BBC White series, White girl. Your thoughts.

[Paulottie]

I too was a committed Christian for a while, when I was at school. Eventually I realised that It wasn't important to me whether Jesus, was who he said he was, or if he actually rose up from the dead. If anything, I began to believe that God is within us all, we are all the children of God, God as our love and conscience maybe? I have actually read most of the Bible in my time and I think there are many good guides for life there. But I fail to see that other religion texts contain any less valid moralities. Ultimately, you feel better if you do good in this life.

That's not good enough for Christians or Muslims though, that's just philosophy thus heresy. It is really this insecurity that leads to extremism, fanaticism and ultimately war. Why should it threaten anybody if someone disagrees with them?

I now support our village church: Firstly because these things are the fabric of our society, (but I go to the pub and play cricket for the same reasons.) Secondly, because I wouldn't dream of influencing my children's decision. I can only offer them the opportunity to choose for themselves. I afford that right to any reasonable soul on the planetr

I don't mean to be patronising at all, I merely mean that when you see (eg)the awesome beauty of nature or the complete futility of a child's death from cancer it is difficult to imagine the is no masterplan or controlling influence. My problems with it all lie in the fact there is no evidence of divine influence or any sort of life after death. It is very tempting to bestow mankind existence with this validation in times of grief and danger.

I also see that some people have such a great soul that they continue to influence the world after they die....SMELL THE COFFEE! this is it, make the most of it. Hell was just a way of frightening simple people into towing the line in the middle ages.....I also refer you to Marx's contention that religion is the opiate of the people.

I am sorry if you find that condescending in some way, but then you will be able to smugly enjoy being right for all eternity while I burn in Hades.

[Paulottie]

I watched this programme (first of the series I've seen). Yes, it was hugely disturbing and I felt so much for that poor child. Sadly it is common in society for children in "disfunctional" families to feel that they have nowhere to turn. As I see it the neighbours offered her food, shelter and companionship and the comfort she so desperately needed. I think that if they had been Catholic she would have been drawn to that religion (or whatever religion the neighbours held). I think the programme makers picked Islam because it is controversial and they assumed it would attract viewers. We all need some source of comfort (for me it is my family and my gardening).

A good point, well made.

[Rocketron]

Well that depends on the religion....! As a Christian, I would say God, although the 'religion' wasn't His gift, His son was....

The thing is though, by saying you're willing to "accept that mankind's need to believe that is is something more to it all, and explain the imponderables", you're being a little patronising? I don't have a need to believe, etc., I DO believe in God & creation and all the rest of it!
I could say that "I accept that some of mankind are desperate to prove that there is no God, to assuage their guilt at not keeping to any of the rules He set down for us to live by"
But I won't.

Sorry Paul, not trying to wind you up really.

This may be considered "off topic", but I would like to know how someone who is a keen gardener with all the genetic mutations(mostly man-made), Hybridisation, etc. can make a statement like that.I'm not trying cause a row, I would really like to know.

[Paulottie]

So if Dogs were bred from wolves... would that preclude anyone who had one from faith too?

[NOG]

I loved the piece about the series on Radio 4.....

Its a series about the "forgotten white working class" so they have a Muslim Unerviersity professor and a African man who went straigt on to the "all white people are BNP".....

If you have listended to Radio 4 now on a Sunday you will find the contunity announcer is also West Indian.....

He may have been the best bloke for the job but I think its....too many whites listen to that station lets sort it.

[nick the grief]

.... I think that if they had been Catholic she would have been drawn to that religion (or whatever religion the neighbours held). I....

Not necessarily, Mrs G's cousin trained for a time to be a Catholic priest but had to give it up as his mum died and his dad couldn't afford to keep him at college. He is still ( I think) a fairly devout catholic and his wife and kids were the same. About 6 years ago his eldest son announced that he had changed his name to Bilal Mohammed and had become a Muslim - you would think it would cause a real rift in that family but if anything it has brought them together as Terry realised that Liam had found his own beliefs and whilst not the same as his he was happy for him. The only real problem came when he announced he was moving to Nepal for a couple of years!

