Au contraire! IMHO the SDMB is a very healthy place, spiritually speaking. To understand this, one has mearly to grasp the fact that the spiritual dimention encompasses more then just Christianity.
–Hazel (Avant Garde Atheist)
Sorry, DMC, but if you are looking for someone to play Christian Bigot for you, you will have to look elsewhere. You can’t find a quote from me that denies the possibility, or even probability that decent, and many good people believe differently than I. Nice try though.
I hope that your sojourn among the godlike people you have known has given you something. I think that thing is likely to be much like what I hoped for kniz. I wasn’t trying to get him to join my church, I was trying to get him to seek the spirit of love, within himself, or within the hearts of others he respected.
Or maybe that is enough to qualify me as a bigot for you.
Tris
“I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.” ~ John Locke ~
Triskadecamus,
As we sometimes cross paths in the same threads, I’m fairly familiar with some of your attitudes and phiilosophies, and I’ve never found you to be a bigot, nor am I calling you one.
I read that quote as “Find a person who is honest, giving, loving, etc., and ask him how to find God.” That would seem to infer that a person who meets those criteria is most likely a believer. I’m really not sure how else to read it, but I will gladly hear alternative definitions. As it stands, I find it presumptuous.
Not offended DMC.
kniz asked for direction in a manner that implied that he was seeking God, (Perhaps in jest, I realize.) so I offered the answer that I feel is the best way for someone who is seeking God. However, for someone seeking only good, but not seeking God, the answer appears to me to be much the same. The questions asked might vary, but the answers would be more similar, than different.
Of course, my point of view is much prejudiced by my faith. I think God will help you if you are seeking love, even if you are not looking for Him. Not all Christians agree with me.
Tris
“The Way of Heaven is to benefit others and not to injure.
The Way of the sage is to act but not to compete.” ~ Lao-tzu ~
Triskadecamus,
In the threads that we’ve been in, I’ve found you to be very open-minded, respectful of those who don’t believe, and pretty damn tolerant all around. That, and your fond memories for a particular lady with an A-cup makes you all right in my book.
I probably overreacted, but as an atheist, I often get painted with the “If he doesn’t believe, he must be immoral” shtick, and thought it was implied in your message. Since that doesn’t seem to be the case, I’m sorry for the reaction.
Aw, what’s wrong, Patrick? 
All right, Polycarp, based on this thread and your kind words I ventured into the Pizza Parlor. I read the OP and about half of the second page, mustered my arguments with regard to both, and went back only to find the thread closed. Now what to I do with my carefully crafter arguments about the merits of preaching about Hell to heathens (not you, Happy)?
Yes, I’ll venture in, but I’m a bit concerned. I don’t like pizza, and I might have a worse reaction to garlic than the average vampire.
Here goes nothing,
CJ
While you’re in there, ask them how, exactly they explain that a person is born in Sin?
Do Babies go to Hell?
“Original Sin” is about as attractive as “Fear of Hell” (at least to THIS heathen)
If we don’t hear from you, we’ll send in a search & rescue unit.
**Poly - **
if garlic repels werewolves, what could CJ wear to keep her safe from Christians? 
cj
You could post them here:
That is evidently Part II. Since it’s been open for awhile, I assume that it has remained so with the blessing of their Mods.
-David
Quick teaser from the OP of part 2:
-David
That thread is DEFINATELY worth checking out.
The preacher in question apparently used ‘drunkard’ and ‘whoremonger’ to describe the deceased - in the eulogy!
So much for speaking one’s truth quietly 
Uh - CJ IS OK, right? If she has been harmed…
Dunno happyheathen… she vanished from radar around 6:30 pm.
Here’s hoping she remembered the emergency rations in her flak jacket.
I know they’re just pizza condiments, but still…
-David
Don’t call out the Marines yet – I’ve got to sleep sometime. Besides, I was trying to appear relatively harmless in that first post. They’ll find out the real me sooner or later [evil laugh].
CJ
thank (______________) you’re OK - I was worried sick about you going alone into the den…
You’re not fooling anyone, you know…
Esprix
Oh, I can’t take him like that – it’s against regulations
As for the other board, you’ll note that Navigator (an administrator) indicated their rule against criticism of other boards w/r/t the posts condemning SD; that was a part of the reason Tinker closed the thread (I was offline all weekend, and so could not act.)
In response to the question asked on page 1, it was founded as a place where those who believed in evangelism (not necessarily “evangelical beliefs” in the sense conservative Christians use the term) would be comfortable, where non-Christians would be welcome and their questions answered (and their misunderstandings straightened out), and where denominational bickering was explicitly forbidden. The moderators include Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and several flavors of protestant and non-denominational. We do get into the occasional theological free-for-all, but in much the same spirit as might prevail in Great Debates over here, not in spleen-venting and bitterness.
Any time any Christian on this board decries the stereotypical fundamentalist mindset, I’m pointing them to that thread. Sadly, stereotypes exist because, from time to time, stereotypes exist.
Thankfully, there are upstanding models of Christianity here that help thwart the stereotypes. Yay you! 
Esprix
It should be noted that neither of these is strictly true anymore. Non-Christians are grudgingly tolerated and denominational bickering is merely discouraged. All bets are off when involved in discussions about non-Christian religions. You think some of our posters troll for Muslims? Check out some of cenimo’s posts over there. Proponents of homosexuality are faced with massive opposition and little support (mostly from the likes of Polycarp and a few others), and some of them over there feel more than free to toss old lies and stories about us around like they were truth. The Creationist forum (Order Here First) is a joke. There are about three regular posters who hold forth on evolution from a factual stance, and the rest would feel most comfortable in Dwayne Gish’s lap, I suspect.
Admittedly, it’s not quite as bad as patriarchy.com or Westboro Baptist. It’s just fallen quite far in the past year or so…
jayjay
well, I just told the gay-bashers there to shut up.
let’s see what happens…
banned after 2 posts, maybe?
and Poly -
I noticed that you referred to your activities here as an evangelical mission.
Is that all we mean to you? Just a cheap conversion or two? Mere notches on your Cruxifix? I’m hurt, deeply, deeply, hurt…