Religion

[Texsox]

I was thinking we could use a catch-all for this topic. To kick it off, not my brand of Christianity

A woman who was bitten by a snake at a church that neighbors say practices serpent handling died of her wounds hours later, a newspaper reported. Linda Long, 48, was bitten Sunday at East London Holiness Church, where neighbors said the reptiles are handled as part of religious services, The Lexington Herald-Leader reported Tuesday.

 

Long died at University of Kentucky Medical Center about four hours after being bitten, authorities told the newspaper.

 

"She said she was bitten by a snake at her church," said Lt. Ed Sizemore of the Laurel County Sheriff's Office.

 

Handling reptiles as part of religious services is illegal in Kentucky. Snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a $50 to $100 fine.

 

Police said they had not received any reports of snake handling at the church.

 

Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible that says a sign of a true believer is the power to "take up serpents" without being harmed.

 

Church officials could not be reached for comment.

[CanOfCorn]

I was thinking we could use a catch-all for this topic. To kick it off, not my brand of Christianity

 

I smell sequel!

 

Snakes in a Church: Get those m****r f****n' snakes out my m****r f****n' house of worship!!!

[mreye]

Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible that says a sign of a true believer is the power to "take up serpents" without being harmed.

 

Obviously she didn't have enough faith.

[sox4lifeinPA]

that's what happens when you focus too much on one piece of scripture and make it the flagship of your doctrine.

 

for the family and friends.

[Chisoxfn]

I have no problems with any religion. I leave people free to practice any religion and I don't think any less of a person who practices another religion (such as just because they practice that religion, they won't go to heaven).

 

Instead, while I believe in god, I don't go to church although in general my beliefs are Christian. However I adopt the theory that if people do good they'll go to heaven. I figure if heaven is such a great place and feel the point of religion (while its great to believe in another power) is to treat other people properly and with respect (essentially be a good person) and if you do that I feel you'll be rewarded in your afterlife (regardless of your religion).

 

People can rip that up all they want, but its the way I live my life

 

And grammatically that post sucked.

[Texsox]

I have no problems with any religion. I leave people free to practice any religion and I don't think any less of a person who practices another religion (such as just because they practice that religion, they won't go to heaven).

 

Instead, while I believe in god, I don't go to church although in general my beliefs are Christian. However I adopt the theory that if people do good they'll go to heaven. I figure if heaven is such a great place and feel the point of religion (while its great to believe in another power) is to treat other people properly and with respect (essentially be a good person) and if you do that I feel you'll be rewarded in your afterlife (regardless of your religion).

 

People can rip that up all they want, but its the way I live my life

 

And grammatically that post sucked.

 

Don't you think as a Christian, God is worth an hour a week? With so many flavors of Christianity, you can certainly find one that nurtures your soul?

[Chisoxfn]

Don't you think as a Christian, God is worth an hour a week? With so many flavors of Christianity, you can certainly find one that nurtures your soul?

Nope, you will not catch me in a church. I've had too many dealings with hypocrites involved with organized religion so I do things my way. Although I will go to my aunt's church (she's a minister) to support her.

[Texsox]

Nope, you will not catch me in a church. I've had too many dealings with hypocrites involved with organized religion so I do things my way. Although I will go to my aunt's church (she's a minister) to support her.

 

OK, does your way involve any additional effort on your part? Meditation? Prayer? Bible? Volunteering? I agree with you that Heaven is not just for those that have been saved by organized religions. But, it seems that if someone professes some faith, their should be some actions to support that faith, and an hour a week for our creator seems easy enough.

[Chisoxfn]

OK, does your way involve any additional effort on your part? Meditation? Prayer? Bible? Volunteering? I agree with you that Heaven is not just for those that have been saved by organized religions. But, it seems that if someone professes some faith, their should be some actions to support that faith, and an hour a week for our creator seems easy enough.

Nope, unless treating people right and going out of the way to help people is considered additional effort. However, I don't consider it additional effort because its who I am.

 

And yes I have volunteered numerous times in the past and will do so in the future I'm sure.

[Texsox]

Im not a very religious person at all,but my grandfather is pretty sick right now, so I have started reading up on Jehovah's witnesses, which he is. Pretty odd stuff.

 

I will give my grandfather credit, he has NEVER tried to push it on me, which I appreciate.

 

I've had to start some research as well. There is a young man I want to hire for my Boy Scout High Adventure Sea Base, but as a Jehovah's Witness, he does not say the Pledge of Allegiance. They place their only Pledge to God.

[Texsox]

My grandfather is a Normandy vet, and is very patriotic. I have talked to him the last few years about the struggle he has about putting the flag out in front of his house, ect. He didnt do it for a long time, but as he has gotten older, he has kinda taken the attitude of, "The hell with it, im more patriotic than anything else"

 

However, it was interesting to hear the struggle he had on what to do....

