Why I Believe

[lester1/2jr]

indiana have you ever heard gothic voices? they sing Hildegaard von bingen (11th or so century Nun) music in some of those old churches

http://youtu.be/_NGTsdL2YzE

[indianasmith]

What countries in Europe do that? I know in the UK churches are pretty much left to their own devices and most seem to get sold off by the various churches before being converted to pubs or (surprisingly a popular choice) furniture stores. If they can't afford the upkeep on them, they either get sold off or allowed to fall to ruin.

Asking out of curiosity on which countries have stepped in to maintain their buildings.

One of my former students visited Denmark and the Netherlands and described all these beautiful, ancient houses of worship being used as concert venues, clubs, and music studios.  how widespread the practice is, I'm not sure - it just made a deep impression on her.

[chefzombie]

okay, i haven't spoken here yet, but i think i should. i'm NOT a christian, a jew, an atheist ,a hindu,a buddhist or a muslem. i'm a witch. i use the word wiccan simply because most people don't know anything about old school witchcraft , and the wiccan credo is mostly the same.
  i have no belief in " gods/goddesses" ,per se, what i revere( and no indie, i REFUSE to use the word "worship", it's degrading) is the powers that ARE, I.E> natural powers. yes, i CALL them by a name. mother nature. father sky. sister water. brother air. mistress talent, mister psyche,etc....
  but i DON'T worship them, i use them as tools to learn more about my own innate talents, and to try to help others learn theirs. IF they are open to it. the names are just that, names. it simplifies concentration, that's all. when i say" i thank my higher powers" , THAT  is what i mean, that i'm grateful to the power out there that helped me with MY concentration so i could help myself, or help others , or so someone could help who has more power than i do now.
  i do believe that christ was a real man, and that he did good things with HIS power and talent, and he TAUGHT good things. and that he died because of it. and MAYBE he had the talent of suspended animation and woke himself up after 3 days in a cave. i DO NOT believe that he"ascended to heaven" though. fly away, sure, teleportation does exist, and it CAN be visible and watchable, i've seen it. i can't DO it, unfortunately, not even at my most powerful years ago.
  but the main thing for me is my respect for anyone else's religion/belief system or lack of it. as long as you show me respect, and i show you the same, we can argue all day, and still be friends. 

[chefzombie]

i should have said " teleportation/levitation".

[lester1/2jr]

remember when people used to see Elvis? I mean after he was dead

[indianasmith]

Did anyone who knew him closely beforehand see him, though?

[RCMerchant]

Will Elvis replace Jesus in 2000 years? 

[Rev. Powell]

Will Elvis replace Jesus in 2000 years? 

If he keeps saving us from mummies, he will.