It seems in here under the watchful eyes of other members & the mods we try our best to practice religious tolerance sometimes we do not.

If someone approached you outside of the forum & asked you about religion (not just yours but others) would you be biased towards yours? Take a minute to think about your answer. Personally, there are still some things I take offense at when I talk about Christianity. Which I am working on, I was raised Southern Baptist. This is where I get alot of what I post on here from. It seems the southern Baptist have become the right wing movement these days at least here in the U.S I can admit that I have some issues with those types of Christians.

What about the rest of you.....

I.. think... I was raised Methodist... though it was funny. My folks made me go to sundayschool but never went to church. Unless there was some kinda padgent. I think they were hoping it would pull me out of my shell or something.

Funny... the Pagan path helped with that more then the christian one. *chuckles and shrugs*

As for the question, this has happened, and I do find myself speaking more from my faith.. though I do speak about others out there.. but do make it clear that it is the individual's choice for their own faith.

I've always been fascinated by religion, so I am tolerant to all the varying paths to follow. I don't have to agree with their practices or beliefs, but I can acknowledge their right to do so. But of course I would be biased towards my religion. I wouldn't be following the guideline if I didn't find it the ultimate truth. If someone comes to me and asks me a religious based question, I am going to speak from the Islamic perspective.

In matters of spirituality I don't believe you can be unbiased unless you are unsure of what you believe or have not made your mind up.

I'm biased to point to where I immediately disregard any religious words spoken to me. I'm very anti-religion. I don't care if they're spoken, just don't preach to me.

I'm open to debate . I'm not a scholar in any religion and I can't stand know it alls since it is all just opinions. But if one is open minded and willing to look at all sides and all religions and beliefs or lack there of equally - I'm game.


Religion , no matter which , is just opinion. nor could it ever be anything more really since it is an individual interpretive experience . It doesn't matter what text you have. Text too is just opinion.

I'm downright bigoted towards EVERYTHING.

I am probably biased from a Christian point of view, but I would like to think that I'm tolerant to other people's pont of view and that they are entitled to that. I would hope to be open to differing opinions even if I don't agree

I am anti drug, gay, booze, lieing, things like that.


But I try to treat each person as an inividual even if they use or do any of the above things. Except for lieing. Lie to me or about me to many times and I get upset fast. That by the way also depends on the person.


Sorry I should add anti muslim too.

Not very biased I don't think...

I could really care less what anyone believes as long as it's not doing deliberate and calculated harm.

I am completely biased when it comes to religion.
beacuase i dont believe in religion and i dont believe in any gods.

My beliefs are a sort of cherry pick from lots of different faiths and religions so i don't really have any bias except towards fanatics of all ilks who try to force their views on others.

Baptized C of E, went to Sunday school, did secondary education at a Catholic school.

Father anglican, mother Lutherin...............

I cant really say Im worthy of being religious, I have much respect for most of them.

I would say that yes I would be biased on many different levels of my own and others religion, but only as an opinion to how I see e.g the bible, and the beliefs of others.

All religions tell a story, you can believe all you like but be it only from a story point of veiw, religions made bibles, text, words of honour ect to tell a story so we could learn and steer clear of wrond doing, and cherish we know whats right.

I dont always agree, in this day and age its hard to comprehend how humans get away with some of the things you hear. I'll say no more.

you don't wear a pointy white hood on sundays do you ? need anger management on how quick you get angry seeing how you can't control yourself ?

just wondering.

I don't think one can help being biased toward you beliefs. If someone ask about my religion I am more than happy to tell them about it, but I still think everyone should follow their own path. I am happy with my belief and all the help and confort it has given me.

