Anti-Semitism In France!

[ousooner 1]

But I did not mean to say that everyone who believes in something is not well-rounded, so I'm sorry if that's how it appeared.

No problem Sunta. Thanks for responding and clearing things up. As I said, we can agree to disagree on the belief part, no problems there.

[Ron Cusano 0]

When you say I am not cutting anyone any slack and respecting their beliefs, what exactly are you expecting! I have said repeatedly that anyone if free to believe anything they want, and I respect their right to do so.

I happen to believe that any spiritual beliefs that are not based on the Bible are 100% wrong. Do you want me to change that because it offends some people! I won't and I can't! If that is want you are protesting, then yes, you are protesting my beliefs.

Please, please, please Ron understand that most of the protestors here are not protesting your beliefs.

Even the atheists aren't protesting your beliefs as much as your "message" and the fact that you aren't cutting anyone else slack or giving them respect for their beliefs, since they are not YOUR beliefs.

[lisah25 3]

Please, please, please Ron understand that most of the protestors here are not protesting your beliefs.

Even the atheists aren't protesting your beliefs as much as your "message" and the fact that you aren't cutting anyone else slack or giving them respect for their beliefs, since they are not YOUR beliefs.

I agree.

I was thinking about this over the weekend during a converstation with my husband. He had a situation in a baseball league he is in, and thought someone was lying. It's a pattern with him, he tends to jump to conclusions, and assumes the worst. Which I think 1)causes him undue stress and 2)leads him to treat people as though they have done what he suspects, which gets him the reaction he deserves.

So, I said to him "you know, you may be right. But I've noticed sometimes you do tend to convince yourself that the worst possible explaination is the right one before you have all the facts. Why not tell yourself that it was an honest mistake, until you have proof it wasn't? I think you'll feel a lot better about it. I love you and want you to be at peace". And he listened, and it turns out that it was simply an honest mistake.

Now, I could have said "Oh don't be stupid. You always do this, and make yourself miserable and you are often wrong. Just knock it off and shut up already."

More or less the same message, right? Which would you rather hear?

[ousooner 1]

When you say I am not cutting anyone any slack and respecting their beliefs, what exactly are you expecting! I have said repeatedly that anyone if free to believe anything they want, and I respect their right to do so.

I happen to believe that any spiritual beliefs that are not based on the Bible are 100% wrong. Do you want me to change that because it offends some people! I won't and I can't! If that is want you are protesting, then yes, you are protesting my beliefs.

Ron, I for one (and I suspect most here) have never stated you should change your beliefs and views. I think that at a certain point, you have to agree to disagree and move on. The key words there are "move on". I believe the same as you on most of what you have said, but your combative ways are not winning anyone over. Respectfully agree to disagree and move on and stop turning so many people against Christianity.

[green 6]

@TrueBlue: I always appreciate your posts but never more than when you touch upon the religious and cultural life of the Semitic peoples. I am very envious of your educational background, your knowledge and your life experiences. I trust that you will continue you to share your knowledge with the rest of us.

[lisah25 3]

I happen to believe that any spiritual beliefs that are not based on the Bible are 100% wrong. Do you want me to change that because it offends some people! I won't and I can't! If that is want you are protesting, then yes, you are protesting my beliefs.

No one here has said anything about you changing your beliefs.

[Ron Cusano 0]

In case you havn't noticed, I am not inisiting any of these posts. I am replying to posts directed toward me. I have tried to move on, but that is not being allowed to happen, unless I just ignore everyone and not reply to their questions.

Ron, I for one (and I suspect most here) have never stated you should change your beliefs and views. I think that at a certain point, you have to agree to disagree and move on. The key words there are "move on". I believe the same as you on most of what you have said, but your combative ways are not winning anyone over. Respectfully agree to disagree and move on and stop turning so many people against Christianity.

[ousooner 1]

It's ok Ron, its obvious your just not getting it. No need to respond to my post. Thanks.

[Ron Cusano 0]

You are entitled to your opinion!

It's ok Ron, its obvious your just not getting it. No need to respond to my post. Thanks.

