Author Topic: what do you believe?  (Read 76531 times)

Offline delalluvia

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Re: what do you believe?
« Reply #80 on: March 13, 2008, 08:24:26 pm »
There is actually something I have trouble understanding about Mormonism in general.  Mormons believe that they are born chosen by God, so how can they convert people to Mormonism?  Jews believe this also, and hence they do not try to convert people.  In fact, there is a complex process one must go through in order to become a Jew.

Hmmm, that is interesting.  Wonder why?

We were talking about how trying to convert by words isn't as bad as converting by the sword and it's not, but it can be insidious and lead to problems.

Sometimes people can become fanatical but they don't seem so, and thus, begin to lead people from the rear.

It's almost a passive-aggressive thing.  If you read my thread in Current Events about "Oklahoma really sucks this week" you will read about a bill put forth by religious fundamentalists that want children who are raised with fundamentalist beliefs to basically answer questions wrong on a school test - if the questions conflict with their beliefs - and still get graded satisfactorily.  They will argue that this is only for the devout, yet what they are doing is trying to force the school system to accept their beliefs over everyone elses as grade-worthy in an accredited school.  It's not like they're forcing anyone to do this... but they're trying to make their religion exceptional over everyone else's.  >:(

At my job today, a manager walked by, saw a memo I had pinned up and asked to make a copy.  This is an internal memo reminding us of who we can - legally - and cannot release information to.  The memo is titled "Thou Shalts".

When the manager came back to give me back my copy, he made mention that while training, he actually had an new employee refuse to read the memo because

"It's making fun of the 10 commandments and it's blasphemy!"

As if the King James version of the bible has a copyright on the words 'thou shalt'.   ::)

He also made mention of sitting down with a new employee and handing her the training manual for her client and saying "Now I want you to use this as your bible..."

She immediately shook her head, "No sir, uh-uh, no, I can't use that as my bible, I have a bible, it's the Word of God..."

These people are not aggressive, not ugly, they are very nice people.  But the limitations they put on themselves require that the rest of us make exceptions for them in public spheres when they are the ones who should be making allowances for the rest of us since they are in the minority.

Leading from behind.  It's insidious and dangerous because their actions do appear so innocuous.

Offline forsythia12

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Re: what do you believe?
« Reply #81 on: March 13, 2008, 10:04:10 pm »
Hmmm, that is interesting.  Wonder why?

We were talking about how trying to convert by words isn't as bad as converting by the sword and it's not, but it can be insidious and lead to problems.

Sometimes people can become fanatical but they don't seem so, and thus, begin to lead people from the rear.

It's almost a passive-aggressive thing.  If you read my thread in Current Events about "Oklahoma really sucks this week" you will read about a bill put forth by religious fundamentalists that want children who are raised with fundamentalist beliefs to basically answer questions wrong on a school test - if the questions conflict with their beliefs - and still get graded satisfactorily.  They will argue that this is only for the devout, yet what they are doing is trying to force the school system to accept their beliefs over everyone elses as grade-worthy in an accredited school.  It's not like they're forcing anyone to do this... but they're trying to make their religion exceptional over everyone else's.  >:(

At my job today, a manager walked by, saw a memo I had pinned up and asked to make a copy.  This is an internal memo reminding us of who we can - legally - and cannot release information to.  The memo is titled "Thou Shalts".

When the manager came back to give me back my copy, he made mention that while training, he actually had an new employee refuse to read the memo because

"It's making fun of the 10 commandments and it's blasphemy!"

As if the King James version of the bible has a copyright on the words 'thou shalt'.   ::)

He also made mention of sitting down with a new employee and handing her the training manual for her client and saying "Now I want you to use this as your bible..."

She immediately shook her head, "No sir, uh-uh, no, I can't use that as my bible, I have a bible, it's the Word of God..."

These people are not aggressive, not ugly, they are very nice people.  But the limitations they put on themselves require that the rest of us make exceptions for them in public spheres when they are the ones who should be making allowances for the rest of us since they are in the minority.
Leading from behind.  It's insidious and dangerous because their actions do appear so innocuous.


i don't think i understand your quote here.  who are "they"?  christians?  religious people?  who? 
i just want to make sure, because you said "they are the minority".....and if it is christians you're referring to, well, they are not in any way the minority. in fact, according to the ARIS, 76.5% of americans have self proclaimed themselves as christians, or 151,225,000 people, compared to 13.2%, or 13,116,00 self proclaimed non-religious/secular people in the u.s.  so, i'm a little confused.    or are you just referring to "them' being a minority only in your work place?  do you think minorities need to make allowances for the majority? 
« Last Edit: March 13, 2008, 11:33:39 pm by forsythia12 »

