Virginia

[James Baster]

Its a bit insulting to the devil as well to say he needs fire to put people in pain. Just lock me in a room with a couple of people I really really hate and I'd be in enought trouble.

[James Baster]

"What are you doing looking at a site called the Sinner anyway?"

I've just had fun and games with a prospective landlady for this summer based on the domain of my email address ... "No, I'm not going to hold anjy wild partys."

[armareum]

Exactly Emma. For example, Mrs Ross was going around Gatty houses this year, selling calenders, and the like. Luckily, I answered the door. Now, I had now desire to be rude. I politely said that no, none of us would want this stuff. I even went to actually ask them.

She said something about admitting my sins to Jesus, so that I could be saved. I decided to enquire further.

"So I could, tonight, say sorry to Jesus, whilst having a prayer, and that would mean I could go to heaven?" I asked.

"Yes." came the reply.

Intriged, I decided to search for the catch.

"So, if I am forgiven tonight, I am also forgiven for future sins?"

"No." was the answer. I would have to apologise again.

Fair enough I thought. Have to say sorry every night, if I sin.

"Okay. But what about this scenario. I am saved tonight, but, on the way to lectures, I sin. Before I get a chance to pray again, I am tragically ran over. Do I go to heaven, or hell"

"Heaven" said Mrs Ross, to my surprise.

"So what is the point of praying, if I can be forgiven anyway?" I ask. "You believe I will go to hell if I sin, and am not forgiven. That is *your* religion. Other religion state that I will just be reincarnated as a lower class person. Which is correct? If I don't belive in a religion myself, where do I go? Is there an aferlife? Am I destined to walk the world in limbo?"

She walked away at this point. Ah well.

[luv4Him]

you know its interesting, youd be hard pressed to bait anyone on this site with references to sex or violence...but the evangelical christian jabs will get 'em every time.

[Emma]

So that was all a windup then?

Anyone in Gatty remember when the Christians came round offering to do people's washing-up for Jesus? Well, my boyfriend's flatmate politely turned them away as they had no dirty washing-up in the house, and then ten minutes later cursed as he remembered that their bathroom was a tip...

I once told Mrs Ross that I was a Buddhist and she responded by saying loudly, 'No, you're a SINNER!'

[armareum]

Yeah, they offered for us too. We asked them to come back later, as we hadn't had tea yet. They did, and they washed up EVERYTHING, including the grill. I was impressed, but the rest of my flat were a bit bewildered. They couldn't get their head around a 'good turn'.
Ah well.

[luv4Him]

yeah just a wind up i couldnt resist...lu4Him...nice touch i think..it sounds like one of those christian rock groups.

[charlie]

as a rock fan, i highly doubt that anyone in the genre would include the word 'luv' in their band name...

[King Jesus]

Not many people are aware of this because the school tries to cover it up, but the reason that ther're so many virgins in this school is because 80 percent of the school's male population are eunuchs.

It's interesting but true!

As for the ladies, I dunno. I guess they're not trying hard enough. Try harder ladies!

Jesus out.

[Emma]

For an excellent perspective on Christian rock groups and for that matter fundamentalist Christians take a look at Christopher Brookmyre's 'It's Not the End of the World'.

I was about to offer to lend my copy to people and then I realised it was actually Kensson's. So you'll have to buy your own.

[kensson]

I think Not The End Of The World is actually Kensson's dad Ken's. People are welcome to borrow it as long as it gets back to me.

"They wanted to be baaaaad, but they were fundamentalist Christians, so there was a bit of a conflict of interests... rock groups, close up, should not smell of fabric softener."

Quick plug: I (who am not, nor have ever been, a fundamentalist Christian) should be making an appearance in an open mic slot at tomorrow night's fair trade cafe, Venue 2. That starts about 8, I think.

[Vade Retiro Satanis]

Well Christianity has its positive and negative aspects. The positive being it unites people, creates a sense of community, preaches forgiveness, offers hope to those in bad circumstances, and offers a good guide to live life. The negative being that it unites people ( sorry, but I´m fearful of mass groupings of mankind), creates a sense of us against them ( nothing unites like hatred after all), has preached intolerance in the past and continues to do so in some churches, taught the serf that he ought to be happy with his pile of pigshit as a pillow because if he was uppity he´d go to Hell, and has been used as a guide to life by religious fanatics, serial killers, and Mormons.

A few quotes might sort this one ought

The chief contribution of
Protestantism to human thought is its
massive proof that God is a bore

The fact that I have no remedy for all the sorrows of the world is
no reason for my accepting yours. It simply supports the strong
probability that yours is a fake.
- H.L. Mencken

2 Kings 2:23-24:

"And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them"

Hell is other people - Sartre ( I believe it was Sartre)

[Al]

Don't confuse Christianity with the behaviour of "Christians". There is nothing whatsoever in Christianity that could allow itself to be used for intolerance, bigotry etc. That is, if you take Christianity to be the teachings of Jesus. Christianity went wrong when bigots like Saul of Tarsus started muscling their way in.

[Al]

Don't confuse Christianity with the behaviour of "Christians". There is nothing whatsoever in Christianity that could allow itself to be used for intolerance, bigotry etc. That is, if you take Christianity to be the teachings of Jesus. Christianity went wrong when bigots like Saul of Tarsus started muscling their way in.

[The_Farwall]

"I want to trust religion and I know it allegory, but the people who are followers have written their own stories..."

Never a truer word spoken. Christianity taken as the teaching's of Christ isn't much more than "Love everybody, help out those less fortunate than you etc..." (Check out The Beattitudes passages of the Bible for the quick basics) so how the hell could that be the basis for any of the crap that gets blamed on Christians?

[confuzzled]

I'm amazed that a conversation about virginity has turned so quickly into a conversation about Christianity... Personally, I don't see the link. Fair enough if the conversation evolved the other way - but going from virginity to religion? Some people are virgins for other reasons than religion...

[Guest]

Yes the general message of Christianity is very good. At times it´s a bit too communalistic/ communist for me, but in general I like to think that I support its concepts. The problem is Religion with a capital r, but with any system that is so certain of its veracity in relation to other beliefs is going to develop in some very interesting ways.