Leave us alone

[Youkilledkenny]

Big proponent here of 'live and let live'. So long as your actions don't directly impact me & my family in a negative way, I don't much care how you live your life.
If you want to talk to burning bushes, have at it.
If you want to shop only on Sunday, go for it.
Mary and Beth that lives on the other side of the country wants to get married? Better you than me so enjoy.
Want to smoke 172 packs of cigs a day? Gross but ok - just don't blow the smoke on me.
If you wasn't to stand on your roof on one leg in a purple dress waiting for the cashmul equinox knock yourself out.
Why is it that Christians find the need to make society that we all share (muslim, jew, agnostic, atheists, satanists, scientologists, worshippers of the blood diamond - whatever) try to fit their paradigm?
Is it arrogance in thinking your way is the only right way?
Are you trying to make the world a 'better place'?
Do you just like forcing your beliefs on others thinking it will but you into God's good graces and eventually heaven?
Or are you hiding behind a belief in order to be a jerk?

Why can't you, the Christian, live and answer for your life while allowing everyone else to do the same?
What makes your life and belief so special that it supersedes everyone else's?

[Tired of the Nonsense]

Big proponent here of 'live and let live'. So long as your actions don't directly impact me & my family in a negative way, I don't much care how you live your life.
If you want to talk to burning bushes, have at it.
If you want to shop only on Sunday, go for it.
Mary and Beth that lives on the other side of the country wants to get married? Better you than me so enjoy.
Want to smoke 172 packs of cigs a day? Gross but ok - just don't blow the smoke on me.
If you wasn't to stand on your roof on one leg in a purple dress waiting for the cashmul equinox knock yourself out.
Why is it that Christians find the need to make society that we all share (muslim, jew, agnostic, atheists, satanists, scientologists, worshippers of the blood diamond - whatever) try to fit their paradigm?
Is it arrogance in thinking your way is the only right way?
Are you trying to make the world a 'better place'?
Do you just like forcing your beliefs on others thinking it will but you into God's good graces and eventually heaven?
Or are you hiding behind a belief in order to be a jerk?

Why can't you, the Christian, live and answer for your life while allowing everyone else to do the same?
What makes your life and belief so special that it supersedes everyone else's?

This is really what the golden rule is all about. Treating others as you would wish that they would treat you. Which means living your life according to your own decisions and allowing other to do the same with their lives, insofar as your decisions do not directly impose on others, and their decisions do not directly impose on you.

[KingandPriest]

[Replying to post 1 by Youkilledkenny]

Why can't you, the Christian, live and answer for your life while allowing everyone else to do the same?

Compassion, empathy, love for ones neighbor or fellow mankind.

Consider this, lets say you are standing on the corner of a busy intersection. You see a person who is blind attempting to cross right into oncoming traffic. Should you
a) speak up and say something out of compassion
or
b) leave the person alone and let them live their own life, and keep your beliefs about what you believe will happen if you don't say anything.

Based on the premise of your OP, it seems you would favor b) because whether or not the person dies does not impact you or your family negatively, so no one should interfere with the blind persons beliefs that it is perfectly safe.

What makes your life and belief so special that it supersedes everyone else's?

As stated above, we share the message of the Gospel based out of compassion for fellow mankind. A selfish act would be to find a great treasure and want to keep it to yourself. A selfless person would share the news that great wealth has been discovered and allow others to partake in receiving from the fortune.

Sharing news or information does not mean one has to think themselves superior in order to do so.

[Youkilledkenny]

[Replying to post 3 by KingandPriest]

Honestly, you can say something and if they want your help, that's fine. But if they say they don't want your help, you leave and let them be. Point is a Christian doesn't always know what's best for everyone in every situation and should act as such.
To follow-up your scenario:
Christian Bob sees blind Mary at the intersection. He offers help, she says NO. Christian Bob should move on with his life letting Mary deal with her own consequences of her actions.
Christian Bob shouldn't go to his government and pass laws that blind people must do XYZ because he believes this is what the bible says. Why not? Because it's none of his business
Another scenario:
Christian Bob thinks the earth is 2000 years old. What should he do? Make his POV known. He should not go to the school and make them teach what his opinion is as fact. Why not? Because it's not fact/science. Teaching it as such would be a lie.
Another scenario:
Matt and Brian want to get married. Christian Bob...well that turns his stomach for many reasons. What should be do? Not marry someone he doesn't want to marry (man or woman). And perhaps not officiate said marriage. He should not go to his state and make it illegal for Matt and Brian to get married simply because he doesn't like it. Why not? Because it has nothing to do with his life.

To Christians:
Be an example.
Offer opinions when asked.
Help when your offer is accepted.
Otherwise, live your life as you see fit and answer to your own actions and extend the same courtesy you want to be given to you to everyone else.
Otherwise, your actions are suspect to other, deeper and darker considerations.

Why is that so hard?
Wouldn't the above net more positive results than going beyond offering help and making the lives of others difficult because they don't mesh with yours?

[Zzyzx]

.

Consider this, lets say you are standing on the corner of a busy intersection. You see a person who is blind attempting to cross right into oncoming traffic.

A more apt analogy would be that you (generic term) see a person (blind or not) approaching an area that you fear (but cannot verify) contains some invisible, undetectable 'threat' that others consider no threat at all and who pass through the area with no effect.

Similarly, if someone thinks there is truth in “step on a crack and break your mother's back� they are NOT doing a service to others by attempting to convince them that the superstitious saying is true.

If anyone should claim that their beliefs are more valid than the 'crack' superstition, they are invited to present verifiable evidence to support the contention.

