Does Your Religious Belief Affect Your View Of Interracial Marriage? (souls, atheist)

[goldengrain]

Originally Posted by arguy1973

I find that article in that link troubling myself...you cannot compromise..just to appease people..

Yes. When each of them have the belief (there is no way that they could really know) that their scriptures were given them, en toto, by the deity, they are rapidly moving the world to a dangerous conclusion.

They would rather rely on something they were taught as children, that has never and can never be proven to them, rather than on their own observations of the world situation.

Now, more and more religious leaders are seeing the danger, and telling the truth about these religious texts, but so many others know their paychecks and reputations are linked to perpetuating the myths.

[MrSykes]

Originally Posted by satanoid

I draw many parallels to interracial marriage and gay marriage.

Both represent a 'deviation' from the 'norm' - and were opposed by the majority of americans.

Both were fought against on religious grounds.

Both will eventually come to be so normal that those who oppose them will be members of the lunatic fringe.

In 100 years, gay marriage will be legal and commonplace in most of the civilized world.

Opposition to gay marriage on biblical grounds differs in that such opposition is actually justified by scripture.

[Tricky D]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

Opposition to gay marriage on biblical grounds differs in that such opposition is actually justified by scripture.

And we all know that scripture cannot be wrong.
Or wrongly interpreted.
Or wrongly translated.
Or wrongly understood
Or wrongly used.

[arguy1973]

Originally Posted by goldengrain

Yes. When each of them have the belief (there is no way that they could really know) that their scriptures were given them, en toto, by the deity, they are rapidly moving the world to a dangerous conclusion.

They would rather rely on something they were taught as children, that has never and can never be proven to them, rather than on their own observations of the world situation.

Now, more and more religious leaders are seeing the danger, and telling the truth about these religious texts, but so many others know their paychecks and reputations are linked to perpetuating the myths.

actually..what I meant was..as a Christian..I will not try and "rewrite" what the Bible says..just to appease people..the Bible isnt politically correct? I cant help it..its not my job to try and "explain" away areas that some dont agree with.

[goldengrain]

Originally Posted by arguy1973

actually..what I meant was..as a Christian..I will not try and "rewrite" what the Bible says..just to appease people..the Bible isnt politically correct? I cant help it..its not my job to try and "explain" away areas that some dont agree with.

No, many books make many claims and the bible is one of those.
The Koran is not politically correct, and many people follow all of its pronouncements the way some here follow the bible.

Some books have more insight into complicated issues than others.
Some show more compassion than others.
Some point the way towards a more peaceful existance with our neighbors, and some point the way to war and destruction.

If the bible or Koran could live our lives for us, why would we be born?
Perhaps because we have brains, and are meant to use them in finding solutions.

It is up to us to function in the world, and try to leave it a little better place for our having been here, or so some think. To function in the world takes much thought and compromise and consideration of others.

So, we realize that following the old pronouncements of a collection of books that was written before the dark ages might not exactly be what life today calls for as a solution.

[arguy1973]

Originally Posted by goldengrain

No, many books make many claims and the bible is one of those.
The Koran is not politically correct, and many people follow all of its pronouncements the way some here follow the bible.

Some books have more insight into complicated issues than others.
Some show more compassion than others.
Some point the way towards a more peaceful existance with our neighbors, and some point the way to war and destruction.

If the bible or Koran could live our lives for us, why would we be born?
Perhaps because we have brains, and are meant to use them in finding solutions.

It is up to us to function in the world, and try to leave it a little better place for our having been here, or so some think. To function in the world takes much thought and compromise and consideration of others.

So, we realize that following the old pronouncements of a collection of books that was written before the dark ages might not exactly be what life today calls for as a solution.

I agree with you..we should live peacefully with one another..If you dont wanna believe what I believe..or dont wanna believe anything..thats your right..and I wont try to change that..but what Im saying is..I (me) cant justify changing something I feel is direct from God (the Bible) just to "make it fit" in todays society. There are other ways of comprimise

[goldengrain]

Yes, and if I really felt that God spoke to me directly or was channelled through some seer, I would say the same thing - that I am following something that I feel is direct from God, but you would probably consider that I was either insane or had a philosophy that was dangerous for the world. You might even feel relieved that such a seer did not have a huge following that could influence the government that created the laws that you had to live under.

There are also multiple versions of the bible, including and excluding verses, as said verses were not found in some earlier texts. No original texts have ever been found, and some scholars think that the gospels may be distant copies of each other.

Because something is modern may not make it always right, but just because something is old does not make it right, either.

As we walk through life we have experiences which, hopefully, lead us to gain some wisdom. We put aside the earlier, simpler, concepts of our childhood and are able to deal with greater and greater complexity.

The bible, I do not believe, was meant to be taken literally. When Christ said he is a door, we certainly do not take that literally; when we are told it is ok to stone disobediant children, no sane person would consider such a thing; and some thing we totally ignore, like the caveat against wearing blends of material. The fact is, we are always weighing what we are told against our experience and adjusting our beliefs to what we think is true.

When I was a child I was taught, to my horror, that my best friend, a Jew, was going to hell because she did not accept Christ. This, I now know as a horrifying obscenity - no group of people is excluded from heaven because they are not a member of any one faith.

Some religions, in their early formation, were worried about the competition and needed this method to frighten the faithful not to explore elsewhere: Jew, Christian, Moslem. Some poor adherents to these faiths are still believing these things blindly.

Just as one medicine will save one person, and kill another, there is no one religion suitable for all, and some can be spiritually stifling for some individuals.

How can God have created gay animals and not gay people? Persecuting real, living people just because of some words written in some book long ago is not a good thing.
It is not healthy for either side and can only lead to abberations.

[MrSykes]

Originally Posted by Tricky D

Originally Posted by MrSykes And we all know that scripture cannot be wrong.
Or wrongly interpreted.
Or wrongly translated.
Or wrongly understood
Or wrongly used.

Of course it could be. But whether the scripture is inherently "right" or "wrong" is not what's at issue here. The scripture is pretty clear about homosexuality. No way around it. That is where the comparison between interracial marriage ceases to be valid.

[bigthirsty]

Originally Posted by MrSykes

The scripture is pretty clear about homosexuality. No way around it.

I concur. The scripture is clear that depending on the situation homosexuality is ok.

[MrSykes]

Originally Posted by bigthirsty

I concur. The scripture is clear that depending on the situation homosexuality is ok.

Enlighten me.