Finding religion

I have one liberal Christian friend who is nothing like the stereotype. We never talk about religion.

In general, I'm still skeptical of them, until I get to know them. Too many bad experiences.

 

Interesting there is a practical explanation for this, peter denied knowing jesus before the cock crowed three times. That is that association brings out hostility if the example is not first expressed.

 

You can go to the Sanctuary part of the forum to discuss verses, how you "became saved", etc.

From personal experience when I used to post in the Christianity (and sometimes Sanctuary) forum, I encountered one of the most absolutely contentious, egotistical and assinine posters on all of hf...and that is saying something!

 

You make me blush.

 

lol

 

LOL you so silly!

dope, I have found you to be quite complex; but not contentious. Also, you have definitely had some "discussions" (yeah, we'll call it that) with this particular ass...and I'm being NICE when I say ass.

 

I have found beasts of burden to be useful to my purpose.

 

Karen, you have completely misunderstood what I was saying.

I thought you were good at stepping out of your own beliefs and such for the sake of argument.
Read the Bible, Jesus did make those claims about himself. I'm not talking about any consensus or whether everyone or anyone believes it, it's what the Bible teaches, that is rather evident. I'm not proclaiming my beliefs, just relating what the book actually says within the shackles of the forum.
you are saying that the UU church thinks it's this or that, I'm saying they are wrong and all one has to do to confirm it is simply read what was written. I'm not requiring anyone to accept or believe it, but I do know what it does and doesn't say and it sure as hell isn't Buddhist.

So if you are going to talk about Jesus and Christianity, doesn't it make sense to start with the source material and see what it actually says????

What I am telling you is that if people think that the teachings of Jesus are the same as Buddhism, they are very, very, wrong.
I used superficial in the sense that certain moral ideas are universal and you will find them in EVERY religion. The problem is people see those common themes and immediately jump to the conclusion that "they are all the same", that is sooooo wrong. I have always said that if a person wants to really get an understanding of Christianity relative to other religions, you need to focus on the differences, not the similarities because the similarities are superficial relative to the heart of the teachings, which for Christianity is that Jesus is God incarnate.

And if you do research it you will find that the main issue of contention with most off-shoots have is with the question of Jesus' divinity.
I'm not making this shit up, go research it.
I know you weren't there to hear Jesus speak himself, but I'm positive that there are many things you believe and accept without thought even though you were not there at the original occurrence.

I'm not trying to convert or proselytize or any such crap, I just really wish people would pull head out of butt and realize that there are some very fundamental differences and lumping together and saying they all teach pretty much the same thing is simply ignorant and lazy.

But you are illustrating what I mentioned earlier about the woeful understanding or consideration Christianity gets here and have sunk to the low that most do here and have resorted to just a lame insult against someone you perceive to be a Christian.
Disappointed

 

(To 87)Yes, I was married too. (ouch!!!!)(my smilies don't work!!)

 

Sure caused me to chuckle!

 

I was born and raised Roman Catholic. I was sent to Catholic school from grade 1 through 12. Interestingly my older sisters went to public school. I left home at 17 (1968) and decided that I had had enough of all that. My Mom's aunt thought I was going to become a nun. I have no idea who gave her that thought.....

I was married in a Catholic church to please my parents. The divorce did not please them at all.

Last time I was in a church was for my Mom's funeral in 2008. I expect that my Dad's will be in the same church. I have no intention of going back to the church.

I always thought that people who were adults when they joined a church would make the best believers because it was something they chose. I don't think forcing a child to go to church is a good thing. But that is just my humble opinion.

 

To those who say there is only one correct interpretation to anything I say you do not know the meaning of the word interpretation nor have they recognized or honored the extant phenomena of varied opinion. What I see in world religion is a universal curriculum that appears in many forms or the quest for apprehension of life. It is conceivable that three wise guys represent remnants of ashoka's missionary crew. The conflicting models of the universe at play here are not the different religions but the profit motive vs physical law.

The vain suffer insult, god is not mocked.

 

maybe, but there are only so many definitions of a word, and I very often see individuals, yourself included, that at times will stretch a definition or alter the context of something so that it better fits their premise.
You can only stretch things so far.

 

I don't know. I do it too. But that's because I doubt if the Bible is written to be 100% what God would want it to say...

and there is evidence out there that Jesus never meant it to be thought that he was saying he was the only path to God...
but i'm not going into debating all that in this thread.
the way I see it is, I'm cool with God. And I'm 100% sure of that... I figure God won't be mad at me if I get things wrong considering we have no way of knowing anything anyways.

 

If I overestimate the length of my dick humility will find me as always. Having said that consolidating definition simplifies the challenge of varied opinion. I don't deny definitions I seek that we all be refined in them. Our experience is of biological creaturehood in relation to the naturally abstract form overflowing nature of mind.

The first thing we must overcome in communicating is the idea that we know what each other is saying because we know the definition of words. Our individual vernaculars are uniquely impressed. It takes some time to come to common terms but we do so quickest in terms of recognizing common experience. So having english in common does not insure communication, having abiding interest does.


For instance at the outset what do I mean when I say the word world. Do I mean the earth or the world as men conceive of it.

 

Anything can be found if one forgoes with reason and logic.

I personally see no inherent value in religion, though it is not my place to inform someone that he cannot adhere to his beliefs. What I can impose on the theists is the fact that I am free to live my life as I choose. I should not have to deal with someone informing me that I must believe in their fairy tale in order to be considered a moral individual.

 

No, I just don't agree with it.

I've studied it quite a bit, in depth, when I was younger.

...according to the Bible.

But not anything this important.

If they were all exactly alike, there would be no value in reading from different sources.

And not once have I resorted to name-calling. You're getting very close to the line of religious intolerance and bigotry.

That's one word we can agree on.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Why do people act surprised when others have different religious views? It's so commonplace. It's to be expected.

I'm sure the inventor of DNA could write a much better book.

 

Seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you, ask and you will receive the truth, not belief, sets us free. A popular sentiment in some religious circles.

 

That can be in reference to anything that does not require evidence to support its existence. Not a very sane way to view the world.

 

I suggest you lean to your own sanity in deciphering the meaning of your perceptions, that is anxiety is caused by the misapprehension of what is so.