Fundie Christians cling to their version of the Bible and thus “damn” everybody who doesn’t (new-agers included)

The domga and doctrines of Christianity are mostly man-made (St. Paul was NOT Jesus)

….AND there has been a long tradition of “new-age” Christianity—that is: reclaiming the message of love & compassion rather than guilt and fear.

My current favorites are the books of Gary Renard which are related to ACIM (an inspiring correction to Christianity) I also liked the large Jesus bio included in Urantia

One of the leading Angel people is Doreen Virtue,

I would also point-out that many of the “Magick” crowd (western inner tradition, OTO et al) also talk to angels using the Enochian system developed by Dr. Dee way back in 1500 –and those Magick-types are (ironically) mostly dismissive of anything too fluffy or “new-age”

In summary — I don’t buy the distortions of the man-made Church but trust that natural inner-knowing to which we all have access IF we can get the materialist ego-mind to quiet-down long enough to hear the higher voice. Angels don’t always answer with a voice.

It seems to me that the popular understanding of Angels has for quite some time lent credibility to the New Age view

Someone’s been reading Harold Bloom, no?

HIS: sounds awful. I also think it’s symptomatic of a wider human tendency: that of looking for meaning where none is. There really is no deeper meaning to such a tragic happening. You can see it other places too: for instance, in the tendency across cultures to personify nature, looking for intent when you don’t get any fish or your crops are ruined.

My goodness, that’s an awful tragedy. I’m so sorry! They always say household accidents are responsible for a lot of deaths but that’s the first time I’ve heard of that freakish an accident.

I can relate to the sugar-coating of tragedy. I had an uncle who committed suicide. His funeral was a happy, happy, joyful celebration of his wonderful, marvelous life in Christ! Nothing wrong with remembering him, of course, but to totally ignore the tragic circumstances and not even grapple with what he may have been thinking or feeling – and pretend all was hunky-dory – just felt so false and wrong.

I was wrestling with my faith at the time, and that was one of many big “turnoff” moments.

Angels are one of my pet peeves. Or perhaps I should say that the misuse of the angel concept is a pet peeve.

If I may share this quip from my life. A few years ago, a niece of mine died. Apparantly, she tripped while in the bathroom, and strangled herself on a cord that was used to hang dirty clothes. She was 14 years old. It was ghastly, and there is no nice way to say it.

But the obituary tried to. Her obit stated that she was called home and carried away by the loving embrace of angels. OK, I know her parents were greiving, but I could find no comfort in that at all. Actually I found it horrific. Angels did not carry her away with the brush of their wings into the busom of God. No. She strangled herself, and it was awful.

Attempts to sweeten these tragedies with angels and the like are just morbid fantasies. The really bother me.

And the laws that you found that are on the books are shocking indeed. Well done!!