Is there any organized religious group that you admire and or respect? You may not agree with most of they’re views but you admire certain aspects about they’re way of life perhaps.
I admire certain aspects of the Amish and similar groups. I also respect the views of Jehovah’s Witnesses and other groups that teach non violence.
No. The fact that they are a religion outweighs everything else about them.
I sorta respect Unitarians. They don’t believe in nuthin’.
I became Episcopalian partly because I respected them and lots of people recommended it. It certainly hasn’t disappointed. It is part moderate religion/part social club and the members tend to be better educated and wealthier than average.
I always respected Judaism even though I can’t wrap my mind around some of it. It is certainly effective in promoting education and prosperity among its members.
I used to work with a whole bunch of Jehovah’s Witnesses in high school. Their views were nutty but they were sincere and some of them were among the nicest and hardest working people I have ever met.
I have only known a few Quakers and no devout ones but it always seemed like a good example of Christian values to me.
Sure. Religious beliefs/practices aside, many do good things inside and outside their own communities. What’s not to admire about that?
Can’t be. Where’s the xymosely polydactyl tongue?
Unitarians ! Fuck me. I mean, say what you like about the tenets of militant fundamentalism, Dude, at least it’s an ethos.
I respect most religions. I consider myself a Zen Buddhist. I work for a Catholic organization, and I used to intern for a Jewish organization. I think people either do shitty things or they don’t and religion has little to do with it.
I went to a Unitarian church for a few weeks. It got kind of ridiculous. Sunday Prayer: ‘‘Let us all feel the sacred love of God, whoever you perceive him or her or it to be, and if you don’t believe in a god or gods that’s cool too… seriously just do your own thing.’’ It is great in theory, and there are parts I love about Unitarianism, such as the emphasis on social justice. But the messages there sure were vague.
As soon as I saw the original quote, I thought to myself, “Now **that **would’ve made ***The Big Lebowski ***into a very different movie…”
I have much love for Buddhism at its core, and am sort of very vaguely inclined towards Zen myself. The more you staple mystical, magical non-sense on it, the less I like it. I’m looking at you, Tibetan Buddhism, no matter how much of an awesome dude Dalai is.
Christianity has its appealing elements, but for the most part I’m far too knee-jerk hostile to it at this point to have much respect. Blame that on its more prominent believers.
Buddhists. Because they are pacifist, don’t eat my meat, and don’t try to convert you. Plus they all know kung fu
I’m happy with the reform temple my wife and I attend, even though I’m an atheist non-Jew. Unlike Christianity, Judaism doesn’t put much emphasis on belief, and many of the mitzvot are good ideas, even if you don’t believe they are divinely inspired.
There’s an elegant ambiguity in the phrase “religious group.” I’ve met a good many Christian Scientists, and, in the main, they have all been among the nicest people I have ever known in my whole life.
Meanwhile, the belief system of Christian Science has done unimaginable harm, caused widespread death, and led to serious physical misery, including hellish suffering among those very people whom I have met and come to love.
I do not know of any good/evil dichotomy more profound between the good people of Christian Science…and the hellish evil that has tricked them into giving it their belief.
Unitarians seem cool, and I’d probably give them a try if I was more of a joiner, but I can never figure out how it’s an actual religion as opposed to a social/volunteering/discussion group.
Having spent my teenager years religion hopping, there are many great principles in many religions. The problem is, many of these ideals get warped once you add humans to the mix. The hypocrisy I found in congregations was staggering. I discovered there was no point in sitting in a House of God with a bunch of other people who weren’t going to obey rules they had made for themselves.
So I went on to admire the art of religions. Some pretty neat stuff has been commissioned in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Considering I’m religious, I suppose I like and respect my fellow Calvinists and/or Evangelicals the most. Among heresies or false religions I suppose I like the Mormons for their social cohesion, Judaism, and Buddhists.
…Thanks?
I’m grateful to work where I do now. My organization is a sponsored work of an order of progressive Catholic nuns. They are more like me in ideology than some atheists I have known. I had no idea nuns could be so cool. One of my coworkers is a nun in her seventies and she is a liberal NPR-listening, Masters-educated feminist and totally cool with my Buddhism. My boss knows I’m an atheist and it changes nothing about the dynamic between us. We are all united by the same vision. I think being around such positive expressions of faith helps prevent me from getting cynical about religion.
More or less what I say. Even tho I have great doubt Jesus was the “Son of God” he was still a great man & teacher. Same with Mohammed, Buddha , etc.
But the Op has a point in that many organized Churches tend to warp those teachings and become dogmatic and intolerant.
[quote=“DrDeth, post:19, topic:646897”]
More or less what I say. Even tho I have great doubt Jesus was the “Son of God” he was still a great man & teacher. Same with Mohammed, Buddha , etc.
BBut the Op has a point in that many organized Churches tend to warp those teachings and become dogmatic and intolerant.
I see nothing wrong allowing groups to hold whatever dogma they wish to hold which is what usually tends to happen in developed countries anyway, but I too think it is a shame that some groups have displayed intolerance of others.