Religious choices

[Gabriella84]

Dont pretend you are a faithful follower and others do it for show. you dont know people's hearts. Who are we to judge the servants of another?

Great points. Thanks for making them. Everyone should take note.

 

[Avatar4321]

Great points. Thanks for making them. Everyone should take note.

I didnt make it. Paul made it in Romans.

BTW what does your signature mean?

 

[5stringJeff]

It is not a matter of "tolerance." It is a matter of how you feel inside your soul. I never intended to become a Christian. When I moved away to attend college, finding religion was not on my list of things to do. I did not go "church shopping."
I don't attend services to impress anyone, or to attempt to deceive anyone. I go because I have accepted God into my heart.
I grew up with a lot of kids who were forced to go to church. It was seen as a duty and an obligation. Some eventually accepted it. Some remained miserable and grew to despise it.
My sister never accepted religion. She wasn't even married in a church. I never attended a service until I went to college.
God doesn't care when you come to him. As long as you come. A faithful follower is better than one who does it for show.

Gabriella, I am happy to hear that you are a Christian (I am also Christian - I'm sure that I'm one of the "Bible-thumpers" Mr. P refers to, even though I attend a very middle-of-the-road church). I guess my only question concerns your original post. Are you asking if there's one religion that is correct, or one Christian denomination which is correct?

 

[archangel]

I didnt make it. Paul made it in Romans.

BTW what does your signature mean?

I think it refers to manly hair being removed...maybe she and GOP Jeff could hit it off.....I think they have a crush on one another...purely in jest....! :whip3:

 

[Gabriella84]

My original question was whether anyone here thought that one religion (perhaps theirs) should be more accepted than others. I often see or hear people say "(my religion) is the only true representation of God's teachings. Everyone else is going to Hell."

My signature refers to the most popular process of removing all female pubic hair at once. It's known as a "Brazilian Wax." Female pubic hair is often refered to as "a bush."
So...

 

[archangel]

My original question was whether anyone here thought that one religion (perhaps theirs) should be more accepted than others. I often see or hear people say "(my religion) is the only true representation of God's teachings. Everyone else is going to Hell."

My signature refers to the most popular process of removing all female pubic hair at once. It's known as a "Brazilian Wax." Female pubic hair is often refered to as "a bush."
So...

Damn I bet that hurt! :crutch:

 

[Mr. P]

....(I am also Christian - I'm sure that I'm one of the "Bible-thumpers" Mr. P refers to, even though I attend a very middle-of-the-road church). ....

Why would you be "sure" of that jeff? Big leap there.

 

[Gabriella84]

Well, it's not always pleasant. But we women are willing to make some sacrifices for the pleasures of our men.

 

[archangel]

Well, it's not always pleasant. But we women are willing to make some sacrifices for the pleasures of our men.

girly men like their women to look like little girls...real men prefer women to look mature...sorry...another Berkley Myth! :whip3:

 

[Nienna]

uhhhh... How did we get from religion to pubic hair?

Gabriella hijacked her own thread. Is that possible?

 

[Annie]

uhhhh... How did we get from religion to pubic hair?

Gabriella hijacked her own thread. Is that possible?

Well it wasn't easy, it took Gabby, but the guys did it.

 

[Gabriella84]

Someone asked a question about my sig line and I answered them. Even a conservative should be able to figure that out. :coffee3:

 

[5stringJeff]

girly men like their women to look like little girls...real men prefer women to look mature...sorry...another Berkley Myth! :whip3:

I disagree... but maybe that's a topic for a different thread!

 

[5stringJeff]

My original question was whether anyone here thought that one religion (perhaps theirs) should be more accepted than others. I often see or hear people say "(my religion) is the only true representation of God's teachings. Everyone else is going to Hell."

Gabriella, here's my line of thinking on this.

1. All religions are somehow contradictory, i.e. they say that different things are necessary to reach the ultimate goal of the religion. This can be verified through a five minute Google search of the tenets of the world's religions.

