Not "according to me" - "according to fact". It probably wouldn't kill you to Google the word "ethnikoi" and the YSEE.

On the one hand, there's the simple fact that they haven't trailed away to nothing, so your argument is flawed at its core.

Then again, there is also the possibility that the gods don't view the world as a popularity contest. Maybe, just maybe, they're above the high school clique mentality where "being more popular" means that "I'm the better being".

Of course, Small Gods was a pretty good book.

Well, we could mention the Oracle at Delphi and the Book of Mormon and pretty much any other sacred text out there that claims to be "the one true word" and whose believers believe it to be "the one true word" (because, of course, the text SAYS it is so it of course must be true)... but since they're not YOUR book or sacred text, there'd be no point because since they're not yours, you can't give any objective credence to the idea that they might be true. So that's a pointless argument.

Personally, I think that if someone bases the truth of their religion on a book - any book - which is subject to mistranslation, manipulation, and misappropriation by Man, that they have bigger issues in their relationship with Deity.

Not all gods have created flawed creatures, and not all believers have to be saved from the capriciousness of their own creator. Sure, some do - I mean, there's the whole "weighing of the heart" thing and Ammut to consider - but some religions actually give more than lip service to the "loving benevolent Deity" idea. Some religions actually have Deities that love them without "you'd better love me or I'll punish you for eternity" strings attached.

Is snip even a word? When did I post snip? Well, I am legitimate. I don't force my belief on you, as didn't Christ. I live by my faith in Christ. I love as Christ did.

As far as the gay issue goes, that is part of the Christian faith. Most of the major religions are against it. Also, America is a democracy, you can vote for or against gay marriage. If you don't like it, then move out of America. Most Americans don't want gay marriage, which is why it gets voted down.

Test me.

I'm not interested in testing you. Religion isn't a competition. It's not a popularity contest. It's not about having to "prove" that you're "right" to others.

It's about your relationship with the Divine. The only one(s) that you have to "prove" anything to is/are him/her/it/them, in whatever form you perceive him/her/it/them.

To me, the people who jump around screaming "My God is better than your God" are sort of pitiful, because to me it seems like they're either having to convince themselves of that idea, or their god is so possessive that they aren't even allowed to think that there might possibly be another concept of the Divine out there. Either way, it strikes me as sad.

Cactus, I never called you a hateful bigot. Please don't put words in my mouth.

And Gary, your argument is very flawed. It does not take a genius to see how Christianity became the domninant religion of the west. It was through persecution, inqusition, and the burning of any texts that didn't concur with the church. It was the taking over of pre-Christian holy sites by the church and the incorporation of the pre-Christian deities into the religion that kept the peasants coming to church.

And it is you who are being defensive and closed minded on this subject, not to mention entirely to snarky with Tirya. Quit the bullying tactics and use your brain to defend your position.

Enjoy your version of your religion all you like, but stop trying to convince everyone who doesn't agree with you that they are wrong. It might be helpful to act like the Christian that you claim to be.

I don't mind if he's snarky - it's not totally unexpected and personally I find it rather funny. Besides, his woeful lack of (or denial of) historical knowledge is kind of amusing. Also see my "My god is better than your god!" comment above...

Can't help but wonder why he's so intent on convincing others. Maybe it's just me, but I don't feel the need to "defend" my faith. I don't need anyone else's permission or validation in order to follow my beliefs. I don't need to "prove" my beliefs are right to anyone else. They're right for me, so that's really all that matters.

I think it's amusing that garysher keeps coming back to the idea that religion is some kind of popularity contest, like God is some high school sport jock who needs all his friends to tell him that he's the very bestest one in the world so that he can feel superior, and his sycophants trail in his wake so they can feel better about themselves by associating with "the cool kids".