that_girl,
The first thing I want to say is that I am so saddened to see what this thread has become. This is EXACTLY what I was talking about--that somehow we have got to find a way to be LOVING and demonstrate love by showing an interest and being respectful, not by slinging hurtful words around or demanding that everyone think like you do! *sigh* I feel like we have so far to go as a species and as Christians, that it's disappointing.
BUT I wanted to take time to threadjack this train wreck and answer your questions if you don't mind! I thought it would be fun!
My religious background is probably the most diverse you'll ever meet in your life, because I find spirituality fascinating. I grew up in a super-typical Lutheran household... I call that "christian-by-default" because we aren't in a country that has another state religion, but we didn't really study or live a christian life or anything. Know what I mean?
I knew my whole life that what my parents spouted off about religion was a bunch of routines and didn't really MEAN anything to them, so I pretty much just ignored their words. I felt a personal connection with God when I was young, and that never really went away--I just didn't understand it very well. I had friends of every race, color and creed literally, and most of them didn't really understand their own religion a lot, but I grew up near a Bahai temple, and that was ... amazing beyond words.
Then when I graduated, moved out and went to college, I figured I would figure this out for myself, so I went on what I call my "Search For God" years. I attended and studied several major religions, (not denominations) and I studied Wicca because it's the original wise woman, right? Pam can tell ya, I'm a studier! LOL I liked and felt pretty comfortable with Judaism because it was like my version of "God the Father" and it was a very interesting religion to study. So I met a handsome Jewish guy and agreed to convert so we could get married.
After our divorce, I did it again--searching for God--and this time I went more into the new age concepts, philosophy, formal theology...that kind of thing. It's part of the way I got to know my current Dear Hubby!
Sooo...I answer your questions and Pam's questions with utmost respect in my heart. I didn't laugh about Krishna. I think it's a worthy study to learn about how similar Krishna and Christ are, and I personally love Krishna as the lover prince and the way he honored the 16,000. Of course, I'm also pretty much a hopeless romantic so that fits!
I did a large LOL because I'm a very happy person and I do laugh a lot. At the moment I was writing, I was thinking 'She's not saying she wants to learn about how to have faith or god and I threw out the first untypical god who came to my head, which made me giggle because everyone always jumps right to THEIR god first. Know what I mean?
As for the "Universe" I actually did that out of respect just like I do capital C Christians and lowercase c christians...and capital God and lowercase god. To me, there is the universe with a lowercase u that means the planet, stars, and whatnot just physically existing, and there is the "Universe" which is like a name. It means "things aren't just random and there's some greater scheme of things here". Christians with a capital are folks who truly believe and then try to live a life that is as close to godly and loving and mimicking Christ as a human being can (since we're all imperfect), and christians with a lowercase are the big denomination thingy that include Protestants and Catholics who are "not something else." Some believe, some don't, some live it, some don't, some use it like a big rock, some like a social club. Finally there's God, my name for divinity, and god which is "I'm not sure exactly what name you may call your deity, but it's not just a human being or coincidence so it would be something above an angel and not just nothing."
However I do see your point: for other things I consider a name, I didn't put "quote marks" around it. I just wanted to draw attention--this isn't the cosmos here or gravity ... it's the grander scheme that some people name "The Universe."
So I hope that clarifies, and I do realize we may likely disagree on some things, and I'm okay with disagreeing. I don't expect people to "think like I do" or "believe like I do" because then you wouldn't be YOU, and you are unique and value in the universe. My main hope would be to be able to converse with each other respectfully and both be able to hear the other with an open heart. So far, Pam has been GREAT at doing that!! I greatly admire and respect her for that!
Regarding the rest of this thread: (shaking my head). Sad. Long way to go.