Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't think that'll ever happen, zealots are in all religions and every generation creates the next generation of people who will not tolerate others who are different. Whether it be racism or religion or whatever. People think theirs is the only way so no one will ever give in.
I think it's wrong to persecute anyone for whatever reason.
One of the things they should teach kids in religious instruction all over the world is that all people are allowed to believe what they wish and to live and let live. Stop saying yours is the only way to them. If someone wants to follow a religion, they can chose that themselves. Churches and synagogues, etc,.. are everywhere, no one needs to be dragged into them. Why is it that hard to leave others alone? It's simple... mind your own business, don't feel bad for those who don't share your beliefs. We'll be fine. Worry about your own religion and live your life accordingly.
Especially in the bible, it's mentioned to spread the word..that's just marketing and politics of that time. Just like at election time, people try to get votes by saying
"I'm the only one that matters", "Vote for me". That's what people took at face value and have been following all this time.
I see there is a lot of intolerance on both sides. What it asks us to evolve into, to embrace and practice in our own lives on a daily basis, is an acceptance of others and ourselves where we each are, as we each are. Without trying to "make the other person wrong" or prove them wrong in some way or show our own superiority.
So yes this peaceful understanding can happen when we as individuals practice acceptance, when we see each and everyone of us not as "us and them" which creates discord, distance, separation, and hostility; but instead as "we" all of us parts of one body, all of us parts of ourselves. It has less to do with "religion" and more to do with living from the highest best place of ourselves.
Put another way, "them" of any kind is a four-letter word. "We" are all alike and joined and part of a single body of humanity. What we do to any one of us, is what we do to all of us, and to ourselves. Truly. So how we treat another person (including judgment, intolerance, hatred, criticism) we are inflicting that harm on ourselves and on our loved ones. When we move away from seeing people as "us" and "them" to fight with or engage, and accept and love everyone as all being cut from the same cloth (whether we call that cloth "humanity" or "divinity" or "humankind" or "the body of god made manifest") then that peace not only is possible but it exists.
Last edited by Tzaphkiel; 03-05-2008 at 09:31 AM..
I know what you mean.. it's never my fault either! ()
Nice dig, very Christian of you.
But you know, as an atheist I don't tell people I'll pray for them or that god loves them or that they should find Jesus or use some sort of invocation of a deity in every other sentence I say. You're not even going to know I'm an atheist unless you directly ask me, or invite me to your church or try to "witness" to me.
So yeah, you could say that it never is my fault when the conversation turns to religious beliefs or lack thereof. Having no god means I don't "witness" and I don't give a flying rat's behind what your personal beliefs are until you try to push them on me.
I wasn't trying to be offensive! (it comes naturally, j/k! )
Quote:
But you know, as an atheist I don't tell people I'll pray for them or that god loves them or that they should find Jesus or use some sort of invocation of a deity in every other sentence I say. You're not even going to know I'm an atheist unless you directly ask me, or invite me to your church or try to "witness" to me.
Fill in the word "Christian" above where you put in "atheist" and that pretty much sums up myself..
(but if people look at me and call me a Christian (or think about Jesus) because of my "actions", that's ok with me)
I see there is a lot of intolerance on both sides. What it asks us to evolve into, to embrace and practice in our own lives on a daily basis, is an acceptance of others and ourselves where we each are, as we each are. Without trying to "make the other person wrong" or prove them wrong in some way or show our own superiority.
So yes this peaceful understanding can happen when we as individuals practice acceptance, when we see each and everyone of us not as "us and them" which creates discord, distance, separation, and hostility; but instead as "we" all of us parts of one body, all of us parts of ourselves. It has less to do with "religion" and more to do with living from the highest best place of ourselves.
Put another way, "them" of any kind is a four-letter word. "We" are all alike and joined and part of a single body of humanity. What we do to any one of us, is what we do to all of us, and to ourselves. Truly. So how we treat another person (including judgment, intolerance, hatred, criticism) we are inflicting that harm on ourselves and on our loved ones. When we move away from seeing people as "us" and "them" to fight with or engage, and accept and love everyone as all being cut from the same cloth (whether we call that cloth "humanity" or "divinity" or "humankind" or "the body of god made manifest") then that peace not only is possible but it exists.
But you know, as an atheist I don't tell people I'll pray for them or that god loves them or that they should find Jesus or use some sort of invocation of a deity in every other sentence I say. You're not even going to know I'm an atheist unless you directly ask me, or invite me to your church or try to "witness" to me.
So yeah, you could say that it never is my fault when the conversation turns to religious beliefs or lack thereof. Having no god means I don't "witness" and I don't give a flying rat's behind what your personal beliefs are until you try to push them on me.
Who's pushing you to reply or engage on this forum (religion and philosophy)?
Yes it will happen, every knee will bow, and every tongue confess, those that don't, won't be around.
godspeed,
freedom
And what if there's a possibility that you're wrong in your assumption? Would it not be better to respect other people's choices as to how they believe and worship their Creator or choose not to believe as such?
You call yourself freedom, and yet you do not believe in what you call yourself, because true freedom is choice, choice to be able to believe as one wants to believe without being persecuted by others because of one's belief, do you not agree?
2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
)
