From Mormon Women, a Flood of Requests and Questions on Their Role in the Church | NY Times
- Thread starter VINYLONE
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Then by the same token being an athiest, ground already blazed, makes one a follower.
Exactly. Which is why I pay no heed to the mantra that religious people are followers. There are many types of religious people amd being religious does not make you a follower. Being alive does.
I think you can travel ground that has been traveled before, and still make your own way across it, as opposed to following a trail.
Of course. It is a difference of degree, not kind. We all follow to some extent, we all choose our own path to some extent. Some emphasize one of these over the other, some try to balance them.
I'm glad to see you accept that sort of reasoning some of the time.
It seems you do recognize religious people can make their own way on ground that has been traveled before.
I do believe being religious is a mix between blazing your own trail, and following God.
You have to be a mix of humble enough to know you may not know everything, and confident enough to follow what you understand God's direction for you is.
Religious folk believe there is some sort of supreme being out there that can give them direction or call to them.
Non religious folk believe they are the supreme being so to speak and get their direction from themselves as they see fit.
Either way each person has to decide what they have faith in, and follow that path if they so choose.
Also in thinking about the path or ground we travel, it can be the same road, trail, path as many other people, but it will still be different than any other person's "trail" and experience. I drive the same road to work every weekday, and I have a new experience every time. New people, new time, new weather, new road conditions, accidents, people traveling with me... different every day, and different from every other person on that same road.
The difference is that most atheist don't follow anything. They just live their lives. While most religious follow the church or god and look for answer. I do agree that this doesn't automatically a follower because both people can still follow or choose not too but religious people are more inclined because they general follow their god's teaching or churches. An atheist doesn't believe in GOD so there is no need to follow anything. Now in other aspects of their lives they may but not have a belief in GOD pretty much eliminates the need to follow. There are no 10 commandments or ordinances to do. Religion requires people to follow.
Come on your example isn't what I am talking about and you know it. I am talking about judging your neighbor not about being kind.
Mormons are no different than anyone else. There are plenty of judgmental people in the church. I know a lot of Mormons who think differently, who believe they are chosen of the Lord. I am sure this happens with a lot of religious people and it is probably the allure for most people. Who wouldn't want to be in the elite company of GOD if you believe in him. Of course your experiences can be different but I think you are being a little naive if you don't think your neighbor in Utah is judging you. Just for the record I believe non religious people are judgmental too. I think everyone is to an extent, however with religious people the judgment is more about your eternal salvation against a non-religious person judging you because of your job, clothes or the car you drive.
Sometimes it applies.