Are you religous?, And Why? |
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Are you religous?, And Why? |
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#126
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![]() Diana =] ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 1,318 Joined: Jul 2005 Member No: 174,147 ![]() |
I guess you can say I'm religious. I go to church like every other Sunday and I pray to the Lord every night before I sleep. It's just the way I was brought up. I go to a Catholic school, so I have Religion class almost everyday. It's just a part of my life.
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#127
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![]() It eats you, starting with your bottom. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 1,999 Joined: Jun 2005 Member No: 160,674 ![]() |
QUOTE(kryogenix @ Feb 1 2006, 9:45 PM) God is in the kingdom of Heaven. God has no beginning and no end, he did not come from anywhere. I don't think there is any quantitative proof that God exists. Faith is required. "Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." -John 20:29 That wasn't what I asked. I mean, how did this thought even occur? The only conclusion anyone can come up with is ancient people needed an explanation for the sun coming up, creatures growing, seasns changing, etc., because they did not know what we do now. Also, notice that all of the origional ancient religious are all deemed as not true. So what happened to those people? Did they all go to hell because they didn't beleive in the right God? What about all the people who came before jesus? What about all the people who don't beleive in the "correct" religion? And honestly, in 5000 years from now, do really think that any of these religions will still around? Do you see people beleiving as the Mayas and Aztecs did? No. Christianity, Buddism, Judaism, Muslim, Paganism, etc. will all be a thing of the past, and all the those current religions will have originated from them. |
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#128
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![]() =] ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 1,910 Joined: Jun 2005 Member No: 156,614 ![]() |
i'm not religious.
i mean being TOO religious is even bad. you cant do anything you want t because its against ur religion. so i'd rather not be religious. besides, i'm an atheist ;] |
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*CrackedRearView* |
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#129
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QUOTE(annabel_x @ Feb 2 2006, 7:59 PM) i'm not religious. i mean being TOO religious is even bad. you cant do anything you want t because its against ur religion. so i'd rather not be religious. besides, i'm an atheist ;] Or your religion could liberate you and open you to new experiences and new people. You can't always be negative about it. |
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*mipadi* |
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#130
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QUOTE(CrackedRearView @ Feb 3 2006, 4:53 PM) Or your religion could liberate you and open you to new experiences and new people. You can't always be negative about it. An excellent point. I'm not too concerned with an individual's religion preferences. I think that a person is and should be able to believe what he wants to believe, no matter how he arrived at such a decision. I think it's in a person's best interests to examine many different religious philosophies to get an accurate view, but if he was raised a Christian and stays a Christian and never bothers to examine other beliefs, that is his problem, not mine. He should be free to make that choice without undue criticism. I am only concerned with another's beliefs when they begin to affect me. I have my own personal beliefs in the area of spirituality. I have my own personal morals and ethics. I don't think another person has the right to dictate his religion's morals and ethics to me, and force me to live my life by them as well. |
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*kryogenix* |
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#131
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QUOTE(mipadi @ Feb 3 2006, 6:17 PM) I don't think another person has the write to dictate his religion's morals and ethics to me, and force me to live my life by them as well. Well, if you want the right to write, CHMOD it! You should know that mipadi ![]() Anyways, I'm thinking about creating a new topic on the existence of God, since it seems to be drawing the discussion here a little off topic. |
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#132
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![]() dripping destruction ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 7,282 Joined: Jun 2004 Member No: 21,929 ![]() |
well; i certainly am not very religious.
