Should people exercise modesty and humility when expressing their religious beliefs? Why or why not?
GOD YES. Conservative Christians (I will use this example because they are the dominant religious group in America), if only you knew. If only you realized...and I just don't know how else to put this...just how bad some of the PDJ (Personal Display of Jesus) comes off as, including but not limited to:
- Televangelists, who commonly preach the same messages preached in conservative American churches;
- The Darwin-eating Ichthus, which is no better than having a "Science is bad!" bumper sticker;
- Blatant disregard for the commands to love thy neighbor as thyself and to not judge him or her;
- A powerful, pervasive attitude of disrespect for those who disagree with your beliefs;
I wonder...would you still do as you do? Or would you be willing to undergo one of the toughest processes that a human can go through: Personal change?
I think people are entitled to believe whatever they choose. But I'm also entitled to think they are barking mad and am in no way required to respect their opinion unless there is evidence to back it up. The important thing is to keep the dialogue open for now. Once communication breaks down, it becomes "Us" and "Them," "Freedom-Loving Americans" and "Godless Atheist Communists." "The Faithful" and "Heretics." And then the intolerance grows. Keep the lines of communication open, even if you think someones ideas are completely daft. Who knows, maybe you'll even crack open a mind or two eh? XD
Oh great point. See, I really really wish that the saying, "Don't talk about sex, politics, and religion around the table" would just die (OK, maybe make an exception for politics). But honestly, what is so bad about an open-minded discussion about religion? Some of the most refreshing real-life conversations I've had in recent months dealt directly with religion.
And just as you say, done properly, they can remove the us-vs.-them barriers.
Do you think people who are confident they know the truth, but believe something totally different than you should be modest and keep their mouths shut?
You must spread some more Frubals around before giving them to MaddLlama again.
That's a gross misconception about Christianity. I'm not sure about Islam. Someone has said, "Go out and preach the gospel. Use words if necessary." Should we be exemplars of what we believe? Absolutely! Should we shove it down the throats of others? Absolutely not.
Jesus said, "I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hear me and open the door, I will come in." He did not say, "I stand at the door and knock. If no one opens the door, I will beat it down with a fire-axe and come in anyway."
Being confident in one's religious conviction is one thing. But Christians should not engage in "actively recruiting" others. It's the honey that draws the flies in, not the net swinging about that ensnares them. We are not in the business of advertising. We are not in the business of saving souls. We are in the business of seeking and serving Christ in all people, loving our neighbor as ourself.
If you're a liberal Christian, more power to you, and people such as you make your faith appear much more benevolent; occasionally misguided, I must admit, but with good intents.
If you're an evangelical Christian...bro this is anything but descriptive of your thoughts and ways.
I don't think we've debated on RF before, so please don't take that personally.
I just have to explore the possibilities so I can see where you're coming from.
