Your thoughts on prayer

I like to chip in to as many threads as possible, either as myself or as Denzil, as you know. It's a bit different here in the UK...... religion, belief, prayer etc, in fact, congregations have been getting smaller and smaller for decades. I'm of little or no faith, I have to admit, and I would be lying if I said otherwise. I dislike the double standards that religious people seem to exhibit, such as an abhorence to paedophillia (as of course we all loathe), yet it is present in the church, amongst those that preach! Even the pope had trouble condemning it, which strikes me as unforgiveable. Then there is war, conflict and terrorism, most of which can be directly attributed to religion, or differences therein. My biggest problem is that there are so many different religions, from worshipping the sun, the moon, God, Allah, etc, which of these is the real one, if any? We're constantly told that there's only one God, the argument is so passionately believed that people die for it, where does it say that should happen in the bible?

I'm certain you all have as strong an argument for religion and prayer as I do for the lack of it and I respect  you all fully for that, I just don't see how any of these facts above can be ignored. Sorry for being controversial, you might just as well know how I feel about it all, in my very honest opinion I think the world would be a better place without religion(s)

What matters to me is truth, fairness, kindness and love....not especially in that order. I don't need God or whoever to teach me that.

 

...my take home message in this thread would be don't confuse God wth religion.  Religion is only the tool and like any other tool, can be used rightly or wrongly.  

 To me the opposite of love is not necessarily hate, it's fear. When you get down to the root cause of so much of what's wrong with us as a species, it boils down to fear. 

On 29th July 2008 15:49, Ruth Gregory wrote:

...my take home message in this thread would be don't confuse God wth religion.  Religion is only the tool and like any other tool, can be used rightly or wrongly.  

 To me the opposite of love is not necessarily hate, it's fear. When you get down to the root cause of so much of what's wrong with us as a species, it boils down to fear. 

 

  Ruth, I couldn't agree more. Well said!

Andy,  I consider myself a Christian, in the C.S. Lewis / N.T. Wright tradition of "Mere Christianity" and "Simply Christian". However, my feelings are similar to yours when it comes to religious institutions. My mother raised me in a particularly restrictive faith and it took me years to sort out what I really believed as opposed to what I had been taught to believe...truth is I am still in the process of discovery.  

Over the past ten years or so I have been able to give myself permission to explore my spirituality without guilt and fear.  I enjoy a Roman Catholic Mass (I wasn't raised Catholic) but I don't necessarily agree with all the dogma professed by the Catholic Church. I also enjoy reading about "alternative" spiritual practices and take what works for me from all practices to bake my own cake so to speak. It stands to reason in my mind that if God did indeed create us as unique individuals then our way of relating to him will be as unique as we are. Who am I to tell you that your way is wrong?

In the end I concur completely with your statement when you said that what matters to you is truth, fairness, kindness and love, and to that I would add tolerance.  Well said Andy!

Love and kind wishes to you Ruth, love thy neighbor does not mean Be like thy neighbor, but more like respect thy neighbor and his views.

Well said, Wolf.

And if you live in Cornwall , don't tear his fences down and all .