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Tolerant Christians. They do exist.
Brian
Detroit, MI Moderator
Comments
I know some wonderful open hearted and open minded Christians. ,,, and also a couple who maybe aren't, but who genuinely love my poor lost soul just the same.
This is in California.
A good quote from a blog I follow:
A: No no-this looks better!
B: No no-this is better!
C: No no! Can't you see it? This has to be the better looking one! ...
Who is the best judge? Who has the "right" taste? Is there a "proper" preference? A thousand sentient beings (beings with feelings) have a thousand different standards because they have a thousand different sets of karma and inclinations. The wise argue not over the unimportant and frivolous because they know there will be no fruitful conclusion. The wisest judge is probably one who does not judge, especially for trivial matters.
You just have to know where to look.
Thanks for sharing!
There is a highly vocal but tiny minority who want all this to stop though. They see the CofE shrinking at an alarming rate while the media hypes up the increase in radical Islam and think that is the way to go. Unfortunately it is easy to get backing for their stance from some of the more intolerant churches around the world as they tend to see tolerance as tantamount to paganism. I suppose the message is - if you have a laid-back church in your area make them feel appreciated.
I think you could argue that the C of E has a duty to be inclusive because they are effectively the official state religion in the UK.
Spiny
I hurt a lot of people's feelings and I regret that. . . But I grew and I reaize that the more you learn and attain knowledge, tempered with open compassion, the more you grow.
But there are open. Christian, Jews and Muslims who want to understand rather than be understood
well done for practising Right Speech.
i sincerely hope that by staying with us, and joining as a member, you will come to understand that while your experience is of instructive value to you - it is not everybody's experience.
and while we all accept that certain factions of certain religions, are, to put it mildly, questionable, there is much to be said for permitting your mind to stay open - as was the point of this thread - and examining the experiences, anecdotes and stories others have to tell.
People are people wherever you go.
And it would appear that some people, are more human than others.
I have Christian friends, who know I'm Buddhist.
I'm sure many other members here, share that state.... and honestly - ?
They're absolutely super......
Really.
Are they?
a friend is a person who can see right through you - yet still enjoy the show.
anyone who might hold you in judgement against your self, is perhaps looking through a distorted perspective.....
I have friends, a married couple, who attend a church that set up a program to invite representatives of other religions to speak to the congregation about their traditions. One of my friends is Buddhist, the wife is a former pastor of the church. The Buddhist took a great interest in Islam, doing a lot of research because he felt it was important for the public to understand this religion, in light of the politics of the day (*ahem*). From what I understand, this was not a superficial introduction to other traditions, it went in depth, and was very successful.
Tolerance, even goodwill, is out there. Maybe if you open your heart, you can find it. (Or if you move to NY or California, haha.)
(As a mod, i can see your location in your IP number, but I'm not revealing anything to anyone, in public....)
The thing is, practising Buddhism in public, isn't all that difficult - providing you don't refer to it as Buddhism.
The 4 Noble Truths, the 8Fold Path and the 5 Precepts contain nothing, anywhere specifically, which allude to Buddhism.
They're just damn fine ways to live from day to day.....
And if you follow them, and you practice their suggestion, then it seems that you would - and could - fit in anywhere.
I think it's the Christian Right's dominance in Congress at various points in the last couple of decades that has brought extremists out of the woodwork and given them a sense of legitimacy, thus creating the overall impression that the US is a hotbed of fundamentalism. This is not the US I live in, though. There is another US that often doesn't get represented in conversations like this.
edit: Omar: you say "my religious observance is personal". It's nobody's business. That's a nosy, rude question. Or, more lightheartedly and perhaps more effectively, you could respond: "Why? Are you taking a survey?" That should take care of it.
So Buddhists don't pray as such, but they practice certain rituals and recite Mantras as devotional practices designed to deepen their Refuge in the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha.
You do that on a sunday morning , and you could reply 'yes' - and not be lying....
I'm going to paraphrase Jesus who was angry at the way the Jews fasted. He told his followers not to be like the hypocrites, who attend temple to be seen, threw ashes on their faces and wailed publicly... instead he (Jesus) wanted them to fast and worship inwardly. To go inside the inner room and shut the door. To pray in secret because God hears in secret.
Many Christians attend church from home by television. There is no difference watching Joe olsteen or another Christian preacher at home or in person, IMO.
If you don't want to lie to your family and friends, don't. I understand that you don't want or feel like you can't come out. I wouldn't if I were you, until you have some definitive answers to your personal spiritual questions. Any questions concerning your belief at this moment can be answered with tact, without hurting anyone, including yourself.
Please tell me you know how to be both vague and tactful. On Sundays you could say to their inquiry "I have to meet a friend who is interested in religion and philosophy, we might go to his place of worship. . "
This is not a lie..your friend is YOU, who is interested in religion and philosophy and anyplace could be a place of worship...PARK, HOUSE, CAR, STARBUCKS.
you see? The only reason I suggest this is because I'm afraid that you might be kicked out of your house or ostracized or possibly forced to return to the "flock" without spending needed time asking yourself and seeking answers to your questions.
With love.
I guess you can do as your family wishes to prevent conflicts, and still practice the dharma at the same time. When you are old enough and able to leave your parents house, then it is all up to you. However, if you continue doing as your family wishes, keeping a smiley face etc, but have anger, hate and guilt inside, this will only cause you a lot of suffering within. The dharma has ways of dealing with that, I wish you good luck
I still feel it wasn't an entirely bad decision to close it though.....