Religion & Spirituality - 12 August 2007

As late as the early 20th century, farmers in Rogaland, Norway, sacrificed an oxen to their primal ancestor on the family burial mound everytime someone died.

Traditional culture in places like Mexico and Korea have a day set aside each year to decorate family graves, and throw a big party or feast in honor of all the family dead.

Nowadays, many people have a "family wall" of photos, or treasured heirlooms . . . I have many of my father's books, and some owl stuff from his office, but as a heathen, I also do an annual feast for the dead, among other observances.

What do YOU do? How big a part do your ancestors play in your daily life?

2007-08-12 07:27:02 · 34 answers · asked by Boar's Heart 5

If he wanted that he would easily do it. I think it is easier than creating this whole universe (The Creator knows the best of course).

Aren't angles like that? They all believe in the Creator and are always praying. Some/most (I don't know how many) didn't even see the Creator.

And can't the creator may want to create creatures like us to see what we would do in a world like this? Logical I guess.

2007-08-12 07:26:13 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous

the full text of St. Mark chapter 10 (between verses 34 and 35 in the standard version of the Bible) contains a passage which includes the following text. --
"And the youth, looking upon him (Jesus), loved him and beseeched that he might remain with him. And going out of the tomb, they went into the house of the youth, for he was rich. And after six days, Jesus instructed him and, at evening, the youth came to him wearing a linen cloth over his naked body. And he remained with him that night, for Jesus taught him the mystery of the Kingdom of God".

Anybody have any other verses to add to that?

2007-08-12 07:21:14 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous

This term is constantly thrown around here, but the people who are considered "apostate" believe that their eyes have merely been opened so that they are now able to serve the one true Lord in Spirit and in truth.

"Apostasy" is to abandon one's religious faith, political party, cause, or principles (American Heritage Dictionary). According to this definition, such people are not apostates just because they left the WT. They have not turned their backs on their RELIGION (ie says, "there is no God" or renounces Christianity) and they still live by its principles
They have not become Atheists--they are Christians, so they have NOT turned their backs on their religion (Christianity).

So far as I know, JWs still claim to be "Christian", so changing one's theology into something more in line with Scripture is not changing one's RELIGION it is simply a matter of believing more accurately.

Does not the WT do this all the time and call it, not "apostasy" but "new light"?

2007-08-12 07:18:44 · 7 answers · asked by Simon Peter 5

I am a molecular biologist, and a Christian. I work in a lab full of atheists. I try to reason with them regarding this question, but I don't get any solid answers. Some say to strengthen the human race and select for a more intelligent population. What do you think?

2007-08-12 07:17:48 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous

do the dew? or does he prefer red bull?

2007-08-12 07:14:36 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous

If so, do you believe they worship the same God as you? Would they have to have the king james version of the bible on their planet? If not, is the whole universe hell-bound with the exception of you?

2007-08-12 07:14:17 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-08-12 07:07:39 · 18 answers · asked by tr3y_d 1

2007-08-12 07:05:45 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-08-12 07:04:59 · 12 answers · asked by Boar's Heart 5

2007-08-12 07:02:36 · 6 answers · asked by witchfinder general 3

It's a well known fact that charities that support the teaching of evolution are tax deductible. Religious organizations are also tax deductible. This proves that charities that support the teaching of evolution are religious organizations, and that evolutionism is a religion!

I know that people will say that I am making a logical fallacy by using the the truth of the consequent of a conditional to infer the truth of the antecedent. But those people will be using big word like "fallacy," "consequent," and "conditional."

My hope is that people are confused by these big words, and don't understand why my argument is incorrect. If people ignore the obvious flaws in my argument, they might actually believe it. Hopefully, none of those people are reading this far down in the details, or they might realize how bad my argument is.

Evolutionastics: Isn't this a good argument that evolution is a religion as long as I ignore the flaws?

2007-08-12 06:56:52 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous

I pray ever day, several times a day, just because I want to be close, and I find that praying, or talking to God makes me closer.

2007-08-12 06:55:20 · 32 answers · asked by Lady 5

Christianity preaches that in order to become safe from hell, you must believe in Christ. However, to other religions, we are shoving our religion down their throat. In our view we are letting them know about the gospel so they can go to heaven instead of suffering in hell.

Are some Christians being malicious about sharing their religion, or do other religions just see it that way?

2007-08-12 06:54:59 · 12 answers · asked by JJ 4

Some say anything is possible with God... and some say God can do anything (that is possible) but can't do the impossible. Which is it? You can't have it both ways!

2007-08-12 06:53:14 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous

Your answer can be based upon the here and now... as well as once you have absolutely returned to the home, the land of your Beloved.

When you answer, feel free to add the creed or religious path leading you to the Most High. You can also just say " my self inquiry... My own studies... My own mental impulses..." what ever is your path to these conclusions.

If you don't believe in God just stay out of this exchange.

Thank You.

