I hope I do not offend anyone, as I am not trying to. But anyway, this is what I have to say.
Whenever I think about different religions other than than my own, I realize that I’ve never really met anyone who is a faithful Muslim/Hindu/Buddist/Etc. By faithful I mean loyal to their religon and obedient. It’s also quite amazing what some Catholics have done for their faith (ex: the saints). Not to say that any Muslims/Hindus/Buddist haven’t done anything like this, but I rarely do hear of it, and I really never have. Not only that, but I’ve also never heard of any Lutherans/Protestants who have done things like the saints have. If you know of any, then tell me!
If you don’t know already, then you should know that thousands of Catholics have died just to keep their faith alive and to not deny Jesus. It doesn’t seem likely that anyone would die for something there weren’t completely sure was true.
With that being said I wonder how some people can be anything besides Catholic. (By the way, I’m looking for responses from people who aren’t Catholic!!!)
Hmm, well I am a Protestant, and there are numerous people of other faiths who have died for their beliefs as well. Catholic missionaries as well as missionaries from other faiths have died trying to further their causes. I am not sure you can place one religion over another, because none of them are perfect.
It is the people who follow those religions that make the difference. I’ve seen good, honest people of all religions, and I have also seen many dishonest individuals of all religions as well. To take that point further, some of the best people I have met don’t believe in a religion/Creator at all.
In the end, there are plenty of faiths that promote good will toward others. The Catholic church isn’t free from its faults either, and I’m sure you are well aware of the scandals that took place over the course of the past few years.
Religion is one of those individualized things that you can’t really judge and give a numerical ranking to from my point of view.
Whenever I think about different religions other than than my own, I realize that I’ve never really met anyone who is a faithful Muslim/Hindu/Buddist/Etc. By faithful I mean loyal to their religon and obedient.
Go to India and meet a million people loyal to their faith, or to Iran and find the same.
In fact do you think if you had been born in either of those two countries you would have been a Catholic?
The whole reason the Protestant church sprung up was because the Catholic church was so very corrupt. Have you read about Luther’s 95 thesis which he nailed to a church door and for which he was excommunicated?
The Catholics had a lot to answer for, the Crusades, the selling of alms to get to heaven, a strict adherance to a literal interpretation of the Bible which made increasingly less sense. Who is Mirium? In Genisis Adam and Eve have Cain and Able and then Cain goes off and marries Mirium. Where did she spring from?
Protestantism in it’s various forms gets around these problems and, I’d imagine Protestants believe, back to Jesus’ message.
There has been so many great people who are not of Catholic faith…
You cant really say that one releigeon is better than another, sure you say than many saints died to keep their faith alive, but how many other people died because of the catholic church? And what about all the Scandals And the wars?
There is really no way of judging what releigeon is best, (because there isnt a best reliegon)
Ouch - don’t get me started on the Catholic church. I can easily counter your inquiry by asking, “How cay anyone BE a Catholic after they understand it?” The trouble is that they don’t. I grew up Catholic. Now it’s my choice and I’m not. No offense … just needed to voice my opinion. I’m Christian. From my perspective, there’s a polar difference.
The reason that other devouties are not heard of as often as Catholics is easy to understand. The other faiths of the world do not glorify their patrons the same way as the catholics. The muslims probebly do, but they haven’t been as influencial as the Catholic church up until this point.
As for my own people… Every one of them is as devout as one can be. Sure we don’t stone none believers, but hey, you can’t hold that against us.
The Catholics had a lot to answer for, the Crusades, the selling of alms to get to heaven, a strict adherance to a literal interpretation of the Bible which made increasingly less sense. Who is Mirium? In Genisis Adam and Eve have Cain and Able and then Cain goes off and marries Mirium. Where did she spring from?
God never states in the Old testiment that he didn’t create other men and women, just that Adam and Eve were the first (and technicaly Lylith came before Eve). God had Adam and Eve as cartakers for a while. He could have created any number of people during their stay there.
Though truthfuly, there is an explination, of sorts. The original texts speak of the Garden, and then everything outside of the garden. Men existed all over the world at that time. They were not however, the chosen one’s of God. They were heathens and pagens and barbarians. When Lylith was cast from the garden she went out and bred among these “others” as well… bringing God’s creation to their species through her blood.
