What is it you believe?

[Cybrweez]

Iryssa, if Canada is anything like the USA, freedom and tolerance only applies to those on the liberal left. If you disagree w/them, you're intolerant and can't speak your mind. The truth is, if we could somehow get the left to be more tolerant, this country wouldn't be so divided.

[Plissken]

Iryssa, if Canada is anything like the USA, freedom and tolerance only applies to those on the liberal left. If you disagree w/them, you're intolerant and can't speak your mind. The truth is, if we could somehow get the left to be more tolerant, this country wouldn't be so divided.

Actually, being called intolerant would depend on whether or not your opinion is, well... intolerant. As one of those pesky liberals, I have had many people disagree with me - and I enjoy arguing with them alot! This would be hard to do if they didn't "speak their mind".

Personally, I have noticed a quirk in some people - They think that if someone disagrees with them, they should be silenced. Oddly, these are usually the same people who think that when someone tells them that they are wrong about something, that they are being themselves "silenced".

I leave it to you to guess in which group of people I find this quirk occurring most often.

[Iryssa]

*sigh* I didn't want to get this far into this...ah, well...my point was that I was berated for saying "Merry Christmas," while you never hear of anyone being berated for saying "Happy Hanukkah" (sp?), or anything else...trust me, a coworker and I tried that one in front of the same manager just today. *shrug* I leave it to you to guess why I was berated for it, then.

[ChoChiyo]

I believe that we are put on this planet to grow and learn and help as many other people grow and learn as we can.

I believe the worse thing in the world is intolerance of any kind, deliberate cruelty, and refusal to own your responsibility for your actions and choices.

I believe LOVE is the strongest force in the universe and that all anger comes from pain of some sort.

I believe that God is completely incomprehensible to the finite mind....

I believe that we are spiritual beings that existed before our lives in corporeal bodies and that will exist after our spirits exit these bodies.

I believe that every religion has some elements of truth in it and that learning more about other religions can only strengthen us.

I believe people should talk more and fight less.

I believe that if you get to know someone--anyone--you are more likely to understand why they are the way they are, and you are less likely to hate them for factors in their personality that you do not like.

I believe that, ultimately, there are more reasons to smile than to weep.

I believe that that which does not kill us makes us strong.

I believe that my life has a purpose, and it is my responsibility to discover and fulfill my purpose.

I believe a lot of other stuff too, but I'm tired and need to go to bed before I collapse and die.

[Skyweir]

I believe that we are spiritual beings encountering a mortal experience not mortal beings encountering a spiritual experience.

I also believe that regardless of what we may wish .. we are all connected .. and we need each other.

I believe life is good .. and that the earth is an awesome planet ..

actually i believe a lot of things

[Invain]

Maybe some background to start with... I consider myself lucky to have been raised in an open-minded family - parents decided to let me choose my own spiritual path and never put me under pressure. I started out as a Roman Catholic, but soon switched to my own system of beliefs and values. For some time I believed in god. Then I grew up and reconsidered everything, coming to the conclusion that there might not be anything beyond the material world - and that there most likely isn't.

There are good points in that - we are absolutely free (though it also means fully responsible for our actions) and after death we reach ultimate perfection - nothingness.

I've been an atheist for many years now and it works fine. Generally, I believe that when it comes to religion, everyone should be given the freedom of choice - providing they don't fall into fanaticism.

100% Secular Humanist on Belief-O-Matic

[danlo]

...coming to the conclusion that there might not be anything beyond the material world...

You are seriously messing with my travel plans buddy!

[Lord Mhoram]

1. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (100%)
2. Bah�'� Faith (86%)
3. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (79%)
4. Sikhism (77%)
5. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (76%)

Interesting.

[Lady Revel]

*singing* All we are is dust in the wind.......

[Worm of Despite]

You believe in a song lyric by an arena rock band?

[Plissken]

How about, "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose"?

[Edge]

"The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind."

[Plissken]

"Give it away, give it away, give it away now..."

[Alynna Lis Eachann]

... isn't there a thread for this in Vespers?

[High Lord Tolkien]

I took the test and it said:

1. Bastard (100%) !!!

Huh? What?
Who told.....?
Wow, this is an accurate test!


No, it was:

1. Bah�'� Faith (100%)
2. Liberal Quakers (93%)
3. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (88%)

This Bah guy sounds a little too odd for me but I have no problem being on the same team as the Liberal Quakers.
They match my beliefs pretty well!

[Menolly]

:::peeking in:::

I usually avoid religion discussions like the plague, unless they're on Judaism boards. But having read the entire thread before posting, y'all seem pretty kewl with the topic. So...

