Who cares

[petros]

Are they religious or are they spiritual. Those two words get mixed up and intertwined.

You can have shtloads of faith but zero spirituality and vice versa. That is where you'll find the archetypes and what seperates the good people from the nutjobs.

 

[Johnnny]

i dont want to put words in there mouths, but they go to church sunday, and ive seen a few with bibles in there living rooms with bookmarks in it.....

when i told them i dont believe in the bible they were kinda taken back, but they didnt stop hanging out with me... If that means anything

 

[petros]

It means your personality is unoffensive. If you do feel guilt, it probably comes from the doctrine you were raised around.

I guesss you could call it the "second hand holy smoke".

 

[Johnnny]

im sorry i dont follow, am i too easy going for them?

 

[petros]

Want to know what I believe?

We only see 1.5% of light and I believe whatever dwells in that other 98.5% is really really really pissed off at mankind.

 

[petros]

im sorry i dont follow, am i too easy going for them?

You accept them for who they are and they accept you for who you are. That is a spiritual bond and it has no religion.

 

[Johnnny]

Im sorry if i pushed the wrong buttons ill work on my debating skills thanks everyone for there time

 

[Cliffy]

Johnnny,
there are good people and people who don't know what that means. They come from every possible type of human, religious or not. Being religious has no bearing on whether a person is good or not. One thing I know about people is that most just go about their lives doing what they need to do to get by. Some find a need to go around telling others how to live their lives, what to believe and condemning those who don't believe the same as they do to a lake of fire or eternal torment.

I don't care what people believe but I do care when people go around judging and condemning others, Not everybody is strong in the belief. Those who are week may find being condemned disturbing and upsetting. So I will challenge some who profess to speak for god because those people are dangerous and can harm others. Some blow themselves up, some shoot innocent people, others start wars.

I have very strong beliefs and I have studied various religion, philosophies and spiritual paths. I like to discuss the subject. I like to challenge people who believe things that I find unsubstantiated. I don't subscribe to any particular system so I can look objectively at beliefs and see that flaws. So I express my feelings on many subjects. I understand that they are my views. If they offend others, that is their problem, not mine. It is OK to disagree, but there is no excuse for calling someone an idiot or a sinner because they don't agree with you.

 

[Nuggler]

im saying its a two way street, i know there are preachers who go overboard, and i also know there are athiests who go overboard.... Thats seeing both sides

Better name a few atheists who go overboard there, Johnny. I've never been pigeonholed by an atheist who tried to convince me there wasn't a god. With "religious" folks and the existence of god........not so lucky.

Books don't count. Books are inert; you're only affected IF you choose to read'em.

 

[Spade]

If there were a gawd, would she hang out with the raving fundamentalists?

 

[petros]

If there were a gawd, would she hang out with the raving fundamentalists?

She'd run sniper training camps and bomb making classes to shoot and bomb abortionists effectively.

 

[Cliffy]

If there were a gawd, would she hang out with the raving fundamentalists?

What? You wouldn't share a pint and a few jokes with an Iatola or Pat Roberson?

 

[Johnnny]

i aint naming anyone by name nuggler and im done with this thread.... Ive expressed my point of view.....

It is OK to disagree, but there is no excuse for calling someone an idiot or a sinner because they don't agree with you.

cliffy got it, and so did a few others

and im glad i didnt get red repped up the ass

 

[bizzymum]

I live in the Bible belt and there is a difference between being religious and following God. I was born Church of England and call myself a Christian more than my religion. When I was in Halifax for some reason I was around a lot of people who were Pagans and when I told them that I was a Christian and missed going to church...not being judgmental, but just making a statement, I was verbally attacked for being pius and they thought I was better than them. I agree with the opening post. People who are religious should not be judge and attacked and even prohibited to be who they are.
That was a worry for me moving to Canada. I was hoping that Canada was NOT anti-religion, or just anti-church. I want to go to church, worship and pray, but i don't want to be somewhere where people will get hostile if I do. Those people in Halifax, NS were NOT nice.

 

[Cliffy]

I live in the Bible belt and there is a difference between being religious and following God. I was born Church of England and call myself a Christian more than my religion. When I was in Halifax for some reason I was around a lot of people who were Pagans and when I told them that I was a Christian and missed going to church...not being judgmental, but just making a statement, I was verbally attacked for being pius and they thought I was better than them. I agree with the opening post. People who are religious should not be judge and attacked and even prohibited to be who they are.
That was a worry for me moving to Canada. I was hoping that Canada was NOT anti-religion, or just anti-church. I want to go to church, worship and pray, but i don't want to be somewhere where people will get hostile if I do. Those people in Halifax, NS were NOT nice.

You will find people who are prejudiced and biased no matter where you go, in any religion or sect. That is why people join religions. It is a safe social environment to congregate with like minded people. But even in such organizations there will be those who think they are better than everybody else. That is life.

 

[Spade]

You will find people who are prejudiced and biased no matter where you go, in any religion or sect. That is why people join religions. It is a safe social environment to congregate with like minded people. But even in such organizations there will be those who think they are better than everybody else. That is life.

Yep, joining a "religion" is like joining the Elks or Masons. Except the Elks and Masons, to the best of my knowledge, don't say non members are headed for the lake of fire.

 

[AnnaG]

It depends upon your nature. There are those that just see stuff and shrug without interacting and there are those that like interacting. If no-one debated anything we'd all just be a bunch of "Yes men", so to speak.
Personally, when I see a hole in someone's statements, I like bringing attention to it. Sometimes they do something about it and patch the hole, which indicates they are changing and growing. If all they do is leave the hole and try diverting attention, they don't grow. It even works on a self-to-self basis.

 

[countryboy]

You will find people who are prejudiced and biased no matter where you go, in any religion or sect. That is why people join religions. It is a safe social environment to congregate with like minded people. But even in such organizations there will be those who think they are better than everybody else. That is life.

I think you're right Cliffy. As part of the safe social environment, it's a comfortable spiritual environment too.

I'm a self-confessed "part time Christian" (don't go to church very often and pick and choose parts of Christianity to follow), but I attended a Christmas eve church service this year with some acquaintances and I must say, it was quite a nice experience. I love the traditional Christmas carols but the best part was seeing people get together and share a feeling of peace and goodwill toward each other.

I don't see anything wrong with that and in fact, I see quite a bit of good in it. Everyone was "getting along" and being nice to each other and I think we could use more of that in the world.

 

[AnnaG]

You will find people who are prejudiced and biased no matter where you go, in any religion or sect. That is why people join religions. It is a safe social environment to congregate with like minded people. But even in such organizations there will be those who think they are better than everybody else. That is life.

Cliffy, everyone has biases and prejudices whether they admit it or not. They only people who don't ............... are dead.

 

[lone wolf]

Cliffy, everyone has biases and prejudices whether they admit it or not. They only people who don't ............... are dead.

Are they really biases and prejudices if it's boiled down to preferences?