First time meeting these kind of people....

So I'm at my local library checking out a couple of suspense novels along with Twilight. (I saw it on the way out, decided to pick it up to see what the fuss was all about. The movie was all the rage, especially with girls, in the past few weeks)

Actually, what I just said in parentheses is what I said to the librarian, you know, making small talk to fill the silence and make her work day a little more sociable. And here's what she says....

"I don't read those kind of books" (while tapping the cover with her index finger)

I'm all like "Why not?"

Librarian : "It's against my religion to read those types of things."

Me: "What are you, Orthodox Christian?"

Librarian: "No, Jehovah's Witness. We don't believe in reading that kind of stuff."

Me: "So you must feel the same about the Harry Potter series, too, huh?"

Librarian: "Yeah."

It's not like I was offended, but I'm a little disappointed how people out there let their religion prevent them from consuming such potentially great novels (I say potentially cuz I haven't actually read the thing yet, but I'm sure I'll be impressed with it).....and not just novels, but so many things : movies, magazines, music, fashion, everything on the internet, etc. ~ basically anything that our culture is comprised of and what defines our individual identities.

Not that I care for pushing my beliefs onto them (I have other things of more interest than doing that), but to me, it's just a real shame how much people don't make an individual stand. If anything, I would have respected what she said a lot more if it came from her as an individual, not as a collective opinion of her religion.

But hey, I guess Jehovah's Witnesses have an agenda like everybody else, too. I wouldn't want Twilight to distract me from my spiritual goals. (but luckily, I'm a lot more flexible than that) :)

that's very true. i wouldn't let religion get me out of enjoying a good novel. i find it better to actually question things than to just let it happen. when we decide to not question, we end up like mind zombies. my friends mom is a jehova's witness but she will still read those kind of novels because she finds it neccessary to explore. i think that makes her a great person. she actually thinks, not just follows.

Almost every Organized Religion is against opening you're mind.

Aye, I agree. My mother was pretty strict about that sort of thing; I read what I wanted to anyway though. I went to see Twilight the week after it came out, and after telling my parents what I was going to see, my dad asked me if there wasn't something else I could go see instead of, "that vampire movie."

It's a bit annoying. Fiction is, indubitably, fiction.

When I was younger, my school(private baptist) sent home fliers telling parents that Pokemon and Harry Potter are evil tools from Satan.

They took my Shiny dragonite card and threw it away ):

Harry Potter?! What about buck naked Adam and Eve? Or God performing all sorts of non-human things...could it possibly be...magic?

yes, magic mushrooms, thats how the Bible existed in the first place. Then the mormons messed it up by making the Book Of Mormon which isn't the Bible.

Now all this homophobia and hatred and and fascism is running about like the fucking plague, and parents are taking their kids to the brain washing sanctum?

Nothing sounds more evil than that.

It's a sad, sad thing when a religion puts a cap on its followers' imaginations.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-religious. (I used to be, though)

I respect people's religious beliefs in general. I don't just respect them, I have respect for religious beliefs...it's just so fascinating to see what kinds of spiritual interpretation of the world are so compelling that people even now hold onto them, thousands of years after they've been established. Just think, could one of you pull this off?....Probably, but the odds are really low.

Or maybe I just have respect for them for the mere fact that I no longer feel threatened by them, which I used to be.

...you know what I just realized? People let religion hold them back from reading Twilight and Harry Potter....but for some reason, Lord of the Rings is O.K., lol. If they had no idea it was written by a Christian author, they probably woulda judged it just the same!

But yeah, I think it's moreso that people let the religions dictate their actions or lack of action rather than the religion being the real problem. If it's not religion, it's probably just going to be another political system or philosophy that dictates the masses.

When someone can't expose themselves to anything that challenges their beliefs, I get the feeling that deep down they must know their beliefs aren't true.

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Originally Posted by Xaqaria

When someone can't expose themselves to anything that challenges their beliefs, I get the feeling that deep down they must know their beliefs aren't true.

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that was actually really beautiful. seriously, it qualifies as a posthumous quote that would appear on the inside flap of various school textbooks....perhaps.....science???

Try WORKING with someone like that. Every day.

A woman I used to work with years ago would freak out when I talked about LDing, because "dreams are given to you by god" and she thought trying to alter them in any way meant you were messing with gods plan.

????? :roll:

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Originally Posted by ClassyElf

They took my Shiny dragonite card and threw it away ):

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BASTARDS!!!

i dealt with the same shit as a child. harry potter is witchcraft. the bible has a story in it about murder. cain and abel...

i do not think the bible is what it was meant to be when it was written, but i've read it.
i would not base my life off harry potter but i've read it.
the fact to the matter is that an entertaining story that makes you think is a good one. regardless of subject matter.

There is a difference between the librarian and the children. The librarian probably lives away from his parents (or at least, is away while at the library). He has the choice of whether or not to follow religion so strictly. The children are trapped in a house with invasive parents. They are forced.

How does force evolve into will? Or is the "free will" of the librarian just a conditioned response that he will never realize? The forcing of religion is just one of the reasons I turned away.

lol, twilight.

Considering you're male and older than 13, I wouldn't expect marvelous things.



Also, more on topic, at the end of the day its truly these people's self censorship there, as a result of religious indoctrination. Its sad but there isn't much you can do about it, its up to them to question their irrational beliefs and find their own freedom, I guess.

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Originally Posted by kichu

Try WORKING with someone like that. Every day.

A woman I used to work with years ago would freak out when I talked about LDing, because "dreams are given to you by god" and she thought trying to alter them in any way meant you were messing with gods plan.

????? :roll:

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I imagine overly religious people really need to strengthen their belief in God's omnipotence if they really believe humans can get in the way of God's plan with something as petty as dream control.

