The Person Above You (Ver. 2) Options

[Docs Fox]

^ While it is great to be up-front about you're beliefs, sometimes it is better to be cautious. Not because I get offended but because I tend to upset others with what is probably too blunt for others to bare.

[Shirotatsu]

^Has said something that's true as well, for all of us.

[Itena]

^ I agree with you.

What I think is that we need to have a line between telling others of your beliefs and trying to tell them that they HAVE to believe that way. I think there's been a lot of the latter in history, so everyone has become too cautious.

Actually, in my religion, we are supposed to teach our faith to others; not to convert them mind you, but to spread it. Um, that's not exactly the best way to explain it, but if you want a full explanation, it would take a while to type that up. But the thing is, we're supposed to teach to the "receptive" people. And we also encourage individual investigation of the truth. I was born in my religion, but I was still told to go and research other religions and really think about it before staying with my faith.

One way we teach our faith is actually to just act in the way we are supposed to; we don't just rant about it all the time. (i.e. practice our virtues and good qualities, be kind to others, etc.)

[Shirotatsu]

^Was given the opportunity to see the workings of other faiths. The opportunity was given to me in a way through a course during my last year of high school.

The best way to spread and show one's faith as they teach it to us to it act in the way that Jesus would have us act/the way that Jesus acted. There are different levels of spreading the Word and this is the way that most people in Catholicism are called to, since it's not everyone's job to go out of their way to talk to people about their faith. It's a passive, and yet equally active method. The goal is to bring people to God and to Jesus by showing them the love and compassion and other Jesus qualities through our own way of life.

Despite the Church's early history, forceful conversion, no forceful anything, is not the way to go.

[Itena]

^Has some very good points.

Speaking of faiths, do you believe that the religions of God are all different? One of main things that my religion teaches are that "All Religions of God are One". This is basically because we believe that religion is evolutionary. Every religion is a stage, and is perfect for that time. Think about it like the grades in school, or like opening a door. Each messenger/prophet opens the door wider and wider. And because of this, my faith believes in Krishna, Zoroaster(sp?), Abraham, Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Muhammad, etc.

[Shirotatsu]

^Is a member of a faith that I was never aware of.

And my description vaguely answers "Yes, I believe that the world's religions are different."

[Itena]

^I see.

Did I already say what my faith was? *reads previous posts* Hmm, I don't think I ever put it up.

To just put out there; I am a follower of the Bah?'i Faith. It's an internationally recognized independent religion (it's recognized by most politicians, the United Nations, and the world leaders of today). The reason why you probably haven't heard of it is because it is around 150 years old. It is basically the newest religion at the moment, and the second fastest-growing; Christianity being the fastest. I do warn you ahead of time to not google the Bah?'i Faith, since there are a few websites with some anti-Bah?'i propaganda spreading many falsehoods about the religion; creating a lot of problems. Wikipedia, however, is quite accurate. ^^
And of course, you can always ask me about it.

[Shiidou Hikaru]

^ Is part of a faith that I've heard of but I don't know all that much about. It's true that that there is only one God, so I've always viewed other faiths as just being different not wrong. It's like different people taking different paths to reach the same place.

[Itena]

^Oh really?

Actually, I've been finding more people who have heard of my religion in the recent years; though the majority of people I talk to still don't know what it's about.

[Shirotatsu]

^The first to introduce me to some beliefs of the religion.

I'm one of those majority then. First of all, having browsed the religion section of bookstores and libraries a number of times, I've heard of Bah?'i. Not only that, there is at least one Bah?'i religious club at my university...but despite having come across the word I had no idea of even its most basic beliefs.

[Itena]

^Yes, majority's fine. (what a weird thing to say o.O;;)

Mmm, well I know I had told you what the faith is about, but if I can get even more straightforward(though you probably get it already), then this would be my explanation...

The Bah?'i Faith believes that...

"Humanity is like One Family",
"The World is like One Country",
"All Religions of God are one",
and "There is only One God".

To be a Bah?'i simply means to love all The World, to love Humanity and try to serve it; to work for Universal Peace and Universal Brotherhood.

[Shirotatsu]

^Has given a simpler explanation that I think illuminates much.

[Itena]

^ Often the simplest explanations are the most straightforward.

[Docs Fox]

^ likes candy

[Itena]

^ Must also like candy.

*GASP* How did you know?!!!

[Docs Fox]

^ I'm psycho...errr psychic

[Itena]

^Is psycho.

Psycho Foxy-kun. <3

[Docs Fox]

^ Likes crazy foxies. o.o

[Itena]

^ o.o I'd be scared of a real mentally ill fox...

[Docs Fox]

^ A high school student.