Defending a religious person...

[lisah]

I call Buddhism "non-theistic" in the sense that it does not have a personal creator deity, but it seems to still have a concept of the "Other World". I refer to this concept as "God in Buddhism". Reason and emotion seem to be perfectly compatible for each other.

I would probably be considered a non-theist then.

 

[keith99]

This has to go in a tagline, somewhere ...

Not mine, I selected von Stauffenburg as an Avatar, not Arthor Nebe.

 

[I Eat Pie]

Thanks for the support pal 8)

 

[xxxxxxtra]

Hethsa, it sounds to me lime you were trying to defend God.. The truth being told. God doesn't need defending. In the future, ask the person what all of this has to do with me(you).. Then refer them to scripture.. If they are truly interested in the reason behind your faith, then tell them your testimony and the gospel. But, as far as anything more. Thats their battle with God... If they aren't interested in salvation, what did Jesus say? He said to walk away. He also saidv it would be worse for them in tbe judgement than for sodom. Argueing and fighting does not bring glory to God. We always need to discern the spirit of those we interact with.. Remembering that we are different and it should be very apparent to anyone that sees and hears us. We are sheep among the wolves. If you are not being persecuted in some sense, then you need to ask yourself how itbis that you being a sheep are fitting in so comfortably amo gst the wolves.. Keep up the good fight my friend..

 

[variant]

I am not religious myself. However, oftentimes I encounter online messages from people who seem to be extremely anti-religious. They may say things like "Religion is useless" or "God is dead" or "I disproved God" or "I disproved religion", which I find extremely hurtful.

The people who taught me as a small impressionable child that I deserve to burn in hell for eternity not agreeing with their religious views, and those that agree with them need to evaluate their position on "extremely hurtful" a bit more clearly.

Religion is just an idea, it doesn't deserve the social kid gloves it gets because people aren't comfortable being questioned.

 

[Hestha]

Hethsa, it sounds to me lime you were trying to defend God.. The truth being told. God doesn't need defending. In the future, ask the person what all of this has to do with me(you).. Then refer them to scripture.. If they are truly interested in the reason behind your faith, then tell them your testimony and the gospel. But, as far as anything more. Thats their battle with God... If they aren't interested in salvation, what did Jesus say? He said to walk away. He also saidv it would be worse for them in tbe judgement than for sodom. Argueing and fighting does not bring glory to God. We always need to discern the spirit of those we interact with.. Remembering that we are different and it should be very apparent to anyone that sees and hears us. We are sheep among the wolves. If you are not being persecuted in some sense, then you need to ask yourself how itbis that you being a sheep are fitting in so comfortably amo gst the wolves.. Keep up the good fight my friend..

I wasn't defending the concept of God. Or really the Christian god in particular. I just felt that person treated a spiritual pathway as if it were objective. Personally, I think a person should treat a spiritual pathway as if it is subjective, and people are allowed to believe whatever they want to believe.

 

[seeking Christ]

The people who taught me as a small impressionable child that I deserve to burn in hell for eternity not agreeing with their religious views

This statement strikes me as more than a little bit odd. Let's compare this activity to the early Church; doing so reveals NO similarity!

How old were you?
What religious affiliation was this?
How have these people been punished? (Kidding)

 

[Hestha]

The people who taught me as a small impressionable child that I deserve to burn in hell for eternity not agreeing with their religious views, and those that agree with them need to evaluate their position on "extremely hurtful" a bit more clearly.

Religion is just an idea, it doesn't deserve the social kid gloves it gets because people aren't comfortable being questioned.

On that part, I agree with you. The people who taught you that you deserve to burn in hell for eternity, I think, are teaching you to practice a religion out of fear. Such religiosity is called "extrinsic religiosity" and isn't heartfelt, because it's being religious to achieve an end.

I don't think anyone should have to force you to practice a religion; yet, I also don't think anyone should have to force anyone to believe that there is no god. It's a "personal truth" that some people find themselves.

 

[Verv]

Ethically speaking, have you ever defended a person with a faith commitment different from you? For example, a Christian defending a Jew from anti-Semitic attacks?

In random internet debates I've found myself on the same side as Hindus and Muslims from time to time.

