Guestbook

Hi, Good Day! I am Cassandra. I would like to suggest a book entitled " Escape! From An Arab Marriage." This book deals with women who were married to Arab Muslim males and lived in terror of themselves and their children tortured or killed. For more information about the book you can log on to http://xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=33736 .

Hope you will consider and feature my book on your website. Thank you very much and have a good day.

Rev. Willie J C.,Jr., willie_junior@hotmail.com Louisville, MS

Let me say I am a proud christian consrevative-Mississippian-American, who happens to be black. But ,I am open-minded to all ideas and beliefs. I don't judge others or belittle them, if they think or worship differ. I think we should treat other as we wish to be treated. We have the right to express our freedom of religion as long as it don't disrepect others.I find your information interesting and helpful.May the bearer of light and life be with all your readers.

Posted 11-22-06

Hello Lewis,

I am writing you here since your guest book submission system seems to not be operational. I won't be surprised if you don't post this reply to your page, since it doesn't make you look good. But heh, perhaps God will surprise me with a little common sense honest on your part & allow others to read my reply to your post.

I stopped by to read your ranting regarding the comparison of Arab women with animals & you extremely biased, vulgar, sexist, degrading, racist comments about Arabs in general. Did I mention that it illustrated your nieve, uneducated bigotry?

Anisah David November 13, 2006

Hey there,

I don't know much about this site. I stumbled across it on Google looking for topics related to the problems Hindu's are facing in America for a religion and Globalization class. I was privileged to read the article on a statement Pat Robertson made about Hinduism being demonic. I myself am a Christian, and I think that the way the author of that article addressed the issue was fantastic. I am so used to religious debate in the negative sense of the term. While expressing that Pat Robertson was wrong, it was still not an attack on all Christianity. Unfortunately past mistakes, huge ego's, and power-trips have given the Christian faith a bad name. This opinion of right-winged christians will most possible never be put right, and the opening of minds to actual compassionate open christians may never actually occur. But If I can say it just once I will take my chance: God is love.

I think too often religion is confused with God, and people turn away from them both. I don't know what politically can be said for God... does he think homosexual marriage unions are ok? Is he ok with the death penalty? etc... But I can say this, everything that is Jesus loves those people. With a type of agape' love that we can never understand. I am not saying this as some "hippy, everyone's God is one" person. But just as somebody who wants the world to know that God loves you, without boundary, without question, and without restraint. That is who Jesus is. And I whole-heartedly apologize if your life experience has taught you otherwise. I am so sorry if any Christian has harmed your view of Jesus (especially Pat Robertson, let's face it...). But see for yourself what being a Christian is all about! Without the "guilt" that many see it holds for it's believers. It is amazingly freeing, and creates more love for people who are different that yourself than contempt for them. Read the bible and see for YOURSELF what Jesus is all about. I promise you, you will see nothing else rising from the pages but pure unadulterated love for you, and everyone.

Im not sure what that Nazi guy a few comments down from me is talking about... it seems very decided in it's view point. The great thing about being a christian is not knowing all the answers! By this I don't mean relying on blind faith, there is certainly scientific as well as historical proof of the person of Jesus. And the inward feeling of rightness and truth you get from it. But we are still privileged to be able to bask in the mystery of God. It's much like the Jewish faith (for obvious reasons). The way they view the Torah as the mystery of God. An ocean of knowledge that can never fully be grasped. So is the person of Jesus (with Jesus I am also including the holy spirit and the big guy upstairs of-course). I find something new in him everyday, and yet he is unchanging.

I guess I will stop rambling now... but the pent up sprit inside, hoping for just a bit of light to appear in the dark that is the hate, and stubborn opinions beckons to escape from being caged any longer. This comment will most likely be sent adrift ,never to be read again into the void. So "the end" dear void.

Leigh 11-6-2006

Hi Lewis, I was looking through your website and im interested in a link exchange if possible. I run a website called Religious debate (www.Religious-Debate.com/Forum) and think it would be mutually benifitial. Let me know what you think. Regards Jim

Hello, Lewis.

I linked your site to our "Links" section at http://tn420.org/cove No return link is needed as our site is controversial to say the least. Some folks just don't want to be associated with us. Pity. :-)

Your site has been a great source of information for some time now. We agree and disagree on a healthy range of topics. Makes for good conversation and solving the world's problems. LOL!

See you around, Harry July 18, 2006

I think Willie Martin is correct, and he has backed almost everything he states by scriptures.

I believe he is correct, because I have researched the majority of what he states, and found it to be inline with the Word of GOD. I think you, and your kind start yelling anti semite, racist, and nazi when you are confronted with truth and facts. Let's get something straight right away! Those calling themselves Jews are frauds, and impostors. They are not the chosen of GOD, nor are they Israel. The majority of so-called pastors, priest, clergy, are false prophets, and teachers. Anybody that teaches that the Jews are chosen, and that they are Israel, are liars.

Jews are Esau, the people of the curse. I am not a Muslim, nor am I a Nazi, Skinhead, etc. etc. but somebody who knows the truth when I see it. I think you, and the rest of the so-called preachers, and teachers of GOD could learn a lot from Willie Martin. True Israel is the White Race, no doubt about it. Jews do not fit the prophesies relating to true Israel, only the white christian nations do. Your argument is futile, and you have no facts, just heresey. The 1948 state calling itself Israel is a lie, and anybody claiming otherwise is a false teacher. There is two literal seedlines, not one physical, and the other spiritual. Do some research, true Israel is the White race. I mean unadulterated white race, not the mixed breeds. Read your bible, and do some research. June 23, 2006 from Craig.

And another person:

I'm special. I'm a real Jew. I like you, don't like Khazars either. I recently discovered that I am the decendent of the Jews that forced to convert to Catholism in Portugual. When I finally put t together it hit me like a ton a bricks oh my G-d I'm one of those people. But since that sad day I have been doing a lot of reading and researching on the net. Now I know that these white ,light skinned blue eyed jews are not real Jews but Khazars. I on the other hand look dark ,handsome and medditereanen. I am one of the Jews of the Bibile. I am a decendent of Abraham not Bulan.

Doesn't this make me pretty special. Doesn't this make me unique. Now I feel superior to these freaky looking KHazar Jews who wear those black outfits and furry hats. I even feel supior to all those fake Jews who run the mediainfact now I feel superior to everybody that I meet. I went from having an inferiorty complex to a superiority complex in no time.

This revelation has been a gift from G-d to me. thank you Lord for making me special. White Americans are not the chosen people. They are an instrious hard working ,creative and generous race( they even handed this country over to the Khazrs.) but they are not the chosen people I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can't compare someone like me to one of those dirty ,stinking ,back woods ,confederte ,redneck hick and compare them to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you please feel free to reply. July 15, 2006 from FB.

