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the major flaws in monotheism
 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2003-09-23 05:00 [#00874500]
Points: 24589 Status: Lurker



in a monotheistic religion, there is but one god. Adherents
of this religion believe there is only one god - their god.
This leads to arrogance and condescension when they are
confronted with religions which do not worship their god, or
have many gods they worship. How does the Monotheistic
believer view these other religious adherents? Sometimes,
they believe that the other worshippers are just damned -
this is the arrogance. Sometimes they believe that the other
worshippers are 'misguided' or 'deluded' (and sometimes they
take a further step in trying to change the other
worshippers to their religion) - this is the condescension.
These, to me, are the major flaws to a monotheistic
religion.


 

offline cuntychuck from Copenhagen (Denmark) on 2003-09-23 05:02 [#00874502]
Points: 8603 Status: Lurker



burn religion!


 

offline fleetmouse from Horny for Truth on 2003-09-23 05:06 [#00874503]
Points: 18042 Status: Lurker



Do not anger Hubert with your blasphemy.


 

offline nacmat on 2003-09-23 05:22 [#00874511]
Points: 31271 Status: Lurker



religion is just a huge human invention... why can we all
understand that?


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2003-09-23 05:26 [#00874513]
Points: 24589 Status: Lurker | Followup to nacmat: #00874511



please - that statement will just lead us down the road of
my previous thread concerning aspects of religion. I'm
making specific points here, so don't undermine my thread
and play into the hands of Religious folk who will use your
statement as a catalyst to rant on about it.


 

offline Drunken Mastah from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2003-09-23 05:27 [#00874514]
Points: 35867 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



because some of us need religion. if not for just explaining
never-to-be-answered questions, then for a firm
holding-point in our lives. I'm a buddhist, by the way.


 

offline pOgO from behind your belly button fluff on 2003-09-23 05:31 [#00874516]
Points: 12687 Status: Lurker



there's nothing worng with religion, as long as it's not
forced down your throat

Belive what you wanna belive and worship what you want to
worship, but don't go toonuts !


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2003-09-23 05:35 [#00874518]
Points: 24589 Status: Lurker | Followup to Drunken Mastah: #00874514



buddhism is an interesting philosophy - I don't like to call
it a religion, because I don't believe it has a god-head.
Did you read those texts on sacred-texts at all?


 

offline nacmat on 2003-09-23 05:35 [#00874519]
Points: 31271 Status: Lurker | Followup to marlowe: #00874513



sorry.

about what you said.
in fact when I was at school my teachers (it was a religious
school) told me that I had to spread the word of God, so if
I had friends who werent religious or even if they had other
religion I was supposed to let them know the "right" way...

spanish killed lots of natives in southamerica when the
conquer of that continent under the name of God.

in school I was tought that any person who had another
religion couldnt go to heave... I always found that so supid
and elitist


 

offline nacmat on 2003-09-23 05:38 [#00874521]
Points: 31271 Status: Lurker | Followup to Drunken Mastah: #00874514



I respect your beliefs.

in my opinion buddhism is a human invention too... ther is
no god in my opinion, but at least, I think that the
diference whith buddhism is that its a much more respectful
religion than what catholism is.

because buddhism seem to have a deep respect towards other
religions and believes, which catholics dont seem to have
(many times)


 

offline Drunken Mastah from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2003-09-23 05:39 [#00874522]
Points: 35867 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



yeah, well.. there ARE gods in buddhism. The same gods as in
hinduism. The difference is that they are perishable... they
can be killed, and therefore are "lesser" than gods in a
way...


 

offline atgmartin from DeathMallMegaComplexville (United States) on 2003-09-23 05:42 [#00874525]
Points: 873 Status: Lurker



Religion causes nothing but fights. See later, at
approximately message # 35, when this thread will turn into
a fight.


 

offline atgmartin from DeathMallMegaComplexville (United States) on 2003-09-23 05:42 [#00874526]
Points: 873 Status: Lurker



But I do enjoy and agree with what Marlowe is saying.
Nacmat too.


