spiritual doubt

[2ndAmendment]

I am not a Shiva worshipper and I found the post irritating. This is so because it is intentional misrepresentation and misleading. I'd like to know if 2A read beyond the first seven words of the paragraph. Just to recap, here is the entire opening paragraph:
2A and his kind do not bother to read,

And you know this how? I do read. I included the link for those that choose to do the same. I said, "No thanks". I choose to believe the Bible.

It's 2A's prerogative to believe what he wants; I don't care... unless/until I hear about him -- or someone with a similar philosophy -- spreading this form of logic to children.

And you will do what? Nothing! You are powerless to influence what I teach my children just as I am powerless to make you believe anything.

I feel bad for the kid that is inquisitive about the world and yearning for knowledge, who goes to an adult for answers, only to be atrociously misguided. Imagine the kid comes home and says, "There's a kid named Ranji at school who told me about another God named Shiva. Who is that?" Dad says, "Shiva is the destroyer of the world, and that's all you need to know." After enough indoctrination of junk like that it would be no surprise if the kid grows up to be closed-minded and disrespectful of others views.

What's worse, is dad will find fancy answers to explain how the God of Judeo-Christianity (esp. Old Test.) could get away with inflicting pain on humans and "destroying the world". "Well, now that's justified, son..."

Not that it is any of your business, this is what I would do. I would explain that Shiva is a goddess in Hinduism and tell them that she is one of the many false gods and goddesses of various religions. Being a Christian may be considered closed-minded by those that are not Christians just as Muslims are close minded to the point that they are taught to kill infidels.

 

[Railroad]

I am not a Shiva worshipper and I found the post irritating. This is so because it is intentional misrepresentation and misleading. I'd like to know if 2A read beyond the first seven words of the paragraph. Just to recap, here is the entire opening paragraph:
2A and his kind do not bother to read, nonetheless acknowledge, the parts about "beauty" and "goodness". Nor is their acknowledgement that to "destroy" something may actually be a positive, advancing force; an action necessary to clear away the old to make way for the new.

It's 2A's prerogative to believe what he wants; I don't care... unless/until I hear about him -- or someone with a similar philosophy -- spreading this form of logic to children. I feel bad for the kid that is inquisitive about the world and yearning for knowledge, who goes to an adult for answers, only to be atrociously misguided. Imagine the kid comes home and says, "There's a kid named Ranji at school who told me about another God named Shiva. Who is that?" Dad says, "Shiva is the destroyer of the world, and that's all you need to know." After enough indoctrination of junk like that it would be no surprise if the kid grows up to be closed-minded and disrespectful of others views.

What's worse, is dad will find fancy answers to explain how the God of Judeo-Christianity (esp. Old Test.) could get away with inflicting pain on humans and "destroying the world". "Well, now that's justified, son..."

Awww. Sorry about your Dad.

 

[Railroad]

I am not a Shiva worshipper and I found the post irritating. This is so because it is intentional misrepresentation and misleading. I'd like to know if 2A read beyond the first seven words of the paragraph. Just to recap, here is the entire opening paragraph:
Quote:
Shiva is the destroyer of the world, following Brahma the creator and Vishnu the preserver, after which Brahma again creates the world and so on. Shiva is responsible for change both in the form of death and destruction and in the positive sense of the shedding of old habits. In Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram or Truth, Goodness and Beauty, Shiva also represents the most essential goodness.

OBTW, I think you were better off before you included the rest of it. Sounds like some of the crap from Ghostbusters.

 

[hvp05]

And you know this how? I do read. I included the link for those that choose to do the same. I said, "No thanks". I choose to believe the Bible.

Good for you on the reading. The problem is that it bounces right off you. You can read all you want, but if you don't absorb it the whole process is a waste. And if you aren't absorbing and legitimately seeking knowledge how can you proclaim to know "the whole truth"?

And you will do what? Nothing! You are powerless to influence what I teach my children just as I am powerless to make you believe anything.

I don't believe I said I would do anything to interfere with your child-raising practices. The best I could do is teach my kids how to see the world as objectively as possible, and then to pass that wisdom foreword. If they went down the path of the ultra-religious follower and locked themself in a closet to prevent any "evil influences" from getting between them and their Bible I would accept it as their choice, although I would not deny being disappointed.

Not that it is any of your business

Well, you are on a public forum -- one I doubt you are forced to visit every day.

I would explain that Shiva is a goddess in Hinduism and tell them that she is one of the many false gods and goddesses of various religions.

Being a Christian may be considered closed-minded by those that are not Christians just as Muslims are close minded to the point that they are taught to kill infidels.

I don't exonerate anyone from the flaws inherent in the human mind.

 

[hvp05]

OBTW, I think you were better off before you included the rest of it. Sounds like some of the crap from Ghostbusters.

Yeah... That's almost as good as the dude who could walk on water, cast out devils, play with serpents and poisons without getting hurt... then died tethered to a post only to come back as a ghost who floated into the sky to watch us from the edge of a cloud.

Crazy, eh?

 

[Tonio]

OBTW, I think you were better off before you included the rest of it. Sounds like some of the crap from Ghostbusters.

