Christian or Catholic?

i see your point on the selective editing as i too have been a victim of it.

 

I don't believe in fairy tales

 

ditto

 

I am certainly not the most religious guy here but I am saddened by what you think religion is. I don't know you and I assume your a great guy.

I would love to hear what you think about our government - not by what you see but what you want from it. Do you want to pay taxes? Do you want what some call, 'free healthcare,' When you buy a home, do you want a 5% interest loan or a 30% interest rate loan? Do you want roads that are paved and without pot holes? Do you beleive we are better off with Police or should we do our own policing on all or some of our public policy issues? Would you want your neighbor to talk with you first or to call the police? Do you think our government is corrupt?

Now back to religion. How many pasters/rabbis/priests/bishops do you know? If you even know one, is he corrupt? Do you consider any of your dealings in life corrupt?

Now back to listening to someone with a view other than yours... Where else does this resistance to being open to listening and taking in something you may not agree with? School? Your parents? Cops? Your boss? Your co-workers? Just asking.

Working back to religion... Let's say you wanted to start a business. Let's say it was your true passion - what ever that might be. Would you want support? Would you want customers other than your close friends and family? Would you want people to somewhat blindly trust you? or - Would you want everyone to think that the only reason that you are doing what you are doing is to steal money from people?

I understand your resistance here. I would love to challenge you to visit 3 different places of worship (not talking about a bar or dance club here ). Each for 1-1.5 hours each week for 4 weeks each. (in other words 12 weeks total).

While at each place, pick out one person (or 2 or 3) at each place. I don't care if it is a guy or a good looking gal. And don't talk about religion (because you hate that topic) with them, just get to know them at some level.

Then tell me how terrible religion is.

One last thing. Regarding tithing. If you wanted to do something with your life that required some money that you didn't have, would you mind if a complete stranger to you gave you money to start it? Would you mind if they said "Pay me back if you can - otherwise I would feel blessed that I was able to help someone fulfill their dreams and to serve others in our community."

How about if your home burned down. Would you mind if some strangers came to rebuild your home and give you a good used car. Would you mind it?

What about if it was your neighbor's home?

Just wondering, do you resist outside help?

Believe it or not - these acts of support by strangers is what, as you put it, "donate money to God" support. Other than a handful of people that have twisted their personal self worth - you know the guys with all the gold guiled chairs on their TV studios, etc. - I don't think you will find too many leaders of houses of worship living any better than the average of those that support their community in any other way. But even still - those people still are putting much of their efforts in helping others.

Me? I have much more faith in local houses of worship to support local communities than I do in a large federal government doing what they think is the same.

 

You can't be Catholic and not be Christian.

 

If I believed in God, would I then also have to believe in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy?

 

huh? Catholics are Christians (yes, there's a few who may disagree). You need to reword your poll to Catholic or Protestant or Orthodox or Other

 

Just one more passing thought - Respect is what most people want. Yourself included.

Here is one person that I am afraid you would probalby put in the same preconcieved boat you travel in... "i am bashing ALL religions."

Rick Warren temporarily blinded by plant

LAKE FOREST – Pastor Rick Warren on Thursday asked Twitter followers to pray for him after being temporarily blinded by the sap of a firestick plant.
"My eyes were severely burned by a toxic poison. Hospitalized Mon. Excruciating pain. Now home. Pray my sight loss is restored," the Saddleback Church pastor tweeted early Thursday morning.

Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren, seen at Easter services this year at Angel Stadium, injured his eyes while gardening earlier this week. He was treated at Mission Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

At 10:20 a.m. Warren tweeted "A doctor put protective contacts on my corneas as bandages during the healing. I am NOT blind. Thank you."
According to Saddleback officials, Warren was gardening on Monday and cutting branches off of two firestick plants when he took off his gardening gloves to wipe his forehead.
"Apparently some of the milky poisonous sap from the plants had penetrated his gloves and made contact with his hands," said Saddleback spokeswoman Kristin Cole. "He wiped over his eyes."

the story goes on...

The only reason I mention this is because, to me I admire this guy and his life. I don't go to his church. I don't know him personally. He has given away more things than you will ever create - not saying that you won't do great things - I am sure you will. But here is a guy that could use the money from his book sales to hire a gardener - I am sure he has one but maybe not.

IIRC he donates all the proceeds from his books for charity. He has called on churches worldwide to also focus their efforts on fighting poverty and disease, expanding educational opportunities for the marginalized, and caring for the environment. Selfless guy - no he has his motives - he deeply feels as though this is what he is here to do.

He promotes more love of people regardless of any religion or color etc. I am not saying that someone like him has no problems. I for one could only hope that I could serve so many people that I don't even know.

Read up on him. He may open you mind to the fact that not everyone that is faithful lives in the confines of your perspective.

If you want to know more about a man that knows what serving people means, you could start here...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Warren

Best wishes to you all the same.

