Religion...

[TexDot33]

When someone is accused of a crime no one says it is okay for the prosecution and the defense to have their own opinions - they go to court and they pursue the answer: Either the accused is innocent or guilty. The two sides challenge each other and question each other and present new data until there is a convincing case one way or the other.

Night and day difference here for this analogy when we are talking about religion and "finding the facts" ... in a trial case the facts will lead you to the truth, in a case with religion, I think that the "facts" will only lead to more questions and you really never get to a truth ... I also think that, with as powerful as The Church was in the early times of this Modern Era, we will never have all the facts. I truly believe that many of the "facts" have either been so convoluted that they aren't facts anymore, or they were just completely destroyed to hid things that The Church didn't want to let general populous know, or find out ... again, the purity of a religion can only be as deep as the purity of the men in that religion.

As for the JW, I too have an uncle that is a JW. Before my uncle found the JW he was robbing gas stations and selling drugs (this was back in the early and mid 70's), I do believe that these people saved his life and kept him from getting into some serious trouble. For that they are, in my opinion, "good people" ... But, when ever my grandparents are up here for visits it's always so problematic. I don't agree with many of the positions of the JW (including those that say that you don't celebrate individual milestones or holiday gatherings), and many in my family don't understand this, so he has always seen as been "being absent" from the family as opposed to being seen as someone who "is following the rules of a group, that possibily, saved his life."

And to the Shexmay - I hope that you completely understand what you believe, because some of the things that I have seen, with my own eyes, would tell me that that would not be a path that I would ever travel down ... But, if it works for you, have a great time with that ...

 

[Auggie's Dad]

That MIGHT be the case if a religion made purely historical claims - but I know of no such religion.

Even the historical claims are testable. We have been out in space and found that there is in fact no giant turtle on which the world rests. We have seen skeletons, doctors have done surgeries, taken x-rays, etc, and we now know that men have just as many ribs as women.

 

[Jez]

Also, I forgot to mention in my last post,

About God,
I don't have enough evidence that such a thing exists, and here is where the problem comes out, if God created the first "thing," then what created him? You can't create yourself...

 

[Shmexay]

"I think when it comes to people making fun of other religions I think its immature and childish and just makes a bad rep for the kind of religion they hold dear to their hearts!" And then suddenly you will stereotype and ridicule someone who claims to be of a religion you don't like.

In my first post i stated that I was "raised" as a JW not that i was one... so my actions should not be giving Jw's a bad rep. My deepest apologies.. what i said was very childish.. i just had this 99.9 % feeling about the satanism comment being to get a rise... that i couldn't help but act childish... =( sorry.. Your correct Auggie!

I'm sorry i didn't mean to offend anyone =(

Oh, thanks for apologizing.

I am a Satanist because that is what I choose, I won't force my beliefs onto anyone...

 

[Jez]

I tell my friends or others my beliefs and they all yell and argue, hey, you're wrong... etc
haha...

If only people could respect other opinions.

 

[Cici]

I dont know I just find some religions or beliefs scary....

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I dont know I just find some religions or beliefs scary....

I can certainly understand that. I find all religions scary.

I don't have any notions about "respecting everyone's opinion" though. I respect PEOPLE - I don't respect ideas. I'll consider ideas, and look at the evidence or reasoning and decide if it is a valid idea or not.

People require respect. Ideas require critical analysis.

 

[Auggie's Dad]

...and on that note I believe in giving credit where credit is due. It seems, despite the diversity of views people have been respectful of each other on this thread - which is unfortunately rare when this topic comes up.

 

[Jez]

I dont know I just find some religions or beliefs scary....

I can certainly understand that. I find all religions scary.

I don't have any notions about "respecting everyone's opinion" though. I respect PEOPLE - I don't respect ideas. I'll consider ideas, and look at the evidence or reasoning and decide if it is a valid idea or not.

People require respect. Ideas require critical analysis.

Yeah, that's what I was meaning to say. I respect everyones opinion UNTIL I look at it, consider it, etc. THEN I can say I don't respect it. I meant, I hate how people disrespect opinion without even hearing them, just because they came from someone they don't like.