Webmaster response: These two people follow a cult known as Christian Identity, which posits that the white-British-German people are the Hebrews/Jews/Israel of the Bible or the Lost 10 Tribes that were carried off by the Assyrians around 712 BC. (Read 2 Kings 15:19, etc in the Bible.) They went secretly from modern Iraq to Europe to form modern western Europe. The real Jews, or the ones everyone else calls Jews, are imposters. They are really just converts from a Turkish tribe known as the Khazars. Through an over abundance of conspiracy theories, pseudo-science, and just plain lies, they are supposed to rule the world to benefit Israel and the US is dominated by some massive Zionist junta. (Often called ZOG or Zionist occupied government.) In other words, the white race (Christian only) are the chosen people of God and are to be "blessed" with ruling the world and are supposed to kill all of the "mud people" and the Jews. In other words, we don't have covenant for the land of Israel to the children of Abraham through Isaac, but a racial covenant for white people. Thus, I'm blessed by God for being white and having my ancestors originate in Iraq. Elements of this occult nonsense has infiltrated many fundamentalist' Christian and Mormon churches, and oddly the Left too along with Muslim fanatics. Conspiracy theories always appeal to the irrational mind more than reason and reality.

I did go and read the Bible, and again it disproves their absurd claims. The fact is the Tribes were never lost, it's a myth. Most fled into Judah. While much of the story of Assyria is covered in 2 Kings, Ezekiel concerned the later Babylonians. Quoting Ezekiel 9:9, "Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood..." They still existed at that time together. Jeremiah 50:33 concerning the Babylonian Captivity, "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go." This was later fulfilled when the Persians crushed the Babylonians and allowed the Jews/Israel to return. Many never did and stayed behind forming the vast Jewish communities in Mesopotamia. That what the Bible says, but since Christianity teaches the use of allegory/mysticism and not the use of reason, it's a waste of time trying to reason with those "possessed" by the Holy Spirit. I call it mental illness.

I'm an atheist; been one since as far back as I can remember - I'm seventy, now. Interesting your email address contains the county I grew up in; Sullivan County - I'm a Woodridge boy, you see. As to my Atheism-all I can say about it is: regardless that I am, I'm as "good as any; better'n some!" Saw that sign on the side of a barn in Woodridge, NY sixty years ago-never forgot it. With respect, and in friendship.

Harvey July 6, 2006

Atheism
• Fired from the job for being an atheist.
• A Challenge to Atheists
• A Challenge to Atheists 2

Lewis, I enjoyed much of the information on your page and I appreciate the scholarship and hard work you have put into it. Thanks. I am a fundamentalist Christian. I believe in the fundamentals of Christianity as found in "The Sermon on the Mount." John Chapters 5, 6, and 7. Love those who hate you and despitefully use you. Forgive those who have offended you. Judge not lest you be judged. Etc... But most of all I believe in the most fundamental teaching in all of the New Testament. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but shall have eternal life. And John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him." Jesus also said "Upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." We have been attacked, vilified, counted as sheep for the slaughter, run out of countries and suffered unimaginable atrocities perpetrated against us for centuries.

Yet we are still here and the church has flourished for over 2,000 years. You will not be the last person to hate us, nor will you be the last person who wishes we would disappear from the face of the earth. Cult or no cult we will be here long after you are gone because of the promise made by Jesus Christ our founder. Yes, I can quote all ten commandments and I have read the Bible from cover to cover on numerous occasions. I am college educated and I still believe the Bible is without error in the original languages, infallible in content and prophecy, and that it is sufficient for all that pertains to "Life and Godliness." I sincerely wish you well and appreciate living in the United States of America where we are allowed to respectfully disagree on some things and agree on others. Thanks again for the effort and information you have on your page. It takes a lot of courage to take the stands you have taken and I admire you for taking them. We are hated by so many, of which you are only one, that it is increasingly difficult to take a strong stand in favor of fundamentalist Christianity in America. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believeth; to the Jew first, and also unto the Greek." Romans 1:16.

John July 13, 2006

The Doctrine of God

Classical theism, the reigning doctrine of God in Christendom, affirms that God is void of body, parts, passions, even compassion, wholly simple, wholly immutable, independent, immaterial, the supreme cause and never the effect. What creatures have, God does not. I challenge this doctrine, on five grounds.

Due to length I gave this a separate page. See The Doctrine of God

March 20, 2006

Hi. I saw your site and was rather impressed. For one, I was once a "Christian Fundamentalist" and it was like a Hell for me personally. They were some of the most hateful and judgmental people you can come across. But if they would open their minds to the Bible and stop reading it in such a close minded view, then its teachings will be revealed. Sure the Bible has contradictions, but that's not the point. Its the point of the Book and the lessons that it teaches which are the point!

Now, I believe that all religions have their purpose and are the same. Everyone is different and needs a different religion. They are just external paths leading inward to inner spirituality. When I talk to my friends, I like to use the alcohol analogy...that different beers, etc are just different manifestations of alcohol...like different religions are different manifestations of God.

Love is the true core of existence and that is what Jesus taught and stressed...unconditional love. He died to save us...by showing us how to emulate God through love, hence Jesus was God. That's why he said to take up our OWN cross and follow Him.

Jesus said "the kingdom of God is within you"...which I interpret as we as humans through love can bring Heaven to Earth. :)

Cole, August 22, 2004

Your website is fantastic! I found it sort of by accident, and found it amazing. Browsing through the material contained in just a few of the vast topics in the site reminded me of just how shallow, or narrow-minded people are. If more people could take the time to "think," which is a quality that is sadly lacking in America, maybe we wouldn't be in the mess that we find ourselves in. Thank you for helping to open the minds of those who are searching for the "something" of our existence here on this small speck of dirt in the vast and infinite expanse of the universe.

Fred, July 13, 2004

You have quite a lot of effrontery to make a website FULL of prejudice articles. These articles are completely filled with wrong, and stupid statements. I only wasted the time to read one of them, the farm animals and Arab woman analogy. What terrible, AND prejudice writing. I have an Arab husband and he treats me better than ANY American man would. You say he couldn't get a date at the Prom, WELL NO AMERICAN MAN could get a date with an Arab woman either! "Exposing violent Islam" ??? Tell me, have you read the Qu'ron? Do you have the brain power to process that book? Apparently not.

I hope you realize how offending your articles are. I also hope you realize how unknowledgable you sound. Jennia 1-16-2005

And another person:

typical anti-islamic christian bullshit. i'm amazed that you can question the authenticity of the quran when your bible was not even written down at the time of jesus and has been edited so many times. Islam has similarities with judaism, zorastrianism, psalm, and the original teachings of jesus because they ARE ALL FROM THE SAME SOURCE AND HAVE THE SAME MESSAGE. The only difference is the langauge and people they were sent to. Yes most if not all muslim countries are corrupt (cia has helped governments to power not muslims voting), muslim have become extreme in their personality so therefore interpret the quran in an extreme way. One of the reason for muslim extremism is the christian extremism towards them all the way from the crusades to the divide and rule of the british and now american-zionist SLAUGHTERING of muslims using what ever excuse. I think that most muslims would start to become extreme after a thousand years of this. i as a muslim accept all people who believe in the one god. i don't hate jews and i don't support terrorist who kill innocent people and i don't agree with the narrow minded and generalised view of muslims you have. As with salman rushdie, he is entitled to his opinion. There are 1.2 billion muslims you can't lump them in one box. Nadege 1-21-2005

Webmaster response: As to Salman Rushdie, I don't see either of these people condemning the Islamic-fascists that issued a fatwa for his death. As is typical, they blame everyone else for the savagery committed by Muslims. I can tell they have attended a western university where a mainly Marxist faculty promote this nonsense. Nor is the Koran from the same source as the Bible or Torah, nor is the message the same. The Koran says directly to kill Christians and Jews that don't submit to Islam, and kill those that leave Islam. It's also against Muslim law for a Muslim women to marry a non-Muslim, but not vise-versa. They both will be killed. Finally, I'm not a Christian or Jew. I'd also suggest that Nadege go to Saudi Arabia and drive a car. She will be arrested and beaten.

