"We are God's sheep." wow, great analogy...

[kellychaos]

Originally Posted by El Blanco

Actually, it was quite the opposite. They were open to anyone willing to learn who could make the trip. That was the big divider. The ability to get to the universities.

Ummm ... no. Try again. Money was the divider. The aristocracy and clergy had it, peasants did not.

Originally Posted by El Blanco

Ya, the way guys like Aquinas and Augustine were persecuted for their work.

Rare exceptions. And notice how their work agreed with the view of the church at the time. Big difference.

Originally Posted by El Blanco

And look how the Church helped support many artisants during the Rennaisance.

And they were commisioned to do what? That's right! Religious art work which is ironic considering it was for a religion that was supposed to be opposed to idoltry, graven images, ect. One lil' bit of trivia that cracks me up was that Da Vinci, a non-Christian, was commisioned to do several religious works of art for the Catholic church and used to put little inside pagan symbols and references within the context of the painting which religious leaders didn't even understand. What a prankster!

Originally Posted by El Blanco

Yes, we invented that. And, we don't hold any women in high regard or anything.

'Cept for child bearin'! Be ironic as you like, it's true.

Originally Posted by El Blanco

What is that saying about glass houses?

I'm comfortable in my stone house, thank you very little. Back up the trash instead of just spouting off Vinth-style and I might concede that your arguments are valid because you've proved nothing beyond "I know you are but what am I." to me so far.

P.S. I'm not trying to be a "religion hater". I'm just trying to weed out the inconsistencies and contradictions to see if what is at it's core says anything to me that is worth adhering to spriritually. Sure, the Bible and Catholic religion has a lot of important things to add my spiritual life. I just wish they'd shed themselves of the hypocrisy and BS and get down to the kernel of what Christianity supposed to be. That's all I'm sayin'