Hi Steve,

>< Also, the Bible has been changed too much over the years.
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>That does not mean its basic teachings are not true. It just means that man has got his hands into its interpretation again. />
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>Fine. But doesn’t every “religion” teach the same “basic principals”? Joseph Campbell wrote several best-selling books proving this. So what makes the Christian religion so special?

Mind if I add a little here?

Christianity, as most folks think of it, has got to be an odd sort of amalgam of popes with pointy hats the television 'preachers' with big hair, pleading for your dough while they build 8 million dollar homes (big time barfola IMO <s>) to sincere, honest good folks who just love God to all the different "flavors".

I think, candidly, that this is an ugly, disappointing, sad and generally bad state of affairs. All too often the "pitch" revolves around squeezing a few more dollars out of someone's pocket in order to maintain an organization whose real mission has long since been forgotten or suplanted by the need to keep the organization going but with the primary goal the continuance of said organization rather than the real business of the 'church'.

However, as with any currency, where there is something of solid value you will always see counterfeits. The problem here in the US is that we have so denuded God from our civic and public life, and so many of the churches have substituted good, solid teaching of the Bible for something that can often be confused with a funeral, or a carnival. :(

Still, the question then arises; "What does the real "currency" look and feel like? It's in the heart of those who volunteer to help at the World Trade Center. The pastors and church members who travelled thousands of miles whose desire was to weep with those who weep, laugh with those who laugh and somehow, someway convey to those who are 'lost' that God loves them and that they, as instruments in God's hands, wish to be of service to their fellow man. It's in the heart of the George Meuller's of the world who essentialy started the orphanage movement in England (back when that fine country really did honor God) to take the streeet urchin of Charles Dickens' day and give them a bed, some food and a chance for a better life. It was in the hearts of the founders of great universities like Harvard, Yale, Princeton and so forth whose very existence and original purpose was to train men for the ministry but who now scoff at the notion of God. It was in the heart of those who founded many hospitals in order to take care of the sick and indigent. It's in the heart of the minister who holds that member of his flock who may have stumbled and who contracted AIDS and who is now paying the price for a few moments of fleeting pleasures.

Religions, by and large exist for two purposes; their own continuance and to falsely try and convince man that he (man) is somehow able to make himself better. The job and duty of religions is to make man better.

Christianity's goal is the exact opposite; it's to make man worse. By this I mean that the goal is to somehow, in love, demonstrate that man cannot make himself better -but- if that man is willing to recognize this truth at the expense of his pride, this same Christianity conveys the message of absolute forgiveness, without any merit on the part of the recipient whatsoever, if, and only if, that man is willing to admit his utter need for such forgiveness. This is called "grace" and as such it opens the door completely to one and all because it strips every man, woman and child of their false pretenses. Utter truth combined with utter love The only condition to be found is found in the words of Jesus where He said, "They that are whole do not need the physician but they that are sick."

Those who do so open their hearts will find, as I have, that God will absolutely flood them with love, joy and peace. Overflowing abundance, gushing from within. No religious system is able to offer anything even close to this.

In one sense you are absolutely correct though in that religions all seem, at a fundamental level, to be the same. All religions seem to want to teach that through man's efforts he can somehow "save" himself. The Historic Christian position says that this is impossible but that with God all things (including this saving) are possible.

The problem here is that the church has failed miserably in its given chore of honestly, humbly and accurately representing God - with some exceptions. <s>

Christianity, truly understood is a one to one relationship with God, not a set of formal or informal rules for man to keep. As a matter of fact, in Christianity there are two and only two rules.

1) Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and
2) Love your neighbor as yourself.

Simple really but sadly so simple that it wipes out all the false pretenses of all the pretenders and that makes them angry enough to murder. The 'church', as I've defined the religious chursh has usually been the source of many, if not most, persecutions. I can understand why so many are unwilling to let their guard down to think about what I've just explained.

Ok, I lied.. That wasn't "just a little". <g>