Also see the follwoing on this subject:
Turkey, Ataturk, and My Views by Lewis Loflin. Go about half way down and see the section on women. It was written by a Turkish women's group and directly from the Turkish press. Also see the section on Sufism and the links, that was also written by Muslims., not me.

Well-known terrorist attacks and murders commited by Muslims.

    * 182,000 - Iraq (1986-1989) under Saddam Hussein,
    * 2,986 - September 11, 2001 attacks, (New York City, etc.))
    * 344 - Beslan School Siege, (Beslan, Russia, 2004)
    * 270 - Pan Am Flight 103, (Lockerbie, Scotland, 1988)
    * 257 - 1993 Mumbai bombings (Mumbai, India, 1993)
    * 225 - 1998 U.S. embassy bombings, (Tanzania, Kenya, 1998)
    * 207 - 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings. (Bombay)
    * 202 - 2002 Bali bombing, (Indonesia, 2002)
    * 202-300 Bentalha massacre (Algiers, 1997)
    * 192 - 11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings, (Spain, 2004)
    * 181 - Kerbala and Baghdad attacks, (2004, Ashoura Massacre)
    * 170 - Moscow Theatre Siege, (Russia, 2002)
    * 133 - 1929 Palestine riots (67 in Hebron, 18 in Safed), 1929
    * 100-400 - Rais massacre (Aligers, 1997)
    * 98 - Fuel tanker bombing, (Musayyib, Iraq, 2005)
    * 90 - 2005 Sharm el-Sheikh attacks, (Egypt, 2005)
    * 89 - Russian airplane bombings, (Russia, 2004)
    * 63 - April 1983 US Embassy bombing, (Beirut, Lebanon, 1983)
    * 61 - 29 October 2005 New Delhi bombings, (New Delhi, 2005)
    * 60 - 2005 Amman bombings, (Amman, 2005)
    * 57 - 2003 Istanbul Bombings, (Turkey, 2003)
    * 56 - 7 July 2005 London bombings (London, 2005)
    * 52 - 2003 Mumbai bombings, (Mumbai, India, 2003)
    * 46 - Casablanca Attacks, (Morocco, 2003)
    * 34 - 2004 Sinai bombings, Taba and Nuweib, Egypt, 2004
    * 33 - Coimbatore blasts, (India, 1998)
    * 30 - Passover massacre, (Israel, 2002)
    * 29 - Israeli Embassy Attack in Buenos Aires, (Argentina, 1992)
    * 26 - bus No. 18 Jerusalem massacre, (Israel, 1996)
    * 26 - Lod Airport Massacre, (Israel, 1972)
    * 26 - Ma'alot massacre, (Israel, 1974)
    * 26 - Riyadh Compound Bombings, (Saudi Arabia, 2003)
    * 23 - Jerusalem bus 2 massacre, (Israel, 2003)
    * 22 - No. 5 bus Tel-Aviv massacre, (Israel, 1994)
    * 22 - Tel-Aviv central bus station massacre, (Israel, 2003)
    * 21 - Dolphinarium massacre, (Israel, 2001)
    * 21 - Maxim restaurant suicide bombing, (Israel, 2003)
    * 21 - Beit Lid Junction massacre, (Israel, 1995)
    * 19 - Patt junction massacre, (Israel, 2002)
    * 18 - Kiryat Shmona massacre, (Israel, 1974)
    * 17 - USS Cole Bombing, (Yemen, 2000)
    * 17 - Haifa bus 37 massacre, (Israel, 2003)
    * 15 - Sbarro massacre, (Israel, 2001)
    * 15 - Matza restaurant massacre, (Israel, 2002)
    * 12 - Avivim school bus massacre, (Israel, 1970)
    * 11 - Jerusalem bus 20 massacre, (Israel, 2002)
    * 11 - Jerusalem bus 19 massacre, (Israel, 2004)
    * 6  - World Trade Center bombing, (New York, United States, 1993)

Major terrorist acts committed by Americans, Jews, Japanese, Sikhs

   * 329 - Air India Flight 182 (Atlantic Ocean, south of Ireland, 1985)
   * 168 - Oklahoma City bombing, (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, 1995)
   * 91 - King David Hotel bombing, (Jerusalem, 1946)
   * 12 - Sarin attack, Tokyo Subway, (Tokyo, Japan, 1995)
   * 29 - Mosque of Abraham massacre, West Bank, (1994, lone individual)

The article on Why fundamentalist Churches are often cults. What other of the 2000 would be on this subject besides this? I had wrote a book on spiritual abuse and my experiences and had a publisher that wanted to see it but I change my mind on getting it published. I guess that I felt I needed to forgive, move on and let God handle it. But I do believe that so many are caught in this stuff and I have friends still having trouble getting out. These churches are really unhealthy and alot of the ones are caught in religion verses relationship with Christ. I'm telling you I was so dependent on the pastor that when I left, I had a hard time thinking on my own. I have a family and it was devastating at the time. I believe a lot that's on TBN and things that are preached on tv are false docterine and are misleading the church. I love when others speak out in boldness about this stuff and applaud you for it. Thanks Rhonda July 15, 2005

Dear Sir: I read your website and article about the failed dates for the end of the world (the joke page) and I too was in a "religious cult" in the mid-70's and early 80's in Tucson, Arizona. They were living for a day for June 28, 1981. They were heavily into the "end-times" and setting dates and making predictions. They also carried big King James Bibles and could quote scripture and if you were uninformed of the Bible and weren't taught properly you thought they were really something and stood in awe of them.

It was unsound doctrine and false teaching and they would love-bomb you and show you all kinds of friendliness in the name of the Lord. Very deceiving. My wife didn't believe it and left me in 1980. She is doing what she always wanted to and that is teach physically handi-capped children. Me???? It put me on a life long journey which I am still dealing with the consequences of such groups. These type cults are dangerous and very anti-government, especially when they believe that the "anti-christ" is coming from America. You can read more about this group in the Arizona Daily Star (June 1981) and I would say thank you if you could add this to your diary of dates.

