Contempt for your fellow Westerners who haven't copped to a Buddhist lifestyle mixed with an equal part ignorance of the actual tenets of Buddhism.
Escorts and Religion
- Thread starter Azprint
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Enlightened
And appears mostly to be a guide on how to live ones life,...without all of the threats etc., of the God fearing ones.
FAST
From my very limited knowledge,...that religion dons'nt seam to have a God, like all of the other mainstream religions.
And appears mostly to be a guide on how to live ones life,...without all of the threats etc., of the God fearing ones.
FAST
Good post. Agreed.
Evangelical Christians don't spend much time mulling over things like how did the kangaroos and penguins migrate to Noah's Ark, how did the sun "stop for a day" for Joshua, how did a donkey talk to Balaam, etc. The focus is on having a "personal relationship" with Jesus. Now I like to say that I have a personal relationship with reality.
Morality is doing the right thing regardless of what people tell you. Religion is doing what people tell you, regardless of whether or not it is right.
Take for example, embryonic stem cell research, a wonderful scientific breakthrough that holds incredible promise for finding cures against neurological disorders. Religion says put the brakes on this research because it involves the destruction of a few cells (far fewer than the cells in the brain of a fly). Meanwhile adults with Parkinson's disease die waiting for a cure.
Another example is slavery. No one today says that is morally acceptable. Yet nowhere in the Bible is slavery denounced. It just says, don't kill your slaves.
Then there is the argument of the mutually exclusive teachings in the various holy books.
Finally tell me, is this moral: The death penalty for teenage rebellion? The death penalty for picking up sticks on the Sabbath?
If so they have their priorities in order from a Christian perspective.
Really that is what religion says? I don't quite think so!
Again the good old TERB, Biblical literalism raises its head.
My views have nothing to do with TERB. I am careful to qualify with Evangelical. I could add Fundamentalist. This was my experience. I believed in a literal eternal hell. I believed the Bible was the literal Word of God and inerrant. So cognitive dissonance became necessary.
This was in the 70's and 80's and according to Gallop the percentages are down but fundamentalists are still a large percentage, especially in the US.
My point about "doing what you are told" was to highlight the difference between Religion and Morality.
When the bible says stoning your rebellious teenage son to death, what it really means is that we have to fill his belly with ice cream until he has a tummy ache, how could you not see that? We can't take the biblical words at face value, we have to adapt it and twist the words and meanings to fit our current world view in order for us to psychologically accept that the words of the bible are the words of the lord, and not the primitive words of men who lived thousands of years ago.
I think people often misuse and misunderstand Christianity and its "rules" I think some already mentioned in earlier posts that Christianity is about your personal relationship with Christ. The "rules" are there to help guide you but they don't define what Christianity is about. True Christians follow the "rules" not because they have to or out of fear but out of love. The "rules" are there out of love.
Just like those who are parents instil certain rules for your kids. You do it out of love for them so that they don't hurt themselves/others, or it helps to hopefully point them towards a good path in life. As kids, you may hate those rules and feel that they don't make sense - be rebellious against them. But as adults, more often than not, you can look back and understand the logic behind some of them; and as adults, you incorporate them into your everyday lives because they make sense - not because your folks are imposing them on you anymore.
Sadly, there are a lot of religious folks who are hypocrites. In turn, people see them as what religions are and get turned off. I would only say that people are imperfect and if we define a religion by its followers then you will more than likely be turned off. If you are curious or interested, check it out for yourself and experience it for yourself; but don't let others ruin it for you.
As for Escorts & Religion...I can see why some maybe surprised by it but it really shouldn't be a big deal. The ladies get into this business due to various kind of reasons, but at the end of the day they are just like everyone else and have the same needs just like everyone else. Sure, would most people say in a church raise their eyebrows if they know one of their members work as a provider? Probably. But I would strongly question the teachings of that church if they choose to kick her out and ridicule her instead of loving her and caring for her. If you know the Bible, Christ did not spend the majority of His time hanging out and helping well off people. It was those in need - no matter what circumstance they came from that He reached out to and helped while He was on earth. I wish more people will remember that instead of being judgemental towards those in different circumstances than themselves.
Just like those who are parents instil certain rules for your kids. You do it out of love for them so that they don't hurt themselves/others, or it helps to hopefully point them towards a good path in life. As kids, you may hate those rules and feel that they don't make sense - be rebellious against them. But as adults, more often than not, you can look back and understand the logic behind some of them; and as adults, you incorporate them into your everyday lives because they make sense - not because your folks are imposing them on you anymore.
Sadly, there are a lot of religious folks who are hypocrites. In turn, people see them as what religions are and get turned off. I would only say that people are imperfect and if we define a religion by its followers then you will more than likely be turned off. If you are curious or interested, check it out for yourself and experience it for yourself; but don't let others ruin it for you.
