Trying to fail better

[sandandfoam]

A religion is a system of human thought which usually includes a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power, deity or deities, or ultimate truth.

Religion is important to me. I want to become all that I can. Maybe I won't succeed but I am trying to fail better.

It seems to me that transcending myself might not be denying myself but affirming it.
My small self gets into debates and arguments, I would still be a self if I could transcend my narrow perspective. Just a much better one.

Doing no harm is central I think. As such vegetarianism, pacifism and tolerance are going to be the core behaviours I attach to my religiosity. The first two are easy. The last is challenging because it means I must try to be tolerant of the intolerant.

 

[zenzero]

Friend stephenw,

Now that you are following the *Laughing Buddha*; just laugh your way to lose the *self*.
Yes, one can at best *laugh* at the madness one gets into to know that there is *nothing* to know.

Best Wishes.
Love & rgds

 

[cottage]

Religion is important to me. I want to become all that I can. Maybe I won't succeed but I am trying to fail better.

It seems to me that transcending myself might not be denying myself but affirming it.
My small self gets into debates and arguments, I would still be a self if I could transcend my narrow perspective. Just a much better one.

Doing no harm is central I think. As such vegetarianism, pacifism and tolerance are going to be the core behaviours I attach to my religiosity. The first two are easy. The last is challenging because it means I must try to be tolerant of the intolerant.

Who are the 'intolerant' that you must attempt to tolerate?

 

[sandandfoam]

Who are the 'intolerant' that you must attempt to tolerate?

There's a lot of intolerance in the world.
Examples include those who hate Catholics because they are Catholic and those who hate Protestants because they are Protestant.
Those who hate foreigners because they are foreign those who hate theists because they believe and those who hate atheists because they don't. Those who hate the Roma, travelling people, Muslims, Christians or Jews.
The list sadly is long.

 

[kai]

There's a lot of intolerance in the world.
Examples include those who hate Catholics because they are Catholic and those who hate Protestants because they are Protestant.
Those who hate foreigners because they are foreign those who hate theists because they believe and those who hate atheists because they don't. Those who hate the Roma, travelling people, Muslims, Christians or Jews.
The list sadly is long.

yep sometimes you can think the whole world is full of crazy people and then something happens that completely convinces you.

 

[zenzero]

Friend stephenw,

There's a lot of intolerance in the world.
Examples include those who hate Catholics because they are Catholic and those who hate Protestants because they are Protestant.
Those who hate foreigners because they are foreign those who hate theists because they believe and those who hate atheists because they don't. Those who hate the Roma, travelling people, Muslims, Christians or Jews.
The list sadly is long.

"Lord, forgive them for they know not what they do".
Understand, when one connects directly with that universal *whole* as Jesus had, then you too can forgive them as they are not yet conscious, they are on the evolutionary path, going about their ways very mechanically, without being conscious.

The primary objective of any individual who understands is first to connect to understand that he is part of the same energy and thereafter the rest will take care of itself.

Love & rgds

 

[katiafish]

Acceptance is of outmost importance, but in my understanding acceptance does not mean blind agreement. I accept that people have different views, and accept that people are intolerant of each other for superficial reasons, but accepting the fact that there are people like that does not mean that I am going to become one of them...

Also there is the cause and effect, and as everything is connected, perhaps one person's cruelty or misfortune is another person's awakening, and not necessarily in a direct, obvious manner, but sometimes generations apart. We can not possibly know at the moment of observation of all the implications and consequences that our or someone else's action with have upon the future to come. I am not saying that the appreciation of the cause and effect makes it ok to be cruel or intolerant, i am saying that it makes one's acceptance a little easier t follow..

 

[jtartar]

Religion is important to me. I want to become all that I can. Maybe I won't succeed but I am trying to fail better.

It seems to me that transcending myself might not be denying myself but affirming it.
My small self gets into debates and arguments, I would still be a self if I could transcend my narrow perspective. Just a much better one.

Doing no harm is central I think. As such vegetarianism, pacifism and tolerance are going to be the core behaviours I attach to my religiosity. The first two are easy. The last is challenging because it means I must try to be tolerant of the intolerant.

stephenw,
When a person wants to be a better person it shows that his heart is in the right place. The Bible tells that Isaiah cries out about peoples hearts not being right, Matt 13:14,15, Mark 7:6,7,13.
Jeremiah tells us that we do not know what we should do, Jere 10:23. The Bible tells us that we should trust in God, Jehovah, Prov 3:5,6. So, the only way we will ever know what God expects of us is by a serious study of His word, 1Pet 2:2, Rom 12:2, 2Tim 3:16,17.
The Holy Scriptures actually tell us that we should know the scriptures so well that if anyone asks us to explain why we believe as we do, we should be able show them from God's word, 1Pet 3:15.
Paul even writes that even a person that is a babe does not know the deep things of God, only a mature person can know, because he has his perceptive powers TRAINED to know right from wrong. Many people think they are pleasing God, but are doing things that are very displeasing to Him. Only a serious study of the Bible can help us to realize what is acceptable to God, Rom 12:2. This is important in two ways; first for your own salvation and then so that we will not stumble others who want to understand the deep things of God, 1Cor 2:6-8, 3:1-3, 2Cor 4:1-4, 6:2-4, Col 1:9,10, Phil 1:9,10. We surely do not want to stumble anyone, because these are the very ones that Jesus Christ died for, 1Cor 8:11, Matt 18:6,7.
Many people pretent to be teachers and preachers, but only a few are really qualified, 1Tim 1:6,7, 2Pet 3:15-17, James 3:1, Heb 5:12.

 

[Storm]

The last is challenging because it means I must try to be tolerant of the intolerant.

Before I respond, what do you mean by "tolerance," here?

 

[Magic Man]

Religion is important to me. I want to become all that I can. Maybe I won't succeed but I am trying to fail better.

Thinking of giving up on Liverpool, then?

You're right, though, that all you'll do is fail better until you come into the light and support the greatest team on Earth in Man Utd.

(Sorry, I had to. Carry on with your serious discussion.)

 

[Magic Man]

Religion is important to me. I want to become all that I can. Maybe I won't succeed but I am trying to fail better.

It seems to me that transcending myself might not be denying myself but affirming it.
My small self gets into debates and arguments, I would still be a self if I could transcend my narrow perspective. Just a much better one.

Doing no harm is central I think. As such vegetarianism, pacifism and tolerance are going to be the core behaviours I attach to my religiosity. The first two are easy. The last is challenging because it means I must try to be tolerant of the intolerant.

Why do you think eating plants is not doing harm while eating animals is?

Why must you be tolerant of the intolerant?

 

[Jackytar]

Why must you be tolerant of the intolerant?

I agree. This is illogical. The intolerant win.

Jackytar

 

[cottage]

There's a lot of intolerance in the world.
Examples include those who hate Catholics because they are Catholic and those who hate Protestants because they are Protestant.
Those who hate foreigners because they are foreign those who hate theists because they believe and those who hate atheists because they don't. Those who hate the Roma, travelling people, Muslims, Christians or Jews.
The list sadly is long.

I reserve the right to be intolerant of being told I must be tolerant of supernatural beliefs that are presented as if they were true. But while I feel that some religious interpretations are comical, ridiculous, or just plain absurd, my intolerance certainly doesn't amount to hatred.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

You can hate someone and tolerate them at the same time. In fact, it's not much of an exercise in tolerance to tolerate those you like.