Runner! You are right! The bible is a pathway for us to become gods. This is what the book was mean to do. ( its mans own code book ) No-one on this earth has the ability to translate the text correctly, and to say Christianity has it right, is heresy in its own interpretations. Did I mention it was a guide for man!

The link that Ho hum presented is my out-look procisely! but what ever level people are on, mankind must be patience. I stand out with standing right beside this god of my mind and we look upon the universe as a whole, as the good book is trying to tell you. It all goes pear-shaped when fundamentalism comes into play.

EVO

"Even if a society wants to “outgrow Christianity” it will struggle to know where to go next."

Given the high morals and ethics in Christ's teaching and life, and his conspicuous departure from carnal sensuality as a means of human fulfillment, his emphasis on "The last being first and the first being last" His teaching that true leadership comes through servanthood....

well.. to put it bluntly the only way for a society currently holding to such values is..."DOWN" and spectalularly so.

It will not be servanthood which takes people to leadership, but brute force and greed.

Translate that into a whole society and we have a formula for social chaos.

It won't struggle to know where to go next, it will be completely lost, and as many people who have ideas will try to take society in the direction of those ideas by whatever means they consider suitable.
Legal or otherwise. The would simply say "Ok..it's not legal to do this, so I'll first take power then change the law"...it's as simple as that.

Lost, meandering fools.. crashing into each other..headbutting rams and competition for breeding rights... compliant females as they realize they don't have any voice now...a dismal picture indeed.

Mad max is closer than we think.

But aaah..the glory and beauty of the Lord.. his risen life and longed for return... psychological insurance? :) sure.. have it your way, but we who have Him in our hearts know differently. I'ts not 'in'surance it is A-ssurance.

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today,
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer.
And just the time I need Him, He’s always near.

He Lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way
He Lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me How I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

The article points out religion evolves. It follows that faith must evolve with it or there would be no church. Some, like Ian D, cherry pick - "I can call myself Catholic but at the same time question, doubt and often disagree with the dogma of the Church" - while others take it lock, stock and barrel and consider it His immutable word, to the point of denying the utility of all the sciences.

Either way it should be kept to oneself. Once those of one pursuasion try to forcibly modify the bahaviour of others, religion gets itself a bad name. There is no reason to vilify writers such as Hitchens any more than there is to rally against Paul the apostle, other than to sway by reason or logic. But there's the rub. What's logic got to do with religion?

The article overrates the contribution of christianity. "Egalitarian universalism...social solidarity, of an autonomous conduct of life and emancipation, of the individual morality of conscience, human rights, and democracy, is the direct heir to the Judaic ethic of justice and the Christian ethic of love."

A bit gushing. As if basic human kindness never existed prior to 33AD?

Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right and, like Voltaire, I will disagree with what religious people say, but defend to the death their right to say it, provided always that they do not use their rights to reduce mine.

However, the notion that modern concepts of morality derive exclusively or primarily from the Judeo-Christian intellectual tradition ignores the greater influence of the ancient Greek philosphers, Socrates in paticular, who used the exercise of human reason to derive ideas of virtue and morality. Indeed, Plato's rationale for human existence was the contiued search for the Form of the Good. These ideas were lost in pre-Renaiisance Christian societies and were revived through the good offices of people like the Medici family and the Arab nations who preserved much of the original Greek writing.

Let's not indulge in Christian vs atheism silliness. Let's instead value human reason as the prime source of moral values and let those who hold religious beliefs add God's influence where they see fit.

XYZ is 'childish.

Compelling logical arguement that. Devoid of irony too.

Polycrap: << He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way
He Lives, He lives, salvation to impart!
You ask me How I know He lives?
He lives within my heart. >>

Like I said, an imaginary friend. Some of the most infantile even sing to him.