Definition courtesy of Merriam-webster...
"a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith."
What is a cause, principle, or system of beliefs you hold to with ardor and faith?
The dirty word, "religion"
Posts
Total:
135
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@Mopac
The spirit of scientific exploration and humanism, maybe.
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@Castin
Sincerity of faith and charity. Mercy and Truth. To love one's neighbor as oneself and to love The Truth with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Spirit and Truth.
Here is the main difference between my religion and yours.
Knowledge is not the same thing as Truth. Our focus is on valuing God above all, who is The Truth, not humans. It is out of our love for God that we love others, and it comes from that, loving The Truth. So while the end result might seem similar or even the same, they are in fact very different. Our love of others comes from a sincere humility. The love of the humanist comes from a pride of humanity. Our love of The Truth comes from a sincere humility. Faith in science comes from a pride of knowledge.
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@Mopac
Our focus is on valuing God above all, who is The Truth, not humans.
Hence, you despise and fear everyone who doesn't agree with you, which ultimately hurts you more than anyone else since the only thing you accomplish from that is to alienate everyone. It also makes your religion dangerous to humanity if left unabated and without law.
It is little more than a statement of hatred towards others.
I happen to know practicing Christians who have lived without benefit of the rule of law. Fear and hate are not descriptors I would choose in relation to God's creation.
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@Mopac
Not bad. I'not a believer so I have little to say about believers' humility, except to say humility is nothing to boast about!Knowledge is not the same thing as Truth. Our focus is on valuing God above all, who is The Truth, not humans. It is out of our love for God that we love others, and it comes from that, loving The Truth. So while the end result might seem similar or even the same, they are in fact very different. Our love of others comes from a sincere humility. The love of the humanist comes from a pride of humanity. Our love of The Truth comes from a sincere humility. Faith in science comes from a pride of knowledge.
i dispute "the love of a humanist comes from a pride in humanity". Humanists are actutely aware of humanity's flaws - we are individually and collectively stupid, selfish and short-sighted. But while that causes a theist to beat their breast and crave forgiveness, the humanist believes those flaws can be overcome and we have the potential to become so much better. It's not so much pride as shame and hope!
The biggest difference is that humanists know there is no help coming from supernatural entities. You can't eradicate poverty or ignorance by praying. Humanists trust in themselves and in science because there is nothing else. Christians know it's pointless making sacrifices to stone idols yet fail to see what they do is no different.
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@keithprosser
The sacrifice we Orthodox do is to practice vegetarianism over half the year, fast most of that time. We do not wage. wars, and we bless those who curse us and despitefully use us. We are naturally good for the environment. In fact, we have nothing but reverence for the creation, as God is in it. We are not anti-science by any means, and we realize that without this sacrifice and aesthetic practice, technology only serves as a tool to amplify the destructiveness of the unspiritual man.
So no, our sacrifice is not the same as the vain sacrifice of the idolators, who in their materialism sap the Earth of its resources for vain amusement and the fulfilling of the flesh's lust. There is no comparison. Good sacrifice is temperance and charity, not the useless sacrifice of the heathen.
And our sacrifice is surely foolishness to the heathen, because they have different standards of what is good than us. They strive for the good that our faith naturally brings, but they don't know where it comes from.
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@Goldtop
It cannot be helped that those who make their identity sin feel hatred, but I would say that making one's identity sin cheapens who they really are as being made in the image of God.
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@Mopac
Yes, you can be helped, professionals are standing by to treat you.It cannot be helped that those who make their identity sin feel hatred,
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@Goldtop
I cherish the time I get to spend the priest at my parish. We went out for coffee yesterday, actually.
I don't hate you at all, but I can't help but think it is you who hate me. Really, not even me, but God.
What did he have to say after you spent the time repeating 'God is the Ultimate Reality' over and over?I cherish the time I get to spend the priest at my parish. We went out for coffee yesterday, actually.
I don't hate you at all, but I can't help but think it is you who hate me. Really, not even me, but God.
What possible reason would you give us for hating you?
Of course, can't hate God because you can't hate something that's never been shown to exist. It would be like asking if I hated pixies or fairies.
The religion you're following is poisoning your mind, if that's of any consequence to you.
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@Goldtop
I'm sorry Goldtop, but your harsh words do not carry any weight to me. I only see vain posturing.
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@Mopac
Sincerity of faith and charity. Mercy and Truth. To love one's neighbor as oneself and to love The Truth with all one's heart, soul, mind, and strength. In Spirit and Truth.Here is the main difference between my religion and yours.Knowledge is not the same thing as Truth. Our focus is on valuing God above all, who is The Truth, not humans. It is out of our love for God that we love others, and it comes from that, loving The Truth. So while the end result might seem similar or even the same, they are in fact very different. Our love of others comes from a sincere humility. The love of the humanist comes from a pride of humanity. Our love of The Truth comes from a sincere humility. Faith in science comes from a pride of knowledge.