That ex-co-worker was just jealous she couldn't LD. :P I would say something like that too if I couldn't LD and I needed a quick comeback to make myself feel better.

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Originally Posted by Xaqaria

When someone can't expose themselves to anything that challenges their beliefs, I get the feeling that deep down they must know their beliefs aren't true.

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i believe this to be true. i myself am a christian, but i will challenge what i don't understand. what people don't realise is once again, that they must ask questions, and also look them up. if that is not done, then they themselves are in the wrong for not knowing what they themselves are preaching. i myself try to stay away from the questions i can't really answer because i haven't studied that particular part yet. i think questioning is very crucial.

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Originally Posted by Abra

There is a difference between the librarian and the children. The librarian probably lives away from his parents (or at least, is away while at the library). He has the choice of whether or not to follow religion so strictly. The children are trapped in a house with invasive parents. They are forced.

How does force evolve into will? Or is the "free will" of the librarian just a conditioned response that he will never realize? The forcing of religion is just one of the reasons I turned away.

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well i think that religion shouldn't be forced. when i have children i will not force religion upon them. i myself was forced as a child to go to church and to fast. basically my mom was like abusing me cause i couldn't eat for like a whole day and that drove me away. i then found my way through the mess but no one forced me. so i think force is ridiculus.

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Originally Posted by AirRick101

I imagine overly religious people really need to strengthen their belief in God's omnipotence if they really believe humans can get in the way of God's plan with something as petty as dream control.

That ex-co-worker was just jealous she couldn't LD. :P I would say something like that too if I couldn't LD and I needed a quick comeback to make myself feel better.

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i would say that she was jealous!!! lol.

http://www.school-survival.net/artic...ike_prison.php

instead of the word school, replace it with Religion lol..
I am a christian, but I read what ever and do whatever. So I dont think all religions are like this

Mormons are bigots. I live in SLC, UT (biggest Mormon state in the world) and what they're beliefs on gays are no more than homophobic, prejudice, and pure bigotry behind a cute flower dress or a tidy business suit.

We almost had a riot right in the square where the Mormon's buildings and church are as 3,000 strong protested angrily against the LDS church and the Police who were arguing on their side.

People were PISSED!

What the Christians and the Mormons are trying to do right now what is borderline Fascism. No question about it. You look at whats happening in the middle east and even in Italy and then look at whats happening here in the USA and you see the big idea.

I mean Italy is literally ruled by the Catholics! and the state of Utah is literally ran by the Mormons! anyone who lives here will tell you that. Every state law passed here has been butchered by the Mormons.

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Originally Posted by dylanshmai

What the Christians and the Mormons are trying to do right now what is borderline Fascism.

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what are the christians doing that is fascist? just asking cause you mostly just went off on the mormons...

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Originally Posted by aorozco

what are the christians doing that is fascist? just asking cause you mostly just went off on the mormons...

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of course, most laws are imposed in Italy Rome by the Pope himself. Italy is the most corrupt country in western Europe. The Mafia - Government - Christian power basically, and the government basically is working for both sides. The Mafia makes money of of hookers and does many other deals with the government, and then on the other side the Pope operates with them (not with the mafia, but the "government")

Not to mention that the Pope has written many statements supporting the Mormon's (LDS) "faith" and bigotry right here in Utah.

Back when when the Roman Empire was huge before the Dark Age, The Christians were basically killed by their government and it was illegal to be Christian, then most people joined the Christian faith and took over that government and then proceeded to doing the exact thing they were doing, but instead they were now killing anyone that wasn't Christian. Thus leading to the Century of Popes Rome has had now, but the fact that many people are not Christian leaves them no choice but to conspire under tighter circumstances.

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Originally Posted by dylanshmai

of course, most laws are imposed in Italy Rome by the Pope himself. Italy is the most corrupt country in western Europe. The Mafia - Government - Christian power basically, and the government basically is working for both sides. The Mafia makes money of of hookers and does many other deals with the government, and then on the other side the Pope operates with them (not with the mafia, but the "government")

Not to mention that the Pope has written many statements supporting the Mormon's (LDS) "faith" and bigotry right here in Utah.

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how is that christian power? really i don't get it. the christians run the gov't? cause i don't. and i'm a christian...

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Originally Posted by dylanshmai

Back when when the Roman Empire was huge before the Dark Age, The Christians were basically killed by their government and it was illegal to be Christian, then most people joined the Christian faith and took over that government and then proceeded to doing the exact thing they were doing, but instead they were now killing anyone that wasn't Christian. Thus leading to the Century of Popes Rome has had now, but the fact that many people are not Christian leaves them no choice but to conspire under tighter circumstances.

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Sorry, I made this edit in my last post after you had posted, anyhow there is you're answer.

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Originally Posted by dylanshmai

Sorry, I made this edit in my last post after you had posted, anyhow there is you're answer.

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well either way, does that mean that christians suck because of the past things that were done by people claiming to be christians?
that's like saying all germans were and are responsible sstill for the holocaust!!!!

except Nazis don't exist anymore and most were forced into duty or were threatened to lose their lives.

Christians on the other hand still exist today.

On the other hand, you're comparison is a bad one.

though you could compare the tactics (which the Nazis stole from the Christians) to one another.

And you could compare the two by calling them both Fascist parties, but the damage done by either one is incalculable because Christian power is still going, but if I could predict the future I would say it ain't looking pretty (oh and please spare me the lecture on how many people the Nazis killed (24 million)).

My point is, is that Nazi power is Ancient.

there are many denominations as i understand, but seriously, don't generalize cause it would mean that all christians are like that and you are wrong there.