As for Escorts & Religion...I can see why some maybe surprised by it but it really shouldn't be a big deal. The ladies get into this business due to various kind of reasons, but at the end of the day they are just like everyone else and have the same needs just like everyone else. Sure, would most people say in a church raise their eyebrows if they know one of their members work as a provider? Probably. But I would strongly question the teachings of that church if they choose to kick her out and ridicule her instead of loving her and caring for her. If you know the Bible, Christ did not spend the majority of His time hanging out and helping well off people. It was those in need - no matter what circumstance they came from that He reached out to and helped while He was on earth. I wish more people will remember that instead of being judgemental towards those in different circumstances than themselves.
Perhaps you are Jewish? If so you don't believe in continuing revelation. Otherwise you are espousing a Christianity without St. Paul. Not even the Puritan movement went that far.
Another view point
Religion’s “rules” have no jurisdiction in Canada, ( well so far anyway)… and as you stated “Just like those who are parents instil certain rules for your kids.”
Further,…you stated,…“If you are curious or interested, check it out for yourself and experience it for yourself; but don't let others ruin it for you.”
Again,…why bother,…I’m not going to benefit from becoming a “believer”, I‘m a good person,…better than a lot of the religious I personally know, and have to read about.
Although I’ll give you that there are some individuals who need “help” psychologically, getting through life,…but there are other ways to achieve that,…without the having to accept the whole concept of religion, and all of its connotations.
Other than that,…its just about perpetuating empires,…and “enabling” the absolute worst behaviour to be witnessed in most recent times,…note,… I‘m NOT blaming religion directly for that.
Welcome all insult free replies,…FAST
With respect dude,…and I know I’m drifting a little off subject here, but,…if Christianity is all about following some extremely flexible rules,…why even bother with religion.
Religion’s “rules” have no jurisdiction in Canada, ( well so far anyway)… and as you stated “Just like those who are parents instil certain rules for your kids.”
Further,…you stated,…“If you are curious or interested, check it out for yourself and experience it for yourself; but don't let others ruin it for you.”
Again,…why bother,…I’m not going to benefit from becoming a “believer”, I‘m a good person,…better than a lot of the religious I personally know, and have to read about.
Although I’ll give you that there are some individuals who need “help” psychologically, getting through life,…but there are other ways to achieve that,…without the having to accept the whole concept of religion, and all of its connotations.
Other than that,…its just about perpetuating empires,…and “enabling” the absolute worst behaviour to be witnessed in most recent times,…note,… I‘m NOT blaming religion directly for that.
Welcome all insult free replies,…FAST
Wow, this degenerated quickly.
My personal experiences don't reflect that of the OP's; I have only known a few theist escorts, and none that believe in the Bible as the literal word of a god.
I am an atheist. I don't believe in a creator, and I don't think there's a plan out there for everyone - we make our plans! Literally, the Bible is complete bullshit, and interpreting liberally, it's a warm-fuzzy idea that makes people feel good. You can't judge that, and on some level I'd like to believe that too.
I choose action and responsibility for my actions. There's some nice ideas in religion: some great ritual and some social value. I think those pluses are people (and not a god). Let's invest there instead, the creator/not argument is a personal argument that leads to the same place: what good have you done today?
The adultery argument is stupid, for so many reasons. It's shaming, unfair, and borderline inhumane. You have to pick between your happiness and what you've been taught?! C'mon. We're on TERB for a reason.
I care about: who are you, and who do you choose to be?
That's a way better guide than 'do you believe someone created the universe?'.
My personal experiences don't reflect that of the OP's; I have only known a few theist escorts, and none that believe in the Bible as the literal word of a god.
I am an atheist. I don't believe in a creator, and I don't think there's a plan out there for everyone - we make our plans! Literally, the Bible is complete bullshit, and interpreting liberally, it's a warm-fuzzy idea that makes people feel good. You can't judge that, and on some level I'd like to believe that too.
I choose action and responsibility for my actions. There's some nice ideas in religion: some great ritual and some social value. I think those pluses are people (and not a god). Let's invest there instead, the creator/not argument is a personal argument that leads to the same place: what good have you done today?
The adultery argument is stupid, for so many reasons. It's shaming, unfair, and borderline inhumane. You have to pick between your happiness and what you've been taught?! C'mon. We're on TERB for a reason.
I care about: who are you, and who do you choose to be?
That's a way better guide than 'do you believe someone created the universe?'.
What this post demonstrates is a great deal of misunderstanding about how Christianity and the bible work. The author of this post speaks from a place of fundamental ignorance. Perhaps a common ignorance, but ignorance nonetheless.
The OT is the book for the people who are of the covenant. That is jews, and those who do choose to be jews. While it provides the cultural and prophetic background for Jesus of the NT it is not now generally accepted amongst Christian scholars, nor has it ever been, that the OT provides a code for living for those who are not part of the covenant.
What did Jesus say about prostitutes:
"I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him"
And on adulterers, one should remember the "cast the first stone story." That was about an adulterer.
When you make the decision to really understand the two texts and how they inter-relate you will realize that few churches engage in anything close to cherry picking, no more than people who apply einsteinian physics are cherry picking because they don't completely follow newtonian physics.
Where does the bible say the earth is 5,000 years old? You know the history of that before you roll it out right?
Or do you have to make things up to support your position?
If you have something substantive in my post to criticize feel free. I am happy to explain it to you.
