Why can't people respect other people's beliefs?

[kristleh]

I belong to the small part of the population who does not believe (but used to) in the existence of God. Please don't ask why as it is a different topic altogether. But I just can't stand why some can't respect that I have my own idealogies which just happen to be quite different from the majority. My brother now sees me as if I am a disturbed person. My parents would probably panick if they know. I usually just close my mouth when religion is the topic because it is a sensitive topic especially for Filipinos. I understand that the Philippines is a Christian nation (and the only one in Asia actually) but some people see this as a deviant behavior, like paraphilia or what.

What I now believe in is not just a phase or some form of nonconformity just for the sake of going against the flow. What is more insulting is that some people think that this is so un-Filipino therefore I'm suffering from colonial mentality . I just don't get the logic when Christianity itself was actually brought to the Philippines by the Spanish. I respect believers of God but many of them can not respect me.

[kristleh]

I would like to add that I am not promiscuous, immoral, or whatever just because I have no religion and do not believe in the existence of God. Just looking for an outlet to let out some of my feelings.

[Pauldo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kristleh &#064; May 18 2006, 09&#58;31 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
I would like to add that I am not promiscuous, immoral, or whatever just because I have no religion and do not believe in the existence of God. Just looking for an outlet to let out some of my feelings.
[/b][/quote]

Not wanting to start a religious crusade here, but I firmly believe that religion is a control and leadership system put together over the millenia to keep the worlds working classes in their place.

As such it works remarkably well, but the only trouble with a religion that is based on the ignorance of the masses, is when the masses start to become educated.
Somebody famous said this, forget who now, but I think it is pretty close to the truth:

I believe life is inherently without meaning, but the human mind seeks challenge, so we create answers for the unaneswerable questions: We create gods. Science has disproved so many superstitions over the years that I believe science will eventually disprove religion. That is if society doesn&#39;t outgrow religion first&#33;

[kristleh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pauldo &#064; May 18 2006, 09&#58;15 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Not wanting to start a religious crusade here, but I firmly believe that religion is a control and leadership system put together over the millenia to keep the worlds working classes in their place.

As such it works remarkably well, but the only trouble with a religion that is based on the ignorance of the masses, is when the masses start to become educated.
Somebody famous said this, forget who now, but I think it is pretty close to the truth:

I believe life is inherently without meaning, but the human mind seeks challenge, so we create answers for the unaneswerable questions: We create gods. Science has disproved so many superstitions over the years that I believe science will eventually disprove religion. That is if society doesn&#39;t outgrow religion first&#33;
[/b][/quote]

My parents should be blamed because they were the ones who paid for my tuition anyway. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] Just kidding. I respect your views about the nature of religion and its purpose. I am not exactly sure but the quote may have come from Nietszche as he was the one who said "God is dead" by this he means the emergence of science has displaced God. I hope you do not find it disturbing that a 20 year old is saying this to you. hehe. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

[baboyako]

One of the facts of life is the desire of 20 year olds not to conform.

Another fact of life is that it&#39;s a rough ride.

The reason your parents thank God for the food on the table is because there wasn&#39;t always food on the table. When life gets tough, only God/Jesus/Allah/Buddah/.../etc/... can pick you up and put you back on the straight & narrow.

You don&#39;t know this yet of course [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img] it&#39;s part of growing up don&#39;t worry [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif[/img]

[kristleh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(baboyako &#064; May 18 2006, 08&#58;56 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
One of the facts of life is the desire of 20 year olds not to conform.

Another fact of life is that it&#39;s a rough ride.

The reason your parents thank God for the food on the table is because there wasn&#39;t always food on the table. When life gets tough, only God/Jesus/Allah/Buddah/.../etc/... can pick you up and put you back on the straight & narrow.

You don&#39;t know this yet of course [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img] it&#39;s part of growing up don&#39;t worry [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ohmy.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]


I am aware of the fact that people at this age usually have this notion that nonconformity is equivalent to cool. But it is not always the case. My reason for not believing is not due to noncorformity but rather on psychological, sociological, scientific and philosophical ideas. I will not further explain because that is not the point of my post anyway. This will become a thread focusing more on why we believe and not why we should respect.

