God tend not to have a   
    BH>> moral compass.  Consider how horrible a society full of atheists would   
    BH>> be.  In their mindset, since there is no consequences for your actions   
    BH>> then *everything* is permissable.  That is why the world is the way it   
    BH>> is and it will continue to decline as more and more people kick God out   
    BH>> of the equation.   
    BM>> What a crock of shit that is.  I know many agnostics/atheists who have   
    BM>> more compassion and understanding of others in their pinky than most   
    BM>> Christians have in their entire deluted mindset.  Point in fact, two   
      
    BH> I admit that there are those out there that claim to be Christian but do   
   not   
    BH> act accordingly.   
      
   Politicians will promise you anything and everything in order   
   to get elected.  Does that mean they will keep their promises?   
      
    BH> My point being is that without the belief in God and consequences for your   
    BH> actions, people will tend to do things they wouldn't   
    BH> normally do.   
      
   An individual does not know what he/she is capable of, regardless   
   of belief.  Man will do whatever it takes in order to survive, or to   
   protect others from harm, including committing the most horrendous   
   acts imaginable.   
      
    BH> I did not infer that *all* non-believers are subject to that.   
      
   We all live in a world of belief.   
      
   One can either believe in the existence of a god(s), or one can   
   believe in the nonexistence of a god(s).  There is no other choice.   
   Therefore, the best that we can do is come up with a theory of   
   probability.  Which do you believe is more likely?  And does it   
   really matter or make any difference?   
      
   Jesus does not believe in God.  Neither does Satan.  As such, one   
   can say they are both nonbelievers.  Think about it.   
      
   We must doubt to believe.  Without doubt, there can be no belief.   
      
   God does not need, or want, our belief.  Why should He?  God is God.   
   Why would God need anything from His own creation?  By placing our   
   own belief in God, we are violating God's very first Commandment.   
      
   Aside from the "be fruitful and multiply" commandment.   
      
   He kinda had to do a re-boot with that Flood thing.  But Noah   
   was willing to do his part, if only enough willing women could   
   be found ...   
      
    BH> Would you justify theft if you knew that there would be no consequences   
   for   
    BH> thievery?  Or telling lies?   
      
   We all die.  So what difference does it make what we do on this earth?   
      
    BM>> close friends, the wife a devote born again Christian, the husband an   
    BM>> atheist.  Both have moral character well above many "religious" people   
    BM>> I know. You statement above is part of the problem where you think   
    BM>> yours is the one true diety.  You can certainly pray according to your   
    BM>> choice but don't blame others who don't feel the need to.   
      
    BH> John 14:6 (KJV 1900) 6A "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth,   
   and   
    BH> the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."   
      
   Tickets to Paradise.  Available only through Jesus.  Being the   
   son of a carpenter, I am guessing he was making these tickets   
   out of wood?  Or maybe he had some apprentices making them for   
   him, so he could sell them to the masses?   
      
    BM>> Let's see, and prove me if I am wrong.  There have been more people   
    BM>> killed throughout history due to "God" based wars on whose was the   
    BM>> better diety.  Do you actually think the differences with Islam just   
      
    BH> Islam has been around since the 6th century.  I'm not that delusional :)   
      
   One can argue there have been more people killed throughout history   
   due to "science" based wars, such as Nazis using eugenics as their   
   basis for developing their Aryan Race.   
      
    BM>> started 15 years ago? Look at the issue is Ireland (two Christin based   
    BM>> groups).  Look at the issues with Tibet with China.  It will never end   
    BM>> until all religions sit back and allow the total freedom of religious   
      
    BH> The Vatican has the most innocent blood on its hands in the name of God   
   than   
    BH> any other institution throughout human history.   
      
   Oh, come now.  Those priests were simply trying to teach those   
   young altar boys a lesson ...   
      
   Abuse(s) are not limited to the religious (of all faiths).   
   It is the coverup that most people found so disgusting.  The   
   previous two popes knew about it, JPII ignoring it entirely   
   for the first 25 years of his 26-year pontificate.  Pope   
   Francis is the first who has actually apologized.   
      
    BH> I'm Canadian so I am not familiar with the American constitution.   
      
   The US Constitution is not a religious document.  With so many   
   different groups of Christians wanting to have their own say,   
   the only way the framers of the Constitution could find agreement   
   with each other was to allow all religions to exist.   
      
    BH> Jesus is coming back soon, so I'll pray that He'll reveal the truth to   
   you.   
      
   "And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace;   
   and his voice as the sound of many waters." - Revelation 1:15   
      
   Yeah.  When that black man shows his face in the clouds ...   
      
   --Lee   
      
   --- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb   
    * Origin: news://eljaco.se (2:203/2)