Religion Questions 111-120

THE QUESTION:
RE120: Why do members of some Christian churches seem to not care when informed their church performs gay weddings? Are these people aware that this practice is supposed to be against their faith, or do they not care?
POSTED DEC. 9, 1998
Elizabeth, Christian female, 22, St. Louis, MO
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THE QUESTION:
RE119: Do most religions still teach “Spare the rod, spoil the child” when it comes to discipline? Or have most Christians become “kinder and gentler” in that regard? What about other religions (Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, Hindu, Pagan, etc.)? What effects do you think this has had on the state of today’s youth?
POSTED DEC. 7, 1998
Jack, 28, agnostic, male, Irvine, CA

ANSWER 1:
Most pagan parents I know rarely or never spank their children. There is an oft-stated opinion (mostly among pagans who aren’t parents) that this does not result in enough discipline. While I am not entirely opposed to spanking in all circumstances, I think the root of the problem is that “inflicting pain” and “discipline” have been so confused. Spanking does not by itself develop good discipline, nor does discipline require spanking. But understanding and establishing discipline through other means seems to be too rarely grasped.
POSTED DEC. 11, 1998
Catherine H., ex-teacher, witch <tylik@eskimo.com>, Woodinville, WA

FURTHER NOTICE:
I’m not sure about all religions, but the Catholic Church, once famous for its in-school beatings, has completely backed off child violence. It seems that the emphasis is now on parental patience and self-dicipline. While a strict upbringing is still valued, value has also been placed on the ability of adults to deal with misbehavior in a non-corporal way.
POSTED DEC. 11, 1998
D.M.M., 24, white Catholic <donikam@hotmail.com>, Charleston, SC

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I think Christians have come to realize that this verse does not encourage child abuse/beating, but rather disciplining children. Discipline does not require corporal punishment, and in fact is most effective when very little is used. Sadly, I am aware that there are some fundamentalist groups that still use rods (or paddles, or branches) as part of their discipline, even in church schools. But for the most part, Christians have gotten away from the literal interpretation of that verse. I think in America that’s attributable to people like James Dobson, who have written books on parenting from a Christian perspective that teach disciplinary methods that do not rely on corporal punishment.
POSTED FEB. 16, 1999
Cathy, 29, Evangelical Christian <gwalchmai@tenforward.com>, WA
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THE QUESTION:
RE118: It seems to me as though the majority of atheists in the United States had a Catholic upbringing. Is this accurate, and if so, why?
DEC. 7, 1998
Mike S., 24, male, atheist <christDenied@yahoo.com>, Philadelphia, PA

ANSWER 1:
When I left the Catholic Church, I became an atheist. In retrospect, I believe I found so much wrong with the church that I even doubted the existence of God. Now I am agnostic.
POSTED DEC. 9, 1998
Nancy S., 44, ex-Catholic <ranebow@iname.com>, Butler, PA

FURTHER NOTICE:
Roman Catholics are the largest single religious group in the United States. Since most atheists were brought up in some religion, a large percentage (though not the majority, by any means) are bound to have been raised Catholic. I do not believe a disproportionate number of atheists are ex-Catholics, but I do believe a disproportionate percentage of the outspoken, vocal atheists are ex-Catholics. Why? Because a child raised in a liberal Protestant Church or in a Reform Jewish community had far less to rebel against. If a teenage Reform Jew or Unitarian suddenly concludes there is no God, he’ll simply drop out of his religion and forget about it, because it never made a deep impression on him, and never made any “oppressive” demands of him. But the Catholic Church (and the fundamentalist Protestant churches) make many demands of their followers, and make a huge impression on their members, both positively and negatively. Thus, an ex-Catholic atheist or an ex-Baptist atheist has much more resentment and anger against his former religion. An atheist ex-Catholic will continue ranting and raving against the Church decades after leaving, while an atheist ex-Episcoplian doesn’t even think about the church he left behind. That may give the impression there are more ex-Catholic atheists than there really are.
POSTED DEC. 9, 1998
Astorian, Irish-American Catholic male, 37 <Astorian@aol.com>, Austin , TX

