> I'm a former drug abuser, which also probably would have been
> forbidden in the OT temple.

"Former" my ASS. You are still a NON-reformed drug addict. You traffick in a drug -- Jesus worship -- that is more mind bending than LSD, more addictive than tobacco raised to the power of crack cocaine, and generally is as much more vile, harmful, and dangerous than heroin, than heroin is compared to decaffeinated coffee deliberately brewed over-weak.

> The Apostle Paul formerly persecuted/killed Christians, and

And then came down with that unfortunate nervous breakdown on the road between Jerusalem and Damascus.

A good rodeo doctor, experienced in injuries inflicted by equines, would have stood old Saul in far better stead than a bunch of deity-afflicted idiots!!

> AK> "There are no great pagans".

> GT> Not to put TOO fine a point on it, how about Alexander?? Socrates??
> GT> Darius?? Hamurabi? Julius Caesar? Ptolemy?
> GT> Archimedes? Buddha? Confucius? Nephertiti? Me?

ESPECIALLY Gwenny Herself. She is the greatest Pagan who ever lived!!

> GT> Your silly little religion is only two millenia
> GT> old. It has only been in total power of the
> GT> Western world for half that time. It has never
> GT> controlled Asia. The world runs just fine without
> GT> the intervention of you fanatics.

She's telling it like it is, Alan.

> Oh yah, Buddha was agreat man. What has this fat demon ever done
> for anyone but mislead millions of people to destruction.

(1) Buddha is NO demon. In fact, the term "Buddha" simply means "Enlightened One", and applies to NO specific human. When it IS so used, it refers to the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni (550 BCE -- 480 BCE), who accomplished a great deal more, with more of humanity, than that Jewish bumpkin with grandeur delusions ever has or EVER WILL.

(2) Buddhism is a perfect example of a HUMANE religion. It has NEVER been proselytized by violence. It teaches that all human beings, regardless of sex, age, or condition, are to be treated with lovingkindness and respect. It is NOT dependent on God[s] of ANY KIND, but places ALL responsibility for achievement of enlightenment and betterment of the world where it rightly BELONGS: on the shoulders of HUMAN INDIVIDUALS, in whose hands lies the SOLE power to make it happen.

So much for your castigation of your inherent betters. Maybe you ought to stop cussing at them and start learning FROM them.

> Confucius, yup, really helpful guy. Name one contribution he's
> made to humanity.

Confucius taught such socially stabilizing things as respect for authority, veneration of elders, peace with equals, and defense of children and inferiors -- just a FEW examples of contributions he made to humanity.

> Socrates I believe killed himself, great role model for kids.

Socrates was EXECUTED for making the youth of his time THINK about what they believed in and who they served, and WHY they served them. He did NOT drink the hemlock of his own accord, but was forced to by the element among Greeks which would provide the Christers of a future day and age.

Damn straight he's a great role model for kids. My elementary school was PROUD to teach children about him, and I am PROUD to teach children I encounter about him today.

> None of the others contributed anything either.

Yeah, right. They ALL contributed things far greater than the Bible's writers could IMAGINE, much less contribute themselves. All the Bible ever gave us was an ancient tribal superstition which taught woman-hatred, racism, bigotry, homophobia, psychosis, and violence -- all in the name of a thunder-demon who NEVER existed and never will exist.

> I repeat, there are no great pagans.

Fuck you, ignorant bigot. There are far more great Pagans than there will EVER be great believers in the non-existent Jesus God.