minority religions

[robtex]

Premise 1: Religion is an expression, in part, to the culture of that region.

premise 2 : no religion is verifable as any more true or valid than any other religion by virtue of faith:

If you agree generally with premise # 1 and # 2 and you choose to not practice the dominant religion of that region why?

For instance if you are a non-christian theist in the USA and accept the premises stated why? If you are a muslim in India why? A pagan in canada why?

I ask because by choosing a religion of minority status you are putting yourself in that area of "believer" but still outsider to the norm. If you buy into premise number two what other factors persuaded you to choose a religion that is outside the majority?

I put this in the debate section in the theory that descent in both the premises presented and the reasons articulated for choosing a minority religion would be a natural output of the thread itself.

 

[Mike182]

Premise 1: Religion is an expression, in part, to the culture of that region.

premise 2 : no religion is verifable as any more true or valid than any other religion by virtue of faith:

If you agree generally with premise # 1 and # 2 and you choose to not practice the dominant religion of that region why?

For instance if you are a non-christian theist in the USA and accept the premises stated why? If you are a muslim in India why? A pagan in canada why?

I ask because by choosing a religion of minority status you are putting yourself in that area of "believer" but still outsider to the norm. If you buy into premise number two what other factors persuaded you to choose a religion that is outside the majority?

I put this in the debate section in the theory that descent in both the premises presented and the reasons articulated for choosing a minority religion would be a natural output of the thread itself.

my choice was purely on Dogmas.

 

[robtex]

my choice was purely on Dogmas.

could you elaborate?

 

[Anti-World]

I'm simply a reflection of the logical ideas presented to me and accepted in my mind. I'm confident most others do the same thing.

 

[Real Sorceror]

My religion is simply the conclusion I reach with the information I was presented. I think if I had been raised in a different society, things might have turned out differently.

 

[robtex]

I'm simply a reflection of the logical ideas presented to me and accepted in my mind.

You didn't list your religion/belief in your profile. Could you indulge us with that and elaborate on "the logical ideas"?

I'm confident most others do the same thing.

If they did religion preferance wouldnt' be so lopsided in most countries. For instance, in America over 75 % are Christian. In Iran over 90 % Muslim and in Indai 81 % are hindu. Most countries have a predominant religion as opposed to a religiously plural society.

 

[jacquie4000]

As you can see I have no religion listed because I have various beliefs and continue to learn different things everyday through reading and talking to people and of course through RF. I imagine I will continue learning and changing throughout my lifetime. I do not feel the need to fit into the norm. I feel any belief I have is within myself and it does not have to be part of a group. Sprituality is really not part of a group in the long run.

 

[robtex]

My religion is simply the conclusion I reach with the information I was presented. I think if I had been raised in a different society, things might have turned out differently.

are you stating that your paganism, is in part, rejection of christian dogma as practiced in Florida? How did society influence/ impact your decision?

 

[robtex]

As you can see I have no religion listed because I have various beliefs and continue to learn different things everyday through reading and talking to people and of course through RF. I imagine I will continue learning and changing throughout my lifetime. I do not feel the need to fit into the norm. I feel any belief I have is within myself and it does not have to be part of a group. Sprituality is really not part of a group in the long run.

Jackie, you were a christian when you joined RF right? By saying you "don't fit into the norm are you saying cultural identity is a diminished or non-important aspect of your religious direction?

 

[jacquie4000]

No I was raised Lutheran, as a child but that way quite some time ago...lol My dad was a scientific type person and my mother was a southern baptisit.

 

[jacquie4000]

Most people in my area are quite devout christians, So if that is the culture of my small community then I am not concerned that I do not fit in with them no. For the most part they respect me as a person. Some may snub there noses at me but that is life. I do not expect to fit in everywhere. And I am happy with who I am.

 

[robtex]

No I was raised Lutheran, as a child but that way quite some time ago...lol My dad was a scientific type person and my mother was a southern baptisit.

so what does that make you and if it isn't classifable why not just default to the most common faith available in the US?

 

[Mike182]

i'll elaborate:

Premise 1: Religion is an expression, in part, to the culture of that region.

if that is so, then i am in a sub-culture, i am not the normality of my region by virtue of being gay. i see nothing wrong with homosexual practise and i see nothing wrong with sex before marriage - the major religions around my area are contrary to my views on this, and this is a pretty central issue to my life.

premise 2 : no religion is verifable as any more true or valid than any other religion by virtue of faith:

agreed, but we can judge a religion by it's moral teaching - i disagree with the moral stance of the major religions in my area on the subject of homosexuality.

If you agree generally with premise # 1 and # 2 and you choose to not practice the dominant religion of that region why?

simply, i don't agree with their dogmatic view of homosexuality - i will look elsewhere for my religious and spiritual community.

I ask because by choosing a religion of minority status you are putting yourself in that area of "believer" but still outsider to the norm. If you buy into premise number two what other factors persuaded you to choose a religion that is outside the majority?

but even within those religions i would be an outsider to the norm. my decision was not only about my disagreement with the dogmatic teaching on homosexuality, if it were a case of "we disagree, but we're a community and we accept you as who you are" then i wouldn't have been so quick to leave and find a community that were like that - but sadly that was not my experience, so i left.


i hope that makes sense, please ask questions to clarify further if needed

 

[Anti-World]

If they did religion preferance wouldnt' be so lopsided in most countries. For instance, in America over 75 % are Christian. In Iran over 90 % Muslim and in Indai 81 % are hindu. Most countries have a predominant religion as opposed to a religiously plural society.

That doesn't deny my statement. They're all given ideas that they find logical in their own minds. What they find logical is persuaded by the way they were raised.

What I beleive wasn't a part of the question.

I don't follow the majority concerning morals. This is because what I have been taught throughout my life: Don't follow the crowd. Question everything.

I would imagine that, based on what other people were taught most their life, they are going to have a tendency to beleive in certain things and follow the majority or not.

 

[jacquie4000]

I have not found one in my area at least that I feel I could be true to. I always find some major aspect of that religion to disagree with. But if I find one, that truely fits me I will surely let you know. I wish I could answer the question better for you but that is the only way I know how to put it.

 

[Kcnorwood]

Why should we believe what the masses believe? Everyone here choose to believe what he/ she wanted they felt a connection to it not because they were going against
what the masses were.

 

[Anti-World]

*laughs*

Mike, you basically said that morality is secondary to your sexual life. Bravo, I don't really care. I just find it amusing.

 

[robtex]

*laughs*

Mike, you basically said that morality is secondary to your sexual life. Bravo, I don't really care. I just find it amusing.

that qoute is only true if you equate sexual abstinance to sexual morality.

Also you never listed your religion.

 

[robtex]

Why should we believe what the masses believe?

the general postulation to that is cultural identity and solidarity. If you see that statment is valid and default to a minority religion what prompted your decision?

 

[robtex]

I have not found one in my area at least that I feel I could be true to. I always find some major aspect of that religion to disagree with. But if I find one, that truely fits me I will surely let you know. I wish I could answer the question better for you but that is the only way I know how to put it.

out of curiosity, in regards to that what part of the following (to get a working list going) do you disagree with?

buddhism
taoism
UU