A need to re-examine our attitudes

patapata · (#1 (**permalink**))

An appeal to my spiritual and non-spiritual colleagues:
When it comes to tolerance, I feel that this section of Mashada leaves alot to be desired. All of you are good at expressing yourselves, but most forget to listen. I don't think we're running a race on the behalf of our various gods or ideologies. If that's what some of you are doing, then you are misguided. Your gods/ ideologies can fight those wars on their own.

I imagine a number of you feel that you are walking the right path in life, and that your choice is the only valid one. If your beliefs work for you, then I am happy for you. But remember that there are thousands here who do not share your convictions and who find as much (or even more) satisfaction in their religious choices or in their choice not to believe. That you disagree with them is not going to dent their experiences. So let's have more respect for each other when responding. Sure, there's room for humor here. But many forget to keep track of the thin line that exists between being humorous and insulting others. No matter how absurd other people's ideas seem to you, they exist, and have held strong for thousands of years. They will probably continue to do so. There's no need to back each other into corners and force people to 'defend' their beliefs. All our religious groups have spilt blood in in the past and will do so in the future. So we're all guilty by association.

It's not wrong to question ourselves and each other. But there's something definitely wrong when the only time we are interested enough to engage and question each other is when we're trying to prove just how right 'we' are and just how wrong 'they' are. I'm not advocating approaching religious discussions with naivety or with selective amnesia. I'm just asking that you do others the favor of listening to them the way you expect to be listened to and according them the same respect in responding that you expect them to accord you. We have much to learn from each other.

TeamManager · (#2 (**permalink**))

>It's not wrong to question ourselves and each other. But
>there's something definitely wrong when the only time we
>are interested enough to engage and question each other
>is when we're trying to prove just how right 'we' are and
>just how wrong 'they' are.

Since a number of us, regular-religious-section-contributors are already firmly established in their faith (whether true or false), it is almost pointless to try and un-convinince each other.

The question is whether Christianity, Islam, Atheistic etc beliefs can 'sell' themselves without resorting to 'My God (or no god) is better than your God'.

Can the various belief/unbelief systems STAND ON THIER OWN TWO FEET.

As you know Bwana Patapata, there are two ways to woe a girl. The first way is to tell her POSITIVE attributes about yourself and the second way is to tell her only NEGATIVE attributes about a another. One way is Cowardly.

y5next · (#3 (**permalink**))

And so far TM, you're doing a splendid job, the cowardly way.....

Fi-Fo-Fum!

:-)

dudette · (#4 (**permalink**))

>And so far TM, you're doing a splendid job, the cowardly
>way.....

TM's always been rather shy. Hata kwa bedroom.

jarabuon · (#5 (**permalink**))

>
>TM's always been rather shy. Hata kwa bedroom.

hehehe how many ndugu Jeros do we have here in mashada

satjas · (#6 (**permalink**))

hey TM

>As you know Bwana Patapata, there are two ways to woe a girl.
>The first way is to tell her POSITIVE attributes about
>yourself and the second way is to tell her only NEGATIVE
>attributes about a another. One way is Cowardly.

The third way is to be truly yourself and that usually works.

-the paradigm shifter.....God's friend.

One can only experience The Power when one is out of one's mind literally!!!!

satjas · (#7 (**permalink**))

hey patapata

> All our religious groups
>have spilt blood in in the past and will do so in the future.
>So we're all guilty by association.

this is All the reason required for us to question ourselves thoroughly even if it means being pushed into a corner so that more blood is not spilt unnecessarily by the future generations. Won't you rather be backed into a corner and questioned than be killed for your beliefs???

- things held in regard for centuries might not always be the truth.....remember the earth was considered flat for a long time....some still do.

>I'm just
>asking that you do others the favor of listening to them the
>way you expect to be listened to and according them the same
>respect in responding that you expect them to accord you. We
>have much to learn from each other.

- funny isn't it that even when i read your post aloud all i can hear is myself......so i actually listen to myself......then i try and imagine what mood you wrote it in.....and realize its all about feelings......can i ask you to please re-state that using feelings rather than listening?? sorry!

-the paradigm shifter......God's friend.

One can only experience The Power when one is out of one's mind literally!!!!

TeamManager · (#8 (**permalink**))

I always get amused when I meet people who ignore:-
1. The emphasis in the whole Bible concerning their being eyewitnesses, many who are still alive. Thus easy for the first recipiants of the Bible book to contercheck.

2. The detail descriptions of cities, houses, pools etc or places destroyed later eg. Jerusalem by the Romans. Archalogical findings are confirming that Biblical accounts were written by first hand witnesses. The latest finding is John 5:2 '...a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades...'. Deatils now getting confimed.

3. First century secular historians anti-christian testimony about Christians.

4. Statements like 1 cor 15:3-5, being passed by Paul, clearly predate his letters.

5. Dr. Luke in The Book of Acts writes alot about Paul but does not mentioned Paul's marty dead. My question did he write before Paul died or did he simply ignore Pauls death.

Ignore all these plus much much more and believe someone who appears later with a definate agenda against Christianity. O!

@Y5next,
Surprise, surprise, surprise...
I thought you had previously vowed never to reply to posting written by 'idiots' like me since you will, from then, ignore us. Aha!

satjas · (#9 (**permalink**))

Hey TM

>I always get amused when I meet people who ignore:-

For christ's sake TM, why can't this God who has done so much in the last two milenia not have the guts to update that bible and save us (pun) the misery of finding out stuff of yore??....you don't have an answer do you? cos even you couldn't possibly accept that a new bible could be in the making right now because the old bible says so.

-the paradigm shifter.....God's friend.

One can only experience The Power when one is out of one's mind literally!!!!

TeamManager · (#10 (**permalink**))

@Satjas,

>For christ's sake TM, why can't this God who has done so much
>in the last two milenia not have the guts to update that bible

Since what we have is COMPLETE. By the way, since you don't bother to accept and obey the Bible, what would be the POINT of giving you a new one? More disobedience???

>and save us (pun) the misery of finding out stuff of
>yore??....you don't have an answer do you? cos even you
>couldn't possibly accept that a new bible could be in the
>making right now because the old bible says so.

I have to admit that for a long time I did not understand the verse that talks about ...the gospel being foolishness to people perishing....now I really do.
Thanx! Atleast now I have a personal example that I have encountered.