Lady Valkyrie,
I may be wrong, but I think Aimee was saying that some people see/think Wicca is satanic. I don't think she meant she believes it is. If she does believe that it is satanic then she is wrong.

<!--QuoteBegin-knifer+11-17-2003 10:36 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (knifer @ 11-17-2003 10:36 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->I find it amusing, LV, that you demand that your views be respected, but you are unable to do the same for others.

Here are the hard facts - you are WRONG.

Hard to accept after so many years of self-indulgent pseudo-religion, but try really really hard.......[/b][/quote]

How is LV being intolerant to other's views? I see nothing wrong with her posts so far. She even says that she believes we can find our way to our higher power through all/many faiths. I think you may want to start something simply because she believes in a faith that bothers you because of not completely understanding it.

Read your posts and then hers and find out who is being more accepting or respectful.

<!--QuoteBegin-Lady Valkyrie+11-15-2003 11:43 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Lady Valkyrie @ 11-15-2003 11:43 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> For my choice in faith states that ALL religious paths lead to The One Divine.
[/b][/quote]
Strangely enough, if you study world religions, all the big religions are so incredibly alike, it's scary.

Islam, arguably(I think it's true) they worship the same God as the Christian God.

Hindu, a bit different, but so much similar. The big difference in which some Christians call blasphemous is that Hindus believe Vishnu(can be interpreted as Jesus) is part of us. Interpreted as Christians as every person is part-God. Both sides have a case, but if you are a Calvanist, you might be inclined to take side with Hindus.

And the big overlying principle is that all the religions have basically the same teachings but with different encapsulations. Yea, Muslims get bad press about all of their exteme beliefs, but Christians have that same little group.

To stake claim that one religion is right and the others are wrong is completely ignorant. I know I know, you feel it in your heart that you are right... ask a Muslim/Wiccan/Hindu/Buddhist... what do you think they are going to say??? The key is tolerance.

Exactly!

And what exactly is "tolerance"?

In our culture, tolerance has been exalted as the highest virtue to be embraced and pursued. It would appear that intolerance is our society’s greatest sin. The intolerant person is the one thing that cannot be tolerated, the one person who must be shamed or silenced.

What you are insisting on isn’t tolerance, but "forced neutrality," that is, not ever voicing disagreement or objection to anything.

For example, when a Christian looks at the increasing popularity of Buddhism in American culture, what does genuine tolerance look like? It’s Christians saying, "Well, we think the main ideas of Buddhism aren’t true because they are in conflict with the Christian faith, but we certainly affirm the right of Buddhists to practice their faith freely and without hindrance."

But the "forced neutrality" you speak of simply won’t accept that, but instead it insists that Christians say, "Well, you know, Buddhism is just as true and valid way to know God as any other religion is, including the Christian faith."

Tolerance, according to The American Heritage Dictionary is “the capacity for or practice of recognizing and respecting the opinions, practices, or behavior of others.”

When you talk about “tolerating” something, what generally comes to mind?

I think of things like brussel sprouts. Or blueberry pie.

I don’t like these, but I tolerate them if they’re offered to me.

I tolerate other people’s opinions about me, but that doesn’t mean that I agree or accept them at face value.

When you tolerate something, you’re putting up with something you don’t necessarily like.

But that’s not what you want, is it?. I have to not only respect or recognize a different opinion, practice, or behavior, but embrace and celebrate it as well to meet your definition of tolerance.

Tolerance does not mean acceptance, and it certainly does not mean celebration.

And if you tell me that I have no right to believe as I do, you are not being very tolerant, according to you own implied definition.

I don't believe in God... I have kind of my own faith.

<!--QuoteBegin-knifer+11-28-2003 05:17 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (knifer @ 11-28-2003 05:17 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> And what exactly is "tolerance"?

In our culture, tolerance has been exalted as the highest virtue to be embraced and pursued. It would appear that intolerance is our society’s greatest sin. The intolerant person is the one thing that cannot be tolerated, the one person who must be shamed or silenced.

