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Okay, on the thread of reincarnation. Another member brought up an excellant point about intolerance. I was the one that started the thread of reincarnation and it went off topic. Which is expected I guess, but instead of continuing there I think this heading from another member is an excellant way to start a new discussion.
What is your definition of intolerance? How does intolerance effect our society?
Should intolerance be considered a sin?
Have you contributed yourself personally to a intolerant society, or have you did your best to be tolerant to all beliefs, to all life styles to all peoples, all cultures?
My personal answer is the intolerance, is the belief that somebody beliefs are supperiour to somebody elses. Intolerance actually creates racism of many kinds. Intolerance I believe creates uprising, wars, fights, murders, and much more. I have done my best to show my open mindness to all beliefs, all religions, all peoples, all countries, and all lifestyles. I am not a judge, nor will I ever be. There are some people who say they are right and others are wrong. That their beliefs, because they are different do not matter. I think respect, acceptance and pure love for everybody is the true belief. LOVE, creates Peace, Acceptance, Forgiveness, and so much more. Intolerance creates HATE. What world do I want to live in. I want to live in a world with peace and love. As long as others are so intolerant, even though they are teaching about their belief in God, as long as others are doing it by they are right and you are wrong. As long as they step on other peoples toes to make a point, as long as they are not open minded to others and get hateful when others do not have the same belief. They are going to be the ones that are responsible for turning other people away from God. God will in my opinion and according to the kings James bible will hold those people accountable, the people who are responsible of turning people away from God.
So for all those out there who like to judge others, tell them that their belief is wrong, for personally attacking somebody because of differing beliefs. You are teaching everybody else that hey, we do not want to be part of your religion because of the way you put people down, the way you treat others beliefs, the hate that you spew, the nastiness that you dish out. Your god is not the god that I believe in.
I don't believe intolerance has anything to do with what we think or believe. I think it's about how we act.
If I love my neighbor as myself - and I do unto others as I would have them to unto me - then it does not matter what I think or believe about that persons lifestyle or beliefs.
Of course we are not speaking of cheating, lying, murder, etc... Of those thinks intoleration is right. I am intolerable of those things.
If I am intolerable of someone who disagrees with me on religious or philosophical grounds ...that is, if I treat them or speak of them poorly...then I am being intolerable - and sinning.
The trouble with political or religious intolerance is the intolerant don't see it. A bigot is not a bigot to himself and doesn't understand how it cripples him and the world. The truly arrogant believe it is their priviledge, verily their duty even, to see that the world is properly bullied (only they would call it something else LOL).... but I am convinced with my entire spiritual being that this is who it's directed to when it was written that "the lame shall walk and the blind shall see and the meek shall inherit the earth".
There is nothing as powerful as the God-given ability to experience profound remorse and no one is as thoroughly converted as those who finally look in the mirror, don't like what they see and utterly give it up to God. From then on its not possible to judge others without judging oneself first and that tends to shut a lot of people up. Not everyone has had that sort of experience yet. For those who have there is no debate and they quietly demonstrate it in thoughtful and consistent actions more than words.
Since I don't believe in the conventional form of sin, I can't answer to the question directly. But this topic is heating up all over the planet along with global warming and the day will come when the lovers outnumber the haters-- I see the figures growing. Finally we will get to make that conversion to recognizing it must work for everyone if its to work at all. Maybe then we'll see a planet-wide shift into a kind of radical humility which will support respect and ultimately peaceful cooperation.
And in the meantime the challenge is to lovingly tolerate the intolerant since anything less means you've joined their camp!
Hello, Val.
That's a nice dream there, but it ain't gonna happen, no way. You know people better than that! The thing to do is to "love your enemies, etc." while at the same time giving them critical information that they need. The "politically correct" movement seems to be gaining speed, but while many in that crowd claim to be tolerant, they refuse to tolerate anyone, or anything that disagrees with them, so who is truly intolerant? One of the beauties of our society in the good old U.S.A. is that we can disagree loudly, but when push comes to shove, we will defend each others right to be wrong.
Truth has never been widely accepted, and even Jesus Christ said that He came to bring a sword, not peace. I promise not to hate you if you disagree with me, and hope you will accord me the same treatment.
The trouble is if you don't draw a line on a specific issue there is no line.
There are specific rights and wrongs, but the line for those slide slowly as one does not stand firm on those beleifs.
Killing is wrong, no matter if it is in a war or it is in the death penalty or the store clerk by the robber or abortion, when we stat lowing the value of life, we start down a slope. Our nation as a government has the power to declare war, that is a right within itself. And often sadly one wrong may have to be allowed for an overall good of society.
But beyond that there is no justifiction. But when one is tolerant and allows others to kill without thought or concern, where will it stop, unborn, why not up to 1 year old, or 4 year old. We now have in some areas assisted suicide, why not merley get rid of anyone over 70, how much social security money we would save ?
Sexual rights, what when one right steps on my right, If I send my child to a public school, why must he be taught that homosexual life style is a great thing, my teachings is it is not, it is not the role of my tax supported school to take a stand, why doe they address it at all.
To me it is a sin to be over tolerant, since by doing so you destroy the society. An example is Christ, he did not allow anything to happen, in the temple even he drove out the money changers, so there is a limit for even Christ as to what he would allow. He called the priests in the temple a pit of vipers, not exactly tolerant ??
It is my opinon that intolerance is just an excuse by those living in what should be unacceptable life styles to not have to answer for thier ways of life.
Should the drunk be allowed to drive, since who are we to say?
Open marriage, should brothers and sisters be allowed to marry, first cousins, grandfathers and granddaughters. where is the line to be drawn,
What about 4 people, or 5 people, where is the line drawn.
