ClassIsInSession
Posts: 305
Joined: 7/26/2010 Status: offline
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The problem that causes all of the scorn between religions, isn't a problem with religion at all, it's a problem with self-esteem. If you don't feel solid enough inside you look to "God" to fill you. I have no problem with that no matter which religion you choose, and I happen to be a christian, albeit a perhaps very unorthodox one. But when you have to make everyone else wrong, the whole "my God is bigger than your God" thing...it just shows the glaring whole in your self esteem and perhaps in your faith as well. Let's face the facts, and when I say this I speak to Christians, Muslims, or any other religious group, if "God" is omnipotent and omnipresent, and he/she/it takes issue with a person's religious choice, he/she/it could very easily cause that person to disappear from life. I think killing in the name of God only proves you don't have the confidence that God is all powerful. At the heart of Christianity are a few very simple and profound things. First, Love you neighbor as yourself. There is no use of any adjective before neighbor in that statement, so it means broadly, love all of your neighbors, whether gay, straight, bi, white, black, yellow or red, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Athiest, rich or poor....LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF! Secondly, the Bible emphatically states we have free will to choose: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” (Deuteronomy 30:19) “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15) “Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.” (Proverbs 3:31) “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17) (If we had no choice, then knowing to do good would necessarily result in doing good.) ===================================================================================================================== So respecting everyone's free will to choose is something that should go without question. Finally, I can honestly say that I have friends of most every religion, race, sexual preference and economic level. I have a cousin who is from Iran, and several friends from Egypt, Pakistan and other parts of the Middle East. They are neither criminals nor cultists. They are people, with the same hopes, fears and dreams as anyone else. The Court decision that was made was just and right.
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