Religion on trail

[weary]

I look at it like this when judging a religion...if it is not the cause or justification of war or some other horrific act it's OK in my book.

I find it helps me decide what may make sense by being challenged. So I have tended to challenge other's beliefs. But not always with the strength I probably should. When I used to argue beliefs passionately, it sometimes bothered me when I damaged a belief my adversary felt comfortable with, and had held as sacred. Then and now I am reluctant to damage something strongly believed, when I have nothing more than skepticism to offer in return.

[Sierra Echo]

I find it helps me decide what may make sense by being challenged. So I tend to challenge other's beliefs. But not always with the strength I probably should. When I used to argue beliefs passionately, it sometimes bothered me that I had damaged something my adversary had held as sacred. I felt reluctant to destroy something so strongly believed, when I had nothing more than skepticism to offer in return.

If someone has a strong belief in their faith, nobody as puny as you could "damage it". You have too high of an opinion of yourself.

[CowHead]

Once again it comes down to HYOH just tell sorry me no speaka the religion, politics or any other subject that is controversial in nature. This works for me cause I don't care if their black, white, gay, straight repub or demo, muslin, Hindu, mormon, baptist or catholic and wiccan, to me it's a moo point it’s like when you ask a cow a question and he moo's (moot point).

[Lone Wolf]

"this will be a very strict forum. it is for QUESTIONS and ANSWERS. any deviation from subject will be deleted."
really?

[el31415]

Never been closer to god than when I hiked JMT every step, I knew that I was in good hand and not afraid.
I was surprised how many people asked me "you were not afraid alone on the trail or sleeping alone in the wild."
Where ever you turn your face God is there.
I never share my believe unless asked.
As to all people leave religious tract or politic tract is the same don't litter.
I meet non believer people that are 10 times better than my so called believer brother.

[Lone Wolf]

i died 4 times at the hospital. never saw god. what's up with that?

[TheRaven]

I find it helps me decide what may make sense by being challenged. So I have tended to challenge other's beliefs. But not always with the strength I probably should. When I used to argue beliefs passionately, it sometimes bothered me when I damaged a belief my adversary felt comfortable with, and had held as sacred. Then and now I am reluctant to damage something strongly believed, when I have nothing more than skepticism to offer in return.

Don't feel bad, if you think you damaged a sacred belief then that damage can be considered a door for further reflection. If a person is so pig headed as to never question their faith then that's their problem. It's good to question.

[hikerboy57]

maybe god wasnt quite ready for lone wolf.

[hikerboy57]

getting back to the OP(huh?), I believe everyone has a right to their own belief. Each individual experiences "reality" through the color of their own life experience. Anyone of us may be right, and all the rest wrong. So I try to respect others beliefs, even if in my mind they sound "silly". I try my best to keep an open mind, and if I begin to become uncomfortable with someone becoming too assertive, I will tell them I respect their beliefs, but my relationship with god is between me and him.And as others have mentioned before., Ive never learned anything by talking.

[jrwiesz]

i died 4 times at the hospital. never saw god. what's up with that?

Perhaps there isn't one?

[hikerboy57]

Perhaps there isn't one?

I like your byline, but do you really think we'll ever know the universe as it really is?The universe used to have a flat world in the center of it. Try and reconcile Quantum theory with gravity, try to find the most fundamental particle.I dont think we'll ever know all the answers.religion does sometimes help to fill in the gaps.Mr Sagan cant explain dark matter, which constitutes more than 90% of all mass in the universe(we believe).the key is belief. "facts" have been challenged, and history is constantly being rewritten(see wikipedia)I think its always a good idea to try to keep an open mind. I might be wrong!

[Pedaling Fool]

I find it helps me decide what may make sense by being challenged. So I have tended to challenge other's beliefs. But not always with the strength I probably should. When I used to argue beliefs passionately, it sometimes bothered me when I damaged a belief my adversary felt comfortable with, and had held as sacred. Then and now I am reluctant to damage something strongly believed, when I have nothing more than skepticism to offer in return.