[BJean 16]

Ron you have said repeatedly that your way is the only way which is fine. But you do not show that you respect anyone else's beliefs. In fact, just the opposite is true. In fact you must be working real hard at trying to seem obtuse, because it has been said so often here that it's your attitude that is being protested, NOT what you believe is 100% true and NOT what you believe is 100% based on the Bible and NOT what you believe is 100% positive proof that you are right, but it IS because you have proclaimed that 100% of everyone else is going to hell. Many of us know what the Bible says about hell, damnation to hell, and have heard many hell, fire and brimstone sermons, and we still believe what we believe.

No, I don't expect you to change your beliefs. No I don't expect you to compromise what you BELIEVE is 100% true. A refreshing change here would be for you to understand that you should not expect anyone else to change what they believe is 100% true and you should be nice about it, not haughtily exclaim that they are going to hell. That is what respect is all about. No one here is telling you that you are 100% wrong in your belief of the Bible. You're the one who began using that and other similar language.

[BJean 16]

lisah25: Thanks for sharing your story from the weekend. Your DH is a very fortunate man to have you to help him through life. I am sure that you love him very much.

[GeezerSue 7]

Well, here's an intelligent voice that I think merits attention, but--of course--those most needy will NEVER hear the message:

Nobel winner assails religious intolerance in L.A. visit

Wole Soyinka of Nigeria calls faith this century's defining issue, and says

fundamentalism is the greatest threat to world peace and democracy.

By K. Connie Kang, Times Staff Writer

January 27, 2007

Religion, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka says, is the 21st century's defining issue — just as W.E.B. Du Bois predicted race would be for the 20th century.

On one level, he says, spiritual practices can enrich humankind. But religious fundamentalism is the greatest threat to peace and democracy in the world today, according to Soyinka,the Nigerian writer who won the 1986 Nobel Prize for literature.

Here's the rest:

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-beliefs27jan27,1,2911522.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-california

Meanwhile, it would be nice if the self-anointed, self-appointed would stop trying to hit others over the head with their imaginary friends.

Ron, you are--one day--going to die and then you will--unless cremated--rot. You will then be "done," "finished," "all gone." IF I AM WRONG, feel free to return to the earth from the hereafter and help all the needy hear your blessed message. At that point, you MAY be in a position to make a point or two among those of us who live in a reality-based world.

Meanwhile, what bothers me the most about this entire debacle is that you will never know how wrong you are...but then a lot of people have gone to their graves convinced the earth was flat or that the world was ending that day or that Jim Jones and Ron Koresh actually KNEW something...and you will be metaphorically joining them in eternal--or until some religious war causes the planet to be blown up--wrongness.

Even Saddam just checked out thinking HE was the president of Iraq.

[GeezerSue 7]

A child that I knew was warned constantly about going out into the street. He didn't heed the warning and one day he was hit by a car and died. He apparently didn't comprehend the warning or just disregarded it. That is what I feel I am watching!!

Why didn't you pray to your God to make the kid alive again? You didn't like the kid or you don't believe that would EVER happen? Seems like gathering a group of devout pray-ers and asking God to change his mind on this one should be enough to do it, right?

[serious 2]

Honestly? It's kind of par for the course. Not "warfare", of course, but a topic -- especially in RnR -- rarely ends in the same form that it began. It makes for an interesting sort of conversational evolution.

Especially when people have hidden agendas and their intent was to never discuss what they originally posted, but was in fact a red herring.

[TruBlueSue 0]

BJean and Green, you guys make me blush! My husband keeps asking me why I'm "wasting time" answering points here. The honest answere is I like the debate; also, sharing knowledge is what attaining it is all about in the end.

Ron, I notice that you don't really ever respond to my postings directly - oh, yeah - except for the one about women using men's ritual objects, which you said you weren't in favor of...NOT on the grounds of Christian women using a Jewish MAN's ritual object, but more, I suspect, on the idea that women shouldn't usurp or try to do things that YOU think only MEN should do...so I guess I should just up and get out of the military obligations I freely took on, since that's probably men's work. What's next - I should stay home and cook and be a mom to my three year old daughter? I do all those things, btw - while her father and I provide the example of (constant) higher education, concern for our world and the life in it, and an awareness of the divine in our everyday lives...

Isn't that what we're all trying to do in the end? Why be so caustic?