Thank you for reading this and for your time. Sincerely, Todd 9-15-2005

• Armageddon and All That Jazz
• Pastors Play Down End-Times Speculation
• Adventist Family

Webmaster response:The Jewish Messiah was supposed to be of the House of David. The fact is Jesus said all of this was supposed to happen in the lifetime of his apostles. (Matthew 23:36, Mark 13:30, and Luke 21:32.) That claim is missing from John, written 90-100 AD or later. Didn't happen unless it's some Gnostic style "spiritual" kingdon "not of this world." (John 18:36) John gets strange at the end,

Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. Then went this saying abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die: yet Jesus said not unto him, He shall not die; but, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. (John 21:21-25 KJV)

I grew up in Kingsport, and lived away in Richmond, VA for around 10 years. I came home, went to ETSU at age 38 and got BS in Special Ed. They preached high demand area....never need to look for a job. Yes, I got a job immediately. Finished my M.ED in 2005. However, was transferred after 2 years to an intolerable situation. Got less than mediocre reviews from a principal who introduced me at the first FAmily night gathering and said, "This is Ms...... I don't know if I like her or not. Don't know her." It was downhill from there.

No tenure. 3 years and what appears to be useless degrees here. or anywhere for that matter...... Applying in more progressive areas, I am always asked the same question.....refused tenure? why? I have great interviews and amazingly .....never hear a word afterwords. Offer for a job in NC was rescinded after they asked Washington Co. if I was non-renewed. I have no idea what is coming out of that Central Office.

Have you seen this pattern ? The custodian, 15 years at the school, approached me and said quite matter of factly.... I have seen them do so many times over the years...Hire someone new.. BS w/no experience... move them and non - renew them. Guess they save money that way.

Enlighten me to the politics and BS from your side of the fence. I would love to hear your experience and comments. Plus Suggestions..... what kind of job can anyone get.... thanks M.

Webmaster response: Your story is not unusual. I'm surprised you got hired at all. I've known too many people with all kinds of degrees that couldn't get a job at anything. Without knowing the details, it's hard to guess what happened. Your masters is part of the problem, that means you were worth more money, they had no intention of paying it. That made you "overqualified." Second if you have in any way questioned or threaten the system, your out. If someone didn't like your looks or thought they could get you in bed, your out. You didn't fit in from the sound of family night.

My wife has BSW in social work, never got above $7 an hour. I have two AAS degrees, 91 semester hours, plus over 20 years in electrical/electronics. I teach as an adjunct in a community college, have never gotten above $8 an hour and make more in security than my field. You are an older college grad like my wife and I. That's bad news too.

I applied for years in all kinds of industry, kept being turned down for job after job, never got an interview. Then I got hired for a whole ten minutes, until the manager saw I had college, got canned on the spot. He expalined "we don't hire people with college." He was nice and explained it wasn't me, I was more qualified than their managers, but the type of workforce they had made it impossible to mix people like me into the workforce. A lot of it depends on others accepting you. This culture has no tolerance for education or anyone that thinks for him/herself.

I'll bet that's your problem. It's not you, it's them. So what the hell. My house is paid for, there's nothing they can do to me, so I run this website and take the SOBs on in public every chance I get. I've been in the newspapers and on TV. The Times-News did a whole article on my website.

I am a student who after graduating my local community college will be transfering down to the University of California at San Diego next fall. I say this before I state I am also a Homeschooled student. I read a couple of your articles on homeschooling and a couple on other topics. Before I go on to state the nature of this digital piece I am writing you I would like to give a little background to stage my message. First, as I was growing up My parents faced a lot of criticism from relatives and even close friends for being dumb enough to homeschool their children. Second, when my parents began homeschooling me and my siblings there wasn't the large support groups there are now nor the vast resources that have opened up in recent years for homeschooling. And finally, it was not always easy to learn the material that was being taught, it took -- as all who are well educated know -- a lot of stuggle and strive to comprehend the lessons being explained.

Growing up in this way, and also being well aware of the several stereotypes of homeschoolers -- you know socially inept in every way -- I was in one sense able to expirience first hand the life of the homeschooler. And I learned several things from it. All parents who dedicate themselves to their children get a wonderful result. The reason is that the student has a personal tutor (or two if both parents teach the child) who spends 12 years teaching the student everything that s/he knows. When you read this article, whoever you may be, take a moment and stop and think about all the things you have learned in your life and then think about how much of that information you could teach your child if you could. It would have to be a lot. And school doesn't end for the homeschooler at some set time every day when a bell rings; because parents can teach thier children at all times. Even dinner can include an educational discussion on some interesting subject.

With this said it is easy for all to see that the homeschooling process should produce smart students. But the reason is not because homeschoolers are inately more intelligent that public-schoolers, it is because homeschoolers have such dedicated parents, who care so much for their children that they are willing to a large portion of their lives to help their children be successful.

My main point in all of this is to say that parent's dedication to their children will often decide how successful the children will be. So, if you will allow Me to say it I wish to thank my parents for homeschooling Me, I loved it. And I know I state the opinions of thousands of independant homeschoolers who feel just as I do, when I say "Homeschooling is so Fun!!!! It totally prepared me for life."

I hope that the honest opinion of a student who was homeschooled will people to think a little different towards homeschooling. I would love to see students who told there parents "thankyou for sending me through the public school system", but of my hnedreds of public schooled students, I have never heard one say something like that. Have a great day -- Matthew

As far as illegal aliens go I can tell you from a perspective you cannot get on the news. I have traveled all over West Texas and the panhandle, southern and eastern New Mexico, western Kansas, and west and central Oklahoma. I can tell you how rundown these places are amd are over run with dare I say Mexican invaders. How you really do need to carry a gun in Houston to be honest. I make my wife carry one since we moved here. I understand more Spanish than I speak so I can tell you the filth they say here. You have a 12-18 hour wait in an emergency room here unless you go to a paying only one. There are so many here that it seriously troubling for a national security reason. I mean honestly all you here on the Spanish radio is “la raza” this or that, and they are damn sure not much on the US. Here they release illegals for DUI or even DUI homicides, because you cannot get the DA to prosecute them. I think it is a damn shame that the civil leaders in ne Tennessee are bringing in the illegals to make the poor folks there fight for the scraps at the bottom of the barrel.

Jon W. My cell phone number is available on request

Webmaster response: Glad to post your e-mail on the guestbook. As a rule I don't post full names or e-mails without direct permission from the writer. Be aware if I do you could be hit with SPAM becasue they prowl guestbooks looking for targets. (e-mail addresses)

Let me know. As for updates, I do those once a year or every six months unless some new issue really pops up. For example, if a make constant changes, it damages my rankings at Google. There's also not much happening right now. How many more drug busts can I report? I also found out some local politicians are upset with my website and aren't saying much on certain issues. I've nailed Eastman Chemical and their CEO twice in the Times-News letters and blew open their phony Tarnoff Report nonsense. That was recent.

The best way to figure out what is current is the top half of my Social Apartheid page and Sullivan County Exposed page. My religious material is re-written when new information comes in, but I try to separate that from local news. This site has been up for eight years and some material is getting outdated. I'm trying to decide what to do with it. Any suggestions would be welcome.

