Religion and different beliefs

[Aurora]

So first off, I normally do not like to talk about religion as everyone has their own beliefs and thoughts and usually religious talks tends to not go so well.

 

But one thing I have noticed that since coming out on how I have also been questioning some of my beliefs and thoughts.  With doing some research, I have been seeing that I fall under a different belief.  Now for myself, I was raised Lutheran and went to a Lutheran church, but I feel that is not really my thoughts and beliefs.  I still believe in haven and hell and god and the devil, but alot of my beliefs fall under more of a female version and that GOD is female and Mary Magedline is Jesus wife and not a propostite that the bible makes her out to be.  I believe in the whole female part of the female bible.  When doing research, the only thing that I can come close to is being caught in the middle between the old world Pegam and Modern Pagam.  I am still trying to research on my beliefs of everything female and it's the females that have setup the males but the females work in the shadows.

 

Hope this is alright to post

[Heather Shay]

I do believe the early Christian church was mainly organized and cared for by women then men started closing ranks. I was personally raised Catholic and over the years seen many things about the church I disagree with. I've come to the conclusion that each of us walks their own journey and with it comes differing views on what's right for you. I have a problem with any organized religion that "TELLS" you what to believe and if you don't then you are wrong. I then to read the things in the Bible that the Christ said and try to live by his example and not like the modern day Pharasies. I believe each of us must find what works for them be it Jewish or Moslem or Christian or Buddhist or Mao or whatever. I find most of the great religious leaders over time have many things in common and their lives exemplify how we should live and love eath other - my examples are - PLANT GOOD SEEDS, GIVE AND DON'T EXPECT ANYTHING IN RETURN, DON'T FORCE YOUR VIEWS ON OTHERS BUT EXAMPLE YOUR VIEWS AND WHY YOU HAVE THEM AND LET THEM DECIDE IF IT IS SOMETHING THEY CAN AGREE WITH, most of all - Give Love and support and help and aid and comfort whenever you can.

[Jackie C.]

Of course it's alright, but it should be in the spirituality section so I moved it there.

 

Now then, personally I was raised incredibly lax Lutheran. I only saw the inside of a church when I happened to be staying with my maternal (Lutheran) or paternal (Baptist) grandparents. I've been to Sunday school. The conditioning didn't really take. There's bits of it floating around in my psyche that come out in casual language use, but I don't consider myself a believer.

 

On an interesting note, the Gospel of Mary is a thing. Some scholars believe that it's talking about Mary Magdelene and there's some confusion of whether she was Jesus' wife or chief disciple (or both). Considering that priests were all female in the early days of Christianity until the religion got co-opted by the patriarchy...

Add in all the texts that the early patriarchal church either heavily edited or discarded entirely and you have a religion that's a hot mess and heavily slanted towards keeping women oppressed. The patriarchy has a lot to answer for.

 

So for me, while I don't consider myself especially spiritual, I know that if I'm very still and quiet, I feel connected to, well, everything. The energy I'm feeling isn't male. Call it a goddess or just call it the universe. I don't get the feeling it cares for us individually. We're just part of it. All of us. Together.

She doesn't feel like the kind of thing I can ask favors of, but she can lend us her strength for a little while. I don't really see where that sets me in any formal religion, but I also don't feel like the goddess is the kind of thing that wants us to waste time worshipping her when we could just be striving to live our best lives and taking care of each other. I can't imagine she thrives on that kind of ceremony. I'd be wary of a god that demanded worship and doled out punishment. What kind of parent is that?

 

Hugs!

[Ivy]

3 hours ago, Aurora said:

I have noticed that since coming out on how I have also been questioning some of my beliefs and thoughts. 

These have been related for me also.  I was also raised Lutheran for what that's worth.  I have spent most of my life in various christian denominations - mostly conservative.   

I tried to force my perceptions of the world into a "Biblical" framework, which involved some mental gymnastics.  Any thoughts of "transgender" were out of the question.  I migrated to a more "Messiah/Jewish" position, since I think early christianity was a jewish sect.  So I started studying Torah a bit.  It seemed to be the same old same old.

Next I started to look into the origins of the new testament, and some of the books not included, and at who made these choices.  Anyway, I came to the conclusion that perhaps I was looking at things backwards.  Maybe I should look at how the Bible fit into perceived reality, rather than the other way around.  Maybe our own experience should take precedence over what we've been told to believe.

Well, that was long and somewhat confusing.