Yeah... That's almost as good as the dude who could walk on water, cast out devils, play with serpents and poisons without getting hurt... then died tethered to a post only to come back as a ghost who floated into the sky to watch us from the edge of a cloud.

Crazy, eh?

I think both of you are wrong to make fun of other people's belief systems.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Yeah... That's almost as good as the dude who could walk on water, cast out devils, play with serpents and poisons without getting hurt... then died tethered to a post only to come back as a ghost who floated into the sky to watch us from the edge of a cloud.

Crazy, eh?

Shows how much you know about the Bible and Jesus. Maybe you should take this to heart.

Good for you on the reading. The problem is that it bounces right off you. You can read all you want, but if you don't absorb it the whole process is a waste. And if you aren't absorbing and legitimately seeking knowledge how can you proclaim to know "the whole truth"?

Jesus did not play with serpents or poisons. Jesus did not come back as a ghost. He came back in the flesh. Thomas put his fingers into the nail wounds and his hand into Jesus' side.

John 20:19-29

<sup id="en-NASB-26887">19</sup>So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." <sup id="en-NASB-26888">20</sup>And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

<sup id="en-NASB-26889">21</sup>So Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you."

<sup id="en-NASB-26890">22</sup>And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

<sup id="en-NASB-26891">23</sup>"If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."

<sup id="en-NASB-26892">24</sup>But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

<sup id="en-NASB-26893">25</sup>So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe."

<sup id="en-NASB-26894">26</sup>After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."

<sup id="en-NASB-26895">27</sup>Then He said to Thomas, "Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing."

<sup id="en-NASB-26896">28</sup>Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

<sup id="en-NASB-26897">29</sup>Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."

I believe the Bible to be The Truth. I do not need to believe or accept other religions or gods or goddesses. On the contrary, Christians should not believe in other gods or goddesses. Accepting other gods violates the first commandment.

 

[Railroad]

I think both of you are wrong to make fun of other people's belief systems.

Not making fun of anybody's belief system, just making a little - and I mean LITTLE - joke out of the quote. Non-Christians make fun of Bible quotes all the time, and a whole lot worse. Chill out.

 

[Railroad]

I believe the Bible to be The Truth. I do not need to believe or accept other religions or gods or goddesses. On the contrary, Christians should not believe in other gods or goddesses. Accepting other gods violates the first commandment.

THANK you! Well said, my friend.

 

[Tonio]

Not making fun of anybody's belief system, just making a little - and I mean LITTLE - joke out of the quote. Non-Christians make fun of Bible quotes all the time, and a whole lot worse. Chill out.

Thanks for the advice. I think hvp05 was just trying to provoke the Christians on the Forum. Religion is one topic where if people are going to disagree, they ought to do it with intelligence and maturity. (Right now I can hear Vrai typing, "Maturity? Intelligence? What Forum are you talking about?" )

 

[hvp05]

I think hvp05 was just trying to provoke the Christians on the Forum.

I was not trying to "provoke" anyone; I was directing my post at Railroad specifically hoping that he would realize the insensitivity his post contained.

But I knew it would be scorned -- which it was with unsigned/uncommented karma. Obviously someone who's proud of their stance.

Railroad is, interestingly enough, a guy I have admired in other posts. I feel like I can have a real discussion with him, unlike 2A.

Aside from the Jesus followers, I would also like to apologize to past and present followers of Osiris, Adonis, Odinn, good old Mithra and any other resurrection deities I may have offended.

 

[2ndAmendment]

Railroad is, interestingly enough, a guy I have admired in other posts. I feel like I can have a real discussion with him, unlike 2A.

Sorry you feel that way, but on the other hand if you see me as being inflexible in my faith in God and the Bible, I take that as a compliment.

 

[Railroad]

I was not trying to "provoke" anyone; I was directing my post at Railroad specifically hoping that he would realize the insensitivity his post contained.

But I knew it would be scorned -- which it was with unsigned/uncommented karma. Obviously someone who's proud of their stance.

Railroad is, interestingly enough, a guy I have admired in other posts. I feel like I can have a real discussion with him, unlike 2A.

Aside from the Jesus followers, I would also like to apologize to past and present followers of Osiris, Adonis, Odinn, good old Mithra and any other resurrection deities I may have offended.

I sign my red karma, so it didn't come from me. Which of my posts was insensitive?

 

[2ndAmendment]

But I knew it would be scorned -- which it was with unsigned/uncommented karma. Obviously someone who's proud of their stance.

Oh. I didn't give you any karma either.

 

[hvp05]

I sign my red karma, so it didn't come from me. Which of my posts was insensitive?

OBTW, I think you were better off before you included the rest of it. Sounds like some of the crap from Ghostbusters.

That's the one. Hinduism is the world's third-largest religion, claiming approximately 760 million people. And you relegated it to "crap" from a comedy flick. I thought your post was outlandish -- so I created an outlandish post in the context of Christianity. My post was partially a joke, but a Hindu would have taken a true offense to your comment.

Railroad, I have observed you as a generally decent, intelligent guy... someone who should realize that you can disagree with someone without insulting them.

Am I wrong?