Religion specifics. Questions about a religion?

[cantrlady]

I am a product of 13 years of Catholic schools (No, I didn't flunk...just counting kindergarten). I still go to mass but have lost faith in my Pope and the priests in dealing with all the problems facing the church especially the pedophile priests and the lack of priests. Complicated issues and solutions.

[Joshuamonkey]

Paedophile? I know what that means...

I'm a christian too. And yeah, basically to be a
Christian you have to believe in Christ...

You can tell the popes aren't always right because when a new pope comes, things can change a lot. God is an unchanging being.

[avi messika]

I am Jewish. In my religion there are many different sects, varying in policies from the anti-Zionist Neturi Karta to the the ultra-zionist chabad.

But that is only the ultra-orthodox. I consider myself a conservative jew which is in the middle. Not orthodox, but still observant. I maintain kashrut (kosherness) But not strictly, I do not eat any shellfish or pork, however I do mix meat and milk.

I am currently following pesach or passover, in which I can not eat any products with rising agents such as yeast or baking soda (i think). Somewhere it says exactly.

In January I experimented in orthodoxy, praying 3 times a day, and laying tefllin in the morning. But that was not long lasted. After a very disturbing personal issue with my faith, I dropped the orthodoxy idea.

People oftentimes throw Judaism and Zionism togetther, but recently, I have tried to encourage people to make a distinction. It is very possible to be one and not the other. I understand that there are people here who disagree with Zionism, due to their own beliefs. And I welcome their opinions. I myself am a Zionist, however, I am fully in favor of a Palestinian state. I owe my life to Zionism, because my family used the Zionism to escape post-anschluss Austria. So, while one of my best friends is a Palestinian, I still can not bring myself to hate the ideals of zionism, because of its importance to my family.

Now the issue with Israeli politics (now this is to try to bring it back to the topic) is that the religious has far too much power and influence. I believe the US is nearing the same problem. However, Israel has become a religious state. This differs greatly from the ideals of Zionism, which was created as a cultural homeland for the Jews, not as a religious homeland. While the Holy Land is indeed an interused term, I think of it as destroying the premise. Instead of being a haven, the religious community in Israel has abused the system.

So I guess in all my rambling I have been trying to say that I have lost faith in religion as a governign body. But I believe in religion for personal spirituality.

[Dee]

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that muslims do not eat pork too. Did I mention that they do not drink alcohol?

To be honest, a lot of people here in Egypt have issues about Jews.. Maybe because of political reasons... But I came to understand that I shouldn't be classifying people according to their relegions or beliefs, but according to heir personalities, what they're for and what they're against.

[Stan]

I agree that a religious government is a very bad idea. I believe that when people get power they seek to get more power. When they have religion on their side they have a weapon to increase their power.

[Joshuamonkey]

I think Jews are the ones that follow the Bible, and Moses type of stuff, right? (I read the bible part where Moses gives all the laws) Its kind of confusing.

[deadboy]

Yeah, jewish people follow the old testament (the scriptures) closely, whereas christians follow the old and new testament. I think that is correct?

[formerly known as hf]

To be honest, a lot of people here in Egypt have issues about Jews.. Maybe because of political reasons...

I would suspect that it's almost entirely for political reasons.

You can be anti-Israel (as I am) without being anti-Semitic

[Dee]

I haven't decided yet if I'm anti-Israel or not... To make such a decision, I have to think about it a lot..

I mean, sure I do have issues with the Israeli government, I definitley do not support it at all... But do I hate all Israelis? They have no hand in what's going on... Or so I think *shrugs* I don't know...

[formerly known as hf]

By anti-Israel, I mean anti-Israeli government, certainly not against the Israeli as a people.

I wouldn't take the position of some, and say that Israel does not have a right to exist. Although I have deep misgivings about the belief that a religion is a good basis for political state power. Whether it be a Muslim nation, a Jewish or Christian one, it takes very little consideration to realise that religious based national state powers are by far the most intolerant and illiberal - The most volent and bloody wars, the most regular suffering and persecution is due to the misguided conception that the basis for political power relies upon the government being 'representative' of the population, in the sense that the population of the territory is in some way culturally, nationally or religiously homogenous. Israel happens to be a prime example of what is wrong with such thinking

The actions of the government and Israeli military, and, even moreso, the extent to which the US and the EU refuse to intervene, and even support their actions, is, to me, a really disgusting matter.

[Phalynx]

I know I sound scarily like I am being a bit consiparatorial but isn't western support for Israel a wierd combination of guilt (for the Holocaust), Supporting a western friendly 'democratic' enclave in the middle east (some would argue with an eye on oil supplies) and combined bussiness interests and other connections with the US...?

All governmental systems suck because people are greedy, self seeking and corrupt. Sometimes religion is the excuse sometimes not but the outcomes are often the same...

BTW I consider myself a christian,

Oh Pie, dunno what a

devot cristian

is but I imagine to be one you would need to know your chosen religious text slighlty more comprehensively than that.... I am mostly with Stan though my faith requires a bit of repentence too...

[HoH]

Hmm. I think technically I'm Catholic...

But I don't participate in lent, I don't go to church, don't really pray all that often, and sorta lost my faith a while back. Long story though. You all don't need to hear it either.

It's all good now though, but I still don't do lent, or go to church, or pray a whole lot...

I went to my friend's youth group a couple times though. That count for anything?

[Joshuamonkey]

I've heard that a lot of christians are like that.(but there's a lot of them)

By the way, I definitely have an eye for oil because I'm just finishing up a presentation of my topic that we've studied all school year. Mine's oil drilling.

Phalynx, not that I don't support how Moses did it, but I agree that these days its better that a religion doesn't rule the government. Out of all the countries, I like the United States' system the best.

[Phalynx]

Phalynx, not that I don't support how Moses did it, but I agree that these days its better that a religion doesn't rule the government. Out of all the countries, I like the United States' system the best.

And on the whole I prefer Brittish democracy, cos thats what I understand best and grew up with, but I have to accept that true democracy doesn't, and probably shouldn't, exist....

[formerly known as hf]

I agree that these days its better that a religion doesn't rule the government. Out of all the countries, I like the United States' system the best.

? That's kinda contradictory - I don't think I've ever seen a western government more ruled by religion, in this case, that of right-wing Christianity.