Hello Green Mtn, (another Vermonter besides Lee?),

Regarding your posting: "Oh, and I haven't read the Left Behind series and am not defending it, but I have studied the scripture and am lookingf forward to the event referred to as the rapture. Be well... So try to be Liberal in the classical sense and at least give lip service to freedom of religion. I probably shouldn't add this but Christianity(not the Church) has provided the most relief to human rights than any other religion of the world. True scriptural Christianity doesn't condone the convert or die theory of the dominant religious sects. And quit confusing Old Testament Judism with Paulian Christianity. Any Questions :)(: 

A couple of comments from Peter T. I'm still scratching my head trying to comprehend how a thinking person can believe in the Rapture. And I truly am for freedom of religion. Just don't impose your views on my life. As to the Christianity of which you speak, the Bible condones slavery, provides for stonings, and speaks of innumerable other violent acts. How do you reconcile such horrible things with the Sermon on the Mount passages? And what's with your statement regarding confusing the Old and New Testaments? Aren't they all from the same divinely written, or inspired book? How can you embrace only bits and pieces unless you think (as I do) that it was written by many men, with various agendas and prejudices, over a great period of time, and God had not a hand in the entire process? I think the Bible has been a lousy means of delivering divine guidance. Crappy! Assuming there is a God, why doesn't he/she/it simply write a message in the sky for all to see and understand? For one day, the blind could see, the illiterate could read, the retarded could comprehend.  I don't mean to sound flip but really, so many good and decent people are yearning for "the truth" and this ancient book, of dubious authorship and questionable translation, is supposed to deliver the message? It's not what I'd do if I were God (and I sure ain't the big guy). I mean no disrespect to you, God, or anyone, but I'll say it again,  this  2000 year old book is no way to spread the truth.

Peter T.