This website no longer tracks local political issues due to legal risks. Sorry. July 2007

While browsing the internet today, I came across your website, which addresses several aspects of Sullivan County, and specifically mentions Sullivan North High School in a negative light. I am truly disturbed by some of the accusations made against SNHS, and that is why I am writing to you today. As a graduating member of the SNHS class of 1998, I can safely say that I felt VERY fortunate to receive my education at North as compared to any of the other county schools. Though I wanted to attend Dobyns Bennett originally, the high cost of tuition (which must be paid by non-city residents) and the desire to remain with my life long friends led me to remain in the county school system, which for me, meant attending SNHS. The faculty and staff at SNHS are truly outstanding men and women, and for them to be portrayed in such a negative fashion is appaling. Some of my fondest memories of life as a teenager have solid foundations at SNHS, and I wouldn't trade them for the world. High school is truly what each individual makes of it, as is the entire educational process. Those who wish to do well in school will make the extra effort to apply themselves more thouroughly than required by those who decide what our educational standards should be, without having to be pushed by parents or teachers.

Those who do not wish to succeed will do just that, but that doesn't mean that the opportunity isn't there, and the faculty and staff of SNHS, and all the other county schools for that matter, cater to both types of people. It seems to me as if you feel that only "gifted" or "chosen" students at SNHS are afforded the opportunity to succeed, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. ALL students have the opportunity to succeed at SNHS if they so choose. The help is there, all one has to do is ask for it. Most teachers will not hunt you down and force you to apply yourself, and that is at any school, in any city, in any state, in any country of the world, not just North. Believe me, it gets worse in college. You're just a Social Security Number at most colleges (I attended UT Knoxville originally). There are, of course, exceptions to the rule: those teachers that recognize potential and press to extract every ounce of it, no matter what it takes, and I was glad to have known more than my fair share of such teachers at SNHS. Those men and women helped shape me into what many people will agree turned out to be an upstanding, productive, responsible, and kind citizen. It is extremely unfortunate that you allow such volatile comments to be made about SNHS while the other county schools are left unmentioned.

One question I would like you to answer is this: "How familiar are YOU with ALL of the Sullivan County High Schools?" If you have never strolled through Sullivan South, Sullivan East, or Sullivan Central, please allow yourself the opportunity to do so. If you are a taxpayer, it is your right to be allowed to see what your tax dollars are being spent on, and with the proper arrangements, I'm fairly certain a tour of each of the 4 schools could be easily arranged. I have had the chance to walk through the halls of all 4 schools, and can tell you without hesitation that SNHS is BY FAR the best kept school. If the students, faculty, and staff at SNHS are so horrible, why is the school in such good shape. Did you know that South and North opened the same year? You wouldn't think so if you saw them both. You would swear that North had been opened a shorter number of years due to its condition. It is unfair to say that only one of our county schools has problems, they all do.

In fact, there are very few schools in the nation that do not experience the same problems that our schools do, and truthfully, we should feel truly blessed that Sullivan County schools do not share the same problems that other schools face. If you want to "sling mud", imagine what teenage life would be like at "P.S. whatever number you want to make up" school in the Bronx, or Chicago, or Los Angeles, etc. As far as the author "Shanda" is concerned, while I truly feel sorry for her if in fact the events she describes DID occur, one student's experience cannot be used as a measuring stick for the entire school, and that is precisely what you have made her story. There are "bad apples" everywhere, not just SNHS. My sister and I are both North graduates, and while we both experienced our fair share of difficulties with certain situations that occured there (and every student at every school will experience some type of problem with their respective school), we both feel grateful to have spent our high school years at North.

I sincerely hope that once you have read this email that you will carefully consider what you print in regards to ANY of the county schools in the future, and especially printing only negative views of the schools, but based on the pessimistic nature of the site in general, I fear that such hope is in vain. Just remember that not every student that goes to Sullivan North is doomed to failure, just those who don't want to succeed to begin with. No school is perfect, but we as citizens should strive to make them as close to perfect as they can be. I will leave you with a quote that I find particularly useful in regards to this email, it is a Benjamin Franklin quote:

"All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immoveable, those that are moveable, and those that move."

In other words, if you don't like the way something is, take a proactive approach to CHANGE it, instead of making idle comments, while you wait for it to change based on your word, your opinion, or on its own. This also applies to those people who succeed in life, those that will not try to make a good life for themselves, those that have potential but are too lazy to harness or utilize it, and those who wish for better things and take the necessary steps to make their dreams a reality. Please use better judgement in seeing which person is which in the future.

My ex wife had joined a church in which their motto or way is that all people that join this church must sacrifice themselves to the Lord and forget all that is around them. This ways of this church has destroyed the lives of my 2 children myself and have compromised any understanding that there is another life from the church.

At the end of October my wife suffered a Psychotic episode. We have understood some of the details of this as my ex-spouse thought she was being chased by the Devil and that this particular church had tried an Exorcism on her 1 week and 1 day prior to having this episode. In collecting clothes for my children as I had custody of the children, a note was found. It was passages from Revelations, an extreme book in the Bible that talks about the end of the world, the devil, the occult, having the power to do all.

I have seen for myself that this church has manipulated and destroyed the lives of innocent people. I have first hand account of this as during the process of my separation and the divorce, this church was giving me advise to maybe resolve my marriage issues. They did not help; their attitude was forgot about my wife and concentrate on God only. I met with them a few times and attended a few services, but as 3 months past I saw that they were trying to manipulate me, or some people may call it brainwashing. I was smarter than that and decided to disassociate myself from this church.

I sent these people a letter, an angry letter not agreeing on the manipulation they were trying on me, but in their mind and the spoken words from the Pastor they interpreted that I was "going to kill someone" again a manipulation that was not true and this may have caused my ex-spouse paranoia.

This church fundamentals and their way of doing things are beyond religion but more of a cult that suckers people when they are weak, down and have no where to turn to.

Teaching my children that God is good and part of their life and not their life has been a challenge. Teaching them about religious holidays, stories from the Bible has been a challenge.

I read a story of a mother in Texas who was involved with a particular denomination. She was receiving or told she was receiving messages from God. These messages told her that she had to kill her children. She did so with a rock. One evening she locked the bedroom to her and her husband’s bedroom. She took 1 child out to garden and placed his head on a rock. I will not continue with what happened but she was caught. This is a prime example of the religious manipulation that is happening. You can read this at courttv.com

I see that many people only live for Christ, but life is not about God, its about yourself, understanding who you are, why you are here and to understand the purpose of people around you.

So get it right when you publish something since you failed to publish all of the facts.

Webmaster response: What are you talking about? "In God We Trust" wasn't put on anything until after the Civil War and not into the Pledge until the 1950s, so what does that have to do with the American Revolution? Religion had nothing to with "unjust taxation without representation" and in fact the Apostle Paul claims we should submit to all secular authority, unjust or otherwise. I'm glad you mentioned all of the abusive nonsense Christians once inflicted each other and non-Christians alike. Your view of "religious people" is limited to Evangelical, as you understand it today. The Founders were in fact very religious men, but not fanatics. They had their own beliefs and were highly respectful of Christianity. Even Thomas Jefferson, by far the most anti-clerical, believed Christianity instilled civic virtue and even attended church on occasion. It should be noted their wives and daughters were pious Christians. They never sought to impose their often-private beliefs on others.