Talk about what "makes sense". I can't make sense out of the universe and all the space and matter originating from a point smaller than an atom. Hardly no one calls BS on that theory.

[jrwiesz]

...I think its always a good idea to try to keep an open mind...

As long as ones' brains don't fall out; I prefer, skeptical thinking.

Keep the bologna detection kit handy, as Carl related in, "The Demon Haunted World, Science as a Candle in the Dark".

Plenty of religious zealots that have all the answers, despite the facts.

A message/discussion board to check out is, "The Straight Dope" forum.

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/...d.php?t=609629

The BBQ pit, one can get fried there.

[hikerboy57]

I have always and will always question "the facts"

[weary]

Talk about what "makes sense". I can't make sense out of the universe and all the space and matter originating from a point smaller than an atom. Hardly no one calls BS on that theory.

Like all scientific theories, it fits the known evidence better than any alternative. The universe has been observed to be expanding. Trace the expansion back and it becomes a powerful slug of energy 14 billion years or so ago. Since the atomic bomb and nuclear power proves that energy equals mass times the speed of light, times the speed of light, it doesn't take much energy to equal the known universe.

Anyway, no one has come up with a better theory that fits the observed universe. The mystery, of course, is where did that charge of energy come from and why did it suddenly start expanding those billions of years ago.

Maybe that thing some call God had a hand in it. But I find it hard to believe that even if she did, she now watches over hikers walking the wild woods, but somehow failed to notice the killing of millions of people in unwise wars, as well as the innocent child that runs into a busy highway.

[hikerboy57]

I know we're getting way off topic, but Morgan Freemans show "Through the Wormhole", on Science channel, questions everything we iknow about"modern physics", whether time actually exists, all the things weve been discussing(outside of the original OP query).to put all your faith in religion may be a mistake, but putting all your faith into science can be equally erroneous.the show is absolutely fascinating, you will begin to question the nature of "reality itself.they are all just theories.

[TheTwanger]

I very much enjoy talking with people of varying ideas about god or whatever one may call it. The ability to express ideas and see life through the eyes of many is one of the greatest "gifts" bestowed upon us. I do not like it though when people from any system of belief (or absence thereof) have those beliefs so tangled mindlessly within their sense of self that they forget, no matter how much we think we know, we are still only seeing from one perspective. Then they lose all hope of engaging in a stimulating conversation which would be enriching for both. Proselytizing is always a one way conversation. We all see things differently no matter what faith we were raised in. When we do engage in meaningful conversation with one another, within and outside of our own belief systems, we purify our faiths, our connections with one another, and our connections with god and all living things. But always more important than the conversations one might have, is having respect for one another. Many people head out and hike that trail ( or dream of hiking that trail ) because they've felt the brunt of our loud and obnoxious, know it all society. Its kind of the point of a long distance hike to get out and see and feel the essence of what some may call god with our own eyes and skin. When I'm out there I hope for the occasional campfire conversations, but there is a time to listen and talk, and a time to feel it and walk.

[greenmtnboy]

I never heard much about religion hiking on the trail though I am sure there were a lot of fellow believers there. Nothing worse than an obnoxious and rude proselytizer, like a former neighbor who asked everyone if they were "saved", told them they were going to hell if they weren't, wanted to make sure all Christians were paying double tithes, etc.. Most of us try to get away from such nuts by hiking.

[~Luna~]

Never ran into the religious hiker and hope I never do. Hiking time is as close as I come to religion..it's my "me" time to enjoy the peace and serenity of nature. Last thing I want is some religious nutball gossiping their version of the bible to me. But if I did run into them, I'd probably ask them....If God, in all his/her perfection and power and immortality, did create the universe, why create such imperfect, immoral and mortal beings to be the only ones to vaguely comprehend and worship him?

[~Luna~]

Talking about opening a can of worms!