 

x2

 

Yeah but you use a dart board for Presidential elections and post pictures of your girlfriend naked in the underground so I don't know that your opinion of faith and trust is congruent with mine. Not judging - Just sayin'

 

hbmurphy.... I don't understand why you are "saddened by what you think religion is." You seem to think that one cannot be moral unless they are religious. That is the worst kind of nonsense and applying your beliefs upon others.

Just because someone does not believe what you do, it does not make them any less moral, generous, kind, etc.

Religious "leaders" are just like everyone else...some are good, some are not... the measure is not rather or not anyone gives money to the "good ones" or not.

Additionally, you also seem to have a view of government that seems to say that you believe that the government is the end all and be all... i.e. "When you buy a home, do you want a 5% interest loan or a 30% interest rate loan?" why would the government determine if I got a 5% or 30% loan? That is the free market (or at least in US, it is supposed to be).

I do agree with you re the roads and police...they are legitimate roles for the common good and are the things that government should do. However, it starts to sound very anti-democratic to beyond those types of things, as you seem to suggest the government should do. I could go on, but I think you get the idea.

Most of your examples do not relate to being religious or not. One can be a perfectly fine, decent, generous...etc. person and NOT believe in religion. If you cannot accept that, you should be VERY concerned.

 

is she hot?

 

Oh I hear you and I have been in similar shoes - I grew up in a home where we used to have Mass in our home while priests were staying with us. Many of my family members were people that would go 6 times a week. I know their are schmucks in every group and every family. I personally don't care for much of the Catholic church but that is from the views that I formed while participating there. They were 99% my issues and 99% of the people there are much like 99% of the people you find in normal life.

I do think you are limiting your views for what you want to dislike.

Just like the Prius owner that sees a guy driving a 4wd truck and says "Those guys are assholes! All they do is take their trucks and do brodies on peoples lawns and f@ck stuff up!"

Jus' Sayin'

 

Raised Catholic, but no longer a believer. Its ok to molest little boys but not ok to vote thye way I want too. I strongly believe in seperation of church and state. Really fed up with the few trying to shove their twisted beliefs down my throat and trying to pass laws that fit their agenda.

 

Slightly off topic, but what's a Brodie?

 

I don't know but when I was a kid we called doing donuts in your car/truck "brodies".

 

Born again Christian here!!!

To all of you that believe that all Christians act a certain way on Sunday and lead another lifestyle during the remainder of the week, are not being realistic. Being a "true Christian" is a lifestyle witness, not just a way to act one day a week.

It's like this, if I allowed myself to lump all firefighters in the same catagory as one like a met a few years ago, I would not consider calling the fire department if my house caught fire.

I'm not trying to be cute or funny, but I'm concerned about some who think all Christians live their lives the same way, when they do not.

Jesus himself said in the book of Luke (not everyone who says to me "Lord, Lord" will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven"). This simply means that Jesus knew that there would be those who say they are Christian, but their lifestyle says another.

"I" in no way, put myself above anyone, Christ died for ALL of us, not just a few!

All of you on TW, I consider my friends, no matter what your religious thoughts are.

 

I am not saying to be moral or any such thing - I am just saying that to blanket a whole group - of if anything I am probably on the fringe - is just that, blanketing due to some reason or another.

Seeing no value to religions of the world is silly. Did I mention morality? I may have hinted to betrayal regarding breaking trust, but I did not mention morality.

You say I am pushing my beliefs - I am just asking if you are saying something like "All gay guys do such and such" - is just wrong I know some gays that act like hetrosexuals. Like all 'organized religions' comments are just a bit to narrow for me. If you are saying I am narrow minded in hatred for everyone based on the actions of a few - then I may be narrow minded. I'm okay with that.

I do not believe in large government. I was just asking the question as it relates to large organizations like 'organized religions' and 'government.' I like some of the benefits but dislike some of the players. I hope I recognize the difference. It is not all black and white although many in the attempt to be right believe that all things have a higher contrast then they really do.

Just on home loans for a minute - that is not a free market. The only reason that we don't pay 20-30% on a loan is because the government set up programs in the 20-30's to keep the masses from renting from the few. These were loan guarantees - partially contributing to our financial issues today.

What did I say that was interpreted as to what the government should do?

The seemingly unrelated blabber about having large groups interact was not unrelated - they were questions that do relate to human behavior and how religious organizations have helped far more than they have hurt.

And if we can just leave on a a high note. The issue of tithing (religious or not) is the concept giving of yourself in a fungible manner to allow it to help others and having the faith that good will come from it. My opinion is that there are many great principles that can be learned from a religious setting if you are open to it.

If you want to hear the hatred, you can hear that. I know I was once in a place where I did just that.

When I was younger I chose to hear that Catholics hated every other religion cause they only believed in their church. I forget how they worded it in each of their services. But I heard what I chose to hear in every service. I now know that was my interpretation and not the people who said it at each service. And the real f'd up thing about my chosen belief at that time was that before I recieved communion in the Catholic church, my mom required me to go to other houses of worship (Baptist, Jewish, and a few others) to teach me that we have to respect others and their beliefs.

I am not saying anyone is bad in this discussion. Sheltered in some of the perspectives. But not bad.