Oh, I couldn't care less about the bright label but you are Catholic and just don't want to admit so you don't have to go to church every Sunday. :)

The most interesting thing about Catholicism to me, frankly, is that they reject the utterly hateful notion of God as the Infinite Sadist that afflicts so many Protestants--most especially the Evangelicals and Pentacostals.

I would never worship such a God. Never. He isn't worthy of it. I'd burn first.

Hear, hear!

I'd sooner burn eternally than worship such a fiend. Now tell me again that an athiest is incapable of having morals.

Eternity is a pretty long time...

Forgive my ignorance here, but, what the hell is "a bright"?

Justene:

Dean Esmay, a nascent Catholic??! Hmmmm.... Hmmmmmm....

I just can't get that to parse in my rational mind... indeed, on my own I never would've thought of it... but why does it resonate with something in my sense of intuition??

Strange...

There's someone who is not only NOT sick about hearing about "the brights" -- but who has in fact not even heard the term yet? Inconceivable!

Basically, Sid, "bright" is a new term that certain atheists, agnostics, and secular humanists are using to describe themselves. It's intended to be a brand of sorts that identifies people who define themselves through a lack of belief in the supernatural. More info here and here.

Finally, a term to describe us "atheists" that has a positive value. I applaud the Brights movement and the community which it represents.

When a group of atheists announce themselves as "Brights", you know they've seen one Stephen King movie too many.

More info on brights HERE.

I've been both a Catholic and a Protestant, and I see neither embrace of the Marquis de God by the Protestants, nor the rejection of such by Catholicism. Care to elaborate?

I'll understand if the answer is "no". But my grandmother was Irish Catholic, and boy did she have the whole idea of "we-were-put-here-to-suffer" down pat. Maybe it was just her, though.

Bright, umh, something I have pondered since reading their site. I respect their views and their rights to believe as they do.
It brings to mind probably one of my greatest authors. That would be, C.S. Lewis. I have a fine collection in burgundy bound with gold outer pages. In the reface of Joy, he states it is writtenpartly in answer to requests that he would tell how he passed feom Atheism to Christianity. He also goes on to speak of joy and how he wondered if others had experienced it as well. This book has four stories in it, Surprised by Joy-Reflections on the Psalms-The Four Loves-The Buisness of Heaven.
So Dean, what about the buisness of Heaven? Didn't you lose your Grandfater, Father in Law and a Grandmother all in the last 4 or 5 years ago? I would be interested in how a Bright feels about this and how you share these deaths with in youself and of course your son? Did I miss something when I was reading the Brights web site?
I am being honestly sincere.

One more thing. I believe a lot of christians have turned to a church that is teaching a loving God and the teachings of Jesus. Even Catholics are goin this route and the hard bible thumpers have lost their flock.
The teachings of Jesus have gone into Jews for Jesus and christianity is growing like never before in history. I am involved in a lot of christian web sites. When we were attacked here in America people needed to believe in God, A Being, An Alla, An Almighty.
Do believe me that I will continue to read about the movement of the newly coined word, The Brights, as this is of great interest to me.

God as the Infinite Sadist

Dean, you never answered me last time, presumably because the thread was getting stale. I asked something along the lines of this: if beings hate God, isn't it sadistic to force them into God's holy presence to spend eternity with the entity they hate beyond all others? I don't think a single soul in hell would choose heaven if given the option.

As C.S. Lewis wrote (paraphrase), "There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'Thy will be done.'"

Also, I fail to see how Catholics "reject the utterly hateful notion of God as the Infinite Sadist." To quote from the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia: The Holy Bible is quite explicit in teaching the eternity of the pains of hell.

The Pope's most recent discourse on Heaven Hell and Purgatory makes clear that
1. although we believe in Hell and the eternity of the pains of Hell, we are most hopeful that it is empty.
2. God sends no one to Hell, the soul chooses to live outside the presence of God. Similar to the thoughts expressed in your first two paragraphs.

I believe that he also said that the "pains of Hell" stem from the absence of God.

Pardon me Dean, as I went through this day I tought about my one question to you about after losing family members how would you teach your son? I think the answer is---NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS MAM!
I thought how much I respect you and the choices you make and what a fine writer you are. I do feel everything else I said is me and what I feel.

Pardon me Dean, as I went through this day I tought about my one question to you about after losing family members how would you teach your son? I think the answer is---NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS MAM!
I thought how much I respect you and the choices you make and what a fine writer you are. I do feel everything else I said is me and what I feel.