i think my personal beliefs are somewhere along the lines of unitarian, athough i don't usually act it. do i believe in a god that watches over me and is powerful and created the earth? no. do i believe in a higher power? yes. do i believe there is a heaven and a hell that are like the ones in the bible? no. do i believe there is something after this life? yes, although i don't believe it's for eternity. do i believe in reincarnation? yes. i believe souls are something, and they're recycled to some extent. do i believe in karma? no. so as a whole, am i religous? i don't think so. but (although i may argue it) i don't believe religion is wrong, i don't reject all the beliefs, i don't care is someone else is religous. my main problem is more with the spreading of religion, which happens to be a large part of christianity. and no, i will not hate someone because they're christian. at least; not soley because of that. |
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#133
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![]() It eats you, starting with your bottom. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 1,999 Joined: Jun 2005 Member No: 160,674 ![]() |
QUOTE(mipadi @ Feb 3 2006, 6:17 PM) An excellent point. I'm not too concerned with an individual's religion preferences. I think that a person is and should be able to believe what he wants to believe, no matter how he arrived at such a decision. I think it's in a person's best interests to examine many different religious philosophies to get an accurate view, but if he was raised a Christian and stays a Christian and never bothers to examine other beliefs, that is his problem, not mine. He should be free to make that choice without undue criticism. I am only concerned with another's beliefs when they begin to affect me. I have my own personal beliefs in the area of spirituality. I have my own personal morals and ethics. I don't think another person has the write to dictate his religion's morals and ethics to me, and force me to live my life by them as well. I completely agree with you. What a person beleives is their choice, and I won't comment on it. I have plently of highly religious friends. But it's when they start commenting on how I beleive (as in converting me or telling me I'll burn in hell) is when I get upset in the matter. I don't insist upon them God isn't real, they don't have the right to do the same to me. Which is why I tend to be prejudgice towards heavily religious Christians, because they always try to convert me or tell me to I'm going to hell. Then I get mad, and yeah. I just avoid heavily religious Christians now. At least in my area. |
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*mipadi* |
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#134
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QUOTE([pshaa) shauna,Feb 3 2006, 11:43 PM]I completely agree with you. What a person beleives is their choice, and I won't comment on it. I have plently of highly religious friends. But it's when they start commenting on how I beleive (as in converting me or telling me I'll burn in hell) is when I get upset in the matter. I don't insist upon them God isn't real, they don't have the right to do the same to me. Which is why I tend to be prejudgice towards heavily religious Christians, because they always try to convert me or tell me to I'm going to hell. Then I get mad, and yeah. I just avoid heavily religious Christians now. At least in my area. That's annoying, but I'm at least as much annoyed by overly righteous atheists who insist another cannot hold a personab belief because logically it doesn't make sense, or because the person didn't do enough investigation into world religions. If religion helps define a person's life and gives them a code of morals, I see no problem with it, as long as they don't force those morals on anyone else, through government legislation, etc. |
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#135
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![]() It eats you, starting with your bottom. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 1,999 Joined: Jun 2005 Member No: 160,674 ![]() |
QUOTE(mipadi @ Feb 4 2006, 11:21 AM) That's annoying, but I'm at least as much annoyed by overly righteous atheists who insist another cannot hold a personab belief because logically it doesn't make sense, or because the person didn't do enough investigation into world religions. If religion helps define a person's life and gives them a code of morals, I see no problem with it, as long as they don't force those morals on anyone else, through government legislation, etc. That's also the same with me, which is kinda why I entered this debate in the first place. I felt that someone was acting superior and the rest were morons. To be perfectly honest, I'd like to think that there is some bigger thing out there, not nessicarily that it's the cause of existance, but that it's out there. But I can't, because I'm the type of person who needs a little substancial proof. So if there are people who can beleive in something like that, then I don't hold it against them. |
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*CrackedRearView* |
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#136
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QUOTE(sadolakced acid @ Feb 3 2006, 8:36 PM) my main problem is more with the spreading of religion, which happens to be a large part of christianity. Why should that bother you? The spreading of Christianity is almost wholly done peacefully. Christians hold youth group sessions where they try to rope in believers, they do outreach missions, and they more often just let people come to them. It's not like they're out cramming the New Testament down your throat, they're not invading your home on a religious tirade, and they're most certainly not out beheading and executing anyone who doesn't believe in their ideals and partake in their religious mores (which is to be seen in several other religions throughout the world). So I don't understand why Christianity pisses you off so much. Furthermore, I don't understand why the vast majority of atheists have a huge stick up their asses for Christianity. |
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#137
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![]() dripping destruction ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 7,282 Joined: Jun 2004 Member No: 21,929 ![]() |
becuase christians are the ones who have huge sticks up thier asses for athiests or other nonchristians.