A new book called The Faith of the Founding Fathers by David L. Holmes put this in proper perspective and came to the identical conclusions I did. As a professor of religious studies at William and Mary, he points out what Deism really was here in Virginia (and Unitarianism) and the role it played. He pointed out there were very pious Christians that included Martha Washington, her daughters, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson's daughters. Those with Deist or deistic beliefs included Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James and Dolley Madison, and James Monroe. And to quote, "they admired the ethics of Jesus and believed religion could play a beneficial role in society. But they tended to deny the divinity of Christ..." He notes that the College of William and Mary was a center of Deism at the time. This isn't the Deism Voltaire poisoned that produced the violent French Revolution. Mr. Holmes has a very interesting section called, "A Layperson's Guide to Distinguishing a Deist from an Orthodox Christian." Let's not forget the role of Calvinism in American culture of that time. There is nothing wrong with a belief in Jesus Christ.

If you want to know my views see my homepage. Thank you. Note that when I contacted this person for specifics, she refused to answer. I'd welcome material on a Christian view to counter the following for fairness.

• History Revisionists on the Religious Right
• Creationist' Tactics
• Misquoting by the Religious Right
• Democracy and the Origins of the US Constitution
• Myths And Mischief of the Religious Right

Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live. "

And another:

To the author and believers of this web page; Wow. That is a lot of work that you put into your web page. I appreciate that you have a passion for what you do and believe. However, you have taken God's Holy Word and with every verse you have cited used them out of context, and applied them to what your mind understands, instead of believing with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Which is the aim of the Bible. You have so many questions and things you can not understand in the Bible, for that very reason. You don't understand. It is obvious that the Holy Spirit is not in you to give you that understanding. I will pray for you, that your eyes and heart will be opened. You could do AWESOME things for the body of Christ, if you just believed. I hope that in the end I will see you in heaven, because I KNOW I will be there, and I pray that I will get to meet you there. Keep searching for the truth.

Webmaster response: I thank you for your input, but as usual you misunderstand this website. You complain I don't present a Christian view, well, I don't claim to be Christian nor is this website aimed at Christians. I read the Bible AS WRITTEN and draw a conclusion based on reason, not Gnostic revelation, mysticism, allegory, or by voices in my head. If the Bible is the "Word of God," then what it says it what it means.

I have asked for seven years for the Old Testament sections that mention Jesus, etc. (as written) and nobody has presented anything. Nothing, zero, zilch. Thus I'm forced to conclude Paul was a fraud, and the voices in his head were just voices in his head. Because Paul is the primary theology for Christianity, I conclude Jesus was simply human, nothing more. What you quoted refers to God, not Jesus. You present some real proof, not misquotes. The offer is still open to anyone.

Although in your own mind you may be justified-you are sorely mistaken on many accounts-PERIOD! Why can't you make all of these Biblical truths make sense Because you are leaning on your own understanding, and, of course,i'm sure you know (and choose to ignore)that:

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "(5)Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. (6) In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight."

In regard to such subjects as the "lack of logic" behind the Holy Trinity, again scripture addresses such things:

Isaiah 55:8-9 8"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. 9"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.

There are some subjects that are beyond our comprehension... and although some of us (namely you) try to prove things to others by using nothing more than a superior intellect and silver tongue -- the proof remains, and always has been, "in the puddin'"-- God is God, and you are not!! Just because you can't wrap your simple, finite mind around an infinate concept doesn't make it faulty. Think of the Holy Trinity as a pretzel-- it has three holes- each hole is separate, yet together they form ONE pretzel-- 3 holes=1 pretzel... i can't make it any simpler than that...

I will pray for you- as you will be held accountable for all the souls that you lead astray. In Christ's Love, James

Webmaster response: My beliefs are justified by what I read in the Bible, which you can't refute or prove wrong based on the Bible. I have no idea what Isaiah 55:8-9 and Proverbs 3:5-6 have to do with Jesus or any platonic Trinity? As a typical Christian you refuse to take the Bible as written and draw a conclusion based on Scripture itself. Instead you read what you have been brainwashed into believing into the text then claim some invisible Holy Spirit as proof it's right. Nowhere do I even pretend to know more than God, but if the Bible is the word of God as you claim, then why can't you follow what God has to say? Keep His Commandments! You don't use Greek philosophy (look up the term hypostasis) or some Platonic Trinity as a cover for worshiping a man as God, then refuse to follow most of the teachings of your man-god. You claim by "faith," but Jesus never said any such thing nor did he mention Adam, blood atonement from sin by his death, etc.

In the Davidic kingly line we come to Jeconiah (Jecohnais) and in Jeremiah 22 we read that no seed of Jeconiah would ever sit upon the throne of David (as you also correctly mentioned). As this was the kingly line which G-d himself cut-off, then how can the Messiah be of the lineage of David and sit upon the Throne Of David (to coin your words, Is G-d a liar?) whether He be Jesus or another ??

The only way the Messiah can sit upon the Throne of David is to be 'legally' of the line of David but not of the seed through Solomon and Jecohnias otherwise it is a violation of what G-d has decreed. This then can be Jesus !!

I am a christian. I am a follower of Jesus Christ. As a christian, I work with other members of my congregation to feed the hungry and provide the people in our community with coats, socks, and other neccesities. I do this because I am a follower of Christ. We also build homes for people in need in Mexico, buy animals for third world country tribes for a source of income and have a great children's program as well. We teach our children the importance of loving all people and helping those in need. I am a conservative, however I am personally against the death penalty and guns, and I am pro life. I don't believe that Christ wanted anyone to take another's life. Why are Christian conservatives thought of in such a hateful manner? It is wrong to categorize any group of people, whether African-Americans, Muslims, Jewish, Liberals, etc. I am unsure when I have dedicated my life, and so have many other christians to helping care for others, why we are so hated.

I do not know if you wrote these hurtful words. If you didn't, I would appreciate you forwarding this message to the person who did, if you happen to know. If not, I am sorry to bother you,

Webmaster response: I never said Martin Luther was a racist, he was an anti-Semitic bigot, and a violent and intolerant man. Among his acts of Christian love was he asked his followers to join with Catholics to slaughter groups such as the Anabaptists, starving peasants, etc. Go ahead and Google Martin Luther and Jews, then read some of his fine literature. You can't dispute what I present, you are angry I presented it. I warned that some parts of what I presented are taken out of context standing alone, but doesn't change the fact he is still a violent, superstitious brute. But we must not forget the great things he had done as the founder of Protestantism. He helped break the power of the Catholic Church, and opened the door (along with John Calvin) to reason, learning, etc. and undermined fundamentalism in the end. Oh I forgot it's "faith alone" and one's actions are of no account. I believe I'll trust God to decide on that. I can't change history on Luther anymore than I can on the perversion of Deism in France that led to French Revolution and the Reign of Terror and beheadings, etc.

I stumbled onto your site and have been reading for hours. I love, love, love it. You have managed to accumulate in one place much of the (religious and historical) knowledge I have spent the last 30 yrs in intensive research of.