 

I actually have a great deal of respect for the position of God is first, my Country second. I certainly would not disparage their patriotism or love of country.

[sox4lifeinPA]

Nope, you will not catch me in a church. I've had too many dealings with hypocrites involved with organized religion so I do things my way.

 

that's ironic, I go to church because I've had too many dealings with hypocrites NOT involved with organized religion.

 

do your thing, though.

 

I've had to start some research as well. There is a young man I want to hire for my Boy Scout High Adventure Sea Base, but as a Jehovah's Witness, he does not say the Pledge of Allegiance. They place their only Pledge to God.

 

Likewise, a couple friends of mine are JW. They don't celebrate birthdays or holidays. Their religion was started to more or less finance a magazine published by the founder of JWs... curious, huh?

[kapkomet]

Jason's right, and you're right too, PA.

 

Religion is a man made situation, and therefore, imperfect. Church, however, should not be considered as such, and there's a big, big difference.

[sox4lifeinPA]

Jason's right, and you're right too, PA.

 

Religion is a man made situation, and therefore, imperfect. Church, however, should not be considered as such, and there's a big, big difference.

 

I was merely making a point.

 

I watched "Borat" tonight and laughed my butt off at the Pentacostal church he invades. They're speaking jibberish and dancing around for the "Lord". It just makes me scoff at everything around me "Christian" or Agnostic or Atheist or Otherwise.

[Texsox]

Jason's right, and you're right too, PA.

 

Religion is a man made situation

 

Some would argue that it is inspired by God and not so "man made".

 

PA, that is a great line about hypocrites. Of course there are hypocrites in all areas of life. And it is far easier to spot a hypocrite that professes to a higher standard, regardless of belief. Not to pick on Jas and PA, but I will because they have been brave enough to post their beliefs here and elsewhere.

 

First off, shall we use this definition?

hypocrite: a person whose actions contradict their stated or internal beliefs.

 

On one hand we have Jas, who wishes to be kind, nice, and basically a "good" person. PA, seemingly, by his stated adherence to a formal religious doctrine, has a higher standard to keep. If they both act like good humans, with an occasional shortcoming, who is more likely to be branded a hypocrite for picking up that porn? It will be PA who is trying to hit a higher standard and Americans love to chop the legs out from someone who is trying to hit that higher standard.

 

 

 

 

[sox4lifeinPA]

 

Some would argue that it is inspired by God and not so "man made".

 

PA, that is a great line about hypocrites. Of course there are hypocrites in all areas of life. And it is far easier to spot a hypocrite that professes to a higher standard, regardless of belief. Not to pick on Jas and PA, but I will because they have been brave enough to post their beliefs here and elsewhere.

 

First off, shall we use this definition?

hypocrite: a person whose actions contradict their stated or internal beliefs.

 

On one hand we have Jas, who wishes to be kind, nice, and basically a "good" person. PA, seemingly, by his stated adherence to a formal religious doctrine, has a higher standard to keep. If they both act like good humans, with an occasional shortcoming, who is more likely to be branded a hypocrite for picking up that porn? It will be PA who is trying to hit a higher standard and Americans love to chop the legs out from someone who is trying to hit that higher standard.

 

weird font. great point.

[FlaSoxxJim]

weird font. great point.

 

 

Yeah, yeah. The important point in all of this is, what kind of porn and where'd ya get it??

[CanOfCorn]

OK, does your way involve any additional effort on your part? Meditation? Prayer? Bible? Volunteering? I agree with you that Heaven is not just for those that have been saved by organized religions. But, it seems that if someone professes some faith, their should be some actions to support that faith, and an hour a week for YOUR creator seems easy enough.

 

Fixed.

 

The thing I don't like about standard religion is the things people do in the NAME of it. Crusades, jihads, etc. Believe what you want to believe and apply it to yourself. If there is a judgment, don't judge me, someone of a much higher power will. Also, people who won't acknowledge that there COULD be another religion out there that MAY be right. Uch, that drives me crazy. To me, religion is ethereal and subject to interpretation, otherwise there wouldn't be this many different religions and sub-religions.

 

BTW, I'm Jewish, just so's ya'll know.

[CrimsonWeltall]

who is more likely to be branded a hypocrite for picking up that porn?

 

Whichever one speaks out more against porn. If Jas doesn't consider viewing porn to be a bad thing, he wouldn't be a hypocrite at all.

[sox4lifeinPA]

Whichever one speaks out more against porn. If Jas doesn't consider viewing porn to be a bad thing, he wouldn't be a hypocrite at all.

 

if you consider porn an "ok" thing... your hypocrisy isn't the thing we should be worried about.