i have only met one religion who's representatives would come to my door, tell me i was wrong, mistaken, and going to hell, and then ask if they could show me the light. i have only met one religion where someone from it has harrassed me because i am not a christian. i have only met one religion where a priest has come up to me on the street and followed me for a block trying to get me to listen to him tell me that i'm wrong and i'm going to hell. and quite frankly, when you're 6 and a strange man starts following you, yelling after you to stop, you develop a sort of phobia to the religion. so they're not literally cramming the new testament down my throat. but it's pretty damn close. so that's why i have a problem with that part of christianity. the lack of respect of other religions, and the whole "the whole world must hear the word before jesus will come again" thing. |
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*CrackedRearView* |
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#138
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QUOTE(sadolakced acid @ Feb 4 2006, 2:12 PM) becuase christians are the ones who have huge sticks up thier asses for athiests or other nonchristians. i have only met one religion who's representatives would come to my door, tell me i was wrong, mistaken, and going to hell, and then ask if they could show me the light. i have only met one religion where someone from it has harrassed me because i am not a christian. i have only met one religion where a priest has come up to me on the street and followed me for a block trying to get me to listen to him tell me that i'm wrong and i'm going to hell. and quite frankly, when you're 6 and a strange man starts following you, yelling after you to stop, you develop a sort of phobia to the religion. so they're not literally cramming the new testament down my throat. but it's pretty damn close. so that's why i have a problem with that part of christianity. the lack of respect of other religions, and the whole "the whole world must hear the word before jesus will come again" thing. The isolated incidents of radicalism you pointed out should be a comfort to you when you see things on the news all the time about mass killings executed by religious groups and religious warfare across the globe. |
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#139
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![]() dripping destruction ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 7,282 Joined: Jun 2004 Member No: 21,929 ![]() |
but they haven't happened to me. and how are the people who go around and knock on doors radicals? it seems to be a common thread in christianity, and they're actions haven't been denounced by the church. in fact, i don't think any of those incidents i mentioned are denounced by the churhc. and how should they be a comfort anyways?
what incidents are you talking about anyways? |
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#140
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![]() It eats you, starting with your bottom. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 1,999 Joined: Jun 2005 Member No: 160,674 ![]() |
QUOTE(CrackedRearView @ Feb 4 2006, 4:40 PM) The isolated incidents of radicalism you pointed out should be a comfort to you when you see things on the news all the time about mass killings executed by religious groups and religious warfare across the globe. With all respect, he's talking about personal experiences, which I share. If I hear about a particular person from a religion that's killing people in my area then I'm not going to go welcome them to the neighborhood. The incidents I am assuming you are talking about, have happened with a few people of that religion, it's not something that rleigion does as a whole. The rest of that religion says it's wrong. On the other hand, the things Justin has mentioned seems to be a habit with the majority of Christians, and it's approved by their church. |
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*CrackedRearView* |
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#141
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QUOTE([pshaa) shauna,Feb 4 2006, 3:36 PM]With all respect, he's talking about personal experiences, which I share. If I hear about a particular person from a religion that's killing people in my area then I'm not going to go welcome them to the neighborhood. The incidents I am assuming you are talking about, have happened with a few people of that religion, it's not something that rleigion does as a whole. The rest of that religion says it's wrong. On the other hand, the things Justin has mentioned seems to be a habit with the majority of Christians, and it's approved by their church. Approved by the church? There's where you cross the line. Sure, door to door marketing seems to be a common thing (moreso among offshoots of the general denominations), and yes, those actions are accepted by the churches that partake in them. But Justin's example of a crazed preacher chasing after him at six years old screaming eternal damnation to hell, I highly doubt that any church would endorse such behavior, and I feel that you both have generalized the Christian religion far too much. EDIT// And Justin, that was the isolated incident I was referencing. ![]() |
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#142
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![]() It eats you, starting with your bottom. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 1,999 Joined: Jun 2005 Member No: 160,674 ![]() |
I was not thinking of that incident when I wrote my response. That one as far as I'm concerned was excluded.