I guess everyone will be biased towards their religion as people generally put alot into their religion and would like to believe its infact correct. no body would like to think theyve wasted time on something thats wrong.

i personally do not have a religion as i believe all man made religions are incorrect.

religions are too chaotic and too big a source of conflict or confusion. best to do away with it in my opinion

Salaam (Peace)

I am actively involved with interfaith dialogue. Many offensive things are said but I do not let it bother me, I simply express my opinion and understanding to the best of my ability. Non religious people have no problem or conflict in speaking in a biased way when sharing their beliefs about mainstream religion. The United States of America is a religiously tolerant Christian nation, so no person, (especially Christian) should feel uncomfortable in expressing their beliefs. Religion haters will continue to demand that everyone behave like atheist, and this goal will be achieved if religious people do not stand up for their belief systems. Religion has been blamed for brainwashing people, and indeed that has, and does occur at times but I believe that there has been alot more brainwashing against religion. Historical untruths, such as "more wars have been fought over religion than anything else" has permeated throughout the minds of our society. The abandonment of religiosity has led to social decay, in fact most crimes in our nation are committed by irreligious people, but that doesn't seem to matter to the religion haters. Do not abandon firm conviction in the name of some juvenile "open mindedness". Stand strong in your faith, and express your beliefs with the same firmness you feel in your heart and soul.

by Wickian:

I find this post very thougtful to me. Or atleast, it opens up what I want to say. I don't think anyone really wants to be preached at, I certainly don't. So, I agree with this particular post. I don't agree with prosetylizing at all, I find it agressive.
Though, where religion is concern for others and myself, I think it's part of each other's lives, and mostly each other's belief system, so what each of us believe in, should not be touched and fussed with.
I also think I can be a bit biased, like I think we all are dealing with our own lives. Considering I have my own belief system, I am not sure if I'm biased from another's point of view, or can I be since I don't talk into detail of my own belief system.
Maybe we can be unbiased when we see how someone else's belief system is important to them. I wonder if we all can be biased, when someone else is saying your own belief system is flawed and bad things will happen if you do not believe what they believe. I think that biasednes is understandable, when we prefer our own belief system to stay in our own lives. So is it alright to be biased in your own lives, and to stay unbias when it concerns someone else's?

I think everyone has some degree of bias toward whatever it is that they believe. I tend not to judge people's beliefs, but instead what they do with them.

I'm all for freedom of choice. Which is why I added that last sentence in my first reply. I honestly wouldn't care if my best friend worshiped a God that demanded weekly rabbit killings as long as he didn't try to involve me or preach to me about how I live my life if it's wrong in his religion. I actually a few Jesus freak friends and we get along just fine. I just let them know right off the bat, "Just don't try to convert me, and we're cool."

No I don't wear a pointy hood on Sundays. Yea i probable do need anger management but not for what you are implying.

Personally, i think the key thing for religious tolerance is for religious communities to come to common terms between their religions. This way if we practised what our religions teach, and those teachings are common amongst the religions, we have harmony. Most poeple here always make an assumption that i am bias towards islam, as i am muslim. However, i disagree on this basis. When i comment on anyone's religions, i do so with knowledge about the religions, by studying it and its source material. If we all adopted this type of attitude, regardless of what one follows, we would be more tolerant and understanding of others, because you would have knowledge about the other persons religion. what i find here is that, most poeple comment on all religions, often with lack of knowledge and often have never read or researched the religions and then make comments on it and their followers. This in my opinion is the wrong way to go about things, this type of method, commenting with out relevant knowledge often creates the misunderstandings and intolerance.

And if there is no common ground between two religions then there is no harmony? Such as between Abrahamic religions and most Pagans. I think just live and let live there is no need to find common ground.

Common ground to me sounds like agree to disagree,
Harmony is very, very hard work.

One will always class its religion bigger, better and the real truth.
I like the idea of live and let live, but whats to be of those countrires that fight amoungst themselves as to the "right" religion?
Its scary to think that there could be harmony, but due to war as Ive seen its a big cost.

We could just say, "mind your own Religion" and get on with it, it sounds so easy!!!!
if only......

i understand what your saying, im refering to major religions as a whole, even with some pagan religions you will find when you check the source of the religion often it has many things in common with monotheistic religions, for example, Hinduism, is the largest paganistic religion in the world, but if you go to its souce material, it actually only preaches worshipping one god, and not to make make images and idols of God, etc. This fundamental aspect of hindusim has been lost over many centuries etc, but thats just an example, to show when you think somethings are not compatible, a bit of research and effort shows there is usually more than meets the eye.

