Pet Peeves

patdbunny wrote:

I want to clarify that I don't mean to diss anyone with strong religious views. Strong religious views do not offend me at all and I respect them. Those with strong views in general who ALSO go around trying to shove them down my throat are those who offend me.

(...)

With the utmost respect to my fellow forum members,

Roz.

Same here, and I'm sorry if that's the way any comments or rants have come across.

I've had Christian friends with whom I've had honest discussions about religion; such as why it is I'm not Christian like them. We each tried to figure out the other's beliefs and why they felt that way. I actually really like that and feel that I can be honest. So long as they don't get angry with me or try to scare me into changing my beliefs by telling me I'm going to go to hell, I absolutely respect them.

Even if a close friend told me I am going to hell, but in a way that showed they were genuinely concerned for me, I would be grateful to them rather than upset. It may not be or change my personal belief, but I would be sincerely grateful for their concern. I do not feel that strangers would have genuine concern over me, and that is why I am offended by them if they do the same. However, I would also be upset if the close friend continued to press me into their belief system rather than coming to the understanding that I do not hold the same beliefs. Just as I feel it is not my place to criticize their beliefs, I do not feel it is their place to try to scare me out of mine.

I respect different religions and beliefs, regardless of past experiences with individuals' interpretations of those beliefs. I also greatly admire those who remove themselves from discussions like this for whatever reason they have. It is not worth the strife and hard feelings of anyone, and if we all won't be quiet then those who do are the ones keeping the peace.

If it is not clear - These are my views, and I don't mean to say they are anyone else's. If they offend anyone, I am sorry that I offended and that was not my intention. On the contrary I meant to say that those here on this forum, especially those who have removed themselves from this conversation, have my admiration for keeping such a calm environment in the face of such a personal topic.

patdbunny wrote:

I want to clarify that I don't mean to diss anyone with strong religious views. Strong religious views do not offend me at all and I respect them. Those with strong views in general who ALSO go around trying to shove them down my throat are those who offend me.

The same here. I wrote fanatic and by that I didn't mean those, who really believe. Those people I really respect, because it's not a lot of them, who follow all the rules of their religion.
I was talking about people, who use their religion and are not religious at all in their lives.
Like I mentioned in my city it was 3 different religious(alphabetically): Catholics, Jewish and Orthodox Catholics. The worst mistake people did, it was judge each other.

Bottom line: isn't the God one for everybody, whatever you name him...

well said ladies



dusty

In my head, if God existed- farm animals wouldn't live such tortured lives and the Geese of France shouldn't have to suffer from forced liver failure for Foie Gras. I think it's human arrogance to believe there's something watching over us and somehow only us humans.

That's the end for me.

I don't believe God only looks over humans. I don't pretend to understand the suffering and unjust things in this world. But I don't take kindly to being called arrogant for believing in a higher power. We are all entitled to our beliefs but lets be respectful.

I said, I *think* it is arrogant. You're right, we ARE entitled to our beliefs.

The whole subject of "If there is a God, why do bad things happen" to people or animals or the planet or the Universe gets into a pretty thorny theological territory. IMHO if you believe in a God, you have to reconcile the realities of the world with that. Most of the religious people I know are also animal lovers, so I meet very few who don't think animals are also part of the divine picture. Isn't there something in the Bible about the fall of a sparrow?

OTOH, I personally cannot believe in a God that resembles a grandfather-figure sitting in a place called heaven that looks like a palace where only a subset of the human race are welcome. My mind does not work that way. I can't reconcile it with what I know about the universe. When I try to work out what I can believe in, it's much more an intangible force that works for good in a very abstract way, pulling the strings behind the scenes, setting up the dominoes so they fall a certain way, perhaps. And operating only in accordance with what we know about physical law. Once the big bang occurred a whole lot of processes went off pretty much according to physical laws we can write down and predict things on the basis of. Did some force make it so that things worked that way and not another way? Is there a "plane of existence" outside the universe somehow? Could there be something like a soul that exists in parallel with all the neurochemical and electrical things that make up a working brain? For me, that's where the interesting questions lie. Because it's clear to me that the universe is a very big place and that random chance plays a role. Free will plays a role. The capacity for cruelty and evil plays a role.

It is a fact that there are planets around other stars in this galaxy, tons and tons of them. They may be as common as grains of sand are on a beach. We have yet to conclusively find the first earth-analog, but statistics argues those, too, are probably out there, and not just one or two. Then there are all the other galaxies out there with their stars and the planets around those stars. I suspect it is only a matter of time before we find evidence of life processes on those other planets, although it will be limited to what can be deduced by the spectral properties of the light that makes it into our telescopes. And we will then be deeply frustrated because our ability to communicate with or travel to any of those places is severely hampered by the finite speed of light. But the point is... if there is a God, I think he's got more than this one planet and its inhabitants to worry about.

