Morality is not determined by the church you attend nor the faith you embrace. It is determined by the quality of your character and the positive impact you have on those you meet along your journey
I swear I just had this same conversation -- defining what God is -- with a Catholic Christian associate of mine who was "interviewing" me to determine if I would fit as an employee of their new Christian school. My answers to every question he asked I answered that his religious practice was centered around conformity and control. This statement gives an almost word for word account of my answers to his questions.
I didn't bash his belief system and accepted his sincerity 100% as he laid out how his faith is all encompassing and accepting .... ONLY if you follow their rules, live a certain way, do certain things they demand according to the 600+ commandments of the bible, and receive the church's approval in order to go to heaven or purgatory (Greek, Hebrew, and originally Arabic) only to through two sets of judgements after death. One judgement happens immediately when you die, however, your spirit -- if the church didn't give you permission to go to heaven - has to wait for the second coming of Christ to get that final judgement and figure out where your spirit's final resting place will be.
They don't believe in casting people into hell and don't believe in ghosts but perform exorcisms. They are concerned that the spirit of the child (pre-born) needs defending regardless of the will and life of the mother or the situation a child is brought into the world. Instead, a woman is considered incapable of making any decisions about her body throughout the state of her pregnancy or during her non-pregnancy state.
Now, here's MY OPINION. God/Love/The Universe/Or Whatever You Choose To Call Nature Or Things You Can't Explain should not be based on rules set by people with rigid walls of judgement. Instead, God/Love/The Universe/Or Whatever You Choose To Call Nature Or Things You Can't Explain should be based on a foundation of acceptance (whether you agree or not) and a quest/desire for understanding...in that order.
Doesn't that boil down to trying not to hurt anyone purposely or knowingly?
When I was a child going to Mass every morning prior to the opening of our Catholic school, I knew early on that it was not for me. I was so controlled by my Mother, who was a staunch Catholic and then by the nuns!
I'm in my 70's today and haven't been in a Catholic church in years and years. Investigated other churches at a younger age and still found nothing that enticed me. Would say that I'm pretty much of an atheist today....love having no fear of 'going to hell'! Haha!
How about ‘Gazoo’? As in The Great Gazoo! reference: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Flintstones-3116/2008/1/Flinestoes.htm OR, http://www.ask.com/wiki/The_Great_Gazoo?o=2801&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com
We got married 26 years ago, and got "the lecture" from the priest for not including the word "Obey" and writing our own vows. It was considered a big deal then, but we insisted. We also got married by a justice of the peace in the same year (long story) and that's the wedding we now recognize as our "official" wedding date. Life isn't some big guy upstairs playing sims, and "Love" isn't bound by rules of fear, property and punishment. We DO need a word to differentiate the secular definition conveyed in this quote from the traditional/ religious definition. It's got to be something catchy, because of the war on marriage stuff.
Well, that pretty well sums up why i thank god i was born a 3rd generation atheist. Spared me a helping of jaundice and agida, sure.
ReplyDeleteI simply don't like to think of my life as some sort of pass/fail test. I'm not some superior beings science experiment.
ReplyDeleteGoodmorning Uncle Gryphen!
ReplyDeleteI swear I just had this same conversation -- defining what God is -- with a Catholic Christian associate of mine who was "interviewing" me to determine if I would fit as an employee of their new Christian school. My answers to every question he asked I answered that his religious practice was centered around conformity and control. This statement gives an almost word for word account of my answers to his questions.
I didn't bash his belief system and accepted his sincerity 100% as he laid out how his faith is all encompassing and accepting .... ONLY if you follow their rules, live a certain way, do certain things they demand according to the 600+ commandments of the bible, and receive the church's approval in order to go to heaven or purgatory (Greek, Hebrew, and originally Arabic) only to through two sets of judgements after death. One judgement happens immediately when you die, however, your spirit -- if the church didn't give you permission to go to heaven - has to wait for the second coming of Christ to get that final judgement and figure out where your spirit's final resting place will be.
They don't believe in casting people into hell and don't believe in ghosts but perform exorcisms. They are concerned that the spirit of the child (pre-born) needs defending regardless of the will and life of the mother or the situation a child is brought into the world. Instead, a woman is considered incapable of making any decisions about her body throughout the state of her pregnancy or during her non-pregnancy state.
Now, here's MY OPINION. God/Love/The Universe/Or Whatever You Choose To Call Nature Or Things You Can't Explain should not be based on rules set by people with rigid walls of judgement. Instead, God/Love/The Universe/Or Whatever You Choose To Call Nature Or Things You Can't Explain should be based on a foundation of acceptance (whether you agree or not) and a quest/desire for understanding...in that order.
Doesn't that boil down to trying not to hurt anyone purposely or knowingly?
A counterfeit love. . .exactly!
ReplyDeleteBRAVO, Love it!
ReplyDeleteI would change one thing in that statement. I would drop the "human" and write "SENTIENT" instead.
ReplyDeleteI feel that would make it compatible with any and all (well, pretty much any and all) intelligent species we may encounter.
So mote it be!
ReplyDeleteR'amen.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 5:09am beat me to it with" So mote it be."
ReplyDeleteI also like and would offer "And so it is."
J
How about: "So let it be written. So let it be done!" Rameses in "Ten Commandments"
Delete(LOVED Yul Brynner! Fantastic actor!!!!!!!!)
When I was a child going to Mass every morning prior to the opening of our Catholic school, I knew early on that it was not for me. I was so controlled by my Mother, who was a staunch Catholic and then by the nuns!
ReplyDeleteI'm in my 70's today and haven't been in a Catholic church in years and years. Investigated other churches at a younger age and still found nothing that enticed me. Would say that I'm pretty much of an atheist today....love having no fear of 'going to hell'! Haha!
How about ‘Gazoo’? As in The Great Gazoo! reference: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Flintstones-3116/2008/1/Flinestoes.htm
ReplyDeleteOR, http://www.ask.com/wiki/The_Great_Gazoo?o=2801&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com
"Cosmic truth".
ReplyDeleteWe got married 26 years ago, and got "the lecture" from the priest for not including the word "Obey" and writing our own vows. It was considered a big deal then, but we insisted. We also got married by a justice of the peace in the same year (long story) and that's the wedding we now recognize as our "official" wedding date.
ReplyDeleteLife isn't some big guy upstairs playing sims, and "Love" isn't bound by rules of fear, property and punishment.
We DO need a word to differentiate the secular definition conveyed in this quote from the traditional/ religious definition.
It's got to be something catchy, because of the war on marriage stuff.