Religious Beliefs

[Pale Warrior]

No no no, Eleanor, it's not someone praying for me that gives me the jitters.

 

[anthony]

I find offending people is largely perspective... the receiver can be free to interpret a good willed person as being "offending". Bothersome and not easy to manage I guess.

I concur with this one... write something and it can be interpreted many ways.

Like the rules outline, clarify, clarify, clarify before you run rampage.

 

[Barberian]

At first I wasn't going to touch this thread with a ten foot pole. After thinking about it all day, I decided to post my perspective on the topic.

For me personaly, I take religious or faith based comments at face value. I try not to read into them any more than any other comment. I understand others may will have different life experiences and beliefs including religion. I am a person of faith, not religion.

I, as most Americans was raised in a Christian socieity, at least that is the part I saw on a daily basis. Once I joined the military and was able to visit other parts of the world I realized, Christians are not always welcome, and in fact in some areas are hated to the point that they are killed. I have a 1 1/2" cross tattoo'ed on the back of my left hand. I did my best not to hide it, but not to flaunt it either.

Fast forward to the last 5 or so years and I started to see billboards along the highway and in some of the larger cities in California challenging the Christian faith. It was a shock to me when I saw them at first. Then I tried to take on the perspective of someone who would put up such a billboard. I also read some articles on the internet about others with different beliefs and the challenges they face. I realized that for someone who isn't christian the constant bombardment in mainstream media and society would probably be very insulting. At first I was offended by a simple billboard, what would it be like to have allmost all of society I lived in trying to bombard me with their beliefs?

I've always tried to be open minded and sometimes foolishly think that I am just that, only to have something like this smack me in the face and humble me. Mutual respect for everyone I meet either in person or online to me is important. How can I earn the respect of others if I don't respect them and their beliefs? We don't all have to believe the same things to coexist, we just need to respect, and accept each other in my humble opinion.

 

[wdkywomys]

:)

 

[Red Feather]

 

[renaissance0684]

I am sorry I agree after everything that has happened to me I do not believe in God and there are some posts on here that I avoid to prevent saying anything that would offend!!

 

[renaissance0684]

I am a strong believer in God and I reply to posts using a god reference; and obviously it is up to the person whether they respond to it or not. Its not to offend but its the way I get through my life. If someone asked me not to I won't and I am not fanatic by any means. I think that has to be ok; kind of like freedom of speech but I would never push my beliefs on other people. Beth

Sorry from not believing in god it is answers not a speak about god that i come in for.

 

[AngelKeeperJ]

I am happy that we have the freedom to be able to make choices...that ROCKS!! We all have a right to STATE our beliefs, but not to put others down. It's pretty basic. :)

 

[Meadowsweet]

I have many ethical beliefs, but they are philosophical in nature.

So if I speak about them, I expect that people will disagree and put a different point of view across, but all in the good nature of a philosophical argument.

But I don't always realise that people are talking about ethical concepts in connection with religious beliefs, so I guess that can feel insulting to them:(

 

[bethinhfx]

@Renaissance: For me, god is often the answer.....but I would never impose that on you...I can only share my experience, strength and hope. Right? I am entitled to that, although if I got to know you and you didn't want me to make god references in my replies (I don't always) then I wouldn't out of respect for you! Peace!

 

[Helliepig]

I think the point about people coming to your door pushing their belief on you is an interesting one. There is a degree of disrespect if they think that unless that person is not of their belief, they can't have thought things through. I've had that approach tried on me, and it is quite insulting - especially given the fact I'm a deep thinker, have read a lot and after all the soul searching I've done in my healing! I feel like saying, do you really think I've got to the age I have and haven't reached some sort of personal philosopy or belief??

On the other hand, sometimes people are genuinely happy and empassioned about their faith and want to pass that feeling on, (maybe a bit naively??)... having said that, I don't personally like anyone coming to my door about anything I haven't invited them to do.

I guess the trouble is, if, like me, you are very uncertain about your position in regard to organised religions , and or/ have had it somehow involved in your trauma, any mention of god can trip you into uncomfortable feelings and then perceive that it is the other person's fault. I know any mention of god in a thread turns me cold - but that's because I'm so confused and mistrusting about it, it doesn't mean that the other person shouldn't have mentioned it.

I do feel sorry sometimes for people with clear beliefs because OF COURSE that is going to be part of their language of healing and the minute they mention it there is this sharp intake of breath. Sometimes non religious people can almost insist on a blanket-ban of any mention of anything religious and that is not fair either. ( A bit like my sister, a vegetarian, who feels free to slag of anything to do with meat and sneer at others' choices, but would not tolerate any ribbing of her vegetarian fayre!)

At the end of the day we're all looking for meaning and a framework to make sense of our world, why is a religious one so different from a philosophical one?? Not sure myself, nor why it turns me off. Perhaps one day I will work it out.

 

[Eleanor]

I guess this is such a tricky thing because "god talk" can be so triggering.

I would guess that for a lot of people it is triggering because they have been abused by people who wrap themselves in some kind of "religious" justification - and who use "religion" to demean and control others. There is a lot of this in the world.:( In all religions, more's the pity.

Happily, having solid ethical and moral beliefs and commitments appears to be independent from having any particular metaphysical or spiritual beliefs. A person can be virtuous and have no religion. A person can be virtuous and be very religious. A person can be vicious and have no religion. A person can be vicious and be totally wrapped up in their religion. If the "good guys and bad guys" in the world DID have some clearly distinguishing marks/affiliation (black and white hats, fat or thin, skin color, how far apart their eyes are set, ANYTHING) it would make life simpler. But alas, you can't tell about someone until you actually learn about them in particular.

Slightly Silly part:
I used to canvass (door to door fundraise) for an environmental organization when I was in college. It was hard to do. I didn't particularly like knocking on the doors of total strangers and asking them for money:(but it was a job, and I believed the organization was doing really really good work for everyone. Most everyone was very nice to me, and on several occasions in bad winter weather I sat out my shift in some friendly person's kitchen eating cookies and drinking tea.:) I was pretty good at it. This gives me a slightly different perspective on the "knocking on doors" thing.

I definitely fell into the category of "naive" then. I think most folks who do this are, and a lot of people (especially if they've come from a "narrow" background) tend to go into "condescending" when challenged. That is, after all, what others have most likely done to them, so it is what they know. Personally, I find them rather charming. (I am impervious to condescension from strangers.:geek:) Honestly, how many people in the world have the chutzpa to impose on complete strangers to save them from a harm they might not even believe in? I usually invite them in for tea and then try to teach them about Immanuel Kant's arguments from his book "Religion within the limits of Reason Alone". (18th century German philosophical theology! Woo hoo!:cool:) It is kind of the opposite of what they are usually about, and he gives much better arguments than theirs, so I think it might help loosen up any "hardening of the categories" they have. Curiously, or not, they also NEVER come back or send anyone else.:(