Sheesh. JeffS + Post-On-Any-Topic = Intense-relgious-discussion. I guess it's been a while since we've had one of these and we were about due.

Anyway, I'm just chiming in to say that I'll take both science and religion and don't feel that I need to choose between them. I don't have any desire to disprove the Big Bang, and I'll take all the cures for desieses that science can give me. There are places where the Science and faith don't quite meet, it's true, and I'm OK with that. I don't know everything, and somtimes we humans get things wrong. Through research and/or enlightment I'm sure we'll get it right some day- and if we don't in my lifetime I'll understand in heaven. As I've said before, the central idea of Christianty is salvation by grace through faith, not to combat science.

While I"m posting, though, I do have an observation. I understand that a bunch of you look at Christiaty like a common myth- given that you aren't believers this makes complete sense- I don't see why Christiantiy would be treated any differently than any other belief system in your eyes. At least you're level headed not to try and hedge your bets the way most people do. That being said, I do get the sense that some of the language being chosen in recent posts is a deliberate attempt to shock myself or John (while other statements and posts are clearly intended to simply lighten the discussion). Honestly this doesn't bother me (disbelief is the same whether it is attempting to be shocking or not), and I might be misunderstanding the intent, but if some of these words are being choicen for the purpose of tweaking those who are Christians to get a rise out of us, I think other language might serve the discussion better.

I honstly do hope and pray that some of you will come around to trust in Jesus for salvation, and if it ever happens I'll know this for certain: it won't be a wishy-washy, "I'm trying Christiantiy because everyone else is doing it" kind of faith. Though if some of you became believers it might shake the faith up quite a bit!

At any rate, I'm fairly convinced that I'm not going to say or do anything on this BBS that will ever make any of you change your minds, but I can still hope that God works in your lives elsewhere to bring you to Him.

I remain happy that this board allows such an honest and open exchange of ideas from such diverse belief systems, usually in the most respectful way possible. There are very few places that I've experienced this.