Why do Religious People take Moral High Ground?

Right I need to rant....

I went out earlier drinking with some friends and we'd all had a few beers when a few people we'd been to school with came in the bar. Well to be sociable we invited them over and started chatting to them about life and what they'd been doing since school. It turned out one of the girls had 'found' God and was now a devout christian. This in turn then led her to insult my way of living....not going to church, drinking alcohol, working sundays, living in sin etc... I sat there for about 15 minutes listening to this lecture on how i should change my ways and how i was doing wrong blah blah blah until I could take no more and eventually said I dont believe in God and I think religion is a main instigator of alot of wars, needless to say that eneded mine and her socialising time.

Now the thing that annoyed me wasn't that she chose religion and wanted to talk about it, thats her choice and thats cool. It was the tone she spoke to me about it as if she was a better person than me because she has this belief and instead of respecting my choice of not having religion in my life she continued to try and thrust it upon me. I dont tell her how to live her life so why is she trying to order me when i dont even believe in what she's devoting her life to.

it's always been one of them things to annoy me, even when you see it on TV, like them wackos from the westboro baptist church. What right do they have telling people they're going to hell because of the way they're living. They don't know that, its just a belief!!!

Everyone is human, whether we like it or not. God created the possibility of...

alcohol
sex
etc. etc.

In Islamic(please don't stereotype this) text, if you are still "exploring" at the age of 40+, then you have problems. I think this is an excellent gauge to go by.

I say, "live." Otherwise you are just going by what the people in the past have said, and not what you believe to be true. Something in me tells me not to make this post, but I am anyway.

reply to post by onetruesaxon


It sounds like the young woman recently became a "Born Again" Christian. They are the worst, as they have to preach it and convert everyone else. My friend in high school became one and sat down to say hi to me. I had not seen him since junior high, and he started preaching about God, and that I should accept Jesus as my personal savior. I was nice to him and listened, but it was annoying after the first few minutes. It usually takes a year, then the Born Again Christians aren't as bad about it.

Originally posted by dragonking76
...

In Islamic(please don't stereotype this) text, if you are still "exploring" at the age of 40+, then you have problems. I think this is an excellent gauge to go by.

...

I am in my forties, and still looking for some answers. I consider myself a Pagan, but do not know everything out there. While I appreciate what you are saying, I don't think anyone really has all the answers at forty.

Religion in my opinion is a manmade idea. Spiritual vehicles of light have come to world as "prophets" and have dispersed knowledge and enlightenment. Other enlightened sages of lesser calibre than "prophets" have also come and gone in human form disseminating knowledge and guidance.

However, these pearls of enlightenment are scattered. Man makes up his own explanation in an ignorance that he is deceived into thinking is holiness and uprightness. There are scattered pearls in every religion, ism and schism. In some there are more and some less.

When delving in to religion, respect the human being as a human being not as a non-believer who may not accept our own beliefs and therefore go to hell. Filter the pearls scattered in religion but leave the carcass of manmade religious ideas behind.

People who beat the drums about so and so religion are misguided and dangerous because they misguide others. They cause bloodshed and mischief in the name of G-d. There are the real devils masquerading as holy men. They merge the church/temple/mosque to the governing state and, in so doing, murder both G-d and humanity.

[edit on 5-4-2009 by KromeDragon]

[edit on 5-4-2009 by KromeDragon]

I think it's primarily a power trip.. they've found that security that comes with having a billion other people believe in the same thing they do. They validate eachother and the fact that you do not believe is seen as a direct challenge to those beliefs. They are taught that the mere act of non believing is a threat that should be defended against.

this isn't all christians of course. some christians live and let live and are accept/tolerent of other beliefs without getting judgemental.

[edit on 5-4-2009 by riley]

Originally posted by kidflash2008

Originally posted by dragonking76
...

In Islamic(please don't stereotype this) text, if you are still "exploring" at the age of 40+, then you have problems. I think this is an excellent gauge to go by.

...

I am in my forties, and still looking for some answers. I consider myself a Pagan, but do not know everything out there. While I appreciate what you are saying, I don't think anyone really has all the answers at forty.

That explains me well minus the age

I am a Pagan and what I know of the Pagan world amounts to about a shot glass.

...

Dang now I am thinking about drinking! :-p

Basically I get what I get out of the books I read and then make my path as I see fit while following one basic principle.

Do no harm

I don't judge you, I don't hurt you, I don't steal from you. The best I do is try my damnedest not to.

-Kyo

reply to post by KyoZero


Paganism is related to nature and Mother Earth, or Earth Goddess. Most Pagans use the Mother Goddess or Earth Goddess symbol to represent nature and the earth. There are many different aspects of Paganism to look into. Druidism is a popular form of Paganism, although I do not consider myself a Druid.

I am interested in the natural world, and man's relationship with it before we became so materialistic.

You can go to the library and find many books on the subject. Most tend to be a little to New Age for my tastes, but I still read some for interest.

Well it wouldn't do to take the moral low ground, now would it?

But seriously, don't let a few, or in this case one, idiots in love with themselves color your opinion of other people and their religious beliefs. Most people, which includes me, keep their faith to themselves. They admit to being a religious person, and that's as far as it goes.

I can understand that it's infutiating to get preached at by someone on a "holier than thou" kick, but don't let it bug ya. If you do, they win...

We're all guilty of it one time or another. Religious or otherwise.

There are extremists in every group.

Most religious people and atheists leave each other alone. Faith (or lack there of) is a personal thing, and should be treated as such.

However, you do get the occasional zealot trying to convert one way or the other.

Just ignore them. They are obviously insecure about their own beliefs and are forcing their need for justification onto others.

reply to post by kidflash2008


Well what I meant was what I know of Paganism is only of what I learned personally. I know a pretty good amount of the spirituality of it but my point I tried and completely failed to nail down was that I keep mostly to myself. I know what I know and I feel what I feel and what I feel is right...for me anyway.

I follow the goddess Isis...she has spoken to me and we've had conversations but I think it foolish of me were I to start telling everyone else that she is the one for them too. That's just my opinion anyway.

Sorry for the confusion although I will still easily and freely admit there is much for me to learn. Afterall, I can't just learn one thing and think it is the only possibility now can I?

-Kyo

reply to post by KyoZero


Isis is considered an original Mother Goddess. She was so popular back in the early Christian period that the Church made Mary a virgin and put the focus on her. Eventually, Isis worship became Virgin Mary worship.

I understand where you are coming from, and for the most part, I keep my beliefs to myself. Most of my family are devout Catholics, so any questioning of the religion is a mortal sin to them.

As long as everyone observes the Golden Rule, we should all be fine.

I like your style friend...

do no harm...everything else is easy

I will happily keep to Isis and let everyone else do as they wish

-Kyo