What you are insisting on isn’t tolerance, but "forced neutrality," that is, not ever voicing disagreement or objection to anything.

For example, when a Christian looks at the increasing popularity of Buddhism in American culture, what does genuine tolerance look like? It’s Christians saying, "Well, we think the main ideas of Buddhism aren’t true because they are in conflict with the Christian faith, but we certainly affirm the right of Buddhists to practice their faith freely and without hindrance."

But the "forced neutrality" you speak of simply won’t accept that, but instead it insists that Christians say, "Well, you know, Buddhism is just as true and valid way to know God as any other religion is, including the Christian faith."

Tolerance, according to The American Heritage Dictionary is “the capacity for or practice of recognizing and respecting the opinions, practices, or behavior of others.”

When you talk about “tolerating” something, what generally comes to mind?

I think of things like brussel sprouts. Or blueberry pie.

I don’t like these, but I tolerate them if they’re offered to me.

I tolerate other people’s opinions about me, but that doesn’t mean that I agree or accept them at face value.

When you tolerate something, you’re putting up with something you don’t necessarily like.

But that’s not what you want, is it?. I have to not only respect or recognize a different opinion, practice, or behavior, but embrace and celebrate it as well to meet your definition of tolerance.

Tolerance does not mean acceptance, and it certainly does not mean celebration.

And if you tell me that I have no right to believe as I do, you are not being very tolerant, according to you own implied definition. [/b][/quote]
You are absolutely correct. I didn't mean to imply that you have to accept other peoples religious beliefs as the truth. What I was trying to say is that IMO... all the main religions are the same. And in my perfect world, I would love everyone to come to that conclusion and be willing to accept that there are different paths to God. But, on the same token, I know that isn't going to happen. So I will settle for respecting other peoples veiws.

"What you are insisting on isn’t tolerance, but "forced neutrality," that is, not ever voicing disagreement or objection to anything."

I would think that my big problem with that is that it seems people of any religion(not just Christianity) will try to voice their disagreements without the consent of the other party. That isn't tolerence. If I tell you, this is my belief, and you say "you are wrong... Jesus is the only way to God"... that isn't tolerence. I know you(not you in particular) might believe that, but it isn't necessary to tell that person unless that person requests that.

I'm not going to sit here and say I am unbiased towards all religions. I grew up a Christian so I tend to hold Christians to the highest standard and give them the hardest time. I have my reasons for doing so, but all and all, I have many incredible Christian friends of whom I don't understand why they believe the way they do, but it's their beliefs. I used to be one of them. I would encourage everyone to try to understand others beliefs though. Not accept, but understand... or at least try to understand.

<!--QuoteBegin-extreme_LITHIUM+11-28-2003 12:39 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (extreme_LITHIUM @ 11-28-2003 12:39 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> I don't believe in God... I have kind of my own faith. [/b][/quote]
yea me to,,,lol

How did I miss this debate? Damn. So at the risk of stirring up more crap, here I go. LadyV CHILL OUT! Once again, you have jumped to conclusions and put yourself of the defensive and made sure to point out how wrong and ignorant someone (me this time) is and how intelligent you are. It has only shown how un-intelligent you are and that you cannot even have a civil devate without putting your own emotions into it. As a matter of fact, I DID mean exactly what SSR has implied, that some people assume , wrongly, this religion is satanic. Duh. And not only that, but I have done my research about this very old religion and wanted to state the plain facts, not drag in all the other stuff about covens and what-not, because there's no reason to confuse people more when they're learning about something new. So, no, just because I did not WRITE those things down, does not mean I am not aware that they are true. It dissapoints me that, after all the times I have gotten your back, you do not give me the benefit of the doubt on this matter, and that you were so quick to point out what a "bigot" I am (implied, of course). I only regret that I was not there to defend myself when you said it.

AMEN GIRL!!!! :)