Offline forsythia12

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Re: what do you believe?
« Reply #82 on: March 13, 2008, 11:22:48 pm »
I did read this thread, although I didn't comment there.  This goes back to the whole separation of church and state concept.  The widely accepted theory of evolution is not anti-religion or anti-anything really, just a likely explanation.  A minority of religious people are unable to reconcile it with their beliefs and therefore take it as a personal attack.  The majority of religious people understand how science and religion can co-exist.  IMO, at least in the United States, science belongs in the public schools, and religion should be taught in religious institutions only.  As I see it, a certain concept is taught, and that is what is being tested.  Not whether that concept is right or wrong, correct or incorrect, but whether the student understood the concept.  A different viewpoint should not be an excuse for refusing to learn.  As far as I understand it, evolution is taught as the dominant theory, but not as fact, and so I don't understand what the objections are based on.  There is room for disagreement without wholesale rejection.





yep.  i agree. and i agree that  school is not the place to blanket-teach religion, unless they had it in some sort of extra-curricular course on religious studies, in which students can choose to take the class. 

injest

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Re: what do you believe?
« Reply #83 on: March 14, 2008, 07:52:43 am »
i don't think i understand your quote here.  who are "they"?  christians?  religious people?  who? 
i just want to make sure, because you said "they are the minority".....and if it is christians you're referring to, well, they are not in any way the minority. in fact, according to the ARIS, 76.5% of americans have self proclaimed themselves as christians, or 151,225,000 people, compared to 13.2%, or 13,116,00 self proclaimed non-religious/secular people in the u.s.  so, i'm a little confused.    or are you just referring to "them' being a minority only in your work place?  do you think minorities need to make allowances for the majority? 

When Del said 'they are in the minority' I THINK she meant that those two people she was referring to were in the minority at her job....not that there are not Christians there but that they were the two that made a big deal and insisted on bringing up their religion, using innocent comments to 'testify' in an inappropriate setting.

Offline delalluvia

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Re: what do you believe?
« Reply #84 on: March 14, 2008, 08:08:45 am »
When Del said 'they are in the minority' I THINK she meant that those two people she was referring to were in the minority at her job....not that there are not Christians there but that they were the two that made a big deal and insisted on bringing up their religion, using innocent comments to 'testify' in an inappropriate setting.

What Jess said.

I know a great many religious people.  Very few of them are like these two that I brought up.  Not even my very devout Mormon friend is like this.  Offer him something with caffeine - against his religion - and HE'll say - "No thanks."  Period.

I was actually talking to a customer a few days ago and she used her desperate financial situation to testify how god was her strength during this difficult time and she knew with his help she could make it through.

I found this funny the customer was so optimistic and positive and I made mention to my co-workers of the call.  One of my co-workers instantly launched into a "yes, um hum, yes, bring Him into your life.  It's true, it's true."

I could have made a comment how god might have helped this customer better by preventing her from getting into a financial mess rather than just helping her out of it, but didn't.  I chose to ignore my testifying co-worker.

Offline Wayne

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Re: what do you believe?
« Reply #85 on: March 14, 2008, 12:29:17 pm »
Spirit came into the world in the form of Twist, some even say his name is contrived to twist the meaning of earlier spiritual pronouncements.

 :D

J A C K       T W I S T

J          C            I S T

J E S U S   C H R I S T
When you put people in charge of the government who are committed to proving that it doesn't work, you can be sure that they will cause it to not work.

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Offline forsythia12

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Re: what do you believe?
« Reply #86 on: March 14, 2008, 12:34:21 pm »
When Del said 'they are in the minority' I THINK she meant that those two people she was referring to were in the minority at her job....not that there are not Christians there but that they were the two that made a big deal and insisted on bringing up their religion, using innocent comments to 'testify' in an inappropriate setting.

yes, okay.  i see that.  thank you injest.

Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: what do you believe?
« Reply #87 on: May 27, 2008, 03:43:49 pm »
Wayne, I believe that alll the women in Jesus' life had some form of the name Mary. Why is that?
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Offline Monika

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Re: what do you believe?
« Reply #88 on: May 27, 2008, 03:58:55 pm »
I´m not a religious person at all. Never have been, and I must say it feels very liberating. Here in Sweden not too many people are religious nowaday sso religion is not a topic often discussed here. It´s almost an non-issue here.

I believe in many things though. I believe in common sense, love, progress, equality, science, open-mindness, and I believe the meaning of life is to enjoy it.

I think that when we die, that´s it. But I find that thought almost comforting and it makes me take care of this life even more.

so I´m a happy non-believer


Offline Wayne

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Re: what do you believe?
« Reply #89 on: June 11, 2008, 06:16:26 pm »
Wayne, I believe that alll the women in Jesus' life had some form of the name Mary. Why is that?
:o   Are you saying he was GAY ?!?    ;)
When you put people in charge of the government who are committed to proving that it doesn't work, you can be sure that they will cause it to not work.

Don