(moving into the Religion Forum...)
It tends to get messy, doesn't it?
(That dang flesh with its pride and ego!! Bad flesh...Bad!!)
But!...is there really a difference between knowledge, understanding, and spirirtual enlightenment?
I mean, who is being insulted or pressured?
Atheists think religions are for weak minds in need of a crutch....
Followers of each faith think they are on the right path vs. the "other" faiths out there...
All I saw during the discussions from over in the UCC section were issues pertaining to perspectives....not preaching....
I will state it again....I believe that people need to learn to think from different perspectives....(i.e. "I understand that from this faith system, I would be presuming this or assuming that...) That is in my mind, true acceptance and love for one another...
I will never understand why people try to "compartmentalize" life...the facets that make up the whole of a human being are interrelated
and interdependant....One cannot look around at the souls that they are in contact with during their lives and see the difference between those that have joy and hope and those that don't...can they?
The "scent" of "religion" was in that last thread...but my only intention was to explain a perspective, mine...and what I believe is the perspectives of the Redemptionist (or Priests as suggested by another "seasoned" member
)...the issues of faith and scripture were comfortably included in the conversations because of the perspectives I expected to have in common with some of those members that were participating in the thread...but it is, in the end, okay to disagree...yes it may be frustrating...but it is still okay.
Anyway, no harm done...I was just thinking that if anyone that who has been exposed to Biblical prophecy would see that we will not get our country back to its intended roots, if it were contrary to the will of the Father...(I am not even sure I have even seen any symbolic reference to our country in the end time prophecy(or story, depending on perspective))...I am saddened, but at the same time...I am happy to defer to the Designer...
I find it interesting to contemplate the idea that the Truth doesn't need anyone to believe in it in order for it to be the Truth...
Enough of that....
RPT