Dear Fractelle,

As you know I was raised as a Catholic.
My ancestry is Lithuanian, with Russian
on my mum's side.

But I'm afraid I'm not a very good Catholic. I cringe
at the attitude of church leaders like
Cardinal Pell - his, and the
Church's stand on so many things, I can't
identify with.

I would never consider myself superior to
anyone else - especially as far as belief is
concerned, because that's such a personal thing.
I certainly have no intention of trying to convert
anyone. Whatever gets you through the night -
live and let live is my personal ethos.

Anyway, Thanks for your kind words, and as always -
take care,

Dear Foxy

You may not be a very 'good' catholic but you are an exemplary Christian. I suspect no matter where and how you received your religious indoctrination you would always be a tolerant warm human being.

On rereading my last post, I may have sounded a little patronising towards you and I apologise. I can well imagine how conflicted you must feel about the likes of Pell - he strikes me as one of those who like the power. On the other side there are people like Father Bob Maguire.

http://www.fatherbob.com.au/

Dear Fractelle,
What is a christian how Do you define someone as a christian.

Dear Foxy,

1. It is interesting how very many religions there are across place and time with each adherent often seeing their god special. The monotheists claiming the one only. The polytheists often had a patron god or a favoured god. It seems humans wish to project themselves into the supernatural which we have invented. Your illustration of god being depicted as a “white” Eastern European underlines the point.

Liked the apt Tom Jones quote.

2. When it comes to polytheism and even different stances on the one god, Christian theists, are very un-Forrest Gump-like and dismiss all the chocolates with one stroke, without standing back and considering all theologies (their god and other gods). Religious worship can take much of a theist’s time. Independent meta-examination of the history religiosity would seem to the best way to weigh-up and compare and contrast claimants. Once on the fly-paper, the theist frequently stays stuck. One the reasons I post here is not to criticize religion rather it is coax theists towards looking at a bigger reality where there reality (belief system) is but a small part.

3. Suspect you are correct in that the origins are societal/social, wherein a priest caste overloads interpretation.
Perhaps religious inclination is a bastardised residual from our survival evolution having physiological structures. The Limbic System is involved in survival responses. Looping between the Limbic System (old brain) and Neo-cortex (new brain) might explain humanity’s penchant to believe in god, the afterlife and kind. I found it interesting to note the Limbic System is highly responsive to Olfactory Stimuli. Here, we might religions very often use incense to enhance the experience in temples and churches (synagogues?). Rituals as you say bring people together. People indwell (Polanyi) in the performance. Services confirm and reinforce behavior.

4. For theists worship via ritual is part of belonging. We need to worship. But say hypothetically, there is a god. Why would an all-powerful god need worship? To me, it wouldn’t

/Cont.

Foxy,

5. I tend to agree with you and Fractelle folk don’t choose their beliefs freely. Belief meaning, not only between theism and atheism, but choosing the god(s) endorsed.

It is easy for the atheist or agnostic to be a “seeker,”, yet it is really hard for the theist. Sells knows the god, religion, the creed and, denomination. He is not alone, only, for others, their the creed and, denomination are painted on a differenct canvas.

Fractelle,

Was your's a left or right brain (both?) chose to not believe? Do you see any difference between believe in the god of a religion, and the general belief in an unrevealed god?

Cheers,

Oly.

Fractelle you write

's we have seen, while religion is treated as somehow "more special" all religions will continue to produce a small percentage of extreme fundamentalists because some people simply like to think they are better than everyone else.'

The whole reason I become a Christian is because I knew that my heart was just as wicked as yours or anyone elses. Your assumption is wrong.

I also take exception to the fact that I would make a good Muslim. My parents were not and are not deeply religous. I also believe in treating my wife with respect and dignity unlike Islamic teachings. The truth is that I would make a better heathen than Muslim if not for my relationship with Christ.