Ellis, you and others may be interested in what I just wrote to a widely-read National Post columnist (Canada), Robert Fulford--a great communicator--the following communication:
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Robert:

Thanks for your National Post article, today, on THINKING ABOUT FUNDAMENTALISM.

Interestingly, every Tuesday, over breakfast (7:00 AM), I meet for dialogue--it is not a debate--with a group of evangelical fundamentalists. Because we agree to disagree, agreeably, it is usually an enjoyable and lively experience. We usually discuss certain Bible passages and how they relate to what it going on in the media.

The leader, a fairly bright lawyer, is a friend of mine.

CHARLES TEMPLETON
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BTW, in your column you mentioned the late (2001) Charles Templeton. I first met him after he stopped being a well-known Christian evangelist and, eventually, wrote his book, Farewell To God, which I have and read.

I first met Charles in the early 1960's, in the presence of Allen Spraggett, then the religion editor of the Toronto Star, and himself a former evangelist. We became friends. Now in his seventies, he is retired and lives in Aurora. I think Charles was the editor of the Star at the time. We met at a social gathering at his home.

I remember him challenging me: Lindsay, like me, you will not remain part of the organized church, for long. You think too much.

Several times following this, I had encounters with Charles, including one on a TV talk show. Last going off, I had several phone conversations with him, which, with his permission, I recorded. They are still part of a collection I keep. He was amazed when I told him that I was still doing my stuff--thinking outside the box--and within the United Church.

AS OF 2008
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I now belong to a fellowship http://pathwayschurch.ca which I helped get started (2005) here in Markham. Interestingly, it is officially part of the UC of Canada and encourages thinking outside the box. Charles would be most welcome here and, I feel, comfortable in such an open and inclusive fellowship which encourages critical analysis and thinking. We are not required to check our brains before our sacred gatherings.

Questions I often ask, to any one of the disparate collection of fundamentalists I meet, are as follows: If God is one, which one of the several fundamentalist churches is His? Can there be more than one kind of fundamentalism?

BTW, how come God avoids being part of the Internet? One infallible website would be very convenient, don't you think? If God needs a base, I invite Him, any time He chooses, to become part of the Family Life page.

Robert, one final point: I call myself a unitheist. How aware are you of what I call unitheism? (panentheism) It is based on the ideas of Alfred North Whitehead--process philosophy and theology. For details check out the work of the Rev. Charles Hartshorne, who popularized Whitehead's work.

For the work of Whitehead, check out http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/whitehead/

Thanks for your most interesting writing,

Lindsay G. King
(905) 764-1125

Last edited by Revlgking; 04/05/08 09:41 PM.

G~O~D--Now & ForeverIS:Nature, Nurture & PNEUMA-ture, Thanks to Warren Farr&ME AT www.unitheist.org