I was raised in what is sometimes referred to as a 'conservadox' shul, now known more by the name of Traditional Conservative Judaism. Both my parents were born Jews, but my Mom loved the concept of a Dickens Chr-stmas, so we celebrated a secular version of Chr-stmas, along with Hanukkah, until my younger sister left for college. We did do massive seders every year, but never kept kosher although we ate matzah and not bread for Pesach.

I have been married twice, both times to non-Jews, and am still married to my second husband, Paul. He has no interest in Judaism, was born Lutheran but never baptized and didn't attend church. Although he attended and graduated from an Episcopalian high school in Manhattan, it was due to legal reasons and not religious ones. He pretty much considers himself a 'spiritualist,' and if he was drawn to Judaism would most likely be interested in Jewish Renewal.

My own personal Jewish tendencies can best be described as screwey. I love the mystical teachings of Jewish Renewal, Lubavitch, and Jewitchery. But, I do not hold with egalitarianism for worship for me, and will leave a service if there are 9 men and women other than myself and the congregation will count me as part of the minyan. I will worship with a minyan of mixed men and women, as long as I am the 11th person and can tell myself I am not being counted as part. I have no problem with others counting women, I just don't want myself to be counted. Told you I was screwey.

If I was in a larger Jewish community where I did have a wide option of shuls, most likely I would hunt for a Traditional Conservative shul, but I understand with the embracing of egalitarianism by the mainstream Conservative movement, that TC shuls are hard to come by. Here in Gator Town we have the choice of UF's Hillel, where student run Reform, Egalitarian Conservative, and Orthodox services are held; B'nai Israel, an EC shul; Shir Shalom, a Reform shul; P'nai Or, a Jewish Renewal chavurah; and the newest entry, the Lubavitch Jewish Center.

For myself, since I don't want to be counted, I am most comfortable at Lubavitch, although I would prefer not to have a mechitzah if I could. However, Lubavitch has only been in town about five years, and have not started a religious school yet, so we are members at B'nai Israel for Beorn's Jewish education.

Paul is supportive of Beorn being raised as a Jew; at least compared to other intermarried couples I have heard about. He will take Beorn to RS if I am unable to, and he takes him to functions at shul I am unable to make. But he has no interest in Judaism for himself.

It's an interesting life.

I did do the belief-o-net mentioned in the beginning of this thread. Here are my results:

1. Neo-Pagan (100%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (96%)
3. New Age (90%)
4. Liberal Quakers (84%)
5. New Thought (77%)
6. Reform Judaism (77%)

Hmmm...perhaps I should delve more into the Jewitchery...

[Avatar]

Welcome to the Close, Menolly. It's a pleasure to have another perspective here, and I'm sure that if you decide to add to any of the other threads, everyone will be delighted. Too many christians and aethiests here.

I'm afraid that the majority of my knowledge of judaism comes from reading Chaim Potok though, (Who I thoroughly recommend to anybody who never has, especially My Name Is Asher Lev -- an awesome book that I read every few years.) so there were a few references that I didn't understand, the bit about being the tenth in particular.

I didn't read the links yet though, so if the answers in there, just let me know.

Hope you'll join in the other discussions as well.

--Avatar

[Sunbaneglasses]

1.Untitarian Universalism 100%
2.Liberal Quakers 96%
3.Theravada Buddhism 96%
4.Secular Humanism 92%
But right now I believe I'll have a coke.

[Menolly]

I'm afraid that the majority of my knowledge of judaism comes from reading Chaim Potok though, (Who I thoroughly recommend to anybody who never has, especially My Name Is Asher Lev -- an awesome book that I read every few years.) so there were a few references that I didn't understand, the bit about being the tenth in particular.

The 'tenth' refers to the requirement in Jewish worship that 10 Jewish "men" over the age of 13 be present. This is called a minyan.

Traditonal Judaism (Chasidism, Orthodoxy, Traditional Conservative) insists the 10 'men' all be male. But many movements in Judaism have embraced Egalitarianism, where Jewish females are now counted among the 10 as well.

As I stated above, I have no problem with others accepting egalitarianism, and will worship in a minyan made up of 10 men and women, as long as there are 11 Jews there, and I can tell myself that I am not being counted as one of the 10.

Bizarre, I know.

Have you read Potok's The Book of Lights? I like all of his work, but other than The Chosen and The Promise, The Book of Lights is my favorite of his works.

[danlo]

Well, I'm a strange little bag of tricks aren't I? Perhaps I need to share a beer with Sunbaneglasses one of these days?

1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
2. Liberal Quakers (96%)
3. New Age (93%)
4. Neo-Pagan (92%)
5. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (91%)
6. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (84%)
7. Mahayana Buddhism (76%)
8. New Thought (74%)
9. Secular Humanism (70%)
10. Taoism (68%)
11. Bahá'í Faith (65%)