If you want to draw a line somewhere, then you are intolerant at some point, It is just your point and my point differ
I am not talking about that father chuck. Intolerance towards religion beliefs. One believes strongly against reincarnation. Another believes it may be possible. Who is right and who is wrong. Only God knows. God has many mysteries that are not unexplained and maybe many of them will be given to us when we pass to our next life. I am not talking about money changers, I am not talking about marriage, I am not talking about drunks, I am not talking about killing.
I am saying and stating that people have their different views and beliefs in religion. When somebody has a different belief or have different revelations. For one person to say they are wrong. That thier culture is wrong that they do not have faith because they may believe something different from them. Belittle them. Bad talk them and put them down because they think their better. This is what causes unrest. Whether it be between countries, cultures, churches, religions.
I believe in reincarnation in certain circumstances. Are you saying I am not allowed to state my belief in the possibility that reincarnation does exist. Does anybody have the right to judge me because I have belief in the reincarnation, or that I have had many ESP situations. Dreams coming true premonitions. I am interested in spirits and other paranormal, because I have had those experiances Does that make me a sorcerer? Does that make me a witch. I am left handed does that mean that I am evil. All these things were excepted as truth at one time. It was okay to prosecute those innocent people, kill, hang just because they did not understand gifts. That society was scared of things that they could not control, inorder to control they went out and murdered and killed these innocent people who were once thought to be witches or sorcerers? So society does change. Peoples thoughts, actions, rules and everything else does change in time. Do respect, accept another persons belief. When you are open minded and a listener, what does that teach other people about christians. That they practise what they preach, but when you have people saying that you are wrong and that they are right. That you are immature and they are more mature in thier faith then you are, that they know more then you because you have a difference in beliefs. You know what that says to me and to other people. That the person does not practise what they preach, and that they are a hyprocrite and that we or I do not want to be part of that. That kind of pushing people actually turn others that are open minded away from the belief in God because of the hyprocrisy that many christians posses, the way they act. How do you think God feels about that. We as believers need to be loving to ALL, To Everybody. Respecting everybody and yes accepting everybody for whatever they believe. There are things in society that we do not accept. That is fine but as far as religion beliefs or differing beliefs it is better to be loving and state your beliefs and let the other person decide whether it is in their spirit or not. God loves all , and created all.
Regarding religious intolerance, I think one of the main problems is that in certain religions, people are taught that theirs is the one true belief and anyone professing anything else (or what they consider to be a "deviation" of their religion, such as believing in reincarnation) is lacking in some way, and quite possibly doomed. Personally this idea is very foreign to me and difficult to comprehend, as I was raised in a religion that does not think it is the only one, but embraces all. Actually there is more than one major religion in the world that does not think they are the one true faith, so religious tolerance is not an impossibility, as some might suggest!!
If I really believed that my faith was the only one, of course I would want to share that with others, so that they would not be "doomed". But I would also concentrate very hard on my own personal humility, and how I came across to people. I would not assume to know what was in another person's heart, either.
I agree with you that religious intolerance causes many wars. Look at the situation in the Middle East at present. Northern Ireland is another example, and there are many more. Religious intolerance is also one of the main reasons our First Nations peoples here in Canada are having such a tough time now. When the Europeans colonized our country, they insisted that the indigenous peoples embrace their religion. They set up residential schools where First Nations children were taken from their families, forced to give up their culture and their language, and many were abused as well. A whole generation had been adversely affected. Most of these residential schools were run by religious groups.
Any time you think you are better than anyone else, even in what you believe about life, there is danger involved, in my opinion. It's a slippery slope and very easy to take the next step, to say that because you believe something superior to another, therefore you personlly are superior and deserve more or better. And after that it's not so hard to stand back and watch others being mistreated, and think nothing of it.
I commend and admire anyone who believes that theirs is the only way and yet can remain humble, kind, tolerant, etc. to those who don't agree. I can imagine it would be a very difficult thing to accomplish. I personally wouldn't be up to the task.
Chava, I read your response. I am so emotional just reading what is happening in the world, with people. With each other. In knowing that all of this intolerance is still happening, possibly getting worse. How many people this has effected and that is from people who think they are better or that their belief is supperiour. How can anybody take control of other people and treat them so badly. There was an very emotional Touched by an angel episode and the episode is about the fighting and killing between Catholics and Protestants in Ireland. They are pitted against each other with forever fighting that does not seem to want to end. So many religious wars. If there was not so much intolerance between cultures, differences in beliefs these wars would not be happening. I pray that one day, all societys, all religions, all beliefs can be respected, accepted and in some way we all can be reunited with each other and stop the fighting. I do not understand why so many people who are so religious can cause and create so much hatred in the world when it should be love and peace that we all should be sharing with each other.
It brings me to tears, it brings me great sadness that people do not know the true meaning of life, the true meaning of our creator no matter what name, culture, belief it comes from.
I share your pain in this, definitely! I can't bring myself to watch the news anymore. I am frightened for my children. Personally, if one considers intolerance a sin, I think it is mainly a sin of pride. People are so proud of who they are that they forget to be humble and show kindness and respect to others.
Being from a non-mainstream religion I am especially sensitive to religious intolerance. It seems more often than not based in fear of losing control. Very often couched in terms of protecting the children from evil outside influence. When in fact the only evil is to present another perspective that threatens the authority of the established order.
Though to be sure the Amish have a right to exsert control over their surroundings every bit as much as native people have the right to reject anglo culture and religions. And Islam and so many others are righteous to reject the 'religion' of American capitalism that will submerge their cultures in a flood of Madonna's pop music, Coke, Nike, and the infernal english language. After which we enslave them to the world bank, and make them take the slice of globalization that we've decided they should have. Are they being intolerant to oppose that?
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