welcome

[lovemydog]

I support interfaith communication. I respect different kinds of people, including agnostics & atheists. I appreciate Christians, Jews, Muslims & others who day by day help make the world a better place, particularly those who try and make their own religions more democratic and more in line with the spirit of fellowship and goodwill.

A lot of stuff from my presbyterian upbringing influenced me in positive ways. I enjoy reading spiritual writings. I love the notion of compassion toward sentient beings & strive to demonstrate it. It's an ongoing quest. I yearn for better understanding of my fellow brothers & sisters.

With optimism that this will be a wonderful place, I'd like to say 'Welcome here!' to everyone. And thank you to the folks who got this place going.

[cbayer]

1. Welcome back, lovemydog!

What a great introduction. I hope to see you around this group and look forward to getting to know you better.

[lovemydog]

3. Thank you cbayer!

That's very kind. I'm sure we'll get to know each other better here. I've enjoyed your posts.

I'm hoping to use this forum as a kind of questioning to deepen my faith. There are many moral questions that come up along the way. Particularly in times of stress, loss, and loneliness. Hopefully it will be very safe, as I feel vulnerable sometimes to the crappy lack of privacy on the internet, and sometimes to the mean or selfish tone of some posts out there in other parts of this site.

Minor question. What does welcome back mean? Was there an interfaith group in the past?

[cbayer]

5. It's hard to feel safe on the internet at times, particularly if you tread into areas that

tend to be contentious to begin with. But I am hopeful that this group will provide a place for people can discuss/debate without being harassed or attacked.

I meant "Welcome back at you" or something like that, but realize that it wasn't clear. Sorry about that.

[kentauros]

2. I welcome you, too, lovemydog :)

MADem did much of the work in getting this place up and running. I'm just glad to see what I perceive as the best group for discussing religion and spirituality in place and getting such a positive response. I think we'll be happy here.

[lovemydog]

4. Thank you kentauros

That's great. I'm looking forward to it, and already enjoy the human interaction here. I'll try and post topics as they come up. I've got a few in my head, but I want to go slow and steady.