It is not natural to think others are inferior or inherently bad. Religion is not nationalism, no real tribal divinity would not create inferior being who are inherently bad

Are you kidding? The essence of religion is tribalism and the creation of "us" and "them."

2/3 of the Abrahamic religions believe that if you don't believe "our way" you're not doing it right and you're not going to Heaven/Paradise.

When you get to the various Christian traditions, Christians call non-Christians heretics, pagans or infidels (with a lot of history of trying to drive the "infidels" out of the Holy Land).

In Luke 13:24, Jesus warns everyone to “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” Jesus even says that many will try to enter it and “will not be able to.” So, according to the Bible, many will expect to go to heaven but Jesus says, in Matthew 7:23 “I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” If that's not exclusionary, I don't know what is.

Within the various Christian traditions you have the Protestants looking down on the idolatrous Catholics (and vice versa) and everyone looking down on the Mormons for, allegedly, not being Christians, and don't get me started on the way people feel about Jehovah's Witnesses. Then there are the "born again" Christians who think they have a monopoly on the "true faith" and that everyone else needs to be "saved."

Then there are those who expect God to choose "their side" in sporting events, praying for God to let them win over the "other side" despite the fact that the other side is probably Christian, too.

Christian sects are based on exclusionary, tribal principles, and those get applied in life and after death.

Anonymous wrote:Um, I was born Jewish. I'm still Jewish. I like my (non-extreme (Conservative)) religion. I like that health comes first. I like that we pray directly to God rather than a dead person.

It wasn't a far journey.

Although you may be Conservative, don't think Judaism is some stranger to extremism. It plays out in Israel all the time with women being prevented from praying at the Western Wall (http://www.jta.org/2013/05/10/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/haredi-orthodox-youth-mob-western-wall-to-protest-womens-prayer-service), priests being spit on (http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/ultra-orthodox-spitting-attacks-on-old-city-clergymen-becoming-daily-1.393669), and an obsession with Judaization of parts of Israel with large Palestinian populations (http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.561201)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your religion teach you to look down on other faiths or do you do this on your own?
Do you see the connection to bigotry?

Isn't it the nature of religion to do so? Any time one group holds it's way to be the only way, it's natural to think others are inferior, or worse, inherently bad. I don't mean to single out religion. Any grouping can do this. Like nationalism. But there is sonething so intimate about religion, so tied to a person's eternal self-worth, that I think it takes extremely strong adherents to "not" look down on those outside their own faith.

I do not accept this.
I am offended by the snootiness of the 'do not pray to a dead man' poster.

It is not natural to think others are inferior or inherently bad. Religion is not nationalism, no real tribal divinity would not create inferior being who are inherently bad

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your religion teach you to look down on other faiths or do you do this on your own?
Do you see the connection to bigotry?

Isn't it the nature of religion to do so? Any time one group holds it's way to be the only way, it's natural to think others are inferior, or worse, inherently bad. I don't mean to single out religion. Any grouping can do this. Like nationalism. But there is sonething so intimate about religion, so tied to a person's eternal self-worth, that I think it takes extremely strong adherents to "not" look down on those outside their own faith.

Many religions have an important commandment to not judge others/let he who is without sin cast the first stone. The idea is that only God can judge us. Now whether adherents stick to this is another issue!

That's him, a perfect God uses correct grammar.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does your religion teach you to look down on other faiths or do you do this on your own?
Do you see the connection to bigotry?

Isn't it the nature of religion to do so? Any time one group holds it's way to be the only way, it's natural to think others are inferior, or worse, inherently bad. I don't mean to single out religion. Any grouping can do this. Like nationalism. But there is sonething so intimate about religion, so tied to a person's eternal self-worth, that I think it takes extremely strong adherents to "not" look down on those outside their own faith.

Many religions have an important commandment to not judge others/let he who is without sin cast the first stone. The idea is that only God can judge us. Now whether adherents stick to this is another issue!

Anonymous wrote:Does your religion teach you to look down on other faiths or do you do this on your own?
Do you see the connection to bigotry?