 

Fixed.

 

The thing I don't like about standard religion is the things people do in the NAME of it. Crusades, jihads, etc. Believe what you want to believe and apply it to yourself. If there is a judgment, don't judge me, someone of a much higher power will. Also, people who won't acknowledge that there COULD be another religion out there that MAY be right. Uch, that drives me crazy. To me, religion is ethereal and subject to interpretation, otherwise there wouldn't be this many different religions and sub-religions.

 

BTW, I'm Jewish, just so's ya'll know.

 

so i'm guessing Kinky was your man?

[santo=dorf]

I gave up on my religion after too many scandals, houlier than thou jerks being hypocrites telling me how we're all going to hell, and one of our priests sneding us a letter begging for more money from us to get a new roof or something.

[BobDylan]

Don't you think as a Christian, God is worth an hour a week? With so many flavors of Christianity, you can certainly find one that nurtures your soul?

 

I'm not a religious person in the slightest. I guess I'm a catholic, but only because there were some things I couldn't control as a child. I have no problem with religion or anyone that practices their religion regardless of what they practice.

 

However, and this may be purely ignorance on my part, what I've never understood is why a religion has, as you said, "different flavors." Obviously there is a debate for one god or many gods, but that aside, for instance, why isn't there simply just one branch of Christianity? Why are there several? And why do the "rules" so often change? I may or may not believe in God, but if so many people are certain there is one (even if there is one or a group of for each and every select faith), why are there so many different practices within the same faith? Are the different "flavors" of Christianity a sort of debate of what a Christian really is?

[FlaSoxxJim]

Are the different "flavors" of Christianity a sort of debate of what a Christian really is?

 

I would say so, absoluutely. What God is, for that matter.

 

Of all the things I do take the human construct of religion to task for, the variations on a theme are not one of them. It's an expected result of the simultaneous diversity and universality of the human condition and the sociateal grappling with that.

[kapkomet]

I'm not a religious person in the slightest. I guess I'm a catholic, but only because there were some things I couldn't control as a child. I have no problem with religion or anyone that practices their religion regardless of what they practice.

 

However, and this may be purely ignorance on my part, what I've never understood is why a religion has, as you said, "different flavors." Obviously there is a debate for one god or many gods, but that aside, for instance, why isn't there simply just one branch of Christianity? Why are there several? And why do the "rules" so often change? I may or may not believe in God, but if so many people are certain there is one (even if there is one or a group of for each and every select faith), why are there so many different practices within the same faith? Are the different "flavors" of Christianity a sort of debate of what a Christian really is?

Oh yes. Some denominations think that "their way" is the one and only ticket to heaven. That's ignorant, at best, and downright misleading most of the time and hypocritical. It's pretty plainly laid out as to what a "Christian" is, but congregations twist this all sorts of ways from Sunday. And I do take them to task, because it's a lot of what causes turmoil unnessecarily in our world today.

[Soxy]

I gave up on my religion after too many scandals, houlier than thou jerks being hypocrites telling me how we're all going to hell, and one of our priests sneding us a letter begging for more money from us to get a new roof or something.

This sentiment is something that I've really been meditating on for the past couple of years. As some of you may know, I used to volunteer at a violence shelter and I was talking with (ironically) my religion professor about what a struggle that was (and some other more personal issues) and he said, "after all that, how do you not just say f*** it?" And I remember that gave my 18 year old brain quite a turn. I'd known a couple of people who had been molested by a (lutheran) pastor, and I really wondered what kind of god would allow his "servants" to abuse their power so horribly. I think it's really easy to look at all the horrible things that happen in the name of religion (or by people "appointed" by god) and just say "f*** it." But, I think faith and a relationship with your Creator is really worth struggling for--even if your religion lets you down. The church's greatest success is making people believe that without them, there is no way to experience God. For some, the church may help that experience, but for others I think it is a stumbling block.

 

Organized religion can, certainly, treat faith as if it were a "fire sale" (thanks Soren), and that all it takes to have faith is a checkbook and an hour in church/synagogue/mosque a week. Ultimately I think it's much more than that, I don't really know how to eloquently say, but I think it takes quite a bit of intelligence, faith, and courage to really examine your place in the universe (and, more importantly, your relation to your fellow travellors). That experience of searching for yourself and for a loving way to relate to your neighbors and your Creator is really what (I think) faith is about.

 

I think an analogous situation is the culture of corruption that is embedded in political culture (on both sides of the aisle). Despite all the pork barrel politics and scandals I still believe in the system of government that we have. Both the priests/pastors/lay people and the politicians are really just beaurocracy. They may help us to experience the higher goal (democracy or a communion with the creator) or they can put significant stumbling blocks up to that experience.