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IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.
Christianity
- Thread starter Jools
- Start date
Legends of 1980 said:
The atheist doesn't believe in God, therefore heaven doesn't exist in his beliefs either.
But from the viewpoint of a Christian then yes it does seem unfair indeed.
Crystal said:
As a christian, I used to laugh at those who believed in 'energy' when I was younger, there are some things I still find difficult to understand (moreso the "black arts", tarot cards etc) but it seems quite logical when I think about lately. I believe in Karma, sometimes if somebody upsets me then karma helps me smack em upside the head (is that how it works? :hihi). But seriously I do often raise the following question myself:
Crystal said:
My parents are very religious and I was dragged along to church every Sunday as a youngster, along with many other kids... nowadays none of us go to church and most of us are facing religious "dilemmas" as we are ready to take the next step in our lives. I'm not too familiar with other religions, but I am Greek Orthodox which is a very strict religion. What baffles me is how Orthodoxy is more-or-less the same as Catholicism except the Orthodox Church kept the original "Nicene Creed". So in other words a few words in the scriptures change and a new religion is created. There are so many different 'christian' religions who believe in the one God and yet (as Legends of 1980 stated) there is so much bigotry in some people when referring to these other religions.
The 'dilemmas' of which I speak in my religion has me doomed for life (quite possibly!) If I am to marry a non-orthodox Christian then my wife must be a christian who has been baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity. The marriage must be celebrated by an Orthodox priest in the Orthodox Church according to the Orthodox tradition! If I don't OBEY these 'rules' or if I marry a non-christian then I will be denied my orthodox faith. So now my 'dilemma' is I have to either convince a non-orthodox chick to convert to my faith OR marry a big hairy greek gorilla who will cause me much grief
...or I can continue living my playboy life of sex before marriage, occasional adultery, occasionaly covet anything which will just send me straight to hell :'(
Being British born and bred I was always brought up to believe that in polite society you do not discuss Politics, religion, how much you earn and a womans age.
Thanks Dad
Thanks Dad
The only God i know are the 22 players & Coach who bring home the 2006 premiership cup back to Puntroad :clap :clap 
I have a very good friend, a fanatical Tiger supporter, who is very religious. He volunteers with their youth group and sometimes he even gives the sermons for his church. However he never foists his views on anyone, and if you ask him a question about religion, such as the church's position on X or the meaning and context of a certain passage in the Bible, he will give his opinion in an even-handed and considered manner. In fact I can't remember him ever debating a religious issue without someone raising it with him. He takes the position that whoever he's talking to is more than capable of making up their own mind, and that his view is one of many.
Unfortunately there are not more religious people like him. I have absolutely zero time for zealots of any persuasion.
Personally I don't know what I believe. I go to Mass once in a while -- if nothing else it's a good opportunity to have a sit and a think. I'm capable, although some are clearly not, of recognising the line between the good and the bad of organised religion. And if you want to use religion to hide behind, as an excuse to justify all sorts of unconscionable behaviour, don't expect any sympathy from me. Especially trampling all over other people and keeping your foot on their throats. And when you think that the troubles in Ireland can be traced back to the sixteenth century and beyond it doesn't paint a very rosy view of civilisation.
My view is this: that if there's no afterlife, and no judgement, even so I'd rather have lived life being reasonable and considerate to other people rather than acting like a *smile* all the time.
Oh, and Crystal, you call it Karma, I call it Swings And Roundabouts. ;D
Unfortunately there are not more religious people like him. I have absolutely zero time for zealots of any persuasion.
Personally I don't know what I believe. I go to Mass once in a while -- if nothing else it's a good opportunity to have a sit and a think. I'm capable, although some are clearly not, of recognising the line between the good and the bad of organised religion. And if you want to use religion to hide behind, as an excuse to justify all sorts of unconscionable behaviour, don't expect any sympathy from me. Especially trampling all over other people and keeping your foot on their throats. And when you think that the troubles in Ireland can be traced back to the sixteenth century and beyond it doesn't paint a very rosy view of civilisation.
My view is this: that if there's no afterlife, and no judgement, even so I'd rather have lived life being reasonable and considerate to other people rather than acting like a *smile* all the time.
Oh, and Crystal, you call it Karma, I call it Swings And Roundabouts. ;D
evo said:
I can see why you might think that baby, but no. I don't belong to any organised religion or sect. I believe in myself first and foremost. And I believe there are much higher forces at work.
I'm studying Energetic Healing (hence my keen interest in energy) so if I had to label myself I'd probably say I was closer to becoming a metaphysician than belonging to any organised religion or sect.
Before things get a little serious here are some quotes from one of my favourite movies:
Brian: I am NOT the Messiah!
Arthur: I say you are Lord, and I should know. I've followed a few.
