[Rapunzel]

In answer to:
</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>

What you can prove and what you believe are two different things. You don't choose to believe, you just do. You don't believe in God unless something has convinced you there is a God.

I didn't say anything about anyone forcing you to believe anything. I just said it isn't a choice. If I say it, it's obviously my opinion. I don't need to say, "I believe..." or "It's my opinion that..." because obviously, if I'm saying it, it's coming from my point of view.

As for where I posted my post, I wasn't sure where to post it. There should be a secular forum if there's going to be a spirituality forum. To expect me to post in General when there's a forum for people of certain beliefs, is discriminatory.


</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">
People choose to be open to certain beliefs, and not to others. They choose what evidence or lack thereof they will or will not accept. They choose what to study, and who to listen to, or not. Choosing to believe in religion, God, spirituality, etc. is not any less a choice than choosing not to believe.

The purpose of this forum is that for many people, spirituality is healing, and many people also have questions, concerns, and issues that involve spirituality and which the guidelines did not permit them to discuss in the rest of the forums. This forum is not meant to exclude anyone, although it may not be of interest to everyone. For those who don't have an interest in spirituality, they are free to choose not to come here. The fact that this forum exists, and that some of us do benefit from it, in no way takes away from the benefit anyone receives from visiting the rest of the site. There are so many forums here now that I don't think anyone could keep up with all of them. We all choose the ones that benefit us the most, or that we care about the most, or that are the most relevant to us, etc.

All of the forums on Psych Central, except for this one, are secular forums. What would be the purpose of another general secular forum? It has been proposed to have seperate forums for various belief systems also, and we have decided against it. It would not serve the purposes of this community. If you want a place to simply discuss any religion, or lack thereof, there are plenty of communities on the internet that offer that kind of discussion. This is not our purpose here. Discussion of religion is permitted in the spirituality forum, with the purpose being support, healing, wholeness, etc. just like the rest of Psych Central.

If you want to post in this forum, no matter what you do or do not believe, then your opinions and beliefs need to be phrased in such a way that does not feel threatening to others who are here for support. When opinions are stated such that they sound like they are being presented as fact, people who disagree feel compelled to defend their own beliefs and opinions, and then we have debates, and no support comes of it. Please keep this in mind when you post.

[SeptemberMorn]

Maybe if you keep repeating it, Rap, someone will begin to understand.

[Etheria]

Amen again Rapunzel. This forum is described as a Sanctuary for spiritual support, not a philosophical site for spiritual debate. Blessings, Etheria

[Maven]

Good grief. People countered me, I only responded.

But in response to the first post, people don't choose what they believe. You can no more choose to believe you have diphtheria when you know you don't really have it than smash your foot and break your bones and believe your bones are not broken. You can't choose that. Something might convince you of that, but you can't choose to believe or not believe it.

People who do not believe in God have had experiences that make them not see the "evidence" that others see. They aren't convinced by it.

The purpose of a secular forum, in the form that I'm talking about, are to discuss freethought values, beliefs and concerns. I'm not talking about discussing just anything. Just like people come here to discuss religious issues. The fact that you can't understand how atheists and agnostics need a similar forum shows me that you just don't "get it."

As a freethinker, I need the same support you do as a religious person, but I need people who don't push God on me, or bless me, or things like that. I need it in a mental health format, which is not what atheist and freethought sites generally offer. If you can find spiritual support here, I should be able to find freethought support here.

Having such a forum would most certainly serve the purposes of this community. The majority is religious, and many (not all) discriminate against the minority, who are not. We deserve the same supportive forum for our own beliefs.

I have threatened no one. I have stated my opinions. If you don't like them, fine. Don't read or respond to my posts.

*Administrative edit.

[kimmydawn]

Maven,

Please take further requests regarding forums to DocJohn in PM from this point.

As for now, this forum is for the discussion of spiritual issues.

This forum is *specifically* not for debate or calling others out in regards to their beliefs, or criticizing them. It's unsupportive. If you would like to discuss your own beliefs without being critical of another's, that's fine.

Further posts that can be viewed as unsupportive to any will be removed.

Thanks,

KD

[kimmydawn]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>

This forum is *specifically* not for debate or calling others out in regards to their beliefs, or criticizing them. It's unsupportive. If you would like to discuss your own beliefs without being critical of another's, that's fine.

Further posts that can be viewed as unsupportive to any will be removed.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

I'd like to say that the above wasn't specifically intended for one member but for the mission of the forum as a whole.

I needed to clarify that statement.

Thanks,

KD

[Perna]

"Spirituality": This term is defined quite differently by monotheists, polytheists, humanists, followers of new age, Native Americans, etc. A common meaning is "devotion to metaphysical matters, as opposed to worldly things." Another is "Activities which renew, lift up, comfort, heal and inspire both ourselves and those with whom we interact."

http://www.religioustolerance.org/gl_s1.htm