geordiezimmerman wrote: 
Thank you for that. I would only ask this, in reference to this entire scenerio of which you speak- Where does "God" end and man begin?
And, as mentally challenged as I may be, I can understand you perhaps better than you can understand me. Hence, your frustration... 

I will come right out and say it. I'm not tolerant of any religion or those that believe in something what I see as quite ridiculous. I get sick of hearing cop out remarks like "It's all part of God's plan" whenever I ask religous folk why there is so many wars in the name of religion, why there is so much suffering in the world, what kind of God would let a world like this exist? If this place God holds for us all when we die is this beautiful place called heaven where all your sins are washed away, why don't these religious folk just kill themselves and go to this place if it's so good? Or is your death in God's hands?

As for catholicism, that's up there with one of the most evil religions. The amount of story's I've heard from people I know who went to Catholic schools, evil nuns, horrific sexual and mental abuse, cover ups by the vatican, manipulation of the poor, especially in Africa, the list is endless what this religion has done over the years so no I have absolutely no tolerance for that at all or anyone who believes in it. If that offends you, I really don't care.

As someone said earlier, there's a difference between believing in Christ and religion. Did Jesus exist? Probably. Was he the son of God? No, because God doesn't exist. Did he produce miracles? No he didn't. The quicker believers of God grow up and get real the better as far as I'm concerned. The quicker we get rid of the notion that god exists then the quicker we can do away with the church, mosques, temples etc and try and make the world a much better place without the ridiculous idea that some fella who controls everything that has ever happened and will happen bar nothing. It's just ridiculous and I even think that most believers know it's ridiculous but use it as a smokescreen so they can carry on with their hate filled lives.

The way that Christians pick and choose their passages in the bible to fit in with their own lives makes me laugh. The ones that say it says homosexuality is wrong and then those that say it doesn't, believers of the same religion can't even agree with what they are supposed to be believing !!

All religions are evil although the believers will always tell you that their religion is a peaceful one. Yeah right. Only peaceful if you believe in the bullshit they are telling you. If you're gay, it's not peaceful, in some places if you're black, it's not peaceful, In a lot of cases if you're a woman it's not peaceful. Quite simpley why anyone would want to believe in any religion where ANY evil exists is beyond me and quite frankly anyone who does believe in God as far as I'm concerned is mentally ill and needs help.

 hippiechick wrote: 
Perhaps it was merely an interpretation of the way you worded some of what you wrote. It just seemed to me that the comment of not knowing how people believe in something questions their intelligence, which read as intolerance for a person's belief system to me.
 
The reference I made to you talking about Judaism as a part of your belief system had nothing to do with Israel, actually, being that I don't go into those threads and read those discussions (that I find read more like arguments) between RPeeps. It's in forums like this that I'm talking about.
 
And I agree, we do not need to discuss how being Jewish influences how you look at things. I was merely saying that for someone that sort of "disclaims" a religion, you tend to use it as a reason for behavior a bit often.

 newwavegurly wrote: 
Just because I don't understand how people believe in stuff doesn't mean I don't have tolerance. You can believe in whatever you want. The original comment was about the pope, who must be held responsible for the practices of his church.

I would need an example of how I use it for some of my beliefs, mostly my support of Israel (as I can remember), but being Jewish is like being black: it influences how you look at things. I don't wish to write in detail about this.

I didn't lump all religions into one ball, I only gave examples of what the Catholic Church has done.

BTW, if my children asked my opinion, I would encourage them not to circumcise their boys, despite the Jewish imperative.

 hippiechick wrote: 
Ah, but here's the rub: It's not the tolerance of the religion that is in question, it's the tolerance of the people that have religious beliefs (whatever they may be) that I believe you mentioned. By saying that "I really can't understand how people believe in that stuff," you're not just putting down the religion, you're intimating that they're wrong in their beliefs—which doesn't really sound all that tolerant to me.
 
As for the Judaism explanation: While I understand what you're saying here, I find it rather hypocritical (for lack of a better word) that you would use Judaism as an explanation for some of your beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors (as you have here on RP before), yet you don't really claim it as your religion.
 
While I agree that much of organized religion is "big business" in the U.S. (and other parts of the world), I hesitate to lump all of them into one category when not all of them are guilty of the transgressions you describe. 

 newwavegurly wrote: 
If you read my other comments, you will see that I have little tolerance for a religion that is very harmful to its followers.

I am of Jewish heritage but, like many Jews, I am more of a cultural Jew. My parents never set foot in shul. I raised my my children with a Liberal Jewish education and I taught Sunday School for more than 10 years, and then one day my eyes were opened, when I was teaching the story of Joshua and Jericho, about how the Hebrews attacked a town and killed all the people because they had different beliefs, and decided that I could not accept this BS any more. My children have similar feelings.

Religion and churches are a big business. There are churches of various denominations on almost every corner. Apparently it serves a purpose to folks who need that kind of interaction, and that's fine with me. But making women feel guilty because they don't want to have 10 kids, sexually abusing children, and covering it up, I could go on and on, this is not acceptable to me.

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
More like cuttos.

 phineas wrote: 
kudos.

 phineas wrote: 

Thank you for understanding.

 Coaxial wrote: 
I'd laugh if I didn't know how deadly serious you are about this. All the best with it!

 hippiechick wrote: 
hippiechick wrote:

That doesn't sound all that "tolerant" to me. Sounds more like you're slamming that people believe in Catholicism.
 
You also mention that you were "raised with no religious belief," yet you've claimed Judaism on here more than once. Which is it?  
 
EDIT: Not trying to be mean here, I'm just trying to get a handle on the things you've posted.

 oldviolin wrote: 
You're making me bris-tle...

 phineas wrote: 

I'm growing mine out for a comb over...

 phineas wrote: 
Is that a bad circumcision joke?

 oldviolin wrote: 
Don't you dare offer me a s'more...

 phineas wrote: 
Still, it's pretty exciting when sitting around the camp fire...

 oldviolin wrote: 
Though French-braiding nostril hairs is not exactly a marketable skill.

 hippiechick wrote: 
No need to apologise to me. My skin is sufficiently impervious. Believe or don't believe as you wish. Both support my position.
I'm not Catholic, nor am I particularly religious. I do know a few things, however, about a few things...

 oldviolin wrote: 
I'm sorry, but I just do not see why I should have tolerance for something that hurts people. As I have said before, I was raised with no religious belief, so looking at what people believe in is somewhat amusing to me, but I have no problem in tolerating the beliefs of others, esp if it makes them happy.

But the practices of the Catholic Church are harmful, and I do not have to accept them. The practice of genital mutilation (and I am not interested in opening that door again) does not need to be tolerated, even though people have been doing it for centuries.

 Hairfarmer wrote: 


sucks to break sometin.