Ok, first thank you mithrandir for your explination
second I'm not going to make serious comment on the passages from the new testament because I am less than versed in it.
Quote:
In some traditional Jewish temples though, men and women are seated separatley during the service.This isn't practised in the Christian churches.
Part of this is me defending my culture/religion, but I beg to differ. In some christian societies, shaker, omish etc, which are just as extrenely orthodox as most the jewish sects that do this. MOST jewish synagogue's in the US do not practice this anymore, just as churches don't. However, I do question (this is not meant as an attack, just a question), why the catholic church refuses to let women be priests, I'm totally uneducated in the arguement of this, but I question it.
As for killing....
I think there is a big diffrence between "Thou shall not kill" and "Thou shall not murder." Especially where things like self defense, and capital punishment come into play. Those of you that have read enough of my rants no that I do not believe in capital punishment at all, which I'm actually glad to see the pope has spoken out against. However, before I'm utterly jumped, I do believe in defensive warfare and/or self-defense. In the case of nations this does not just mean an attack directly on a country, but when nessicary an attack to defend their intrest. With minimal civilian casualties being a primary goal.
I respect your views very much mithrandir thank you for sharing them.
Cyde -
Quote:
Well 'random' murder (which is more along the lines i was thinking)is still not acceptable, core principles wise, social constructs remain the same, they fit their rules in line with current knowledge in this instances a specific significance of luck.
This is not a "random" murder to them, there are layed out things that they use, it is part of their culture, thier society.
Sparta -
Yes i realize it was "wierd." But that's how it was. Theivery was valued because it promoted survival skills and "sneakery".
Quote:
Where do you think the bible laws came from? God? Please....
Personally I agree with you. However they thought it was from God. That's the point I think you're not seeing. It doesn't matter where people learn values from, a religious institution or parents (like I did). The important thing is that they learn it.
Africa -
I agree this isn't a good thing. However, it isn't always bad things. For example, a friend of mine goes to to Latin America every summer to build schools. It isn't all bad.
Quote:
You wrong, you are so wrong that it actually hurts. I know, i've seen it, i know what happens in Pakistan, i have heard enough horror stories to last em a life time. Religion is most dangerous in societes without education, thats where the people get stoned to death for premarrital sex, thats where the women get butched in the name of cicumcision.
You're right, I'm wrong. Education is best. But religion CAN co-exsist with education. I'll get back to this...
Quote:
US culture might not equal christianty never the less the point remains IF the US were governed by muslim laws, Sept 11th would never have happened. You can claim "that was not Islam", it's irrelevant it WOULD NOT have happened if there had not been an "Islam", there would be no religious fanatics without religion
Going with your own arguement there would be. You point out that it's not religion it's culture that dictates these laws. Well either way their culture would be there's, they would think it's bad, some would think that it's bad fanatically and....
Quote:
Religion is based on illogical beliefs, and they are absolute. Because they cannot be debated.
No that's my entire point. I do not promote a religion that encourages people to gollow blindly. That is bad. That leads to tyranny and wars. I agree on that. However, many westren religions that are modernizing. Yes I realize that often means becoming more libral. But in many, not all, but many, modern religious places I have seen discussion and personal inturppertation are encouraged.
I went through 11 years of religious school and I couldn't quote more than the ten commandments. Moreover, I could probably count the times I remember using the Torah on one hand. We didn't discuss those things. We talked about morals and ethics. And we talked about jewish specific things suchs as the holocaust. I actually taught on the holocaust for 2 years, I remember one day I wanted a certain antectdote out of the Torah, I had to go to 3 classrooms to find a copy.
Quote:
Do you believe in God? Heaven? Hell, etc. etc?
God - I am open to the conncept, but no I do not believe in God in the traditional since of a all powerful being up on a thrown somewhwere, or any bing for that matter.
Hevan - I'd like to. Hell - no. Granted these are based on what I'd like to believe, and I have no "evidence" to back it up. But I know this and oh well.
I promise those psyc studies are out there, I've seen them while flipping through psyc journals.
And finally I'll not that one of the most religious people I know is also one of the smartests. It is possible for the two to co-exsist.
Kermi3