<DIV>Ralph,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I don't have a problem with the Greek language. I have a problem with you disrespecting other people and their religion just because you disagree with it. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I did not bring up the idea of original sin. Somebody asked me if I though Gays deserved death. I responded that all people deserve it that sin against God. You, Ted, Joe, Chas, and Keely all went ape shit about it, and said Christians didn't believe that. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best Regards,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Donovan</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><BR><B><I>Ralph Nielsen <nielsen@uidaho.edu></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Donovan,<BR><BR>I am not talking to "Gays, Jews, Hispanics, individuals with <BR>disabilities" or whatever. I'm talking to you about a subject that <BR>you raised in the first place: Original Sin and
its "deserved" <BR>punishment. The theory began with Paul in NT days. The entire NT was <BR>written in Greek. If you don't like Greek that's your hang-up, not mine.<BR><BR>Ralph<BR><BR><BR>On May 22, 2008, at 1:03 AM, Donovan Arnold wrote:<BR>> Ralph,<BR>><BR>> Are you Greek? No. Are we in Greece? No, was Christ Greek? No. So <BR>> why are you using this ONE word in Greek and nothing else, in a <BR>> context that is offensive when used in English? The ancient history <BR>> is not relevant, what is relevant, is that you are using it as an <BR>> "f-you" to Christians. You know this, other atheists on the board <BR>> know this, Christians know this, so please stop insulting us and <BR>> your colleagues by pretending otherwise. You would not do use <BR>> offense language to Gays, Jews, Hispanics, individuals with <BR>> disabilities, even if the words you used had a Greek historical <BR>> context that was not intended to offend, so doing so
to Christians <BR>> shows a double standard.<BR>><BR>> "I have known about this contraction for years before you were even a<BR>> zygote."<BR>><BR>> Ralph, I don't care if you were there for the nailing of Jesus. You <BR>> are still incorrect in your understanding of Christian beliefs.<BR>><BR>> See, Ralph, you are arguing that life after death doesn't exist <BR>> because it says so in the Old Testament.Most Christians are aware <BR>> that life after death did not occur until, after, Christ died on <BR>> the cross.<BR>><BR>> Before Christ died, people were just put in the ground, end of <BR>> story. After Christ died, we were saved and united with Christ.<BR>><BR>> Christians, believe in an afterlife, because Christ himself died <BR>> and rose again. He demonstrated that there is life after death. <BR>> Christians also believe in life after death because of personal <BR>> spiritual believes that you have probably
not yet experienced.<BR>><BR>> Best Regards,<BR>><BR>> Donovan<BR>><BR>> Ralph Nielsen <NIELSEN@UIDAHO.EDU>wrote:<BR>> Donovan, you forgot to give us your professional Xtian opinion about<BR>> the Oxford English Dictionary. Is it "is a valid source of historical<BR>> information"?<BR>><BR>> I have known about this contraction for years before you were even a<BR>> zygote. I have copies of the Greek New Testament, where Christ is<BR>> spelled with a capital "X."<BR>><BR>> I received my first serious instruction in the Bible from James<BR>> Brashler, a scholar who worked for many years translating some of the<BR>> Nag Hammadi codices from Coptic and Greek into English. I have<BR>> attended regional conventions of professional Bible scholars for more<BR>> than a dozen years. Three years ago I went to their international<BR>> convention in San Antonio TX. There were 8,400 of us; I was<BR>> privileged to hear some of
the top Bible scholars alive today. I have<BR>> some of their books in my library.<BR>><BR>> I have the feeling that you don't like that the Hebrew Bible (OT)<BR>> says there is no meaningful life after death and nobody went to<BR>> heaven (except two people). If you think I'm wrong, perhaps you would<BR>> like to tell us how many people in the OT died and went to heaven.<BR>> (OT is a standard scholarly abbreviation for Old Testament. I hope it<BR>> doesn't offend you.)<BR>><BR>> Best regards,<BR>><BR>> Ralph Nielsen<BR>><BR><BR>=======================================================<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR>http://www.fsr.net <BR>mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com<BR>=======================================================<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><p>