The Faith & Religion mega Thread

Originally Posted by pramka Maybe .. God created Man ... Then Man created God ... Then each group claims this is the way... Ego EGo EGO

Yeah yeah, we heard you the first time you said this.

Originally Posted by trickykid I like your stance on atheists, the no obligation to change one's opinion. That's how most atheists are, believe in what you want and go on with your life, just don't shove it down other's throats on who's right or wrong,

You mean unlike some people who start threads on the topic? :D



Cheers,
Tink

Originally Posted by XavierP I thought the shorthand was Xtian...?

http://www.google.co.nz/search?hl=en...ition&ct=title
"Abbreviation for the normal English word "Christian." Not a pejorative, the word often is used in online chatrooms, bulletin boards and E-mail. Sometimes erroneously appears as Xtian."

Xian is also a Chinese for "spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being". Hmmm... I've got some friends called Xian, I'll have to tease them about it now.

I was given the chance to learn about other belief systems as well. Have a good day.

Slam-dunk. That's OK - there are other places for this debate.

I ask partly because my parents were agnostic, but felt that their children should get as wide-an education as possible given their interests. So when I became interested in religion, I was encouraged down the "comparative mythology" path. I found the broad, historical viewpoint that included thousands of "faiths" made it difficult to accept the Christian teachings that others were trying to get me into. I also have this perverse desire to look where I am not supposed to - so I tended to read the bits of the Bible that were not pointed out to me. There's some really nasty bits in there - I couldn't escape the view that the Xian groups are basically pleasing themselves. But, as self deception goes, there are worse things to believe.

Wicca is not a religion that I got to go to a church and check out, like Lutheren or a Catholic church. I have read briefly about it, don't Wicca believe in the balance of nature and that there are many Gods and Goddesses, each in charge of a different aspect of nature?

That's like saying that Christians believe in patriarchal supremacy, the ascendence of man, going to church on Sundays, and the stoning to death of people who eat shellfish.

The trouble is that a great many people get their comparative mythology in the context of a particular faith. i.e. If you look up "Wicca" in the Christian Science Bumper Book of Unholy Cults" you'll get a different take from what Wiccans would tell you. Most churches are not that obvious.

I recall seeing a History of Religions lesson for a Catholic school I used to work at. The students all thought it was un-biased. Yet, it depicted the flow of history as a branching tree. The wide trunk was Judaism, which then branches off into different modern religions. The Catholic branch continued thick and upright - all others were stunted twigs off to the side. You are very lucky if you have avoided this sort of thing.

It's very difficult to make an informed choice. Is your immortal soul worth the effort? Here's a list.
... and those are just the current ones - what if the Attenites were right, that religion is no longer practiced?

Can all these, as alred suggests' not be in conflict?

I like your stance on atheists, the no obligation to change one's opinion. That's how most atheists are, believe in what you want and go on with your life, just don't shove it down other's throats on who's right or wrong,

That's why pagans and atheists generally got along.

cause like I said earlier in this thread, no one knows the real answer until you're dead

You don't need to wait until your dead to decide - and many atheists have come to realise that religion itself has serious consequences if left unopposed.

Hello,

Originally Posted by trickykid I like your stance on atheists, the no obligation to change one's opinion. That's how most atheists are, believe in what you want and go on with your life, just don't shove it down other's throats on who's right or wrong, cause like I said earlier in this thread, no one knows the real answer until you're dead...

There is a Catholic proverb that goes:

Only the Holy Spirit can convert a soul - ours is not to convert, but to converse.

I will speak with anyone who wants to talk. I it love when the people come around door to door, I invite them in and we talk. They came to evangelize to me, but it turns around in the opposite direction and I evangelize them. There are times to get up on a soap box and preach on a street corner and go door to door if need be - to talk and proclaim the Gospel.

But I can't force anyone to listen or talk and you can't force a conversation with them. But at those time take the lesson from Saint Francis.


One day a fellow friar said to Saint Francis, "let's go to town and preach".

"Alright", said Saint Francis.

So they went to town and walked around up and down streets for about an hour. And after that hour Saint Francis turned to his companion and said "That's enough for today".

