I think we would all agree that all women like to shop. That's just a given.
Obviously all guys like sports.
Clearly all of my fellow Irish love the beer.
There are just some things that everyone knows. All games are basically the same. You round the board and get to the end. All houses are basically the same - some combination of rooms. All neighborhoods are basically the same - a bunch of people living in their dwellings.
We just know these things....
don't we?
What?
I'm around enough people that are sensitive - really sensitive - that I know that they'll flip if you ever try and lump two people into the same category. Doesn't matter if you can throw facts or statistics at them....they just don't like that. That's ok. There aren't really any "all of ______ are the same" because we've all got our individuality.
ok
So having agreed with the sensitive people (and aren't we all sensitive? assumming Mike isn't reading this)
I hear this often - All religions are the same
or
All religions are basically the same
or
All religions teach the same thing
or
you could boil all religions down to one thing
I think we make broad or sweeping statements about things (games) or people (men...women...those fighting Irish) largely because of one or two instances...or because we haven't seen the other side. I'd say it's because, to some degree, we're limited by our experience or knowledge.
I've seen people with a passing (I go to church every once in a while) tell me that the Bible is full of contradictions -
"really, why don't you show me three" - Tony Campolo (Clinton's pastor)
I've heard people say that all religions are basically the same...and when pressed to show me how four are the same - we usually end up talking about sports.
just something I think is kind of interesting....that's all.
all evangelicals are misguided
ReplyDeletethere's one ;)
Not sure if you were joking or not anonymous. If not, I'm curious what you mean by that comment (and really, the term evangelicals, since it has so many different meanings today).
ReplyDeleteJust trying to figure out if I agree with you or not. :)
Sean,
ReplyDeleteHow dare you... no wait I'm not that sensitive. Great post!
I think what you are saying is true. There are a group of people that really think most religious stuff is the same. (another reason to hate the word religion) Insode that group, at least the mojority of the ones I've talked to are just uneducated and what they have experienced of "religion" is to cumbersome to want to persue more. There is also a small percentage of those people that are actually really smart. By really smart I mean that they know more about other religions than me (not that I know a lot about other religions), they have actually taken time and looked at the foundations and principles of many religions and have decided that they all boil down to the same stuff. In both cases God has not chosen those people to come to Christ...yet.
ReplyDeleteI think Christ is the way to go, the only way, however I have much more respect for people that believe what they belive for a reason. Like they have information to defend their position with. Even if I disagree with them at least they have spent some time deliberating. I really don't like people that believe things with out thought. The I'm a Christian because my parents were thing kills me.