cookinlover wrote: 
No, read it again. I said I don't care if that's what you think I am, I never said I actually was.

 geordiezimmerman wrote:  You just proved me right. Arrogance and narrow mindedness it is then.

 You argue about something that can neither be proved nor disproved... by humans, and in this world, at least. I see no point in arguing about something that cannot be proved or disproved, so I'm done discussing it with you or anyome else who refuses to tolerate beliefs other than his own. I never said your beliefs are ridiculous, by the way, only that calling others' beliefs ridiculous is an arrogant way of thinking. Your intolerance of my beliefs, nor mine of you yours (if I were intolerant of yours) means nothing in the long run, really. To each his own, though, so no hard feelings.

How many unheard stories like this? And people still belive that catholicism is right. Why aren't these catholics coming out and asking for answers? This poor poor man. Why would anyone want to follow this religion? I don't think this man is lying do you? He silences the panel.







I will levae this forum now for what it was inteneded for, perhaps there is a better forum for us to air our views?

 woozurbuddy wrote: 

Well, either that or evidence of the fall fully represents proof in the pudding...you know, in place of the evidence of things not seen.

 woozurbuddy wrote: 
The trouble with having a conversation like this online is that I end up trying to justify something I didn't even say. The original comment was about the pope and the Catholic Church, for which I have a general dislike, because of their practices. It has nothing to do with people who believe in it, or any other religion.

I wasn't labeling anything or anyone, I was simply explaining that you can be a cultural Jew without being a religious Jew. Jewish blood runs through my veins, I have family who died in the Holocaust, among other persecutions. To deny that would be to deny my family's history, but I have no interest in practicing the Jewish religion. I never professed to understand what it was like to be anyone but myself. I didn't want to go into detail because I don't feel like it, but the Jewish people are my people and it has nothing to do with my religion.

There are lots of things I don't understand, beside how people can believe in religion, like how Cubs fans continue to stand by a team that sucks, but that doesn't mean I label Cubs fans or hate people that follow them.

Anyway, I just feel like I'm being baited here, so I am leaving this conversation. You can think whatever you want to think.

 cookinlover wrote:

Prove to me that God exists and I will change my attitude. Until then I will carry on being intolerant of these people and don't really care if you think i'm arrogant and narrow minded,

So far pretty much every religious thread i've read in RP, those that believe never answer any points  that non believers raise. Is it because the truth hurts and you know you's are living a lie?

 geordiezimmerman wrote: 
"I will come right out and say it. I'm not tolerant of any religion or those that believe in something what I see as quite ridiculous."

Disagreeing with others' personal beliefs is everyone's right to do... stating that you are intolerant of someone else's right to believe as they wish because YOU see them as ridiculous is just plain arrogant and narrow minded.

 geordiezimmerman wrote: 
I agree. My point is that he could have an ayneurism today and there will be another one, just like him, wearing the hat by the end of the week.

Wha?? I thought this was a thread for Breaking News, not another 'Let's Make War Over Differing Views'. Oh well... I guess I can go hang out elsewhere.

 oldviolin wrote: 
There you go again.

For what it's worth, I don't have the weight of the world on my shoulders, I'm actually very happy thank you. Very happy in my god free life.

 geordiezimmerman wrote: 

I hear ya!
No intellectualism here King. No need to defend or otherwise validate your own opinion of me and countless other millions of individuals that you don't personally know but draw harsh judgements down on. There's a little insight for you. Your nobility notwithstanding I might add.
If you have a record of personal trial and error or are somehow a reader of hearts and minds, I should like to hear it.
If you wish to tear down castles and towers of man's own making, then have at it. I meet lots of folks just like yourself, full of righteous indignation and carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders and looking for whom to blame. Get in line where you belong.
Attack me from the blue red and gray if you wish, and enjoy the silence.

  uh oh, religious discussion...I'm outta here! 

 woozurbuddy wrote: 

Hey J.  Take a look at the Birthday thread please...I asked your daughter via PM to fix it but to no avail... Thanks.

 oldviolin wrote: 
I don't really care where God ends and man begins because something cannot end if it does not exist in the first place.

How do you come to your final conclusion? If you believe in God surely I can understand you, or at least have more of an insight 
into your life than you ever will in mine.

Perhaps try answering some of the points I raised rather than like most religous folk try and come out with some intellectual fodder.

 geordiezimmerman wrote: 
Thank you for that. I would only ask this, in reference to this entire scenerio of which you speak- Where does "God" end and man begin?
And, as mentally challenged as I may be, I can understand you perhaps better than you can understand me. Hence, your frustration... 

