My own personal frustration comes from people not willing to accept that anything good can possibly come from religion. I don't feel that I need to defend or answer for everything religion has done.
I apologize for bringing the subject here. What my real frustration was was due to the fact that this was a forum which, as I said, had a portion designated for religious discussions and it was dominated by anti-religious sentiment. I truly believe that many of the issues that are facing our world - the death of the environment, unrestricted greed - are caused by rampant materialism, in both the sense of money and in the sense of denying the spiritual. I think we need more, not less spiritual input in our world, and anything remotely spiritual seems to be struck down. --- In [email protected], Kristy McClain <healthypl...@...> wrote: > > Gentlemen, :) >  > Wait~~ don't get me into this discussion, as it is now "I" who has lost the > thread. I was merely trying to point out to DP that debating on-line with > people who attack him or hurt his feelings seems pointless to me, and making > a different choice to disengage and move on might be more productive. I see > now that it was a waste of my time as he has brought the issue to this > forum. I will take my own advice and move on. I have no problem > accepting both atheists and those who practice faith-based religions. I > don't think atheists are ignorant of faith. That was not my point. My point > was-- and is-- perhaps people of faith are guided by something other than > "facts", whereas atheists can, and often do debate religion from an > analytical or logic perspective. You can't prove or dis-prove faith, so > why try? I'm of the boring "Can't we all just along" school" Silly me.. >  > Kristy > > > --- On Mon, 10/4/10, mike brown <uerusub...@...> wrote: > > > From: mike brown <uerusub...@...> > Subject: Re: [Zen] Re: Don't pray in my school and I won't think in your > church. > To: [email protected] > Date: Monday, October 4, 2010, 10:18 AM > > >  > > > > > > DP, >  > Just because you're paranoid it doesn't mean they're not out to get you, huh. > Let me spell it out for you one more time. To paraphrase Kristy -  she said > that atheists are ignorant of faith and so don't understand the religious > perspective. I pointed out that 1) lots of atheists were once upon a time > believers who have now 'seen the light' and so do have such experience but > rejected it. 2) I may be ignorant of the beliefs of other groups but still > can deduce that they are harmful. NOT that religious folks are the same as > neo-nazis but the harm that can be DONE is the same. Clear? >  > Mike  > > > > > > From: DP <wookielife...@...> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Tue, 5 October, 2010 1:03:36 > Subject: [Zen] Re: Don't pray in my school and I won't think in your church. > >  > > My god, that is disingenuous... > > Kristy specifically said that the people who are arguing probably don't have > an experience of faith and that this means I can't explain it to them. > > You essentially said "I don't have to be a Neo-Nazi to understand that it's > bad." > > It doesn't take a paranoid person to see a comparison being made. > You are using your own personal definition of religion to attack. This is not > my experience of religion, and it never will be. > > --- In [email protected], mike brown <uerusuboyo@> wrote: > > > > DP, > >  > > I wrote: "Moreover, I am ignorant of what it is to be a neo-nazis, but have > > no > > trouble rejecting their beliefs as not just harmful, but wrong." > > > > You wrote: "You were essentially implying that religious belief was no > > different > > from being a "neo-nazi." I'm sorry, but I do find that offensive." > >  > > That wasn't my intention in the above sentence. I could just as easily have > > said > > I am ignorant of being a racist/Republican/terrorist/bigot/child-molester > > etc to > > make the point. If you see the connection with those and religion, well... > >  > > Mike  > > > ------------------------------------ Current Book Discussion: any Zen book that you recently have read or are reading! Talk about it today!Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Zen_Forum/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