Anyway, this gave me the freedom to take a look into my own feelings and experience without having to filter them through the biblical filter.  And it was then that I had the freedom to crack that closet door and take a peek inside.

 

1 hour ago, Jackie C. said:

I was raised incredibly lax Lutheran.

Seems to be a bunch of us LOL

 

1 hour ago, Jackie C. said:

the Gospel of Mary is a thing

Yeah, this was one of those books.   And I also think patriarchy had a lot to do with excluding this.

1 hour ago, Jackie C. said:

The patriarchy has a lot to answer for.

Definitely.   These days I find myself in line with one of my more feminist daughters.

 

I no longer think of "god" as a father etc.  More as a Mother that is the source of all things.   Having said that, I also have a more pantheistic view of life, the universe, and everything.

Heaven and hell?  Seems far fetched, but who can say?

While I think "life" continues beyond death of the body, whether conscious or not is unknown. (at least to me)   Seems like the only ones who know aren't in a position to tell us much.

I do believe that we can get a word, or a leaning from Mother Goddess, or perhaps it is our collective conscious.  IDK.

 

Anyway, that's how I see this stuff at this time of my life.  I think we are always growing in our perceptions and this is natural.  The only things that don't change are dead.

 

Guess I'll break off now…

[Ivy]

Guess I should add-

I don't have any problems with christians.   (although the Dominionist movement bothers me).  Or really anybody else as long as they're not out to harm anyone.

These days I would consider myself a witch if pressed, although that's not what people think.

[KathyLauren]

I was raised as a nominal Christian.  There was no separation of church and state, so Christianity was taught in the schools.  And I knew from an early age (grade 2, as near as I can figure) that I didn't believe everything they were telling me.

 

I know that God's pronouns are said to be He/Him, but I never accepted that God was male.  I never could understand why some denominations would not allow female priests.  As I got older, I stopped pretending to be Christian just because it was expected.  (I wish I had had the courage to take that attitude into other areas of my life at the same time!)

 

One thing I like about Buddhism is that women have been accepted since the time of the founder.  It is said that the Buddha had to have his arm twisted to allow women into the monastic order, and the rules for nuns are more stringent than for monks, but those are believed by many to be patriarchal amendments to the scriptures.  No one, not even the patriarchs, doubts that it was the Buddha himself who authorized women to be members.

[VickySGV]

While I am still part of the Episcopal Church, I am in its twig (not yet a full branch) that is for gender neutral language in regard to deity names and titles.  The prime deity declared simply the name/title "I Am" which in the old Hebrew is the embodiment of Creation itself, namely everything.  My daily practices are a Celtic Christianity view of the spiritual side of the beliefs of relation to Creation.  The Celtic practice I look at does not recognize the "original sin" dogma that is prevalent, but rather postulates that we have an "original song" born into us, but the world around us dins out that song, and it is when we re-connect to it, that we see our personal Divine Image implanted at birth.  There is room for some Buddhist thought in there too.  Trans people are known to be some of the most spiritual individuals,

[LaurenA]

I was raised as an Episcopalian.  About the time I reach the age of majority I connected with the Pagan community and have been for about 50 years.  I;m not sure I believe in any deities but I appreciate the Pagan outlook on life.  The godess is of course she/her.

[Charlize]

I remember and still often see gender being assigned to the Higher Power.  If it is indeed omniscient, all inclusive and omnipresent, as i believe, i certainly cannot assign that presence any gender.

I feel that if the word God is considered male it is more a creation of a male dominated society than any reality.

I fear i left Christianity behind with the shorts i had to wear to church 68 or 69 years ago.

 

Hugs,

 

Charlize

[Nora]

I was raised baptist, but I got sent out of Sunday School to sit in the hallway because I asked questions the Sunday School Teacher couldn't answer. Personally, I'm an atheistic agnostic who doesn't believe in good and evil, or gods, or angels, or demons, or any kind of an afterlife. I don't even think anything in the universe is actually "real". I'm pretty sure it's a simulation, and that we don't actually exist; we're like Non-Playable Characters in a video game. And the "real" reality the simulation is based in...is probably another simulation lol. Who knows where the Base Reality is...but chances are, it's just as crummy as this one LOL. ?    

...I'm kind of a nihilistic pessimist; free will is an illusion; life in meaningless lol.

[Ivy]

While I previously posted that I tend to refer to "god" as a Mother Goddess, or Great Mother, I do think that she is beyond gender as we consider it.  

And I do hold some seemingly contradictory ideas as well.

