Uh-Oh! Lombozo Speaking His Mind On Religion.

As many of you know I don't tend to stay away from the tough, controversial issues. I deal with things head on, and say exactly what I believe. Whether I agree with someone or not, I will always try to see their side, and will never ridicule them simply because they disagree with me.
Religion. A VERY controversial topic. One felt with passion by many. For the record I am a God fearing man. I wear a cross around my neck.
I see more often every day the rift between religious beliefs and the 'We're right, You're wrong' philosophies regarding the above said. Wars are fought because of it. People are murdered because of it. I have a tough time trying to figure out why. WHY?

I find hatred between those who practice different faiths ridiculous. Actually pathetic is a much better term.

Jew. Muslim. Christian. Hindu. Buddhist. Mormon. Wiccan. Atheist. (I apologize for any left out - nothing intentional I assure you.) For the life of me I don't understand the issues. Am I better than you because I believe in my God and not yours? NO.
We all were born to a mother. We all were conceived by a fathers sperm. What difference does it make if I choose to call the God I worship a different name than the God you worship? What difference does it make if you choose not to believe in A God at all? It's none of my business. EVERY day I see people of different faiths doing the same damn thing I'm doing. Working hard to make a living. Going to the store to buy things they need. Bitching about the high cost of gasoline. Mowing their lawns. Taking out the trash. Rolling their eyes due to a silly remark made by their peers.
I live in a neighborhood which has just about every ethnic group imaginable. Some are like me. Some have more melanin. Some have epacanthic folds. Some wear Yamaca. Some wear Turbin. Some are covered with tatoos. Some are Goth. Our kids all play together. I've had a cool drink on a hot summer evening with all of them.
Why should I view them different than myself? What difference does it make to whom or how they practice their faith?
It doesn't.
Let's make it clear. Yes I am judgemental. I'm no Saint and don't claim to be. If you rape, kill, or harm others I'll be all over you. Hurt my family and I'll be your worst nightmare. But hate because of religion? I actually feel sorry for those whom are that shallow, and hide behind a transparent mask of "I'm holier than thou".
There are ALOT of highly intelligent people here on ATS. Can ANYONE give me a reason, just one why Rodney King isn't dead right with his words "Can't we all just get along?"

First things first, long time no see dude.

Now;

Originally posted by lombozo
"Can't we all just get along?"

Because alot of people simply don't wont to. Think of human history, people have constantly been at each others throats for seemingly pointless reasons.

I also live in a very multicultural society and have grown up with people from every walk of life and religion. I haven't got a problem with anyone, everyone is friendly towards each other and it's a great place to live. No-one has any problem with anyone else's religion, or lack of in my case, we see the person not the religion.

But not a 10 minute walk away it is very different. There are some of the most racist and ignorant people I have ever seen. They will openly scorn and mock the Muslim community as they walk by, the kids are just plain vile. They've been filled with hate by their parents and go around in gangs harassing people that look even slightly different. It's completely pathetic and it makes me sick.

Why we can't all get along is beyond me, people just need to realise that we are all indeed human and in the end, that's all we got. But alas, it seems that many just don't want to, they're happy with their ignorance and false assumptions.

its simple, because or media and governments and religious institutions (not all mainly the most popular ones like christianity, muslim, judaism, etc) have taught us to oppose those who have other faiths. seriously thats all we are exposed to is one group hating another for having different beliefs, when in reality if they looked really closely at everything they would realize that ALL religions are based on ancient astrology, stories from the egyptians, sumarians, mayans, etc. i have been brought up catholic my whole life but never really paid attention to it, because i know that no religion is right. we are all here together and, like you said, doing the same things, trying to survive given our current circumstances. it is a dream of almost everyone to have a world where theses differences are looked past. i with you man, its absurd, and i have no idea we cant all realize we have no idea what is going on and that if we work together then we will work towards the only goal we should really have, and that is exploring space and creating a society where there is no domination or supreme powers. wishful thinking i know, but that is the way it should be and im sure there are other civilizations in space like this. i for one have adopted yoga daoism and buddhism as a foundation for my beliefs, they are about loving everything and appreciating nature and living in harmony with everything-it seems like the most natural way to live as there is no proof of a god here on earth. im not hopeful though for the rest of humanity realizing this as every day things seem to get progressively worse, all we can do is love one another and not persecute any of for their beliefs, but we need to somehow bring about a change, an almost impossible task it seems like, but it has to start somewhere... namaste

[edit on 30-5-2008 by mrbooms]

Originally posted by lombozo


Jew. Muslim. Christian. Hindu. Buddhist. Mormon. Wiccan. Atheist. (I apologize for any left out - nothing intentional I assure you.)

