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Gomedome,
It's great reading you again.
I'm neo-christo-pago-wiccagnostic quasi-believer, vision correctable to only about 20/30 myself. In other words, I'm never really sure what I believe. Only what I feel, which varies from day to day.
One of my all-time favorite lines from a book is this, from the devout Mother Abigail in Stephen King's THE STAND:
"I've sinned and presumed to know the Mind of God. My sin has been PRIDE."
posted by
myrrhage_
on August 1, 2005 at 3:27 PM
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gome
John Leguizamo said, "My grandmother was so religious, she'd talk about hell and Satan all the time. When I saw "The Exorcist", I thought it was a documentary."
posted by
Hemlocker
on August 1, 2005 at 3:15 PM
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white jedi
has said it well. Hemlocker
posted by
Hemlocker
on August 1, 2005 at 3:11 PM
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WhiteJedi - thank you again - recently I had a devout believer ask me what
is so wrong with them sharing their faith with others? Further suggesting that my unwillingness to listen to a Christian sales pitch for the gazillionth time was entirely my problem and not theirs. But when asked if they would allow me the same air time to share my faith with them, once they had finished their spiel, the answer not so surprisingly was a resounding no. Because dontcha know, my faith (which was never divulged) worshipped a false God. Yes it is arrogant and even moreso in this day and age as the globe becomes in effect smaller. I always get a kick out of the Satan is responsible line of reasoning.
posted by
gomedome
on August 1, 2005 at 11:18 AM
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Thoughtful Post
I'd like to add deafness to the list. As a chuch member I was encouraged to "share my faith." Unfortunately, I could not hear how arragont and demeaning this sounds. The mindset of "non-members" needing your help becaus their hopelessly lost in sin is not a healthy one. Another thing that is endemic to religion is conditional friendship. Any community support church members offered evaporated as soon as I left. A close friend firmly believed we'd been mislead by Satan. No kidding! I want to make it clear that there people were not mean or bad. They simply can not recognize these traits-as I couldn't-because they were too close to religion. I agree that turning to old religions can be detrimental. If you think about it Bible standards were brutal. Whole families being killed for the father's sins. Prostitutes being stoned to death. There's enough pain and bloodshed in the world as it is.
posted by
WhiteJedi
on August 1, 2005 at 10:51 AM
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Xeno-x --- that is a good way of putting it
for some, the light you refer to is instinctive and need not be subjected to outside influences.
posted by
gomedome
on August 1, 2005 at 9:53 AM
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this is the former empty_handed_painter
the spiritual is not limited to a "spiritual" few.
In fact most of those spiritual few are still traveling the broad road
that narrow path includes any of the many -- but it is hard to traverse -- extremely hard to find and understand.
no one really knows what path they are on -- the best we can do is follow whatever light we see -- see the light first -- but follow it the best you can
posted by
Xeno-x
on August 1, 2005 at 9:29 AM
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