It's being a burning point on mind; but I feel religion has a lot to blame for most issues in the World today.

I am a Christian married to a muslim, but above these a realist! I feel the Bible, koran etc needs to be updated for the world today, and then constantly updated as life goes on. I think it is archaic applying laws from a few books written some 3000 years ago, to now. Especially as many are left to draw different conclusions depending on what views they choose to see. I don't want to believe that any God's aim is to confuse and cause chaos, but unfortunately these are some of the products of religion as it were.

This isn't a religous topic per say, but rather how religion interacts with everyday issues, e.g marriages, work, family, tribal, inter country and inter continent etc.

I'm signing off work now, and would be back with more my views and reasons why. But I would love to hear and feel from others also.

before i say yes or no
why dont u put specific themes we can discuss then we thrash it one by one

imo, ur post is vague

[/b][b]

biolabee: before i say yes or no
why dont u put specific themes we can discuss then we thrash it one by one

imo, ur post is vague

You should have gone to spec savers:

This isn't a religous topic per say, but rather how religion interacts with everyday issues, e.g marriages, work, family, tribal, inter country and inter continent etc.

I really am not a big fan of contradicting bible/ Qoran quotes with my way of life as long as I'm doing the 'right thing' and I meant the Ten Commandments / Five pillars of Islam ( when I was one even tho I still infuse it to my daily life routine) ..... the hypocrisy of people in general is beyond awe esp when interpreting the verses and pick and choose what works for them.

Brb

Hi Tsmith

@OP: I will speak about the Bible.

I don't know what you mean by archaic but the Bible answers all life's issues today. The Bible is life and only the Holy Spirit can help us understand it. Some of the things recorded in the Bible might not exist anymore but the inspiration is still useful today. Let me give an example:

All through my university days, I wore trousers. After uni, God told me to stop trousers which meant that my pool of skirts were extremely limited. During my service year, I bought a suit for a prog. After service, I grew fatter but still used same clothes.

I am a sunday school teacher and choirster. One sunday after service, my pastor called a meeting of all workers. Using myself and about 3 ladies and his son as scapegoats, he condemned all tight skirts, long earrings etc. I was very angry because I felt the pastor should have spoken to us individually and we would tell him our reasons. (I was putting on the skirt of the suit).

With that anger, I went home and prayed about it. The pastor had told us to abide by the mode of dressing or opt out of the work force. I was thinking that it would be tantamount to hypocrisy to dress one way on sunday and another on weekdays.

I was led to read a part in Acts where Paul wanted to take Timothy to the jewish leaders. Now, p
Paul had always preached that circumcision was not important however, he still circumcised Timothy because of the jews.

What did I learn that day? I would have to put on the long skirts and tiny earrings even if I didn't feel it would draw me closer to God.

Jewish circumcision palava no longer exists but that situation addressed my case about 2,013 years later.

The Bible ain't archaic; He lives forever!

jidegirl12: I really am not a big fan of contradicting bible/ Qoran quotes with my way of life as long as I'm doing the 'right thing' and I meant the Ten Commandments / Five pillars of Islam ( when I was one even tho I still infuse it to my daily life routine) ..... the hypocrisy of people in general is beyond awe esp when interpreting the verses and pick and choose what works for them.

Brb

That is the problem, the cherrypicking.

Are you a muslim, christian or non?

tsmith: [/b][b]

You should have gone to spec savers:

This isn't a religous topic per say, but rather how religion interacts with everyday issues, e.g marriages, work, family, tribal, inter country and inter continent etc.

Ms Smith,... i hear u oo... because i said u shd pick a theme and we discuss the interactions, u say i shd have gone to spec... ok o....

IMO, life issues are wide and even the Bible has seeming contradictions
example alcoholism....

Have fun.. im goin to spec saver

ish

bukatyne:
All through my university days, I wore trousers. After uni, God told me to stop trousers

Hei!so u mean pple like me that don't wear skirt are already condenmed?

yellowpawpaw:


Hei!so u mean pple like me that don't wear skirt are already condenmed?

Did she say that? Stop drawing inference that's not it. She only spoke of things God instructed her to drop. God's relationship with everyone is personal. Build yours with Him and if He asks you to drop some things, it's your choice.

Your comment can easily derail the thread and turn it into another religious braggadocio.

tsmith: It's being a burning point on mind; but I feel religion has a lot to blame for most issues in the World today.