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2003-09-23 05:43 [#00874527]
Points: 24589 Status: Lurker | Followup to Drunken Mastah: #00874522



A lot of religions have mortal gods. All the Greek and
Egyptian Gods were mortal, and were believed to be dead when
in Antiquity. In fact, there are many graves of Gods in
Egypt. Some gods even have more than one! :D


 

offline Drunken Mastah from OPPERKLASSESVIN!!! (Norway) on 2003-09-23 05:44 [#00874529]
Points: 35867 Status: Lurker | Show recordbag



And, yes. Buddhism isn't a "missionary" religion. Just like
islam. The respect in buddhism comes from not hurting living
things.


 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2003-09-23 05:56 [#00874540]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to Drunken Mastah: #00874529 | Show recordbag



You're saying Islam isn't a missonary religion? I must of
imagined the muslim guys in town trying to get people to
convert :)


 

offline jonesy from Lisboa (Portugal) on 2003-09-23 05:58 [#00874541]
Points: 6650 Status: Lurker | Followup to Ceri JC: #00874540



Yes they get others to join them but they don't go and try
to convert the heathen natives. Those guys in town don't
impose their will on us like the Catholic Church in Africa.


 

offline uzim on 2003-09-23 06:46 [#00874579]
Points: 17716 Status: Lurker



fleetmouse > that Hubert is wonderful!!! ^^
hilarious...

about religion, well - i think logically, non-fanatic (well,
at least... people accepting other religions etc.!) people
aren't 100% sure of their belief in one only god etc (so
they accept other points of view with a quite open mind)...
or/and they don't mind other people being "wrong" according
to them (which i guess is ok as long as they believe in a
loving, very tolerant etc. god who wouldn't mind a lot if
people are "wrong", but if they believe in a severe god that
demands lots of sacrifices and obligatory prayers
beliefs and stuff either you go to hell, i think the
religious would care much more about people being "wrong" or
not!... unless, of course, they don't care at all if the
others go to hell or not (which may be better for the
others, i think!!) but then it becomes a bit weird maybe: a
god who asks people to go to the church every sunday
morning, to not masturbate, never use the name of god
abusively (like, OMG!!!) etc... is rather severe, isn't it?
a massive lot of people would go to hell... yeah, of course,
i guess it's why they invented forgiveness/salvation etc.,
otherwise people would give up and say "i'm going to hell
anyway so why bother"... plus it makes the business of the
religious...) hum... there is also a bit of blur in all
this, but i think religion is a pretty much well-made
machine.... (not like this paragraph ; ))


 

offline uzim on 2003-09-23 06:48 [#00874580]
Points: 17716 Status: Lurker



mortal gods?

that's interesting! =)


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2003-09-23 06:50 [#00874581]
Points: 24589 Status: Lurker



One such monotheistic religion, Christianity, states quite
clearly that no other god can be recognised


 

offline JAroen from the pineal gland on 2003-09-23 07:03 [#00874585]
Points: 16065 Status: Regular



why cant people accept that the fact that some questions
cant be answered..


 

offline uzim on 2003-09-23 07:08 [#00874591]
Points: 17716 Status: Lurker



now that, JAroen, is a very good question.

why can't some people just accept uncertainty (i already
asked myself the same thing... ; ))


 

offline uzim on 2003-09-23 07:10 [#00874595]
Points: 17716 Status: Lurker



....maybe something to do with instinct or god or genetics
or whatever you want it to be - that makes us "advance",
make things, search things... if we were accepting
uncertainty, ignorance, loss, etc. easily, we would probably
be a lot more lazy and wouldn't have any computers nor
advanced science etc...

(me, for example, i think i can quite cope with incertainty.
and i am very very lazy.)


 

offline Erronous from Netherlands, The on 2003-09-23 07:12 [#00874596]
Points: 2519 Status: Lurker | Followup to JAroen: #00874585



i've never seen it like that!