One other aspect of coming together to common terms, is this. Most religions teach good, and have a code of conduct and other practises, among these, if we find what is common amongs them all, you practise those common teachings, this way you will have harmony.

danielost,

Why in the world would you admit that you are anti-gay and anti-muslim, and then add liars and drug addicts and alcoholics in there and end with "and stuff like that." ????

First of all, being anti-gay or homophobic is the first sign of blindly believing what you are told, as it's only been relatively recent that being gay is a sin according to King James. (And it's also a sign of having gay tendencies yourself that you are desperate to hide.)

Being anti-muslim is also indicative of your lack of education, and again, being a sheep, believing exactly what the Bush regime and his media puppets want to you believe. You obviously know nothing about the Islamic religion.

Saying you are anti drug and anti booze is one thing, but they are a personal choice, and have nothing to do with being anti-gay or anti-muslim.

Being lied to or lied about also has nothing to do with any of the others, so I don't get the whole "and stuff like that" categorization.

Educate yourself a bit before you pigeon-hole yourself into such baseless, ignorant, intolerant standpoints.



There are common terms that should be highlighted by religious communities. Charity, belief in higher power, honesty, etc. It's sad to me that even different denominations of the same religion seem to forget this, and it turns into who's religion is RIGHT and who's is WRONG.

However, one thing they do seem to agree upon and work together against are the non-religious communities. You can see it as a work in progress right now by following the election news in the U.S. What are the non-religious supposed to do?

Regarding your last comment, is that not democracy....

i think most religions do come together on terms such as charity, belief in a higher power, honesty etc, i think it should be taken further, so people live by teachings which are common lets say for example between, christians and muslims, surely they would be more tolerant then, and at the same time hold their different beliefs, with out offending one another. Its done by going to the sources, the bible and the quran, find what common amongst them, and then put them in to practise. I would go as far as saying this that, most muslims would jump to that, but would the other faiths,.

Well, I don't know enough about the muslims general acceptance of other faiths (what was that word? infidel?) but I can say with a pretty good degree of certainty that Christians in general are not going to accept any of the ideals of Muslim religions, because it is explicitly taught that Christians are the only one who are right, and everyone else who has not accepted Jesus Christ into their hearts will burn in hell for eternity. Since Muslims and Jews and all other religions fail to accept Jesus as their savior, Christians feel that it would be sacrilegious to validate their ideals.

And what about the wiccans and the satanists and some of the religions that according to Christianity, are the enemy?

Firstly, the word infidel, is an english translation, the arabic word is Kaafir, from the root word kufr, meaning to conceal, kaafir, meaning that who conceals himself from the truth. Not as harsh as infidel sounds. I agree to an extent to what you say about christians, but muslims too make the same claim of exclusivity, but they are also told to common terms, doing the latter, the truth reveals itself clearly. For example, muslims women cover themselves up, christian, jewish, hindu and other scriptures have the same common teaching, there is the common ground. thats just an example, not a point for debate.

Muslims believe in jesus as the messiah, infact non belief in jesus, nullifies their status as muslim. Its criteria to believe in all the prophets sent, from Adam, to Muhammed. Your not muslim if you dont. That is common ground, next, we follow what jesus taught, and you will find most muslims already do so, its a matter of the christians doing it too. Then harmony.

My acceptance of other religions is directly proportional to the level of freedom encouraged by that religion towards others not of the faith, or who differ in beliefs. If a religion is open, and its followers open minded and allow for my freedom to believe what I believe, then wonderful. If a religion encourages treating non believers or people they consider to be different in a way that limits their freedoms, then I have a problem.

