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Another one for the Theist -English phrase book: 'Seek God first' translates into 'brainwash yourself into whatever faith was last slung in your face like a pink custard pie'. (Colourful language, Theistian; takes a bit of translation )
Actually, what I did was demonstrate with your own words that you weren't paying enough attention to the discussion for your comments to have much credibility.
Christians don't own the word "church" (just like they don't own the word "God" or even the words of Jesus). Other religions (including mine) use the term "church" to refer to their houses of worship. Don't believe everything you read in a dictionary. The editors generally apply their own religious biases. Needless to say, that dictionary definition is incorrect.
Some might even speculate that anyone putting themselves forward as someone whose words are worthy of attention with regard to concepts related to religion and spirituality should be able to make that association to the sixth largest religion in the US [according to ARIS].
Why are you so ashamed of whatever religion you are part of to not just simply tell us what you are. It seems that your purpose here is to critique others, more than share anything about yourself. What are you ashamed of?
You seem to enjoy critiquing other people's posts...not just mine. But your posts are often oblique, at best. I may be an atheist, and I may not respect many religions, but I'm not at all hesitant to say what I am -- an atheistic Buddhist. I have nothing to hide. Apparently you do. It is a shame when someone is embarrassed by their own religious beliefs.
I'm not going to respond to anymore of your egotistical posts. I know of no religions that encourage egotism. If you ever start posting things that are open and honest, I might re-engage.
We are not impressed by someone who tries to score points off a poster because their crystal ball needs a replacement battery.
We all make mistakes about people who post here; where they come from, what gender (never mind gender -inclination) they are and certainly not about about their religious views and beliefs.Have you any idea how often Troutdude has been taken for an atheist?
Cutting people a bit of slack rather than rubbing their face in every slip -up is what impresses us more.
Well, I would go one step further. I don't expect other posters here to remember that I'm an atheistic Buddhist. We all have lives we're involved in, and I don't expect people to cement into their memories who I am or what I believe.
When I was teaching or administering, my policy was that I never went around talking about my religious beliefs. But if someone outright asked me, first I'd ask them why it was their business, and if they persisted, I'd tell where I was at the time in my spiritual journey. I had nothing to be ashamed of. I didn't play games about it and I didn't try to convince them to have different spiritual beliefs. I accepted them for who and what they were. Doesn't mean I necessarily wanted to associate with them, but if they wanted to engage and were reasonable in discussions, I usually would, providing they didn't play silly games.
I assume when people come on this forum, and particularly this part of the forum, that they have something to share with others. If they want to hide under a basket because they're ashamed of their beliefs, then they probably shouldn't be posting. If they're unwilling to clarify their beliefs based on some post they've made, then they probably shouldn't be posting. This is supposed to be a discussion. And you, and most people here...including those I vehemently disagree with...typically use a degree of transparency in their posts. Otherwise, they might better go home.
Correction: "A definition of church...." The word is used in other senses including all the believers or followers of a particular Christian faith tradition, and any meetings of a local group of such.
I will grant that the word can be confusing if you are not aware of the layers of meaning, and that is why we (Quakers) use the term "Meeting" for the purpose of identifying the local group and the "services" of that group. I recommend it.
I'm fully aware that, like all words, church can have a variety of meanings. But more often than not, other religions use other terms for their place of worship -- synagogue, temple, meeting house, prayer house, etc. I would say that it's up to the poster to define how he is using a word that can have multiple meanings. Otherwise, his communication -- the reason why we are here -- is less than transparent.
Well, I would go one step further. I don't expect other posters here to remember that I'm an atheistic Buddhist. We all have lives we're involved in, and I don't expect people to cement into their memories who I am or what I believe.
When I was teaching or administering, my policy was that I never went around talking about my religious beliefs. But if someone outright asked me, first I'd ask them why it was their business, and if they persisted, I'd tell where I was at the time in my spiritual journey. I had nothing to be ashamed of. I didn't play games about it and I didn't try to convince them to have different spiritual beliefs. I accepted them for who and what they were. Doesn't mean I necessarily wanted to associate with them, but if they wanted to engage and were reasonable in discussions, I usually would, providing they didn't play silly games.
I assume when people come on this forum, and particularly this part of the forum, that they have something to share with others. If they want to hide under a basket because they're ashamed of their beliefs, then they probably shouldn't be posting. If they're unwilling to clarify their beliefs based on some post they've made, then they probably shouldn't be posting. This is supposed to be a discussion. And you, and most people here...including those I vehemently disagree with...typically use a degree of transparency in their posts. Otherwise, they might better go home.
