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I'm edgy around religious discussions, so I'm staying mostly clear of this, but we have 'RE' (religious education) taught here too. I do think that's good as it covers a wide array of different religions which I think is important - a basic understanding can go a long way in helping to see issues from another groups point of view. 

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I'm edgy around religious discussions, so I'm staying mostly clear of this, but we have 'RE' (religious education) taught here too. I do think that's good as it covers a wide array of different religions which I think is important - a basic understanding can go a long way in helping to see issues from another groups point of view.

Exactly. I never opted out of religion class, I found it fascinating. I also liked the teacher.

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It was compulsory for us until we were 16. Unless you were from an especially religious family who objected to their children being taught about other religions. I knew a few Jehovah's Witnesses who were removed from the class.  

 

My main teacher was fine, but there was one crazy teacher who was known to rave about how certain pupils were possessed if anyone asked about the devil or hell. 

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Re: shoving God down someone's throats

I've had a quite close encounter with evangelical Christians. What I learned: if they try to convert you, it's not to be annoying - From their POV they are trying to save you. Which can be annoying but I alway try to acknowledge the intention.

 

And yes, I do envy people who have faith. No matter in what or whom, because faith, even seen as a still unexplored function of brain, is an amazing thing. I experienced it myself in the non religious way.

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God: 1)He 2) He He Him 

 

Your God is He? I didn't know. Does your God has a gender?

 

I really did not know. Could you please teach to me? Very interesting.

 

If I asked wrong question, please tell me. I will delete it immediately.

 

Maybe it was said but I did not notice until now.

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To most Christians in the Western world, God is a masculine spirit.  He is referred to in the Bible as "Father" and etc.

 

That's putting it simplistically, of course.

 

 

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To most Christians in the Western world, God is a masculine spirit.  He is referred to in the Bible as "Father" and etc.

 

That's putting it simplistically, of course.

 

Thank you very much Artemis. I understand.

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I'm edgy around religious discussions, so I'm staying mostly clear of this, but we have 'RE' (religious education) taught here too. I do think that's good as it covers a wide array of different religions which I think is important - a basic understanding can go a long way in helping to see issues from another groups point of view. 

 

Absolutely yes!

 

but here, The Sunni Islam is forcibly taugh andt I am not The Sunni Islam.

 

You have no chance of going to class.

 

Curiously enough, There are 25 million alevi.

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Re: shoving God down someone's throats

I've had a quite close encounter with evangelical Christians. What I learned: if they try to convert you, it's not to be annoying - From their POV they are trying to save you. Which can be annoying but I alway try to acknowledge the intention.

 

And yes, I do envy people who have faith. No matter in what or whom, because faith, even seen as a still unexplored function of brain, is an amazing thing. I experienced it myself in the non religious way.

In all reality everyone has faith in something whether it is their own abilities, some higher power, or that their car will routinely start even when it's a little cold out (somewhere above 0F).

 

 

God: 1)He 2) He He Him

Your God is He? I didn't know. Does your God has a gender?

 

I really did not know. Could you please teach to me? Very interesting.

 

If I asked wrong question, please tell me. I will delete it immediately.

 

Maybe it was said but I did not notice until now.

To most Christians in the Western world, God is a masculine spirit. He is referred to in the Bible as "Father" and etc.

 

That's putting it simplistically, of course.

What Artemis said.

 

It comes from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek where the masculine form of words are generally used in reference to God.

 

In German and Polish the word "god" is masculine too. (And I suppose it's the same in English actually, because you have also the word "goddess")

 

Yep as the English word dates before 900AD and come from the Germanic languages.

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Here are my beliefs regarding God: 

 

That was really well-stated, SherlockedCAMPer. I appreciate hearing a Christian perspective laid out that well.

 

Can I just say how much I like the fact that we're talking about religion, we clearly don't all believe the same things yet nobody has gotten into a fight yet? And this is happening on the Internet! Wow. I guess there is hope for humanity after all. :-P

 

 

 

Seriously, isn't this cool?

