Introducing Crossing Faiths

What a short sighted and ill-conceived idea.
As usual, Sally focuses on the most superficial externals.
Does this mean atheists will also try this experiment?
Will Sally "faithfully" practice her own idea?
It seems extremely unlikely, and even if she does for one day go through some motiions, to what purpose?
The depth of lack of respect and uderstanding Sally continually displays never ceases to surprise me.

Today,January 7,is her birthday.Let me write a poem for her.

She is an angel,
And a good mother
Love is her spirit
Love is her food
Yes,perfect moderator

Questions and topics
Unnecessary answers
Incredible posts,but
Nothing is better than her
Nobody is prettier than her.

Happy birthday to you....happy birthday.

This is a great idea! Hopefully I will be posting regularly.
Way to go Sally!
MOTEKEEPER 46 year old male Atheist/Freethinker/Humanist
San Antonio, TX

Meecham and Quinn are not trying to create a "fasle religion" to replace Christianity. They are not asking people to abandon the faith they already adhere to. They are suggesting that a Christian may gain insight by standing in another spiritual world and see what that world teaches. A Christian may find his own faith confirmed in new ways. He may also find that God speaks in other places besides those with which he is familiar.

Many "true believers" who make statements about all other religions being false carry with them the holdovers from earlier days when monotheists were a minority in a world of religious idolatry. A majority of people are now monotheists. Yet believers in one monotheism will attack followers of another monotheism as believing in a "different" God. That doesn't change the fact that there is still only one God, exalted beyond our ability to encompass Him with the human mind, Who has revealed Himself on several occasions - in Abraham, Moses, Krisha, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, and most recently in Baha'u'llah, the Manifestation of God for this age. "Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself... Every one of them is the Way of God that connecteth this world with the realms above, and the Standard of His Truth unto every one in the kingdoms of earth and heaven. They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory." (Baha'i Scripture).

Understanding and tolerating other religions can be helped by trying to overcome the prejudices and misunderstandings perpetuated by the incorrect use of terms associated with religions.

Many individuals, either unaware of or ignoring valid science, use the terms “cult” and “sect” improperly with reference to religions. They use the terms pejoratively to try and typecast movements they believe espouse heretical beliefs that often deviate from so-called orthodox practices. Valid, ethical science, on the other hand, avoids such pejorative applications of the terms.

The intent here is to provide scientific definitions of these terms in hopes of helping others avoid future application misuse. I will apply the use of these terms to the religions with which I am most familiar, namely the Church founded 2000 years ago by Jesus Christ, and this same Church as restored under the direction of Christ by Joseph Smith, namely The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Cult: A small, recently-created, innovative religious group, headed often by a single charismatic leader, that exists in some state of tension with the predominant religion or with more established and conventional sects and denominations.

All major religions, Christian and non, likely began as cults. As they became larger they shed their cult-like qualities and are today properly and accurately classified by thoughtful, knowledgeable people as religious denominations.

The religion founded by Jesus Christ about 33 AD was then a cult since it had one leader and initially a small group of devoted disciples, but is now far too large and universal for this label. The Church restored by Joseph Smith and a few followers also met this definition early, but has outgrown this label and is now an established religious denomination of over 13 million members.

Sect: A small religious or political group that has broken off from a larger group, for example from a large, well-established religious group like a denomination, usually due to a dispute about doctrinal matters.

The Church Christ founded some 2000 years ago was not a sect, since Jesus spoke as one having authority from God, not in effect breaking off from any other group. In addition, as the Bible implies, he himself was the author of the religion of the Jews, even though they did not recognize him as such. The church restored by Joseph Smith is also not a sect, since Joseph belonged to no other religious group but claimed to receive his doctrinal knowledge in the main directly from deity.

As defined by science, then, any religion breaking off from another, as many have, is a sect. Thus within Christianity the Protestant movements fall into this category. As each group has grown larger, of course, they are more properly, accurately and kindly referred to as religious denominations.

Meecham and Quinn are trying to create a false religion, by doing this, they hope to eliminate the Christian religion.

Their new age of religion is garbage and should never be taken seriously. Remember the Bible warns of people like these.

Sally, you suggested people of faith try "inviting someone of a different faith to experience yours," as a palliative for our addiction to God. Just what do you suppose "evangelism" means, if not that?

You obviously have absolutely no idea of what faith actually is. Because you don't, you assume that it is something that others can take off and put back on at will. You don't understand that faith is at the core of our being - regardless of which religion one hews to. I could no more try believing some other faith paradigm for a day than I could try on a black man's skin, or a gay man's sexuality, for a day. My faith is an integrated part of who I am, and I am not a religious dilettante.

The inherent fallacy in atheism is that the atheist believer is so proud of his or her independent intellect that they are categorically blind to their own ignorance regarding matters of faith - including their own unprovable belief that there is no God.

Good luck with that.

Dear Sally Quinn

As a formerly devout Muslim I took up your suggestion to become a Christian for a Day. I was so impressed by the religion compared to Islam, that I have decided to convert to Christianity.

Unfortunately my former religion (Islam) frowns upon this practise which is punishable by DEATH. Now my former Imam has issued a fatwah against me, ordering the "faithful" to murdere in the most horrible way.

Any suggestions?

Regards

Matthew Ali (formerly Mohammed Ali)

kengelhart:

The one thing that we absolutely do NOT need to get along is religion. All religion is exclusionary - ALL religion. Each one claims to have THE truth even though not a single one has anything to do with truth.

The only path to one religion in the U.S. is totalitarian theocracy . Is that what you propose? If so, count me as your lifelong enemy.

I get along with people of all kinds of flavors every day. I am an atheist, but my family and friends include atheists, Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, pagans of several flavors and some unclassifiable ones. I don't care what they believe as long as they keep their religion out of my life and away from my family. My family and friends all feel pretty much the same way. This is not to say that we don't discuss religion - we do - but it is mostly in the form of exchanging information not attempted conversion. If conversion were part of someone's agenda, they wouldn't be part of my particular circle of friends for very long.

It is the utter and complete lack of proselytizing that keeps us together. We love and respect each other as human beings even when we think that another's beliefs are ridiculous. That's how people come together. There is no other way. Trying to force all of us to believe what you do is doomed to fail.

I have to question the premise of this topic, that people of different faiths can be brought together. The function of religion is to join people in a single set of beliefs. Where faiths prevent this they are not religion but simply churches. Religion is an evolving way of looking at and working together in the world. Faiths that refuse to evolve are left behind as just churches that attempt to retain something that is essentially gone. What we need to all get along is religion, not churches.

"Try a new faith (or non-faith) for one day."

Sally wrote this, right?

As I recall, she didn't believe in marriage till Ben Bradlee wanted to marry her, then she wrote an essay about how she likes marriage.

Now the same with religion. Gee, religion can be fun. I'll try communion today and then say it slighly nauseated me. I know, tomorrow I'll go to a mosque. Do you think anybody really believes this stuff? Wheeee!

"Try a new faith (or non-faith) for one day."

How does a relegion-believer "try a non-faith for one day"?

By walking around thinking rationally?

By studying evolution?

By not believing in the supernatural for 24 hours?

Being a non-believer is not something that one does -- it is something that one is.