Isn't it the nature of religion to do so? Any time one group holds it's way to be the only way, it's natural to think others are inferior, or worse, inherently bad. I don't mean to single out religion. Any grouping can do this. Like nationalism. But there is sonething so intimate about religion, so tied to a person's eternal self-worth, that I think it takes extremely strong adherents to "not" look down on those outside their own faith.

Does your religion teach you to look down on other faiths or do you do this on your own?
Do you see the connection to bigotry?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, I was born Jewish. I'm still Jewish. I like my (non-extreme (Conservative)) religion. I like that health comes first. I like that we pray directly to God rather than a dead person.

It wasn't a far journey.

huh? wtf?

no longer a practicing Catholic - But I never prayed to a dead person to get to God.

I think it was a swipe at Jesus/Christianity, but without the resurrection part.

I thought Catholics prayed to saints, including mary.

Catholics have the option of praying to saints -- any saint you choose, whom you then ask to "intercede" for you to God. Sort of liek having friends who will put in a good word for you to the big boss. Some catholics choose their patron saint for this purpose - who would be the saint they were named for - or you can just take a fancy to a certain saint and pray to that person, I mean saint.

OK - I can understand that part - praying to dead saints and what not.

However, Christians (Catholics) can pray directly to God. They don't need St. Francis, for example, to get to God.

So Jewish poster is a little wacky IMO - and needs to do some research before posting.

And Jewish poster, Jews don't corner the market on "healthy" eating. Muslims and Seventh Day also follow strict dietary laws.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, I was born Jewish. I'm still Jewish. I like my (non-extreme (Conservative)) religion. I like that health comes first. I like that we pray directly to God rather than a dead person.

It wasn't a far journey.

huh? wtf?

no longer a practicing Catholic - But I never prayed to a dead person to get to God.

I think it was a swipe at Jesus/Christianity, but without the resurrection part.

I thought Catholics prayed to saints, including mary.

Rich + religious =selfrighteous
Poor + relious = humble

I realized that humans don't invent anything we just find things and concepts that already exist , sitting there waiting for us to find them. I noticed how self important but truly weak and pitiful the human existence is. All puffed up when safe... All pitiful when weak. I recognized that love is holding it all together and that love is an inexplicable , unscientific force with no logical reason to exist but is the strongest force.
I came to the conclusion that the beauty of the story of Christ transcends humans ability to write it. It is too humiliating for humans to accept we are inherently bad and generally have bad character . So bad that God had to make a sacrifice of his son as payment and we have to be aware of our situation and need for his gift. It makes sense to me that an existence of pure love(heaven) cannot accommodate compromise with sin. Since I became a believer , human behavior and events just fall right into place ...

God loves to make fools out of the so-called wise. The mentally challenged are closer to God than a rich Harvard grad. I get that. Human nature is uncomfortable with that. I love it!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, I was born Jewish. I'm still Jewish. I like my (non-extreme (Conservative)) religion. I like that health comes first. I like that we pray directly to God rather than a dead person.

It wasn't a far journey.

huh? wtf?

no longer a practicing Catholic - But I never prayed to a dead person to get to God.

I think it was a swipe at Jesus/Christianity, but without the resurrection part.

I thought Catholics prayed to saints, including mary.

Anonymous wrote:Um, I was born Jewish. I'm still Jewish. I like my (non-extreme (Conservative)) religion. I like that health comes first. I like that we pray directly to God rather than a dead person.

It wasn't a far journey.

ok
I finally get it.
Do you perhaps have a sense of superiority?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, I was born Jewish. I'm still Jewish. I like my (non-extreme (Conservative)) religion. I like that health comes first. I like that we pray directly to God rather than a dead person.

It wasn't a far journey.

huh? wtf?

no longer a practicing Catholic - But I never prayed to a dead person to get to God.

I think it was a swipe at Jesus/Christianity, but without the resurrection part.

I think the point is that non-Christian's don't believe Jesus was resurrected.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, I was born Jewish. I'm still Jewish. I like my (non-extreme (Conservative)) religion. I like that health comes first. I like that we pray directly to God rather than a dead person.

It wasn't a far journey.

huh? wtf?

no longer a practicing Catholic - But I never prayed to a dead person to get to God.

I think it was a swipe at Jesus/Christianity, but without the resurrection part.