RoxyRedhead is offline RoxyRedhead Post #11  December 2,2009, 5:34pm

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I guess we have to agree to disagree on this-Buddhism is not a religion...it is a philosophy of living life. I do not worship Buddha - that idea is an anathema to the philosophy of Buddhism. I choose to practice Buddhism because it gives me peace and tranquility however I do not necessarily have to believe all the precepts of that philosophy ie: reincarnation, to do so.

And I'm far from scared of the stereotypical brimstone and hellfire controlling god because I don't believe in it. I am, however, afraid of people who kill innocents in the name of their god. If there is only one god then why the disparity - why the bad and good god concept?

One of the great things here is that we each get to make the decision about our religious belief or non belief on what we decide within our heads/hearts/souls is appropriate for us.

I can't tell you what makes you religious, nor do I know your religious history and what pathway you walked to come to where you are in your life. I think we all walk those pathways in different states-some alone, some in groups and some pathways are dictated to by others.

When you speak of the core of religions I do understand what you are saying-we non religious people are encouraged to look at the guiding philosophies of religion and not at individual members. That churches in general do a world of good and offer many advantages to the downtrodden. I have travelled and seen pitifully poor people oppressed by their religion. Schools run by religions with no texts but religious ones available to the children for reading. Is this a good church who represents a good god? The churches are beautiful, on the backs of the labor of people who know nothing else. They live in hovels and have another child every year until a 30 year old woman looks 60. Again, is this a good church? A good god?

But it is the church hierarchy and then the members who influence the way the church represents itself to the world at large. The excuse is made that man is fallible but the church is given from god and speaks for god. Those who speak for god, however are men and women and as so represent themselves as somehow better than 'just regular folk'. Yet we read and learn and have had for centuries of the heinous crimes that representatives of churches have done in the name of their god. Is this a good just god who accepts these people as its representative?

I have attended ‘religion lite’ churches where everything is love and song and there’s a rock band playing background for hymns. I have a family member who attends one of these churches and from politeness I’ve gone with her. I know, however that her children fear hell, no mater what the facade of the church. Young children fear going to hell. Is this a good or bad god / church?

If so, then its not a god I would choose.
 
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Comedian is offline Comedian Post #12  December 3,2009, 7:49am
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I often attend church with my mother because she is old and deserves to be indulged now and then. But the reading last week was absurd. I couldn't help but point it put.

According to the gospel lesson, Jesus said that the end of the world would come before the end of that generation. Excuse me!!! That was 2000 years ago and the rapture hasn't shown itself.

How do Christians explain this quote. (I notice the preacher avoided the reference entirely when giving her sermon.)
 
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Sassafras54 is online now Sassafras54 — Advice Official Moderator Post #13  December 3,2009, 1:26pm
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Perhaps he meant the end of the pre-Christian world?

If you're not a literalist you can derive almost anything from the bible.
 
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DennisWisconsin is offline DennisWisconsin Post #14  December 3,2009, 4:12pm
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The Jews had been looking for a savior for a long time.... and it wasn't necessarily from the likes of the devil... wars/battles went on all the time... that area around the middle east was constantly under siege and being invaded by one tribe or another... they were waiting for a savior who would drive their enemies from their lands... someone strong.

Jesus preached peacful methods so the story goes and that is why the Pharisees were so eager to let the Romans execute him.
 
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ming_on_mongo is offline ming_on_mongo Post #15  December 4,2009, 1:38pm
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Kinda-sorta related, but I used to work with this gal at an aerospace firm, who was very attractive, petite, and charming, but basically fairly low-key and worked as a secretary there. We became friends and she urged me to attend her church with her, which sounded interesting, featuring a full band and projection video. Am not particularly religious, but was curious (and the fact that she was a cutie didn't hurt either!).

Anyway, the service turned out to be full-on pentecostal affair, including spontaneous healings and speaking in tongues. And dunno why it was such a surprise, but as I looked over next to me, there she was, this otherwise sedate little executive corporate secretary, now thrashing around in the aisle and speaking "in tongues" quite passionately...!! Afterwards, I guess that experience sorta cooled my own "passions" as well!
 
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WeDesignOurLives is offline WeDesignOurLives Post #16  December 4,2009, 3:46pm
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RoxyRedhead wrote :
Excuse me if this comes of as a rant--I'm still getting over yesterdays speech and I though of so much more I wish I'd said last night-so you get to read it.....
(what rant..?)

RoxyRedhead wrote :
I can't believe that a supreme being would choose to cause his creations such pain and agony, hate death and destruction and require them to believe in it through all of this.
Ok, what if god simply didn't choose that? I have a knife...I can use it for us to break bread or to kill. You blame god for people that use a knife for evil?

RoxyRedhead wrote :
Faith is a crock...prayer makes the person praying feel she has some control her own destination.
I agree and I think that's a good thing (don't tell Martha Stewart.)
 
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