So, how close can you be to God... How can you serve God... What type of relationships are possible with God.

Allah... Buddha.... Yehoshua ( Jesus )... Shiva.... Goddess...

etc...

I am saying God... but if you have more than one God, please explain the different relationships available with God or accordingly to your God's...

I am also not depicting only a Male gender... please Goddess is not at all being left out... so If God is Goddess to you... please explain how close you can get to the Supreme Goddess... how can you serve Her?

2007-08-12 06:53:08 · 7 answers · asked by OB1 2

2007-08-12 06:53:03 · 14 answers · asked by Lady 5

A lot of people just came back from church about now today. So here's the question: Has your church ever done anything to help you? Has there been any time you've been a member of a church that hurt you? Or has there been no help or harm either way?

Now: I do NOT mean through prayer or salvation or anything like that. Those elements are a given if you are a church goer. I mean actual aid or harm: Physical, monetary, psychological. And I do NOT mean an individual within the church (a friend or relative or sole practitioner) but the church as an organization or as a whole.

And I DID NOT say Christian church. Any church, temple, coven or mosque will be suitable to answer this question.

I'm interested to see whether more people are helped by these organizations than harmed or ignored.

2007-08-12 06:52:29 · 10 answers · asked by Dominus 5

2007-08-12 06:52:12 · 6 answers · asked by witchfinder general 3

2007-08-12 06:50:34 · 31 answers · asked by NHBaritone 7

The term Ghetto is derived for the "campo gheto," an area that iron foundries in Venice in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries used for cooling slag where Jews were forced to locate.
Agatharchides of Cnidus wrote about the "ridiculous practices" of the Jews and of the "absurdity of their Law,"
There was continuity in the hostile attitude to Judaism from the ancient Roman Empire into the medieval period.
In the later Middle Ages in Europe there was full-scale persecution in many places, with blood libels, expulsions, forced conversions and massacres.
In 1750 Frederick 2 issued Revidiertes General Privilegium und Reglement vor die Judenschaft: the "protected" Jews had an alternative to either abstain from marriage or leave Berlin.
French Jews were described by the author George L. Mosse as a "nation within a nation" in 1890. in October 1894, Dreyfus (a Jew) was arrested and convicted of treason by a military tribunal in December 1894. The Dreyfus Affair was a typical antisemitic act.

2007-08-12 06:50:12 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous

2007-08-12 06:49:20 · 24 answers · asked by Maurice H 6

If Adam and Eva, had two sons, and they where the only two people on the earth at that time. How did they reproduce? Did they sleep with their mother?

2007-08-12 06:48:04 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous

I had a bishop who said this was impossible and not doctrinal, but it seems to me that if a person needed to remember something or someone, the Lord would not withhold that information. What is your opinion? Do you know of someone who remembers? I'd especially love any references/resources, scriptural or otherwise, as long as they're LDS. Thanks!

2007-08-12 06:46:49 · 33 answers · asked by Anonymous

I met this guy once, he was into Tai Chi. He told me his master was so powerful he could burn your skin with his finger tip. I remember thinking (to myself) Is THAT what spirituality is about? I thought it was a bit pathetic really.

Is potency or effectiveness or a sense of agency the same thing as POWER?

What about Dominance, even Cruelty?

What about the flip side, weakness?

People don't like the idea of being weak. But, it could mean gentleness or receptiveness or openness or vulnerability.

If you can't be vulnerable, how could you be intimate, how could you connect. How could you even get out of bed in the morning without blocking out a great deal of reality.

Do you want to be safe?

Even suffering, enlightenment could be the end to suffering, but is that the most important thing?

****
So why do you practice?
What do you want to be enlightened for?
What you going to do when you are enlightened? Teach? Why?
Will enlightenment benefit the people you teach?

2007-08-12 06:45:40 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous

it's sunday morning, why arent you at church?

2007-08-12 06:44:26 · 33 answers · asked by Anonymous

Recently there were attempts on her life for writing against Islam by one of the muslim parties of India.

2007-08-12 06:41:42 · 23 answers · asked by ASKER 3

Why did God rest on the seventh day?

Oops, I put this question in the wrong category, didn't I? It should be in the "Mythology and Folklore" category.

2007-08-12 06:40:15 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous

How many of you went to church today? Also, who else thinks we should all get off of here and spend some time with our families? That's what I am going to do right now. Godd day =)

2007-08-12 06:34:01 · 26 answers · asked by Love not hate 5

You said,

All that sounds Completely logical. but i still feel that there has to be some kind of spark that started life. It's kind of impossible to say that the organisms and gasses that started life appeared out of no where. something had to put it there.

My reply,

Why didn't you ask "Who made God?" What sparked that? If God made everything, you still have to go back to square 1. Who made God? If God can be infinite, so can the Universe. Why stop at God? Is your conclusion selfishly motivated? Do you choose to give all the credit to something that you THINK is doing something for you?

2007-08-12 06:32:37 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous