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Do you feel it's worthwhile to defend your faith?

Deidre

Well-Known Member
Norman: Hi Deidre, awesome question. Most of the time I let things go when people bad mouth my Church. However, I think sometimes for correction
and for the sake of doctrine I feel compelled to defend my faith. Especially when some people who are not members think they know more
about my Church than I do. I have been a member for thirty years and I think I know a bit about my Church. My Church is a bit tired of people
trying to define what we think we believe and do not believe. Members and my Church would like to have the opportunity which is our right
to tell people what we believe instead of the other way around. For myself, when I feel compelled to defend my Church against false accusations
I do not consider it a waste of time. Yes, it can get old very fast and I have heard just about everything at one time or another about my Church.
I was born into the Roman Catholic Church and when I got older I embraced Judaism with my Father and now I am a long standing member of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I remember when I practiced Judaism, I was call a "Christ Killer" and many other slanderous
remarks. I think if people try to build bridges of understanding there would be less contention between Church's or a faith promoting path that
someone is on. Good Post. Kudos to you.

Back at you, nicely said. Ohhh...yes, your religion gets a lot of criticism indeed. lol I won't pretend to know all that much except a few basics on your faith beliefs, but it does receive skepticism of its own. It can be hard to go one's own way. I'd say the harshest criticism I've ever received was when I left Christianity and told people that I identify as an atheist. haha I lost friends over it, even!

Should I settle on Islam as my path, I imagine I'll receive much criticism. I'm grateful to have Muslim friends who understand the faith better than those who think they know it, in my life. We will see. I'm not gonna sweat it!

Good luck to you, too ... :)
 

Deidre

Well-Known Member
You're Welcome
Well, In My Country ( Iran ) It's Very Clear That They Are Not Muslims, So I Never Tried To Say They're Not Muslim After The ISIS ( or What They Call Themselves, " Daaesh " ) , Was Officially Said That They Exist.
But Before The ISIS, Some People Here Were Thinking That The Terrorists Are Mere Syrian People Who Fight With Guns To Get Freedom And Democracy For Syria. It Was Wrong But It Was Not Clear To People Who Don't Know Politics.
It Was In The Middle of The Islamic Awakeness Era, Ghazafi Was Getting Attacked By His People With Guns, Mobarak Was At The End of His Time, And So on. It Was Normal For People To Think That They Are People In Syria That Are Fighting Bashar Asad. Even Though Their People Had Some Problems With Asad, Because His Government Is Not Islamic, But They Were Not People Who Took Guns.
It Was A Plan Actually, Back At 2005 When Hezbollah ( Pr0xy of Iran ) Defeated Israel ( Pr0xy of USA And West Europe ), Someone I Think Israeli ( Which I Don't Remember Who He or She Was ) Wrote An Article That The Hezbollah Is The Heart's ( Iran's ) Fist, Back At The 2005 Battle, The Arm ( Syria ) Sent Blood From Heart To Fist. So When You Cut The Arm ( Because They Cannot Attack The Heart, Yes, Islam's Defense System Is That Cool :cool::D ) The Fist Will Get Cut Also.
Western Governments And Arab Dictatorship Governments Back Then Made A Meeting, Malek Abdollah ( The King of Saudi Arabia Who Is In Coma Right Now ) Gave The Idea That They Should Make Some Irregular Army ( Like Che Guara's Troops ( No offense, We Love Che Guara Even Though We're Not Comonist, He Was A Free Man ) And Al Qaeda Which Is A Brother To The ISIS ) To Make Muslim Kill Muslim Except of Making A Crusade Like 2001 ( Well Saddam And Ben Laden Were Not Good, Everybody Hated And Still Hates Them ). So Then The Economic Would Not Get Worse Because The Governments Were Not To Interfere This Officially.
In Syria, In The Fires of War, Rised A Group That Was Getting More Powerful Day By Day, They Were All Wahabies Back Then, But They Made People Join Them From All Around The World. That Is Called ISIS. You See So Many Races In ISIS Pictures If You Search, Even American And European! They Have No Idealogy, The Just Want Their Money And Pleasure ( They Are Slaving our Iraqian And Syrian Mothers And Sisters Like Orcs on Lord of The Rings ) And They Don't Care To Kill For That. No Religion In The World Works Like That! Even Slavory on Islam Is Not Like That It's That If You Earned Some Slaves At A War You Don't Have The Right To offense Them In Any Way, You Just Make Them Live With You ( And If They Wanted, You Can Marry Them If They Accepted It As Free People, You Don't Have The Right To Marry on Force With A Slave ) Some While And Then, When They Were Ready Enough To Set Foot To Islamic Society You Make Them Free, It's A Teaching System Not Slavory As What These ISIS People Do For Their Pleasure ( Which Even Pains Me To Say About It. Damn It The Women Slaves Have Husbands And Sons! ).
The Truth Is, ISIS Is Not Islam, It Can Be Answered By Religious Talking Like No What They Are Doing Is Not Islamic, But It's A Lot Easier To Answer With Something All People Around The World Accept It, Politics. And Better, It Shows That Religion Is Not Far From Politic, Which Was Believed Mistakenly over A Century.

