What practical things can we do to facilitate interfaith harmony?

ralis · February 24, 2009

If you said ALL governments don't work, and ALL governments are corrupt, then proceeded to spread misinformation to try and spread that same feeling; then yes, I would say you hate government. The fact of the matter is, the calls to destroy religion are just as oppressive as the claims as have been made against religion. There are millions of people in the world that WANT to carry on in blind faith. It helps them make it through the day, and countless horrible situations. Simply put, those that don't like religion shouldn't practice it. But that doesn't give them the right to try and ruin it for others.

What you are saying does not follow in any logical sense at all. "If you said ALL governments don't work, and ALL governments are corrupt, then proceeded to spread misinformation to try and spread that same feeling; then yes, I would say you hate government." One who is pointing out the corruption in a system does not necessarily hate that system. Think outside the box instead of your own absolute point of view.

Let me state some concrete examples that you may relate to. Perhaps you will see that any belief system may have a neg. impact on large populations.

1. Religious doctrines against birth control: Larger populations put greater demand on limited resources, increase the use of fossil fuels and add to waste, pollution and therefor climate change.

2. There is a religious movement in the U.S. to give rights of person hood to blastocysts, frozen or otherwise. It is their way to overturn Roe V. Wade. This would violate the rights to privacy of millions of women. It would also stop any attempt in using the frozen blastocysts in stem cell research. The emotional, irrational fundamentalists state that they don't want unborn children used in research. These frozen blastocysts are thrown out of the labs at some point in time anyway. Another example of fear being used as a control mechanism. Once again we have religion meddling in the affairs of state.

Five states have already started the legal process to pass this new law.

3. Islamic ruled governments: A very real problem for millions of people.

4. Israeli Kenesit: If a party wants power, it must do the bidding of the religious party. I believe they hold 2 or 3 swing seats.

These are just a few examples.

If one accepts your worldview, then one needs to tolerate all religious doctrine, even though it may be religious extremism? Is that what you mean? Even when society is impacted in a neg. way? Such as the above examples?

ralis

ZenStatic · February 25, 2009

What you are saying does not follow in any logical sense at all. "If you said ALL governments don't work, and ALL governments are corrupt, then proceeded to spread misinformation to try and spread that same feeling; then yes, I would say you hate government." One who is pointing out the corruption in a system does not necessarily hate that system. Think outside the box instead of your own absolute point of view.

I see it has to be explained in simpler terms for you. I responded to his comment: "If I told you that I don't beleive that democracy works and that government is corrupt am I saying that I hate society? " In doing so, I gave example of the THREE things being done here that COMBINED show a hatred of religion. You haven't been merely pointing out corruption in religion, you also went so far as to call it all superstition, used only to opress by fear, etc etc. Try breaking out of your absolute point of view.

Let me state some concrete examples that you may relate to. Perhaps you will see that any belief system may have a neg. impact on large populations.

1. Religious doctrines against birth control: Larger populations put greater demand on limited resources, increase the use of fossil fuels and add to waste, pollution and therefor climate change.

2. There is a religious movement in the U.S. to give rights of person hood to blastocysts, frozen or otherwise. It is their way to overturn Roe V. Wade. This would violate the rights to privacy of millions of women. It would also stop any attempt in using the frozen blastocysts in stem cell research. The emotional, irrational fundamentalists state that they don't want unborn children used in research. These frozen blastocysts are thrown out of the labs at some point in time anyway. Another example of fear being used as a control mechanism. Once again we have religion meddling in the affairs of state.

Five states have already started the legal process to pass this new law.

3. Islamic ruled governments: A very real problem for millions of people.

4. Israeli Kenesit: If a party wants power, it must do the bidding of the religious party. I believe they hold 2 or 3 swing seats.

These are just a few examples.

If one accepts your worldview, then one needs to tolerate all religious doctrine, even though it may be religious extremism? Is that what you mean? Even when society is impacted in a neg. way? Such as the above examples?

ralis

1: Are you serious? You're trying to pin part of the blame for global warming on the Catholic birth control stance? I have no love for the Catholics, but that's just beyond far-fetched. If that was the case, we could just as easily blame the lack of morals that has permeated almost all of western society since the 60's, and the huge amounts of children born out of the now commonplace casual sex that people have since they no longer wait for marraige.

2: Now, I am no biologist, so I will not claim to know the technicalities of what you're speaking of. But, I will say you're full of crap on the next part. It will in no way violate the privacy of millions of women. The only thing violated when it comes to abortion, is the right to life of that unborn child. But please, try and explain how people not wanting those lives snuffed out is an example of fear as a control mechanism?

3: While I may not agree with the Islamic governments, I don't think you have the right to tell others how to govern. For all those millions that have a problem with it, there are millions that don't as well.

4: No clue. But, I do know that Israel was created as a JEWISH state. Thus it would be logical that religion would come to play in their politics.

Society is impacted in a positive and negative way by religion. Same with secularism as well. Neither one is perfect. The idea is to try and live the best life YOU can.

