The Hall of Fire

I could write pages of musings on that, literally. Don't say you weren't warned. :P But, I probably shouldn't have put so much into one post. Just respond to whatever suits your fancy. For yov: The simplified version: the adversary system is the assumption within our legal system that if each side ...

(Thread idea sparked by Voronwë's "The Spirits of Africa" thread in the Tol Eressëa forum. I am interested primarily in discussing the American legal system, although I'm interested in analogies to other "systems" that others might feel are relevant. Also, I have a slightly great...

Narnia touched my life as a young child. In particular, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe moved me so much because it was the first time I had ever identified allegory on my own (in fact, with some amusement, I recall wondering out loud, "Did he MEAN to make Aslan so close to Jesus?") ...

I don't believe that lighting the Chanukkah lights is a mitzvah (a duty) but Frelga can correct me on that. She knows the laws and history much better than I do. I'm not Frelga, it turns out, but from what I understand... The instruction to light the Chanukah candles is a mitzvah, but one instructe...

I can't say I believe in democracy when it produces results I like, and then not respect results I don't like. I'm not saying that an individual right exists here (in the case of abortion, or in any other given case). However , if one exists, then one can still support democracy, while not believin...

I also like - not quite to disagree with people - but the process of discussing/debating with people who hold different views. Is that just being nicer about the same thing? :blackeye: In fact, I consider it to be a rather pleasant form of recreation. In essence, it forces me to consider views that ...

D'oh! Cerin's right - I forgot Idylle's been saying that since August, at least. Ethel, I didn't get it either.

Aside from that, I agree with the entirety of Ethel's last post. More later.

First, to be very clear: these are not Establishment Clause/legal views I'm expressing. These are just personal views. Second, I agree with the vast majority of Sister Magpie's post (as usual). Speaking of the kinds of cases brought by the ACLU on behalf of atheists, I would say it isn't preventing ...

I, for one, do not feel unwelcome, which I am quite certain is more a sign of my "healthy" ego than anything else. ;) No, seriously: the thing is that no one's view on this subject is fully welcomed by everyone else in this discussion. However, this doesn't mean that each participant's con...

I'm still having a problem with itchy fingers on this topic. ;) First of all, this discussion changes topics at almost every post. As best as I can tell it, we now have: - Secularization of America/of religion/of Christianity. Whether secularization ever falls into the realm of persecution. - The fe...

Frelga -- good point, on the two discussions. Indeed, I have not yet had a chance to look at the site (as I said, itchy, itchy fingers ;)). Jn - should we have a separate thread for the discussion of the secularization/persecution issue? If so, perhaps we might have that discussion in the "Last...

Jn, Persecution is a very, very strong term. Could you please give examples of the persecution of religious people, or of religion more generally, that you are referring to? As far as the secularization of the holiday, I want to make one point about which I feel very strongly: there has been a trend...

Cerin, my understanding of the Vatican directive was that it focused on three categories of priests: - Those who are "actively homosexual" - fair enough. My understanding of Church policy is that candidates who are "actively heterosexual" are not supposed to become priests either...

Voronwë, a very interesting post. It raised a couple of questions for me that I'd like to bounce off of you. I'm sorry if my questions sound slightly clinical in tone - unfortunately, I can't capture the same feel that your writing has, and I'm slightly rushed for time. - I wonder if you can comment...

In brief, because I wanted to add this.... For me, a key difference between the choral and instrumental experiences is this. One's voice is an integral part of oneself, obviously. When you are a member of a choir or chorus, you join with others in a process that's all the more personal because of ho...

It's interesting that such human structures, when viewed in natural light, do indeed look ugly. Natural dark, in tandem with artificial human light, manages to lend them a transient redeeming quality - a strange beauty. As for the general concept - beauty being found in unlikely places - it calls to...

:shock: What IS it with everyone drinking my wine? :scratch: You were all given your own baskets! Every last one of you, except perhaps Jn, and that is because she is the hostess responsible for doing the welcoming. Instead, she drinks my wine, and when Whistler - how to put this? - compensates me f...

Complain to Voronwë. I can do that. I'm good at that. :P I intend to file this complaint jointly with Jn, who has robbed me of my whine . :( Whistler, I gratefully accept your offer not to buy me dinner, in the spirit of courtesy and hospitality with which I know it was extended. However, if you cou...

Whistler, I never received my gift basket. With whom do I file my formal complaint?

Idylle? IDYLLE?