I'm grateful for your response...you don't even know. lol Thank you!
I admit, I live in the US, all of my life...in somewhat of a protective bubble. Luckily, I have friends who lived most of their lives in Syria, and came to the states and they share a very different view than what is provided on mainstream news. It is impossible to know the real truth sometimes, unless you live it.
 

Spiderman

Veteran Member
If you are following a particular spiritual path or religion, do you feel the need to correct those who apeak (falsely?) against it?

I have debated from both sides against/for religions before and wondering if you don't bother or if at times, you feel the need to defend your faith? I'm of the opinion that there are times it can be a good healthy exchange and other times, when you are wasting your time.

Just wondering. :)
It is complex. Many times it was not worthwhile for me. Times where I was ashamed and wish I could go back and speak with maturity. There were times where I wouldn't trade it for the world what the result was of me speaking up.

Pray to God for prudence about when to keep your trap shut and when to speak :)
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Is it worthwhile? No, not really. .. But we're only human.
I do it because I think it is worthwhile. At least it is better than "I am your Lord God, and you must not worship any other". It is a conflict between authoritarianism and democracy, choice or no choice, polytheism and monotheism.
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
I'm of the opinion that there are times it can be a good healthy exchange and other times, when you are wasting your time.
I think that sentence nails it. You can be encouraging fellow believers and planting seeds in other earnest people. You have to recognize the people that it is a waste of time to talk to.......but even some of those negative people you may be creating fissures of doubt in their opinion that of course will remain unspoken.
 

`mud

Just old
Premium Member
A lot of excellent writings here, and I almost didn't post.
But I will try to make a statement about the context.
Somewhere out in the immense Cosmos is the source of everything, I am told.
Every human believes in some sort of leader, whether religious or political.
We humans choose to praise our gods or our rulers, sometimes both.
The question I ask is: what does one's god or leader do for one ?
Explain the praise given, and the reason for it.
Try to explain the absence of presence.
I think I should have taken a pass.
~
'mud
 

Mr Woolf

New Member
It's not so much about defending my faith and whether I feel it's worthwhile or not: I have to tell people about it, cos otherwise, they're going to burn in hell.
 

ChristineES

Tiggerism
Premium Member
If you are following a particular spiritual path or religion, do you feel the need to correct those who apeak (falsely?) against it?

I have debated from both sides against/for religions before and wondering if you don't bother or if at times, you feel the need to defend your faith? I'm of the opinion that there are times it can be a good healthy exchange and other times, when you are wasting your time.

Just wondering. :)
If someone has a misconception, I like to let the person know that.
 

soma

John Kuykendall
If someone is attacking my faith, I will listen and if centered will not defend. Takes two to fight.
 

dbakerman76

God's Nephew
I do correct people when they make broad assumptions about evangelical Christians (of which I consider myself even though I'm a Universalist). It's usually when they assume that all evangelicals are fundamentalists which couldn't be further from the truth.
 

Sundance

pursuing the Divine Beloved
Premium Member
Yes, I do, but never to the extent of attacking another person's faith, because I love all religions.
 

Marsh

Active Member
If you are following a particular spiritual path or religion, do you feel the need to correct those who apeak (falsely?) against it?

I have debated from both sides against/for religions before and wondering if you don't bother or if at times, you feel the need to defend your faith? I'm of the opinion that there are times it can be a good healthy exchange and other times, when you are wasting your time.

Just wondering. :)
I am not the least bit religious, now, but I do encounter religious folk with false notions about atheists and false notions about science and history, and I do feel the need to step in and set them straight -- politely, of course. Occasionally I might consider it a waste of my effort if I am not getting my message across, but usually I just think I need to formulate a better way of making my point.
 

Marsh

Active Member
Yes, I do, but never to the extent of attacking another person's faith, because I love all religions.
Unfortunately not all religious movements in the world today would extend you the same courtesy. I think your tolerance may be misguided.
 

Father Heathen

Veteran Member
Why should we? Not all of us are competitive and are energized by conflict and drama.
My point is that if people are truly certain and confident that their beliefs are sound and solid, then they shouldn't feel threatened by nor a need to protect their beliefs from critique, scrutiny, or even ridicule.
 

Sakeenah

Well-Known Member
If you are following a particular spiritual path or religion, do you feel the need to correct those who apeak (falsely?) against it?

I have debated from both sides against/for religions before and wondering if you don't bother or if at times, you feel the need to defend your faith? I'm of the opinion that there are times it can be a good healthy exchange and other times, when you are wasting your time.

Just wondering. :)

For me its more an issue of clearing misconceptions regarding Islam. And sharing my point of view as a Muslim. I'm not here to debate or defend..but to discuss. I don't post in threads where I think people are not willing to consider anything but their own opinion.
 
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