I may not be taken seriously because I am merely 20 but age is not related to emotional stability, intelligence, maturity, or whatever (except of course when we are talking about children). A man can be 46 years old and still be directionless. Some people never care to think about this. People were given the ability to think and analyze. It was not as if I woke up yesterday with these ideas suddenly popping in my mind. To make it all short, do not underestimate teenagers or young adult. And more importantly, people should respect other&#39;s beliefs especially with matters regarding religion and not try to force whatever their idealogies as the absolute truth.

[Pauldo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kristleh &#064; May 18 2006, 10&#58;46 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
It was not as if I woke up yesterday with these ideas suddenly popping in my mind. To make it all short, do not underestimate teenagers or young adult. And more importantly, people should respect other&#39;s beliefs especially with matters regarding religion and not try to force whatever their idealogies as the absolute truth.
[/b][/quote]
I started to doubt &#39;the word&#39; when I was about ten years old, so it was not a teenage non conformity deal for me.

When they teach you Religious Instruction, about creating the world, Adam and Eve, breaking bread, parting the waters, the ark and all in one lesson, then basically tell you it is rubbish in the next lesson, such as physics, biology and history, what is a person supposed to believe?

My complaints fell on deaf ears in those days, and requesting excemption from religious brain washing was punished by extra math lessons and suchforth.

Some people just don&#39;t want to hear the truth. Some are scared to admit the truth. Others just need to believe in something to get by from day to day. Really, if you have no promised &#39;heaven&#39; to go to when you die, what else is there in some peoples miserable and directionless lives to keep them going?

[kristleh]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pauldo &#064; May 18 2006, 10&#58;06 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
I started to doubt &#39;the word&#39; when I was about ten years old, so it was not a teenage non conformity deal for me.

When they teach you Religious Instruction, about creating the world, Adam and Eve, breaking bread, parting the waters, the ark and all in one lesson, then basically tell you it is rubbish in the next lesson, such as physics, biology and history, what is a person supposed to believe?

[/b][/quote]

Darwinian theory was never included in any of our high school science subjects due to the school principal&#39;s belief that this might affect our faith. I have heard this also happened in some other schools. In my opinion, the witholding of information was a form of manipulation and oppression. Whether Charles Darwin was right or wrong, at least we could have had an opportunity to study it and decide for ourselves. Of course, students should have read other sources of information if it can not discussed in class but there is a tendency for students to uncritically accept whatever was given by the teachers. The problem with people is passiveness. The problem with the educational system (esp. in elementary and high school here) is the use of spoon-feeding technique.

Pamphlets were given to the student body in our high school every now and then, telling the students not to listen to this band or not read this book (like Harry Potter as according to the school, it promotes witchcraft). If you do not comply, your possessions will be confiscated and so on. If you are part of another religion, they will try to convert you to Protestantism and they rarely hire Roman Catholics as part of the faculty. My alma mater does not seem to have a concept of tolerance and respect.

[Eljohno]

It is always good to hear what what people believe or do not believe in, even if i disagree with what someone says i beileve in freedom of speech and free will...

I am proud to say i am a christian and i have not be conformed to being like this because of what others believe but by personal choice and faith and i have no problem believing that the Bible is God&#39;s Word but i will not force this on anyone. I also believe that science will not takeover Christianity but can prove the excistance of what has been spoken of in the Bible.

[Admin]

If people want to worship fairy stories then that is up to them, but please don&#39;t let it interfere with my life.

If their is life after death, where were we before we were born?

Obviosuly God likes a bit of fun as well, Tsunami&#39;s, earthquakes, 9/11 [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif[/img]

[Eljohno]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; May 19 2006, 06&#58;38 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
If people want to worship fairy stories then that is up to them, but please don&#39;t let it interfere with my life.

If their is life after death, where were we before we were born?

Obviosuly God likes a bit of fun as well, Tsunami&#39;s, earthquakes, 9/11 [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]


Before we were born we never excisted&#33;&#33;


God&#39;s idea of fun is certainly not what you have mentioned, 9/11 is because of very sinful men...

