MT Civil Union bill tabled

Civil union. A bill that would have allowed Montana’s gay and lesbian couples to enter into civil unions was tabled on 15-3 vote in the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday.

My most recent Letter to the Editor (published)

Queen City News - Helena's FREE Weekly Newspaper Helena, Montana

Stop pointing fingers
by Lori Gilliland
Wednesday, January 26, 2005

To the Editor:
Did Matthew Sheppard really go straight to hell as a Kansas cult claims? Many find this hard to believe. This and other contentious religious questions continue to divide the faithful and turn others away.

Hell itself has transformed over time. First there was Sheol, the Old Testament Hebrew word for “abode of the dead.” Then there was Hades, the Greek word for “underground abode of the dead.” And finally, hell (the English word helan) means “to conceal.” This was further interpreted as being the grave, aka, “Six Feet Under.” So, the dead lay awaiting Judgment Day. Only then will one rise and live again. At last God will judge who is worthy to live forever and who is not. Those damned will be destroyed. Not to burn forever, but to be completely consumed by fire, never to exist again, to die a second time.
Therefore, certain people should stop pointing fingers at sinners and condemning them straight to hell. It’s blasphemous to claim such knowledge. Some think we are already in hell, thanks to religious fundamentalism. Some think hell is the absence of God. I think cruel people worship a cruel God.

Lori Gilliland
P.O. Box 72
Clancy

Science Friday on PBS radio

Science and Religion: Physical Sciences
Where did the universe come from -- and where is it going? Some people find answers to such questions in scientific theories, while others look to religion for answers, We talk about whether there can be common ground between science and religion in the study of the physical sciences, including physics and astronomy.

Science and Religion: Biological Sciences
How do centuries-old religions adapt to new discoveries or new technologies? How do different religious traditions view genetic engineering, cloning, or stem cell research? Can science and religion co-exist?

Soul

Main Entry: 1soul Pronunciation: 'sOlFunction: nounEtymology: Middle English soule, from Old English sAwol; akin to Old High German sEula soul1 : the immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life2 a : the spiritual principle embodied in human beings, all rational and spiritual beings, or the universe b capitalized, Christian Science : GOD 1b3 : a person's total self4 a : an active or essential part b : a moving spirit : LEADER5 a : the moral and emotional nature of human beings b : the quality that arouses emotion and sentiment c : spiritual or moral force : FERVOR

Hell

Main Entry: hell Pronunciation: 'helFunction: nounEtymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old English helan to conceal, Old High German helan, Latin celare, Greek kalyptein1 a (1) : a nether world in which the dead continue to exist : HADES (2) : the nether realm of the devil and the demons in which the damned suffer everlasting punishment -- often used in curses or as a generalized term of abuse b Christian Science : ERROR 2b, SIN2 a : a place or state of misery, torment, or wickedness b : a place or state of turmoil or destruction c : a severe scolding d : unrestrained fun or sportiveness -- often used in the phrase for the hell of it especially to suggest action on impulse or without a serious motive 3 archaic : a tailor's receptacle4 -- used as an interjection or as an intensive -- often used in the phrase hell of a or hell out of or with the or in - from hell : being the worst or most dreadful of its kind- hell on : very hard on or destructive to - hell or high water : difficulties of whatever kind or size - hell to pay : dire consequences