Dear SteeleRedux,

«Who says they are faith based? They themselves.»

Indeed, but you changed my words:
I asked, "who said that these are indeed religious-based schools?"
and you rephrased: "Who says they are faith based?".

Faith is often required on the spiritual path in order to persist and find the strength to cross the rough patches of the journey, but faith itself is not always connected with religion, thus it is quite possible to find a faith-based organisation that only consider themselves religious where in fact they are not.

«However just as I wouldn't accept them putting out a sign “No Jews need apply” a “No gays need apply would be equally unacceptable to me. How do you feel in this regard?»

I would feel antagonistic towards such people/organisations (both cases), and urge others to shun them and avoid their services, but I would not go as far as making stupidity illegal, assuming that these signs were only placed within their own private property. If such signs are visible outside, then I may erect a wall around their property to stop them being visible outside.

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Dear OzSpen,

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him"

Faith is not binary. Nearly everyone has some measure of faith, but only extremely rare individuals have complete faith.

While I have my own measure of faith in God's providence and invisible qualities, which I try to increase, I do not subscribe to His "existence", because attributing existence to God would constitute an insult to God, as if God were just yet another worldly object. While God's divine and infinite attributes exist, God Himself is indescribable and way beyond any attributes, including existence.

In the original Hebrew, Psalm 19 does not mention existence: since I don't know Greek, I wonder what exact words are actually used in the original NT text, which I believe were erroneously translated into the modern, "post-enlightenment" concept of existence.

<<In the original Hebrew, Psalm 19 does not mention existence: since I don't know Greek, I wonder what exact words are actually used in the original NT text, which I believe were erroneously translated into the modern, "post-enlightenment" concept of existence.>>

What was the original language of Psalm 19?

Hi again OzSpen,

The cake shop owner was a real case hotly discussed several years back. I do take this topic seriously.

Simply quoting passages from the Bible is not objective evidence for the existence of God, the writers already had a belief/faith in the existence of God before they wrote what you are quoting. You say; "Firstly, we need to believe in God's existence" and the extrapolation from that is once you believe God is real, then he must be real. That's a belief, or as some say faith, but that's not evidence of his existence.

What Buddha had to say about the existence of God. I find this interesting, particularly the last minute or so.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpcnxrIDhjM

You have not responded to my question about the God, Tane Mahuta. Why is that?

Paul,

I don't believe any school was looking to ban hiring gays. What they were looking for is the ability to enforce a code of conduct that all new employees had accepted as a condition of employment.

SM, back in the 80's when my oldest son was attending Catholic primary school, two teachers, male, female, become an item and moved in together. Both were married with children, both excellent teachers, in fact my son had the male teacher 3 years in a row, couldn't be faulted. The female teacher had been in an abusive marriage and had rightly left it. The Parish Priest on learning of their living arrangements had the Principle dismiss them both, on moral grounds. The irony was a few years later the old Parish Priest was exposed as a paedophile. He was quietly retired and moved into a church home. Figure that one out.

Dear OzSpen,

«What was the original language of Psalm 19?»

Hebrew, certainly and the first 6 verses in my own translation are:

1. For the conductor, a chant by David:
2. The heavens are telling the glory of God and the firmament tells of his handiwork.
3. Day to day expresses a saying and night to night presents an opinion.
4. There are no sayings and no words - their sound is heard without them.
5. Their (days and nights) line has emerged in the whole land and their words at the edge of the universe, in which He placed a tent for the sun.
6. and he (the sun) emerges like a bridegroom from his dome, glad like a hero to run the path.

I see no reference there to God's presumed existence.
Yes, God's glory and divine qualities exist, but how possibly can this be said of God Himself, that He could be in existence in Whom alone is existence itself!?