I would like to add one thing that I haven't yet found on here nor have seen mentioned elsewhere - When Jesus said (preportedly) "That you can only come to the Lord thru me" (which people take to mean they must believe he is god too - the idea of the trinity), I believe the interpretation is incorrect, and should in fact say "That you can only come to the Lord 'thru what I am teaching you'". A very important difference, since what he was in fact teaching them was Judiasm. The break came later when the newly minted gentiles (formerly heathens) weren't required to conform to all the extensive laws of strict Judiasm. I suppose that's hard to swallow for those who have been taught otherwise.

On their own, new Christians (the followers of Jesus) and in order to make it more appealing to the masses, certain customs were added that had little to do with true religion (ie, the combination of voodooism or other pagan customs and catholicism for instance).

I have a hard time myself when in a Roman church and hear the statement about the 'drinking of the blood' (sounds so vampirish). The 'wafer' corresponds to the bread , and the supposed 'blood' corresponds to the blessing of the wine (not blood), as in a passover meal or a sabbath meal both symbols of the richness and sustaining in life of blessings by our (one) Lord.

And I hope there are not still those who believe that Jews should be punished for the death of Jesus. If your country were controlled by an oppressive military regime (Rome) who were killing Jews left and right and the implied choice was that one Jew (Jesus) could be killed, or every last one of you could be, what would be the prudent thing to do to protect everyone?

This is not something I expect everyone to accept right away. In fact it may sound shocking, or even offensive to some indoctrinated. I believe this is the real truth, and I have spent a lifetime in it's pursuit.

Webmaster response: Thank you for your input and I agree fully. The reason so much of Christianity makes little sense is because of the way the Bible was put together and what they voted to put in it, and the fact the Book of John is proto-Gnostic and Paul was a pseudo Gnostic. There is a lot of controversy on Gnosticism and recent finds with the Gospel of Judas and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene make it more so. The Gnostics (a modern term by the way) were a threat to the Church not because of heresy so much as individualism. They were small groups that threatened Church authority and control. In fact it was a Gnostic that concocted the Trinity. To form a single church, the Church fathers threw together several rival sects, dictated interpretation, then killed anyone that disagreed. In reality Gnosticism was a free-thinking mysticism whose followers could receive revelations from whatever. It held the material world as bad and ruled by the devil. Humans were living spirits trapped in material bodies. They thought God (unknown and hidden) would send a messiah to lead men back to God where we originated. This was by spiritual knowledge, not by knowing some secret code or whatever as Christians claim. Jesus was not the Jewish messiah and Gnostics hated Jews and believed the Hebrew God was the devil and Jews children of the devil. John 8:42-44, "Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God...Ye are of your father the devil..."

John is the most Gnostic as illustrated by the use of "Son(s) of God." "That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. (Genesis 6:2) There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. (Genesis 6:4) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. (Job 1:6) Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. (Job 2:1) (That's Jewish)

• A SHORT REVIEW OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE UNITED PENTECOSTAL CHURCH
• More on the UPC

I hope I have caused you to rethink your position. And by the way I don’t appreciate such a slanderous website against someone who died to save the world and His followers. Thanks Amanda

Webmaster response: In no manner does this website slander Jesus. I think he was a great man, nothing more. While atheism might say evolution is "randomness" the facts just don't fit that. With you, like most fundamentalists it's evolution and atheism, or literal "Six-Day" mythology and God. The better way is stick with the facts of evolution and reasoned view of God. That's the third way, let the public decide. As a believer in God, see the following for my view of evolution, which I see as the work of God:

Evolution
• Which Creation Story?
• Which Creation Story? Another view
• Evolution debate in schools
• Creationism Teacher Is Told to Stop
• An evolving controversy
• Evolution and the early church, and Islam
• Isaac Asimov Science and the Bible
• Christian Orthodoxy On Creationism
• Christian Right Lobbies To Overturn Second Law Of Thermodynamics
• Ancient Underwater City Found Off India: Archaeologists to Rewrite History
• Explorer Finds Evidence of Life Before Great Flood

Also, it's vital to keep the conversation going by refraining from insults. I'm not adept at using humor, and sometimes I have to bite my tongue in order to "walk my talk" as in discussing people like Mr. Robertson, but I enjoy quoting scripture to remind people of Christ's real message: love. "Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret - it only causes harm." Psalm 37:8 Keep up your good work and God bless you, Clyo Beck, author Prayerforce: 365 Days To A New Life

I don't know where you find the time for all this crap you've put together, but I've got to say, "Thanks for putting it together!". I've been reading all your stuff off and on for about 2 weeks now.Tonight I finally stopped and asked myself, "Who the hell is this guy anyway?" I clicked on your homepage link and found myself saying, "right on!", "no shit!", and "hey, that's what I say!" as I was reading it.

I grew up in a "fundamental, Bible-believing, Baptist church" in Connecticut in the late 70's. My parents made me and my brothers attend their "Christian school". After 4 years, I graduated in 1980 and I left. Other than occasionally asking myself "I wonder what ever happened to so-and-so...", I have no desire to go back or subject myself to all that crap ever again in my life. When you talk about Fundamentalists, I understand what you're saying and I agree. I know exactly how screwed up these people are because I was raised around them. I saw where you quoted John McCain on one web page. I agreed with what John McCain said in Norfolk during his 2000 presidential campaign. After the media distorted what he said by taking it out of context, he lost the primary here in VA and SC, and subsequently the Presidency. The local Richmond Times-Dispatch, after doing the distortion thing like everybody else, did run the speech in it's entirety in the commentary section 2 weeks later. I cut it out and kept the article.

Fundamentalists, as I've know them, perceive everybody who holds differing beliefs to be the "enemy"-- not to be tolerated. Funny thing is they are blind to their own hypocrisy. While they bash ALL other religions and denounce some as "cults", they themselves by their own beliefs/actions fit the very same definition of a cult. While teaching a doctrine of intolerance, they claim that they are the one's being persecuted. They cry about "activist judges" who decide the law against whatever their position is, yet don't see anything "activist" about a judge who posts the Ten Commandments on a ten ton block of marble planted in the center of the courthouse lobby-- clearly in violation of the established law. To people like this, persecution is getting pulled and ticketed Sunday morning because you had a "Jesus fish" on your bumper-- not because the cop caught you on radar doing 100 mph on the way to church.

When I was a kid I remember the church had a revival (one of many). A guest preacher was giving a sermon one evening. One of those humanitarian famine relief operations in Africa was making the evening news daily at the time and I clearly remember him saying that it was "better for all those children to starve to death and go to heaven, than it is to feed them and have them grow up into adults who will go to hell when they die because they don't believe in Jesus Christ". And he got "Amens" from the church. Not a single adult sitting there that night had the sense to stand up and accuse him of being "one fucked up individual" and run him out the building.

I'm 42 now and live in Richmond. I served in the US Army (6 years, Aviation, SSG) and have lived in Va since 1983.

