Which religious group?

[Viola]

I have no idea however how insular the Orthodox and Hasidic communities are as far as strangers showing up goes.

Well, I'm not Orthodox, but when I went to their services, it was very friendly, everyone was sweet (if curious)...but they don't slow down and explain things either. Not much English at all going on, during services, either.

 

[Samsa]

Well, I'm not Orthodox, but when I went to their services, it was very friendly, everyone was sweet (if curious)...but they don't slow down and explain things either. Not much English at all going on, during services, either.

Right, I've been to some Jewish services before (Bar Mitzvahs), but none of them Orthodox. It's the Hasidim I'm really curious about, and I know that for the most part (the exception I guess being the Chabad Lubavitchers) they are pretty insular. I'd definitely do my homework before-hand so I had a general idea of what's going on. But I'm used to going to Mass all in Latin, so not comprehending the language doesn't much bother me.

Anyhow I shall stop my musings on the subject as I am dragging this thread fftopic:

 

[Foofoogal]

In the beginning was IT

Surely,
Pretty close. He is known as The I AM THAT I AM in the Old Testament.lol

 

[kamikat]

My religion isn't listed. I'm Greek Orthodox (Christian, not Jewish).

 

[carter]

Link to the Names of God in Judaism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_Judaism

 

[surely]

Thanks for the observation Foofoogal. I think Popeye siad that too: I yam what I yam.
Carter I've just read that reference; makes me think, I think. Seriously, I learned a lot, thanks.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

My mother once told me that I ought to go to church and act as if I believed, "just in case it is all true."

I said, "Don't you think that if it is all true that an all-knowing god would know I was faking it?"

karol

 

[carter]

I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to all the participants in this discussion for maintaining a generally high level of civility while discussing a subject that can be tender for many. I hope we can continue in this manner as I, for one, would like to see this discussion continue. Please remember this as we go forward.

Peace,
Carter

 

[carter]

Originally posted by LaMedicine
I was once told by my Buddhist priest friend that when European missionaries (Jesuits) first came to Japan in the 16thC, when they tried to preach and had theological discussions with the Japanese who actually were Buddhist priests, they were so surpised with the disucussion that resulted, that they thought the majority of Japanese were Protestants.lol lol lol

What is amazing to me when I read this is that it tells me how much we're alike across national and religious boundaries. There seems to me to be a oneness at the base of religious thought.

It would be enlightening to know more of all religions.

Here is a link to Buddhism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism

Here is a link to the ancient Japanese religion of Shinto.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto

 

[Viola]

I have a Hindu friend who says Jesus fits in nicely with her beliefs. I don't follow it too well, though.

 

[Gilbey]

My mother once told me that I ought to go to church and act as if I believed, "just in case it is all true."

I said, "Don't you think that if it is all true that an all-knowing god would know I was faking it?"

karol

I was raised a Roman Catholic and I've been used to faking it all the time because it didn't seem to make sense say all those Hail Mary 50 times. I often asked myself, can't God/Mary understand it just once? lol
I was bored to death with all the rituals until I became a non practicing Catholic. It was not until 1981 when I found Jesus and the pages of scripture opened my eyes to the truth. Oh so this is what it's all about... I never realized! Now, my relationship to God is real.

 

[Bebop]

I was raised a Roman Catholic and I've been used to faking it all the time because it didn't seem to make sense say all those Hail Mary 50 times. I often asked myself, can't God/Mary understand it just once? lol
I was bored to death with all the rituals until I became a non practicing Catholic. It was not until 1981 when I found Jesus and the pages of scripture opened my eyes to the truth. Oh so this is what it's all about... I never realized! Now, my relationship to God is real.

I find my experience very similar. I was raised Roman Catholic and also wondered about the having to say hail Mary so many times and other prayers that were odd and many things like that and finally when I became an atheist, I too said, "oh, so this is what it's all about....I never realized!" Now my beliefs are solid and I too find them very real. I find it interesting how people react so differently to similar circumstances. I guess that is part of what makes life so interesting. :cheers1:

 

[deanglen]

Something about these last few posts really resonates with me in a positive way. Personal testimonies are fascinating to me. Polemics wears on me, but stating one's first hand experience has a great power to it and it takes the target off of someone else. Just wanted to encourage this line in the thread.


dean

 

[Dr Doran]

Yeah, but would it be worth doing otherwise? I'm with JFK, in that I "choose to do ... things not because they are easy, but because they are hard." I'm also an academic by nature, studying the living heck out of things is as natural for me as breathing... besides, I have nothing to lose except the time invested and possibly everything to gain...

A very great number of my friends can read ancient Greek, and plenty of my pals can read ancient Greek AND Hebrew (and Latin, French, and German). If you spend serious time on it, you can learn both at the same time plus hold down a part time job and be at an intermediate reading level in 2 years, after which it can get easier with Greek but depending on what you read in Hebrew it can get harder -- the rabbinical texts are supposed to be quite difficult. New Testament Greek, on the other hand, is very very easy (I speak from experience) compared to either Homeric Greek or Classical Greek of 5th and 4th century Athens (i.e. Thucydides, Plato, Demosthenes -- and even Aristotle, Lysias, and Xenophon, though easy, are harder than New Testament Greek which is incredibly easy in comparison).

I think it is worth your time to do this, Diamondback. 2 years are not so much compared to an entire life. I would certainly do it were I religious at all. I do not believe I will ever get around to learning Hebrew myself, unfortunately, unless something unforeseen happens.