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#143
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Member ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 10 Joined: Aug 2004 Member No: 36,272 ![]() |
QUOTE([pshaa]shauna @ Feb 4 2006, 8:02 PM) I was not thinking of that incident when I wrote my response. That one as far as I'm concerned was excluded. That still does nothing to refute the fact that, as a whole, Christians are relatively to themselves. And when they do partake in outreach "recruiting" activities, they're very gracious about it. I have yet to realize why the people on this forum host so much animosity toward such an accommodating group of people... |
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#144
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![]() dripping destruction ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 7,282 Joined: Jun 2004 Member No: 21,929 ![]() |
i doubt any church would condemn such behavior either.
and when you say they're gracious in thier recruiting activities, do you mean they politely tell you your religion is wrong and you're going to hell unless you convert and you should be honored they're there to save you. okay, they're not usually like that. but they do say they're trying to save you, not convert you, and that has a hidden arrogance about it, don't you think? the preacher was young, dressed in black, and in a foriegn country. maybe an overzeleous missionary? I think missionaries are probably more direct with thier whole recruiting things. anyways: "The isolated incidents of radicalism you pointed out should be a comfort to you when you see things on the news all the time about mass killings executed by religious groups and religious warfare across the globe." specific examples, please? |
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#145
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Member ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 10 Joined: Aug 2004 Member No: 36,272 ![]() |
QUOTE(sadolakced acid @ Feb 4 2006, 11:40 PM) Sure. The January 1991 conflict in Mogadishu, Somalia is a good example. And it required UN action. Two warring groups supporting two different presidential candidates (Ali Mahdi Mohamed, and Mohamed Farah Aidid), largely because of their religious stance, created loads of mayhem. How much mayhem? Famine, malnutrition, disease, upwards of 300,000 deaths? Here's another you might remember... Classic Hutu v. Tutsi battle in a little place called Rwanda in 1994? Those are two ethnic divisions that clash on such an extreme level that more than 937,000 people died in that country in a matter of two months. Due to a religious clash, mind you, that was not Christian. Ever heard of Pol Pot? He destroyed 1.7 million Cambodians because they were ideologically and, go figure, religiously different. 1992-1995 in a little country called Bosnia, upwards of 8,000 "Bosniaks," or Bosnian Muslims were massacred. In Kashmir and Jammu, India, since 1989 more than 100,000 Kashmiri Hindu and Muslim civilians have been executed. I can't honestly find a modern day example that is a war over Christianity... |
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#146
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![]() It eats you, starting with your bottom. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 1,999 Joined: Jun 2005 Member No: 160,674 ![]() |
QUOTE(Cam @ Feb 5 2006, 1:54 PM) Sure. The January 1991 conflict in Mogadishu, Somalia is a good example. And it required UN action. Two warring groups supporting two different presidential candidates (Ali Mahdi Mohamed, and Mohamed Farah Aidid), largely because of their religious stance, created loads of mayhem. How much mayhem? Famine, malnutrition, disease, upwards of 300,000 deaths? Here's another you might remember... Classic Hutu v. Tutsi battle in a little place called Rwanda in 1994? Those are two ethnic divisions that clash on such an extreme level that more than 937,000 people died in that country in a matter of two months. Due to a religious clash, mind you, that was not Christian. Ever heard of Pol Pot? He destroyed 1.7 million Cambodians because they were ideologically and, go figure, religiously different. 1992-1995 in a little country called Bosnia, upwards of 8,000 "Bosniaks," or Bosnian Muslims were massacred. In Kashmir and Jammu, India, since 1989 more than 100,000 Kashmiri Hindu and Muslim civilians have been executed. I can't honestly find a modern day example that is a war over Christianity... But see, those incidents, aren't recent. 1995, 1992, 1991...those aren't events from now. When Justin said specific examples, he was talking about recent ones. He was actually directing that question to: QUOTE(CrackedRearView @ Feb 4 2006, 4:40 PM)
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#147
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![]() dripping destruction ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 7,282 Joined: Jun 2004 Member No: 21,929 ![]() |
i still don't see how those affect my view, none the less.
