What's so great about YOUR religion?

[Tantum_ergo]

While some of the answers have shown great interest and insight, the whole original jettisoning of “Truth” from the argument tends to make everything given revolve around ‘personal choice’. . .IOW, about ‘relativity’ and ‘values’.

Hey, if person A likes the music, the smells and bells about her Catholic faith, then she shouldn’t criticize person B who likes the music and the ‘feeling’ about his Protestant faith, or person C who likes the austerity of his Muslim faith, or person D who likes the history and the mysticism of his pagan faith, etc. . .

Indifferentism. They’re all just ‘things’ that different people enjoy in different ways. . .so what does it matter which one is true? I mean, if it’s truth for person B, but not persons A, C, and D, shouldn’t person B get to enjoy HIS truth?

It really is kind of a waste of time to post on non essentials without ever addressing the whole HEART of the matter, especially when the title is ‘what’s so GREAT about your religion’.

If the TRUTH of a person’s religious belief isn’t going to be considered as part of the greatness of that religion, that’s pretty da–n sad IMO.

 

[Bluegoat]

While some of the answers have shown great interest and insight, the whole original jettisoning of “Truth” from the argument tends to make everything given revolve around ‘personal choice’. . .IOW, about ‘relativity’ and ‘values’.

Hey, if person A likes the music, the smells and bells about her Catholic faith, then she shouldn’t criticize person B who likes the music and the ‘feeling’ about his Protestant faith, or person C who likes the austerity of his Muslim faith, or person D who likes the history and the mysticism of his pagan faith, etc. . .

Indifferentism. They’re all just ‘things’ that different people enjoy in different ways. . .so what does it matter which one is true? I mean, if it’s truth for person B, but not persons A, C, and D, shouldn’t person B get to enjoy HIS truth?

It really is kind of a waste of time to post on non essentials without ever addressing the whole HEART of the matter, especially when the title is ‘what’s so GREAT about your religion’.

If the TRUTH of a person’s religious belief isn’t going to be considered as part of the greatness of that religion, that’s pretty da–n sad IMO.

I think it was just supposed to be a nice, non-nasty discussion. No one is jettisoning truth. But thanks for making it a confrontational thread, that is what we really needed around here.

 

[Tantum_ergo]

I think it was just supposed to be a nice, non-nasty discussion. No one is jettisoning truth. But thanks for making it a confrontational thread, that is what we really needed around here.

Um. . .you’re welcome. . .

But you did see this, didn’t you?

Are you glad you’re a _______? Why? What do you like about it? I am not looking for apologetic-type answers like “it will help me get me to heaven” or “it has the fullness of truth.” Just down to earth stuff. What do you enjoy about it? Why do you choose your religion over others? If you have converted from one religion to another, what is it about your current religion that makes you glad you did so?

Why does your religion make you happy?

I’m not being confrontational, but right here, after the thread TITLE says, "what’s so great about your religion, comes a flat out, “Don’t tell me about TRUTH, just say what you enjoy and why you CHOOSE.”

Now I’m sorry if you find this ‘confrontational’, but don’t I have a right to express my opinion (that is what the IMO was at the end, In My Opinion)?

Why is it ‘confrontational’ for me to point out an opinion --especially when I did note that there were some interesting ‘answers’?

I mean, I’m just ‘thinking for myself’ and all . .

 

[minkymurph]

Are you glad you’re a _______? Why? What do you like about it? I am not looking for apologetic-type answers like “it will help me get me to heaven” or “it has the fullness of truth.” Just down to earth stuff. What do you enjoy about it? Why do you choose your religion over others? If you have converted from one religion to another, what is it about your current religion that makes you glad you did so?

Why does your religion make you happy?

What a deep question.

I don’t think about heaven and hell a lot. I think more in terms of the here and now. If we spend our lives thinking about the after-life, we miss what’s going on now, and miss how God is operating in our lives at present.

A theologian called Karl Rayner writes on how a person progresses in spirituality to the point were they are ‘in love’ with God. I like being in a relationship with God because I have a love of God. More significantly, from I came into a closer relationship with God I came to know what is it to be loved, and came to realize I needed to love myself. Loving ourselves enables us to love others. How can one love if they do not love themselves, or know what it is to be loved? That does not mean we live in some kind of divine bliss. Sometimes we don’t like those we love very much. However, in my experience a relationship with God enables us to have more fulfilling relationships now.