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I am an athiest and don’t believe most were brought up Christian. I feel that most were kids who were either forced into the church setting and did not like it, or were kids who educated themselves about other religions and theories and chose what was most factual to them, not just because they were brought up Christian
POSTED DEC. 9, 1998
Rachel K., Daytona Beach , FL

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
I don’t know if the majority of atheists had a Catholic upbringing, but certainly their are many adults who were raised in Catholic households who now reject religion. I think the strictness of the Catholic faith often turns people off. I find it to be a religion that mandates a person to feel guilty for being human. I was sent to 12 years of Catholic school which I think made me resent organized religion. I do believe in God but I think religion is a private and personal matter between you and your God.
POSTED DEC. 9, 1998
Nicole, 22 <ngebhart@hotmail.com>, N.J.

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
While Catholicism certainly has its fair share of defectors, I can’t say that my experience as an athiest has been the same. Most of my athiest friends are either ex-Christian or ex-Jew. I think the key factor in relating the number of people rejecting a religion is how rigid and controlling the religion can become. It is not surprising that the autocratic control and hierarchal nature of the Catholic church would turn off more independent thinkers.
POSTED DEC. 9, 1998
J. Smith, 36, Caucasian, Louisville, KY

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
It is true for me. Maybe because I feel Catholicism is the least plausible of the religions floating around, and being forced into such a rigid, authoritarian system makes one reflect on it a little more than a looser, more welcoming faith.
POSTED DEC. 9, 1998
Lynda, 29, CT

FURTHER NOTICE 6:
To counter Lynda: I feel it is very uninformed to say that Catholicism is one of the least plausible religions to follow. All religions can be traced back to nearly the same time, regions (i.e. the Middle East) and the same basic beliefs (a main paternal god figure, prophets, icons, commandments … an endless list). Catholicism has many faults, and I would not dare try to argue otherwise, but as for being rigid and authoritarian, I feel Catholicism is the most forgiving, open and adaptable of religions. It may not be perfect, but to compare it to rigid religions such as Islam, Judaism, Hindu, etc., is laughable.
POSTED DEC. 21, 1998
Liam, 22 <Liam.Hanrahan@nuigalway.ie>, Ireland
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THE QUESTION:
RE117: It is my understanding that some Christian denominations teach that the wafer and the wine at communion are not merely a symbol of the body and blood of Jesus, but undergo a miracle called transubstantiation, in which they actually become the body and blood, etc., of Jesus. Do Christians who believe these teachings actually believe that if you took the wine and wafers to a lab and had them tested, the analysis would come back as human flesh and human blood? Wouldn’t that then be cannibalism? Or am I being too literal, and is it considered a spiritual, rather than physical, transformation?
POSTED DEC. 4, 1998
Marcia, Jewish female, NY, NY

ANSWER 1:
Having been raised Catholic, I can tell you that the Church teaches the transformed wafer and wine are treated as the actual body and blood of Christ. It is called transubstantiation, is particularly a Catholic doctrine and has been a bone of contention with Protestants for a long time. I don’t believe a laboratory analysis would reveal human tissue in the bread and wine; it is more of a spiritual transformation than a physical one. As for the issue of cannibalism, I have heard that point brought up by critics of my faith. The only response I can make is that, at the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples the bread and wine were his body and blood, and that they were to remember him whenever they broke the bread and drank the wine. The mass is basically a reenactment of the Last Supper, and therefore Catholics break bread and drink wine as the body and blood of Christ, and they do it in remembrance of him. I hope that helps explain your question.
POSTED DEC. 7, 1998
Stephen S., 31, Catholic/Episcopalian, San Antonio, TX
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THE QUESTION:
RE116: Why do Mormons have large families (four or more children) when most parents nowadays are having fewer children?
POSTED DEC. 4, 1998
J. Sin, 18, white male, GA

