What are some common misconceptions that you would like to clear up about your religious beliefs?

Question

Many belief systems have negative connotations that are simply misconceptions based on ignorance. For example atheists to do not worship the devil and Catholics do not worship statues.

What are some misconceptions you would like to clear up about your beliefs?

Brent Y - I did not state that atheism is a religion. It is, however a belief ABOUT religion or spirituality.

Answer 1

As an atheist/agnostic I get to answer twice.

Atheist:
1) Myth: Atheists are immoral.
2) Myth: Atheists really believe but want to avoid the responsibility of living by God's laws.
3) Myth: Atheists are bitter, unhappy people.
4) Myth: Atheists believe in nothing.
5) Myth: Atheists don't appreciate the beauty of the Universe;
6) Myth: Atheists only believe what they can see;
7) Myth: Atheism is a religion (you are right, it's a position regarding a religious issue, it's not a religion.) and, the worst:
8) Myth: Atheists are athiests.

Agnostic:
1) Slopoke already covered this one more eloquently than I would have, no point reinventing the wheel. (not fence sitters)
2) Myth: Agnostics believe in god, just don't know which religion to belong to.
3) Myth: All agnostics assert that we can never know if there's a god. Some of us don't make that absolute conclusion, we remain agnostic as to the impossibility of proof.

That's enough to start with.

Answer 2

christian misconceptions about judaism:

1. that jews worship money- it's a useful tool, and like everyone else, we need it to buy whatever we need...usually from non-jews, btw
2. that jews use blood for matzoh -(we're forbidden to ingest any amount, no matter how small, of blood, of any origin.)
3. that we 'run the world' - if we did, don't you think that people and countries which have tried to destroy us would cease to exist?
4. that we 'need to be completed' by anyone.... we're just fine,the way we are, thankyouverymuchforasking....
5. that we place any importance upon purely christian notions, ie. the devil, hell, jesus
6. that we don't give a collective cringe each and every december, knowing that not only is the entire month turned into a pageant, but that we become targets from all the fundys who don't believe number 4 (above)
7. that we have horns,
8. that we use 'holey sheets' when we have marital relations

as i said, all these are common misconceptions about judaism

Answer 3

That Judaism is the same as Christianity, but with "The New Testament" cut out. Not only are our practices are different, but our core philosophies are different. Even our religious texts are different. My Bible fills up a whole library!

Furthermore, we DON'T think that if you aren't Jewish, or even if you don't believe in God, that you are going to Hell. All righteous people have a share in the world to come.

Non-Jews are obligated to follow seven commandments:

1) Don't worship idols (showing honor to a stature representing a concept does not fall into this category)
2) Don't curse The Name of the Almighty (this must involve both accepting He exists AND cursing Him)
3) Don't murder
4) Don't commit acts of sexual immorality
5) Don't steal
6) Establish a system of justice
7) Don't eat meat taken from an animal while it's still alive

-------------(edit)
Oh! I forgot about the sheet with a hole in it! There is NO sheet with a hole in it. This is actually practiced by some Catholic groups in South America, but it is absolutely FORBIDDEN in Judaism to have anything separating the man and wife when they are intimate.

Answer 4

That as a Celtic Pagan I worship the devil (there isn't a devil in any branch of Paganism, yes this does mean Satanists are Christian, they just worship the Christian devil rather than the God).

Also that I work with magic in any form, formally speaking it's discouraged in my particular branch of Paganism, although there are Shaman who use new practices that do include what could be constued as magic, but not in the sense of other branches like Wicca.

Answer 5

my belief system is infected with hypocrisy and i firmly believe that many of the most publicly known Evangelists are nothing more than atheist con artists looking for the quick buck. but to think all Christians are follow these false Prophets blindly is a misconception. i believe what i know to be true and not what some jerkwater preacher told me so he could get his hand in my pocket.

Answer 6

Not all Christians are Fundamentalists. Nor are all Christians homophobic bigots who treat women with disrespect. There are many progressive Christian groups out there that stand for social justice, equal rights, and human dignity. As for my specific denomination, as a Catholic, I'd like to point out that we do not worship statues (or the Pope), or harbor sinister plots against Protestants worldwide. I've heard all of these things, and it's just ridiculous.

Answer 7

That being a Christian is not a statement that you think you are better than anyone else. On the contrary, to become a Christian one must admit to being a sinner in need of forgiveness. Hardly the attitude of someone with a superiority complex.

Answer 8

That being a follower of Christ means that I take the Bible as the one true and error-free answer to all of my questions. That calling myself "Christian" means that I hate gays and that I encourage environmental degredation as a way to expidite the Apocalypse, or that anyone who doesn't accept Jesus as thier personal savior is damned to hell. These are the misconceptions that I'd like to clear up.

Answer 9

That christians are not perfect. We still sin, say the wrong things, treat people bad, etc.. The only difference between a saved person and a lost person is the saved persons sins are forgiven.

Answer 10

That I beleive the Greek Gods created the universe. I really find it hard to beleive that an almighty space being could create the universe.
Note: I do beleive that Greek Gods have influence over human's lives.