Hugh I would like for you to also meet my parents. (No, not proposing, don't worry. =) I just think you would like them also.) They do not have a site on here but my daughter and I made one for my mom and stepdad on myspace at http://www.myspace.com/477506261 . They are naturalists, atheists, and beautiful people. My mom takes wonderful pictures of dragonflies. I think philosophically we are all in the same boat. Probably too far to meet in person but everybody's close virtually, so decided to introduce. More like minds.
Best,
Tracy

Hi Hugh!

Thanks for another thoughtful and delighful note!

Amsterdam! I have never been there, but have heard it is a liberal's delight. =) I'm looking forward to going some day. My sweetie and I are making a list. We've been lots of places between us, but not always together, and we have catching up to do in that regard. And, there are places neither of us have been that we need to go to. Amsterdam is on the latter list. We have a world map posted in our home and we poke pins in it for where we have been. It's so fun! We realized we are missing whole continents in some cases, (ie most of Africa and South America), which is most disturbing, but yet most of the places we are really keen to visit are slivers that don't touch on the unvisited continents. Eventually we'll hit most; life's only half over. =)

Looking forward to the Pres' address to the nation this week. You have some great points about the toughness he is going to have to start serving up in the face of the tough opposition. Did you catch all the riddiculous stuff from the right on the address to school kids? OMG!!!! I was so appalled. NO other president has EVER been accused of "indoctrinating our youth"; he's the President of our country, for chrissake, freely elected, and representing our nation as our leader, not a commentator or zealot. I'm somewhat alarmed by what appears to be a growing audience for such nonesense, but hoping it's a trend that will reverse. It is a fine line; he can't address comments like that directly or he reduces himself and his position, but he's got to firmly grab the horns of some of teh other stuff and get his minions to loudly laugh at the nonense and wage the PR war that he's well equipped to do. I feel there is this perilous "war" going on in our country between mindsets, it's scary. I'm happy he's in there now, and like you, hope he can don the kevlar and wage it, while still wisely governing. Not an easy task.
Can't wait to meet you!
Tracy
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Hi Hugh!

It's a pleasure to meet another Freethinker in this fine Purple State of ours! =) Nice profile, and beautiful family. If you swing through Chesapeake sometime drop me a line and we could do lunch. I'm not a big talker but I'm a good listerner, and I enjoy meeting others with similar views.

So I have to ask, what do you think of our pending Governor race? Have you read anything about McDonnell's thesis from Regent (Pat) U? YIKES! Granted, it was decades ago and people's opinions and perspectives obviously change, and I don't really like it when folks dredge up "old" opinions that public figures held. Still, he was mid 30s, not a kid. And this was his master's thesis. And his "rebuttals" to criticism on it TODAY sound more like affirmations than rebuttals to me. (Other than he thinks women should be able to work now; that he's changed his mind on through time.) I think that with the chaotic political landscape, especially in Virginia, he could end up as GOVERNOR. I feel like I should do something, but I'm not sure what; sometimes the issues at hand seem so massive and walled that they are impenatratable by lone individuals, but when individuals gather they become a label other than themselves. So sometimes I feel paralyzed, hating something "bad" I see pending, but unsure what to do about it, how to make any sort of impact at all that would matter.

What do you think?

Cheers,
Tracy

Hey shankapotomus, great story!! Oh, how many times have I been there.........

My story ends up with the early Church and I have already found Ehrman helpful for that section. I concentrate on primary material, so that I am presenting my own ideas, rather than just rehashing the work of other modern writers. My plan is that once I have my work finished as a draft, to go through the work of others. I will probably discover that some of my claims are wrong or highly questionable at that time. You are right about writing. I think writing is a form of insanity.

Thanks for your friendship and interest. Communicating with people about my project is really helping me get a handle on my potential audience and in finding the weak points in my arguements. I am ridiculously introverted, basically a hermit, which limits my ability in communicating effectively. Writing is rewriting and feedback is enormously helpful in that process.

Diana

I have Misquoting Jesus and I have not finished it yet. He really specializes in the New Testament. I am sure some of his perspectives would be helpful in understanding the Old Testament as well; but, I am unaware of him actually dealing too much with Bronze Age mythology or the origins of the Torah. If you know of a particular book of his in which he does go into detail, you could save me a lot of time. Thanks, Diana

thanks for adding me as a friend. and yes, starting a business can be scary but you're right, it's alot of fun too. Thanks again. :D Nice to meet a non theist in the bible belt.

WHOA. You said it. I thought it was liberating when I could finally tell myself I didn't believe in that shit............as the days go by, I get closer and closer to letting everyone else around me know about it. I can't wait for that day to come........it's just hard around here.......it's nice to have the internet i guess!