I am a Christian married to a muslim, but above these a realist! I feel the Bible, koran etc needs to be updated for the world today, and then constantly updated as life goes on. I think it is archaic applying laws from a few books written some 3000 years ago, to now. Especially as many are left to draw different conclusions depending on what views they choose to see. I don't want to believe that any God's aim is to confuse and cause chaos, but unfortunately these are some of the products of religion as it were.

This isn't a religous topic per say, but rather how religion interacts with everyday issues, e.g marriages, work, family, tribal, inter country and inter continent etc.

I'm signing off work now, and would be back with more my views and reasons why. But I would love to hear and feel from others also.

forget about what religion is doing or not doing, focus on yourself, be true with yourself, "you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" focus on being good, doing good and treating others the way you will want them to treat you. When you go to church or msque, its noy what every cleric says that you must follow or do, you have conscience, you have brain, do not allow yourself to be buried in ignarance of what people are saying, no one knows you better except you, so, if there are some things in the scripture(bible and quaran) that do not go well with you, or you think its not right, why dont you change it to suit yourself and stop blaming religion for misdeeds of people. No one that does not know him/herself, if you are good to people, you yourself will know and if otherwise, you also know, you dont need anyone to tell you who you are or your aspirations/interest in you.
Let the change begings fron every individual, especially from you, so that, at the end of the day, we will reap what we sow.
May God help us all.

greatgod2012:


forget about what religion is doing or not doing, focus on yourself, be true with yourself, "you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" focus on being good, doing good and treating others the way you will want them to treat you. When you go to church or msque, its noy what every cleric says that you must follow or do, you have conscience, you have brain, do not allow yourself to be buried in ignarance of what people are saying, no one knows you better except you, so, if there are some things in the scripture(bible and quaran) that do not go well with you, or you think its not right, why dont you change it to suit yourself and stop blaming religion for misdeeds of people. No one that does not know him/herself, if you are good to people, you yourself will know and if otherwise, you also know, you dont need anyone to tell you who you are or your aspirations/interest in you.
Let the change begings fron every individual, especially from you, so that, at the end of the day, we will reap what we sow.
May God help us all.

On the contrary, I have no issues with what I believe or my actions as a Christian or individual.

Rather, my concern is more for the lot that are misguided and use these books as a guide or basis for their actions. I believe it's my duty of care to humanity to highlight issues that could adversely affect another, and could potentially hit home one day. The very SELF FOCUS which you have mentioned is a fundamental flaw and selfish trait. Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away, rather it grows until a molehill become an unmanageable mountain.

Likewise a healthy discussion is not about apportioning blame, but rather a means of entertainment, enlightenment and seeing other point of views. That being said, I'd get back to the bone of contention

Through this thread I would majorly refer to Christianity & Islam(bible and koran), however the context may be applicable to other religions as well.

For starters I feel anything that leaves room for misinterpretation is null and void. In many instances these books leave open ended interpretation with lack of clarity or need for figurative meaning above literary meaning.

tsmith: Through this thread I would majorly refer to Christianity & Islam(bible and koran), however the context may be applicable to other religions as well.

For starters I feel anything that leaves room for misinterpretation is null and void. In many instances these books leave open ended interpretation with lack of clarity or need for figurative meaning above literary meaning.

Good morning,

Could you give specific examples or verses?

This your post is ambiguous and trying to dissect will be an attempt to write an epistle.

Speaking as a Christian, religion as practised today is a cankerworm and cancer with no cure. The Sadducees and pharisees of the days of Jesus were merely religious bigots who had no respect for the things of God. any religious bigot you see/know does not uphold the tenets of the doctrines he holds dear. According to the bible I read, this is the definition of religion I associate with James 1:27 "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

Any man that does not express God's love to fellow mankind is only a religious bigot and does not know Him he/she professes to love.

Reading is different from comprehension. Why do students fail exam while some of their colleagues excel, its because they comprehend differently. So many read the bible but do not understand nor comprehend what they read. Hence, they can interprete according to their selfish taste/desire. Seeing, they do not see, reading, they do not understand.

Meanwhile, the bible is not Shakespeare's tale or novels that needs an upgrade. The scrolls were already written years before Jesus came. It was relevant in that time despite there was form of civilisation at the time. The word was, is and will continue to be relevant irrespective of technological advancement. The word deals with how to live this life to please your maker and also be good to the society you live.

The word of God is life, truth and spirit, requires the owner to teach you what it means.... The word of God is a two-edged sword, depending on how you view and apply it, you always get a result either positively or otherwise. Hence, it must be interpreted rightly to get the intended aim.

Summary of the long post, religion is not to be blamed for anything but the hypocrisy and wicked desperation in the heart of men irrespective of the religion they profess.