We believe in God, or in the case of Hindus, gods...

I've also been on the same side as a Buddhist friend when we argued essentially that religion is good for people.

It is great to be able to do this.

 

[Lee M]

This statement strikes me as more than a little bit odd. Let's compare this activity to the early Church; doing so reveals NO similarity!

How old were you?
What religious affiliation was this?
How have these people been punished? (Kidding)

Jesus told him this, said he'd be thrown into a fiery furnace where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth where the fire and worms don't ever end, hell is the only alternative to being born again. People died in Peter's gaze for lying to God and not long afterward the believers were scared to gather in the temple with them... who could blame them and in Acts 8 Peter condemned a man for trying to buy the power of God and hoped that the man's money died with him and called him all sorts of nasty things and the poor man simply begged to let these things not come true, even though in the same chapter the man was said to be a believer and even accepted baptism but Peter comes along and says the man is going to die and says he's utterly evil and the poor man just hopes it isn't true. The early church scared the stuff out of people too. Jesus came to this world, so that we "may not perish" John 3.16... the bible is all about hell and God's loving attempt to get people out of it. A hell he made and will put you in if you do not believe in or agree with his message.

Paul told his people in Titus 3 to try one or two times with a heretic but then reject him, there is no place in Christianity for those who disagree with the core doctrine and hell is the only alternative.

God will weep out of love for you as he closes the fire over you if you do not agree and believe, because righteousness is only attained through faith.

 

[Hestha]

In random internet debates I've found myself on the same side as Hindus and Muslims from time to time.

We believe in God, or in the case of Hindus, gods...

I've also been on the same side as a Buddhist friend when we argued essentially that religion is good for people.

It is great to be able to do this.

Hinduism can be classified as a collection of indigenous Indian religions rather than one monolithic religion.

I do remember I once had a classmate who identified himself as Hindu. He's also monotheistic.

 

[ebia]

I tend to challenge misinformation whoever it's about.

 

[Verv]

Hinduism can be classified as a collection of indigenous Indian religions rather than one monolithic religion.

I do remember I once had a classmate who identified himself as Hindu. He's also monotheistic.

I read the Bhagavad-Gita and the concept of Krishna can make this all a bit more monotheistic. Etc.

I also believe much of Hinduism is not indigenous but was rather brought by the Aryan tribes to India.

 

[Lee M]

I think I am going to start reading Confucianism again

 

[Hestha]

I think I am going to start reading Confucianism again

Eh?

 

[Lee M]

Yeh it wasn't supposed to be relevant... sorry.

 

[variant]

This statement strikes me as more than a little bit odd. Let's compare this activity to the early Church; doing so reveals NO similarity!

Are you saying that religious people don't often hold the opinions expressed to me? That I am wrong to point it out?

I was Roman Catholic.

http://www.catholicessentials.net/atheism.htm

These are the sorts of "hurtful" things they say about me.

 

[variant]

On that part, I agree with you. The people who taught you that you deserve to burn in hell for eternity, I think, are teaching you to practice a religion out of fear. Such religiosity is called "extrinsic religiosity" and isn't heartfelt, because it's being religious to achieve an end.

I don't think anyone deserves to burn in hell for eternity. Many brands of Christianity teach that EVERYONE deserves it.

Some of these religious people I am quite fond of, regardless of some of their views on things.

If I could never personally lift a hand to injure one of these people in malice, why would I want someone else to do so?

I don't think anyone should have to force you to practice a religion; yet, I also don't think anyone should have to force anyone to believe that there is no god. It's a "personal truth" that some people find themselves.

I think religious thinking contains a lot of coercion, and it might not always be quite as blatant as my experience but I am not misstating the case when I say it usually starts very young, and I am happy to speak out against it as such.

 

[seeking Christ]

Are you saying that religious people don't often hold the opinions expressed to me? That I am wrong to point it out?

I was Roman Catholic.

Catholic Essentials - Atheism

These are the sorts of "hurtful" things they say about me.

Not at all. I'm saying that one true Church that never changes stuff is a crock, and didn't start this way at all.

 

[seeking Christ]

I think religious thinking contains a lot of coercion

Coercion and faith are opposites, and incompatable.