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This is not necessarily to you MeanDog, but for the group in general.

I find this to be one of the more amusing strings going on as of yet. This seems to be a pi$$ing match between skunks, although I do find one particular woman to be rather learned in what she is referring to. Bottom line seems to be "who gives a rat's butt?".

If there is one subject more controversial than politics, it certainly has to be religion. Strangely enough, religious beliefs are about the only things that cannot be either proven or disproven in any logical manner. Faith is simply belief in something that cannot be proven - that does not mean by default it can be disproven. People have taken great umbrage at this post, obviously, and have absolutely exhausted themselves in attempting to defend their opinions (which are not actually their own, rather the dogmatic decrees of whatever particular denomination they belong to - of which sadly so few understand the reasons and origins of such).

I consider myself a Christian (well, I am trying to be one everyday - somedays I fall short of my goal), but all of this stupid bickering is mere folly. I could care less if Mary remained a virgin, was even a virgin or whatever. I could care less if Jesus had cousins, brothers, pesky in-laws, and whatever else. So what? Does any of this amount to any bit of a difference in the incontrovertable fact that this is the single most influential man to ever walk the earth? I don't care if he got here via the cabbage patch or a wild nite on the town. These details will most likely never be conclusively proven, mainly out of sensitive prejudices and obstinance. Even so, they are inconsequential anyway.

Very dear friends of my family are Jewish, and this was uttered by a Jew during a Christmas party at my home - I will never forget it. During the blessing of the meal, a Jewish follower said the following "Thank you, God, for sending Jesus - how awful the world would be without him." That is pretty darned powerful. Christ did not have such an impact on the world because Mary was supposedly a virgin for life, or whether he had biological brothers or not. Christ had such an impact because of the message he brought, and the hope that he gave us. Who cares about hashing out the details of over 2000 years ago? The details of such mean nothing to me, but his message means everything.

Let the historians, theologians, the Vatican, Jerry Falwell and whoever else bicker endlessly over that which makes no difference. I on the other hand, choose to follow the teachings of Christ, in the hope and faith that I will come to know him in this life, live a life as he would be proud of, and spend eterntity with him in the hereafter.

If there ever was a classic case of failing to see the forest through the trees......

Cheers,
WKH