It doesn't matter what the religion is, there are extremists in all of them, and then even those who have their own belief structure but are so dominated by it, they can't allow for others to believe something else. Those are the kind of instances where no I don't think it matters if I'm biased towards my own beliefs, it wouldn't matter. Not like they would like what I believe anyway. The difference is I don't ever attempt to sway someone to believe what I do. Mine come from my life experience etc, and I don't expect everyone to believe the same thing I do. I've met plenty though who did think that EVERYONE should believe what they believe and if you didn't then XYZ would be the dire consequences. That stuff again I don't feel the need to tolerate.

See, THIS is why so many get upset at religion/Christianity I believe in this case.

Now, I can see anti-booze and drugs, even lying, but anti-gay? Even better, anti-Muslim!!??

Are you anti-"all religions but your own"? Are you anti- "all lifestyles but my own"? (Not wanting to get into the choose or born gay issue, just using lifestyle as a generic descriptor).

Are you anti- "anything different than me"?

This does not indicate bias, but prejudice and racism, plain and simple.

I think that sounds good on paper, my only point would be, if everyone can believe what they want how they want, where do you draw the line, because that sort of thinking will surely bring out beliefs, which are baseless, ridiculous or even maybe dangerous.

im not criticising what you have posted, i think what you have said is very eloquent and nicely put. I am taught for example by my religion that its the truth, and to verify that claims for myself, and put it to the test, and when one does this and comes to the conclusion that its the truth, then i am told to spread the word with wisdom, not force or anything like that, but through discussion, open up peoples minds to the truth and their hearts. We call it invitiation.

Tolerance is accepting another persons beliefs, but the truth is always one, so if you have the truth and you expose someone else to it, if they choose to ignore, thats their choice, my job ends there.

I'm very biased, especially when it comes to politics. Hillary Clinton, the smartest human being to have ever run for the American Presidency, for President!


Can you really handle Hussein Obama's stuttering for four more years? Don't make that mistake again like you did with Bush...

It's Billary, not Hillary. And Bill stuck his foot in her mouth and she can't get it out. .Don't even think about Obama, he's just a piddly baby! Oprah is proud of her baby! He makes a good no-show.
Military McCain all the way!

lol McCain........ lol.

Very good point you made here. Anyone can claim to be religious but when it all comes down to it , it's about how one portrays their beliefs and their conviction towards their beliefs.
I believe in god and my faith in that can never be waivered but how I present my faith says alot about what and how I believe. I am not perfect by any means but I do try and present my faith in God in my actions as well as my belief.

I think everyone has some bias, what is more important is how they react to that bias.
I am a Christian and very active in my local church. This would tend to make me more biased to the Christian point of view, but I try to be as open minded as possible when reading and replying to posts.

Actually, I tend to get more irritated with some Christians posting more often than I do atheists. There are many people in this forum, some of them Christians, whose posts I tend to practically skip over since I’ve seen so much nonsense already from them. On the other hand, there is a Muslim member that I look forward to hearing from. I haven’t been here long enough yet to have a reputation, but I hope my posts don’t come across as just “party line” gibberish.

Uh uh, its all about Ralph Nader.




I'm just kidding.

Showing your true colors, eh, danielost? hmmmm

very, Anti Christian to the point it annoys me.

It’s a good thing Christian’s rely on forgiveness instead of accountability or none of us would have a chance at redemption.

That's what my (Christian) mother says I am.

However, that usually comes about when my daughter comes home from her house talking about Jesus or the cross, or praying, and I call my mother again to ask her to please not discuss anything religious with my daughter, and she tells me I am anti-Christian just for the sake of arguing.

Yea I know how it is, I recently told my mom I did not belive in the Christian god and she like freaked out and keep telling me to change my mmind or I will burn hell and stuff. Then she said I have the devil in my or some crap, and that she should have took me to church more lol. Some times I regret telling her that but, I think it was about time she knew who I really was.

Yeah exactly. You want to know what the saddest part about it is? That now our mothers feel GUILTY because they didn't do a good enough job of brainwashing us. So when we end up in hell, it will be all their fault. A sad tactic used by some Christian churches to promote membership.