Thread: My changing views of religion

Originally Posted by Wolverine

I sometimes wonder if this space is simply contained within our own minds and if we may tap into this space with the proper mindset. The pursuit of understanding with a dash of spirituality..

Yep...
You got it exactly right.

The mindset the Bible recommends to sane people is one that works to build a mental image of Reality, the real world outside of oneself which is that almighty entity scripture calles "God."

The very salvation of our species depends upon man adapting to this Reality or becoming extinct, as did the Neanderthals inthay great flood of Modern man out of Africa 40,000 years ago.

The image of this God inside our mind is a non-corporal spirit like model that forms our image of Truth.

Truth is our mediator with this "environment" within which we are trapped.
Truth is our good shepherd who will lead us into the paths that are right for our survival and success in this world.

Love Truth, and trying loving the people with whom we need to get along with in some form of sanity.

Originally Posted by Neutral

Oh the irony ....

I know.

The hypocrisy of some of these Christians who claim to love Christ and then knowingly go against the teachings is sad.

It is truly ironic when these hypocrite Christians start to demonize other Christians because they do not share their hypocritical beliefs.

Originally Posted by Marlowe

What abt free thinkers / agnostics the dont know ? ?


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They are obviously more enlightened than the brain-dead religious.

Originally Posted by Giftedone

I know.

The hypocrisy of some of these Christians who claim to love Christ and then knowingly go against the teachings is sad.

It is truly ironic when these hypocrite Christians start to demonize other Christians because they do not share their hypocritical beliefs.

?

Why pick on religion?

The Liberals have instituted a series of Cultural based rules we call Politically Correct.

They are well accepted as the means by which to separate the community into those people who would prefer Academically Correct , factual responses from those liberals who want no more discussion.

Hence, merely calling someone a racist or a misogynist, or a homophile is all that the one side needs do.

We see this dynamic in voters calling each other Bleeding Heart Liberals vs heartless evil cruel Conservative.

Originally Posted by cupid dave

?

Why pick on religion?

The Liberals have instituted a series of Cultural based rules we call Politically Correct.

They are well accepted as the means by which to separate the community into those people who would prefer Academically Correct , factual responses from those liberals who want no more discussion.

Hence, merely calling someone a racist or a misogynist, or a homophile is all that the one side needs do.

We see this dynamic in voters calling each other Bleeding Heart Liberals vs heartless evil cruel Conservative.

Religion is a powerfull weapon and apparently play a very important part in politics ,particularly in America, (that- hypocritically - most religious of nations ) where no Presidential /State Governor /Congress ,candidate , whether Left-Right . - Liberal/Democrat/Republican, wotever - would openly admit not being "god-fearing -hetrosexual -religious ".


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Originally Posted by cupid dave

?

Why pick on religion?

The Liberals have instituted a series of Cultural based rules we call Politically Correct.

They are well accepted as the means by which to separate the community into those people who would prefer Academically Correct , factual responses from those liberals who want no more discussion.

Hence, merely calling someone a racist or a misogynist, or a homophile is all that the one side needs do.

We see this dynamic in voters calling each other Bleeding Heart Liberals vs heartless evil cruel Conservative.

I was not picking on "Religion". I was picking on a particular hypocrite who claims to be a Christian.

I will pick on anything that seeks to degrade individual freedom's enshrined in the constitution .. this includes the "political correct" movement.

It is not just good for nothing Liberals who use "utilitarianism" to justify all kinds of abominations against civil liberties. Good for nothing Conservatives are equally to blame.

Utilitarianism seeks to look "only" at the (supposed common good) with complete disregard to rights of the individual.

There are hundreds of examples but a good one is the recent push in Britain to have a minimum drink charge to curb so called "binge drinking".

The main argument of many Brits against this proposed law is "why should I be punished for the stupidity of a few idiots".

I think it is a perfectly logical argument. The rights of these folks will be trampled on for the supposed good of the masses.

Is there a compelling argument that folks will drink less if there is a minimum drink price in bars ? or will they just have a few shots before going out or just spend more ?

All the time we hear crappy utilitarian arguments .. from both sides. Some of which you cupid Dave are probably guilty of.

Next time you make one of these arguments remember that when a precident is set in law... that precident can be used and will be used for all kinds of things you did not intend.

If you only believe in freedom for things you agree with, then you really do not believe in freedom at all.

Originally Posted by Giftedone

I
There are hundreds of examples but a good one is the recent push in Britain to have a minimum drink charge to curb so called "binge drinking".

The main argument of many Brits against this proposed law is "why should I be punished for the stupidity of a few idiots".

I think it is a perfectly logical argument. The rights of these folks will be trampled on for the supposed good of the masses.

Is there a compelling argument that folks will drink less if there is a minimum drink price in bars ? or will they just have a few shots before going out or just spend more ?

ll.

Good example but it wont get off the ground thx to EU anti-competition regulations and its debatable whether higher prices would deter "binge drinkers". Scotland is going ahead with their laws of 50p per unit of alcohol shortly - no doubt our Consevative PM will be watching whether the Scottish government will succeed.

.

We also know what happened in United States during its Prohibition days - + its bootleggers dont we. ? (wink)


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I had an interesting experience last week.

Being the week after Easter the subject of the sermons was centered around Thomas. The pastor gave the sermon on the premise of how difficult is for him to maintain his own faith sometimes, because he is skeptical and asks questions. If something doesn't make sense, he will pursue the answers or dismiss X. Quite a moving sermon.

For reasons I cannot fully explain, I had a hard time keeping it together during the sermon.

Then had a tiny meltdown out in my car.

Very interesting.

In Broken Images

He is quick, thinking in clear images;
I am slow, thinking in broken images.

He becomes dull, trusting to his clear images;
I become sharp, mistrusting my broken images.

Trusting his images, he assumes their relevance;
Mistrusting my images, I question their relevance.

Assuming their relevance, he assumes the fact,
Questioning their relevance, I question the fact.

When the fact fails him, he questions his senses;
When the fact fails me, I approve my senses.

He continues quick and dull in his clear images;
I continue slow and sharp in my broken images.

He in a new confusion of his understanding;
I in a new understanding of my confusion.

Robert Graves

I had an excellent talk with a pastor on a Presbyterian Church one Friday. What I thought would be an hour long conversation became two and a half hours. The bit that blew me away was his concept of what god is. He said that god is love, citing that all the major world religions share that one fundamental fact.

When asked "If all world religion share this one bit in common, do you believe that Christianity is the only means for a positive after life? What happens to the Buddhist humanitarian?"
Response: "No. All those religions are different paths to discovering God. What I think to be a loving God would not punish His children on belief alone. Love is how you discover God."

[blew me away]

When asked "So the nasty bits in the Old Testament, killing your unruly children, unbelievers, homosexuals, paying your rape victims father, offering your daughter to rapists, are those commandments from God, or the way of life for the people at the time?"
Response: "Those are almost certainly cultural behaviors, and not commandments from god."

Just wow. We agreed on just about everything despite coming from different directions. I will certainly continue attending that church.