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LOL I figured someone might try to pull that. Okay, then don't read any of my posts. The whole point of this forum is to share information and ideas (which I do). I'm also not expecting or wanting any converts to my side (which is fine with me). No conflict of interest there. People can hate what I say too, but I'll still share information and thoughts. Jesus is the only model or example that I might want to emulate, and he was never bothered by anyone, so neither will I. He also instructed us to love our enemies, so peace be with you.
Likewise, despite getting called names, and being mocked, if you don't care to follow Christianity...I'm ok with that. You have that choice.
But please.....let's be honest and realize that yes--we do all like to talk about religion, as you are here doing. It's ok.
I don't even know which of my friends are believers or not. A couple of them have said things that lead me to think they are. I know at least 4 of them grew up Catholic but they don't go to church. One of my friends is Jewish and I've asked him a little about the beliefs but he may be an atheist and views it more of a philosophy. He's not orthodox . Another one of my friends is related to that first Jewish friend and I haven't heard her say she was a believer. We are new friends and the topic of life after death came up and both of us were like "who's to say?" although I think she leans way more to the "something" than I do. My hubby has no opinion on it. No one I know goes to church.
Yet...you are here on an internet message board telling us about your beliefs, and that anyone that disagrees with you is retarded.
Not hard to figure out at all. The internet and this forum is pretty much anonymous, so most of us feel much freer to talk about our religious beliefs. Talking face to face with friends is not anonymous at all. I have a bit of a fallback position because in all honesty I now only identify as Buddhist. Thus far my friends do not realize that "a god" is not really part of Buddhism.
its all to possible that "the God of these people " and the " God of those people is the same God telling each culture things that they relate to... leaving one God
not christian, jewish, muslim, hindu ( and all the other ones im too limited to remember )
ive found in no scriptures or God's Words saying God has a religion.
i have found that God separated humanity on purpose and to come together as one understanding is not something God saw as good.
I don't randomly talk about religion with people I am not sure are open to such conversations, but yes, I have had interesting and multiple conversations with people of my own and different faiths, as well as none, over the years.
I used to work in a place where there was a wide diversity of people, including religions. We had assorted types of Christians, varying levels of observance Jews and Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, a Jain, a few pagans, a number of atheists. We talked a lot over the years. Learned about one another. I was there for 20 years.
You have heard of the place where I worked. It was destroyed by extremist members of one of those religions who saw everyone who wasn't like them as wrong and worthy of death.
People from all of those groups died, and survived, and people from all those groups cleaned up the mess and rebuilt where the destruction occurred.
I am not as dumb about one thing as I was about 25 years.
We had an ESL teacher in my school, and religion came up and she told me she was Bahá'Ã. I replied, "Oh, I didn't know you were Jewish". She burst out laughing and asked me how I thought Bahá'à was Jewish. I had been thinking of B'nai B'rith. But hey, despite living in the D.C. area at the time, I had been a small town boy brought up on what used to be a farm.
I'm happy to say I have considerably expanded my horizons.
And then there was a time, after I began self-identifying as part Buddhist that 3 teachers who were taking a cultural awareness class asked me if I would take them to my Buddhist temple as part of their class assignment. At first I refused because typically Buddhists are against proselytizing. But after a few days I reconsidered since they were asking me for the experience. Of course, just my luck, but on that day the 10:30 a.m. meditations and lunch were for a funeral, but we were all still very welcomed, and my friends really enjoyed the experience.
Another year, as a principal, I was invited to a nearby Jewish synagogue. And a couple of times was invited to the Muslim celebrations after Ramadan, although to be honest, there I felt a bit "used" since the host was trying to sort of show me off.
Do you talk about religion with your close friends?
If so, what does that conversation look like?
Does everyone take it well?
...
1. With a few close friends, yes.
2. Depends on the friend and what the conversation is about. To have only one type of conversation makes it preaching, not a conversation.
3. So far, because I am careful which friends I discuss that topic with and the way in which the general topic is approached.
Last edited by phetaroi; 10-26-2017 at 06:44 AM..
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It's ok.