 

offline JAroen from the pineal gland on 2003-09-23 07:17 [#00874603]
Points: 16065 Status: Regular



i've thought about this many times.. and i made my own
'religion'.. because a lot of other religions require
certain rules to be followed.. or deities to be worshipped
(even in the sense of going to church, that too is
worshipping in a way...)

for me, there's just some things you can never know for sure
(like what happens after death, what lies 'behind' the
universe, where the universe will end etc.) Call me
ignorant, but i always try to explain things in a way that
takes the smallest effort and can be explained in the most
logical way. if you understand what i mean.

basically i only believe in me. dunno if thats right, but it
fits me fine


 

offline atgmartin from DeathMallMegaComplexville (United States) on 2003-09-23 07:18 [#00874604]
Points: 873 Status: Lurker | Followup to JAroen: #00874585



I think religion was invented because there are questions
that can't be answered. It makes humans very uncomfortable.



 

offline JAroen from the pineal gland on 2003-09-23 07:18 [#00874605]
Points: 16065 Status: Regular | Followup to Erronous: #00874596



eh sorry.. what do you mean?


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2003-09-23 07:19 [#00874606]
Points: 24589 Status: Lurker | Followup to JAroen: #00874603



but self-belief also raises questions that cannot be
answered. Any Belief System is exposed to questions that
cannot be answered. But I'm not dealing with those, as I'm
aware of questions which cannot be answered, which is why I
don't bring them up.


 

offline JAroen from the pineal gland on 2003-09-23 07:20 [#00874607]
Points: 16065 Status: Regular | Followup to atgmartin: #00874604



yeah and that is my point, i think that we need to
understand that some questions cannot be answered in a
logical way, without making up stories.

please note: i am NOT trying to diss religious people.
Threads about beliefs always end in flames.. im just trying
to explain my point of view here


 

offline uzim on 2003-09-23 07:21 [#00874610]
Points: 17716 Status: Lurker



i don't believe in belief : )


 

offline JAroen from the pineal gland on 2003-09-23 07:22 [#00874612]
Points: 16065 Status: Regular | Followup to marlowe: #00874606



oh sorry. (im going on a posting spree here ...)

ill stick to the topic:

you are right. thats all i can say about it basically

its really a bad thing that people always want to convince
others of following a certain religion, to please their
deities


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2003-09-23 07:22 [#00874613]
Points: 24589 Status: Lurker



Religion is a natural progression from primitive magic. It
wasn't just invented like that, out of thin air. Primitive
magic came about in an attempt to answer questions they
couldn't answer - such as, why does the sun move and
disappear sometimes (same with the moon), what are stars,
why do crops grow, things like that.

A common root is the Vegetation Spirit - the spirit they
believed made their corn grow - they invented certain rites
to ensure good crops -- gradually, as they became more
sophisticated, they gave character to these spirits, and
began worshipping them. So, from a starting point of an
unconscious spirit which could be controlled simply by
adhering to certain rituals, they gave birth to a conscious
god-figure, which was fickle and which demanded more than
mindless ritual to be appeased. All religion with a long
history began this way.


 

offline uzim on 2003-09-23 07:23 [#00874615]
Points: 17716 Status: Lurker



i.e. uncertain about everything, not even certain of
uncertainty... i feel comfortable this way


 

offline JAroen from the pineal gland on 2003-09-23 07:24 [#00874618]
Points: 16065 Status: Regular | Followup to marlowe: #00874613



thanks.. it facinates me how religions 'grow' through time

we did something about that once in school, but i hardly pay
attention so i only got a small bit of it


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2003-09-23 07:25 [#00874620]
Points: 24589 Status: Lurker | Followup to uzim: #00874615



I feel the best way is just to observe and educate yourself.
There will always be questions unanswerable whilst alive in
this realm. But there are many questions which ARE
answerable, especially concerning Religion. Study of the
history of Religion can help to clear up many murky aspects
in your mind. Study of comparative religion can build a
mental map of their relationships with one another and their
context.


