Do You Think That Religous Discussions Should Be Avoided On MyLot?

I don't think it's appropriate to think that any kind of discussion should be avoided on a public forum. As long as the titles (subjects, headlines, whatever you want to call them) are clear, and people KNOW what the discussion is about, they can choose to participate or avoid, as they see fit.

like what you have say everyone have different point of view and misunderstanding will happen when we dont understand each other religion well enough(or at least have some understanding) But if we look from a good point of view, we can talk about each other religion and get to know them better

I love to debate, and I especially like it when the issue is controversial, not because I want to piss people off, but because it is in those issues that you get the best debates. When people are passionate about their beliefs they debate more vigorously. I personally do not often get offended by much of anything, let alone religion, however I know I have offended people in the past, it has never been intentional, but I don't back down from a debate simply because it might offend someone, especially if I can sway someone toward my own belief on whatever subject we are on.

Religious discussions should not be avoided in myLot but discussion posters should avoid topics like: which is the best religion of all; or discussions criticizing religions other than theirs, but instead more on what their religion have done for them to gain spiritual maturity.

If you don't want people to give you negative ratings then you should avoid religious discussions. You might even get some stalkers if your beliefs do not agree with theirs.

I think it's fantastic that there are religious discussions here on mylot. What is a shame is when people get so carried away with their own beliefs, and cannot see and respect the beliefs of others, that they try to impose their beliefs on others instead. To me, that is just plain wrong. Discussion is one thing, and is an important tool in learning about your own religion and others' religions. It's the fanatics that make it hard to read. For the christian fanatics out there that do this, I would like to remind you of the golden rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". If some of those fanatics could keep that basic principle in mind, there would be a lot more information shared, and less mud-slinging.

You just have to learn not to let them get to you. People here are pretty much just like dealing with people we work with and interact with every day. They gossip, they back stab they thrive on drama and attention. Some are very kind, some aren't nice at all to anyone. People are always going to voice their opinion, some are better at it than others. I was also taught not to talk about religion or politics. About the only things left to talk about is someone else, yourself and/or the weather. If I can't talk about religion or politics I don't want to be here. You can only take so many "WHATS UR FAVORITE COLUR" conversations, though they do raise your little star a bit. I'm not about to air my dirty laundry, there isn't enough bandwidth for that. So I guess you have to get used to it, it's not going to go away. It's too bad you can't just make the person that irritates you go away isn't it?

I have nothing against religious discussions. I think it is a very informative discussion. I am a wiccan and may be different in religion with you. I am still a Christian though and am still close with my friend up there...Sometimes people just don't react kindly to some discussions in here as I have noticed..Some seem to be very rude..This is a place wherein you can discuss anything..If people don't like the topic they should just not respond to it rather than respond and be rude. It's not very nice. Discuss away sister. I believe you can do more good in here to start with. :)

Heh, I love to talk about religion on mylot. And the reason is exactly because you CAN always just stop going to that discussion if you're getting annoyed with it. I've even stopped responding to specific posters on my own discussions about religion once I realized they were going to be rude instead of discussing, and it works well for me... after one or two comments that I don't reply to, people usually give up. So unless someone else jumps in and stirs things up, religious arguments are much easier to walk away from online than offline. In fact, I'd rather talk about religion on a forum than deal with someone coming to my door trying to get me to change religions. Since I have non-mainstream religious beliefs, I have a lot of problems finding people to talk to about religion offline, so I like having a wider community online where there are going to a lot of different views. I do have a few rules about my religious discussions though. I don't start discussions that attack other people's religious beliefs, only ones that talk about my own or that ask respectful questions. I don't intentionally try to offend anyone, and I typically just ignore the people who are offended by the very fact that my beliefs are different from their own.

