Search results

  1. Merlin Athrawes

    Possibly stupid newie question - What makes the idea of universalism bad?

    Yeah, well maybe making God more cruel than an average human being is blasphemous. Did you ever think of that?
  2. Merlin Athrawes

    Possibly stupid newie question - What makes the idea of universalism bad?

    Then either get used to our "heretical" ideas or don't post or read here. Yes, this "our" section of CF, one dinky little section out of what, at least a hundred? Conservatives like you have the rest of this site to yourselves and most of us regulars here in this section either never go...
  3. Merlin Athrawes

    How can a Christian rejoice in the death of anyone?

    Where the (bless and do not curse) do you get off suggesting that we don't?!? eta: No, I didn't lose friends or family in 9/11 but I went to my (very terrorist-vulnerable) mall retail job that night, and I know how scared people were for weeks thereafter. Plus I had a stepdaughter in basic...
  4. Merlin Athrawes

    Which Bible Translation is Best?

    I'm a bit of an Anglogeek so my favorite version is the New English Bible (the original 1970s version; I had a REB for a few years but it got lost in one of my moves). (eta: @DailyBlessings: I have a New Oxford Annotated NRSV too and like reading it sometimes, for the same reasons you do.)
  5. Merlin Athrawes

    Answering critics of liberal Christianity

    Pretty much what Jase said. Any arguments you might make are more for the sake of fencesitters, particularly those who are sick of the rigidity, lack of love, and other dysfunctions they find in conservatism. Few of whom are willing to out themselves unless and until they trust you. So do go...
  6. Merlin Athrawes

    Need thoughts on not being a "good" enough Christian

    Most of us love the people we love despite....something, if that something isn't overly destructive to us we learn, out of love, to adjust. I would, however, encourage you to do whatever you reasonably can, to encourage her out of her system, even if it's initially just a not-nearly-as-harsh...
  7. Merlin Athrawes

    Need thoughts on not being a "good" enough Christian

    I understand. I wouldn't recommend you throw in the towel yet, particularly if there is truly love there as you've said; but unfortunately your situation looks less and less salvageable the more I hear about it, and for that I'm truly sorry. As I said, I had a girlfriend similar to that once...
  8. Merlin Athrawes

    20 years in the wilderness

    Hi pgf and welcome. I'm glad that you were able to return to God and I'm certain He is too. Your story is very moving, and I suspect many people can identify at least in part with it. I am concerned abou two things: 1) Are you in a church where the people actually empathize with what you...
  9. Merlin Athrawes

    "Liberal" denomination recommendation?

    I hate to throw a wrench in since you apparently liked your UUA visit, but you might want to visit an American Baptist-related church at some point too. (Find a Church) I do advise carefulness, as many ABC congregations can be essentially as fundamentalist as what you're leaving. That said...
  10. Merlin Athrawes

    Need thoughts on not being a "good" enough Christian

    If there's an American Baptist Churches (Find a Church) congregation in your area, that might be a good place to find a starter compromise church, especially since she's Baptist. Individual congregations vary but they have a reputation as a moderate evangelical denomination.
  11. Merlin Athrawes

    Need thoughts on not being a "good" enough Christian

    Basically paralleling what Lux said, and your situation reminds me of my primary college girlfriend (well, such as she was, I'm not sure we dated as such). We were both more or less fundamentalist at the time but she was Pentecostal also, and about a month or two into our relationship she tried...
  12. Merlin Athrawes

    I Will Follow Him

    I'm late to this topic...but you know, I really resent your implication that the Christians amongst us are in fact not Christian.
  13. Merlin Athrawes

    Conservative values permanently ingrained in my psyche!

    Also if there happens to be a large liberal church in your area, they may have a fairly large singles class.
  14. Merlin Athrawes

    Conservative values permanently ingrained in my psyche!

    ^^^I would add that women who care about you will work around your inexperience and be patient with you.
  15. Merlin Athrawes

    Hi, just wanted to share this here.

    Mommmmmmmm! Phineas and Ferb are closet Muslims!
  16. Merlin Athrawes

    God and sex

    Hi Cy and welcome. Please check your PMs if you haven't already. The short answer is CF, even this section here, unfortunately isn't the safest place anymore to discuss such struggles frankly. On behalf of the current and former regulars here I apologize for that.
  17. Merlin Athrawes

    A few questions about liberal denominations...

    Few denominations are liberal as such but most have at least a smattering of liberal congregations. Your best bets generally would be either the United Church of Christ or the Episcopalians. If there is a Unitarian-Universalist congregation in your area you might want to try that too.
  18. Merlin Athrawes

    If I hadn't stopped to turn the lights off...

    I'm glad you're okay too. That was scary to hear about.
  19. Merlin Athrawes

    Will someone please explain modern "humor" to this old geezer?

    No, you're not out of step. I'm not above enjoying off-color humor now and then, but the cruelty and sexism you describe, especially towards the most vulnerable, never ceases to anger me, largely because I was on the receiving end of a lot of that crap growing up.