 

What I learned: if they try to convert you, it's not to be annoying - From their POV they are trying to save you. Which can be annoying but I alway try to acknowledge the intention.

 

 

 

That is the thing about Christianity: it's an opt-in religion. You can have a family who has been Christian for two millennia, and if someone in it says they aren't Christian, they aren't, even if they enjoy the secular aspects.  With many (most?) other religions, it seems there is also an ethnic component that makes you part of the group even if you don't share the beliefs.

 

This is another part of the wonderful flexibility that I think Christianity has/can have, but it does tend to allow for well-meaning people to try to make your decisions for you.

 

Part of the reason that I have been a Christian belief-wise but am drifting toward practicing Buddhism is that it seems some parts of American Christianity have become a contest to see who can "prove" that they are a Christian: there seems to be less room for occasional doubt or distrust or anger, when you aren't 100% happy with God but you want to keep working on yourself with Him on your side. I think the religion actually intends to be welcoming to that sort of struggle, but it seems difficult to access right now culturally, and I don't want to fight a spiritual community to make it what I need, so I tend to stay away.  It is kind of what CAMPer was saying about the worst example of God being His followers. 

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Christianity when practiced right is a "come as you are" religion that also expects you won't stay that way as the new relationship with God & Jesus will change you just like any new relationship changes you. Only in this case it should be good changes.

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And now for something completely different.

 

I've always said my first fandom was Star Trek, but my first fan obsession was Little House on the Prairie (the books, not the TV show). For Christmas, my husband got me this:

 

Caroline: Little House, Revisited

 

Basically, it is a retelling of parts of the Little House books from Caroline's (Ma's) perspective.  I'm halfway through, and it is really well-done and engaging. But it hit me last night: what it really is, is Little House fan fiction.   :P  And I mean that as a total compliment!

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And now for something completely different.

 

I've always said my first fandom was Star Trek, but my first fan obsession was Little House on the Prairie (the books, not the TV show). For Christmas, my husband got me this:

 

Caroline: Little House, Revisited

 

Basically, it is a retelling of parts of the Little House books from Caroline's (Ma's) perspective. I'm halfway through, and it is really well-done and engaging. But it hit me last night: what it really is, is Little House fan fiction. :P And I mean that as a total compliment!

Interesting! Especially since I think Ma doesn't come across as a very nice person in the original book series. Laura seems to be very much her father's child.

 

What kind of personality does she have in this book?

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And now for something completely different.

 

I've always said my first fandom was Star Trek, but my first fan obsession was Little House on the Prairie (the books, not the TV show). For Christmas, my husband got me this:

 

Caroline: Little House, Revisited

 

Basically, it is a retelling of parts of the Little House books from Caroline's (Ma's) perspective. I'm halfway through, and it is really well-done and engaging. But it hit me last night: what it really is, is Little House fan fiction. :P And I mean that as a total compliment!

Interesting! Especially since I think Ma doesn't come across as a very nice person in the original book series. Laura seems to be very much her father's child.

 

What kind of personality does she have in this book?

 

 

You're right about her original portrayal. I think the original books tried to use Pa/Laura as the symbols for adventure, the romance of Westward Expansion, and, to some extent, a change in roles for women. Ma and Mary are the counterpoints that emphasize stability, propriety, and religious correctness.  Unfortunately, that makes both of them unlikable at certain points.  (I always wanted to slap Mary, frankly.)

 

This book gives a much more nuanced portrait of Caroline. For example, in the infamous scene where the family is taking the wagon across Lake Pepin to start their journey to Kansas and they hear the ice starting to break up the next day, the original books sort of make it seem  like a grand adventure.  In this book, we can see that Caroline is scared and is about 90 seconds from getting out of that wagon and walking her two children across the lake and letting her foolhardy husband take a ton of wagon and horses across the middle of an iced-over lake that could break any minute.  It just really shows that even the Ma as portrayed in the books probably had some very understandable reasons for her own behavior.  I like this Caroline very much.

