Chainsmoker *cough*.... *cough*...*bark*....

says:

"Steel Mann is more representative of your average Christian I think."

err..no :) he is representative of YOUR popular notion of what YOU want Christians to be... *poke*....

Simple solution.. READ THE OWNERS MANUAL :)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=48&chapter=1&version=31

Art is for viewing as a work of asthetic beauty. I have collected some landscapes works from a local Christian artist and friend. He like myself would find that photographing prepubescent teenage girls would have a motive rather more in the realm of voyerism than of universally accepted beauty. Such work could hang in a teenage girls bedroom but not in a public place; especially if the child is known to the male displaying the photographs. It would be interesting to know of the sexual preferences of Hensen. Does he have an intimate and committed relationship to a wife?

You know, huffnpuff's post here proves I was right in the other thread. Too bad you all chose to admonish me for daring to call his raving alarmism out. This topic is about Henson, huffnpuff. You have no sympathy at all from me for exploiting your agenda and abuse in the manner of hetty.

Actually boaz, Chainsmoker's right, and I think you know he is.

Tell me - most Christians you meet - are they as fervent as you?

Even if you answer yes to that, do you really think that most of the Christian population is?

I think you know that's blatantly false, so I think your last post is more indicative of self delusion than Chainsmoker's.

As CS suggests, I think I'll indulge in less troll feeding if I can help myself.

But here's one last feast for you. Garn, have a gander at this:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2111174/Intelligent-people-'less-likely-to-believe-in-God'.html

I make no comment.

.... Here fluffy, meet the pigeons.

Chainsmoker You write 'The reason it seems all Christians had a particular view is because of the particular Christians on these threads, who are clearly not representative of Christians generally.'

I finally agree with you on something. I suspect the majority of people in this country (Christian or non Christian) could not give a stuff about Henson. In fact most people probably don't really care about child abuse or porn or environmental issues unless they can see it affects them directly. I asked some uni graduates who they were voting for and why last year only to be told they did not know or really care.

I do disagree however with you view of Steel Man. After being an active Christian for longer than I like to think I have not even heard of this guy/girl/dude.

Other studies find the same thing TRTL, but there are also some very intelligent god botherers around - though not many of them frequent OLO forums - and IQ is not a terribly reliable measure of intelligence. Academic intelligence yes, general intelligence no, thus the figures on academics.

I tend to go with the school of thought that says religion is a crutch (is that a pun in the context of this thread?) for people with insecurities, a sense of lack in their lives or some other kind of existential crisis.

On troll feeding, it's easy to avoid. Picture this:

One of them makes a comment. You respond and they get all excited about the attention or the belief that they're on the cusp of converting you or that they're somehow relevant.

Their white robes are glistening with sweat, their long beards twitching, their fingertips charged with lightning (in their imaginations) as they crouch over the keyboard, the eyes maddening, sandals tapping on the floor, maybe a bit of spittle, their crucifix fridge magnets are rattling, perhaps a little self flagellation takes place, their eyeballs spin around in the sockets with ecstacy.

Then they subject you and the rest of us to a lengthy and incoherent response which makes deliberative democracy a joke. Do you really want to be responsible for that?