accepting and tolerant believers in god/goddesses.................?

I think it can be distressing. Honestly from what I know, they kind of are representing their religion. Maybe not the love your neighbor part, but the old testament-very judgemental. Parts of the Quran I've come across are too. i believe it's roots are more political though.

i think people just come in different flavors, some are judgemental and some are more tolerant, regardless of religion. people are usually more judgemental about stuff they feel personally at stake about inside, because of their upbringing or what they feel they need to believe so they can accept themselves and their view of the world and god. people don't want their foundations shaken, even atheists. people want to feel like they are right and they know the truth (and are going to a good place when they die)

and if other people are different from them, THEY MUST BE CONVERTED!!! LOL. because if they are different and they're ok, then what does that mean for you?

yeah i was gonna post something too. these bitches be crazy.

How are you at spotting trolls and Poes? I'd say that at least half of the intolerant 'theist' questions I see show signs of trolling or being a Poe. Learning how to spot that - and not get upset by it - helps a lot.

Unfortunately, a Poe who's convinced he's fighting the good fight by making the 'other side' look bad isn't going to be moved by your call for tolerance - that intolerance is exactly what he thinks he's combatting. And a troll whose only goal is to upset as many people as possible won't care at all.

So I think a first step towards a solution may be educating more people on how to spot these things and encouraging every one to take a step back when they're getting wound up. Otherwise it just keeps escalating, the trolls win and everyone else loses.

If we can minimize their impact, we'll have fewer people reacting too harshly and the situation will be far more favourable towards your suggestions.

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hugs fractal. what a lovely answer. x

hi! I am christian orthodox. I consider my religion to be the best and closest to the Bible not perfect. I love all the people in this world. To me there is a big difference between a person and it s facts. I will always think that a criminal has something precious ,his soul and think that he maybe didn t had the chance to have a good religious education. Who knows what was his influences in life , in what environment he lived and things like that. Genetic inheritance is important too. Science discovered that in the genes can be registered different characteristics as tendance to violence , murder and many others. Science recently discovered that the heart has cells with memory.

Well In Romania we have a saint Arsenie Boca( you can search him on the net too, just write his name )that now is gone to the other way and he said that all the cells from hour body have memory before science told the cells from heart have memory. So you see we don t have the right to judge anyone . Of course it is people s choice to do good or wrong but it is not the entire fault belongs only to that person. In the hour religion saints said you should not worry to much about someone s soul if that person has a very good heart.

the conclusion for me is that we have to take care and see what we do wrong so we don t influence people to do wrong. Examples count very much. For ex. I could always have a gay friend as long as that friend has a decent behaviour and a good heart and doesn t influence someone to be like him.

Have a beautiful day!

I am an imperfect mortal being. I judge people all the time, and I am often wrong. I am arrogant in many ways. It's hard to swallow the fact that I may be wrong, but the possibility is always there. I could always be a better human being and a better Christian. I could always be more tolerant. I could do with being less judgmental. But one of the beauties about life is our diversity. Not everyone is going to see the world the same way I do, and that's cool. In fact, my perceptions are all my own, and no one else sees the same world that I do. Reality is not subjective, but our views of reality are.

No religion has tolerance. Even a religion that says they accept all are intolerant to those who will not.

Any true question always has only one true answer. This is how we arrive at justice. God has given the moral laws (regulations of the actions of man) and sex is honorable only in the marriage between a man and his wife. Anywhere else it is dishonorable and God has specifically stated that homosexuality is repulsive and perverted.

Edit: The rainbow is a sign of the largest judgment on mankind by God since the beginning.

Edit: It seems pretty clear to me. One God, one religion. All laws work together with such perfection, one can know (not wonder) that there is but One Supreme Being, so one religion (the way to worship that Being).

Many times I have been surprised at the animosity, judging, hate, etc... that is supposed to be from people giving the message of love, kindness and God.

We are back to the delivery (way a message is delivered) being just as important as the message, itself.

On the other hand, many times I am surprised and amazed at how some show such tolerance, kindness and love.. and will take a lot of insulting without retaliating. These are the ones I follow and listen to. They teach me a lot. :)

hey (((frou))), so lovely to see you (and your continuing efforts to bring tolerance and harmony to the forum).

you know, it may sadden me, the judgement, the arrogance, the lack of acceptance, but one thing it doesn't do is surprise me.

human nature can be amazing and it has the potential to be surprising but it also has a tendency to be rather predictable. like everything in this natural world of ours, there are laws, there are causes and effects (all of this can be applied to behaviour on and off-line), some of which we understand very well and some which still elude the full lucidity of our grasp.

my counsel, should you wish to hear it, is this: do not even judge those who would judge you, extend your love and your compassion to them even more generously. some people may be have been raised in an environment which really did not encourage or promote (or even make any safe room for) the values you hold dear. one thing we must remember, especially in a forum such as this one, is that we cannot know all there is to know about users and their personal/private circumstances.the best we can do is "be the change we want to see".

it's funny i should see this question today, just earlier i was talking with a friend of mine about a certain priest she knows, and his behaviour seems in such direct contradiction to the messages he is preaching...

i don't care what religion anyone is, as long as love and compassion come first, before any man-made rules and regulations, before any rituals, before any commandment, before fear and before hope, there should be love.

good day to you :)

(((angels)))

(((breezey)))

(((sara)))

(((eb)))

I think the very best thing is to be personally tolerant, even if your religion won't let you.

To me, everyone who thinks about some version of God, whether they come up with an odd view or not, has made progress. It's not bothering with the Divine that makes a wasted life.

i don't actually think the god[desse]s care.

we're all hypocrites to some degree. there will always be times when we have to compromise our ideals. although it perturbs me when people talk stupid about religion, it's not really my business what they believe. i like to correct misconceptions, but ultimately, everyone has his own path.

as for the asswipe atheists who always have to make snide comments about all religions being intolerant as if we're all fundie christians and muslims, it's the same thing the fundies are doing. they're stating absolutes from ignorance. the only thing you can do about ignorance is educate, so i muddle along.....

It's usually not the religion that makes people intolerant. It's usually the person themselves. You could be Christian, Islamic ,Buddhist ,pagan or any other religion, and you could still be either intolerant ,or just not care.