Why are many Christians so intolerant of other religions and spiritual paths?
- Thread starter Cliffy
- Start date
Sal, I will address the content of your post later, but wanted to tell you that you are a lovely writer. You have an ability to convey thoughts quite nicely. On the run now & will return to banter a little later.
Cliffy, you say here, "The main motivating factor given to non-Christians is THE FEAR OF GOING TO HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY." I disagree. I am beginning to wonder if this difference of opinion is in part from a generational difference. I find the generation or two before me have encountered more of the hell-fire preachings. Though that isn't the most accurate statement either. In your youth did you encounter a preacher that yelled at the congregation all the time?Thanks for the reds Blackhead and proving to one and all that you have sphincter lock.
There is not one shred of evidence that your god exists or that the bible is anything other than a book written by men. You are a very angry man, as your last post proves, who is dire need of a blow job. You are the poster boy for why not to become a Christian. Christianity doesn't seem to bring you any peace of mind. Might I suggest that you try Valium.
The main motivating factor given to non-Christians is THE FEAR OF GOING TO HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY. Fear of punishment for not accepting Geezuz!!! as our personal saviour. Fear is not revering or admiring. It is being terrified of being punished by some psychopath who demands constant adoration.
I'll tell you what my idea of hell is - cities. Cities are fortifications against nature.
What was the garden of Eden - a natural environment free of pollution or contamination of any kind. I was born in hell - Montreal. I now I live in what is left of paradise, the West Kootenay region of BC - in the forest. These are my neighbours"
On the run - have to locate a larger hourglass for JLM
Precious little animals - God is truly amazing. I stand in awe of Him and his creation. He indeed should be revered. No, that is NOT fear. I want to know HIM.
I don't even believe in the Jerusalem garbage dump. Born againers are always say us non-believers are going to hell to burn for eternity. Like I said, hell to me is any city.
People throw away the coolest sh*t. You'll have a nicely decorated and stylish hell in no time. Considering they don't burn the dead sacrificed goats, lambs and chamber pots and they pay cash for plastic by the kg you can have some jingle jangle in your jeans and decent air quality.
My first cabin in the bush was built with recycled material and furnished from the Cottonwood dump. You can't get better quality air than in a forest.
BTW: the whole bible narrative is a metaphor.
When you have a red letter Bible and read what Jesus said like you're supposed to Christianity is pretty cool sh*t that makes perfect sense.
The discipline of some of the Rites work quite nicely.
If you're pissed off or depressed do a Rosary again for the first time and when you're done you're not mad, sad or stressed.
Smudging with sweet grass will do the same. I live among the Creator's creatures. You can't get much closer to the Source than that.
On one level it's really pretty simple, Cliffy, and it's not just religion that makes this error. For people who are absolutely certain they're right, with no possibility of being wrong, anyone who disagrees with them must therefore be absolutely wrong. And fairly often that turns into being considered expendable. It also seems worth noting here that history suggests such absolute belief systems become tolerant only when they've lost the power to persecute. Consider the mediaeval Catholic church, for instance, compared to how it behaves today. It remains a bit of a mystery why so many people fall into that absolutist mind set.
Thanks for the reds Blackhead and proving to one and all that you have sphincter lock.
They walk among us Cliffy, the ironic part is they just disclose their own ignorance, no one else's.
Agree, Cliffy.
I work in a busy emergency department. Every shift I live among the Creator's creatures. Last night before I left work, I met a 15-year old rape victim. Beautiful traumatized girl. Devastated family. It is true that you can't get much closer to the Source than that:
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18 NIV)
I've always thought that was a very fine line actually. I think there is a absolute conviction that goes along with deep seated beliefs and it can sometimes be hard to delineate between someone genuinely trying to share that conviction for the benefit of all and imposing and passing judgement on others, the 'I'm right so you are wrong' piece. While I may not share an individual's convictions, I can accept the certainty that it gives to them and can sometimes interpret the message they are relaying in that context.
However, that being said, there are some that could do to exercise a bit more acceptance of others themselves and perhaps try to see the similarities instead of the differences in the way in which people express themselves, specifically with regard to one religious sect over another.
I hate the word tolerance. I tolerate insomnia. I tolerate upset stomach and headaches. I tolerate freezing winter weather. Whatever happened to love.
I don't remembet Christ ever saying, 'Tolerate the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul, and tolerate thy meighbour as tehyself.'
I don't remembet Christ ever saying, 'Tolerate the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul, and tolerate thy meighbour as tehyself.'
You are right. The proper word for the OP should have been respect: Respect for other religions and spiritual paths.
You're right, I've never really like the word tolerate either. To me it always implies a supremacy in attitude towards the one bestowing the tolerance, in a "you're not as good as me but I'll put up with you" kind of way.
However, it does seem to have common usage to mean 'acceptance' so I try to tolerate it's usage, lol.
