Religious Acceptance | Teen Ink

Religious Acceptance

July 5, 2010
By Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
"il piu nell' uno," (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality" ~Emily Dickinson

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain"
~Kahlil Gibran


I think that for many people, it is a natural instinct to condemn the people that do not belong to their group and its way of thinking. To say, ‘if you do not believe what we believe, worship as we worship, and follow what we are following, then you do not belong to what is right.’ It is a sad way to affirm that what you believe in is true and the only truth. Being a Christian, I’m afraid to say that we hold great fault when it comes to accepting other religions. Many Christians think that if you don’t follow Jesus, then you will end up in Hell, a though which seems to me to be very flawed.

My view of acceptance is very different from my view of tolerance. Tolerating something, to me, indicates that there is something that must be put up with. Accepting something is greeting it with open arms. It would be something if the arguing religions found a way to tolerate each other. However, it would be so much more to understand and embrace each other. We must recognize than no one is completely right or completely wrong about death, life, and God. Let’s stop excluding the spiritual stranger and be able to learn something from them.

The key to this policy of open arms is to recognize that God is infinitely bigger than one faith, one religion. God is too complex for us to know all about him, so no one can decide who he acknowledges as his ‘chosen people.’ Even though I’m a Christian, I whole-heartedly believe that God loves, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, agnostics, the nonreligious, and so on. He loves them and accepts them into heaven after death.

My grandmother once told me that the spiritual journey is like a cluster of paths. Some are longer and more difficult to walk than others, but they all lead to the same place. Everybody forges their own paths; the paths sometimes cross, join, and wind in different directions. Each soul makes its own journey, sometimes inadvertently. Each soul finds its way to God. It is not a certain religion that leads us quickest to him, but faith in what we believe in and devotion to it. Most of all, it is following what God stands for even if you don’t know that it is him that you are following. The quickest path to God is standing for love, compassion, kindness, purity, etc. God is too caring to choose one group of people over another. So the least we can do is follow in his footsteps and love one another, even if are beliefs are different.


The author's comments:
I hope that I don't offend anyone with this article. I also hope that this will aid your acceptance of different faiths.

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This article has 65 comments.


on Aug. 8 2011 at 5:54 pm
savetheplanet PLATINUM, Anaheim, California
45 articles 9 photos 564 comments

Favorite Quote:
It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.

Thesilentraven:

 

Thank you so much for writing this article.  It's helped strengthen what I've always known.  I especially liked the last paragraph.  I'm a Catholic and I share your views wholeheartedly.  I feel sad when Christians are so blind to others.  Once I mentioned to my parents how I felt and they were horrified.  I was very depressed and confused.  I'm not confused anymore.


on Aug. 8 2011 at 5:46 pm
Destinee BRONZE, Oakville, Other
3 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
Blegh. - Abraham Lincoln

Oh dear, was I that obvious? Not very judicious of me. :)

I read your comment! Hurrah! I flatter myself in supposing that I had something to do with it. 

on Aug. 8 2011 at 5:39 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
"il piu nell' uno," (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality" ~Emily Dickinson

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain"
~Kahlil Gibran

Hey, I just read that forum when I looked into the philosophy and thought forum. I loved your response, I could almost see you rolling your eyes. :)

on Aug. 8 2011 at 4:36 pm
Destinee BRONZE, Oakville, Other
3 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
Blegh. - Abraham Lincoln

...My reply was censored....I'm just going to post a make up reply. Sorry if it shows up twice. 

Oh, so the Bi.ble isn't divinely inspired? GOTCHA. I think I like your way of thinking, mon ami. :)

And dude, hang out at the forums more! Everyone will love you!!! :) 

on Aug. 8 2011 at 4:35 pm
Destinee BRONZE, Oakville, Other
3 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
Blegh. - Abraham Lincoln

Ohhh, right, it's not divinely inspired. GOT IT. :) 

Dude, it's weird talking to different types of Christians. You guys seem to differ on basic points of doctrine, haha. :) S'okay, I think I like your way of thinking. 

And dude, hang out at the forums more often! Everyone will love you! (Especially me. I asked a Christian to pray that I'd get to Heaven, and she's like, "Oh, if you accept Je.sus you will!". I was like, "Uhh..thanks dude." So yeah, I think you'll be a breath of fresh air.)

on Aug. 8 2011 at 12:04 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
"il piu nell' uno," (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality" ~Emily Dickinson

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain"
~Kahlil Gibran

That's weird.

Hmm. Not exactly. Only that the Bible is a lot more complicated than it is thought to be, what with metaphors and the like. I do think, however, that since the Bible is written by man (and man is flawed), that the Bible isn't perfect.


on Aug. 7 2011 at 4:31 pm
Destinee BRONZE, Oakville, Other
3 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
Blegh. - Abraham Lincoln

Oh, I think your reply was only just uncensored. Hm. 