In terms of heaven and hell, those who love God do not want to be separated from Him, now or for eternity. I can remember the priest who catechized me saying, in relation to coping with the unpredictability of life, the only thing we can be sure of is we will come face to face with God. However, he also had a theory that when we come face to face with God, we will know how much we are loved. Those who have a love of God do not want to be separated from Him. They want to remain in His presence and God offers remaining in His presence for eternity. Those who do not want God’s love enter a state called ‘Hell’ because that is what they have chosen.

I’m a convert to Catholicism. What makes me glad about converting to Catholicism is it enabled me to experience God in a way I never could have as a JW - the religion I was raised in. It opened so many doors not just in terms of spirituality, but life in general. However, I can remember the priest who catechized me saying, 'if you think your going to be baptized Catholic, you’re children will be baptized Catholic, and you’ll all live happily ever after - that won’t happen. There will be days it will be a good day to be a Catholic, and there will be days it won’t. From I’ve become Catholic, I’m beginning to understand what he meant!

I don’t regret becoming Catholic, but there have been many struggles along the way. Sometimes we experience a spiritual ‘high,’ but most times we don’t. The spiritual ‘high’s’ kind of keep us going when the going gets tough. I also remember talking to a priest when God and I weren’t really having a good time together. He said to me, ‘is that not what relationships are like? Is your relationship with your husband good all the time? When it’s not good, do you feel you shouldn’t have married him? Is your relationship with your children good all the time? Does that mean you regret having them?’ The point is, relationships are like that, and a relationship with God is no different. It has it’s ups and downs. But I’ve no regrets about being Catholic despite the times it’s not good.

Why did I choose Catholicism? To be honest, I’m not sure I know. I was drawn to it. I can’t explain why. As I live in the North of Ireland, there’s not many options open to you when it comes to choosing a religion. It’s more or less Protestant or Catholic. The Protestant approach to faith and scripture is too like the JW’s for me. Apologies to Protestants, I know you don’t share their beliefs, it’s just a similar approach to me. I could talk forever about why I became Catholic, but what initially drew me to Catholicism was the celebration of sacraments and belief in purgatory.

 

[Miriam1947]

I became a Catholic because i just wanted to worship God.

I wanted the Eucharist and I found it in the Catholic Church.

That’s pretty much it.

 

[Izdaari]

I am a Christ follower. I’m not wedded to any particular Protestant denomination, nor to the Catholic or Orthodox churches, but only to following Jesus. What’s special about being a Christ follower?

Well, as C.S. Lewis put it, it has the complexity and oddness about it that real things have, and of the other religions of the world, Hinduism is the only other one that shares that.

I follow Him because I believe the story told in the four gospels is true, that it really happened that way, that He is the prophesied Messiah who died and rose again, conquering death and reconciling us to God.

My religion is “mere Christianity” (again, as Lewis put it), those things held in common by pretty much all Christians at all times. It’s possible that my present AG church is not the closest to what Christ would have me do to follow Him. If so, I will follow where He leads me.

 

[Nightflier101BL]

While some of the answers have shown great interest and insight, the whole original jettisoning of “Truth” from the argument tends to make everything given revolve around ‘personal choice’. . .IOW, about ‘relativity’ and ‘values’.

Hey, if person A likes the music, the smells and bells about her Catholic faith, then she shouldn’t criticize person B who likes the music and the ‘feeling’ about his Protestant faith, or person C who likes the austerity of his Muslim faith, or person D who likes the history and the mysticism of his pagan faith, etc. . .

Indifferentism. They’re all just ‘things’ that different people enjoy in different ways. . .so what does it matter which one is true? I mean, if it’s truth for person B, but not persons A, C, and D, shouldn’t person B get to enjoy HIS truth?

It really is kind of a waste of time to post on non essentials without ever addressing the whole HEART of the matter, especially when the title is ‘what’s so GREAT about your religion’.

If the TRUTH of a person’s religious belief isn’t going to be considered as part of the greatness of that religion, that’s pretty da–n sad IMO.

