Does Jim still...?

[fluffy]

So how on earth do you survive??...................you're not drug dealing are you....??.......... naughtylol

fluffy

[quirky]

I sell vegetarian haggis, non-alcoholic beer and decaffeinated coffee to gullible people.

I WAS working in a Trauma Center...but I resigned.

I am looking now for the slot in the puzzle, but I have some money socked away that keeps me in beef jerky in the meantime.

[wonderbunny]

There is only one God, and he's pretty cool. He's got a hip kid named Jesus and that pretty much sums it up. When you've God and Jesus in your life, why would you need any other God or substance? You know that funny feeling in you stomach is the spirit that moves you to do or not do something. Goose bumps, well that's the Holy Spirit! I look for that stuff. Certain songs, movies, even cheesy commercials can bring a tear to the eye. That's the human stuff that emotions guide our spirit. Some need to be sensititized to the quite voice inside. Don't wait for sudden shock and panic of 'How did I miss it? I call it the God's talking voice. With him along, live is pretty cool. I have no problem letting people know when I've screwed up. He keep me sane. And when I feeling romantic, I pull out the Bible and read Song of Solomon - its wonderfully romantic. Who knew?

[quirky]

Wonderbunny...that was a great post! You know what I liked best about it? You didn't condemn anyone else's belief while eloquently relating your own.

I try not to close myself off to religion. When I was 13, we moved to another state and I went through confirmation classes in a church different than the one I'd grown up attending. I had large questions...and I went through almost all of the class before I finally had the gumption to ask them. The pastor answered a couple and then came the hum-dinger. I wanted to know where everyone of different faiths would end up after death? He said that the only way to Heaven was through Christ. I asked how could God let someone grow up in a household in a nation populated by another faith...because Christianity isn't the largest religion...how could God let someone who had never even been EXPOSED to Christianity go to Hell? The pastor said he'd answer that question after class. After class, he took my mother and me into his office and basically berated her for being a bad parent and failing to educate me religiously because I was entertaining these questions.

For me, that was it. I told my mom that I would not pledge an oath that I didn't believe...and she told me it was ok. That it was my choice.

I have come to respect all religions. There are two that have witnessing, or "conversion", if you will, as a major part. Those are Christianity and Islam.

One of the most moving moments I recall is when there was an interfaith prayer service in New York after 9/11. Deep inside, I knew that Islam wasn't a malevolent religion. I know that Christianity isn't either.

[carreyd away]

quirky wrote: I wanted to know where everyone of different faiths would end up after death? He said that the only way to Heaven was through Christ. I asked how could God let someone grow up in a household in a nation populated by another faith...because Christianity isn't the largest religion...how could God let someone who had never even been EXPOSED to Christianity go to Hell? The pastor said he'd answer that question after class. After class, he took my mother and me into his office and basically berated her for being a bad parent and failing to educate me religiously because I was entertaining these questions.

That's funny! I got kicked out of Cathecism class for the same question when I was 14. I constantly challenged the nuns, I never got a straight answer either...

[fluffy]

lol...................and i'm contantly searching too............i went to a baptist meeting for beginners....oh no!!!..........

As a teacher i have educated questions re science etc..........well, they didn't like that and shot me down in flames........

But i also went to see the Dalai Lhama last year..........and whilst i belive in a lot of what he says i did feel 'no i shouldn't be here'..........

so i'm the lost sheep..............lol ............except i can't decide whether or not to go home,or to investigate all those other juicy pastures out there..................lol

I think i'll always be looking............and i reckon that's my lesson......whatever i decide at the end of my life it'll have been leading me to it..............

fluffy

[Canadian Jayne]

G O D = Great Organization of Direction OR

Grand Order of Diety OR Gradutes Of Doers OR

What can you come up with?

What if GOD is a group of people(universalites) working towards the good
of all mankind in the universe?

What do you think?

[quirky]

Carreyd away - I've talked to quite a few people who relate a similar experience. Wouldn't you think that a pastor or a priest or a religious educator of any kind would prepare themself for that question?

I mean, it's THE question...at least, for me. I'd think in seminary or wherever there would be a lesson and the religious educator educator would say, "Everyone PAY attention...because this is going to be important later! There will be a written examination after class. "

I think some people slept through that lesson, so when it comes up...they have no choice but to make the questioner feel bad for entertaining those thoughts.

It's like, "Well...Missy...since your brain WENT there, here's your one-way, non-refundable ticket to Hell."

So now you're doomed and you still have questions. The only cure is a Tin Roof Sundae.

Fluffy - You know how there are some people you meet and you just want to hug them? For me, the Dalai Llama seems like that kind of person. I've done some reading about Buddism and him, in particular. I was surprised to read that he asks people to hold on to their faith, no matter what it is...he kind of described Buddhism more as a philosophy that can co-exist with other religions.