I consider myself a pantheist, and that we all all a part of this one thing that is "Life" itself regardless of individual consciousness.  So "life" itself is never destroyed if this body ceases to function.  The body is just recycled into the system (composted or whatever).  Whether individual consciousness continues remains to be seen.

I do think there is a point where our logic and language fail to explain these things.

 

[Nora]

4 hours ago, Jandi said:

...we all all a part of this one thing that is "Life" itself regardless of individual consciousness.

...Or at least what appears to be life. ...Life is a confusing concept when factoring in the statistical probability that everything we see is merely a beautiful lie and that nothing around us is technically "living" at all. ...Kinda depressing...but then I realize there's no point to being depressed either; not even suicide would be any kind of an escape; chances are I'd just cease to exist, and thus, existing in a meaningless life within a digital prison is preferable to ceasing to exist in any form. Even if I'm just a fake toy, created and programmed solely for someone else's amusement...better than the alternative lol. #HappilyAssimilated ?

[Nora]

...I bet the Simulators are AI robots lol. XD

[Sometimes Chrissie]

Religion causes a lot of trouble. People argue over "God" while never defining what God is. Religion is one of the leading causes or excuses for war.

 

The Bible describes God in many ways. That God has a lot of names and one of those names is Jealous. Based on his antics in the Bible, Jealous seems to fit him. Ill tempered fits him well too. Cruel fits him quite well too. In Levitucs 20:13 he wants his children to kill homosexuals.

 

Exodus 34:14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God

 

Jesus lied about prayer.  And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14) OK Jesus, cure every child who your father allowed to give cancer.

 

Read the Bible cover to cover and you will see that the god portrayed therein is the most evil thing you can imagine and if you think the god of the Bible is the most foul character in all of literature, read the koran.

 

If there is a god who is responsible for this cruel existence why deal with it other than trying to destroy it. We are brought into this realm uninvited. We suffer biting maladies in spite of an alleged all powerful god who can stop them. This same god gave his angels pain free lives unearned while we must earn it. Our reward for kissing this tyrant's butt during our time here is going to heaven and massaging his insatiable ego there.

 

When you don't know the reason for something, simply look to the lowest common denominator.... money. Religion in addition to keeping us ignorant and in the Dark Ages, is merely a money making scam.

 

 

[stveee]

I think critiquing religion sidesteps the real issues of inconsistencies of the problem of death and suffering. The real purpose was to transcend the "reality" and facts of carnal existence itself. The problem is also of the limitations of expressing non-linear ideas via the limitations of language. What we are really dealing with is the limits of our own understanding, just as our visual perception can only see a limited portion of the full spectrum of light.

What I always urge is inquiry. Religion, especially Christianity, draws upon archetypes of the human mind, which are symbolic of creation, but as symbols and allegories of truth, cannot explain without subtlety. That subtlety being what resides in the subconscious. I think people resent the Church because yes, a great sin was done, that being it's origin of when religion and science were considered one and the same. There are many instances where "prophets" and the educated were punished or killed for disseminating what has been labeled "occult magic" to the ordinary person. But I believe in cycles, and nature will demand an eventual reconciliation.

Personally, the more I learned and cross-referenced between many religions and philosophy, the more I drew similarities, but my aim *was* reconciliation and unity. 

All we must really do is look within, seek and inquire. 

Being trans for me is essentially of spiritual origin. The antagonism between the body and spirit is symbolic and a reflection of the antagonism and play that keep existence itself manifesting through time.

[KimmieElise]

5 hours ago, Sometimes Chrissie said:

Religion causes a lot of trouble. People argue over "God" while never defining what God is. Religion is one of the leading causes or excuses for war.

 

The Bible describes God in many ways. That God has a lot of names and one of those names is Jealous. Based on his antics in the Bible, Jealous seems to fit him. Ill tempered fits him well too. Cruel fits him quite well too. In Levitucs 20:13 he wants his children to kill homosexuals.

 

Exodus 34:14 Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God

 

Jesus lied about prayer.  And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14) OK Jesus, cure every child who your father allowed to give cancer.

 

Read the Bible cover to cover and you will see that the god portrayed therein is the most evil thing you can imagine and if you think the god of the Bible is the most foul character in all of literature, read the koran.

 

If there is a god who is responsible for this cruel existence why deal with it other than trying to destroy it. We are brought into this realm uninvited. We suffer biting maladies in spite of an alleged all powerful god who can stop them. This same god gave his angels pain free lives unearned while we must earn it. Our reward for kissing this tyrant's butt during our time here is going to heaven and massaging his insatiable ego there.

