Go to Religion in the Modern World
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TVBlogger - what really shocks me about some folks who hold this attitude:
is that they really do believe (or have managed to convince themselves) that despite the fact that they personify every human shortcoming imagineable, by simply adhering to their religious constructs they will be chosen for eternal bliss. It doesn't seem to matter that their religious constructs are one of thousands of simular beliefs and an even smaller portion of differing religious perspective. They somehow will be welcomed into heaven on judgement day despite the odds, in numbers alone, of having it right.
posted by
gomedome
on October 9, 2006 at 10:51 AM
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faholo - I can buy that - it doesn't matter if a person believes in a God
to accept the basic premise you have just outlined.
What more can any of us do but our best while remaining true to ourselves?
posted by
gomedome
on October 9, 2006 at 10:43 AM
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SuccessWarrior - being "holier than thou" does have its purpose in life
Aside from convincing themselves that they are contributing to the greater good, it serves to get the holier than thou individual off the hook as a target for ostracism within their religious community. But the real immeasurable value of a holier than thou individual is that they provide no end of entertainment to the rest of us......and most of them wind up real good as well.
posted by
gomedome
on October 9, 2006 at 10:39 AM
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How people can be so certain is beyond me.
Everyone is convinced that they alone know the truth and must make sure we learn it too. It's such a foolish attitude to have when it comes to God. I read an amazing essay by conservative journalist
Andrew Sullivan that I can't recommend enough. One quote that applies to this blog topic:
"If God is really God, then God must, by definition surpass our human understanding. Not entirely. We have Scripture; we have reason; we have religious authority; we have our own spiritual experiences of the divine. But there is still something we will never grasp, something we can never know--because God is beyond our categories, then God cannot be captured for certain. We cannot know with the kind of surety that allows us to proclaim truth with a Capital T. There will always be something that eludes us. If there weren't, it would not be God."So all those who are so certain, must not really believe in God. They believe in a manmade construct they can understand and be certain of.
posted by
TVBlogger
on October 9, 2006 at 10:18 AM
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gomedome, I think God just expects each of us to do our best with
what we believe and what we think we know. I really do not care who is right or wrong in their beliefs. I just know if I fail to live what I believe then I am the only person responsible for the end result. Keep writing,
faholo
posted by
faholo
on October 9, 2006 at 9:20 AM
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You mean holier-than-thou isn't the ticket?
posted by
SuccessWarrior
on October 9, 2006 at 7:54 AM
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