Heh, if my beliefs were any more transparent, they would actually be invisible -- which would theoretically make them hidden from everyone, defeating the very point I was making about my beliefs being an open book.
Okay, they're still an open book. Just an invisible open book? Meh. I'll quit while I'm still where I started from.
You know, it's strange, but I've always had this feeling that inanimate objects weren't quite as inanimate as we're taught to believe.
I even sometimes felt guilty throwing things away, as if I was being mean to those objects. (Not regular garbage, mind you, but things that still may have had a use). I especially felt "bad" for items that were thrown away which never got used for their intended purpose.
It's truly a bizarre, strange sensation and, for a time, I actually wondered if I had Aspergers since believing objects have feelings is one of the symptoms.
I'm not necessarily an animist though part of my heritage comes from a nation with a lot of animism in its culture (Philippines) so perhaps I'm picking up something from that.
Didn't know we had any animists on the forum until now.
You know, it's strange, but I've always had this feeling that inanimate objects weren't quite as inanimate as we're taught to believe.
I even sometimes felt guilty throwing things away, as if I was being mean to those objects. (Not regular garbage, mind you, but things that still may have had a use). I especially felt "bad" for items that were thrown away which never got used for their intended purpose.
It's truly a bizarre, strange sensation and, for a time, I actually wondered if I had Aspergers since believing objects have feelings is one of the symptoms.
I'm not necessarily an animist though part of my heritage comes from a nation with a lot of animism in its culture (Philippines) so perhaps I'm picking up something from that.
Didn't know we had any animists on the forum until now.
Same here, as well as always feeling very close to nature. For as far back as I remember, I would observe the tiny little worlds of different ecosystems, weather patterns, etc. and not necessarily anthropomorphize them, but appreciate the fact that our worlds are so interdependent, whether or not we notice one another.
A couple of books I really enjoyed about this (not necessarily animism, but on creatures going about life in their ecosystems) are called The Forest Unseen and The Song of the Trees, both by David G. Haskell.
Brief background: I was raised without religion; never heard of god until probably 8 or 9 years old, never attended church until I was 20. Started dating and eventually married a Christian (who eventually became a minister), and joined his Baptist church. In hindsight, while I could discuss the bible and memorized dozens of passages, I don't think I ever truly embraced it; the longer we were there, the more I realized that I just did not believe it. I tried. I really did. Years later, we mercifully left that church for a mainline Protestant denomination. I've "tried on" multiple denominations, everything from Catholic and Orthodox to Quaker and Unitarian, strongly considered converting to Judaism... but nothing really sticks. I have come to accept that I simply cannot make myself believe in the tenets of any theistic religion; it just feels forced and unnatural.
What does come naturally to me is Animism; I've come to realize that it has been there with me all along... I just didn't know there was a name for it.
Same here. It was there in my childhood. I just thought it was part of me being a weird kid and kept it hidden.
Now looking at it again at this later stage of my life, and it doesn't seem so weird after all. I don't see any conflict with any other spiritual practices in which I participate, because I do not believe there is one "right" one. The Christian saint Francis of Assisi was definitely an animist.
And then there are certain trees with which I've connected and who show me things...but maybe I'd better stop now.
You know, it's strange, but I've always had this feeling that inanimate objects weren't quite as inanimate as we're taught to believe.
I even sometimes felt guilty throwing things away, as if I was being mean to those objects. (Not regular garbage, mind you, but things that still may have had a use). I especially felt "bad" for items that were thrown away which never got used for their intended purpose.
It's truly a bizarre, strange sensation and, for a time, I actually wondered if I had Aspergers since believing objects have feelings is one of the symptoms.
I'm not necessarily an animist though part of my heritage comes from a nation with a lot of animism in its culture (Philippines) so perhaps I'm picking up something from that.
Didn't know we had any animists on the forum until now.
I have felt that way particularly about rocks since childhood, but also other objects.
Some years ago I was reading an interview in the New York Times with a local Voudon practitioner from Haiti. He had in his living room an old dentist chair because "it has a very strong spirit".
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I don't see any conflict with any other spiritual practices in which I participate, because I do not believe there is one "right" one. The Christian saint Francis of Assisi was definitely an animist.