As it has been stated in other responses, I think it is enough to point out that no one is obligated to participate in any of the discussions here. I also agree with you when you say, as it is written, that you should not attempt to pressure your views on others, as this leads to hurt feelings and frequently causes minds to snap shut; but by all means at least offer up what you have learned. I am rather on the shy side in person, which makes it difficult for me to evangelize outside of church. I do occasionally manage to get into a religious discussion (I don't know enough about politics to discuss them, LOL) even face to face, but I find it even easier to express myself in writing than to do so orally. I attend a Presbyterian church, but tend to consider myself more of a general monotheist than a true Christian. While I lean toward the notion that the four gospels were genuine, sincere testimony, I must admit that I remain a "doubting Thomas" as to the incarnation of God. I don't outright presume, nor do I ever declare, that the Christ never walked the earth; I simply can't support it like I do the Creator when I debate biology, and share the "coincidences" I have seen and the detail that has gone into the answering of some of my prayers as my faith has grown. As it were, I don't claim to "believe" God is real. I say I "know" God is real; I have seen Him. I would like to say that I mean no offense toward you as a preacher, and would be more than happy to hear whatever you have to say about Jesus. While He purportedly said that those who believe upon seeing are still blessed, albeit less so than those who believe beforehand, I have never been satisfied with "blind faith," and have prayed to the Father for revelation. One thing I know, and part of my story of faith, is that God works through people every bit as much as He does through "magic tricks." I started attending church when I was 14, and walked in blind faith for two years. I shared this with my first pastor, and asked if he could give me "proof." He told me to start praying to God, whether or not I believed in Him, and ask Him to reveal Himself to me. During my sophomore year in high school, I made friends with a Jehovah's Witness and his family, and subscribed to the Watchtower for awhile. It was here that I first read that the spontaneous generation of right-handed amino acids, and particularly the 90-100 proteins that would likely be necessary for the first single-celled organisms to sustain themselves, would have been a mathematical absurdity, no matter how many billions or even trillions of years were alloted for this "accident" to occur. As I went on, pondering the mysteries of the universe, I became more and more aware of just how fascinated I was with phenomena such as the symbiosis between organism and plant for the "breath of life," our most basic need. I was fascinated with the mirrored symmetry of most forms of modern life, as well as the five senses (especially the complexity of the instruments which support them), the ability of humans to communicate with vocabularies of thousands of words (up to 25,000 words among the most elite scholars), the ability and instinct to procreate, and the sense of affection between mammals and a few other life forms. Sometime around age sixteen, I came to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that my prolonged dwelling in the mysterium tremendum et fascinans had transformed me forever. While I do "fear" God, in the sense that I respect Him as my Maker and my Master, and also know full well that I would choose earthly suffering any day of the week over the terrible power of His wrath; I now find myself "comfortable" with the supernatural forces around me, and would be among the last to panic in the presence of a ghost. Since the climax of my numinous experience, I have seen the most peculiar things happen. I have been snubbed or otherwise brushed aside by others, then privileged with the opportunity to amaze them with an act of compassion and/or forgiveness as soon as the very next day. In one such instance, I was shrugged off when I tried to greet a friend with a hug one Friday, then woke up six hours prior to my routine the following Saturday, got groomed and dressed, and went for a walk to "nowhere in particular," only to end up in a parking lot where I found her father's MasterCard lying on the asphalt. I have "heard" what I believe to be the voice of God, coming to me as a sudden urge to do something or go somewhere, later to find out that I had arrived in the nick of time. I cut my left hand halfway off with a radial arm saw at work on the night of December 30, 2003. I spent the next two years fighting a Worker's Comp case, also spending a year to a year-and-a-half of that period in Occupational Therapy. I had to get rides to and from the clinic three days a week for 1-hour sessions during the first six months, then five days a week for 2-hour sessions afterward until I had recovered to the fullest extent possible. I was getting rides to the clinic from a neighbor who left his house at a coinciding time for engagements of his own, who had made it clear that he could not wait for me if I was ever running late. As I recall, this started to happen at least twice or thrice in the beginning, when I was still a good deal disoriented from the trauma, until a powerful "urge" told me it was time to leave NOW. Each time, I dropped everything and ran to his house, to find him just pulling out of the driveway. I have interceded desperately for a friend 3,000 miles away who was engaged to and six weeks pregnant with the child of an idling batterer, who had just violated his probation and was serving what had previously been described as 3-4 years in state prison. My friend was both reluctant to abandon him and petrified of what would happen if she tried. But in less than two weeks, she was hit by a pickup and the fetus killed. Her finance was suddenly released with an order from the judge to move in with his father and enroll in classes. When he returned momentarily to the apartment they'd been sharing, a "calmness" (as she describes it) overtook the both of them. She stood tall and told him that too many circumstances had suddenly emerged between them, and also that a long-distance intimacy was out of the question. Rather than backhanding her, making threats, and reminding her that she had promised him "forever" (I had told her that it's not "forever" until they walk down the aisle and exchange vows), he hung his head and agreed. These things, and plenty more, have happened since I came to know my Creator. While my initial "awakening" was of the educational variety, it is my contact with the otherworldly that sustains and strengthens my faith. But I am not one ever to forget how and where it all began. To this day, I still credit my good fortune in large part to every influence I encountered in my path to faith. In my mind, every chance a person has to know/hear of God is a step closer to Him. Never should one's belief be forced upon another, but I do believe that you and I are charged to see the opportunity to share what we know, and to take it. "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required." (Luke 12:48) What say you? -santuccie P.S.: Laughing at dumb jokes is still good for your health!!!