You know, I was just counting down the time until I saw someone criticize this post somehow. I do I lot of reading around here, but never post anything due to all the “opinions” and bickering.

I finally see a post which seemed pretty fun, safe and harmless to participate in, but without fail, her comes another confrontational post.

sigh

I’ll go back into the shadows, I guess.

Robert

 

[Rahn]

The great thing about Christianity is that it gives hope to humanity, even though none of us deserve it.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the greatest act of love ever known. He decided that his love for me (us) was great enough to come and save me (us) from perdition, even if it meant leaving his throne, his Father, and coming down to Earth as a humble man, and suffer.

Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy upon me, a wretched sinner.

Well said, Fabius, couldn’t have said it better!

 

[Rahn]

Um. . .you’re welcome. . .

But you did see this, didn’t you?

I’m not being confrontational, but right here, after the thread TITLE says, "what’s so great about your religion, comes a flat out, “Don’t tell me about TRUTH, just say what you enjoy and why you CHOOSE.”

Now I’m sorry if you find this ‘confrontational’, but don’t I have a right to express my opinion (that is what the IMO was at the end, In My Opinion)?

Why is it ‘confrontational’ for me to point out an opinion --especially when I did note that there were some interesting ‘answers’?

I mean, I’m just ‘thinking for myself’ and all . .

I think it depends on how you read the question, and how you define “religion”. I see it as *faith *is what I believe, and *religion *is how (and under what system) I practice my faith. As I see it, the faith side is that bit that draws all of the Christian religions together, no matter how much we fight each other, and the religion side is what keeps us apart despite the fact that we all believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He became man, that He was born of a virgin, that He took the sin of the world upon Himself and was crucified, that He rose again on the third day, and that He is coming again.

For the religions that believe the Gospel (i.e the many flavours of Christianity), we tend to wrap the faith up in the religion. But, in reading the answers up to this point, some people are attracted to the faith aspects of their religion, others to the sacramentals and particulars of the religion itself. Neither is wrong, and both fit the OP’s original question.

 

[samiam1611]

It really is kind of a waste of time to post on non essentials without ever addressing the whole HEART of the matter, especially when the title is ‘what’s so GREAT about your religion’.

If the TRUTH of a person’s religious belief isn’t going to be considered as part of the greatness of that religion, that’s pretty da–n sad IMO.

Tantum, I am sorry if you got the wrong idea about the purpose of this thread. The title is half-joking, but not meant to be mocking or derogatory or whatever. (Got your attention, right? ) I am not saying truth should not be considered. I am simply asking about what aspects of y’all’s religion are enjoyable. I am talking precisely about things like the music, like you said, and like what the other responses have said. It’s just light conversation, okay?

I hope you have something positive to add to the discussion, otherwise please don’t comment bc you are deterring others from responding, such as Robert here.

Originally posted by Nightflier101BL
You know, I was just counting down the time until I saw someone criticize this post somehow. I do I lot of reading around here, but never post anything due to all the “opinions” and bickering.

I finally see a post which seemed pretty fun, safe and harmless to participate in, but without fail, her comes another confrontational post.

sigh

I’ll go back into the shadows, I guess.

Robert

Robert, I hope you will come back out of the shadows and share with us what aspects of your religion are most enjoyable for you and in what way are they enjoyable.

 

[meltzerboy]

Are you glad you’re a _______? Why? What do you like about it? I am not looking for apologetic-type answers like “it will help me get me to heaven” or “it has the fullness of truth.” Just down to earth stuff. What do you enjoy about it? Why do you choose your religion over others? If you have converted from one religion to another, what is it about your current religion that makes you glad you did so?

Why does your religion make you happy?

My religion–Judaism–gives me a sense of identity: cultural, spiritual, personal. It connects me to an ancient people of the past, inspires and comforts me in my present life, and gives me hope for a better future here on Earth and beyond. Although I don’t observe all of the Torah commandments nearly as much as I should, they provide me with an understanding of the purpose of my life and how my behavior, both good and bad, can influence the world I live in. Judaism gives me a feeling of inner peace and teaches me how to love and respect others.