I will come right out and say it. I'm not tolerant of any religion or those that believe in something what I see as quite ridiculous. I get sick of hearing cop out remarks like "It's all part of God's plan" whenever I ask religous folk why there is so many wars in the name of religion, why there is so much suffering in the world, what kind of God would let a world like this exist? If this place God holds for us all when we die is this beautiful place called heaven where all your sins are washed away, why don't these religious folk just kill themselves and go to this place if it's so good? Or is your death in God's hands?

As for catholicism, that's up there with one of the most evil religions. The amount of story's I've heard from people I know who went to Catholic schools, evil nuns, horrific sexual and mental abuse, cover ups by the vatican, manipulation of the poor, especially in Africa, the list is endless what this religion has done over the years so no I have absolutely no tolerance for that at all or anyone who believes in it. If that offends you, I really don't care.

As someone said earlier, there's a difference between believing in Christ and religion. Did Jesus exist? Probably. Was he the son of God? No, because God doesn't exist. Did he produce miracles? No he didn't. The quicker believers of God grow up and get real the better as far as I'm concerned. The quicker we get rid of the notion that god exists then the quicker we can do away with the church, mosques, temples etc and try and make the world a much better place without the ridiculous idea that some fella who controls everything that has ever happened and will happen bar nothing. It's just ridiculous and I even think that most believers know it's ridiculous but use it as a smokescreen so they can carry on with their hate filled lives.

The way that Christians pick and choose their passages in the bible to fit in with their own lives makes me laugh. The ones that say it says homosexuality is wrong and then those that say it doesn't, believers of the same religion can't even agree with what they are supposed to be believing !!

All religions are evil although the believers will always tell you that their religion is a peaceful one. Yeah right. Only peaceful if you believe in the bullshit they are telling you. If you're gay, it's not peaceful, in some places if you're black, it's not peaceful, In a lot of cases if you're a woman it's not peaceful. Quite simpley why anyone would want to believe in any religion where ANY evil exists is beyond me and quite frankly anyone who does believe in God as far as I'm concerned is mentally ill and needs help.

 hippiechick wrote: 
Perhaps it was merely an interpretation of the way you worded some of what you wrote. It just seemed to me that the comment of not knowing how people believe in something questions their intelligence, which read as intolerance for a person's belief system to me.
 
The reference I made to you talking about Judaism as a part of your belief system had nothing to do with Israel, actually, being that I don't go into those threads and read those discussions (that I find read more like arguments) between RPeeps. It's in forums like this that I'm talking about.
 
And I agree, we do not need to discuss how being Jewish influences how you look at things. I was merely saying that for someone that sort of "disclaims" a religion, you tend to use it as a reason for behavior a bit often.

 newwavegurly wrote: 
Just because I don't understand how people believe in stuff doesn't mean I don't have tolerance. You can believe in whatever you want. The original comment was about the pope, who must be held responsible for the practices of his church.

I would need an example of how I use it for some of my beliefs, mostly my support of Israel (as I can remember), but being Jewish is like being black: it influences how you look at things. I don't wish to write in detail about this.

I didn't lump all religions into one ball, I only gave examples of what the Catholic Church has done.

BTW, if my children asked my opinion, I would encourage them not to circumcise their boys, despite the Jewish imperative.

 hippiechick wrote: 
Ah, but here's the rub: It's not the tolerance of the religion that is in question, it's the tolerance of the people that have religious beliefs (whatever they may be) that I believe you mentioned. By saying that "I really can't understand how people believe in that stuff," you're not just putting down the religion, you're intimating that they're wrong in their beliefs—which doesn't really sound all that tolerant to me.
 
As for the Judaism explanation: While I understand what you're saying here, I find it rather hypocritical (for lack of a better word) that you would use Judaism as an explanation for some of your beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors (as you have here on RP before), yet you don't really claim it as your religion.
 
While I agree that much of organized religion is "big business" in the U.S. (and other parts of the world), I hesitate to lump all of them into one category when not all of them are guilty of the transgressions you describe. 

 newwavegurly wrote: 
If you read my other comments, you will see that I have little tolerance for a religion that is very harmful to its followers.

I am of Jewish heritage but, like many Jews, I am more of a cultural Jew. My parents never set foot in shul. I raised my my children with a Liberal Jewish education and I taught Sunday School for more than 10 years, and then one day my eyes were opened, when I was teaching the story of Joshua and Jericho, about how the Hebrews attacked a town and killed all the people because they had different beliefs, and decided that I could not accept this BS any more. My children have similar feelings.

Religion and churches are a big business. There are churches of various denominations on almost every corner. Apparently it serves a purpose to folks who need that kind of interaction, and that's fine with me. But making women feel guilty because they don't want to have 10 kids, sexually abusing children, and covering it up, I could go on and on, this is not acceptable to me.