Latter Day Saints (Mormon) are Christian. Did you intentionally exclude them from the christian label? If so, I would think you would have written Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Episcopal, etc...

reply to post by lombozo


Such a breath of fresh air from all the "____ is trying to destroy the world!" and "_____ is responsible for all of society's ills!" posts.


It's such a shame that more people just don't understand that yelling at someone and belittling their beliefs won't help; and just accept we're all different.

Thank you for the fresh air, lombozo!

Religion and Politics goes hand in hand in our nation, with the same passion that religion is debated so is politics.

They are the two topics that can be debated for hours, years and even a lifetime and still two person will never agree on the same issues.

Is about perception, ideologies and backgrounds.

People sometimes do not understand that what make sense to you may no necessarily make sense to me and that is the way is going to be and guess what you take it or leave it.

Nerveless we have learn to be somewhat tolerant to others believes to what we perceive individually as the only and one real truth. still we waste most of our time pushing our truth to others.

reply to post by lombozo


I can give a reason that'll select against tolerance-flavored religions ...it's less fun. There's a whole range of enjoyable grandiose swelling-up that gets soggy and hard to light when you replace mayhem with summer camp.
I mean, if God talked to me and gave me a mission, I don't think I'd want to bring it up at city council meetings until everybody else came around to my new revelation way of thinking. I think I would want to stay in that roaring emotional high and sense of power and purpose that I'm getting from this new infusion of meaning into my world ("NOW I UNDERSTAND"), I would behave as indomitably as possible towards nonbelievers, because they'd spoil my buzz. When I'm feeling a power rush as increasingly my willpower grows as I conform myself to the hard things that God wants me to do...then these nonbelievers who are not on the same mission, they're not interesting, not fun, faintly repulsive, feel better when they're not around.
It's like how different types of dope fiends find each others group characteristics intolerable, but they can more easily accept and overlook the tics of their buddies who use the same stuff, cause they're on the same mission.
The tolerance and compassion so frequently praised in our society's religious framework, is like maybe 90% of the time, a decadent, late-period sign of a belief that is empty, dead, over, dull, moribund, uninhabited and useless.
Like when the Taliban blew up those 700 foot stone Buddhas, and everyone decried...they didn't have any postmodern irony or doubt, they acted like you would if you actually believed in your religion. Made the rest of the world uneasy.
To sum up, a tolerant religion is like Merit Ultra-Lights, and an intolerant religion is like Camel non-filters, and about matters of taste, there is no argument.

Originally posted by eye open doors
Latter Day Saints (Mormon) are Christian. Did you intentionally exclude them from the christian label? If so, I would think you would have written Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, Episcopal, etc...

You make an excellent point. No. I can honestly say that I did not purposely exclude the Mormon faithful from the Christianity label. My bad.


[edit on 31-5-2008 by lombozo]

reply to post by Zanzibar


hello

try living in sheffield in the uk, its the muslim population also that walk around with complete arrogance and walk around in gangs etc etc

hello there

i dont hate other people, however i do oppose their views /religions. As a Christian my faith says that this faith is the truth. (yes i realise others saythis also)

everyone has a right to believe what they wish. that said i am duty bound to spread the gospel as set in the bible. this will be welcomed by some, scorned by others.

i see other religions as false worship and i will not apologise for that, but because i disagree it doesn't mean i hate. I am told by the Bible that i must pray for others not hate them.

Too often ,in my opinion, opposition is classed as hate, when it isn't. Well not for everyone anyway.

One thing about wars, most were started by a few men/women and the armies had do to what they were told. a few meglamaniacs using religion to fuel blood lusts IMHO.

allthebest

david

Originally posted by lombozo


EVERY day I see people of different faiths doing the same damn thing I'm doing. Working hard to make a living. Going to the store to buy things they need. Bitching about the high cost of gasoline. Mowing their lawns. Taking out the trash. Rolling their eyes due to a silly remark made by their peers.

Can ANYONE give me a reason, just one why Rodney King isn't dead right with his words "Can't we all just get along?"

Kings' simple question does work well with the simple, survival, here-and-now.
But religion has layers upon layers of important factors beyond the here-and-now...
for example your neighborhood is quite unlike the surroundings of billions of others all over the world, their situation is in being surrounded and immersed in that particular regions religion with very few individuals/families who are not in some degree involved with that areas dominant religion.

religion also has 'family tradition' as another driving element which makes for what appears as intolerence of others..
i.e. my father and grandfather, all died believing in 'our' faith,
so just that fact, makes my faith more meaningful and more 'right'
than 'yours'... get my drift.

Kings' remark cannot be applied to diverse religions in contact with one another, imho