I was raised in a Christian House Hold.
What I have been told by my own Extended Family Members who are Fundamentalist Christians, just like what most of the "Moral Majority".
"You cannot believe in God. You know too much about science. You study Electrons and Nucleons (* Spelling incorrectly as it is a quote *), and other little things, that no man should no about or understand."
"You are excommunicated from our church, for you openness to others"
These two stick in my mind.
When, I was younger back in the early to mid 80's, I had a quote, "Hi, I am Rich, the 'Self' Elected President of the Immoral Minority, just under 6 Billion strong. As the Moral Majority and their Million Members exclude everyone else who is not in their group. Oh, How did I get, the job, I voted myself in. You want to vote yourself the Emperor or goddess, then do so."
What gets me is the Self-righteous way, that many approach me, and that is if I do not believe the same way they do, then I am immediately wrong. Nice close mindedness, in my opinion.
When people ask what Religion I am, I reply Zen Christian. I walk the path, I walk and I do not expect anyone else to walk the same path or with me. I do expect them to walk their own path, and ours is the same path for a while that is fine. Yet, their experiences will be different then mine would be, and hence a truly different path, even though it might look the same from the outside. My beliefs do not exclude anyone else. For my beliefs are that there were / are messages that people need to hear. Either for cultural development or for survival, and those messages were different, in different time periods and to locations. For a Protestant to presume that their interpretation is the only, most certainly upsets the Catholics, as well as the Jewish and Muslims. Yet, could it not be that there were more than one message sent, by multiple people? The problem with Religion is that it tries to freeze the people or its members into a state of being. The Jews acknowledge the prophets up through Muhammad, yet are still waiting for the Son of God. Which upsets the Christians. The Christians recognize the prophets up to Jesus Christ, and that is the end of it, and there can be none greater. The Muslims recognize the prophets up to Muhammad, and since he was the last he was the greatest (* Sunni who believe that Muhammads' Nephew was also a prophet, I believe *). Now could not, a great being who many call "God", have planned to talk to different people at different times, with a message to help them? Yet, humans and their egos get involved, and now it has to be that this one that they belong to is the best and only truth.
I have had nice discussions with some ministers and priests of different churches and religions. I have also had good discussions with those who educate themselves, beyond the immediate rhetoric. Yet, when people get the knee jerk reactions about their religions, when someone asks a question, for they have also questioned their belief or the faith, then I have a problem. The religious right, seem to be the biggest, knee jerkers to me. They get upset, and feel threatened by questions or actions of others. They want it their way. Well, I want it my way, and I think the U.S. Constitution supports my way of each person who makes up a portion of 'The People" have the right for religious freedom, and that it shall not be forced upon them.
My thoughts and not yours.
PS: I also dated a nice young lady who is a Minister. She actually restored my faith in women kind after a nasty divorce. We were just not 'Right' for each other, and her new boyfriend is a great guy and better for her.
We are still friends, I even have two of her cats while she is overseas, doing her duty as a Navy Chaplain.
What I have been told by my own Extended Family Members who are Fundamentalist Christians, just like what most of the "Moral Majority".
"You cannot believe in God. You know too much about science. You study Electrons and Nucleons (* Spelling incorrectly as it is a quote *), and other little things, that no man should no about or understand."
"You are excommunicated from our church, for you openness to others"
These two stick in my mind.
When, I was younger back in the early to mid 80's, I had a quote, "Hi, I am Rich, the 'Self' Elected President of the Immoral Minority, just under 6 Billion strong. As the Moral Majority and their Million Members exclude everyone else who is not in their group. Oh, How did I get, the job, I voted myself in. You want to vote yourself the Emperor or goddess, then do so."
What gets me is the Self-righteous way, that many approach me, and that is if I do not believe the same way they do, then I am immediately wrong. Nice close mindedness, in my opinion.
When people ask what Religion I am, I reply Zen Christian. I walk the path, I walk and I do not expect anyone else to walk the same path or with me. I do expect them to walk their own path, and ours is the same path for a while that is fine. Yet, their experiences will be different then mine would be, and hence a truly different path, even though it might look the same from the outside. My beliefs do not exclude anyone else. For my beliefs are that there were / are messages that people need to hear. Either for cultural development or for survival, and those messages were different, in different time periods and to locations. For a Protestant to presume that their interpretation is the only, most certainly upsets the Catholics, as well as the Jewish and Muslims. Yet, could it not be that there were more than one message sent, by multiple people? The problem with Religion is that it tries to freeze the people or its members into a state of being. The Jews acknowledge the prophets up through Muhammad, yet are still waiting for the Son of God. Which upsets the Christians. The Christians recognize the prophets up to Jesus Christ, and that is the end of it, and there can be none greater. The Muslims recognize the prophets up to Muhammad, and since he was the last he was the greatest (* Sunni who believe that Muhammads' Nephew was also a prophet, I believe *). Now could not, a great being who many call "God", have planned to talk to different people at different times, with a message to help them? Yet, humans and their egos get involved, and now it has to be that this one that they belong to is the best and only truth.
I have had nice discussions with some ministers and priests of different churches and religions. I have also had good discussions with those who educate themselves, beyond the immediate rhetoric. Yet, when people get the knee jerk reactions about their religions, when someone asks a question, for they have also questioned their belief or the faith, then I have a problem. The religious right, seem to be the biggest, knee jerkers to me. They get upset, and feel threatened by questions or actions of others. They want it their way. Well, I want it my way, and I think the U.S. Constitution supports my way of each person who makes up a portion of 'The People" have the right for religious freedom, and that it shall not be forced upon them.
My thoughts and not yours.
PS: I also dated a nice young lady who is a Minister. She actually restored my faith in women kind after a nasty divorce. We were just not 'Right' for each other, and her new boyfriend is a great guy and better for her.
We are still friends, I even have two of her cats while she is overseas, doing her duty as a Navy Chaplain.
