Hi Kyle, Haven't hear from you and was looking forward to your e-mail. Trisha > > Trisha- > >=20 > > I'll respond in depth later this weekend when I have more time, but = > no, I'm > > speaking of what one of the authors in you link referred to as = > "Pauline" > > Christians--at least during that timeframe. The Gnostics were later = > down > > the line. > >=20 > > I think the authors raise a red herring about the schisms in the first > > century church, but I'll address that in detail later--and I promise I = > won't > > use someone else's opinion to support my own. Since I profess the = > Bible to > > be true, it would be hypocritical of me to rest my assertions on the > > scholarly work of another. I think the "law and the prophets" and the = > other > > writings found in what we call the "bible" are strong enough to stand = > on > > their own without a Rabbi, Priest or Theo Ph.D. telling us what it all > > means. > >=20 > > Kyle > >=20 > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Trisha Cummings [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > > Sent: Friday, October 03, 2003 1:50 PM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: religion and politics (long-ish); was RE: Brother in Law > >=20 > >=20 > > Hi Kyle, > >=20 > > The ancient Eypytians are more the contemporaries of the Jews in = > the > > beginning. As are the Babylonians and such - these civilzations = > pre-date > > writing, also pre-date The Greeks and Romans. The Romans are = > contemporaries > > of the early Christians. I am talking about the 3 "in the Beginning = > stories" > > foround in the Bible. These existed before the writing time - when = > they sat > > around the fires and handed down the stories. > >=20 > > I think maybe we are both talking about the early Gnostic Christians - = > here > > a link to that. > > = > http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/diversity.ht= > ml > >=20 > > The early Christians were against war - > > http://www.users.voicenet.com/~kuenning/qhp/dymond.html > >=20 > > We don't need to change each others minds - I am speaking of centuries > > before the ones you are. Christianity has its roots in the Jewish = > past. They > > go back before writting. Lets face it the oldest real religious = > artifacts go > > back 9,000 years ago, and they are Pagan and we conjecture about it - > > becasue no one survives and they had no writing. The very roots of = > ancient > > Jews - are also lost - what we have is what has survived thru oral = > tradition > > until we had writing. > >=20 > > I am sorry you are not doing well. I will think really good thoughts > >=20 > > Trisha