I agree with Piglet that all the trouble are done in the Name of religion and when you study most of them they are all very similar anyway ( Jesus and Abraham are profits in Islam )

Serious Grief has now left the building

[nick the grief]

So if Dogs were bred from wolves... would that preclude anyone who had one from faith too?

If you were a West Bromwich Albion fan it would

[gardenplot]

Religion the biggest cause of the worlds problems.
I don't care what religion a person has as long as they don't force it on me or inflict it on others who are not interested.

I agree wth you

[MrsC]

Religion the biggest cause of the worlds problems.
I don't care what religion a person has as long as they don't force it on me or inflict it on others who are not interested.

well said I agree, isn't that very topic causing this heated debate now

[beefy]

Coming from Northern Ireland I think I can comment on this-

Religion the biggest cause of the worlds problems.
I don't care what religion a person has as long as they don't force it on me or inflict it on others who are not interested.

Well said BW. All I would add to this is - What any person does for two hours on their religious day is entirely their own business and no one elses . And if we all started to say hello to strangers how much better would the world be. I am constantly suprised by peoples reactions at the weekend when I'm on my travells as most don't/ won't /don't know how to hold a civilised conversation with you.When you say please /thank you /hold a door for someone they don't seem to know how to respond to it at all.
Is it to much to say hello or thank you?

Gets down off soap box and goes back behind the sofa.

[pigletwillie]

This may be considered "off topic", but I would like to know how someone who is a keen gardener with all the genetic mutations(mostly man-made), Hybridisation, etc. can make a statement like that.I'm not trying cause a row, I would really like to know.

Please tell me where in the Bible, Koran or the Torah where it says that the life endemic to earth cannot evolve or mutate? Of course life on earth changes, just as the earth has. Without wishing to be argumentative, please dont try to get 40000 year old text to fit into our "take" on life without a bit of understanding of it.

Dialogue and interaction are the key words in all this, what you understand your not scared of, and what your not scared of your more likely to tolerate and accept.

[HeyWayne]

Personally I don't believe in any religion per se, but I do respect others beliefs and their choices.

I disagree that religion is the biggest cause of the worlds problems - human beans are the biggest cause of the worlds problems, as it's often misinterpretation of a religion and it's beliefs/teachings that often lead to arguments and in some cases, war.

Lack of understanding is the biggest cause of the worlds problems.

[Paulottie]

Please tell me where in the Bible it says that the life endemic to earth cannot evolve or mutate? Of course life on earth changes, just as the earth has.

Genesis maybe PW, Darwin was most definitely considered a heretic in his day, with cartoons lampooning him as a monkey etc.

Theology is all about interpretation isn't it?

[mapcr77]

I disagree that religion is the biggest cause of the worlds problems - human beans are the biggest cause of the worlds problems,

Do you mean when Mr. Mapcr has beans for dinner? That certainly is a cause of much problems!!

[SarzWix]

I too was a committed Christian for a while, when I was at school. Eventually I realised that It wasn't important to me whether Jesus, was who he said he was, or if he actually rose up from the dead. If anything, I began to believe that God is within us all, we are all the children of God, God as our love and conscience maybe? I have actually read most of the Bible in my time and I think there are many good guides for life there. But I fail to see that other religion texts contain any less valid moralities. Ultimately, you feel better if you do good in this life.

Sounds like we may be on the same side of the fence then Paulottie, give or take some minor details I was brought up in a slightly bonkers religion (anyone heard of Armstrongism...?Armstrongism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) and left home & the church at the age of 17, determined that I was never having anything to do with religion ever again. But as I got older, I realised that actually I did believe a lot of what I'd read, just not their absolute "WE ARE THE ONLY TRUE CHURCH" nonsense. I base my 'religiousness' these days on C.S. Lewis - it doesn't matter who's name you do it in, if you do good, it's good & if you do bad, it's bad. I still think I'm a Christian though, as it's God & Christ that I believe in.
I don't force it on the kids though - my eldest son is a Dawinist & wants to explain everything with science, the younger 2 haven't made up their minds yet - they know what I think, but they'll decide for themselves.