ANSWER 1:
Mormons have large families as part of their religion. Because of Biblical scripture (i.e. “Multiply and replenish the earth”), they do not believe that God condones the use of birth control. They also believe in a pre-existence where their family was formed, and that it would be a sin to stop having children before all the members of their family could be born. They believe that the children will stop coming when it is time. If you are interested in this aspect of the Mormon religion, they have a movie (and play) calledSaturday’s Warriors that does a very good job of expaining it.
POSTED DEC. 22, 1998
Amie, female, raised Mormon, 21 <socwomgirl@hotmail.com>, Las Vegas, NV

FURTHER NOTICE:
To Amie: Isn’t starvation due to overpopulation also against Mormon teachings? There are too many people in this world. People need to slack off on the breeding. Hunters use the logic that if deer and other animals are allowed to breed unchecked, they would run out of food and the others would die of starvation. Why do humans think they are exempt from this natural occurance? Look at Ethiopia and other starving countries. They keep popping out babies. If they would practice birth control, they would probably eventually have enough food to go around. China has the right answer: Limit families to one or two children. Better yet, reward those of us who choose not to breed.
POSTED FEB. 12, 1999
Sidna, child-free by choice, Fort Worth, TX
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THE QUESTION:
RE115: My father was a biology teacher. I learned a lot about evolution. I am a born-again Christian. Is it wrong that I believe that God allowed evolution? Is it a metaphor that Adam was created from dust? Could that mean that Man evolved from micro-organisms?
POSTED NOV. 30, 1998
Marc, 26, white male <roth.marcus@emeryworld.com>, Columbus, OH

ANSWER 1:
I also believe God allowed evolution, and that it is one of His greatest works. I believe the story of Creation in the Bible is indeed a metaphor. Both the Old and New Testaments contain many metaphors, allegories and parables, and the stories were written this way to explain things as complex as the creation of humanity to human minds that had not yet developed a scientific way of thinking. Maybe God did not reveal evolution to humans 5,000 years ago because they were not ready to understand such a concept. Or maybe He did, and the writers who took down the information He gave them expressed the ideas in words and language they knew their fellow humans could understand.
POSTED DEC. 1, 1998
Stephen S., 31, Catholic/Episcopalian <SAScheidt@aol.com>, San Antonio , TX
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THE QUESTION:
RE114: Jewish history is replete with Divine interaction. I’m curious what the Orthodox Jewish stance is on God in light of the last 2,000 years, with apparantly no clear interaction – no prophets or temple, or temple sacrifices.
POSTED NOV. 27. 1998
Dario, 33, Christian <ballpeen@mailexcite.com>, San Carlos, CA
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THE QUESTION:
RE113: I love my family, friends and neighbors. I live joyfully, honestly and peacefully. I am not a Christian. Do Protestant Christians believe I am going to hell? Does my choice of faith damn me regardless of my decency?
POSTED NOV. 23, 1998
M.P.B. <CISMPB@aol.com>, Medford, NJ

ANSWER 1:
I’m sorry, but according to the Bible, the only way you can reach heaven it believing in Jesus, and that he died for our sins. John 3:16: “And he so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever beleiveth in him shall not parish, but have everlasting life.” You can either be on Jesus’ side or the devil’s; there is no middle ground. As good as you may be, it is imperative you believe in Jesus.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Ler1

FURTHER NOTICE:
It depends on whom you ask. The standard answer is that you must have Jesus as your Savior to go to heaven; that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but by him. In my experience, I have come to understand this differently. Jesus commands us to love God, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The Bible also says that love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He that does not love does not know God. I have come to understand that the Way is following the example of Christ – to love and respect others, to do good with no expectation of return, to live honestly, to help those in need and to treat others with respect and compassion. Many people echo this in near-death experiences. So, to summarize, I believe there are those who know God better than his followers, and aren’t even aware of it. It sounds to me like you have already found your place on heaven by creating it on earth.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Craig, Christian (raised Lutheran), 35 <cmorris@loft.org>, Minneapolis, MN

