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Troosha - same here, I could not care less what people believe and place
honesty as a paramount consideration.
On the other hand, when someone feels it necessary to tell me that they are such and such within 2 seconds of meeting them, natural discriminitive prejudices kick in. And when it is considered that most people I have met that feel compelled to tell me that they are such and such within 2 seconds of meeting them have proven to be untrustworthy, my prejudices are well founded.
posted by
gomedome
on June 11, 2008 at 1:02 PM
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Transcendental_Child - I understand what you were saying and that you were
attempting to refute what I said in this post:
"I may be wrong on this but I tend to think that Christianity's central icon Jesus, never said go out and condemn as many people as you can find that believe other than you do."
Where I disagree is on the point that Jesus ever told anyone to kill people. This idea can only be derived from a unique interpretation and is completely contradictory with most of what is accredited to Jesus as his teachings. In particular the sermon on the mount: Matthew Chapters 5-7
posted by
gomedome
on June 11, 2008 at 12:58 PM
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gome
No distain here. In fact, when I meet someone their personal religion (or lack there of) is the furthest thing from my mind. What I’m usually trying to ascertain within the first few minutes of meeting someone is if they are honest.
posted by
Troosha
on June 11, 2008 at 10:44 AM
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Re: Actually Transcendental_Child - how fitting that you quote the bible
Gomes those are direct quotes... and I provided citations.. as any good researcher would.
posted by
Transcendental_Child
on June 11, 2008 at 10:23 AM
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Pat_B - Re: Old fogies may surprise you, Gome.
But you have to admit that a rational perspective of life is not prevalent in the older generation. Then again, there has been a groundswell of belief in traditional religious constructs that has enveloped younger generations. I have no explanation for it. For example; I will never understand how someone can graduate from college in this day and age, and still think that Satan is a real corporeal being.
posted by
gomedome
on June 11, 2008 at 9:25 AM
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Old fogies may surprise you, Gome. We're not all reading the Bible like
we're studying for the final exam. Conversations with June (age 92) include our mutual belief that this is the one life we have and we should do our best to make it great. She has a beligerant pentecostal nephew who's pushing her to come to his church and catch the spirit (and leave her money to them). She makes up excuses not to go but hasn't the heart to tell him and his wife their expectation of an afterlife of golden houses and golden streets with no unbelievers is bogus.
posted by
Pat_B
on June 11, 2008 at 5:52 AM
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Actually Transcendental_Child - how fitting that you quote the bible
To pick a few dubiously interpreted passages which illustrate my point completely.
Whether or not God or Jesus are telling their followers to kill those who believe differently is open for debate I guess, but the point is made. I cannot think of a religious belief that could be described as more of a failure than someone living in a democracy interpreting bible passages in a manner that condones their ostracism of those who believe differently.
Yeah, that'll work.
posted by
gomedome
on June 10, 2008 at 9:42 PM
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Actually Gomes...
Both God (Deuteronomy 13:6, 8-15) and Jesus (Mathew 5:18-19) are "quoted" as telling followers to shun and even kill those who believe differently. In fact... read further to 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9 which says "God deems it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you..." and Jesus in John 15:6 says "If ever a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers, and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned."
Jesus was not a proponent of all philosophies... if one believes he as a single man even existed. Personally the text as we know it was translated to meet the purpose of the Roman Catholic Church - and then the political needs of King James.
posted by
Transcendental_Child
on June 10, 2008 at 6:03 PM
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