i should feel better that the christians are the ones up in my face because somewhere else in the world, someone else has used religion as an excuse. |
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#148
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![]() in the reverb chamber. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 4,022 Joined: Nov 2005 Member No: 300,308 ![]() |
QUOTE(kryogenix @ Feb 3 2006, 10:23 PM) Anyways, I'm thinking about creating a new topic on the existence of God, since it seems to be drawing the discussion here a little off topic. Do it. Please. ![]() Also, I'm not religious at all. "There is something feeble and a little contemptible about a man who cannot face the perils of life without the help of comfortable myths. Almost inevitably some part of him is aware that they are myths and that he believes them only because they are comforting. But he dares not face this thought! Moreover, since he is aware, however dimly, that his opinions are not rational, he becomes furious when they are disputed." -- Bertrand Russell |
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*CrackedRearView* |
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#149
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QUOTE([pshaa) shauna,Feb 5 2006, 12:01 PM]But see, those incidents, aren't recent. 1995, 1992, 1991...those aren't events from now. When Justin said specific examples, he was talking about recent ones. He was actually directing that question to: That's still a moot point. The 90's weren't that long ago. Until Hussein was overthrown a couple years ago, his massacres of the Kurds had gone unpunished. In Sudan al-Bashir's mercenaries in Darfur are one ethnic group of people (Arab Janjaweed's) who are slaughtering several hundred thousand of another with different ideologies in all facets of life. There's a new investigation concerning a genocide carried out by the Chinese on the Tibetans. The list goes on... And this is going on right now. There are still examples everywhere that are either unreported, or in the works. Again, none of which are carried out by modern day Christians. You just don't see it. Therefore the point remains: any 'harrassment' Justin may have experienced at the hands of a few idiot Christians pale in comparison to what he'd experience in a modern day country elsewhere. Furthermore, the only reason you're allowed to bring up the fact that the incidents Cam presented were from the 90's is because they were quashed when we saw that immediate action was necessary. What we have today is different. They're called insurgent groups. |
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#150
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![]() It eats you, starting with your bottom. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Member Posts: 1,999 Joined: Jun 2005 Member No: 160,674 ![]() |
QUOTE(CrackedRearView @ Feb 5 2006, 8:19 PM) That's still a moot point. The 90's weren't that long ago. Until Hussein was overthrown a couple years ago, his massacres of the Kurds had gone unpunished. In Sudan al-Bashir's mercenaries in Darfur are one ethnic group of people (Arab Janjaweed's) who are slaughtering several hundred thousand of another with different ideologies in all facets of life. There's a new investigation concerning a genocide carried out by the Chinese on the Tibetans. The list goes on... And this is going on right now. There are still examples everywhere that are either unreported, or in the works. Again, none of which are carried out by modern day Christians. You just don't see it. Therefore the point remains: any 'harrassment' Justin may have experienced at the hands of a few idiot Christians pale in comparison to what he'd experience in a modern day country elsewhere. Furthermore, the only reason you're allowed to bring up the fact that the incidents Cam presented were from the 90's is because they were quashed when we saw that immediate action was necessary. What we have today is different. They're called insurgent groups. No, I do see it. I do know what happens across the globe. I know about people being murdered because of their beliefs. But that's not what we were getting at. It all comes down to personal experience, not what is happening on the other side of the world. He hasn't had Muslim or Jews coming up to him and telling him he's going to hell. Christians have. That may sound selfish. True, I'm sure he'd rather deal with them in his face then have them shooting at him, as I would also, but the fact remains. Also, i would like to point out, that he lives in the United States, where he should be able to beleive what he wishes without being harrassed. I know that doesn't happen, but that's what should happen, and all of the incidents you pointed out are happening in countries that have been dealing with wars over religion, have been executing individuals of another religion, etc. for many years. Furthermore, it's not as if we find out someone is a Christian and start hating them with a passion. |
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