Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticCat
I'm sorry, but I've got to be honest -- as a religious person, I don't feel very respected when I read things like this:I don't know who is denying that a plane hit the Pentegon (or what that has to do with religious beliefs) or what newspaper articles you're talking about (though I've certainly rolled my eyes at articles when I've known more about the situation than than reporter appeared to). But I'm not shy at all about questioning "the genius of some of the greatest minds of our time." And I can read that book written thousands of years ago and see Truth and Wisdom behind those impossible and implausible stories. While I may not believe that everyone who doesn't see that Truth or Wisdom the way I do is destined for hell, I do think that what that book has to say is as relevant and prophetic now as it was thousands of years ago. And it seems to me that some of the greatest minds of our time agree.
Sorry to unload on you; perhaps I just need to step away from this thread for awhile.
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Ha, we probably all do.
My point is not to say that believing in the Bible/religion is crazy or irrational. What I mean (and maybe didn't portray very well) is that some people - a handful of which I know personally - are very smart, and they can question and interpret things in many different ways. They can read an article and disagree with it entirely. Or they can see something with their own eyes, but somehow find an explanation as to how or why it possibly may not have happened. Or they can read through 10 different internet sites, all discussing the same thing but making different arguments, and they can gather information and form their own opinion. However, when it comes to the Bible, they take it so literally and never find themselves analyzing any aspect of it. They listen to what others have said it means, and they accept it as fact. They would rather turn against their fellow man than offer the possibility that maybe what they've read isn't accurate.. or isn't relevant.. or has been misinterpreted, or what have you.
But essentially, the problem is when people use the Bible to promote hate and/or push their own agenda to the detriment of others. It's when they start quoting parts of the Bible as arguments in political discussions. My opinion is: Religion can play a role in what you (the general you) believe to be right, but it shouldn't define everything you do, everything you say, and every interaction you have with other human beings. It can guide you morally and it can give you faith and hope, but it shouldn't make you believe that everyone should be just like you, think exactly like you do, and want all of the same things that you do.
Like with SydneyK's example of the doctor that wouldn't give her birth control - I believe the doctor had every right not to give it to her, and SydneyK had every right to go elsewhere to get it. The doctor recognized that SydneyK wanted birth control and accepted that, but she didn't compromise her own beliefs by giving it to her. She also didn't stop her from getting it somewhere else. And while SydneyK may have been frustrated that she couldn't get what she wanted from the doctor, she was still able to go somewhere and get it. Neither compromised what they believed, neither "preached" to the other, and they've moved on with their lives.
Ironically, The Serenity Prayer just popped into my head, and I think it's applicable here:
God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
And it applies to everyone, whether you want to put "God" in the beginning of it or not.
Maybe I'm still not expressing all of this in the best way, but that's the best I've got... for now anyway... it's late.
