Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mcnc.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!unc!mcnc!bch From: bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron Howes) Newsgroups: net.religion Subject: Re: What God Wants Message-ID: <2376@mcnc.UUCP> Date: Sat, 17-Nov-84 22:29:49 EST Article-I.D.: mcnc.2376 Posted: Sat Nov 17 22:29:49 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 19-Nov-84 02:43:02 EST References: <1376@pucc-h> <1731@nsc.UUCP> <> <2330@mcnc.UUCP> Reply-To: bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron Howes) Organization: North Carolina Educational Computing Service Lines: 52 Summary: In article dubois@uwmacc.UUCP (Paul DuBois) writes: >> >... One of the great joys of humanity is its diversity, and part >> >of that diversity is that widely differing groups of people can all worship >> >the same Being in ways uniquely theirs. >> >> I always figured that was part of the Plan. A Deity that truly loved all >> people in their diversity (and who truly wanted love in return) would >> understand that different people have different expectations of their >> faiths, and would provide accordingly. No way is better or worse than >> any other, and all measure the differences among us. Ultimately, they >> bring us all to the same place. > >At the risk of sounding remarkably like Ken Nichols (which, I should >say, hardly frightens me, though some seem to think it a fine >derogation), the above paragraph boils down to this: any God that >"really" loved us would let us do what we want. God should >follow the rules *we* make up for *Him*. Golly Gee, Paul, I thought we were talking about forms of worship, not day-to-day moral behavior. Do you mean that if I adopt a different religion than yours, with attendant behavioral proscriptions and prescriptions, that I am asking G-d to follow the rules I make up? Well Phoo. I guess that's the problem with us relativists. Since we can't see the obvious superiority of some faiths over others we sort of have to shop around and find the one that best fills our inner needs. Wishful thinking? Maybe. I've been the fire-and-brimstone route before and frankly, it just didn't take. I didn't get zapped by whatever zaps you guys and figured I'd better start looking elsewhere for answers. I'm not putting down what you believe. If it works for you, great! Seriously. I think it's important that people have some relationship to G-d. (Sorry Rich.) I do wish you guys would stop running around and hollering "unclean" at anything that doesn't fit your faith, however. It may have a certain nuisance value, but it wears a little thin and only makes me angry at you (not at G-d, not at christianity, but at you.) Most folks I know, of different capital letter and lower case faiths just don't do that, and it's a whole lot easier to understand them. It's real easy to try to respect someone elses faith and their feelings about it, to exchange ideas without threatening or feeling threatened, and to come away with a greater understanding of G-d. Hopefully we're all a little better off for it. Oh dear, I've probably made everyone angry by preaching tolerance again, so I guess I'll sign off... -- Byron C. Howes ...!{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!bch