Quote:
Originally Posted by gunmum
Quite a hot topic, everyone has an opinion 
I challenge all of you to listen to this so that you have a better understanding of what the real debate should be about. You can argue and argue your facts, but until you realize that we all have a worldview that shapes our beliefs, you won't get anywhere with proving yourself!
There is more to it, but I'll start you off with this. It's slow to start, but worth it:
http://htod.cdncon.com/o2/rzimht/MP3...MP20100109.mp3 |
What should the real debate be about?
It certainly should not be which religious view is better (your speaker seems to think the only valid one is the Judeo-Christian one).
Your attempting to define the debate fails right off the bat.
The larger spiritual question should look more at the commonalities of how the modern religious views developed, rather then pointing out the differences and why whose ever book you think is holy is the one and only way to view spirituality.
Taking such a viewpoint ends up in people being close minded, and as Jew, Christians and Muslims have shown, wars. Religious wars are never justified, and if your god thinks they are, I don't even want to smell his B.O. never mind get to know him/her/it.
In fact, any god that promulgates a religious war probably has a B.O. that has a rather sulpheric smell to it.
Offensive? You bet. And I am offended by those that would suggest obliterating another human group in the name of religion is a holy thing.
Taking your texts literally has caused untold human suffering, and continues to this day.
Start looking at the deeper, human and spiritual messages contained even in the bible. They are the ones that are inerrant, and have been for many more thousands of years then just the past 2 millennium.The truths are there, but the moment you start literalizing those mythical and allegorical texts, you get caught in a trap that has cost millions an early death. Your faith, rather then being a spiritual journey, becomes a gateway to acceptance of mistreatment, de-humanizing others and death.
Too many have justified it because "it is written".
Is that the faith you want to adhere too? Or would you prefer that your spiritual journey is something that is uplifting, and gives you a closer connection with the universal truth? Does nature speak to you? Most here will say yes, to some degree or other. You already have experienced some of that universal truth. It doesn't need to be codified in some book, it doesn't need to be preached by some person up front, and it certainly doesn't require untold funds to be contributed to an institution.
It just needs to be your journey. Just make sure your journey doesn't start stepping on others toes.