 

When you don't know the reason for something, simply look to the lowest common denominator.... money. Religion in addition to keeping us ignorant and in the Dark Ages, is merely a money making scam.

 

I find offense in your post.  While others who have posted in this thread have chosen to share what they believe in, and what they are for, you have chosen to tell us what you don't believe in and what you're against.  Further, I am not the only Christian you are likely crossing lines with in your post.

 

I am in my late 50's.  I was raised in an ostensibly Christian home, attended private Christian schools and was involved in various churches growing up.  I have always been kinda geeky and smart, craving education where I can get it, even though I went to college late in life.  I have always attracted smart geeky people as friends, or was attracted to them.  Many of them have been Atheists, Agnostics, and otherwise critics of the Bible.  When I was in my early 30's I got really honest with myself and decided some of the criticisms needed to be answered.  I laid my faith on the line and asked the hard questions.  I spent time earnestly investigating what I believe and why.  I personally deviate from the more common doctrines of Christianity in some ways.  The thing is I have spent a lot of time thinking very deeply about the subjects you addressed, and frankly you build your criticism by skimming a stone across the surface of the issues.

 

I would wager were I as unabashedly critical of what you believe in, you would take offense equally.

 

Now as to the Bible saying to stone homosexuals:  It does not say to stone homosexuals.  The context in which the passages you reference are exclusively within the context of ceremonial pagan worship, which is quite different than a loving relationship between two people.  The cultural context, the literary context, and the original languages bear this out.  For example, Romans 1 has been quoted as anti-gay.  "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.  For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their ]women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due."  What is often omitted is why the word "Therefore" is at the start of the passage.  If you see therefore, see what it is there for. Here is why it is there: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things."  The worship of birds and four-footed animals and creeping things = pagan worship.  We know that in Rome and throughout Asia Minor there were temple prostitutes (both male and female) who would engage in sexual orgies with drugged up heterosexual people.  Think about it?  How can you be given up something if you don't have it in the first place.  Most gays are born that way.  This is describing hetero people who have acted in ways which are unnatural for them, in pagan worship.  The original Greek refers to malakoi and arsenokoitai (basically effeminate male prostitutes and their "johns").

 

This pattern holds true throughout the New Testament and in the Old as well.  The word for male prostitute in Hebrew is "qadhesh," meaning literally dog, but used in contemporary literature to refer to male pagan temple prostitutes.  It is often seen along side "qedheshah" which has no other meaning than female sacred prostitute.

 

In the end, I am less interested in what you're against, and more interested in what you're for.  If you'd like to share that, I won't take offense.

 

[Sometimes Chrissie]

2 hours ago, KimmieElise said:

 

I find offense in your post.  While others who have posted in this thread have chosen to share what they believe in, and what they are for, you have chosen to tell us what you don't believe in and what you're against.  Further, I am not the only Christian you are likely crossing lines with in your post.

 

I am in my late 50's.  I was raised in an ostensibly Christian home, attended private Christian schools and was involved in various churches growing up.  I have always been kinda geeky and smart, craving education where I can get it, even though I went to college late in life.  I have always attracted smart geeky people as friends, or was attracted to them.  Many of them have been Atheists, Agnostics, and otherwise critics of the Bible.  When I was in my early 30's I got really honest with myself and decided some of the criticisms needed to be answered.  I laid my faith on the line and asked the hard questions.  I spent time earnestly investigating what I believe and why.  I personally deviate from the more common doctrines of Christianity in some ways.  The thing is I have spent a lot of time thinking very deeply about the subjects you addressed, and frankly you build your criticism by skimming a stone across the surface of the issues.

 

I would wager were I as unabashedly critical of what you believe in, you would take offense equally.

 

Now as to the Bible saying to stone homosexuals:  It does not say to stone homosexuals.  The context in which the passages you reference are exclusively within the context of ceremonial pagan worship, which is quite different than a loving relationship between two people.  The cultural context, the literary context, and the original languages bear this out.  For example, Romans 1 has been quoted as anti-gay.  "Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.  For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their ]women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due."  What is often omitted is why the word "Therefore" is at the start of the passage.  If you see therefore, see what it is there for. Here is why it is there: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things."  The worship of birds and four-footed animals and creeping things = pagan worship.  We know that in Rome and throughout Asia Minor there were temple prostitutes (both male and female) who would engage in sexual orgies with drugged up heterosexual people.  Think about it?  How can you be given up something if you don't have it in the first place.  Most gays are born that way.  This is describing hetero people who have acted in ways which are unnatural for them, in pagan worship.  The original Greek refers to malakoi and arsenokoitai (basically effeminate male prostitutes and their "johns").

