Jack Hammer posted:I guess I should apologize for the complicated question.Apologize? No Way! ... not for the question ... It was a valid/good question. Now apologize for opening it up to an exhaustive looooooooooong response as I made, I can see maybe some validity there but the question was reasonable and no need to apologize for that, also you had no control over how long someone's response would be either so hopefully, no one would fault you on that.
I've heard people comment and say you should talk about anything other than Politics, Religion, and depending on where in the country you live, college football as for the contentious nature of those topics. I used to spend a lot more time in the Religion section of this forum and do contribute, most likely too much, to the Politics forum so at times try and offset the contentious stuff with a post in the Food section or some Miscellaneous addition.
With respect to Religion though I could never change my screen id and disguise myself because before Bill Gray was banned he and I were characteristically predictable for our exhaustive long, wordy, replies and post. Unlike some who have posted though I try and state that my replies, thoughts, and post are my opinion and just that, everyone has opinions. Each person may feel, and believe, dogmatic about what they post and that they have the patient on facts and truth but there are many good people on every side and issue who have adamant feelings and reasons for those feelings and beliefs so we all share our opinions and hopefully the basis or reason which causes us to believe and feel the way we do.
Back to your original question/post, regarding Religion. Yes, there are countless numbers of people who believe so many different things and often it makes you wonder just who is right or why people believe as they do. Truth is that some don't know why they believe what they believe but just do while others believe what they do as a lineage from others around them or historical reasons even. I, personally, don't have a problem with all the diverse beliefs even though we know that some, or many, are necessarily wrong. I believe the important things, with respect to Religion or the positions we accept and take, are:
- We are conscious of the reasons we believe as we do
- We are able to explain and describe why we believe as we do.
- We are able to defend the reason we believe as we do.
- We are OPEN to change and learning or modification of our positions based upon new or changing information.
I believe, with respect to Religion, and maybe other things, there are two categories, at least, of beliefs. DOGMA & Doctrine.
Dogma being unquestionable and unwavering accepted truth/facts that don't, change or alter. God is Singular, God is a Supreme deity, God Created. Dogma are things which we have relinquished to unchangeable beliefs or unwavering acceptance of something as truth.
Doctrine/Doctrines are those beliefs or categories that we may accept or believe but are things which carry a measure of uncertainty. Things like what Heaven is or if there is a Hell. Beliefs about working on Sunday (where Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath). Beliefs about dietary laws or restrictions and other things that are debatable things or topics.
With some, it's a narrow, even wavering, line that divides things that are dogma from doctrinal things. Seeking opinions about what others believe is a good thing as we all learn from those we agree with as well as those that we disagree with as we consider their reasons that they believe as they do, as they challenge us and from that challenge, we either modify or change our beliefs and thinking or we are solidified in that which we have believed or accepted. Conflict can be beneficial as long as we do not allow it to get personal and detrimental. The key, I believe, is respect for everyone's point of view and with respect to things doctrinal in nature, consideration for why another conflicting belief or stance is accepted by another as being the answer or fact. Often times the basis for another's conflicting opinion is something new to us and worthy of consideration or at least challenges us to reinforce why we believe as we do. Other times the basis for their belief is shallow and meaningless or without merit and enables us to share our own beliefs and debate that which we feel is backed up by insufficient or inaccurate. See, so wordy and lengthy a response, maybe you will feel the need to apologize again but maybe it is I that should apologize instead.