The Bigger Picture

[amyrouse]

The sacred is the prime obstacle to his freedom.  He will become himself only when he is totally demysticized.  He will not be truly free until he has killed the last god.'"

Source = http://www.adherents.com/Na/Na_478.html

I think freedom will come when we can live in harmony without allowing personal religion to dictate another's life or our system of government.  When we can learn to agree to disagree with each other peacefully and walk away from the debate still having respect for another.  Government and religion should not mix.

For example, I really enjoy queenofnines's posts.  I think she is a very intelligent human being.  I am Jewish; she is atheist.  We disagree on the existence of g-d.  But I think she has value as a human being, and I would never expect her to live by my religious system.  I'm sure we could intelligently discuss a topic and walk away from each other without personal attacks.  The same with shernajwine and myself.  When we can evolve as humans to that point, there will be freedom.

Now, come forth, disagreers!  LOL

[queenofnines]

I think freedom will come when we can live in harmony without allowing personal religion to dictate another's life or our system of government.  When we can learn to agree to disagree with each other peacefully and walk away from the debate still having respect for another.

I agree this is a good thing worth striving for; however, as long as religion exists, I think the temptation to convert and control the masses will, too (in some form).  The natural response is to regard that last line about freedom as "extreme", but when you really stop to think about it, it isn't extreme.  It's the truth.  Religion holds us back in A LOT of ways.

But I think she has value as a human being, and I would never expect her to live by my religious system.

Thanks for the compliments!  To be honest, I'm confused by your religious stance, being that you said you don't think god is active in our world and don't think there is a heaven or hell.  Not to be rude or anything, but what's the point then?  I'm curious.

[Falconer02]

I don't...she misses the big picture all together....she is one of those that a shrink would have a field day with.

gtfo, troll. And take your 179 IQ with you. Queen is awesome.

[jcribb16]

    Actually, in the Bible, the book of Revelation goes into intense details about what's going to happen in the years to come.  Just in case anyone is interested.....

[shernajwine]

I don't...she misses the big picture all together....she is one of those that a shrink would have a field day with.

gtfo, troll. And take your 179 IQ with you. Queen is awesome.

Queen is not awsome, she is mean and hateful and a shrink would wonder why she speaks the way she does...she obviously has issues.

marie, queen shared with you personal things about herself in trying to relate to you saying people think you're crazy. i may disagree with just about everything queen has to say about God but she isn't hateful. you have no right to talk about her they way you just did. implying a shrink would have trouble discerning her issues is really immature considering you go through out the forum using your mental issues as an excuse to mistreat people!

[Falconer02]

Queen is not awsome, she is mean and hateful and a shrink would wonder why she speaks the way she does...she obviously has issues.

Looks like someone forgot to take their meds. Aww.

[amyrouse]

Thanks for the compliments!  To be honest, I'm confused by your religious stance, being that you said you don't think god is active in our world and don't think there is a heaven or hell.  Not to be rude or anything, but what's the point then?  I'm curious.

I don't think its rude to ask questions.  

I believe in and love g-d.  I believe in making heaven here on earth and hope that one day there will be a heaven on earth.  Many Jews call it a Messianic Age.  I don't feel like I need a reward to love someone, even g-d...especially g-d.  I don't understand everything...I don't even understand a fraction of everything, but what I do understand seems to me to be divinely inspired...Shabbat services on Friday night (speaking the Hebrew prayers that the Tanakh claims were spoken back when is enough to strike awe in my heart), hearing my daughter cry for the first time, and marrying my husband.  When we were married, it was short and simple.  No honor or obey line.  Just "may the fire of g-d burn in your union and keep you passionate and faithful.  May g-d bless you and keep you."  To hope for anything else seems selfish, because having the little bit we have right now is a gift, and I can't help but be grateful.  Everything else...that's open to interpretation.

I'm not sure how much sense that makes to anyone else, but its what makes sense to me.  

[shernajwine]

amy, all God asked us to do in a nut shell is to love him, so no matter what else we don't understand, if we can do that....we are on the right track! 

[queenofnines]

I'm not sure how much sense that makes to anyone else, but its what makes sense to me.  

So is it more like a lifestyle or code of ethics, then?  You believe this life may be the only one you get, but there's still a god?

[amyrouse]

I'm not sure how much sense that makes to anyone else, but its what makes sense to me.  

So is it more like a lifestyle or code of ethics, then?  You believe this life may be the only one you get, but there's still a god?

In a nutshell.  I also believe, though, that as a human, I could be wrong.  So, I live my life to be the best person I can be, I accept that I falter at times, and I hope that others would do the same.  Morality based solely upon what a book tells you to do (or what someone else tells you to do) doesn't seem right.  If a person is moral based on a purely selfish motive, that doesn't hold much credence to me.  In living this way, if I turn out to be wrong, at least I know I did what I thought was right.  I tried my best.  If that isn't good enough, then I'm not sure I'd want to go to that kind of heaven, anyway.

There are certain universal truths I believe in, such as treating your neighbor as you would want them to treat you, but I believe it is wrong to expect others to live by certain other standards (such as supposed sexual immorality), especially when they don't always hold the same religious ideology I do.  Government and religion work best when they don't mix.  George Carlin said it best, I believe.