Edited February 25, 2009 by lostmonk

forestofsouls · February 25, 2009

It might also facilitate interfaith harmony if people had to summarize their views in a few sentences instead of long, rambling paragraphs.

ralis · February 25, 2009

I see it has to be explained in simpler terms for you. I responded to his comment: "If I told you that I don't beleive that democracy works and that government is corrupt am I saying that I hate society? " In doing so, I gave example of the THREE things being done here that COMBINED show a hatred of religion. You haven't been merely pointing out corruption in religion, you also went so far as to call it all superstition, used only to opress by fear, etc etc. Try breaking out of your absolute point of view.

1: Are you serious? You're trying to pin part of the blame for global warming on the Catholic birth control stance? I have no love for the Catholics, but that's just beyond far-fetched. If that was the case, we could just as easily blame the lack of morals that has permeated almost all of western society since the 60's, and the huge amounts of children born out of the now commonplace casual sex that people have since they no longer wait for marraige.

2: Now, I am no biologist, so I will not claim to know the technicalities of what you're speaking of. But, I will say you're full of crap on the next part. It will in no way violate the privacy of millions of women. The only thing violated when it comes to abortion, is the right to life of that unborn child. But please, try and explain how people not wanting those lives snuffed out is an example of fear as a control mechanism?

3: While I may not agree with the Islamic governments, I don't think you have the right to tell others how to govern. For all those millions that have a problem with it, there are millions that don't as well.

4: No clue. But, I do know that Israel was created as a JEWISH state. Thus it would be logical that religion would come to play in their politics.

Society is impacted in a positive and negative way by religion. Same with secularism as well. Neither one is perfect. The idea is to try and live the best life YOU can.

I found a post made by you last year. I guess you forgot what you wrote.

I, like many people here I am sure, very much come here to learn from others. But honestly, I am starting to dread opening a lot of threads here. There is so much ridiculous bullshit going on, it's really getting out of hand. So please, I ask nicely, if you don't agree with something someone says, say so. But stop the attacks on the person. If you know you disagree with most things someone says, why not just stay out of those threads instead of disrupting things for others? I love this forum, but I don't come here to see so many people bashing others.

You attacked me personally on 2 occasions.

ralis

Stigweard · February 25, 2009

It might also facilitate interfaith harmony if people had to summarize their views in a few sentences instead of long, rambling paragraphs.

As well as following some simple rules of engagement when things get 'interesting'

ZenStatic · February 25, 2009

I found a post made by you last year. I guess you forgot what you wrote.

I, like many people here I am sure, very much come here to learn from others. But honestly, I am starting to dread opening a lot of threads here. There is so much ridiculous bullshit going on, it's really getting out of hand. So please, I ask nicely, if you don't agree with something someone says, say so. But stop the attacks on the person. If you know you disagree with most things someone says, why not just stay out of those threads instead of disrupting things for others? I love this forum, but I don't come here to see so many people bashing others.

You attacked me personally on 2 occasions.

ralis

Attacking your misinformation and downright lies isn't a personal attack. You keep talking about attacks and emotional responses and such, but you're the only one that seems to be getting hurt over this.

Iris · February 25, 2009

gendao · February 25, 2009

1: Are you serious? You're trying to pin part of the blame for global warming on the Catholic birth control stance? I have no love for the Catholics, but that's just beyond far-fetched. If that was the case, we could just as easily blame the lack of morals that has permeated almost all of western society since the 60's, and the huge amounts of children born out of the now commonplace casual sex that people have since they no longer wait for marraige.

Not really.

In the environmental community, human population growth has now been unavoidably identified as a root cause to environmental destruction.

We support U.S. population stabilization purely for ecological reasons. This requires we reduce both birth rates and migration to the U.S. to sustainable levels. Unending population growth and increasing levels of consumption together are the root causes of the vast majority of our environmental problems, as is the case in many other countries.

And Hispanics are the fastest-growing group of all Americans - due to the highest birth rates now:

In July 2004, Hispanics numbered 41.3 million out of a national population of nearly 293.7 million. They have the fastest growth rate among the nation's major racial and ethnic groups. In the 1990s, they accounted for 40 percent of the country's population increase. From 2000 to 2004, that figure grew to 49 percent.

Now, 68% of Hispanics are Catholic, and 1/3 of US Catholics are Hispanic. So, you can say there's a link between Catholicism and higher birth rates - and thus environmental damage.

Therefore, I don't think it's a stretch to say that Catholicism ultimately has an environmental impact due to its traditional self-propagating stance against BC and for large families.

Edited February 25, 2009 by vortex

ralis · February 25, 2009

Attacking your misinformation and downright lies isn't a personal attack. You keep talking about attacks and emotional responses and such, but you're the only one that seems to be getting hurt over this.

When in a recent post, you said I needed therapy. That is a personal attack! Once again, are you a licensed therapist and qualified to make a clinical diagnosis?