[fluffy]

I confess that when i saw him i was overwhelmed by a feeling that this was a very very important man...............i think that's why i felt uneasy.........almost as though i wan't worthy enough to be in his presence...................... we did go next door where there was a live video link and watched him there and that was better.........
i think thats why they might have had the screen next door to the auditorium......some folk found it too emotional.........i think i fell into that category.......but since in not a budhist it's difficult to explain why.........
i wasn't particulary touched when the pope died.............although i did find the funeral mass music exceptionally moving.................
but then that's music and it always makes me cry.........

fluffy

[quirky]

I was completely fascinated with the Pope's funeral. I stayed up to watch it. It was very moving to see all the world leaders there together.

[Lana]

I wish I read this before but I hope you read my post.

fluffy: I just wanna say that you look like a really like fun person and if all the Scottish people are like you I'll sure wanna go to Scotland .your student are really lucky to have such a teacher.

FunnyGirl: I wanna ask you how you knew about the Koran and what it says? And which people are you talking about that he killed?

I'm Muslim but I'm not that really commit to my religion I don't hide my hair with Hijab, I don't get a lot of stuff in my religion and I don't do a lot of stuff that is written in the Koran . i know a lot about Christianity because my mother is one (she is from Romania) and my two best friends are Christians. and we celebrate Christmas and Easter sometimes, so you could see that i 'm open to any kind of religion. Once i asked my Islam teacher in school about how could someone go to hell because they didn't hear about our religion (I was taught that it is the way to heaven)? and she said that we can't really know about that it is all in God's hands.
The thing about Islam that the people in the west (not all of them) see maybe the wrong image and then say that it's violent. The terrorists and the groups in Iraq they are all doing the wrong stuff. Islam didn't say that to kill innocent people for your relgion or cut their heads like they are doing in Iraq it makes me feel really shame of what they are doing, it's stupid what they are doing. the true Islam isn't what you see in the TV.


Lana

[nicesock!]

I find religion fascinating. I consider myself a christian and I try to live accordingly. But I have studied other religions and I do appreciate there values and their beliefs. Every religion has crazy radicals in them, not just islam. I actually kind of admire them, not the murdering and malicous part, but their faith is unrelentless. I chose chrisitanity because you don't have to be alone. God tells us to cast our worries, fears, anger, etc. on to him. In return God gives you hope, certainty, and love. I feel that some other religions require you to go through life on your own. For example: Like the Belief in Karma, what you choose to do and how you act will determine what happens to you. I can't honestly believe that a 5 yr old who has been infected with cancer, did something in his/her life to deserve that. I believe that evil, sickness, and hatred is already in the world. God will give you the means to get through it, he might not take the cancer away, but he gives you hope and the ability to cope when bad things happen.

I guess i just have different veiws on life.

[quirky]

Nicesock...I don't think your beliefs are all that different. There was an explanation of why bad things happen in Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (preceeded the Da Vinci Code). Not that I always go to the New York Times fiction bestseller list for my religious instruction. It was just (as Bob Ross would say) a happy accident. If God is all-powerful, how can God let bad things happen? The person who explains it is talking to the questioner...he explains it along these lines..."Your son fell off his skateboard and hurt himself recently" Yes. "It hurts you to see your son get hurt?" Of course. "Do you take away the skateboard so he doesn't fall?" No, because that's how he learns. "Exactly."

Lana - I enjoyed your post. I think it's great to hear from you. Speaking only for me...I *know* that most of Islam condemns the violence. It certainly isn't that your religion has the monopoly on the violent reactionaries. Occasionally, in the name of Christianity, someone will shoot a doctor who performs abortions.

On 9/11 I was at work and one of my good friends is a Turkish woman who is Muslim. The day had kind of gone by in a surreal slow-motion way. I think the strain of it was kind of etched on all of our faces. I had been near a TV and had family in Washington DC, so seeing the Pentagon on fire made me really have to struggle to maintain the ability to do the job. I felt like I had been a little bit derailed. At the end of the work day I walked out with my Turkish friend. I think it was HER face that bore the marks more than any of us "Christian-types"....she was absolutely TORTURED by the idea that someone could have used her religion to do that. She kept repeating that the Koran says it's wrong to commit suicide and that those men were traitors to Islam by killing innocents. In the parking lot I gave her a hug and told her that I understood that her religion wasn't responsible for what happened. She wasn't responsible for what happened. But I think she felt responsible.

It's too bad when awful things are done and the perpetrators claim to be doing it for their God.

[quirky]

I think I am verbose. Really what I think is that a lot of our problems with religion arise when it is used as a crucible for hate that resides in the mind instead of a compass for peace that resides in the soul.

[Lana]

quirky - thnks for the compliment that you enjoyed mt post.


Lana