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"...All Scripture is given... as instruction in righteousness..."

I spent three years in a Bible college, and learned many things. Much ado is made of the "Law", but few observe it, in reality. God knew that and provided for it by spending time on earth.

I am a Christian, and believe that God really did make the world. I think Moses walked between the waters, and I believe in a virgin birth. I believe that Jesus lived and died FOR ME!

He offers the same deal to "whosoever will". The will is the part most people ignore. To most readers, it seems an open invitation to follow the cross... but it is more the will part of the statement that gives life. By allowing our will to be subjugated to His Holy spirit, we grow closer to His throne.

But, it is our will that He desires. It is not something imposed on us, but rather our desire to give up our self authority. This is the most common threat, used by cults and mystery religions, to absorb us into their mire of strict adherence to "the Law" (the way they interpret it) and to abide within that group, supporting it, and proseletyzing for it.

The dietary laws were mostly manmade, just like the admonitions about working on the Sabbath. (Do you know what a blue law is?) The rulers of the jewish priesthood conspired together, not out of malice, but out of a sincere desire to be what God requires, Holy. But man is incapable of Holiness. We are not God. But we can have Him abiding wih and within us.

God knew what He was doing when He made man. He made woman next (and we all know what a blessing, and curse! ; ), and then quit. He knew our brains were devious, probing, curious, dull, and any other adjective you can use. He knew. He made us! He still knows what He is doing.

In spite of the lessons of Sodom and Gomorrah, we have Denmark and Thailand... where children are regularly traded for sex, and slavery. Where any drug, booze, slut, kink, or fantasy will be fulfilled.

Here in the US, we have a queer community numbering less than one percent, but smart enough to keep their causes in the forefront, with a willing press. This group of deviates get pandered to, while the Ten Commandments monument is removed from the PEOPLES' COURTHOUSE.

I quote and use the Bible as a history lesson. It has been around longer than me, and many friends put a lot of "faith" in its worth.

Faith is what saves us from eternal separation from God. Works are worthless... and the silly debates that go on are worthless... What is worth everything is eternity... and it is by faith, nothing else, that you can have eternal life.

If you drink a martini, toke a bong, puff a cigar, or hit a punching bag out of anger, you may be guilty of something. But it is the ernest desire of the heart to follow God that will override any noxious behavior. But, it happens only after the will is surrendered. It does not happen overnight. It happens gradually. God is easy. His Spirith will guide our every step to keep us from stumbling, only as we will it!

Jesus did endorse drinking to excess. There is sufficient evidence to prove my statement, but the statement is made more to provide fodder for another point, that He was not condemnatory....

I have supposedly literate, psychological critics, here on this thread. At least it seems so from statements made. I have only pointed to hypocracy. Theirs is noted.

I don't know what any of this has to do with anything, but....

Faith is what saves us from eternal separation from God. Works are worthless...

"Faith without works is dead." Make of it what you will.

If you drink a martini, toke a bong, puff a cigar, or hit a punching bag out of anger, you may be guilty of something. But it is the ernest desire of the heart to follow God that will override any noxious behavior.

That's a dangerous viewpoint. It allows for moral ambivalency and disrespect for God's law by saying "I'm a good person and that's all that matters." You'll hear gays use that all the time, for instance.

Jesus did endorse drinking to excess.

Oh really? Show me where Jesus endorsed drunkenness. Was Jesus a drunkard as well?