What everyone is thinking but afraid to ask...continued?

Question

Ok, due to the response to the first part of this question, I will continue.

I have been a practicing Wiccan for several years. Somebody said the object of worship is the only difference between Wicca and other religious rituals. Not so, but I won't get into that here. I will not defend my beliefs and will not make others defend theirs, but I still do not have a satisfactory answer.

1: Why the contradiction in the bible?
2: Why is one ritual ok and not the other?
3: Why do people judge others when they're not supposed to?

And here's more:

4. Why is it ok to hate another person because their view of a supreme being is different than yours? Example muslims/jews, christians/pagans.

One group thinks their supreme being looks like santa claus. Somebody else's view may be a woman, or a person of color. Why does organized religion influence the world?

Answer 1

yup, you make a long and valid point.

Religious Freedom
The freedom of individuals to believe in, practice, and promote the religion of choice without (government) interference, harrassment, or other repercussions - as long as practices based on, or resulting from, those beliefs do not break the law (e.g. do not encourage or result in fraud, tax evasion, murder, terrorism, acts designed to undermine the government or the constitution, the use of unethical persuasion tactics, etcetera).

Religious Persecution
The practice of discouraging religious freedom and the freedom to express and/or promote all or certain religious beliefs - with repercussions ranging from discrimination and harassment to prevention and prosecution (by legal and/or illegal means). Does not cover legitimate legal measures designed to prevent and/or prosecute illegal practices such as fraud, tax evasion, murder, terrorism, acts designed to undermine the government or the constitution, the use of unethical persuasion tactics, etcetera.

Religious Intolerance
a) Refusing to acknowledge and support the right of individuals to have their own beliefs and related legitimate practices.
b) Also, the unwillingness to have one's own beliefs and related practices critically evaluated.

The following do not constitute religious intolerance:
Excercizing the right to challenge a religion's claims (e.g. regarding alleged compatibility with, or superiority over, other religious beliefs)
Condemning and disallowing illegal practices
Rejecting a movement's claim to be a ''religion'' when there is sufficient evidence showing religion is used as a cover (e.g. the Church of Scientology).

Religious Tolerance
Acknowledging and supporting that individuals have the right and freedom to their own beliefs and related legitimate practices, without necessarily validating those beliefs or practices.

Answer 2

It is your human right and duty to question. No one should blindly believe anything just because someone says "This is what it means." If something is real it will stand up under the light of scrutiny. If it is false, it will fall. Eye for eye; tooth for tooth/turn other cheek: I think this shows the progressive nature of the social laws/admonitions of religion. In an older more barbaric age, it was perhaps not possible even for the best person to do more than take eye for eye. At a later time, humanity had progressed to the point of being able to be passive, maybe even forgiving in the face of aggression. Social laws of religion come and go according to the exigencies of the time and place. Spiritual laws on the other hand are eternal, although expanded as human capacity grows through time. Religious rituals or cult unite the group or symbolized solidarity with the group and with the revered center of the religion, say, Christ in Christianity, Buddha in Buddhism, etc. The outward behavior represents the inward reality. All religions have ritual. I think it’s the members of one group bashing the beliefs and practices of another group that you mean. The rightness or wrongness of a particular group is in the eye of the beholder. People are imperfect. Ego gets in the way of obeying the admonitions of the religion to practice virtues.

Answer 3

1&2. There are contradictions in the Bible because it is not a modern history book and hasn't been researched and written in the same way. The writers existed 1900 years or more ago. Still the Bible has one central theme: God created mankind and is involved with us to such an extent that he sent his son to help us.

3. You are right, people aren't supposed to judge each other.

4. It is not okay to hate other people if they don't have the same beliefs as you. It's just human nature to enjoy hating other people and putting them down.

Don't look to human beings for answers. They have mistakes. Seek God and you will find him.

Answer 4

The problem with your previous question is that you used the W word. This means you can't get a rational answer from a distinct subset of Christianity.
Please be aware, however, that not all Christians agree with the views of the aggressive ones that are here.
(And Wicca is an organized religion, too, sorry.)

Answer 5

Firstly, it's not okay to hate other people because of their infantile superstitions, but that's what will always happen. You see as long as you believe what you do without proof, on pure faith you will never be able to convince others that your beliefs are true. The same goes for everyone else. Since faith requires that you believe despite contrary evidence, you will never have any hope of not eliciting a response that is based on religious bigotry.

Answer 6

People need something to believe in when they cannot believe in themselves. That is the best way I know how to express how I view organized religion. And its sort of an *a-ha moment* here, to put it that way.

I always find it odd to hear murderers and rapists proclaim to have found *God* and BAM! they're forgiven and expect to find a place in Heaven waiting for them.

I consider myself a Christian. I believe in God.....but, I detest organized religion, i.e. church.

For some, once I utter that but, it negates my belief.

The thing is, I can't understand how God would forgive someone of killing or raping....that just doesn't make sense to me with all the rest of the things one is supposed to believe, i.e. the Ten commandants.

Religion is a personal choice and as such, everyone is entitled to their own personal choice and they, alone, have to live with what they believe.

Answer 7

answer 1 what contradictions?
answer 2 what rituals?
answer 3 because we are human and therefore not perfect
answer 4 i don't know any Christan that hates any pagans i do know Christians that are concerned for there future and where they will spend eternity

Answer 8

I( am Jewish and I can find no fault with your choice because from the little I understand one of themain principles of wiccan is to do no harm. So mote it be