phuketrichard wrote:

beaker wrote:I think you only need the golden rule:
do to others as you would have them do to you
that's all the religion needed

The ONLY thing i live by

and the only thing taught in ALL religions

Joker Poker wrote:

Rain Dog wrote:
No specific criticism against you. in fact i appreciate the civility of your post this time. However, I think one problem, with today's Christians and Muslims is that both have many followers who think they can take a book, read it cover to cover, and think they understand the religion.

Thanks.

It's not as superficial as that. I almost always post short things else nobody will bother to read them, it's just too long-winded if I try to fill in all the details. FWIW, anyone who just opened the Bible and attempted to read it from cover to cover would almost certainly give up way before they finished the OT.

However, once you start to peel back the first layer of the onion it becomes apparent that there are many many more. Wheels within wheels. A lot of people get hung up on easily explained red herrings, others fail to understand that there are very different types of writings therein.

Funny how a crazy thread like this gets me thinking about stuff that I've not really thought about much in years.

Yea, I know exactly what you are saying. Been through it myself and is almost impossible to articulate unless you want to write a book.

I think it is a great thing to dig deeper if you have time. A big part of spirituality is seeking --- not just concluding that you have found all the answers already.

Coming full circle on this topic --- that is why it is so wrong to judge other religions just because one has encountered a text or article they cannot understand or lack any background knowledge about -- or worse, relying on an external source with an agenda or a hate site to conveniently "explain it all to you" with their own underlying agendas.

It's always best to start with trying to understand how the originators of the religion meant the message, the context in which it was delivered and how it's followers have traditionally interpreted it. It is also good to look critically as well -- but with balance and not just an agenda of trying to find evidence to "prove" ones existing biases.

Cheers,

RD

dagenham wrote:

Rain Dog wrote:

beaker wrote:I think you only need the golden rule:
do to others as you would have them do to you
that's all the religion needed

That is certainly a great place to start.

I beg to differ, RD. It's a great place to start, carry on and finish as well. The rest is irrelevant and divisive.

Yes we will never agree on this. I can respect your disdain for organized religion though -- because humans invariably screw it up or corrupt it for their own benefits.

I do think that saying the "Golden Rule" is the ONLY thing needed is quite overly simplistic. It is a great way of reminding us how to treat others but if does not address a lot of other questions or needs people have (Why is there evil? Why do evil people usually win? How do I deal with Pain and Suffering)?) etc.

You equate it to a drug and this might be at least a partially accurate analogy. But if it helps people find meaning in this existence, or helps reduce their suffering then I do not see the problem --- as long as they are not harming others with their beliefs (and yes that is always the issue).

Rain Dog wrote:

Joker Poker wrote:

dagenham wrote:
Tim, mate..you definitely aint no nutter like UKJ, but c'mon here. Really. This is one person's opinion. A radical zealot at that. There are many highly educated born-again Christians that can be quoted as saying that JC is returning next Tuesday at 4:15 am...

Dags,

Here you go spewing your ignorance again. No Christian worth their salt would be quoting when the second coming is, because, no man knows the day or the hour. Really is that simple.

You astound me with the intensity of your hatred for those unlike you, and your incomprehensible ignorance of the subject.

I wonder what it was that planted this seed of hatred of God so deep inside of you. For something that you see as fiction it is quite remarkable really. Did you have an anti-Santa crusade when you were younger? No? Well why not, it's fiction isn't it?

JP --- I am not into Christian bashing unless I encounter the hate mongering type. .
.

Labelling people hatemongers so you can Christian bash won't fool anyone here. And going back hundreds of years at times to bash Christians on a thread about modern day Australia and the UK, is Christian bashing. Just as you were Christian bashing on
http://www.cambodiaexpatsonline.com/vie ... atemongers -

@JokerPoker, Dagenham, and Beaker

For all the ugliness that has transpired on this thread I appreciate that the 4 of us despite our differences are having a civil and intelligent discussion on the topic now that the haters and nutters have flown the coop.

Edit: Oops, apparently now one has not flown the coop lol

Rain Dog wrote:@JokerPoker, Dagenham, and Beaker

For all the ugliness that has transpired on this thread I appreciate that the 4 of us despite our differences are having a civil and intelligent discussion on the topic now that the haters and nutters have flown the coop.

Edit: Oops, apparently now one has not flown the coop lol

Well we can all agree that UKJ is obviously a Christian Fascist...ha!

Actually, he's probably just a bit unmoored...citing funny and goofy sources...

He's easily dismissed, as he is, most likely, in "real life"...so it goes...

and I wouldn't say that this thread has been "ugly", just "spirited" and "spunky"....

Classic. The two trolls backslapping each other after another christian bashing session, and going into spin mode.

-------------------
Anyone got an opinion on Bradford being declared anti Israeli, and not wanting any tourists etc? That must surely be racist or religious discrimination?

Rain Dog wrote:
I think it is a great thing to dig deeper if you have time. A big part of spirituality is seeking --- not just concluding that you have found all the answers already.

Agreed, in no way have I ever felt like I've found all the answers, neither was it my intention to come across in any way as though I have. Far from it, indeed, the more you look the more you realise the enormity of the task.

RD, you've made some good points.

As for me, I cannot abide Christian bashing as default mode. Sure there are plenty of nut jobs out there and they need exposing. Seems most of them are confined to one large northern continent, but there are a few elsewhere of course!

When I lived in England for a few years back in the 90s I was sold a dud car by a certain young lad who'd gone to great trouble to conceal a few major problems. Should I therefore conclude that all young lads in England are dodgy cars salesmen and to be avoided and slandered at every opportunity?

Of course not, nonetheless, it is pretty obvious that you need to be careful in what you are prepared to accept, and need to test things like I should have with the car.

Joker Poker wrote:.

As for me, I cannot abide Christian bashing as default mode. Sure there are plenty of nut jobs out there and they need exposing. Seems most of them are confined to one large northern continent, but there are a few elsewhere of course!

When I lived in England for a few years back in the 90s I was sold a dud car by a certain young lad who'd gone to great trouble to conceal a few major problems. Should I therefore conclude that all young lads in England are dodgy cars salesmen and to be avoided and slandered at every opportunity?

Of course not, nonetheless, it is pretty obvious that you need to be careful in what you are prepared to accept, and need to test things like I should have with the car.

Agreed. And it's pointless as two wrongs don't make a right. No matter what Christians have done in the past, we should be able to discuss Islamic teaching in modern day schools etc. I wouldn't mention Islam in a thread about Christian integration or practices etc. I don't see why people feel the need to trawl through Christian history for wrongdoings to bash them, unless it's a thread about christian religious history.

UKJ wrote: Agreed. And it's pointless as two wrongs don't make a right. No matter what Christians have done in the past, we should be able to discuss Islamic teaching in modern day schools etc. I wouldn't mention Islam in a thread about Christian integration or practices etc. I don't see why people feel the need to trawl through Christian history for wrongdoings to bash them, unless it's a thread about christian religious history.

I agree with this, the drudging up of ANY historic practice of a group for modern day criticism is just silly without some evidence it's being practiced and will be again.

It's the same concept as the slavery reparations movement... trying to get people today to pay them for something that was done to their people hundreds of years ago.