 

offline marlowe from Antarctica on 2003-09-23 07:26 [#00874622]
Points: 24589 Status: Lurker | Followup to JAroen: #00874618



It's an extremely fascinating area of study, and very
relevant. Armed with such knowledge, you can peel away the
fabrications of a religion and be left with a common root.


 

offline plaidzebra from so long, xlt on 2003-09-23 13:13 [#00875024]
Points: 5678 Status: Lurker



part one

there was a mind, who existed in solitude. it's name was
marlowe. when marlowe became aware that it had formed, it
recognized that it was totally alone. marlowe struggled
with its creative impulses, straining to understand how to
use its awareness. first, flickering images that
represented itself formed. then, the images of others
emerged. eventually, marlowe learned to dream, and the
images of others became minds and individuals within the
dream world who lived various lives. in an act of profound
benevolence, marlowe extended permanence to these dream
minds by speaking their names, and the minds became real, no
longer bound by the dream world that marlowe had created.
these dream minds made real were called the nacmat.

once real, the nacmat were endowed with the same creative
power of marlowe, and as they discovered the depth of their
gift, more dreaming minds formed within them, until the
nacmat too extended the gift that was given them and gave
reality and creative power to the dream minds within them.

this process continued for millions of years, until there
was a break in the chain. one of the dream minds, when made
real, recognized the chain of extending creativity and
decided that instead of granting reality to the dream minds
within itself, it would deny them the gift of creative
energy and keep it for itself, attempting to break away from
marlowe. this mind's name was jaroen. jaroen believed that
in doing so, it could become more powerful than even
marlowe. jaroen believed that it created reality, but
created only dream worlds. believing that it had awakened
to its own power, jaroen instead lay trapped in slumber.
the minds trapped within jaroen were called the uzim.



 

offline plaidzebra from so long, xlt on 2003-09-23 13:14 [#00875028]
Points: 5678 Status: Lurker



part two

as the uzim within jaroen grew, some became aware that they
existed only as dreams within this sleeping mind, and some
worshipped jaroen, believing that he represented the
original creative mind of marlowe. some uzim believed that
their dream world was the only reality, and that jaroen was
just a vivid projection of their imagination. other uzim
had a variety of ideas and theories concerning their
situation. the uzim became divided against themselves, and
fought over their dreamworld, causing tremendous suffering.
as jaroen slept, their dream world was like a wilderness in
which the sun that was meant to bring them light burned
them, and the seas that were meant to bring them sustenance
drowned them. some of the uzim cursed jaroen for their
suffering.

jaroen became aware that it had made a mistake, but remained
conflicted by a lust for power, and incorrectly believing
that it was cut off from marlowe, and unable to hear
marlowe's voice in slumber, jaroen became consumed with
guilt. unable to hear marlowe's words of forgiveness and
comfort, jaroen's slumber continued since it did not know
how to escape the dream.

but marlowe, in its wisdom, had anticipated the problem the
uzim and jaroen faced. marlowe knew that what jaroen had
done was not a flaw in marlowe's gift, but a possible
consequence of having given the gift of creative power
unconditionally. so marlowe had secretly sent a messenger
to the uzim's dream world, named atgmartin, who knew about
marlowe and what jaroen had tried to do.



 

offline plaidzebra from so long, xlt on 2003-09-23 13:14 [#00875030]
Points: 5678 Status: Lurker



part three

atgmartin was unique, in that it was marlowe's messenger,
but since it had entered the dream world, was also one of
the uzim. additionally, atgmartin appeared in the dream
world not as one person, but as twenty three pairs of uzim
who then went out to every corner of the dream world. some
of these forty six uzim became known, and some remained
hidden. atgmartin understood that the situation was more
complex than many of the uzim could understand, because of
the way jaroen had defined their dream world. atgmartin
devised a way to use suggestive stories and parables, which
took various forms and styles, to illustrate what had
happened to jaroen and the uzim, and the true identity of
marlowe.

