So why are you not a .......?

[Marcion]

Most people on this forum will have some ideas abouth the faiths, religions or paths they feel less attracted to.

Perhaps there are some aspects, some practices, doctrines of a path or just a general feeling that makes that you would not want to join that path or religion, at least not for the time being.

I'm curious about what those reasons are.
So why are you not a christian or a muslim or a bahai or an atheist or a buddhist, a hindu , a witch or a tantra-yogi or a .......?
What are the aspects or impressions that make you feel less attracted to them?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Most people on this forum will have some ideas abouth the faiths, religions or paths they feel less attracted to.

Perhaps there are some aspects, some practices, doctrines of a path or just a general feeling that makes that you would not want to join that path or religion, at least not for the time being.

I'm curious about what those reasons are.
So why are you not a christian or a muslim or a bahai or an atheist or a buddhist, a hindu , a witch or a tantra-yogi or a .......?
What are the aspects or impressions that make you feel less attracted to them?

Some people are born in to their faith, others have converted in to a new belief and yet again some people are non believers. Some are agnostics.
That does not mean it is anything wrong or bad about what they believe. Just because my path lead to sufi Islam does not mean i condem others who believe differently than i do

So i have nothing juicy to say or something negative toward other religions.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Most people on this forum will have some ideas abouth the faiths, religions or paths they feel less attracted to.

Perhaps there are some aspects, some practices, doctrines of a path or just a general feeling that makes that you would not want to join that path or religion, at least not for the time being.

I'm curious about what those reasons are.
So why are you not a christian or a muslim or a bahai or an atheist or a buddhist, a hindu , a witch or a tantra-yogi or a .......?
What are the aspects or impressions that make you feel less attracted to them?

Putting it quite simply, I'm not anything but a Hindu because no other religion aligns with my worldview.

Off the top of my head, some aspects that make me less attracted to other religions (I'll add more as the come to mind):

• The requirement for worship of a deity
• Proselytizing
• Intermediaries between me and divinity
• Dogma
• Tithing
• Human importance and superiority over that of other beings
• Intolerance of other forms of spirituality
• Mandatory attendance of ritual
• Rigid and/or inflexible tenets and beliefs

Let me be clear when I say that I'm not knocking or condemning any of these practices. I'm just saying they're not useful to me.

 

[Brian2]

Most people on this forum will have some ideas abouth the faiths, religions or paths they feel less attracted to.

Perhaps there are some aspects, some practices, doctrines of a path or just a general feeling that makes that you would not want to join that path or religion, at least not for the time being.

I'm curious about what those reasons are.
So why are you not a christian or a muslim or a bahai or an atheist or a buddhist, a hindu , a witch or a tantra-yogi or a .......?
What are the aspects or impressions that make you feel less attracted to them?

I may be attracted to other religions in some ways but it is that the Bible is the truth that puts me off any other religions.

 

[SalixIncendium]

You're inviting forum members to announce the religions they don't like, and then announce whatever criticisms they can come up with w.r.t. those religions. It is basically an invitation to members to spill whatever hate they have in their guts.

You may have couched your post in diplomatic, "reasonable" terminology, but nevertheless what you're doing is vile. It is like asking people to name girls they wouldn't want to marry, and list for these girls what's bad about them.

Have you no sense of dignity? (That's a rhetorical question.) Ask people to speak for what they believe in, don't encourage them to put their dislike of the beliefs of others on display.

As for naming yourself Marcion, what a load of crock. Marcion was a wise man (regardless of whether one agrees with his theology), and certainly would not have stooped to such underhand tactics as you are doing.

Initially, I shared this sentiment, but after consideration, it occurred to me that there is a way to offer why you don’t follow a path or what aspects of a path don’t attract you to it without being critical of that path.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Most people on this forum will have some ideas abouth the faiths, religions or paths they feel less attracted to.

Perhaps there are some aspects, some practices, doctrines of a path or just a general feeling that makes that you would not want to join that path or religion, at least not for the time being.

I'm curious about what those reasons are.
So why are you not a christian or a muslim or a bahai or an atheist or a buddhist, a hindu , a witch or a tantra-yogi or a .......?
What are the aspects or impressions that make you feel less attracted to them?

Christianity

1. Human sacrifice
2. Collective responsibility
3. Disbelief in a creator
4. Redefining me as a gay woman
5. Inherited sin guilt
6. Evangelization
9. Never will base my life on scripture
10. Deep seated annoyance (lbw) of use of christian doctrine
11. No belief in separate soul/being
12. No concept of any heaven and hell
13. Mixed messages
14. Lack of coherent community

Islam

1. Collective responsibility
2. Views on homosexuality (as above)
3. Not really interested

Hinduism

1. Foreign language and system
2. No guidence
3. No concept of reincarnation

Buddhism

1. Same as hinduism to a lesser extent
2. I believe we have identities
4. Belief in the supernatural

Paganism just not interested at least the god goddess part.

Any type of service/surrender/slave mentality I don't care for. I like community involvement as well.

