A Tower of Babble

[Perky]

Why is it that liberal faith groups and progressive who profess faith in a higher power, make the blanket assumption the progressives with deep abiding faith would easily find common ground with the faith of progressives in other religions? That finding a common enemy in ChristoFascism is something that would bind Jewish and Hindu, Wiccan and Christian together?

I read on here recently that just this sort of religious mosh pit as coming together for a Religious Rights Rally in DC. To remind people that Freedom of conscience is guaranteed by the First Amendment!

These activities, however well intended, begs an obvious question.
Isn’t the very basis of faith is that you have chosen the One Truth and as importantly that there is no Pantheon of Deities that one can call upon ecumenically to do your bidding EVEN against a common enemy?


Please understand the objection.

While, I am called to be tolerant and respectful of those of other faiths and I certainly am not here to celebrate that diversity; I am here to worship God and be His instrument. Yet when I choose not to pray with Wiccans because I do not believe as they do, why is it that I am viewed as an intolerant fundie.

Religious pluralism is fine in political culture, but demands for pluralism should not relegate matters of deeply held faith to the dustbin of history.

It is not that I disagree with the focus.. .I simply disagree with the methods.

While I am perfectly content to be tolerant of other religions, it is against the tenets of my faith to pray with those who do not believe as I do. I mean them no offense, but it denigrates my faith and insults my God.

And to be fair, it ought to denigrate their faith as well. The assumption that we can rise above our individual beliefs to call upon our collective Gods to battle a common enemy is at once both profoundly arrogant and profoundly naive. Those that would dain to attempt such a feat are of a personal faith so shallow that they would scarcely be heard in the heavenly realm: Which by the way is the very reason we pray. Prayer is not protest. Prayer is reverent supplication for God to move.

Do these folks honestly think their God or this theoretical Pantheon would take us seriously when we are more focused on political statement and symbolic protest then we are on the One we purportedly revere.

Whatever Higher Power you believe in ought to be insulted by such an idolotrous act. If you honestly think that such a God does not care about such "trivial" distinctions, I would suggest that you might as well be worshiping a door knob.

If you want to protest the religious right, fine by me, but to do so as a religionists ut bin the name of all religions is a Tower of Babble (SIC).


Do these folks really think they can call upon the heavenely to assuage their concerns about the religions RIght by effectively and arrogantly denying the power of those same gods? Is it any wonder teh religious right thinks the left is Godless?

[Perky]

1. kickety kick kick

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. "Man is the only animal to have found the One True God..several of them."

If there is a "One True God" why would it give a rip what we pipsqueeks of the universe do, think, or believe?

[zeemike]

3. I have a point and a question

The question is; Is the god you pray to the same god and the fundies pray to?
And if it is then what is your responsibility for the teachings of the fundies of dogma that violates the very Gospel of Jesus? (I assume I do not have to make a long list of them here to you)
If you were to follow the path of Jesus you would call them for what they are in public...like Jesus did to the Pharisees, and you would chaise the money changers out of the temple.
Remaining silent is the same as agreement. It is up to those that believe in Jesus to call out the false prophets.

[Perky]

4. That is precisely correct.

The only to effectively combat the religious right is for the Christian Left to confront itin Biblical as opposed to liberal terms. The best argument is that their tactics drive more people away from the throne of God then to it.

But to your statement. No one is talking here about being silent I assure you.... the issue is solely about alliances we form to accomplish those goal and what we scrifice in forming those aliances. I lose crdeibility with God and the religions right If I align myself with Wicca to fight them.

[zeemike]

7. No there is no need to Aline yourself with Wicca

But the need is to Aline yourself with other religious leaders on the left and fight them on there own turf...The TV Airwaves.
And they should be treated like Jesus treated the Pharisees, and that is to reproach them in the same way calling them snakes and vipers that pray on the orphans and widows.
And pointing out that they worship the god of Mammon not the god Jesus spoke for and came from.
If I had the money I would fund it myself just because it needs to be done. They are truly leading the people away from the teachings of Jesus and his Gospel.
And I wish you well whatever you decide to do.

[Perky]

5. kickety kick kick

[Ron Green]

6. Maybe the watering down of religions is a good thing.

And maybe prayer should be less supplication and more simple communion.

It would be nice to make all religion so wishy-washy that it would ultimately mean Nothing, which is of course the same as Everything.

[Jigarotta]

8. the tower of babble was the first main stream media effort.

do not speak amongst yourselves.

[SoCalDem]

9. "God" was "invented" by humans to explain death

Humans are the only animal to KNOW they will die, so it makes sense to try and rationalize it. If you attach ceremony to death, and have a belief in a hereafter of some sort, it's easier to come to terms with the loss of a loved one... It also was a handy idea to explain why bad stuff happens..the converse is true as well. If something good happens , it HAS to be that God loves you..

Organized religion has always struck me as a convenience for people who do not want full responsibility for their lives..

At the crux of it, we are animals, like all animals...we are born, we procreate, stick around to launch the progeny, and then we die to make room for more to follow.. Is there a supreme plan? Hardly seems like it to me.. We are a quirk of nature..like all other species...we just tend to think too highly of ourselves.:)