I just took a look in here again this morning. Interesting conversations.
I am getting freaked out about the numbers in the poll. The Godless are way ahead.....hard for me to grasp. I don't think I personally know anyone who doesn't believe in God. Maybe it's my life style, I don't know.[huh] I hang out with conservatives that like guns, hunting, and fishing.(Guns, God and Rock and Roll!lol ) Few of them attend church regularly.
As usual I'm way behind with what's going on in the world.[angel]

It might just be geography. Everywhere in the world, people tend to believe what their neighbors do. If there are already a lot of conservative Christians in Iowa, people will continue to tend to be that way because most people follow the norm -- it's human nature. Here in Berkeley there are a lot of atheists and radical leftists. And I can ASSURE you from many many conversations I have had, that the VAST majority of radical leftists here are NOT radical leftists because they have carefully thought about the issues for many years and have rationally considered other points of view, but because their friends and professors are that way, and they cannot think of another way to be.

 

[Dr Doran]

Something about these last few posts really resonates with me in a positive way. Personal testimonies are fascinating to me. Polemics wears on me, but stating one's first hand experience has a great power to it and it takes the target off of someone else. Just wanted to encourage this line in the thread.


dean

Agreed.

 

[carter]

Originally posted by deanglen
Something about these last few posts really resonates with me in a positive way. Personal testimonies are fascinating to me. Polemics wears on me, but stating one's first hand experience has a great power to it and it takes the target off of someone else. Just wanted to encourage this line in the thread.

I am encouraged that one of our new bartenders sees a positive direction in this thread. Thank you, sir.

Originally posted by LaMedicine

The Earth is my altar,
The sky is my dome,
My heart is full of glory,
For my trust shall never falter,
My faith shall never roam,
My hopes ever for joy and peace,
My heart full of love never cease.

I posted this earlier.

Most of you would be from a dominantly Christian culture, or have Jewish heritage, both with the Old Testament as the common scripture, so basically, the discussion here is evolving around a common heritage.

I am Catholic. This is from my choice, not my heritage per se, as in family background. I attended a Catholic school for a few years as a child, and while I was preparing for, and going through med school, there were some things and thoughts that led me to choose the Church when I graduated from med school.
However, my father's family is Shinto, my mother Buddhist. My father's job had us living in a secular but Islamic by heritage country for some years as well. My husband and his family are Buddhists, however, one of his sisters is married to an Episcopalian, and so is she. On my father's side, one of my aunts is a Presbitarian, her daughter is married into a devout Catholic family that includes a nun and a priest. I have a good friend who is married to a Buddhist priest, and when I told him of my family's religious back ground, he was like and you manage to keep all that straight

So, unless I am open to, and accept the beliefs of my family members as is, it will be sooo easy for me to alienate, or become alienated from my own family. As a matter of fact, I buried my father by Shinto rites last year, as I believe in honoring and keeping peace for the deceased through their beliefs. It isn't my place to dishonor their last wishes.

So, though I express my beliefs through Catholic rites, I am more of the thought that what we believe, or what rites we see as fit, is what we feel comfortable with, and however religious thoughts and beliefs are expressed, they are in part governed by our individual experiences and heritage, and we will see the Higher Power --if you believe in it-- in ways that we see fit through our very limited knowledge and experince. We are too incomplete to see the whole of God and worldly wisdom. Rather like the Golden Monkey that never left the palm of the Buddha, no matter how far he flew on his magic cloud.

Incidentally, some of the novels by Shusaku Endo, a Japanese Catholic author, might be interesting reading for the curious. "Silence" is his representative writing, but I also recommend "A Life of Jesus".

This post from a few pages back is a wonderful statement, in my mind, for religious tolerance. Few, if any, of us have such a rich heritage of religious thought. That LaMedicine had all these influences and came to the Catholic faith as a personal decision as an adult resonates with me.

I was raised as a Evangelical United Methodist and this was my religious identity until my early 20's. Then I met a young woman who I cared for and began attending the Episcopal church with her. I was later confirmed in the Episcopal church by the Bishop of Atlanta. I fell away from the church altogether or a number of years until becoming active in the Church of Christ when I was married. Along the way I have attended Jewish worship services and met Christians who converted to Judaism as well as Jews who have converted to Christianity. All this has led me to believe that we all search and some search for a lifetime. I would never be so bold as to judge another person's religious beliefs because I simply don't know and my belief is that tolerance for others is critical to life on this planet.

LaMedicine's respect for the traditions and beliefs of others is a powerful statement. I intend to locate and read the books she has recommended.

 

[Viola]

To echo what Doran put so well, I think you could totally do the Hebrew thing, Diamondback. Especially just to read it, as opposed to conversing fluently in it.

I can read some, and hope to get better. As far as speaking it, its the only language I really want to learn. Unfortunately I have the proverbial tin ear. And that Rosetta stone program looks really good but that's $$$.

 

[Dr Doran]

To echo what Doran put so well, I think you could totally do the Hebrew thing, Diamondback. Especially just to read it, as opposed to conversing fluently in it.

I can read some, and hope to get better. As far as speaking it, its the only language I really want to learn. Unfortunately I have the proverbial tin ear. And that Rosetta stone program looks really good but that's $$$.

Money comes and goes, best to spend it on something worthwhile. Time never comes back, so you MUST spend it on something worthwhile.

A teacher who knows what he is doing will be useful too. After many failed attempts at learning Polish by myself, I am finally taking Polish 1 at university and the structure works and I'm finally getting this bloody difficult language.

 

[Rooster]

Here in Berkeley there are a lot of atheists and radical leftists. And I can ASSURE you from many many conversations I have had, that the VAST majority of radical leftists here are NOT radical leftists because they have carefully thought about the issues for many years and have rationally considered other points of view, but because their friends and professors are that way, and they cannot think of another way to be.

Well, when California slides off into the ocean , we'll all know why..... lol

 

[Dr Doran]

Well, when California slides off into the ocean , we'll all know why..... lol

Seismic activity that has nothing to do with anyone's actions whatsoever, you mean?