Vikki wrote:

Now, I don't have a religion. I never labeled myself with one. I was never a religious person, but I am very spiritual. I've always been very connected to the earth and her animals, so I tend toward the ideology of the natural religions like native american, pagan.... and its a part of my life in everything I do. My only religious tennant is simple "do things that please the earth as long as it harms no one". Thats it.

this resonates pretty closely with my own spiritual beliefs. I've always felt happiest and most connected when I'm out in nature and have found a lot to benefit from learning from religions that are harmonious with the earth or centered around it.
I don't like to feel restricted or forced into a belief and luckily I have a lot of great people from all sorts of religious backgrounds to support me. I may not always agree with their beliefs but I respect them like I hope they respect mine. like dusty and others have said, it's personal and the great thing is we're allowed our own beliefs...

and wow SnS's post has me thinking about the world some more. I think astronomy is fascinating, even though it makes me feel incredibly small at times. I like the mixture of religion and science and how even though the two are very different they can mesh and that, in some ways, they are essentially looking for answers to some of the same questions: the hows and whys of the universe.

I do find astronomy and other sciences to be very fascinating. Things seem to fall in their place like a puzzle in maths and sciences. I still wonder how the Golden Ratio works the way it does.

I don't want to go deep in theories, because I will need my dictionary all the time open, but I have to say, that I pretty much agree with last ScooterNScotty post.

My world view, is "the circle of life"

Everything plays it's part, from the blue whale, to the single celled organisms. Everything depends on everything, and everything is equal in the importance of existence.

I believe that there are life forms on other planets (no, I'm not talking about little green men in space ships, though that would be pretty "rad"). It all fits in.

Time isn't linear, but circuital.

We're all connected in some mysterious way. And that is my faith. I don't expect to ever understand my meaning, but it comforts me to know that we're all one.

henpecked wrote:

If you really must know what my pet peeve is , it's people who drive in the left lane,in their own little universe ,regardless of how many people are passing on the right or stacked up behind them.If there's 20 cars stacked up behind you , you might need to move over and let them by of course lots of them don't realize that there's other cars on the road or don't care.

Don't mind me, you drive on the wrong side of the road, I spose the means you're meant to stay in the right lane as well right?

I haven't read this whole thing, so I'm certain there are other grammar/spelling nazis here... but I'm a veritable LETTER nazi. I am the font queen, I've downloaded dozens of fonts onto my computer because I have to have the right one for whatever I'm making. It infuriates me that the Georgia Department of Labor uses COMIC SANS for their payroll processing website. AAAaaannnd....


Has anyone seen the Comcast commercial with Neil Patrick Harris? His monogram is everywhere and is emblazoned on the headboard of his bead at least two feet tall... and they have it as nPh. It's supposed to be nHp!!!

Sorry, I know I'm bumping this thread... I just had to get that off my chest

LyzGrace wrote:

the Georgia Department of Labor uses COMIC SANS for their payroll processing website

Fo' rizzle?!
That's hilarious!
Someone there has a sense of humor!

I want to hit someone whenever I see Papayrus. The design industry loathes and belittles anyone who uses that typeface.

I have to agree that religion is my pet peeve. I was raised Catholic and received 4 of the 7 sacraments, meaning I was baptized, went through reconciliation, did the First Communion ceremony and the Confirmation ceremony. I went to Catholic school for 9 years, altar served for 4 years and even remember my Confirmation name.

That said, I identify as Agnostic. I don't know one way or the other if there's a God, but my very large suspicion is that religion and the God concept were and are constructs of society to ensure that members conform(ed) to a certain standard of living.

I find it very difficult to accept most religious beliefs on marriage, homosexuality, reproduction, scientific teachings, and the value of women. As a woman, I have quite a large problem with anyone or anything seeing me as lesser than a man. I have a problem with the inequality that the LGBT community faces, and find most of it is because of very religious reasons. I don't believe my reproductive choices should be subject to any religion's notion of morality. And the fact that these people still are pushing to teach Creationism in schools drives me bonkers.

Catholicism in particular drives me crazy because of their propensity to cover up the criminal acts of their priests. While my family's particular priest was also a close friend and overall wonderful person, I and everyone else can recall a great many news stories of priests abusing children. In my own diocese, it has recently come to light that the former bishop shuffled around at least two priests to different schools and districts to prevent criminal investigations. To me, that signifies an acceptance of that behavior that is just as criminal as the behavior itself.



Aside from that (and I'm going to apologize right now for offending anyone), Republicans are my pet peeve. It's wonderful if you want to be socially and fiscally conservative, it really is. A balanced discussion is a great thing to have. But really, what is it with Republicans wanting to be all up in my uterus' business?

My reproductive choices are mine to make. What occurs with or in my uterus is my decision and should not be legislated by the government. While I do want children with my boyfriend and would likely never have need for an abortion, I don't want to legislate that option away from all women. And while it may sound selfish, I couldn't say with certainty that I would keep a fetus with a severe genetic defect that would significantly lower its quality of life. But again, that is a decision I and my boyfriend would need to make without any input from the government.