2. If religions are contradictory, they cannot all be correct. At the most, only one could be correct. (For example, either there is one personal God, as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam teach, or there is not one personal God, as Hinduism, Buddhism, and atheism teach. Both statements cannot be true.)

3. Therefore, we (as humans) should be willing to make a determination as to which religion is correct.

So I think it is proper for people to investigate different religions to see which one is correct. I feel that Christianity is correct, because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

 

[rtwngAvngr]

I think we should look at the tactics used to try to convince others. Christians may preach to you. Muslims will threaten you with death. These are the sorts of criteria we should use to evaluate the sociological impacts of religions. People can think what they want. They can believe their religion is the only way. There's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Hobbit]

You can believe you're right without being intolerant. I am a Christian, Pentecostal to be exact. As far as what others believe, here's my stance.

Other Christian denominations - This includes all mainstream Catholic and Protestant denominations. It's not worth the effort to convince them I'm right, only that I could be right if it even goes that far. They all believe Jesus died for them and that's enough. Everything else is just doctrine. Now, believing in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I hope that they will believe that I'm right so they can enjoy it, too, but I don't think it's necessary for salvation.

Jews - I'm really following an extension of their religion and hope they will realize that the Messiah has come.

Muslims - These I believe were misled and need to be shown that God is graceful, not ruthless.

Hindus - I don't know enough about the religion to make a full assessment, but since they don't believe in Jesus, I believe it is necessary to tell them...at the other end of a microphone, not a weapon, as has been done before.

Buddhists - From what I've seen, Buddhism is more a philosophy than a religion, and is compatible with Christianity.

I see other religions as deceptions that are harmful to the souls of those who follow them, but I try to take a sensitive approach by seeing the followers of those religions as simply lost people who need to be shown the way.

 

[no1tovote4]

Buddhists - From what I've seen, Buddhism is more a philosophy than a religion, and is compatible with Christianity.

This would depend on which sect of Buddhism one followed. Theravada Buddhism (my personal type, with strong overtones of Mahayana Buddhism) is more of a philosophy and could be compatible with nearly every religion that respects life.

More on Theravada Buddhism:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/80/story_8042_1.html

Mahayana Buddhism (very close to my personal beliefs) posits no god itself but deity belief is present in the Mahayana doctrine of The Three Bodies (forms) of Buddha: (1) Body of Essence--the indescribable, impersonal Absolute Reality, or Ultimate Truth that is Nirvana (Infinite Bliss); (2) Body of Bliss or Enjoyment--Buddha as divine, deity, formless, celestial spirit with saving power of grace, omnipotence, omniscience; and (3) Body of Transformation or Emanation--an illusion or emanation in human form provided by the divine Buddha to guide humans to Enlightenment. Any person can potentially achieve Buddhahood, transcending personality and becoming one with the impersonal Ultimate Reality, which is Infinite Bliss (Nirvana). There are countless Buddhas presiding over countless universes. Bodhisattvas--humans and celestial spirits who sacrifice their imminent liberation (Buddhahood) to help all others to become liberated--are revered or worshipped as gods or saints by some (not by me).

Shin Buddhism is an odd one that has overtones of Christianity. They believe that a monk named Dharmakara ('Dharma Treasury') made vows to lead all beings to enlightenment by creating a Pure Land, a realm that is free from the misleading ignorance that hinders our progress to Buddhahood, and how he would enable us all to be born there (instead of the cycle of life). Furthermore, Shakyamuni explained that Amida has attained enlightenment in the deep boundless past and has achieved his purpose for us.

Amida also made vows in relation to us, people stranded in the realm of ignorance. These are the vows of infinite light and infinite life.

More on Shin Buddhism:
http://www.nembutsu.info/primshin.htm


Tibetan Buddhism well, here is a site that explains it better than I can:

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~greg.c/tibet.html

 

[Nienna]

Someone asked a question about my sig line and I answered them. Even a conservative should be able to figure that out. :coffee3:

Just joking.