[gm47]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; May 19 2006, 06&#58;38 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
If people want to worship fairy stories then that is up to them, but please don&#39;t let it interfere with my life.

If <span style="color:#FF0000">their</span> is life after death, where were we before we were born?

<span style="color:#FF0000">Obviosuly</span> God likes a bit of fun as well, Tsunami&#39;s, earthquakes, 9/11 [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]



Careful Keith, remember what you said about using spell-check in posts&#33;&#33;


If you genuinely wanted answers to your questions, there are places you can go to voice your opinions and hear other people’s perceptions.

[Admin]

I&#39;m a dumb scoucer, I type as I spoke so whit I mean too u an i ate it heer their n everywere [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

I wonder why God would have spent so much time making quarks and neutrino&#39;s at a sub atomic level? And why we would need so big a Universe if we are the only ones here&#33;....and more importantly.....why he put George Bush on the planet [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif[/img]

[ivor&mel]

I'm a dumb scoucer, I type as I spoke so whit I mean too u an i ate it heer their n everywere

I wonder why God would have spent so much time making quarks and neutrino's at a sub atomic level? And why we would need so big a Universe if we are the only ones here!....and more importantly.....why he put George Bush on the planet

(1) Quarks? Neutrinos? God had to have something to build with... Just think of them as cosmic Lego...
(2) A big universe was needed so that God could find somewhere to hide and keep mankind arguing for centuries about his existence. If he ever got found, he would have a lot of explaining to do....
(3) George Bush? Oh.... I give up.... There is no explanation for that phenomonen... That would be the FIRST thing that God would have to explain...

[Pauldo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; May 19 2006, 05&#58;04 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
I&#39;m a dumb scoucer, I type as I spoke so whit I mean too u an i ate it heer their n everywere [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

I wonder why God would have spent so much time making quarks and neutrino&#39;s at a sub atomic level? And why we would need so big a Universe if we are the only ones here&#33;....and more importantly.....why he put George Bush on the planet [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]

Edited, because I was getting a bit rude.

[Eljohno]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pauldo &#064; May 19 2006, 11&#58;00 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Can you think of a better way to get the uneducated masses to bust their balls all their lives, live on nothing but the sweepings from a budgies cage and never complain, AND give you a handful of change when they come to worship you every Sunday in the massive house they built for you?

Just promise them that when they die they will go to a great place called heaven, and they will eventually inherit the earth.

Can you think of a better story?? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cwm24.gif[/img]

Can you imagine a billion idiots believing it?? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Doh.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Grin.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Grin.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Grin.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]



I am sorry that you have such a bad view but its actually you i feel sorry for mainly coz you seem to have no clue to what Christianity is all about. I am not saying that all Ministers are doing right but my relationship with God is not about the amount of money i give every week. I am not going to heaven because of what my Pastor tells me but because the Bible makes it very clear that i will. Christianity it seems for whatever reason is a bad subject for you. But let me tell you one thing both my wife and i plus most of my friends and some of my family are not idiots for believing what we do. If i came on this website and starting shoving my faith down peoples necks many of you would not be happy and be very annoyed but it seems fine that you can run down my faith. If you came on and slagged of my wife you would expect me to defend her and my faith in God is even more important to me and that is my only reason for saying all i have and i am sure you will have a positive comment when you read this......

[ivor&mel]

Does anyone else notice the Google ads that appear at the top of this page? At the moment, they are "Jesus Christ: Real Story" and "God - total union with God". See what you&#39;ve all started?&#33; Maybe somebody&#39;s trying to tell you something&#33;

Anyway, there&#39;s more to religion than just Christianity and/or The Bible&#33;

Ivor and Mel

[walesrob]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ivor&mel &#064; May 19 2006, 08&#58;15 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Does anyone else notice the Google ads that appear at the top of this page?
[/b][/quote]

Thats the beauty of word context advertising by Google - not an act of God [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img] The page now is showing an advert for flights to Philippines and something for a German website [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif[/img]

[Admin]

What I want to know is, if the rules are written in the scriptures, what right has man/woman got to change them to suit themselves......condoms....gay priests....I don&#39;t remember reading about them in bible school [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif[/img]

The bible we know today is nothing like the one that was initially written. The priests in 200AD hid the Judas papers, because they didn&#39;t like them. Now we have them in English transaltion, no one still likes them because of brain washing through the centuries.