 

This pattern holds true throughout the New Testament and in the Old as well.  The word for male prostitute in Hebrew is "qadhesh," meaning literally dog, but used in contemporary literature to refer to male pagan temple prostitutes.  It is often seen along side "qedheshah" which has no other meaning than female sacred prostitute.

 

In the end, I am less interested in what you're against, and more interested in what you're for.  If you'd like to share that, I won't take offense.

 

Someday you may thank me for this.

 

I'm sorry that you find truth offensive.  When people bring up the God stuff and make unsubstantiated claims about a cruel and fictitious deity who is responsible human suffering (if God exists) and then start moving the goal posts and reinterpreting scripture to fit their world view they are going to hear what I think.

 

People will claim context issues or translation errors. Apparently God sucks at communicating his word. Had God not been the jealous psycho as he is portrayed in the Bible he would have not gotten his panties in a bunch and done that awful Tower of Babel thing and confused the language. God seems to crave chaos. 

 

His first hissy fit was to punish the whole world after he framed Eve into eating some fruit. Then he allowed Cain to kill Abel and get away with it and out of the blue when there were no other females available, he finds Cain a wife.

 

Something rubbed God the wrong way again and he decided to kill nearly every living thing on earth but spared 8 people. 

 

God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and as a bonus he turned Lot's wife into a pillar of salt. Lot had sent his daughters out to be raped and eventually he had sex with them. 

 

God set the stage for abuse and subjugation of women. 

"In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children. ... Thy husband ... shall rule over thee."
God punishes Eve, and all women after her, with the pains of childbirth and subjection to men. Genesis 3:16

 

Under God's direction, Moses' army defeats the Midianites. They kill all the adult males, but take the women and children captive. When Moses learns that they left some live, he angrily says: "Have you saved all the women alive? Kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." So they went back and did as Moses (and presumably God) instructed, killing everyone except for the virgins. In this way they got 32,000 virgins -- Wow! (Even God gets some of the booty -- including the virgins.) Exodus 31:1-54

 

BTW, back 150 years ago many women died in childbirth. Humans and science fixed that. Women still die in child birth, people die because the Bible forbids blood transfusion, religious parents withhold insulin from their diabetic kids because they believe in faith healing. 

 

 

What am I for? Simple just like Superman. Truth, justice and the American way.

 

Let's face it. The Bible hates women, effeminate men, disabled people, and homosexuals. 

 

Paul, who wrote the lion's share of the NT never even met Jesus and had Paul lived in the time of the "apostles" Paul would not have met Jesus then because, Jesus of Nazareth never existed. 

 

 

What the Bible says about Blind People

God makes people blind.

"Who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?" -- Exodus 4:11

 

Sometimes he even makes animals blind.

In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open my eyes and ... smite every horse of the people with blindness. -- Zechariah 12:4

 

And he'll make you blind too if you don't follow the Old Testament's laws.

 

The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart. -- Deuteronomy 28:28

 

You should ask God to make your enemies blind. (It worked for Paul.) Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. -- Psalm 69:23 The hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind. ... And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. -- Acts 13:11 But don't sacrifice blind animals to God. It is evil. If ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? -- Malachi 1:8 Blind people cannot approach the altar of God. Whosoever ... hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. ... Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries. -- Leviticus 21:17-23 ccc. And David said on that day, Whosoever ... smiteth ... the blind that are hated of David's soul, he shall be chief and captain. Wherefore they said, The blind and the lame shall not come into the house. -- 2 Samuel 5:8

 

 

 

What the Bible says about Homosexuality

Homosexuality is an abomination to God (like shrimp).

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Leviticus 18:22

Except that unlike eating shrimp, the punishment for homosexuality is death.

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Lev.20:13

Or exile.

Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD ... And he took away the sodomites out of the land. ... Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days. 1 Kings 15:11-14

Jehoshaphat ... walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD ... The remnant of the sodomites, which remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land. 1 Kings 42:42-46

And the New Testament is just as intolerant toward homosexuals.

