Christianity and questions

[j.griff]

So, I have been quite a bit :confused: lately regarding religions, who's "right", is ANYONE "right"?, etc. I am thinking about setting up a yahoo group (or something, yahoo is what I know HOW to use as a group) for these types of questions, for those of us who are seeking to understand different religions better, for those of us who are seeking "answers", etc. And as a place where folks can clear up misconceptions, etc. about their faith/religion/etc.

So, IF I were to set up a group like that, would anyone here join it?

I want it to be "safe" (I don't want to see arguments that are going nowhere- just back and forth banter between disagreeing people who just aren't going to be able to see the other persons POV), but I do want people to be able to ask questions (in a respectful manner). I love the input that everyone here gives on the threads in this forum. Well, thanks for reading. :)

[Tracey in TX]

I don't know of a site, but found yesterday's topic both insightful and stressful. A few times I was tempted to jump on the bandwagon, but was gaining so much from it and wanted to remain distant enough to learn. I have a particular POV, but gained much in the thread. A few items really made me think about my own faith--as well as several others.

Blind faith is essential, but gaining knowledge is beautiful and powerful.

[Soph the vet]

I appreciate what you are asking. I don't think it is a question of who is "right" but rather what is true? It is like a math question on a multiple choice exam. If answer "a" is correct, then if "b,c, and d" are different answers from "a", then they are incorrect for that question. In regard to religion, it may be that one is true, or it may be that none are true, but they cannot all be true because they contradict one another. Also, beliefs do not equal truth. Is it better to be "right" in belief, or to submit to the truth if discovered if it differs from the original belief? Not trying to :confused: you more I'm really just thinking aloud.

[MelissaM]

It would be extremely difficult to have a "safe" place to discuss different religions especially when questioning who is "right".

 

I am a non-confrontational person and that would be a set up for major confrontation. I hate for someone to try to "save" me and that's what a lot of fundamentals of any religion try to do.

 

Religion and spirituality can be the same but more often they are very different.

[MJN]

it would accomplish a whole lot in the long run. Discussing religion is just such a huge topic in and of itself. As I've gotten older, I've come to believe that it really doesn't matter the about the religion. It truly boils down to what kind of relationship you have with the Father, imho.

 

Peace,

 

Molly

[j.griff]

yeh, I doubt it would work, :(

I guess I could just post specific thoughts/questions here and see how long the thread can last. But then again people who post in those threads are growing weary of posting. <sigh>.

[*anj*]

I appreciate what you're saying. I found the thread to be very interesting on many levels, and although I do understand why it was locked, it would be nice to have a place to actually have that kind of discussion.

 

I think the problem is that people tend to get really emotional and it moves quickly from an even exchange of ideas to a "how dare you say that" kind of thing. If there were a way to have the discussion in a safe place, without huffing and puffing, I'd be interested. I am not afraid of other people having strong convictions that are different than mine. That was one of the things that I found to be most fascinating about yesterday's thread.

 

Where else can I talk with an Orthodox Jewish woman, a pagan, an agnostic and (if Nadia/Osmosis Mom had chimed in) a Muslim?

[Jen in NY]

I lately read a book called the Spiral Staircase by Karen Armstrong. For the most part the book is an autobiography of this former nun, but I found the last few chapters of the book addressed questions like the one you are posing and were very interesting and well written.

 

Might be worth checking out of your local library :)

 

(another) Jen

[j.griff]

Thanks for the book rec, I'll see if our library system has it. :D

[Joanne]

I love discussions of information, exchange - especially when they have an *inclusive* bias.

 

I've spent too many years in AA meetings (17 in May) to have any residual arrogance on what other people should call "God" or "spirituality".

[*anj*]

 

I don't think the admin shut down the thread b/c of its topic; I think we could have similar conversations... and if we consciously choose non-confrontative starter questions, we might avoid some of the more hurtful phrasings... though it is hard.

 

If you believed, for example, that b/c I do not accept your saviour I am doomed to eternal ****ation. How do you say that to me gently? (and I am sure there are people here who believe exactly that!)

 

Is there any nice way to say what I said to PariSarah yesterday - that Xtianity is idolatry for a Jew?

 

 

 

Oh, I agree. I think it was shut down because it was becoming too heated, too emotional, and potentially explosive.

 

And you're right...that's why I think that if there were a message board or site for that purpose we'd have to all agree that there could be no "I'll pray for you" or proselytizing or "I am so hurt" kind of stuff. There must be a way for reasonably intelligent, well meaning adults to have an academic discussion of their religious views.

 

And Eliana, I have to tell you that your saying that to Sarah was probably the most intriguing thing I read in the whole thread. Thought provoking, indeed.

[j.griff]

Yes! We'd have to agree up front to "check our baggage at the door", so to speak. We'd need to be able to just hear the actual questions people are asking- without taking it personally and becoming defensive. And no proselytizing (which is not allowed here either). Maybe that could just be done here though, if we had a copy and paste type disclaimer to add to those posts (this is an honest question, I am not asking this to be offensive, please word your replies carefully so as not to come across as abrasive or intentionally hurtful, remember that no proselytizing is allowed on this board, check your emotions at the door, this is meant to be an informative thread) LOL.