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What about her racism? What struck me most in her disfavor when I read the books as a child was the way she spoke about the native Americans.

 

I always rather liked Mary. And poor little Carrie. I loved how Laura stood up for her in school when they lived in Kansas.

 

Which book is your favorite, Boton? I like the one about the long winter.

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What about her racism? What struck me most in her disfavor when I read the books as a child was the way she spoke about the native Americans.

 

I always rather liked Mary. And poor little Carrie. I loved how Laura stood up for her in school when they lived in Kansas.

 

Which book is your favorite, Boton? I like the one about the long winter.

 

I am not to the part with any direct contact with the Native Americans, but I read an interview with the author that says that she tries to bridge the gap between historical fact and the "Ma" from the actual series.  So far, she [Caroline] is just trying to keep the Indians out of her mind because this idea of going to Indian Territory is giving her the willies, and I'm OK with that.

 

To me, yes, we read the books today and there is some blatant racism, especially coming from Ma. But I think of that scene where Pa left her alone with the girls for several days so he could go to town, and some of the Native Americans came to visit and wound up leaving only after insisting on lunch. I mean, here's a woman alone with three small girls, facing a group of men who, at best, might rob her.  At worst, they might rape her and her girls and kill them  - she doesn't know, and her fear is real. So, I think a lot of the racism is real, but it is also backed by a lot of legitimate fear that comes when you are encountering people who you can't communicate with and whose culture is so different from your own that you can't find commonality. It's a complex thing for me.

 

My favorite book?  Definitely The Long Winter. That was the book that made me start gardening, canning, and learning traditional ways of food preservation and housekeeping.  I'm still fascinated by that kind of thing today.

 

I just read another book hubby got me about Mary's college years.  I think RL Mary got short shrift in  the book, because I found her insufferable in fiction, but I suspect she would have been a very interesting and intelligent woman to talk to in real life.

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If I have a belief, it is in the parable of the blind men and the elefant; everyone is right in a way and nobody is able to comprehend the full truth.

 

Oh, definitely!  Truth-with-a-capital-T is presumably infinite, and if so, then there's no way that we could ever understand it with our finite brains. 

 

I'm not quite sure what category I might fit in by other people's definitions, but that's OK.  I do believe in something, I'm just not sure of the details.  But that's OK too, I'll know soon enough.

 

God: 1)He 2) He He Him

Your God is He? I didn't know. Does your God has a gender?

 

How is God referred to in your language and religion, Doe?

 

As you probably know, English pronouns come in three flavors -- masculine (used for referring to male humans and other male animals), feminine (used to refer to female humans and other female animals), and neuter (used to refer to inanimate objects).

 

Those categories are not set in stone, though.  Masculine pronouns are also sometimes used even when there's no genetic masculinity involved.  I suppose that God would typically fall into this category.  Also (for example) people often refer to any dog as "he."  Ships are traditionally referred to as "she," and people often refer to any cat as "she."  The pronoun "it" often refers to animals of unknown gender and tiny babies whose gender is not obvious.  You'd think that this might be the appropriate pronoun for God, who presumably does not have a Y chromosome -- BUT that would be a tremendous faux pas, because God is considered to be a person, and referring to any (non-infant) person as "it" is a huge insult.

 

So I'm really curious how this matter is handled in your country.  Are your pronouns different from ours?  Or do you simply avoid pronouns when referring to God?  Or....?

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I admit that it's the first time I heard about that as well, but then again I have little knowledge about the Muslim faith. I just know your God's name is Allah, your holy book is named the Qur'an, you fast during Ramadan, you have to make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in your life, you have to pray five times a day at prescribed times facing Mecca, your prophet is named Mohammed and you're not allowed to depict him in any way.

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If I have a belief, it is in the parable of the blind men and the elefant; everyone is right in a way and nobody is able to comprehend the full truth.