I have spiritual practices but not insofar I'd consider them religious and don't see them worth describing myself as such.

(I thought it was a honest question. Don't let them tell you otherwise.)

 

[Unveiled Artist]

You're inviting forum members to announce the religions they don't like, and then announce whatever criticisms they can come up with w.r.t. those religions. It is basically an invitation to members to spill whatever hate they have in their guts.

You may have couched your post in diplomatic, "reasonable" terminology, but nevertheless what you're doing is vile. It is like asking people to name girls they wouldn't want to marry, and list for these girls what's bad about them.

Have you no sense of dignity? (That's a rhetorical question.) Ask people to speak for what they believe in, don't encourage them to put their dislike of the beliefs of others on display.

As for naming yourself Marcion, what a load of crock. Marcion was a wise man (regardless of whether one agrees with his theology), and certainly would not have stooped to such underhand tactics as you are doing.

P.S. In the interest of disclosure, I hereby announce that I have reported your post.

It's a simple question just as asking why we don't like politics or why one dislikes a set of sports. There are many things I like about the religions I listed so dislike isn't belittling them just saying what makes us not interested. You can apply this question to any subject.

Reporting posts are usually for things that go against forum rules rather than disagreement with why you feel he shouldn't write the posts. It's like going to the police because you don't like something.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Yes, that is possible.

But Mr. "Marcion" isn't inquiring about a specific path, or a specific objection (or appreciation, or doubt) he might have about a specific path and that he would like get input on. That would be quite okay, of course, but that's not what he's doing.

And Mr. Marcion is also not putting his own objections (or appreciations) of a specific path up for discussion, nor does he offer any reason as to why it would be helpful for him to hear from any and all members about any and all criticisms of any and all possible religions. In fact, Mr. Marcion reveals nothing about his own stance on these matters, nor any reason for his blanket inquiry. It is a completely unmotivated post that explicitly asks for negative evaluations of the religions of others.

There is no requirement to share one's own thoughts on a topic or motive when asking a question in an OP.

Your conclusions here are based on many assumptions. Perhaps it's best to ask @Marcion what his intent was rather than coming to these conclusions based on only assumptions.

Also, if you look at my response to the OP, there is really no "negative evaluations" of any religion. It just explains what aspects of other religions render them to not be my cup of tea.

Each individual is at a different level of understanding with regard to spirituality, which is why people have different worldviews/beliefs. Understanding why one doesn't walk a religious path is, IMO, a good way to examine and learn about a person's spiritual understanding and knowledge of a religion, as well as a good way to reflect upon the aspects of the religious path one walks themselves.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Yes, that is possible.

But Mr. "Marcion" isn't inquiring about a specific path, or a specific objection (or appreciation, or doubt) he might have about a specific path and that he would like get input on. That would be quite okay, of course, but that's not what he's doing.

And Mr. Marcion is also not putting his own objections (or appreciations) of a specific path up for discussion, nor does he offer any reason as to why it would be helpful for him to hear from any and all members about any and all criticisms of any and all possible religions. In fact, Mr. Marcion reveals nothing about his own stance on these matters, nor any reason for his blanket inquiry. It is a completely unmotivated post that explicitly asks for negative evaluations of the religions of others.

You're putting intentions in his "mouth." Do you have facts to prove this is even true?

 

[SalixIncendium]

I already addressed this. You argument applies when someone has made an investigation into a specific path and inquires about one or more specific aspects of it.

As for your suggestion that I should interrogate Marcion about his intentions, perhaps as a staff member you should have taken that task upon yourself when you first noticed the post and had (as per your own admission) your own doubts about it? In any case, to insist on "dialogue" when sane, straightforward inferences can be made from behavior (in this case an entirely unmotivated blanket-invitation to criticism) is precisely what allows the sowers of discord (not only on this forum but throughout the world) to operate. To speak or act in defense of what is (or at least seems) obvious comes to be seen as "intolerant" and "harsh". Thus duplicitous men are accomodated.

Sign of the times.

First, please don't tell me how to do my job.

Second, acting based on assumption does little more than create drama.

Third, please stop derailing the thread. You've made your point. Please either create content that is on topic or take your leave of this thread.

 

[Rival]

None of those other religions make sense of what I see around me, or how I connect to my Maker, or their worldviews just strike me as incomplete or too folksy. None of the other Abrahamic religions make sense based on what I read in the Tanakh, so they're all out. Non-theistic religions are out since I'm a theist. Polytheistic theology I always found somewhat wanting (it seems very materialistic in some senses, as in many the gods are also creations) and rudimentary. Ancestor and nature worship strikes me as too earthbound and lacking the theistic element I need.

 

[Vinayaka]

Most people on this forum will have some ideas abouth the faiths, religions or paths they feel less attracted to.

I'm not a _______ because I AM a Hindu.

 

[Thief]

So why are you not a christian or a muslim or a bahai or an atheist or a buddhist, a hindu , a witch or a tantra-yogi or a .......?

my manner of belief has taken me away from such things

I hesitate to compare.....but still....