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Loving your family, friends and neighbors and living joyfully, honestly and peacefully does not damn anyone to Hell. Although God wants you to do those things, none of them will get you into Heaven. People go to Heaven for one reason and people go to Hell for one reason. Those who go to Heaven are those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Those who go to Hell are those who have rejected Christ. It’s as simple as that. This is what I mean by accepting Christ: Realizing you are a sinner (Romans 3:23) and that because of your sin you are going to die one day (Romans 6:23); and knowing that Christ paid your sin debt when He died on the cross in your place (Romans 5:8). Once you know and understand that, confess to God that you are a sinner and that you believe that Christ died for you, ask Him to forgive your sins and save you (Romans 10: 9-10). That is the only way to heaven. John 14:6 states, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Believe, receive and ask God to lead you to a good church where you can learn and grow spiritually.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Heaven-bound believer, Newport News, VA

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
Decency isn’t the criterion of going to heaven or hell. Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Every human being deserves separation from God eternally. In other words, we all deserve to go to hell. Romans 6:23 says that it is God’s gift to us to give us heaven. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…” It only matters what the Bible says, not what believers or non-believers may say. The Bible teaches that if we accept God’s gift, admitting that we don’t deserve heaven, and agree that only Christ’s death will get us to heaven, that heaven is assured to him/her who claims it. I may have won the lottery, but unless I make my claim, I don’t collect.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Ronald V., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
As a Christian, it is not for me to judge whether I think someone is going to Heaven or not. My faith tells me that my route to Heaven is through acceptance of Jesus Christ. For me, it would be the ultimate (and possibly damning) arrogance to say “I’m such a good person that I don’t need a savior to die for my sins.” For others of different religious faiths or no religious faith at all, that may not be the case. The Lord works in mysterious ways. Having confidence in our understanding of the word of God as expressed in the Bible, Christians feel an obligation to make that truth available to others, but this evamgelizing should not be interpreted as a condemnation of other belief systems.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Mark, Protestant, 31, Alexandria, VA

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I am a Catholic/Episcopalian, and my answer to your question is “No.” You are not necessarily damned if your faith differs from your neighbor’s. If this were so, then only one of the 200 or so denominations of Christianity would have to be correct and all other believers in Christ (as well as the non-believers) would be damned. I know some Christians do believe this way – that their particular interpretations are the only way, but do not think they represent all of Christianity. I believe all of us are on a journey to God and we are just taking different roads. To sum it up in a paraphrase of something I read somewhere: The Israelites are the “chosen” people of God, but God is God for all of humanity and no one is excluded from him.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Stephen S., 31, Catholic/Episcopalian, San Antonio , TX

FURTHER NOTICE 6:
I was raised Roman Catholic. I don’t know that my opinions are shared with other members of my faith, but I think that no matter what type of “higher being” you believe in, as long as you are a good person, yes, you will go to Heaven. Why would you be forced into eternal damnation just because you don’t go to this church or that church? As long as you live your life as a good person, you will be rewarded in the afterlife.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Jen, 28, white female, Madison Heights, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 7:
There is no umbrella church organization for Protestants that dictates or controls beliefs or doctrine. There are dozens of major Protestant denominations, and probably hundreds of minor Protestant denominations. If you polled these churches, you would get a very wide spectrum of responses to many questions of theology and morality. In some denominations, there is even great variety from one region to another, or one pastor to another.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
B. Hale, United Methodist <halehart@aol.com>, Hartford, CT