[dangermom]

Our political, religious, geographical, and other demographic differences are amazing, but the most amazing in thing is that, at least some of the time, we can bridge that gap and speak from our hearts with mutual compassion and respect.

 

I don't think the admin shut down the thread b/c of its topic; I think we could have similar conversations... and if we consciously choose non-confrontative starter questions, we might avoid some of the more hurtful phrasings... though it is hard.

 

If you believed, for example, that b/c I do not accept your saviour I am doomed to eternal ****ation. How do you say that to me gently? (and I am sure there are people here who believe exactly that!)

 

Is there any nice way to say what I said to PariSarah yesterday - that Xtianity is idolatry for a Jew?

 

With all the goodwill in the world, and there is a lot of it to go around here, these are sensitive topics, and that would mean that we would all need to be very careful to be compassionate and respectful, but also that we need to be prepared to hear things we might not like.

 

But if we can pull it off, we could have some really fabulous discussions. I have been fascinated (and very confused!) by some of the things I've been hearing and I want to understand more about the assumptions and beliefs others are guided by. And, may I say, it is a gift to be able to speak candidly about what is in my heart and be met with such graciousness and caring.

 

Eliana

I agree with this. I do enjoy discussing these topics, but it's not easy. I'm always willing to give it a try, though.

[Peek a Boo]

I think a Comparative Theology thread would be cool. i don't think i could stand Yet Another yahoogroup, lol.

 

No discussion of who's right or wrong, but something like Plaid Dad did --offer links to original source material and point out that if you agree/disagree w/ X, Y, or Z, then this one is not the one for you ;)

 

yeah --Eliana knows that Jews consider Christians idolaters, but I disagree cuz I'm right and she's wrong ;) And like she said, there's no real "nice" way to phrase that. But for those of us who are centered and secure in our faith, anyone telling us that we are wrong is pretty much irrelevant, lol.

 

I do think that a stipulation that PM'ing someone for clarification and encouraging people to take "most" questions off list would help keep the emotion to a minimum. "Go here and read it yourself".

 

I think a list of links that explain various positions would be great. I'm sure there's plenty of links out there already, so it would likely be easy to find and or tweak. I rarely ask theological questions cuz I just google the topic, read various denominational interpretations, and decide which one seems the most scripturally sound to me.

 

baptism.

communion.

salvation.

church order and authority.

role of gvt.

 

yadda yadda yadda.

 

have fun!

[Laura K (NC)]

In that book the author was blaming the Catholic Church so many years for her problems, when it turned out she actually had a physical problem all that time. I found it to be a very depressing book from start to finish. She said the idea of God or Jesus made her nauseous. She didn't think God could be thought of as a fact. There were whole litanies against the Catholic Church. She said St. Paul was synonymous with Muhammed. She said it didn't matter what you believed, only that you be a good person. I have page numbers for these. There was a huge discussion about this in my neck of the woods.

 

The whole title of the book was: The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness. Christians who might pick up the title that for the author, "Darkness" equals Christianity.

 

I guess if someone believes that all beliefs are equal, they might not have trouble with it. I don't how someone could logically say that all religions are equally true without saying the opposite, that all religions are equally false. In that case, such a discussion would not be made by "religious" people, but by people who don't claim any religious belief.

[j.griff]

For clarification~~~~

I am not asking people here "who's right? or is anyone right?", I was just posting that these are things that *I* have been pondering, and I'd just like to be able to ask specific questions without all the nitpicky, emotional bantering.

[Peek a Boo]

hey Jenn -- I would suggest you just PM anyone who might be able to answer your specific questions. Or go ahead and ask a Q, but ask for personal replies instead of public.

 

or just google like i do, lol.

 

good luck!

[Laura K (NC)]

Maybe the best thing to do would be to ask Catholics for book recommendations on Catholicism (like the Catechism), Methodists for a book describing Methodism, Buddhists for a book on Buddhism, and so on. If you ask three Catholics here what they believe about so-and-so, you will get three answers, and none of them might be so clear and correct as the source they were drawn from. Once people start weighing in with their opinions, about their own church and about someone else's church, then what you have are a whole bunch of opinions that you would ideally then have to verify with "original source documents." IMO, it's best to go right to the source and eliminate (figuratively, of course! :p ) the middle man. Er, woman.

 

I've tried a Yahoogroup email list that was something like that, with a moderator from each tradition represented. I thought we made a good effort, but it failed. I think there is something in the Tower of Babel story for us here today. There's a reason we're not unified and we don't understand each other's religious languages. I don't think we should give up trying, but I think we need to be extremely careful not to make the divide between us even worse.

[Storm Bay]

hey Jenn -- I would suggest you just PM anyone who might be able to answer your specific questions. Or go ahead and ask a Q, but ask for personal replies instead of public.

 

or just google like i do, lol.

 

good luck!

 

This might be better. As much as I'd love a group like you said, I hesitate because this can get very emotional. I KNOW most Christians aren't going to agree with me on certain hot topics. And this has nothing to do with being a conservative or liberal Christian.