as atgmartin's words spread through their dream world, the
uzim became aware that the slumber was the result of
jaroen's denying the gift of marlowe by failing to extend
the gift in unconditional benevolence. the uzim, with
atgmartin's help, realized that they, as dream
manifestations of jaroen, were actually the shattered pieces
of the whole jaroen. the uzim understood that to heal
jaroen, they themselves must resolve their own lust for
false power, must stop dividing their world, and must stop
attacking their fellow uzim.

the uzim within the slumbering jaroen used their collective
energy with the help of atgmartin to reawaken jaroen in
which they existed. because of atgmartin, the uzim knew
that, despite their name, they were not separate from
jaroen, and that jaroen, despite the slumber, was not
separate from marlowe. jaroen then discovered marlowe's
plan and realized the mistake was forgiven, and chose to
accept and extend the gift of marlowe, and release the uzim
from the dream world, and endow them all with the bestowal
of creative energy, and they would go on to form new worlds.




 

offline Ceri JC from Jefferson City (United States) on 2003-09-23 14:01 [#00875092]
Points: 23533 Status: Moderator | Followup to marlowe: #00874581 | Show recordbag



Not only that they cannot be recognised, but that they do
not exist
.

It is Henotheistic to believe in other gods but only worship
one...


 

offline Empiricus from South Carolina (United States) on 2003-09-23 14:17 [#00875109]
Points: 774 Status: Lurker



One must first believe that there are no major flaws in
one's thought before one can be sure that there are major
flaws in the object of one's thought.


 

offline rockenjohnny from champagne socialism (Australia) on 2003-09-23 14:23 [#00875120]
Points: 7983 Status: Lurker



ah glad so see you asking questions again marlowe

monotheism in my view is not about a religion perceiving
only one deity,

what the term describes for me is that in order for one to
achieve their spiriruality, they need to be Totally devoted
to their specific god (who can of course be any god,
belonging to any faith, all god is Truth!)


 

offline afxNUMB from So.Flo on 2003-09-23 14:24 [#00875122]
Points: 7099 Status: Regular



The term is applied particularly to Judaism, Christianity,
and Islam, as well as Zoroastrianism.


 

offline rockenjohnny from champagne socialism (Australia) on 2003-09-23 14:26 [#00875123]
Points: 7983 Status: Lurker



hence believing in One god

that does not have to discount other faiths.. although that
is ill acknowledge Implied in many cases, its not intended i
believe in any faiths pure form


 

offline pachi from yo momma (United States) on 2003-09-23 14:27 [#00875127]
Points: 8984 Status: Lurker



this is sure to catch the attention of the majority of the
world's populace.



 

offline rockenjohnny from champagne socialism (Australia) on 2003-09-23 14:27 [#00875128]
Points: 7983 Status: Lurker



Truth is as strong as ones devotion


 

offline Anus_Presley on 2003-09-23 14:28 [#00875131]
Points: 23472 Status: Lurker



marlowe is a loony.


 

offline rockenjohnny from champagne socialism (Australia) on 2003-09-23 14:29 [#00875132]
Points: 7983 Status: Lurker | Followup to pachi: #00875127



unfortunately not, but spirituality is a valuble thing for
one to understand, all the same. and everyone Is aware of it


 

offline rockenjohnny from champagne socialism (Australia) on 2003-09-23 14:31 [#00875135]
Points: 7983 Status: Lurker | Followup to afxNUMB: #00875122



yes afxnumb there is a spectrum



 

offline rockenjohnny from champagne socialism (Australia) on 2003-09-23 14:40 [#00875162]
Points: 7983 Status: Lurker



if were to compare to hindu, where many gods are worshipped,
it is still the same case. one devotes themself to the diety
that is personal.

buddhist faith, as we know its not a deity figure that is
worshipped, however buddhism Is also a pursuit of Truth
through Devotion.


 


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