this is an open question. I have my own views on this but I would like to know what you all think. Is it possible for people to just privately worship who or whatever they want as long as it doesn't bother others?
2007-03-17 05:26:03 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Hey me...ummm you can't even spell...So you have no right to call anyone an idiot.
2007-03-17 05:32:33 · update #1
Well, as long as they don't "force" it on others, or that their "belief" includes killing other innocent bystanders, yes.
You are correct.
You hear a lot of Christians using the word "fulfilled."
If all people of all denominations were so "fulfilled" with their belief system, they wouldn't have the motivation to antagonize others "in the name of the Lord," or anyone else.
"Witnessing" is one thing, but it is quite another to become pushy, belligerant and in peoples' faces.
2007-03-17 05:39:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I really think that is true. Me personally, I do not mind what anyone does as long as it does not harm or annoy others. I really do think that religious worship in private or small groups is excellent as it gives people hope and usually promotes good behaviours. THe bad thing is when large groups get together, their differences can start conflict. People tend to dismiss differences amongst eachother, but when it comes to spiritual beliefs, this is a difference that a lot of people cannot dismiss. If you like yellow, and I like blue, it is no big deal. However if I say you are wrong and going to hell that is kinda a big deal and causes wars and people killing eachother.
2007-03-17 12:31:33 · answer #2 · answered by michael p 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sure it matters, since the notion that "people can believe whatever they want" is not coherent, since believing is not subject to volition in any straightforward way.
Secondly, the whole notion of "force it on anyone else" will need some explicating. Why? Well, consider taking a physics class and asserting "You can believe in General Relativity if you like, but you are wrong to force it on me because I am choosing to believe in Newtonian physics." Yet, if you were to apply to study physics anywhere with the attitude that you can choose to believe what you like, you won't get very far.
So, does it matter? Sure it matters.
HTH
Charles
2007-03-17 12:44:00 · answer #3 · answered by Charles 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, nobody should force beliefs on you. However, sharing beliefs and forcing them are different things. ALMOST ALL religions require their followers to try to spread it to others. The Christian faith obliges Christians to tell the good news, but it doesn't mean that they should force people into believing it. They are not to force other people to even listen to them if they don't want to.
If you force people to your religion, as has happened many times before, your own religion will become corrupted and full of hypocrites.
2007-03-17 13:16:56 · answer #4 · answered by Daniel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
...you see...God thought it so important that He sent someone here to tell us directly... you can always believe what you want to believe... God doesn't force Himself on anyone... it will always be your choice... you can worship the Moon if you want to... but the Moon isn't going to get you into eternity on "that day"...what you perceive as "bothering others" is that some "religious" people are so passionate about what they have learned and so serious about what they've learned is that they are willing to "get in your face" to save your life with the Truth of God... believe it or not... but it will always be your choice... Now...in all the "religions" that you can think of....and there sure are lots of them... look for the "One" that came from the Supernatural to the natural... any other religion or faith or belief that has you trying to get to "it" won't work... you can't get to it... where is "it"...? you can't buy your way in... you can't pray your way in... you can't beg your way in...but somehow all the religions of the World have us jumping thru their religious gymnastics and hoops and loops in an effort to please God... The is only One... just "1" who will give you The Gift of Salvation... a free gift... if you'll only accept it... no smoke, no mirrors, no beeds, no trinkets or icons, no candles... just Him... He is the Way, The Truth and the Life...now look over what I've written... I've not mentioned His Name nor His "religion"... well, Truth be know it's not about a "religion"... He does have a Name... a Name above all Names... His Name is so recoganizable that to "say" it will either cause anger, fear, distane or absolute love...there is no middle ground with Jesus, who is The Christ... but it's your choice.
2007-03-17 12:45:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well I am a firm believer of everybody has their own right to believe in what they want to believe. This covers politics, religion, ethics etc. I am open to hearing what people think because it only expands my point of view on a topic or belief. I on the other hand do not like it when I listen to someones beliefs or opinions and when I explain mine, I am cutoff, interrupted, or scoffed at. I believe it is important to respect what people believe and understand that your belief is not the only right one.
2007-03-17 12:36:02 · answer #6 · answered by Rebekah B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it is possible and happening everyday.
But Christians don't FORCE anything on anyone. We just tell the good news. Contrary to popular belief, there are Christians that you don't hear about going about their business and doing the Lord's work. Lots of Christians witness by the very life they live and how they treat others.
2007-03-17 12:34:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe there is only one infallible standard—the Bible, God's Word. In it God has revealed all we need to know and all we can know about Himself. A true faith is based on the Word of God, while a faith that is based only on the ideas of men is not reliable. That is why it is so important for Christians to know the Bible and what it teaches, because there are many contradictory ideas and religions in the world today.
Although Christianity may be defined by some as a religion, it is more than a religion; it is a relationship with Christ. While the great religions of the world teach that men must do something for God to earn His favor and to gain heaven, Christ brought the good news that God has done something for men. Because Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross, God offers salvation—forgiveness of sin, friendship with Him, and eternal life—as a free gift to be received through repentance from sin and trust in Christ.
I believe the evidence shows conclusively that Jesus Christ alone gave us the full truth about God. Most of the founders of the world's various religions were men searching for God; they could give us only their own ideas about God. However, Jesus Christ made a startling claim. "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me ... For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it" (John 12:44-45,49). Now if this is true, we do not need to look elsewhere for the truth. That is why Jesus could say, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).
Was Jesus who He claimed to be? Yes! How do we know? Because He rose again from the dead. This act forever sets Jesus apart from all the religious leaders of the world. And it also means that He alone can forgive us and save us when we put our trust in Him.
2007-03-17 13:10:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The act of forcing ones religion on someone is what the Catholics did, forcing conversion on new tribes and peoples when they traveled with those who found new land's for their kings or queen's.
Today, it is your choice.
We are providing the information so you can make a clear concise decision based on facts, because everyone here on earth is responsible for themselves.
2007-03-17 12:40:42 · answer #9 · answered by Here I Am 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I appreciate your question. It leads me to believe that you greatly respect the rights and privacy of others.
Yet, our beliefs can have a profound affect on our lives and the lives of others. Consider for instance, the beliefs of the man Jesus of Nazareth. His beliefs were deep. Did he keep them to himself? Not at all. Did he force them on others? No. But he did share them with others; he did teach others. He recognized that in many contexts, beliefs are a matter of life and death.
In connection with worship of God, it really is not possible to privately worship him - at least not in a way that is pleasing to God himself. But sharing what we have come to learn does not equate with forcing it on others. It really does not. When we have good news and we have come to learn it as truth, sharing it with others is a manifestation of our appreciation for that truth and of our love for our neighbor.
Hannah J Paul
2007-03-17 12:35:16 · answer #10 · answered by Hannah J Paul 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