Society & Culture - 28 December 2007

My grandmother's generation was taught at a very young age to fear God. And she has ever since. She practices blind faith and would be appalled at doing it any other way.

I was not scared nearly as much as she was. Although the idea of hell was taught, and that kept me "believing" until around the age of 16, that was about all the fear I learned.

It is evident to me that the churches' (namely Catholic) different styles of instilling fear throughout the years has resulted in less participation. So, it looks like fear = belief.

This doesn't seem healthy to me at all. Shouldn't belief be based on actual belief, and not on "if I make myself believe, I won't be punished" ?

This thought is one of many reasons why I'm in a period of transition from the Catholic church to learning and taking the best from many religions.

2007-12-28 13:05:57 · 16 answers · asked by Thinker Dan 2 in Religion & Spirituality

I know at the time of John that Jews engaged in ritual immersion as a way to cleanse the body before entering the Jerusalem Temple and such. But how you suppose John got the idea to cleanse people's spirits in the River Jordan?

2007-12-28 13:05:38 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

Such as when people celebrate Christmas and Easter for that Jesus/god.

Do the other previous gods get envious and jealous because hes had priority for the past 2,000 years and they've all but been forgotten?

2007-12-28 13:03:43 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

I'm Catholic, and I want to know.

2007-12-28 13:03:32 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

...assuming you believe in past lives.

2007-12-28 13:00:50 · 29 answers · asked by Moon 4 in Religion & Spirituality

How many English words have to be mastered? I don't think every native english speaker knows every word in the news, academic book and etc. So what do u think? what are those words should be learned? I need your help. Thanks

2007-12-28 13:00:49 · 2 answers · asked by cutie 2 in Languages

2007-12-28 13:00:28 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

Nothing nasty intended..!! I know Jesus is a prophet in your religion but what reaction would you take.. if any??? I know I would have to start praying lots :-)

2007-12-28 12:59:09 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

I've been part of a particular online community since 1998. A few of us have met in person or talked on the phone, and many of us have become great friends despite never having met in "real life."

Today I learned that a particularly dear lady suffering from brain cancer (diagnosed a scant six weeks ago) has gone into hospice care and is not expected to live much longer. I am in shock and grieving for someone I've never met and never spoken to, yet who is a friend. She is the third such cyber-friend this community has lost, and we miss them all. I will never get used to knowing people so intimately, yet not knowing where they live or even what their real names are.

This particular lady thought so highly of our cyber-group, that she asked a friend to keep in touch with the board's owner and let us know her condition. I'm in shock.

Has this ever happened to you?

2007-12-28 12:58:32 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Senior Citizens

that makes no sense how could she be a virgin.

Joseph??

2007-12-28 12:57:55 · 31 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

i'm not talking about food , but drink , i would always take what i would drink and some pop for the children !! are the hosts expected to supply drink as well ? thanx

2007-12-28 12:57:05 · 21 answers · asked by ♥BEX♥ 7 in Etiquette

2007-12-28 12:54:58 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

2007-12-28 12:54:04 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

peoples yet Christians state he chose to "die" for us? If he set himself up to be killed by rebelling against known authorities, did he not set himself up to commit suicide at the hands of authority just so he could be a martyr?

2007-12-28 12:54:03 · 14 answers · asked by Theban 5 in Religion & Spirituality

2007-12-28 12:52:39 · 13 answers · asked by ? 2 in Religion & Spirituality

well, a teacher at my catholic high school suggested that i enter this contest in name of a famous christian pro-life activist.

basically, we're supposed to write an essay critiquing a piece of art we think conveys a pro-life (as in anti-abortion/euthanasia) message.

my question is: is it better that i integrate bible passage quotes into the essay? i read two of the winners' essays from past years and they both did that. i didn't plan on doing this, as i didn't feel the need for exterior quotes except a lovely one i want to put in the intro, that isn't from the bible.

what do you think? would they prefer that i did or is it a silly worry?

2007-12-28 12:51:07 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

I was offline and never found out.
Thanks,
Debra

2007-12-28 12:48:48 · 30 answers · asked by Debra M. Wishing Peace To All 7 in Religion & Spirituality

2007-12-28 12:48:30 · 4 answers · asked by stale mate 3 in Etiquette

Every time I see people on TV who were saved from perilous situations, they're thanking God or Jesus, yet there's always accompanying footage of rescue workers saving them. What's up with that???

2007-12-28 12:46:34 · 60 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

2007-12-28 12:46:12 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

I can't imagine find any enjoyment in having the answers to all things, or in having to care for so much in creation.

2007-12-28 12:45:23 · 6 answers · asked by Theban 5 in Religion & Spirituality

i mean can v adjoin 's' with past?

2007-12-28 12:45:20 · 5 answers · asked by Barbie d 1 in Etiquette

2007-12-28 12:44:34 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Languages

2007-12-28 12:43:20 · 8 answers · asked by geesuphosdown 2 in Religion & Spirituality

who created god ??

2007-12-28 12:41:57 · 28 answers · asked by IMMORTAL VIKING 1 in Religion & Spirituality

AFLAAAC!!

2007-12-28 12:40:56 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

hi guys, i want to lead a religious path in my life yet i am very new to this and have had no previous religious experiences, or family members that are strongly religious, when i open the bible all i see is a vast amount of words. could anybody help me and tell me where to start,(no sarcastic comments). which will help me understand the bible much more than right now.

2007-12-28 12:40:41 · 90 answers · asked by connor.patterson1@btinternet.com 1 in Religion & Spirituality

Maria Arviso: a victim of the Inquisition - tortured for 6 weeks, then burned at the stake for refusing to confess to witchcraft. Her last words...

"I stand accused before you. I have no tears to cry and you will never break me for I have no guilt in this matter. Being brought to your justice, that was my only crime. And after enduring your justice, I am now numb to pain. I will never renounce my Lord Jesus Christ so take your last look and get on with it."

* the words in parentheses were translated from Spanish into English in 1859.

2007-12-28 12:40:39 · 26 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

Or will you "rage, rage, against the dying of the light"? Though Dylan Thomas wrote these lines with his father in mind, I wonder which bit of advice he was following by drinking himself to death? What a loss that he never quite recognized the light within himself, because he was so close!

2007-12-28 12:39:28 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

2007-12-28 12:39:21 · 3 answers · asked by Theban 5 in Religion & Spirituality