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Forums - The lounge
Subject: Faith
Pages: 1 ... 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ... 19
Original Message Date: 24-Sep-02 @ 05:37 AM - Faith
I'm really curious about the kinds of things we put our faith into. There's a lot of talk about various religions and the differences between them lately, but a lot of the talk sounds like a book report. What I mean is, it sounds like well-collected information culled from various readings (most of them from reputable sources, no doubt) used to form an opinion about a subject. The problem is that we can't read everything. And even if we could, reading without bias does not occur. You have an opinion before you start that affects everything that passes through you, and you only take what you feel is important. It just seems like a snowball effect that leaves you old, bitter towards the world, and highly opinionated (often complaining about how others are stubborn in their reasoning... etc....)
I think live, interactive debate cannot be surpassed as a learning experience. To really take in someone else's view on life and the things that are important to them is one of the greatest gifts we have (it's reflected in our music, and subsequent appreciation of each other's creations). The same biases can take place as in reading, but I think the dynamic nature of a conversation eliminates unchecked bias without reason.
Ok, now to my point. I was raised Christian. My mother is very active in the church, and follows very conservative Christian values. I used to be very active in the church with youth groups, mission work, and stuff like that. After the self-exploration that is college, I strayed away (does this sound familiar to anyone?) My mother and I lately have been getting into spiritual conversations, and she is ever more vocal about her disappointment in the direction my beliefs are heading.
I want to know what it is about Christianity that makes it so prevalent in today's society? I mean, millions of people don't choose this lifestyle just because their parents did. I know that Christianity goes deep, I've just never felt it. And I don't want slagging answers from non-Christians... "it's a crutch, a lie, a shame, etc." I've heard all that and I don't learn a thing from it. I want a personal account of why someone puts their faith in Christian ideals.
And so help me if someone accuses someone else of trying to "force" their opinion on others, I'm gonna shit all over you because that stuff just kills the kind of debate that I'm looking for here. And I don't want philosophical ramblings that you've heard and can relate to and they sound cool, but they aren't you. I want only deep ideas that have really been thought out.
This kind of stuff is important to me, so please take this thread seriously. If the lounge is not the place for this kind of discussion, let me know and I'll take it elsewhere....?
Thanks for really thinking about it, guys. This could be really cool...
Dave
p.s. - Yes, Jamie, I know you're the resident Christian here, and I'm kinda hoping you'll help me start things here, if you want...
Message 101/188 27-Sep-02 @ 07:57 PM - RE: Faith
Just one more thing I wanted to comment on:
formant -"so if i think that gravity works upside down from what it does does that mean that the truth about gravity is changed? nope."
There are so many documented occurances of the forces of nature being violated throughout history that they would fill many volumes. Now, you can dismiss all these supernatural activities as hoaxes if you like, but I find that difficult to believe. Jamey, if you were truly devout and had all the faith in the world, you don't think God would let you fly?
psylichon
Message 102/188 27-Sep-02 @ 08:03 PM - RE: Faith
anyway, just to be boring and go on and on, psy and jamey, this (k's comment) is the sort of shit why i'd much rather do away with all organised religion.. that way all the big john/little john stuff is nice and personal, no fucker can use it for their own ends, aight?
Message 103/188 27-Sep-02 @ 08:43 PM - RE: Faith
apparently i could make a mountain fly... :-)
dunno if i will ever get there. i have seen crazy stuff happen that is unexplainable from a scientific point of view myself, the gravity was the quickest example i could come up with for an absolute and of course you bring up the point that even that isn't absolute ha ha
anyway where were we going with this?
jamey
Message 104/188 27-Sep-02 @ 08:56 PM - RE: Faith
We're figuring it all out, remember? Man, and I'M the pothead!
psylichon
Message 105/188 28-Sep-02 @ 12:21 AM - RE: Faith
used to be a minister in his younger years
before he took the Zen path he
said"Christianity is a beautiful religion but
when Im surrounded by nature, it just doesnt
seem to fit". After reading that I laughed...
anyone have any acid???
Message 106/188 28-Sep-02 @ 12:56 AM - RE: Faith
you see the hting is about christians i devide them into 2 groups you can spot by what they mention regarding their faith
1. a group who follow the teachings of a prophet called Jesus, christians they were called in the old days and there are still alot of them. It's not relevent to them to beleive in jesus the miracle birth and resurrection cult thing because the thing was going before he was dead based on the word. They can quite easily just be happy with the teaching which of course was the whole point of why jesus did teach, he didnt teach so that people would in future make a cult out of him surely?
2. the other lot... the 'son of god literaly/resurrection' posse who always mention first about that aspect of it before any other, if you ask them what is so important, they never answer "To live each day following the teachings of the prophet/Jesus" - they will bang on about the super-natural stuff & go off on tangents to do with that whole supernatural/did it happen/proof/refutation etc.... Their psychology is less about just living to a teaching and more about the whole beleif/worship/heaven/hell/miracles worshipping/glorifying the supernatural etc trip..
it's the second lot that are weird for me.
___________________________________
I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!
Message 107/188 28-Sep-02 @ 01:01 AM - RE: Faith
___________________________________
I had an idea for a script once. It's basically Jaws except when the guys in the boat are going after Jaws, they look around and there's an even bigger Jaws. The guys have to team up with Jaws to get Bigger Jaws.... I call it... Big Jaws!!!
Message 108/188 28-Sep-02 @ 01:17 AM - RE: Faith
human perception. and even really special
jews like jesus couldn't hear them ;)
jamey--sorry if I sounded hostile. I just can't
stand any of your opinions. I'll try to remember
to love the opinionated and hate their opinions
;)
I also agree with K's scolding though.
Message 109/188 28-Sep-02 @ 08:34 AM - RE: Faith
"Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity"
Albert Einstein [1954, from Albert Einstein: The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton University Press]
Albert's thoughts on religion and science can be found here. Interesting stuff..
Message 110/188 28-Sep-02 @ 06:03 PM - RE: Faith
Steve Roughley
Posts: 1178
Link?: No link
File?: No file
Regards.
Steve.
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