Criticized from Within

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Namaste Jesus

Namaste Jesus

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Are people within your own faith critical of your beliefs? That is, if you're a Christian for instance, are other Christians critical of the way you practice your faith? Hindus criticized by other Hindus, Jews by other Jews and so forth. Even those non-religious. Are your beliefs challenged by other non-religious individuals?

If so, has that changed your beliefs in any way?

For myself, Oy-Vey!o_O I'm a Christian. Jesus is Lord, Savior of man, the whole nine yards. However, my interpretations of scripture tends to fall well outside of traditional Christian teachings. I've also been known to throw in a little Hindu philosophy and cross reference the two faiths. A Hindu Pandit once refereed to me as a Hindu devote of Christ. Another a Christian seeker of Dharma. Most people have no problem with this and even find it interesting. However, the more orthodox members of these faiths often take offense. So from time to time, I catch it from both ends! Especially on this forum.

Has that changed my beliefs in any way? Not really. I'm just a bit more selective with whom I share.

Anyway, how about you? Catching any grief from your religious or non-religious peers?
 
Looks like nobody has ever been criticized for their beliefs..lol. Down here people tend to keep religious matters to themselves so it really doesn't happen all that often. Not from within the same faith anyway. Occasionally I'll get rolled eyes when folks find out I'm Christian, but don't attend church or belong to a particular denomination and I've but heads with other Christians on this forum over interpretation, but that's about it.
 
I was living in Jerusalem at the time when I became a bhakti of a Guru.
I found hardly any criticism, in fact people were more curious than critical.
Only one person, where I worked, refused to speak to me any more.
He was a 'baal teshuva', a secular Jew returning to being religious.
I should also add, that at that time I was homeless and was given a room with Hasidic a Jew...even with my Guru pictures.
 
Namaste Jesus said:
Catching any grief from your religious or non-religious peers?
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The grief here comes from political leaders.

Schools have become (by force) religious neutral - teaching ethics and world religion as opposed to a specific denomination.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...out-of-quebecs-ethics-course/article23533643/

We also have the infamous 'Quebec Charter of Values' that politicians attempted to pass where, for example, public service employees would be banned from wearing a large obvious cross around the neck :
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/caq-quebec-charter-of-values-identity-politics-1.3748084
 
Elfiet said:
Schools have become (by force) religious neutral
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I don't see it that way. The Court's ruling seems eminently reasonable as I read it. A private Catholic school can continue to teach its doctrine. The school is required to teach about other religions in a respectful and neutral way, which may be a sore point for some but the school in question already does this and did so on its own. So in essence, this particular school was only asking to do what they were already doing from the start.

What part of this do you find unreasonable. We could use this kind of common sense and reasonableness here in the US big time!

As to the second. I am baffled what the big deal is over the burkini. I thought we had emancipated women so that they are allowed to choose their own clothing. You know, a 'while ago'!

The police are a public institution, so perhaps banning the hijab is reasonable - as long as all other symbols of religion are also banned (which I'm willing to bet is not the case!). If an officer can wear a Christian cross prominently while on duty, then a Muslim wearing the hijab has to be okay, too.
 
Elfiet said:
The grief here comes from political leaders.
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That's the kind of thing most believers face in one form or the other from time to time, but it doesn't really come from within the faith. It's coming from the state. That's not what I was talking about in the OP. I was referring to grief given to you by members of your own faith. For instance, a Christian challenging another Christian over displaying the cross or a Muslim criticizing another Muslim for wearing or not wearing the Hijab. Things like that.
 
wil said:
Yes the my way is better than your way is part if the basis for every religions schisms and denomination created...
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Self-evident tho? If you think there is something wrong with the Catholic church, like you have mentioned several times, you start practician the way you think is right, like you are doing. No?
 
Namaste Jesus said:
I was referring to grief given to you by members of your own faith.
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The dilemma I faced with my Christian peers is about attending church. Often told "you don't need to attend Church to have faith". I allowed that to influence me. A few years ago, I started attending Sunday service again and felt I found that missing link in my life. I can agree there is no need to attend Church to have faith - but for me, for my life, attending Church is part of my faith. Took me awhile to realize that and make my own decision.

Devils' Advocate said:
So in essence, this particular school was only asking to do what they were already doing from the start.
What part of this do you find unreasonable. We could use this kind of common sense and reasonableness here in the US big time!
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The school had to engage a seven year battle to "continue what they were doing from the start" is what I found unreasonable.
 
Elfiet said:
The dilemma I faced with my Christian peers is about attending church. Often told "you don't need to attend Church to have faith".
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I get the same thing now and then, but in the opposite direction. Folks for whom church is essential that find it odd I don't attend. That's never influenced me one way or the other though. My dad taught us that a man's faith is his own. It's for no man to criticize nor for any man to take away.
 
I wonder how much the criticism in NJ's case is down to an apparent syncretism?

I'm with the Sophia Perennis on that one, each religion is entirely self-sufficient in attaining its end. I find it hard enough to do one properly, the idea of doing two is mind-boggling. I enjoy comparative religion a great deal, but in my experience the appeal is too often that we discreetly by-pass challenging aspects of one tradition by excusing it with aspects from another.

In my own case, I walk a balance between being 'a Christian Platonist', which a nun of great renown declared with evident delight, and 'a Neoplatonist Christian', which said sister, a far better philosopher and far more knowledgable than I, would have dismantled with, I'm sure, loving kindness!
 
Elfiet said:
Often told "you don't need to attend Church to have faith".
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LOL. The word seems to be you don't need to do anything to have faith, except tell others you have it. :D

Elfiet said:
A few years ago, I started attending Sunday service again and felt I found that missing link in my life. I can agree there is no need to attend Church to have faith - but for me, for my life, attending Church is part of my faith. Took me awhile to realize that and make my own decision.
Click to expand...
I find church is where faith is often put to the real test.
 
Elfiet said:
The dilemma I faced with my Christian peers is about attending church. Often told "you don't need to attend Church to have faith". I allowed that to influence me. A few years ago, I started attending Sunday service again and felt I found that missing link in my life. I can agree there is no need to attend Church to have faith - but for me, for my life, attending Church is part of my faith. Took me awhile to realize that and make my own decision.
Click to expand...
Yeah, like Aussie I get it the other way around. We lived in public housing when I was a kid and had to depend on public assistance much of the time. We did ok, but seldom had any money to spare. At one time my aunt and uncle use to take us to church regularly. I can still remember the way the congregation made us feel when it came time to pass the collection plate and we had nothing to offer. We stopped going for that reason and began to conduct church at home. A practice I continue to this day.
Thomas said:
I wonder how much the criticism in NJ's case is down to an apparent syncretism?
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A good portion I'm sure. Thing is, I've not created a new religion nor combined the two faiths into something completely different. I do approach the subject from a somewhat unique perspective and as I've said, my interpretation of scripture falls outside traditional teachings, but for me, while the two faith are unique unto themselves, they are not incompatible.
 
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