Religion

Turbo,

I really think it depends on which side of that fence you fall on. It's a matter of perspective. Since you are a Christian, you will never know what it's like not to be one. Just as I will never know what it's like to be black, Jewish, or 4' tall.

 

Personally, I can't. Don't know Islam, though I've communed with Muslims in various manners, enough to answer that.
I'd have to expect that's more of a cultural thing, since Islamic led countries war with other countries with the same background, save religion, for no other reason than religion.
I could typify all of Islam that way, and yet I know of no one in the US personally that's ever done anything negative in the name of their own religion. Then again, I have no motive to think that any would.

And I don't know that I could ever come up with a satisfactory answer for you, to this or anything else.
I personally know that my rights and wrongs should be better for me being a Christian. Like I said, I'm an imperfect one. I don't flaunt my faith, it's not always rock hard strong. But do I do something wrong because I am, that I otherwise wouldn't? No.

 

Good answer mags.

 

Well then that puts me in a unique position, as I used to be a fervent Christian but now am not. I don't know what you call it when you're agnostic but have at least one religion that you've crossed off the multiple choice list, but that's pretty much me. Nonetheless I know what it was like and understand the mindset; that's why you don't see me ripping into religion as a whole with every breath I make.

When I first dumped Christianity, I was pretty bitter because I felt like I'd been lied to my whole life. But I couldn't be mad at anybody because everyone who preached it to me thought they were telling the truth. Since then I've mellowed out considerably. As long as someone stays out of other people's way and doesn't make life miserable for others they're fine by me.

 

I think you're right. Obviously, our own perspective skews our view point on things. No doubt about it.

I've never "condemned" anyone for whatever set of religious beliefs (or lack of) anyone settles on. Everyone is on their own journey through life and people will come to different conclusions based on innumerable factors.

I don't begrudge Miss tery's view point at all. I do, however, think that her argument lacks any merit.

If anyone would make such a characterization of any group, be they blacks, Jews, homosexuals, lefthanders, or whatever, they would be blasted for being insensitive and prejudiced.

I find it amazing that people are accused of prejudice if they claim a that a whole group is bad because a few in that group are bad, yet people make the same claim about Christians and don't look at it as prejudice.

If its prejudice to claim that blacks are all bad because a percentage of them do bad things, then it seems to me that it is prejudice (and wrong) to say that all Christians are bad, rude, back-stabbing, meaner and have low IQ simply because some of them are that way.

Again, I'm only trying to debunk her argument.

In regards to her religious beliefs, she's welcome to any of them, or none at all.

 

It might appear that way, but no--I'm most definitely pagan. Not in the traditional "Christian" sense of the word, but still pagan.

Agnosticism is certainly a PART of it, in my case. There's a lot I don't have a concrete opinion on, in terms of a "higher power." One of the most appealing, to me, aspects of modern paganism is that it's extremely individualistic. We are a very widely varied bunch, in terms of specific beliefs; & we don't feel a need to agree on a lot of details. We have a general agreement on some major ideas, & the details are matters of opinion.

A lot of pagans do believe in & worship gods &/or goddesses. Personally, I think of these more as ideas & energies than deities. I believe that in time, these "deities" or "ideas" will be measurable, quantifiable in some way. A LONG time from now, but eventually.

Some people consider me a bit flaky, with my candles & incense & rituals. I think I'm just harnessing, in a very crude & primitive way, energies that are there to be harnessed. And it works damn well for me, too.

I come from a very Christian background, family & education, etc. A great deal of the reason I am pagan now is because of the hypocrisy I experienced in my past. I spent many years on a sort of personal quest for "truth." And I'm living a joyful life now that I wouldn't have thought possible in past years. I've seen others achieve this kind of peace & joy on entirely different paths. Which leads me to believe wholeheartedly, "different strokes for different folks."

 

It is amazing to me that one can burn a bunch of sage and walk around a place to create a totally different feeling in that space. Incense does the same for me. Based on the mood, the smells can create a new feeling all around me that lasts for days.

As for your energies, I have seen them. I have felt them. And I have spent time trying to recapture them on my own but without a lot of success. Maybe it was the person that helped me open my other eye. Maybe it was just the right place and time. Either way, it was a unique experience.

 

Thanks, I didn't know I was afraid to die and that was my reason for choosing to have a relationship with Jesus. You must be the smartest person in the world to know what a person is feeling when you've never met them. You have no idea who I am, nor what I've been thru in my life, which I can just about guarantee is more then the usual.

 

I knew you were going to react that way.