Unless you believe you are the God you claim to worship, you do not know where any individual humanist's love comes from. Reminding yourself that you do not possess intimate information about what motivates the beliefs of others is also an important form of humility. And making uninformed assumptions that gratify your own beliefs is also a form of pride.
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@Castin
Let me be clear. I am not talking about either of us as individuals. I am talking about the underpinning of the respective outlooks.
Humanism is certainly built off of pride in humanity. And that is where its morality comes from.
Morality in Orthodoxy does not come from a pride in humanity, it comes from loving The Truth. After all, how can you condemn another when really you are even guilty of the same things? We have all been wrong, and unintentionally even. So we show charity to one another. Not only for that reason, but because purifying the heart in order to see The Truth naturally makes one a more charitable person as attachments and passions go by the wayside.
Love of God accomplishes what love of humanity attempts to accomplish, and by making love of humanity the end all be all, it actually doesn't really work in itself.
Love of God is superior to love of humanity.
Every ethical thing that one can attempt as an end itself is accomplished as a by product of loving God. Be it the way we treat other people, being good to the environment, being happy with life, or competence in the work place. All of these things come from loving God. Humanism and reason cannot do any of these things.
But let me make this clear, I am not talking about us as individuals. I am talking about the underpinnings of these respective outlooks.
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@Mopac
I'm sorry Goldtop, but your harsh words do not carry any weight to me. I only see vain posturing.
My harsh words? What about the couple thousand of posts of yours where you attack us, call us names like morons and idiots, not to mention the comparisons to murderers? I only see insane blathering.
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@Mopac
Yet, your treatment of people is deplorable, for which you give us the answer of that, your love of God over humans. We are nothing but sewage to you.Love of God is superior to love of humanity.Every ethical thing that one can attempt as an end itself is accomplished as a by product of loving God. Be it the way we treat other people
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@Goldtop
If you would answer the OP, that would be a contribution to this topic. I'm not really interested in your flame bait projecting.
Denial of ultimate reality is certainly an idiotic position. I am unrepentant for holding this viewpoint.
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@Mopac
Humanism is certainly built off of pride in humanity. And that is where its morality comes fro....Love of God is superior to love of humanity.
You are taking the label 'humanism' over-literally!
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@keithprosser
I don't see it.
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@Mopac
I'm not really interested in your flame bait projecting.Denial of ultimate reality is certainly an idiotic position.
Of course you're not interested in anything, you're far too busy constantly projecting your own flame bait.
Christian morality perhaps. I used to be Christian because I was raised in a Christian home, but I'm not any more. Christian beliefs make no sense at all nowadays, in general religions make no sense in our times. However I believe its moral principles should remain, I somehow feel that this is the best way to build a strong society and family, contrary to Islam principles for example which are a threat for humanity.
That way, I support several Christian ideas, for example, against abortion, homosexuality, gender ideology, and all this rubbish that will destroy our society. I would say Christianity is the best thing that ever happened to Western civilization.
Il Diavolo
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@IlDiavolo
You do realise that all that you claim to support are the ideas of ignorant, primitive superstitious savages? Good luck with that.
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@disgusted
You do realise that all that you claim to support are the ideas of ignorant, primitive superstitious savages? Good luck with that.
Lol.
You really live up to your username.
Il Diavolo
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@Mopac
Every ethical thing that one can attempt as an end itself is accomplished as a by product of loving God. Be it the way we treat other people, being good to the environment, being happy with life, or competence in the work place. All of these things come from loving God. Humanism and reason cannot do any of these things.
When I make a donation to charity it's because helping people is a good thing to do. How does god come the picture?
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@IlDiavolo
Detached from God, these "moral principles" are not really Christian.
The letter kills, the spirit gives life.
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@keithprosser
It can certainly be a good thing. What makes it good?
I know that charity in the Christian sense comes from loving God. For some, it is an aesthetic choice. Would it be the same for them? I don't think so. Some do it for the sake of utility. Is it the same for them? I don't think so.
Why not join two religions , if one is so good I'd join like three.
Imagin how moral you'd be.
Religion to me means, god made these holy text.
By simply Picking or someone picking for you your religion, that means you or they know exactly what book god did.
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@IlDiavolo
Are you that afraid of truth? What do YOU find disgusting about truth?
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@Mopac
I put it to you that when we see a picture of a child starving in Africa we feel exactly the same - we want to help. Wanting to help is 'phase 1'. Phase 2 is when we reflect on our reasons why we want to help.
My position is that we want to help because humans have evolved to manifest a degree of empathy and compassion. That causes us to feel that helping is 'good'. note; I wrote 'feel', not 'know' because it hs little to with conscious or rational thought, but more 'poetical' language such feeling could be called 'knowing in one's heart'.