Moses was raised in the house of Pharoah
and likely made practice of worship as they did so

he then fled for cause of a bad incident
but likely made practice as did the people he joined with

and then he went up unto the mount to meet his Maker

he was an old man by then.....80years
and I am certain.....he had no intention of return

I left home at an early age
found other homes
found other beliefs

and then I found.......I am very much
on my own

Rogue Theologian

 

[Thief]

I'm not a _______ because I AM a Hindu.

I like the manner of pronouncement

I AM!

 

[Nakosis]

Most people on this forum will have some ideas abouth the faiths, religions or paths they feel less attracted to.

Perhaps there are some aspects, some practices, doctrines of a path or just a general feeling that makes that you would not want to join that path or religion, at least not for the time being.

I'm curious about what those reasons are.
So why are you not a christian or a muslim or a bahai or an atheist or a buddhist, a hindu , a witch or a tantra-yogi or a .......?
What are the aspects or impressions that make you feel less attracted to them?

Why I am not a Christian, is because of the Christian leadership. They, the ones I ran into, were all hypocrites.

Why am I not one of these other things? I outgrew the need for religion.

 

[George-ananda]

I am not one of all those other religions because I am following the path that reason and evidence has led me to. Those other religions all contain much of the same good things too.

 

[Marcion]

I'm not surprised that there is great hesitation to speak openly in this topic and i must say that I doubted considerably whether i should post it at all.

However, many paths and religions have their origins in trying to improve on or even push away from other paths and philosphical discussions between such paths have never been shunned especially around the time of such 'splits'.

There are i think buddhists who support that reality is pure emptiness and other buddhist groups support the idea that ultimate reality is consciousness (don't ask me about details).

Islam pushed away from the idea that God could be a holy Trinity and be associated with a person (like Jesus), effectively changing the Christian Jesus into a prophet and similar things happened when the founder of the Bahai movement reinterpreted Jesus and a number of other founders of paths.

Buddhists moved away from the idea that the hindu gods were to be worshipped and stressed that meditation was necesarry.
Christians moved away from worshipping more than one God and claimed that the god of Israel was the only true God (declaring the rest to be unbelieving heathens).

So it seems the taboo on expressing what you dislike about or feel disagreement with in other paths is a quite modern thing.
And yet I'm sure many if not most of the people on this forum will have such dislikes or disagreements.
But it is not done to express them openly it seems.

Although i like Sufism, I don't like the harsh punishments in orthodox Islam and I don't feel attracted to the practice of hiding away ladies behind colourless veils or keeping them indoors much of the time.
I like Buddhist meditation and collective meditation traditions a lot but i'm not keen on the idea that the starting point in life is supposed to be suffering nor do I like the lack of dance and music in Buddhism.
I have great admiration for the social service done by and sacrifices made by serious christians but I dislike the idea that people are supposedly born as hopeless sinners who can only be saved by conversion into Christ.

If you are not allowed to speak openly or discuss openly about these things, then what is the worth of interfaith dialogue?
I'm sure that open, even public debates where differences of viewpoint are openly expressed are considered quite acceptable in India.
I'm not sure why it is so much harder here, perhaps it has to do with the great intolerance of other faiths in the not so distant past?

 

[VoidCat]

Simply put: either I dont know enough about said religion or it didn't fit and I dont believe in it.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Most people on this forum will have some ideas abouth the faiths, religions or paths they feel less attracted to.

Perhaps there are some aspects, some practices, doctrines of a path or just a general feeling that makes that you would not want to join that path or religion, at least not for the time being.

I'm curious about what those reasons are.
So why are you not a christian or a muslim or a bahai or an atheist or a buddhist, a hindu , a witch or a tantra-yogi or a .......?
What are the aspects or impressions that make you feel less attracted to them?

I tend to find that nothing of a "spiritual" nature appeals to me - outside of something like taking in a nice sunset, or contemplating the roots of existence. I don't, personally, consider those items to be of a "spiritual" nature, but I know some do. Otherwise, anything supernatural, anything that supposedly exists outside of the reality we inhabit that therefore can't be observed, anything that tries to tap into hidden, unexplainable "power" to accomplish - I find it all to be rubbish, and a terrible waste of time except perhaps as entertaining fiction. If any of it could be evidenced in a reproducible, intersubjectively shareable way - well... that'd be amazing! Holy crap... it would be revolutionary. The fact that such supposed "revolutions" have only been fizzling out more and more quickly as they arise in our "information age" is obviously very telling.

 

[Quintessence]

I am not that which I am not because I cannot be anything other than what I am. Being those other things would be inauthentic to who I am and creating false religion for myself; I would be living in a lie. And while sometimes living a lie is done out of necessity, I have no such need to fabricate who and what I am to avoid being burned at the stake or something like that. That is something of a privilege I have - in eras past, I would be at very high risk of persecution and bodily harm for being authentic to who I am.