Dear Lally,

Thank you for taking the time to comment on the web site. Since you left your email address, I take it that you would be open to reading my thoughts regarding your comments.

You wrote, " I've read the article on premarital kissing. I am poised to ask you, how is one to find someone to marry if there is no way to find assurance that that person is who you want to be with for the rest of your life."

The article on premarital kissing is not advocating blindly marrying someone nor is the whole issue of courtship and betrothal. The point is that one does not have to give themselves away to every inquirer or prospect the way we sample ice creme at Baskin-Robbins. I don't like that, throw it away. "This one is good, I'll try it for a while until I grow tired of it or a new flavor comes along." Humans deserve more dignity than being treated like some commodity that if liked can be accepted and if not, well, just throw it away. The person you should want to spend the rest of your life with is that person who respects you as a human being to the degree that, not only would they never think of degrading you by using you for their own self-pleasure, but will protect and defend your dignity at all costs.

You wrote, "If we must be loyal to god, let us do so in a matter which suits us and not the church."

How about if we do it in a matter which suits God? I mean, if we're the ones setting the standards by which men live then who needs a god anyway? But I agree with you that the church is not the one that should be setting the standard either. The only standard of life and ethics is God's word and we as humans made in the image of God find our fulfillment in conforming to His standards.

You wrote, " The bible, the scriptures, all contradict themselves so much that the good loyal people who do in fact worship god are torn in their lives and goals."

Maybe you would like to point out the most obvious contradiction you know of in the Bible. Surely you know it by heart. I would love to discuss it with you. But if people are torn in their lives and goals in their attempt to worship and honor God, it is certainly not the fault of God or the Scriptures, but rather our own fault because we are generally selfish, self-centered, and hard of heart.

You wrote, "If women who are faithful to the lord wish to not have abortions, let them do so, but do not condemn those women who do simply because they are in charge of their own body."

If you will point out where I have condemned anyone I will gladly make the change. But I don't believe I deserve the blame of condemning if their own conscious convicts them when confronted by the truth.

Lally, you have touched on the fundamental difference between the pro-choice and pro-life proponents - who is in charge. From the Christian worldview, we assert that we do not belong to ourselves, but have been bought with a precious price. We belong to our God and our Lord. The humanist worldview, on the other hand, exalts man as his own god and, therefore, he makes his own rules.

You wrote, "These rules and decisions you seem to make for other people go against our basic rights as humans and as citizens of the US."

You appeal to our basic rights as humans and citizens of the US. But from whence do these rights originate? Are they given to us by other men? If so, what right to they have to convey rights to me? What if they change their mind?

I don't think I am setting rules or making decisions for other people. I am offering them the truth as I understand from God's word. I may not do it perfectly in either content or style, but you have the opportunity to respond as you like, which is what we are doing now. Isn't this a great country? One where we can express our ideas freely with each other?

But it is important for you, Lally, to recognize that the right you and I are enjoying this very moment of free expression is one based exclusively on a Christian worldview. Such a right is limited or extinguished under an atheistic worldview, of which you claim to be a proponent of. In fact, freedom and liberty can only exist in an environment where the giver of law transcends man. When man becomes his own law giver, then bondage eventually reigns. Our country's founding fathers knew this very plainly.

There are some statistics given on one of my web pages, "The Seeds of Communism" in which Mr. Barnes gives the numbers of deaths under atheistic governments as opposed to Christian. Such statistics are not little known, they are just ignored by those who are not willing to submit to the authority of God, the one and only author and protector of human rights, and are not willing to see the end result of their philosophy when applied to a whole society. They know not what they ask.

However Lally, my belief is that you are not an atheist anyway. I've spoken with atheists before and no card-carrying atheist I know would poise the questions and comments using the vocabulary you have used.

I suspect that you are sincerely seeking the answers and the reasons and that whatever church/religious experience you have had has been shallow, meaningless, and useless in addressing the important issues that confront us as individuals and as a society.

You write, "All in all, i dont believe this is helping anyone find themselves,"

You are right. I don't want people to find themselves. What in the world would I do with myself if I were to find myself in myself???? My purpose is to help people find God and to know the fullness of life that comes only through the saving grace of His son, Jesus Christ.

Lally, somehow, I think you already know that but, perhaps, have turned another way for a time. I would love to talk with you more. Perhaps you have some friends who share your viewpoint. I'd love to hear from them.

God's grace to you,

Patrick Hurd