Tom worries too much. I suppose that's what older brothers are supposed to do.
He just wrote a coherent post (seriously, folks, it's not nearly as rambly and unedited as his usual comments here usually are--it's more along the lines of his good writing as opposed to his free-association type posts...), but I'd like to touch on a few of his comments, as we Hughes' brothers are prone to do with each other's thoughts. It's part of what makes being a Hughes so great, if I do say so myself...
I, of course, feel the need to rectify something about the Theological Quiz I took a few days back. I took the quiz not only because it would be interesting to see what I would rate, but because I'm a sucker for the things--hell, quiz me to see the likelihood of the hair-balletic predisposition in the genetic RNA strands of my body, I don't care! I'll take the quiz! (By the way, if anyone knows where that quiz could be located...) I actually was disappointed because, with some of the questions, there wasn't a "I disagree with the entire question as valid" box. Granted, there weren't many like that, but I feel it should have been an option. Of course, as any good fundie would say, "Rejecting spirituality is never an option," but I'll leave the fundies alone for the moment. Trying to be nice and all.
It is true I read a lot of things that I am predisposed to agree with. Who doesn't? But I've actually written up quite a long list of books that I would like to acquire (another reason you find me digging through the book boxes at yard sales), and I hope Tom will be happy to hear, Spong is included among them (but of course, so is Stephen Hawking, but I'm pretty sure they won't be conflicting reads!). Barclay and Borg are also represented, but Tom, you are always more than welcome to drop off some things you'd like me to read whenever you drop off the nephews (although I doubt I'll be reading them while the neph's are present! :D). We'll see if Christmas this year holds any Borders or Barnes & Noble gift certificates, although I'm sure Tom will appreciate the fact that we never receive them.
I'm not exactly sure the history of atheism, as it were, but David Hume is also on my list of books to buy and/or read. Atheism certainly enjoys more social status than it used to thanks to developments in science and non-spiritual philosophies, although there is a persistent stigma of evil that is associated with the label. People, even non-fundies, often associate "evil" and "bad" with a person who even remotely expresses a thought or idea presenting atheism as a practice or belief system (for although atheism professes a non-belief in a deity, it is still a belief system, but we can go into that another time). In a totally ironic note, Christians themselves were considered to be "atheists" by the Romans for expressing non-belief in their gods of the day, so I guess the irony lies in the full circle of things that have come and gone!
I don't know if anyone but another person who has struggled with homosexuality can appreciate that piece of your soul that dies growing up the way we did. I'm sure there are plenty of other "sins" or "challenges" that young Christians (and older ones!) deal with, each with its own set of desperate prayers and clinging's to faith... but I don't feel I'd be able to justify the pain on this public forum, although the draft sits there constantly being edited and changed... Perhaps in the future...
And dude, I would never have called you a "shitty" older brother... just a disconnected one... :D I, on the other hand, prefer written dialogue as my thoughts are easier to sort through and study and think about. I have never been a very good debater, let alone a person who openly encourages confrontation (you should know that!), but I also feel written debate and discussion allows for more thought, more conscientious and critical explanation which, in turn, allows for less miscommunication--although it also presents the problem of conveying emotion (i.e., someone who is in a bad mood may read something totally innocent as an attack)--but I think my use of smiley faces [:D] and sarcasm is quite clear, although I could be wrong...
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