FURTHER NOTICE 8:
The basis for the Christian religion is basically the Bible and mainly the New Testament. The New Testament says over and over again that you do not go to heaven by your “works.” It says that you get to heaven by accepting Jesus as your savior. Once you do this your sins are forgiven. It doesn’t mean you can then go out and do whatever you want because you are “saved,” because if you wanted to do that then you haven’t really accepted Christ as your savior. It also says in the Bible that to God “your best works are nothing but filthy rags” if you haven’t accepted Christ. The bottom line is that your sins have to be paid for somehow (you’re still a sinner even when you are “good”) and Christ is that way. He died for you so you could go to heaven. You only have to accept and believe this and then try to live your life the best you can. The Bible is very clear that if you do not believe in Christ you will go to hell, no matter how good a person you think you are.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Rowan, 29, white, Baptist, Warren, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 9:
You are saved by the grace of a God, who is bigger and more merciful than any of us could ever imagine or express with language.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Jeff, Christian <JBermel@aol.com>, San Antonio, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 10:
Why do you feel the need to seek approval from another religion? Just do what makes you feel good!
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Nancy, Jewish <lanancy@aol.com>, Los Angeles, Ca

FURTHER NOTICE 11:
The Christian religion says yes, if you do not accept Jesus as the savior and as your salvation, your soul is in peril. Christianity, as well as most orgainzed religions, is based on faith and choosing to believe. Non-believers as a result are damned to Hell. This is what I have always been taught, anyway.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
David, Presbyterian, 29 <dash@netside.com>, Columbia, SC

FURTHER NOTICE 12:
To some people, yes. But to others, they believe that all roads eventually lead to the same destination. And, to answer your question with another question: If I got a bunch of people to say/believe that we turn into ants when we die, does that mean it’s going to happen?
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Chris, Dallas, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 13:
No one can tell you whether you are going to Hell or not. That is not for us (Prostestant Christians) to judge. However, Christians firmly believe that nothing good that we have done will get us to Heaven and nothing bad that we have done will get us to Hell. It is a fact of whether people personally accept Jesus Christ as Lord of their life or not.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Adrian, 30, Christian <aroyce@powerup.com.au>, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

FURTHER NOTICE 14:
Your question and the resultant answers, already given by others, are the reason I am still searching for a religion I can embrace. As you can see, most of the answers say that you are damned. Any child who dies before reaching the age when they could make the conscious decision to “accept Jesus as their own personal savior” is damned under this premise. Difficult to swallow. But it also appears to me that all Christian religions are based on selective interpretations of various versions of the Bible. Each sect or branch endorses its own version. There are some others that have a softer approach. My advice is to move on with your own life and disregard those who feel the need to condemn you.
POSTED DEC. 3, 1998
Rick B., 41, Vernon, CT

FURTHER NOTICE 15:
The twisted logic of the Bible-thumpers should be a clue that they have no credibility on this issue. There’s something seriously (and demonically) wrong with a theology that condemns a good man to hell. You are confusing religion with spirituality. I believe the former is a set of arbitrary rules and cockeyed ideas that people subscribe to because they think it’s what God wants. The latter is one’s personal connection with the Infinite; those who manage to attain it are the ones who are truly “saved.” The rest, benighted by their delusions and perversions of reason, can count themselves among the devil’s brood.
POSTED DEC. 4, 1998
J.C. <cortese@pdq.net>, Houston, TX
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THE QUESTION:
RE112: What is the largest religious group in the Philippines?
POSTED NOV. 17, 1998
D. Price <abqteachr@netscape.net>, Albuquerque, NM

ANSWER 1:
Catholicism is by far the largest religion. The Philippines is Asia’s only majority-Christian nation. Cardinal Jaime Sin is a very prominent figure in Filipino society. However, the previous president, Fidel Ramos, was a Protestant. The southern Philippines, especially on the island of Mindanano, is home to a large Muslim population.
POSTED NOV. 19, 1998
Mihir, Indian, 25 <mishah@vt.edu>, Skokie, IL
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THE QUESTION:
RE111: Does anyone know where the phrase “seventh heaven” originated ?
POSTED NOV. 16, 1998
A puzzled woman <cchurch@portup.com>, Marquette, MI