You're extremely good at misdirection Razer, not a preacher by any chance I suppose. Really, you should go into politics, Bush needs all the excuse makers he can get. Saying that all non-Christians do is make personal attacks was an excellent piece of misguidance, makes the reader interpret it as a personal attack, do you teach this stuff? And then using a camouflaged personal attack in the first paragraph of your reply, simply inspirational. Offering to spell words for me was good too, if a little risky on your part, makes you appear more intelligent, but I'd check a dictionary for "pedifiles" before you start giving English lessons. I wanted to be an English teacher when I was younger, I could help you look it up.

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Firstly, I'll give you the one point I was wrong on. 'never' not 'ever' but you also said He was progressive which is hard when you never change.

Let's start at the beginning. Now that I know you're not Catholic I won't base any of my arguments around the Pope, neither of us agree with him so there's little point. But it is difficult for us Heathens to debate with you when you can't even agree with each other.
My "hodgepodge template of understanding of Christianity" is based on reading the Bible with an open mind instead of blind faith. Which is why I don't have the "contorted presumptions" blind faith leads to.

I also do not believe in guilt by association, just because one Christian fundamentalist is a racist, homophobic, bigot I wouldn't think all Christians are. Though when these attitudes are sanctioned, or even ignored, by the church it does make it harder for outsiders to make the distinction.

"I do not claim to know the mind of God." Well, you do, you don't, "progressive", "never changing". I could just leave it there, you've already defeated yourself, but what would be the fun in that. If He is a progressive God you don't know how he thinks about anything, if he is a never changing God you should abide by every law in the Bible. Somehow I doubt you'd agree to either.

"mischaracterizing my points and plain ignoring them", I misread one point, you totally ignored every point in the original post. You may have a clever ecclesiastical answer as to why archaic passages should not be used but has the church told anyone? Have the people who say "because I'm A Christian" when they're being a bigot ever been told by the church that they are wrong? Peace4me (hi, hope you're enjoying this) wanted to know why, if "Jesus is the fulfillment of these old practices found in the ceremonial law of Leviticus", followers of Christ still quote from the Old Testament?

So instead of your usual tirade and misdirection how about answering?