Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Wednesday, 8 Apr 1992 20:06:56 EDT
From: Ailsa N.T. Murphy <IO81409@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: alt.pagan
Subject: Re: New Age/Christian Survey -Help!
 <1992Mar26.212938.27474@tc.fluke.COM> <30MAR199213053641@cc.weber.edu>
 <1992Apr4.034708.18373@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
 <1992Apr6.210958.23743@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <1992Apr7.141947.1@fnalno.fnal.gov>


the questions are included text.  the answers are mine.  i'll
be damned if i will go through and insert ">" or any other character
in front of THAT many lines...

1.  What makes a person a Christian?

two criteria in my eyes: 1) they say they are, and 2) they show
some cognizance that they understand what Jesus preached.  tele-
vangelists, and many other "christian" personalities are NOT
christians in my book.  i don't generally volunteer this, but
sincve i was asked...

2.  What makes a person a follower of the New Age?

umm....  dunno...  i'm not one.  if they buy a bunch of new age books
and haev a ton of crystals, that could be a sign...

3.  What do you think of evangelical-fundamentalist-charismatic--
pentecostal Christians?

annoying.

4.  What do you think of mainline Protestant Christianity (i.e.,
Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, etc.)

somewhat less annoying, but not a whole lot better.  still homophobic
as all hell...

5.  What do you think of Catholics?

neat churches.  nice incense.  Anglo-Catholics have the best
music...

6.  What do you think of channeling?  meditation?  pyramids?  Tarot
cards?  astrology?  crystals?  UFO's?

*snort*  pyramids are neato-cool, altho i wouldn't pay a whole
lot to go see the egyptian ones...  crystals are nice as a concept,
but i don't support strip-mining to get them...  meditation is
the best way i have ever encountered to calm down after a trying
day...  i have been reading the tarot for nine years now, and
find it to be a useful way of focusing my unconscious.  channeling
an UFOs are bunk.

7.  Who or what is God?  Who is/was Jesus?  Who or what is the Holy
Spirit?  Do you think the literal Resurrection of Jesus literally
took place?  What do you think is the meaning of the resurrection?

"jesus" is a name given to a hebrew prophet in the early days of teh
roman emperor.  he had some good ideas, but his followers, like followers
everywhere, hopelessly perverted them.  "God" is an annoying renaming
of the judaeo-christian deity, so to make it sound like it is the only
deity that can be discussed.  when people are dead, they stay dead.
the resurraction was something added later so that the new christian
cult could tap into the popularity of mystery religions.

8.  Do you think Jesus will come again?  What do you think of the
Bible?

No.  It is a collection of the inportant myths of one culture.

9.  Why do you consider yourself a follower of the New Age?  What

no, but all these new-agers sure make it easier to find neato-cool
stuff...

do you think is (are) the central tenets of your beliefs?  How did

that's an insulting question.  i KNOW what the central tenets of my
beliefs are.  why are you implying that i only think i know what they
are?

you come to hold these beliefs?  Are you a member of any formal
religious group(s)?  Which ones?

i came by my beliefs the same way anyone does.  by living.  i
am a mamber of the Unitarian/Universalist Association.


10. What is your age?  sex?  Occupation?  [Optional, for
statistical use only:  are you single-married-divorced-widowed-
living with someone-under a vow of celibacy?  hetero-homo-bisexual?
What race do you describe yourself as?]

28.  female.  student.  divorced.  lesbian/butch.  caucasian.

11. [More optional questions:  What happens to us when we die?
What makes an individual good or bad?  Do you think that there is
an absolute standard of right and wrong?  What do you think are the
central problems of American and World society?  How does your
faith address these problems, if at all?  Do you think that your
faith is the only way to salvation or self-fulfillment?  Is it the
best way?

we rot.  their actions.  no.  too much power in the hands of too
few.  hard to say.  no.  if i didn't think it wa sthe best way, would i
be doing it?  get real...

this isn't the best-crafted survey in the world, but i answered it
anyway, mostly becos i felt like it...

                                        -ailsa