[Eljohno]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(admin &#064; May 20 2006, 04&#58;14 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
What I want to know is, if the rules are written in the scriptures, what right has man/woman got to change them to suit themselves......condoms....gay priests....I don&#39;t remember reading about them in bible school [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Erm.gif[/img]

The bible we know today is nothing like the one that was initially written. The priests in 200AD hid the Judas papers, because they didn&#39;t like them. Now we have them in English transaltion, no one still likes them because of brain washing through the centuries.
[/b][/quote]

You are correct in saying that man has no right to change the scriptures and the bible is still very clear about the fact that according to the Bible He wants man and woman to multiply and being gay is wrong even if you say you are a priest.

I have to disagree that the bible has never changed from day one and the likes of the gospel of judas though it was wrote around 300 AD was never in the bible and never will be accepted as part of God&#39;s Word.
Read this when you get time.

http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/gospel-of-judas.htm

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pauldo &#064; May 20 2006, 12&#58;47 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Sorry about that. I got a bit carried away with my non-believer diatribe. No personal offence meant. It was written as a bit of a larf but it doesn&#39;t sound so funny now I go back and read it. Apologies again mate.
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]




Hi Pauldo,

sorry i got a bit heated also&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

[ivor&mel]

Religion and politics are always guaranteed to raise the temperature! Thank goodness (I nearly said another g-word!) for football....

[Admin]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ivor&mel &#064; May 20 2006, 11&#58;32 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Religion and politics are always guaranteed to raise the temperature&#33; Thank goodness (I nearly said another g-word&#33 for football.... [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
I guess Allah helped Barca win [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif[/img]

[ervenescence]

Wheew&#33; im back.
Been to London, visit the magnifecent dome the St. Pauls Cathedral. Seen the most superb views from the Golden Gallery, 530 steps from ground level, the highest point of the outer Dome, I consider it as one of my greatest experienced.
And I was pleased that I joined the communion with my partner.

By the way, im a catholic
I believe in God,
Don&#39;t cross with me, no need to argue about religions.
I respect other people beliefs and point of views and all I need is the same.
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Beer.gif[/img]

[Pauldo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ervenescence &#064; May 22 2006, 11&#58;34 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Wheew&#33; im back.
Been to London, visit the magnifecent dome the St. Pauls Cathedral. Seen the most superb views from the Golden Gallery, 530 steps from ground level, the highest point of the outer Dome, I consider it as one of my greatest experienced.
And I was pleased that I joined the communion with my partner.

By the way, im a catholic
I believe in God,
Don&#39;t cross with me, no need to argue about religions.
I respect other people beliefs and point of views and all I need is the same.
[img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Beer.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]

The awe inspiring beauty and magnificance of some of the old cathedrals in the UK are nearly enough to make even me believe there must be a god&#33;

Mind you, there are some glorious women I&#39;ve seen who made me feel that way too [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[IainBusby]

My Mother was a very religious woman and a very regular churchgoer, but my father on the other hand, was an absolute confirmed agnostic. During my upbringing, which included regular church attendance, I found myself more attracted to my fathers point of view. This was because he explained how he had listened subjectively to the arguments on both sides and had concluded that, although he thought that the bible was absolutely full of very inspiring stories, he had concluded that they were, just that, "stories". But from those stories he had gleaned enough of what made sense to him, to give him some sort of inspiration and something to hold on to throughout his life. As I said, he thought the bible was just a collection of stories written by men, but from them he eventually concluded that whatever your beliefs, you should strive to be Christian in your behaviour toward others (in as much as we can learn from the bible, how Christians are supposed to behave towards others) throughout your life, whether you believe the Bible stories or not. My Mother had the certainty of her faith to see her through, but my Father was, I believe, quite rare in his beliefs, but I don't think either of them died with any regrets. You pays your money and you makes your choice as they say.