Why Can't We Respect Other Peoples Beliefs? — Page 6

Sin really means to miss the mark or not to achieve an aimed goal (it was originally a term in archery and was chosen when the Bible was translated with that in mind).

Sin applying only to believer makes sense, you join a club called a religion, it has certain rules and if you don't agree with them you should leave.

It's when people apply those rules to people outside the club, promote ignorance or torture get people to join and stay in the club and use their influence to effect changes to the detriment of everyone that the concept of Sin enters the realm of the world beyond the walls of the temple.

C3PX said:

I guess this is my line of thinking on the matter. Just for the sake of argument, let's use Warblers view on how to get to heaven, the whosoever believes thing.

I believe I've already mentioned that I not that crazy about it, but it is what my church and others believe.     I'll quote my post about this:

Warbler said:

As for the belief that all those that don't worship Christ will go to hell,  I admit I do have a problem it that I've never been able to resolve.   What about all the people whom had no chance to hear the word?  what about children that die before they even have a chance to understand?  Are they all in hell?   Hitler was a Christian, a catholic I think(although obviously not a good one),   Gandhi was not a Christian.   Is Hitler in heaven and Gandhi in hell?   What about all the people who lived and died before Christ was even born?   Are they in hell? Are the 6 Million Jewish people who died in the Holocaust in hell?   All the aborted babies whom are supposedly full fledged humans with souls, are they hell?  These are the things I can't accept.   It has caused a sort of schism between myself and my religion and my church.   I don't know what else to say.  

 

C3PX said:

So in order to be saved, someone has to believe Jesus is the son of God. Now let's take a look at a atheist homosexual. Whether or not homosexuals are saved by their belief in Christ wouldn't matter one bit, because this guy doesn't believe in God or Jesus. So how pointless is it for some believer who feels homosexuality is wrong to go to this guy and tell him he is going to hell because he is gay? He isn't going to be saved anyway, because he doesn't believe in your Jesus, which we are assuming saves us.

So yeah, let's take the fatalist perspective, religious beliefs are either correct or not. But at the same time, if those correct or incorrect beliefs exclude me from salvation already based on my beliefs or lack of, what does it matter how many various activities I take part in that may also have the potential to exclude me from salvation according to those beliefs?

I can't disagree with the logic here.

of course none of that precludes someone from telling the homosexual atheist that he is going to hell because he is an atheist.    He could also tell the guy that homosexuality is a sin. 

Along with homosexuals being responsible for Catholic Priests abusing little girls, immodestly dressed and promiscuous women cause earthquakes :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8631775.stm

Ric Olie said:

Sorry about the whore on the left.

Bingowings said:

Along with homosexuals being responsible for Catholic Priests abusing little girls, immodestly dressed and promiscuous women cause earthquakes :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8631775.stm

 How I'd love to roll my eyes and go "Silly backwards Muslims" and feel pleasently xenophobic and culturally superior. 

But I got TV Preachers on every side telling me abortion doctors caused Hurricane Katrina, and 9/11 was because America lets gays vote, and the cast of WWE Monday Night Raw was stuck in Europe last night because the Iceland volcano went off to punish America for Health Care reform.

Sigh.

don't forget that the earth quake in Hatti was God's punishment for their sins.

If there is a single Godhead and he/she/it is responsible for all these contradictory pieces of holy literature maybe it's a test of character.

Maybe if we are so dumb as to take it too literally we don't get the holy boons of whatever heaven takes your fancy and if we just play nicely and be kind to each other we get the jackpot.

Just a thought.

It's at least as sensible as suggesting that God hides fossils and invents devils to test the faithful.

TheBoost said:

Bingowings said:

Along with homosexuals being responsible for Catholic Priests abusing little girls, immodestly dressed and promiscuous women cause earthquakes :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8631775.stm

 How I'd love to roll my eyes and go "Silly backwards Muslims" and feel pleasently xenophobic and culturally superior. 

But I got TV Preachers on every side telling me abortion doctors caused Hurricane Katrina, and 9/11 was because America lets gays vote, and the cast of WWE Monday Night Raw was stuck in Europe last night because the Iceland volcano went off to punish America for Health Care reform.

Sigh.

The TV preachers are something, all right.  It sure seems easy for them to declare their own opinions as the word of God. 

Sluggo said:

TheBoost said:

 How I'd love to roll my eyes and go "Silly backwards Muslims" and feel pleasently xenophobic and culturally superior. 

But I got TV Preachers on every side telling me abortion doctors caused Hurricane Katrina, and 9/11 was because America lets gays vote, and the cast of WWE Monday Night Raw was stuck in Europe last night because the Iceland volcano went off to punish America for Health Care reform.

Sigh.

The TV preachers are something, all right.  It sure seems easy for them to declare their own opinions as the word of God. 

Yeah, but isn't it all the same? What's the difference between Pope Benedict, Jerry Falwell, The Ayatollah, Rick Warren, the Dalia Lama, or Peter Popoff having an opinion, having a flock, and picking some bit out of their holy writ and saying that's what God thinks?