Oh, definitely! Truth-with-a-capital-T is presumably infinite, and if so, then there's no way that we could ever understand it with our finite brains.

 

I'm not quite sure what category I might fit in by other people's definitions, but that's OK. I do believe in something, I'm just not sure of the details. But that's OK too, I'll know soon enough.

 

God: 1)He 2) He He Him

Your God is He? I didn't know. Does your God has a gender?

How is God referred to in your language and religion, Doe?

 

As you probably know, English pronouns come in three flavors -- masculine (used for referring to male humans and other male animals), feminine (used to refer to female humans and other female animals), and neuter (used to refer to inanimate objects).

 

Those categories are not set in stone, though. Masculine pronouns are also sometimes used even when there's no genetic masculinity involved. I suppose that God would typically fall into this category. Also (for example) people often refer to any dog as "he." Ships are traditionally referred to as "she," and people often refer to any cat as "she." The pronoun "it" often refers to animals of unknown gender and tiny babies whose gender is not obvious. You'd think that this might be the appropriate pronoun for God, who presumably does not have a Y chromosome -- BUT that would be a tremendous faux pas, because God is considered to be a person, and referring to any (non-infant) person as "it" is a huge insult.

 

So I'm really curious how this matter is handled in your country. Are your pronouns different from ours? Or do you simply avoid pronouns when referring to God? Or....?

You are right Carol. Turkish pronouns come in one flavors.

 

English: He, She and It

Turkish: O (all of them is one word)

 

English: He/She/It knows.

Turkish: O bilir.

 

I understand you. You are right.

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I admit that it's the first time I heard about that as well, but then again I have little knowledge about the Muslim faith. I just know your God's name is Allah, your holy book is named the Qur'an, you fast during Ramadan, you have to make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in your life, you have to pray five times a day at prescribed times facing Mecca, your prophet is named Mohammed and you're not allowed to depict him in any way.

This is true but not mine. This is Sunni and Shia Islam.

 

I am alevi muslim. Allah in my soul not in Mecca. Muhammad only massanger. There isn't Ramadan. There isn't five prays of day...

 

It looks like shamanizm. I pray to nature. Because Allah in nature. In grass, in sun, in rain...etc.

 

While The rain hit my face i pray and thanks my God for everything. I love you my God. This place is beautiful.

 

Different other muslims... :)

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You are right Carol. Turkish pronouns come in one flavors.

 

English: He, She and It

Turkish: O (all of them is one word)

 

English: He/She/It knows.

Turkish: O bilir.

 

I understand you. You are right.

 

That's fascinating. In German and in Polish every word has a gender. In Polish you even cannot hide your gender while talking about yourself in the past tense, because the form of verbs you use will reveal your gender. (that's why I like writing in the www in English)

 

I was.

byłam (female)

byłem (male)

And you don't even need the pronoun, because the verb's form also includes that.

 

I think Latin works this way: Veni, vidi, vici - (I) came, (I) saw, (I) won.

 

It's maybe why I always find it irritating not immediately knowing a gender if someone writes my friend, or doctor, or teacher - English speakers are used to get the information from the context, I expect it from the words themselves.

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You are right Carol. Turkish pronouns come in one flavors.

 

English: He, She and It

Turkish: O (all of them is one word)

 

English: He/She/It knows.

Turkish: O bilir.

 

I understand you. You are right.

That's fascinating. In German and in Polish every word has a gender. In Polish you even cannot hide your gender while talking about yourself in the past tense, because the form of verbs you use will reveal your gender. (that's why I like writing in the www in English)

 

I was.

byłam (female)

byłem (male)

And you don't even need the pronoun, because the verb's form also includes that.

 

I think Latin works this way: Veni, vidi, vici - (I) came, (I) saw, (I) won.

 

It's maybe why I always find it irritating not immediately knowing a gender if someone writes my friend, or doctor, or teacher - English speakers are used to get the information from the context, I expect it from the words themselves.

Do you know Latin? I always wonder. Do you know diffrent words?

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