QUOTE(JMPD1 @ Jun 16 2005, 09:36 AM)
QUOTE
...we can only have our opwn perceptions and opinions.
And there is the absolute answer. It is all perception, opinion, and belief.
Of course, perception can be skewed, opinion can be erroneous, and belief can be misplaced.
You have your faith, but it is based on your perceptions, opinions, and desires. As is my skepticism.
So, how can anyone claim that theirs is the
ONLY path to god? None of us really has any concrete proof of our beliefs, just our perceptions thereof.

Because Faith or Skepticism we you and I are seeking THE SAME TRUTH!
And how will we find it? I suggest that we listen to each other.
There is a story about an elephant and some blind men.
One blind man grabs the elephants tail and says "AHA! An elephant is like a rope"
The second one grabs the elephants leg and says "You are an idiot, an elephant is like a tree"
The third blind man puts his hands on the side of the elephant and says "You are both stupid morons, and elephant is like a wall."
If those blind men would listen to one another and (SINCERELY) try to see the elephant from the other persons point of view all three would know more about what an elephant is really like.
That is what I do not like about debates. Trying to prove the other person is wrong and you are right. If you are in error or wrong it makes the goal to try and prove that wrong is right.
Let's try and see hopw everyones little part of the elephant fits in to make our understanding of the elephant more complete.