12 murders because of a PENCIL, simply senseless

[taxfree4]

I'm a Buddhist, and as part of my volunteer work I work at a soup kitchen in the centre of Canberra, yep the nations capital. I met a Christian fundamentalist the other day who told me that if i didn't follow Jesus and his teaching, I would burn in hell.

He didn't like it when i told him there was very little difference between Muslim fundamentalist, and himself.

Chris

Then, apparently, he doesn't know the words of his own Savior "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged". The worst sin you can possibly commit is to judge anyone's soul, as you are acting "God-like" since He is the Ultimate Judge. So for him to say that tells me that he had no idea of even the fundamentals of what he professes to be. As far as the difference between Christians and Muslim fundamentalists - vast, evidenced by the fact that once he found out you were Buddhist he didn't demand you renounce it and become Muslim and when you refused, he didn't behead you.

[Steve 0080]

I was raised and BELIEVE as taxfree4 has so eloquently posted here.... I have also wondered thru out my life.... How many faces does God have? Just back 400 years the American Indian worshiped the sun, each "religion" has worshipped in their own way....Could all that have come before failed to see heaven because they have not accepted God as their Holly Savior? Then there are religions that mimic Christianity from the beginning of time as well, with the "same story line". A lot of thinking here...

[choptop]

All this talk about religion makes my head hurt so early in the morning, I was raised catholic and went to church every morning before school and taught by nuns for 8 years. Haven't been to church since then except for an occasional funeral or wedding. Do I believe that their is a God and everybody and everything that goes along w/that belief, I am not sure but I thank him every night for watching over me and mine and for future blessings, just before I say goodnight to those I love that Have passed before me. Am I hedging my bets for the future, just in case, maybe, but I am intelligent enough to know what I am doing and my situation is not such that I have to hold so desperately on to my religion that I would either convert you or kill you because of it.
Being a booger eating moron from Wi , I like to keep it simple, I know their were a lot of bad things done in the name of religion WAY back in the day,that was a long time ago, today is today. I don't know, or care about how closely our religions are entwined or were they came from, matters not to me, what matters to me is how you are and how you perceive others as a religion.
I live in an intelligent, industrialized 21st century society, were I will likely have a spirited, non violent debate w/someone over religion, shake hands after it and go on your way rather than him attack me or return w/his zealot friends and either convert me or kill me.
To me, that's were the intelligent/industrial or modern if you will, society comes in, for the most part we as a people, have something going on, because of our society , we work , we play, ... I don't envision the gihadist doing his disgusting deeds after work or on weekends or vacation rather than spending time w/his family or hobbies. Getting a little deeper than I am comfortable with, but you get the idea.
Again, keeping in mind that I am a booger eating moron, I see (3) kinds of Muslims, the Muslims that you and I see or don't everyday, on our streets, the Muslims that came to the religion threw their family, possibly Muslims for generations, and those that came to the religion because of perceived need , by that I mean their situation and maybe who was around them at the time, brought them to the religion, say a nut case, a down on his luck, a prison inmate or just someone kind of lost, in a world full of people and last but certainly least,the radical muslims. remember I like to keep things simple.
I think if you are a true Muslim, live the religion, that many, may have more things in common w/the radical bunch, than they may believe, but you would probably not go around converting the way they do, but may not condemn what they do because they are spreading the religion, so to speak, but in a different way but still heading towards what your religion wants, (1) religion, the Muslim religion.
I am sorry but the religion is suspect to me, I do not know what your true feeling/intentions, towards me are, as a christian/non believer. Do I live my life worried about it, no, I just try to keep myself aware.
Maybe if we threw a gazillion dollars at the, the radical ones and changed their conditions, that things could change, but I doubt it, you can't change generation upon generation upon generation ideas, especially when religion is concerned. But I am sure we will try but I nor generations of my family will never see a change.

In closing I say let the "live and let live" Muslims preach their faith, as all intelligent religions do, and convert as their preaching may lead someone to convert and exterminate the radical gihadist and continue to kill them as they pop up and try to convert by intimidation and death. Our civilization does not have a place for the gihadist.

[Old Ryder]

I have also wondered thru out my life.... How many faces does God have?

As a 43 year student of the Bible, I have found that God only has one face. Humans like to use their imperfect condition to make up their own religion, so to speak. One person says "My God wants me to do this or that" and another reasons in his own mind a different idea of what God wants.

The key is that it is tied to the heart condition. 2 Corinthians chapter 4 and verse 6. If your heart is not correct, you will never come to figure out the true God and what he wants. So most people create a God in their mind and they reason on what he wants according to their personal standards---hence they are satisified in their mind that they are worshiping in an approved fashion. They never really consult on what God expects or requires of them.

[taxfree4]

I ride with Protestants, Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics and even a Liberal now and then (You can always tell them as they are the ones with the HD Deluxe clothes line - helmet, goggles, gloves, shirt, boots and assless chaps- and it's 60 degrees out) How you get to your God is your business, I don't care, just shut up and ride.

[bigbird]

Forget educating the Muslim women, let's start with Canada.

WTF??????

[taxfree4]

Don't take it personal, that was strictly for Darren. I love Canada, spent my third honeymoon at Horseshoe Falls, Skylon Tower and a big fan of Canadian Maple Syrup, Canadian Cuban Cigars and, of course, Mike Myers.

[Old Ryder]

And Neil Young. Of course that may be over a lot of heads here. Must be the correct generation.

[taxfree4]

And my favorite of course Joni Mitchell who, in my opinion, is one of the greatest singer/songwriters ever. A little known video with a tune "Take the Highway" that I play over and over on a long ride. Creative and beautiful, as you can see in the video.


http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MUNrZFreRx4

[bigbird]

And Neil Young. Of course that may be over a lot of heads here. Must be the correct generation.

He's 5 years older than me, but lived in the neighbourhood where I grew up during his mid to late teens.