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. (God will make you gay!) Romans 1:26-27

God gave them over to a reprobate mind ... without natural affection ... they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. Romans 1:28-32

The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom ... neither fornicators ... nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind ... shall inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for ... them that defile themselves with mankind ... and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine ... These filthy dreamers defile the flesh. 1 Timothy 1:9-10

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha ... giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh ... suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 7-8

Except for Jesus (who hung out with 12 guys and never said anything bad about homosexuality), who said that you can increase your chances of being raptured by being gay. (So pray to be gay!)

I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Luke 17:34-35

And finally, rejoice and be glad when you see homosexuals (lead about by silly, lusty, educated women), because then you'll know for sure that Jesus is coming soon.

In the last days ... men shall be ... without natural affection ... lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ... ever learning. 2 Timothy 3:1-7

 

 

 

 

 

[Sometimes Chrissie]

3 hours ago, stveee said:

I think critiquing religion sidesteps the real issues of inconsistencies of the problem of death and suffering. The real purpose was to transcend the "reality" and facts of carnal existence itself. The problem is also of the limitations of expressing non-linear ideas via the limitations of language. What we are really dealing with is the limits of our own understanding, just as our visual perception can only see a limited portion of the full spectrum of light.

What I always urge is inquiry. Religion, especially Christianity, draws upon archetypes of the human mind, which are symbolic of creation, but as symbols and allegories of truth, cannot explain without subtlety. That subtlety being what resides in the subconscious. I think people resent the Church because yes, a great sin was done, that being it's origin of when religion and science were considered one and the same. There are many instances where "prophets" and the educated were punished or killed for disseminating what has been labeled "occult magic" to the ordinary person. But I believe in cycles, and nature will demand an eventual reconciliation.

Personally, the more I learned and cross-referenced between many religions and philosophy, the more I drew similarities, but my aim *was* reconciliation and unity. 

All we must really do is look within, seek and inquire. 

Being trans for me is essentially of spiritual origin. The antagonism between the body and spirit is symbolic and a reflection of the antagonism and play that keep existence itself manifesting through time.

The Bible borrows from other religious writing. The Flood is plagiarism and the Christ thing goes back centuries before the Jesus stuff. There are 10 characters who predate the virgin birth, son of God, born of a virgin yarn. 

[stveee]

1 hour ago, Sometimes Chrissie said:

The Bible borrows from other religious writing. The Flood is plagiarism and the Christ thing goes back centuries before the Jesus stuff. There are 10 characters who predate the virgin birth, son of God, born of a virgin yarn. 

Okay, yeah sure I can see how if a group of people got together and wrote a book basically saying that- they were God's chosen people, sure sounds a little biased to me. Maybe the editor missed that one.

But if I learned anything from the hood, it's

I wasn't there so I didn't see it happen. Can I go now, officer?

[KimmieElise]

 

 

3 hours ago, Sometimes Chrissie said:

a cruel and fictitious deity who is responsible human suffering

 

So, you believe one of the Cthulian deities from the work of H.P. Lovecraft is responsible for human suffering?  Must be Azathoth, because he's mad anyway.  I think you're on to something here.

[Ivy]

The Bible was a problem as long as I felt I had to force my reality into conformity with it.

I no longer consider it as the "inerrant and authoritative" word of God.  This solves a lot of problems.  

If you see it as a collection of a number of people's ideas (no more no less) there are some good concepts, and a whole lot of prejudice in there.  It's best to take the good and leave the bad.

 

But…

 

What if "God" is not omniscient after all.  What if she is actually growing and developing through us and all of "creation" as her children?  What if we are all a part of her collectively?

Perhaps this idea of an all powerful, all knowing creator is a fantasy.

 

This does not rule out spirituality, but it does open it up a bit.

 

I don't know… just saying…

[Nora]

...I think the Judeo Christian God is just an ancient alien, and if we see one of his flying saucers, we should blast it out of the sky and interrogate any occupants for information about their boss and all the human body parts and genetic material they've collected from abductees lol. #Earth_Is_For_Humans, #Human_Sovereignty. XD 

[VickySGV]

ADMIN HAT ON; Just a quick reminder that this is a place to discuss Faiths that are not listed in the Forum list here, NOT to bash the other religions or make fun of them.  Inconsistencies in another persons belief patterns does not assure that your inconsistencies will not be discovered.  Trans people do have wonderful spiritualities  that can become a new light to all our members and give us an understanding of each other.

[MaryEllen]

Quote

just a quick reminder that this is a place to discuss Faiths that are not listed in the Forum list here, NOT to bash the other religions or make fun of them.

 

Agreed.