Brian: I'm not the Messiah! Will you please listen? I am not the Messiah, do you understand? Honestly!
Girl: Only the true Messiah denies His divinity.
Brian: What? Well, what sort of chance does that give me? All right! I am the Messiah!
Followers: He is! He is the Messiah!
Brian: Now, *smile* off!
[silence]
Arthur: How shall we *smile* off, O Lord?
Ex-Leper: Half a dinare for me bloody life story?
Brian: There's no pleasing some people.
Ex-Leper: That's just what Jesus said, sir.
Ex-Leper: Okay, sir, my final offer: half a shekel for an old ex-leper?
Brian: Did you say "ex-leper"?
Ex-Leper: That's right, sir, 16 years behind a veil and proud of it, sir.
Brian: Well, what happened?
Ex-Leper: Oh, cured, sir.
Brian: Cured?
Ex-Leper: Yes sir, bloody miracle, sir. Bless you!
Brian: Who cured you?
Ex-Leper: Jesus did, sir. I was hopping along, minding my own business, all of a sudden, up he comes, cures me! One minute I'm a leper with a trade, next minute my livelihood's gone. Not so much as a by-your-leave! "You're cured, mate." Bloody do-gooder.
Brian: Well, why don't you go and tell him you want to be a leper again?
Ex-Leper: Uh, I could do that sir, yeah. Yeah, I could do that I suppose. What I was thinking was I was going to ask him if he could make me a bit lame in one leg during the middle of the week. You know, something beggable, but not leprosy, which is a pain in the ass to be blunt and excuse my French, sir.
Brian: Please, please, please listen! I've got one or two things to say.
The Crowd: Tell us! Tell us both of them!
Brian: Look, you've got it all wrong! You don't NEED to follow ME, You don't NEED to follow ANYBODY! You've got to think for your selves! You're ALL individuals!
The Crowd: Yes! We're all individuals!
Brian: You're all different!
The Crowd: Yes, we ARE all different!
Man in crowd: I'm not...
The Crowd: Sch!
Wise Man #1: Ahem!
Brian?s mother: Oh!
[falls over in chair]
Brian?s mother: Who are you?
Wise Man #2: We are three wise men.
Brian?s mother: What?
Wise Man #1: We are three wise men.
Brian?s mother: Well, what are you doing creeping around a cow shed at two o'clock in the morning? That doesn't sound very wise to me.
Brian: I am NOT the Messiah!
Arthur: I say you are Lord, and I should know. I've followed a few.
Brian: I'm not the Messiah! Will you please listen? I am not the Messiah, do you understand? Honestly!
Girl: Only the true Messiah denies His divinity.
Brian: What? Well, what sort of chance does that give me? All right! I am the Messiah!
Followers: He is! He is the Messiah!
Brian: Now, *smile* off!
[silence]
Arthur: How shall we *smile* off, O Lord?
Ex-Leper: Half a dinare for me bloody life story?
Brian: There's no pleasing some people.
Ex-Leper: That's just what Jesus said, sir.
Ex-Leper: Okay, sir, my final offer: half a shekel for an old ex-leper?
Brian: Did you say "ex-leper"?
Ex-Leper: That's right, sir, 16 years behind a veil and proud of it, sir.
Brian: Well, what happened?
Ex-Leper: Oh, cured, sir.
Brian: Cured?
Ex-Leper: Yes sir, bloody miracle, sir. Bless you!
Brian: Who cured you?
Ex-Leper: Jesus did, sir. I was hopping along, minding my own business, all of a sudden, up he comes, cures me! One minute I'm a leper with a trade, next minute my livelihood's gone. Not so much as a by-your-leave! "You're cured, mate." Bloody do-gooder.
Brian: Well, why don't you go and tell him you want to be a leper again?
Ex-Leper: Uh, I could do that sir, yeah. Yeah, I could do that I suppose. What I was thinking was I was going to ask him if he could make me a bit lame in one leg during the middle of the week. You know, something beggable, but not leprosy, which is a pain in the ass to be blunt and excuse my French, sir.
Brian: Please, please, please listen! I've got one or two things to say.
The Crowd: Tell us! Tell us both of them!
Brian: Look, you've got it all wrong! You don't NEED to follow ME, You don't NEED to follow ANYBODY! You've got to think for your selves! You're ALL individuals!
The Crowd: Yes! We're all individuals!
Brian: You're all different!
The Crowd: Yes, we ARE all different!
Man in crowd: I'm not...
The Crowd: Sch!
Wise Man #1: Ahem!
Brian?s mother: Oh!
[falls over in chair]
Brian?s mother: Who are you?
Wise Man #2: We are three wise men.
Brian?s mother: What?
Wise Man #1: We are three wise men.
Brian?s mother: Well, what are you doing creeping around a cow shed at two o'clock in the morning? That doesn't sound very wise to me.