 

[followingtheway]

Are you glad you’re a _______? Why? What do you like about it? I am not looking for apologetic-type answers like “it will help me get me to heaven” or “it has the fullness of truth.”

Hehehe, I was just about to answer something like that

Just down to earth stuff. What do you enjoy about it? Why do you choose your religion over others? If you have converted from one religion to another, what is it about your current religion that makes you glad you did so?

Why does your religion make you happy?

For me, I like beautiful imagery. Catholic Churches whether Roman or Eastern are beautiful the sculptures, statues, icons, rosaries, saints bracelets, crosses, crucifixes, and all of that contains beautiful imagery. Hey even some non-Catholic where our stuff.

My favorite images from the Catholic Church have to do with my Hispanic culture, such as the Sacred Heart, the Virgin of Guadalupe, el Divino Niño Jesús, (meaning “the Holy Child Jesus”), Anima Sola (“Lonely Soul” - which is an image of a woman praying in Purgatory) and much more…

And plus just the whole story of Jesus is just touching, about how God sent Jesus to die for us, and Jesus went through all of that torment just for us.

And plus Catholic women have a high record of being extremely attractive Which also comes with my Hispanic culture

God bless :byzsoc:

David

 

[teresa_lamb]

The greatest thing about my religion is that it is the “ONE-HOLY-APOSTOLIC-CHURCH” I have it ALL…

 

[Tantum_ergo]

Tantum, I am sorry if you got the wrong idea about the purpose of this thread. The title is half-joking, but not meant to be mocking or derogatory or whatever. (Got your attention, right? ) I am not saying truth should not be considered. I am simply asking about what aspects of y’all’s religion are enjoyable. I am talking precisely about things like the music, like you said, and like what the other responses have said. It’s just light conversation, okay?

I hope you have something positive to add to the discussion, otherwise please don’t comment bc you are deterring others from responding, such as Robert here.

Robert, I hope you will come back out of the shadows and share with us what aspects of your religion are most enjoyable for you and in what way are they enjoyable.

I do see the idea and I did mention I saw some nice insights about some of the non-essentials and the ‘emotionals’ (and some people did get in the ‘truth’ part anyway) but, with respect, I am not deterring anybody. I’m not standing over Robert with a ruler saying, “Don’t you dare post”. . message boards provided one is respectful (and I believe I was and am quite respectful) are meant to showcase a broad variety of views, not simply what one or ‘some’ deem to be personally acceptable, don’t you think?

As regards the non-essentials of the Catholic faith, I find the vast resources of intellectual material --the works of the ECFs, the Summa, St. Augustine, etc. are indeed truly great. Gregorian chant likewise. Latin —ad maiorem Dei gloriam! Truly wonderful.

 

[shadowlily]

In a loose since I’d say I was an agnostic… but I believe in God… I think… I don’t really know what to believe.

What’s great about my religion/philosophy, a kind-of complicated one, that I’ve made for myself is that I don’t have to follow any one thing, and also, it’s more logical. And variable. It feels safer, you know?

 

[ibneahmad]

Being a non-believer I don’t technically have a religion. I wouldn’t say that I enjoy it. I didn’t really choose to be an atheist, I simply have yet to see compelling evidence for the existence of a god.

It is very natural to believe in the Creator God; you should have not denied Him in the first place. Why should you doubt Him?

 

[babylonsfalling]

Are you glad you’re a _______? Why? What do you like about it? I am not looking for apologetic-type answers like “it will help me get me to heaven” or “it has the fullness of truth.” Just down to earth stuff. What do you enjoy about it? Why do you choose your religion over others? If you have converted from one religion to another, what is it about your current religion that makes you glad you did so?

Why does your religion make you happy?

The Catholic Church is the most prayerful church I’ve been to.

 

[Miriam1947]

The Catholic Church is the most prayerful church I’ve been to.

Yep

 

[Cowboy_Pete]

I’m grateful that I was raised Christian. Kali, Huitzilopochtli, and Moloch just wouldn’t do it for me.

 

[shadowlily]

I’m grateful that I was raised Christian. Kali, Huitzilopochtli, and Moloch just wouldn’t do it for me.

Aren’t you part of the Church of Latter-Day Saints, though? Technically, Mormons are separate from Christians…