In the years since getting away from all that narrow-minded, hate-filled Dogma, I've managed to get a bit of self-education. I got my head screwed on straight and plan to keep it that way. By educating myself and asking questions rather than blindly accepting other's explanations, I've come to my own personal understanding of God, though in the process, I always figured I held some kind of funky, off the beaten path, home-grown religious belief that only made sense to me. I never knew the beliefs that I'd come to by my own reasoning regarding God, religion, philosophy, and natural history had an actual definition and were arrived at by many others.

Because you have taken the time to put all this crap together, I now know I'm a Deist/Unitarian.

Thanks. I now know I'm not alone and my beliefs fit in somewhere.

Webmaster response: There is no such people as the so-called "Palestinians." They are a myth created after 1967 when Jordan attacked Israel and lost the West Bank. They later gave up all claim to it. When the West and Gaza had been invaded and contolled after 1948 by Jordan and Egypt, where were those so-called Palestinians" then? What is Arlene saying the Arab savages don't practice every day after they "cleansed" their nations of Jews and sent them to Israel? By the way, didn't the PLO Arabs just elect the Hamas terrorists as a government? Arlene says what others think, but are afraid to say. This website doesn't practice political correctness, and frankly, I think she is right.

• Arlene Peck on Terrorism, Arab Women, and Farm Animals
• Culture of death? Arab Honor Killings
• Mythical Palestine
• Islamic Fascism, Israel, and America

• Pat Robertson

Webmaster response: Many are Deist in some form, but I like you didn't know what to call it. I came to Deism before I read Thomas Paine. A lot of those on the web that claim Deism are really atheists or pantheists. (spiritual atheists.) I concentrate on what Deists share with others, not that they are all stupid or bad, which they are not. I enjoy Paine's Age of Reason, but we should be wary of seeing it as merely an attack on anyone. Paine was a very tolerant man that may have disagreed with others, but would die to protect their liberty. That is the real proof of one that is a real believer in that they don't have to silence others in order to believe in what they are promoting.

• Was Thomas Jefferson a Deist?
• Thomas Jefferson: Deist or Christian? Debunking Dr James Kennedy
• The Founding Fathers Were Not Christians or Secular Humanists
• Deism in America
• Jefferson on the Morals of Jesus and Deism
• Deism and Reason
• About Thomas Paine
• Thomas Paine on Deism
• Thomas Paine Age Of Reason: Editor's Introduction
• Age of Reason Part I
• Age of Reason Part II
• Letters Concerning the "Age of Reason"
• Reason and Religion by Ethan Allen
• John Locke and a Letter Concerning Toleration
• THE CRUCI-FICTION: NAILING DOWN THE STORY
• Epictetus Deist Sayings
• Thoughts On It All
• Bill of Rights
• ON LIBERTY By JOHN STUART MILL
• Fight Religious Bigotry

Webmaster response: Nobody denied Randy anything. The hotel is private property and they don't have to listen to his discredited lies and inciting violence. Randy Weaver is also a memeber of the Christiant Identity hate cult. He came to Kingsport, Tennessee yelling about the end of the world for Y2K, made a fool of himself.

• Randy "Ruby Ridge" Weaver Christian hero in Sullivan County
• A Killing in God's Name
  
• Militias Take Aim in VA
• Early Life of Tim McVeigh
• McVeigh's Former Commanding Officer Breaks Silence

Click here to download all 12 cartoons.
Click here to find out what's rotten in Denmark.

Webmaster response: I greet you with the utmost respect Ahmed, please don't take this as an attack. Let me quote myself on my homepage, "I have no wish to condemn all Muslims, but the fact is a sizable minority are violent people that support terrorism. Muslim children in Iraq are murdered just as easily as any American. Some terrorists in fact are secular, but happen to be from Muslim countries." And to further quote myself on my Chronology: Early Islam page, "The promises of freedom to Christians and Jews made by Abu Bakr, Omar (Umar) and other great early caliphs would be betrayed. In the 19-20th centuries Islam would be further undermined by infusions of socialism and Nazism. The garbage passed off by terrorists as Islam today is not really Islam. Many of these ideologies were adapted from the West; Ba'athism, for instance, was inspired by the European socialism of the 1930s and 1940s.

The fighting over who rules the Islamic world is shown no better than Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, the ruling House of Saud relied on Wahhabism, a puritanical brand of Sunni Islam invented in the 19th century to justify dynastic rule. Islam's tenets have been selectively shaped to sustain an authoritarian monarchy..."

It doesn't matter what I say, it's what Muslims do in the streets that count. Rioting and killing over some cartoons is the last straw for a lot of people. Finally, here are some direct quotes from the Koran no amount of word play will change.

[2.256] There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in the Shaitan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

Note: the above in no manner means freedom of worship.

[9.29] Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.

This "tax" is also called the "poor-rate" or jizyah tax. It's a sign of both humiliation and compulsion to force Christians and Jews to convert to Islam. This "poor rate" is repeated at 2.43; 2.83; 2.277; 4.77; etc. for a total of 27 times in the Koran alone.

[4.89] They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.

In other words kill anyone that even converts a Muslim to Christianity or Judaism and if any Muslim does convert, kill them. The word "kill" somebody occurs 65 times in the Koran alone.

Webmaster response: This is a Deist website. We read the Old Testament as literal, not allegorical as Christians and Gnostics do. Deut. 6:4 says God is One, and that is what it means. I do believe in God, but not that God came to earth as a man or any Platonic Trinity.

In my view Christianity is a combination of Gnosticism, Zoroastrianism, and various Greek/pagan philosophies such as neo-Platonism, etc. The Apostle Paul and Gnostic-Greek converts such as the writer of Book of John are the true founders of Christianity.

There never was a requirement for Gentiles to convert to Judaism, but we must follow The seven Noachide commandments are:

Hi Lewis!

I first signed your guest book about two years ago when I first discovered your site. I've been reading from it since then, some times more often than others.

I was raised many brands of Christian, including a few years in the JW cult. Then, I believed that I was atheist for something like eight years during my 20s, but that didn't work for me because reason doesn't support spontaneous life nor the desire of most humans to do what's right and good (even if we do fail at it often). I tried Christianity again, but there are too many inconsistencies in the New Testament that I could see before even reading them documented here. Then, although it's not Biblical, the Trinity never made sense to me. Even as a small child, I knew that three isn't one and one isn't three. If there must be three, even a small child can tell you that the three would be the Father, the Mother and the (holy) Child, which brings me to another problem that I have with Judeo-Christian tradition and beliefs and that is the total disregard and even hatred of women. Eve was an afterthought who taught Adam to sin and the view of women just went downhill from there. No, I'm not buying it. Then, like A from GA, I realized that I'm a Deist upon discovering Deism.

It's too bad that you can't put all of this info that you've brought together into a book or series of books. I know that I'd buy them for the convenience of reading this in book form. But I suppose that the legal issues would be outrageous due to the number of sources and authors that you've brought into one place. And let's don't even think about the number of religions and cults, chock full of dogma, that would be created as a result of the book(s), which would totally defeat the purpose, right?

Anyway, thank you, Lewis, for the work that you've done here, both the articles that you've written and for bringing all of the writings of others into one place. You should know that your efforts have been truly appreciated by many, myself included.