Dan,

I have just let you get on with bashing Christianity, even though you are making the mistake of imagining you know authentic Christianity. You are muddled up by your American Fundamentalist Christians who would vote in American history's thickest and possibly most damaging President simply because he adheres to the same unthinking, arrogant brand of religiosity that they do.

The clear marker for authentic Christianity is 'does it depart from Christ's example and teaching?'

I would submit that much of this current age's Churchianity does depart from it, but fortunately for them, stupidity is no bar to acceptance.

And I would not be so bold as to say I always hold to those teachings, you know otherwise - but I try to accord them the respect they are due.

You have made many statements and posed many questions and for my own interest I will answer some of them (it helps me understand and question what I believe), but I do not for one moment think it will make one iota of difference for you.

You are not an atheist but an anti-theist, and if you had to concede one point you would simply move to the next in an unending chain of criticisms.

And you presume you know how my church spends it money (money we only accept from members who have a say in where that money goes, and discourage visitors from giving). I have posted before on this, but one of the things it does is go to pay a meagre salary for my disabled step-Father who walks with two walking sticks but is a tireless worker in our community, looking after the elderly, a trained counsellor counselling the needy and the mentally fragile, helping people in debt, supporting alcoholics and visiting the housebound and the lonely (and not pushing the gospel down their throats, because he wants to behave with integrity and do good simply because it is the right thing to do and not for mercenary evangelical reasons).

I am sorry if you have never met any Christians like him - thoroughly grounded in the life of Christ - with enough religion to truly love and continually extend himself beyond his own needs. As opposed to your Fundamentalists who probably never read their Bible and think things through, and are fixated on the passages that allow them to fear and judge those around them.

I am not arrogant enough to say that Christianity makes me better than anyone else - spend 10 minutes with my wife and she will let you know what a fool I am and recount my many faults. But I do believe that in Christ I see the truth.

So feel free to keep bashing Churchianity - I am unoffended and sometimes see the truth in what you say - I feel the church is often guilty and would benefit from a bit of your medicine.

Sorry if I preach on SAGG, but it is only the antithesis of your own anti-theist preaching.

Blacknad.