Just thinking...... (hell, Buddha, atheist, worship)
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How can those of us who either are not Christian or not religious at all have respect for those who smile to our faces yet inside see us as lost?
I wonder about this all the time.... That we are prayed for and seen as being lost yet I see goodness in others independent of what they believe or don't believe. My husband the atheist/agnostic, my oldest son who doesn't think religion is to important at this point in his life and my youngest who like me are Jewish. yet we all get along and don't judge and live our lives with mutual respect. I don't get why the world can't operate in this manner.
How you are as a person is what is the most important thing, not what you believe.
You mean the epistemological problem of opinion and actual knowing. This is a breeze to me because I took it up with the distinct It-being there for my separated religious Faith.
How can those of us who either are not Christian or not religious at all have respect for those who smile to our faces yet inside see us as lost?
I wonder about this all the time.... That we are prayed for and seen as being lost yet I see goodness in others independent of what they believe or don't believe. My husband the atheist/agnostic, my oldest son who doesn't think religion is to important at this point in his life and my youngest who like me are Jewish. yet we all get along and don't judge and live our lives with mutual respect. I don't get why the world can't operate in this manner.
How you are as a person is what is the most important thing, not what you believe.
I am interested in what others think.
there is lost, and lost. A fundamentalist Christian could see me as bound for hell, but STILL respect me as an ethical person and fellow believer in G-d in THIS life. Certainly classical Calvinism accepts that some "good" people will not be saved. Thus that persons smile at me could be sincere. some might not respect me, but unless I am SURE otherwise, I will give the smiling person the benefit of the doubt.
IOW, its not my duty in life to judge others hearts. I judge their actions. If their actions to me are respectful and ethical, that is all I can ask for.
Many people consider me to be "lost" for a variety of reasons, not just because of my non-Christian spirituality. I don't really mind too much, so long as they don't impose their beliefs on me. Personally, I think that most of us are somewhat lost some of the time - it's just a natural state of being. But I don't think that anyone is "eternally lost" - to be alive or conscious means there is always hope.
How can those of us who either are not Christian or not religious at all have respect for those who smile to our faces yet inside see us as lost?
For some reason I thought you said HOT not LOST............
I respect other people for their faith.....sometimes in spite of their faith. Its like being considered HOT or not. I really don't care if you think I am hot or not.....it is totally irrelevant to me what you may think of my appearance. However, if you start to refer to me as skinny or chubby or ugly or in some other disrespectful manner, I will probably lose a lot of respect for you and will not consider anything you have to say worth listening to.
You are welcome to think I am lost as much as you want. But if every time I come around, you begin preaching your faith to me, I probably won't come around much. But if you think I am lost because I don't believe what you do, but don't preach to me, I will be glad to share a beer or spend time together with you. Treat me with respect and I am fine. Treat me with disrespect, even if we share beliefs, and I will disrespect you.........even if you are HOT........
For some reason I thought you said HOT not LOST............
I respect other people for their faith.....sometimes in spite of their faith. Its like being considered HOT or not. I really don't care if you think I am hot or not.....it is totally irrelevant to me what you may think of my appearance. However, if you start to refer to me as skinny or chubby or ugly or in some other disrespectful manner, I will probably lose a lot of respect for you and will not consider anything you have to say worth listening to.
You are welcome to think I am lost as much as you want. But if every time I come around, you begin preaching your faith to me, I probably won't come around much. But if you think I am lost because I don't believe what you do, but don't preach to me, I will be glad to share a beer or spend time together with you. Treat me with respect and I am fine. Treat me with disrespect, even if we share beliefs, and I will disrespect you.........even if you are
HOT........
How can those of us who either are not Christian or not religious at all have respect for those who smile to our faces yet inside see us as lost?
I am interested in what others think
I suppose I see it as that they merely have a different opinion of myself than I do, so it does not bother me that much. Almost all the Christians I know are wonderful people, and I have the utmost respect for them. I sense that they (most of them) as well respect my own spiritual faith, and that is all that I can ask. That they see "us" as "lost" is simply a part of their faith, and I cannot hold that against them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jazzymom
How you are as a person is what is the most important thing, not what you believe.
Of course. It is too bad that all the religions are so separate, and they vie against one another as to "who is right". I really see them as all worshipping the same great spirit, whether it is called God, Yahweh, Buddha, Allah, what have you.
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