residentearth
September 28, 2004, 10:58 AM
Chris Leland, Director of the Focus on the Family Institute versus Ford Vox, Director of United Universists: http://universist.org/fotftranscript.htm
Focus on the Family (http://www.family.org) is the largest religious-right group in the United States, a multi-media empire that includes its own “campus� and zip code in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
At over 4,000 members, United Universists is one of the largest freethought groups in the world and is introducing the concept of openmindedness in religion to millions worldwide by advocating Universist values.
Following are some selected quotes:
"You can go tell it on the mountain, but don't tell it from the Senate" - Vox
"We would like to see the moral foundations based not on postmodern shifting sands, but something more solid." - Leland
"When you elaborate a faith, you divide people on fundamental issues. Issues worth dying for. Issues worth killing for." - Vox
"God doesn't ask for us to believe in him totally blindly, but by getting to know him better and better we begin to trust - and yes we have to put faith is something at some point -but rarely or never blindly and without reason" - Leland
"Cultural progressives aren't trying to prevent Christians from limiting their own lives however they like, so long as others have the right to engage in the full human experience." - Vox
"But you have equal faith in the concept of reason... You can't possibly know everything in the world and some things you don't know but trust exist." - Leland
"I cannot predict what the future will look like Dr. Leland, and I find that wonderful. You cannot predict either, and you find that horrific." - Vox
"I had an opportunity to talk about this issue a the University of Colorado recently - the marriage amendment has been cast as a Christian versus homosexual issue - do you realize that the research (secular that is), shows that when traditional marriage exists in a community that community is strengthened a number of levels. When that traditional model is absent so too are the advantages." - Leland
"So, does practicing Christianity demand that you control the government, like in Islam? Like being Amish? Should the Christians pick a county in Pennsylvania and move there?" - Vox
"As hard as it is to believe the issues of kids, divorce, adultery, slipping community strength are all related to the family." - Leland
"I contend that the big gripe you've got with Christianity is the issue of authority - and I again contend that there is something sovereign in your life as well as mine and that search for individualism will lead us back to some authority." - Leland
"We are a pluralistic society - you can practice all of the freedoms available or none, you can hole yourself off in a compound in Waco if you like and no one will bother you so long as you pay your property taxes. Why do you need to make the entire country your compound?" - Vox
Focus on the Family (http://www.family.org) is the largest religious-right group in the United States, a multi-media empire that includes its own “campus� and zip code in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
At over 4,000 members, United Universists is one of the largest freethought groups in the world and is introducing the concept of openmindedness in religion to millions worldwide by advocating Universist values.
Following are some selected quotes:
"You can go tell it on the mountain, but don't tell it from the Senate" - Vox
"We would like to see the moral foundations based not on postmodern shifting sands, but something more solid." - Leland
"When you elaborate a faith, you divide people on fundamental issues. Issues worth dying for. Issues worth killing for." - Vox
"God doesn't ask for us to believe in him totally blindly, but by getting to know him better and better we begin to trust - and yes we have to put faith is something at some point -but rarely or never blindly and without reason" - Leland
"Cultural progressives aren't trying to prevent Christians from limiting their own lives however they like, so long as others have the right to engage in the full human experience." - Vox
"But you have equal faith in the concept of reason... You can't possibly know everything in the world and some things you don't know but trust exist." - Leland
"I cannot predict what the future will look like Dr. Leland, and I find that wonderful. You cannot predict either, and you find that horrific." - Vox
"I had an opportunity to talk about this issue a the University of Colorado recently - the marriage amendment has been cast as a Christian versus homosexual issue - do you realize that the research (secular that is), shows that when traditional marriage exists in a community that community is strengthened a number of levels. When that traditional model is absent so too are the advantages." - Leland
"So, does practicing Christianity demand that you control the government, like in Islam? Like being Amish? Should the Christians pick a county in Pennsylvania and move there?" - Vox
"As hard as it is to believe the issues of kids, divorce, adultery, slipping community strength are all related to the family." - Leland
"I contend that the big gripe you've got with Christianity is the issue of authority - and I again contend that there is something sovereign in your life as well as mine and that search for individualism will lead us back to some authority." - Leland
"We are a pluralistic society - you can practice all of the freedoms available or none, you can hole yourself off in a compound in Waco if you like and no one will bother you so long as you pay your property taxes. Why do you need to make the entire country your compound?" - Vox