Okay...so the Bi.ble's wrong then? :)

And I do disagree. I think some of us are going to H.ell, and it frightens the beejeebies outta me. Sometimes a little fear ain't all that bad. :P

Aderes47 GOLD said...
on Jul. 23 2011 at 12:53 pm
Aderes47 GOLD, Cambridge, Massachusetts
11 articles 0 photos 897 comments

Favorite Quote:
You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.
Henry Drummond

Thank you! That pleases me! :)

on Jul. 23 2011 at 10:58 am
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
"il piu nell' uno," (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality" ~Emily Dickinson

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain"
~Kahlil Gibran

Hooray! The Raven loves to come across accepting and loving people such as you. And I think it's wonderful what you said about Muslims, I just which conservatives would recognize that. Most Muslims, it seems, are more respectful of other faiths than Christians are.

Aderes47 GOLD said...
on Jul. 23 2011 at 1:42 am
Aderes47 GOLD, Cambridge, Massachusetts
11 articles 0 photos 897 comments

Favorite Quote:
You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.
Henry Drummond

I just love that! Amen! :)

Being a Bostonian and being         bi-racial and not sticking to one clique and travelling around the world, every day I see people of different religions and cultures from around the world. And also I am a Muslim and although many people don't think so, we are a warm, accepting people.

It's the way I've grown up-I accept everyone and make friends with anyone :)

Also, one of the things I really like about my religion is that Muslims around the world are very friendly with each other. I can go to any part of the world and even though I might look different, I'll still be accepted.

Also, Muslims respect other religions because we believe that Christrianity, Judaism and Islam all come from the same place.


on Jul. 22 2011 at 4:49 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
"il piu nell' uno," (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality" ~Emily Dickinson

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain"
~Kahlil Gibran

I can't pretend to understand it completely; I only believe that God wouldn't send people to Hell. Does that clarify at all, Destinee? :)

on Jul. 22 2011 at 4:48 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
"il piu nell' uno," (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality" ~Emily Dickinson

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain"
~Kahlil Gibran

I believe it's because God was willing to send part of himself through a terrible fate in order to show humanity that He knows our pain, and that He'll help us through it (by his resurrection).

on Jul. 22 2011 at 4:46 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
"il piu nell' uno," (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality" ~Emily Dickinson

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain"
~Kahlil Gibran

I never said I have the authority to save myself, friend. I do have the authority to say who I follow, and I follow Jesus; therefore, I am a Christian. Again, I never said that God is a bystander, but I know that He gives us free will. I am using my free will to say that I follow Christ.

on Jul. 22 2011 at 4:44 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
"il piu nell' uno," (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality" ~Emily Dickinson

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain"
~Kahlil Gibran

It is salvation, of a sort. I believe that Jesus was willing to be crucified because God was determined to go through a terrible fate and re-emerge whole. It shows us that He fully understand our pain and will help us through it. This sheds great light for all of humanity, even those who do not know it. I can't pretend to understand it completely, though. I only believe that God would not send anyone to Hell.

on Jul. 19 2011 at 12:14 am
Destinee BRONZE, Oakville, Other
3 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
Blegh. - Abraham Lincoln

I understand what you're saying, and to a certain extent I agree with you. My question is what you think the point of J.esus' death was, if he is not necessary for salvation.

on Jul. 17 2011 at 7:07 pm
'You' dont have the authority to save yourself. I you did, you'd be God. You aren't a christian by saying 'Im a christian'. That makes God nothing but a bystander.

on Jul. 10 2011 at 6:56 pm
Thesilentraven PLATINUM, Mableton, Georgia
40 articles 2 photos 1632 comments

Favorite Quote:
"il piu nell' uno," (according to Emerson, an Italian expression for beauty)

"Unable are the loved to die, for love is immortality" ~Emily Dickinson

"The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain"
~Kahlil Gibran

Much of the Bible is contradictory.

I am a Christian. I am so because I say so.


on Jun. 27 2011 at 5:09 pm
What do you have to say about R.omans 3:23 and J.ohn 3:16-18? These verses are contradicting what you just said. I don't think your a ch.ristian because of this... unless you can explain yourself. I, myself, am an at.hiest.

on Jun. 27 2011 at 4:58 pm
What do you have to say about the verse Romans 3:23? And John 3:16-18? These verses are contradicting what you just said! I don't beleive your a christian because christians beleive the Bible, you dont!!

on Jun. 5 2011 at 1:12 am
Contemplator SILVER, Lake Park, Minnesota
5 articles 0 photos 67 comments

Favorite Quote:
There is a rainbow in your mouth! Open it up and show the world.
This is just like ice cream without the cream.
I'm as stiff as a dried out twig in the middle of winter.
Who lit the forest fire; the match, or the man holding the match?

I like how straight forward this article is. But I find it sad that a christian would neglect the Bible so much.