I don't think that a certain subject shouldn't be talked about. I think that whatever a person is thinking or feeling should be discussed. Even if it's religion although, I will agree, that it tends to cause a lot of fighting. I think that if a person posts about a certain religion, that those who disagree should either do it in a respectable manner or avoid the topic altogether. Just because a person is a Christian doesn't make them wrong or bad. Same with Buddhists, Muslims, Atheists, Agnostics, etc. Any of these different sects...They each have the right to believe in whatever they want and just because they have faith in a certain belief does not make them wrong. Same with certain lifestyles, while living a homosexual lifestyle is frowned upon by certain religions, honestly, it is there business and their choice and not anyone's place to judge them. So if we disagree with that topic, I don't see why someone can't say "I disagree" without trying to start a fight about it? If a person DOES disagree, the person who started the post should realize that there are people out there who are going to disagree and instead of getting mad when someone doesn't see their point of view, respect the fact that each person is unique in their way of thinking and instead of fighting with someone for disagreeing, appreciate their differences. I think that's the way it should be. But of course, we are not living among a Utopian world so I guess this is never how it will be. More often than not I see people who are willing to dig their talons into another just because they have different beliefs. It honestly breaks my heart to see. Who cares if someone doesn't agree with how I feel or how I think? Isn't it their right? This is supposed to be a free country. Too bad we can't all just be civil on the matter when we are disagreeing with each other. That's the way I feel about it. Have a good day.

I think our freedoms in life are very important and the freedom of speech is one of the most important. Therefor I think all topics should be discussed. On the other hand I do try and avoid the topic in mylot as I find that when mentioning I'm an atheist people seem to pity me and all they want to do is pray for me. That gets the hair on the back of my neck up. Then I spew forth horrible things and everyone feels bad so I try and avoid the topic. To each there own....

Hi Sissy i do agree with u and i have been told to avouid Relegious and Politic Discussion in public places as these are about Faith and Believes and people Stuck with them If u want to preach some thing, it should be gradual and smoother and by not irritating and hurting others So i would say we should avoid such discuusion in Public as well as on Public Forums like myLOT take care

hey all~ i don't think it is inappropriate to discuss religion on a public forum. i don't think it's much different then speaking about it going door to door...or where ever it can be done politely. i do think though, that more people should be polite about how they do it....i think if they can't be polite about it, then they should keep there mouths shut, we're here to discuss stuff, not to prove or disprove. (in fact i've see the political discussions as more harsh then the religious ones) great question though...i think it's kewl you draw lines....and since we all have different views, i can say that i honestly do respect your reasoning as to why :) cheers ~j

Well i think as long as people don't make offensive remarks about other people relious it is ok to discuss it out here yea

I think that it gets out of hand often. Sometimes people take things personally. Then it can get ugly. As to avoidance, I don't know what to say really. One person's button is varied from the next so it can get weird at best. I like to take the stance of be considerate and if it gets weird avoid the person so they aren't more upset.

Shouldn't be avoided... If you are religion person, you should participate and discuss about it, not arguing about it. I think only atheist should avoid the religion discussion because they thought just don't fits with any religion at all. If you are secular individual, then you should avoid it too. For me there's nothing wrong with people seeking truth via discussion in mylot. To go door to door is rather conventional, we have better way of communication today, so go for it. regards

I myself enjoy discussing religion though I am told to avoid it by many. I think it can be very interesting learning what other people believe and how they think. I do think that it can and will cause arguments and is not meant to sway people to believe one thing or another. But it is great for people who want to learn and enjoy listening to people's opinions and expressions of beliefs. :)

mam preacher; Discussions cannot be avoided, its the reality just accept it. Even from the times of Moese to phropeths and even upto the time of Christ and the Apostles. They never, skipped any discussions about their faith/religion. If you have read already it is in the bible written in many verses; Christ discuss or even debate to Jews and Pharisees, about the teachings and doctrines, and even upto extent that Christ sued by the Jews and became one of reason why He was nailed to Cross. Even the Apostles engage in discussion/debate, defending the right Faith and teachings of Christ. Acts. 19:17 Act. 9:28 Ecclesiastes 7:27 "Behold, this have I found, saith the preacher, counting one by one, to find out the account:" ----we try to account everyones anwers to any queries, questions and discussions reagarding faith. In order to account whos telling the truth or not. rememer this mam, that the Word of God which is Truth, the more the liar tries to pretend his telling the truth The More the Word of God/Truth excels and standout among lies. So let us not stop the discussions and let the burning flame of Truth light upon to all of us, who wanted the truth. One thing important to you mam, as a preacher, you should always remember this verse: 1 Peter 3:15 "...and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meeknes and fear:" ----if your concern was really to propagate the true undefilled gospel of Christ, then the most effective medium is here (on the net). Against what you are doing Door to Door, you can reach more people here, even on the other side of the Globe. If your concern was really to spread the word of God. Im not agaist your dodr-to-door thing. But how can you fulfill the commandment of Christ in: Matthew 28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,...... Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you...." Now, tell me can your door-to-door fulfill this verse? can this verse applied to you/sect? Im just asking not bebating with you mam, just openup your understanding a little more wider and you will clearly see what Im trying to point out to you. LAST WORDS: 2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." ----I wish and prayed that all of us whom seek God righteousness would attain therighteuosness that God wants as to be. If you want to contact me personnaly not here on MyLot, feel free to email me: alter.mail.insensatez@gmail.com insensatez_nov131998@yahoo.com Thank You! God Bless

No i don't think they should be avoided at all - religion is something taht a lot of people feel strongly about - and the best debates come about when there's passion in it.