Reply #22: Great links, Ian...

[Sapphocrat]

Thank you!

Although now that re-raises the question for me: Once a branch of any organized religion (Christian or otherwise) is so far removed, ideologically, from a fundamentalist faction that -- well, with which I would think they would not want to be associated, and which, frankly, brings them down -- why hang on to so much as even the name (in this case, "Baptist")?

Oh yes, I do understand there's a huge schism (several schisms) among Baptists -- but it's a more general question than that. I wonder the same thing about American Catholics, who are by and large light-years apart from the Vatican version of Roman Catholicism.

I guess I can answer my own question: My mom is one of those ultra-liberal, American, Kennedy-style Catholics -- and no matter what the Church in Rome says or does, I doubt she could ever see herself as anything but Catholic (and a good Catholic, at that). Of course, I keep waiting, and waiting for an official split between American Catholics and the Vatican... But then, I keep hoping for equal rights in my lifetime, too. LOL

And then, I suppose, there's always the matter of refusing to give up what is rightly yours; why abandon a label when you believe you have a rightful claim to it?

Rhetorical question. Actually, all rhetorical questions -- I'm not putting you on the spot to answer them, Ian. LOL Just thinking out loud here.

Again, thanks for the links -- good stuff!