Remember that the Bible is a “living” document. That means that it grows and shrinks based upon what one pope or another cannonizes. There are many peices of the old testiment that you will not find in modern bibles. You’ll have to go back into older texts if you want to read the original stories of the Christian faith. What I’m saying is… just because something doesn’t make sense, doesn’t mean that the Catholics don’t have an explination for it… it may just be that the explination has been removed due to unpopularity of the idea behind it.
I think he just means that the Catholic Church really, really places an emphasis on the saints and the actions of the saints, and it is obvious and seen throughout the world.
I see… If you want to see another example of that, look at the Shia Muslims and their Imams.
The muslims probebly do, but they haven’t been as influencial as the Catholic church up until this point.
??? The reason you are not aware of the Muslims doing this is because you live in a country that is largely Catholic. I assume you are saying that the muslims haven’t been as influential around the world…
I dont think we are going to hear from her again, because there is no arguing the truth, and the truth is there is no wrong or right religion. It’s what ever you believe in/don’t believe in and make for yourself. Peace out.
BTW - Well put everyone before me, said it all for me.
Remember that the Bible is a “living” document. That means that it grows and shrinks based upon what one pope or another cannonizes. There are many peices of the old testiment that you will not find in modern bibles. You’ll have to go back into older texts if you want to read the original stories of the Christian faith. What I’m saying is… just because something doesn’t make sense, doesn’t mean that the Catholics don’t have an explination for it… it may just be that the explination has been removed due to unpopularity of the idea behind it.
That makes it look rather like what is or isn’t “Catholic” look like it is dependant upon the whim of the pope. Having a set of foundations that can so easily be changed or that are so open to interpretation makes defence of those foundations a little difficult wouldn’t you say?
??? The reason you are not aware of the Muslims doing this is because you live in a country that is largely Catholic. I assume you are saying that the muslims haven’t been as influential around the world…
That’s what less influencial means to me, yes. The Catholics have their fingers in the American pie… America is very influencial around the globe, hence, the Catholics are more influencial.
That makes it look rather like what is or isn’t “Catholic” look like it is dependant upon the whim of the pope. Having a set of foundations that can so easily be changed or that are so open to interpretation makes defence of those foundations a little difficult wouldn’t you say?
Yes… though it is not THAT maliable. The pope would catch a lot of @#$%, possibly even be removed from his station if for instance he took out Mathew 1:1, or anything from John… or many other things in the new Testiment. Alterations have to be made slowly and with diliberate intention, or the whole of the religion falls apart. You wont find a pope making a rash change in things unless an absolute proof is found, or unless a new scroll is found depicting a more reliable, and yet different translation on an old text.
The other faiths of the world do not glorify their patrons the same way as the catholics.
What exactly do you mean by this?
Pretty much what Jubba has stated. I would just add this. More human beings use the tools taught to us by Budha than Christ, but Christ’s name (actually his title) is spoken more often. Budha and Christ never said “Worship me”, in fact, both said “do not worship me”. Perhaps it’s just that the Budhist’s listen better to their guru than the Christians do, I really couldn’t say for sure.
What I mean though is that the Catholics very much emphasize the glorification of individuals. Not as much as the glorification of their “Lord”, but certainly more so than most other major faiths.
My opinion about religions is that, religions start war. If there hadn’t been any religions there woudn’t have been as much wars as there have been. But, some people say every person needs hope and hope you get from religion.
religion will always be a difficult subject to address…
you can offend so easily…
so no offence meant here ok…
personally if you look at religion from an outside point of view it is manipulative…
“for so God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whosoever shall believeth in him will have everlasting life”
is that not saying, believe in the son of god or you will not get to heaven?
in which case you go to hell and that we r told (by the powers that be?) is a bad place to visit…
fear and control…
if you think about it like this…
we as humans have memories…
we remember ppl who lived with us and died…
we know for us death is inevitable…
so…
to ease the pain of our inevitability was religion created to help us with the fact that we all know one day we are going to die?
did we create an all being prescence who we can turn to in our hour of need…
to have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for and to be certain of the things we cannot see…
but this wanting to see does result in too much fighting and wars etc bcoz each person is entitled to their opinion and if their belief is strong (fear and control/manipulation) they will do anything to achieve this enlightenment…
i dont mind religion at all…
just the feckers who ram it down your throat from time to time…
