Christopher and Peter Hitchens are brothers. One is an atheist, and the other is a Christian. Both are are insightful writers who are unafraid to express their points of view. These are the first two of 9,632 video clips of the debate. I'm joking, but only a little.
In the news: the church of Scientology has begun to make their move. Some of their most sensitive documents have been leaked by Wikileaks, a website devoted to transparency in the pursuit of justice.
The search phrase that caught my eye today was bacteria phages vs morality. Odd, yes. Most would have no idea why anyone would search for such a phrase. It's at the heart of a serious theological discussion. Fortunately for you, I've recorded a very funny version of this discussion here at GodWords.
There's a hot new video making the rounds. It's called Richard Dawkins - Beware the Believers, and it's very clever. It's so clever, in fact, that most people haven't been able to figure out whether it's poking fun at Darwinist materialists or Biblical creationists.
I'm guessing that most of you don't know anything about this group. They're not a huge group by any stretch...they have just over 200 churches ("centers") worldwide. They don't formally track membership, but estimates range from 100,000 to 200,000.
OT stands for Operating Thetan. According to Scientologists, that's a level of spiritual being where one has "knowing and willing cause over life, thought, matter, energy, space and time." Confused? You should be.
According to the Roman Catholic church, there are two types of sins:
Venial sins, which are relatively minor, and Capital (or Mortal) sins, which put one in danger of eternal damnation. The traditionally-held Seven Deadly Sins are, in order of seriousness:
Some of you remember Chris Sligh's time on American Idol. Actually, a whole bunch you probably remember it. It is, after all, the biggest thing on TV. If you're not familiar with Chris, you can see his audition video below. After placing 10th on the show, Chris carried on.
Christianity, especially the American sort, has its own language. Many people don't speak a word of this curious language...so, as a web designer specializing in working with churches and non-profits, I have to remind a lot of folks to avoid using jargon to communicate.
It's sometimes really difficult to encapsulate a belief system in a few words. Sometimes it's helpful to describe it with pictures, and it's often beneficial if those pictures also move. Here's a thumbnail sketch of what Scientologists believe:
For those who haven't been paying attention, the "church" of Scientology fits almost any definition of the word cult. More than a few people have left Scientology over their under-handed and domineering tactics, and support networks appear to be springing up all over.
For those who haven't been paying attention, the "church" of Scientology fits almost any definition of the word cult. More than a few people have left Scientology over their under-handed and domineering tactics, and support networks appear to be springing up all over.