What makes your life and belief so special that it supersedes everyone else's?

As stated above, we share the message of the Gospel based out of compassion for fellow mankind.

Were Gospel believers TOLD to share the 'word'? Is doing so part of 'following instructions from Jesus�? Do Believers think they gain 'salvation' by following the words of Jesus?

A selfless person would share the news that great wealth has been discovered and allow others to partake in receiving from the fortune.

Of course those 'selfless' people demonstrate their selflessness by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless instead of building fancy palaces of worship for their own use and enjoyment.

Sharing news or information does not mean one has to think themselves superior in order to do so.

It seems as though they must think they have superior news or information. Of course, that is only OPINION.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Youkilledkenny]

As one of Jehovah's Witnesses we don'the try to change the world through politics, we don't vote. We preach to people because that is part of our worship.

Were Gospel believers TOLD to share the 'word'?

Yes.

Is doing so part of 'following instructions from Jesus�?

Yes

JEHOVAH'S WITNESS

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 2 by Tired of the Nonsense]




[center]

Platinum rule vs Golden rule[/center]

This is really what the golden rule is all about. Treating others as you would wish that they would treat you.

I agree with almost everything that you wrote.

However, it has come to my attention that the golden rule is outdated and just plain wrong.

I don't want people to treat me how they want to be treated themselves. I want to be treated the way that I want to be treated. I don't CARE how others want to be treated, and I might not WANT to be treated how they want to be.

The example is S&M.


I suppose that they didn't know about the shades of grey back in the day.


Might be a quibble, but Jesus is called a great moral teacher, and some even say part of a god or a god. So we have the Bible's morality being improved by modern moral thinking.

When people say ( and I hear many atheists say this ) that Jesus is a great moral teacher



I think:


"Meh... we can do better, and we HAVE."

[Blastcat]

[Replying to post 3 by KingandPriest]



[center]
False equivalency : Buses are real, God.. maybe not[/center]

Consider this, lets say you are standing on the corner of a busy intersection. You see a person who is blind attempting to cross right into oncoming traffic. Should you
a) speak up and say something out of compassion
or
b) leave the person alone and let them live their own life, and keep your beliefs about what you believe will happen if you don't say anything.

We aren't questioning if BUSES exist.

The religious danger YOU FEAR has yet to be demonstrated to be real.


Believe anything that you like, but if you can't prove your beliefs, LEAVE US ALONE


I don't want ISIS to save me
I don't want a Christian to save me, either.

LEAVE ME ALONE.
I will leave you to YOUR beliefs.

Have them.

[shnarkle]

Big proponent here of 'live and let live'. So long as your actions don't directly impact me & my family in a negative way, I don't much care how you live your life.
If you want to talk to burning bushes, have at it.
If you want to shop only on Sunday, go for it.
Mary and Beth that lives on the other side of the country wants to get married? Better you than me so enjoy.
Want to smoke 172 packs of cigs a day? Gross but ok - just don't blow the smoke on me.
If you wasn't to stand on your roof on one leg in a purple dress waiting for the cashmul equinox knock yourself out.
Why is it that Christians find the need to make society that we all share (muslim, jew, agnostic, atheists, satanists, scientologists, worshippers of the blood diamond - whatever) try to fit their paradigm?
Is it arrogance in thinking your way is the only right way?
Are you trying to make the world a 'better place'?
Do you just like forcing your beliefs on others thinking it will but you into God's good graces and eventually heaven?
Or are you hiding behind a belief in order to be a jerk?

Why can't you, the Christian, live and answer for your life while allowing everyone else to do the same?
What makes your life and belief so special that it supersedes everyone else's?

The Christians that are doing this are doing it because they believe that they have a duty to notify others that their eternal reward is at stake. There are places in their texts where God tells his people that He will hold them personally responsible for anyone who they have the opportunity to spread the good news to, but fail to do so.

I think the problem is that some people a) don't have the right message in the first place.
b) don't know how to present the message effectively.
c) they don't follow their own rules, and this doesn't lead to people trusting them or their message.

If what they are saying is the truth, and they are practicing what they preach and preaching it effectively, then you'd be crazy to ignore them.

Of course they're not the only ones doing this either. If someone walks into a business and they begin to make unnecessary demands, or they become obnoxious, and create a scene, the store owner can ask them to leave, or refuse to serve them, UNLESS they are one of the privileged class, e.g. a certain race, sexual orientation etc. Then they can either work for them against their will( a form of slavery), or lose their business in a lawsuit.

[Tired of the Nonsense]

[Replying to post 2 by Tired of the Nonsense]




[center]

Platinum rule vs Golden rule[/center]

This is really what the golden rule is all about. Treating others as you would wish that they would treat you.

I agree with almost everything that you wrote.

However, it has come to my attention that the golden rule is outdated and just plain wrong.

I don't want people to treat me how they want to be treated themselves. I want to be treated the way that I want to be treated. I don't CARE how others want to be treated, and I might not WANT to be treated how they want to be.

The example is S&M.


I suppose that they didn't know about the shades of grey back in the day.


Might be a quibble, but Jesus is called a great moral teacher, and some even say part of a god or a god. So we have the Bible's morality being improved by modern moral thinking.

When people say ( and I hear many atheists say this ) that Jesus is a great moral teacher



I think:


"Meh... we can do better, and we HAVE."

S&M is a "participatory sport." Those involved in S&M are doing it of their own free will. Otherwise what is occurring is assault. Assault clearly is NOT covered by the golden rule.

I usually point out that Jesus left nothing written in his own hand. So the teachings of Jesus are actually derived from what others said that he taught or believed decades after Jesus was dead.