-> 

-> > 
-> > Top Ten Signs that You're a Christian:
-> 
-> Hmm...I'm an Eastern Orthodox Christian, so let's see if I fit your
-> description.
->
Hmm...I'm a Realized Escatological Pantheons Christian...
wonder how I fit... 
-> > 
-> > 10- You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by
-> > other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence
-> > of your god.
->
I feel that shards of truth/spiritual reality/et cetera are

distributed widely...

So I fail #10...

-> 25%.  I deny those Gods' existence, but I'm not "vigorous" about it. 
-> Nor does someone else's non-belief "outrage" me.  They
deserve from me
-> the same respect I wish from them.
-> 
-> > 
-> > 9- You feel insulted and 'dehumanized' when scientists say that people
-> > evolved from lesser life forms, but you have no problem with the
-> > Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.
-> 
-> 0%.  I'm no Biblical literalist regarding the opening chapters of
Genesis.
->
What he said. :-) 
-> > 
-> > 8- You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a
-> > Trinity god.
-> 
-> 50%.  I'm Trinitarian, but I've never laughed at any polytheist, and
-> don't plan to.
->
The concept of the trinity is a philosophical convenience, an attempt to
explain a Mystery :-)

I feel I'm gonna fail this test big time. :-) 
-> > 
-> > 7- Your face turns purple when you hear of the 'atrocities' attributed
-> > to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah
-> > slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in 'Exodus' and ordered the
-> > elimination of entire ethnic groups in 'Joshua' -- including women,
-> > children, and animals!
-> 
-> 0%.  I don't equate ill-conceived behavior in the name of Allah with the
-> tenets of Islam.  And Exodus and Joshua are pre-Christian texts.
->
What he said. :-) 
-> > 
-> > 6- You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims
-> > about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that
-> > the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who
-> > got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.
-> 
-> 50%.  I never laugh at someone else's beliefs, regardless of how much I
-> might disagree with them.  As I said, respect  respect.
->
I not only don't laugh, I study, and come to appreciate 'em.
 
-> > 
-> > 5- You are willing to spend your life looking for little loop-holes in
-> > the scientifically established age of the Earth (4.55 billion years),
-> > but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by
-> > pre-historic tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that the
-> > Earth is a couple of generations old.
-> 
-> 0%.  And BTW, it was Bishop Ussher, not pre-historic tribesmen, who
-> calculated that the Earth sprang into existence in 4004 B.C.E.
->
The 'test' is begining to sag. Too bad. 
-> > 
-> > 4- You believe that the entire population of this planet with the
-> > exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in
-> > all rival sects -- will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of
-> > Suffering. And yet you consider your religion the most 'tolerant' and
-> > 'loving'.
-> 
-> 0%.  God is the final arbiter, not me.  I have no idea what His
-> decisions will be toward people outside my tradition, or even within my
-> tradition.  As such, I don't know that anybody is going, has ever gone,
-> or will ever go to Gehenna.  For all I know, it could well be empty of
-> mortal souls.
->
Yep. The test fails. Few people whould respond to this rather wild
'definitions'. There are some who would answer positively to some and a few
all of these posed questions. 
-> > 
-> > 3- While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have
-> > failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the
-> > floor speaking in 'tongues' may be all the evidence you need.
->
 
-> 0%.  You're talking Biblical literalism again, which falls outside
-> Orthodox teachings.
->
I have witnessed a man 'speaking in tongues' And whirling dervishes,
people praying in a non-ordinary state. Impressive.
I wonder what the tester means by 'evidence you need'?

-> > 
-> > 2- You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it
comes to answered
-> > prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you
-> > think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.
-> 
-> This is unanswerable, since I've never embarked on an exhaustive study
-> of how often the Lord responds to personal petitions.  Where did you get
-> that 0.01% figure.
->
It would be unChristian to say where I think he got that :-) 
-> > 
-> > 1- You actually know a lot less than many Atheists and Agnostics do
-> > about the Bible, Christianity, and church history -- but still call
-> > yourself a Christian.
-> 
-> 0%, IMVHO.  But come talk to me if you wish and determine for yourself. 
-> I could very well be wrong.
->
And the 'tester' confuses knowledge with faith/grace.
 
-> I'll give you another chance.  Tell me your top ten peeves about Eastern
-> Orthodox Christian, and we'll see if the shoe fits.
-> ---
Don't mind me, I'm new here...

Cheers!
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