His companion, surprised, said "But we haven't preached one word, we haven't talked with anyone".

Saint Francis replied "These people know who we are, how we live and can see how we dress. They know what we stand for and what we believe. What better sermon could we preach?"



Of course, there are times when something is said and done that I cannot in good conscience countenance and ignore and I must speak on it, whether the person wants to hear it or not.

Originally Posted by Simon Bridge It's very difficult to make an informed choice. Is your immortal soul worth the effort?

The question would be why wouldn't it be worth it? But one need not study every religion to find the true one. I am confirmed in my Faith and it is unshakable that the Catholic Faith is the one true Faith. But I need not know why all the other religions are wrong (though I know the fatal flaws in many of them). The important thing is that I know why the Catholic Faith is right and the only true Faith.

Originally Posted by JMJ_coder I am confirmed in my Faith and it is unshakable that the Catholic Faith is the one true Faith. But I need not know why all the other religions are wrong (though I know the fatal flaws in many of them). The important thing is that I know why the Catholic Faith is right and the only true Faith.

Heh :} ... just like I am sure that leaving the Catholic church
around 30 years ago was the right thing to do because Open Brethren
rock ;} and the papists lost the touch with Christ about 1700 years
ago and every pope only made the gap wider. :D



Cheers,
Tink

Hello,

Originally Posted by Tinkster Heh :} ... just like I am sure that leaving the Catholic church around 30 years ago was the right thing to do because Open Brethren rock ;} and the papists lost the touch with Christ about 1700 years ago and every pope only made the gap wider. Cheers, Tink

I am unfamiliar with the Open Brethren - are you similar to Puritans?

1700 years? That's the start of the fourth century (300's) - that's before Nicea and Carthage. Then does your denomination reject the Divinity of Christ? The Canon of Scriptures?

Originally Posted by JMJ_coder Hello, I am unfamiliar with the Open Brethren - are you similar to Puritans?

Kind of ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Brethren

Originally Posted by JMJ_coder 1700 years? That's the start of the fourth century (300's) - that's before Nicea and Carthage. Then does your denomination reject the Divinity of Christ?

Of course not.

Originally Posted by JMJ_coder The Canon of Scriptures?

No. Of course there's some discussion about the current
translations, and the fact that most modern texts are based
on the TR, while e.g. the KJV differs in several aspects - one
thing about the brethren is that there's no individual or tribunal
that dictates which doctrine is true. I think that most brethren
will be quite happy to speak the "Confessio Augustana" (with the
amendment that -for obvious reasons- I'd speak of the holy
Christian church rather than the Catholic ;}), though.



Cheers,
Tink

Hello Tinkster,

I'd love to dialogue with you on this, but since this is not a religious forum, and merely a thread on religiousness, I'm at a loss as to how much into the dialogue to go.

Originally Posted by JMJ_coder The important thing is that I know why the Catholic Faith is right and the only true Faith.

Mind to share it with us?

either he/she is very xian or he/she just xian ... ^_^



.

Originally Posted by JMJ_coder The important thing is that I know why the Catholic Faith is right and the only true Faith.

That's been the problem throughout history, everyone of every religion, and every denomination within those religions, have claimed theirs as the only right and true faith.

Originally Posted by brianL That's been the problem throughout history, everyone of every religion, and every denomination within those religions, have claimed theirs as the only right and true faith.

And, of course, they are all correct

Originally Posted by Simon Bridge You don't need to wait until your dead to decide - and many atheists have come to realise that religion itself has serious consequences if left unopposed.

I didn't say you needed to wait to decide until you are dead. What I am saying is, when you die, you'll realize if your choice was the right one..

Not sure what you mean by "many atheists come to realize that religion itself has serious consequences if left unopposed". Can you ellaborate a little?

Originally Posted by brianL That's been the problem throughout history, everyone of every religion, and every denomination within those religions, have claimed theirs as the only right and true faith.

That is correct though, cause what's the point in creating a religion to only say others might be right as well and make your own wrong. If that were the case, don't create or start such a religion.

Religion is kind of like choosing a car. One car that is perfect and works for one person might not work for another person.

You may prefer a Ford Mustang but I will stick with the Camaro cause it's "the right and only true car for me"..