Posted by Tiggy on March 28, 2000 at 13:55:13:
In Reply to: *Eee!* See, this is why I always end up misunderstood... posted by Tehuti on March 27, 2000 at 17:28:23:
: No, no, that isn't what I was saying at all!
: You may not have realized that for some people, a discussion like the one you brought up IS religious, and some could even find it offensive. I won't go generalizing, but a view like the one you expressed probably wouldn't be very popular with some fundamentalist Christians, among others. NOT SAYING NONE OF THEM WOULD AGREE!--it's just been my experience that when it comes to a religion/faith that is all-inclusive, and pretty much what you described, they start getting overly defensive and argumentative. These people will believe that you're attacking their belief system, even if you're not. Sometimes, no amount of reasoning will convince them to listen to you; there are people who even refuse to believe that you HAVE a worthy opinion. This is the problem with things that I was talking about.
[That's why I wasn't posting on a board full of Fundamentalist Christians! Hal suggested we should state our beliefs, so that was what I was trying to do. I also find it too essential to be kept to myself. Obviously I'm not someone who believes that religions should't be discussed; it's my job to discuss it! (In case I hadn't mentioned it lately, I'm training to be a teacher of Religious Education.]
: And, I didn't say that the essential in life shouldn't be discussed! I just said that when it brings up more argument and anger than honest open discussion, it shouldn't be discussed. With some people, you just can't discuss certain things without there being a huge fight. They won't listen to your view, so why bother trying to pound it into their head? It'll just make you look as stupid as they do.
[I hadn't noticed any huge fight breaking out. What makes you think it would bring up more anger than discussing any other aspect of the Enneagram; and it certainly is an aspect of the Enneagram - there are few Enneagram writers now who are not focusing on the return to Essence. I'm not able to say whether people have listened or not, but I was certainly not pounding it into anyone and I don't think anyone looks stupid; I've had some sensible responses.]
(Not picking on you, just using the word "you.") Both of you will come across as too stubborn and inflexible to see any other views.
[Who is 'both of you'? I don't think that I've come across as stubborn or inflexible - I'm still working out my beliefs and how to express them.]
: And, the point I was trying to make about too many other things to worry about--they are things I'm not so certain of, so they worry me. My views on faith may puzzle me sometimes, but I have enough confidence in them so I don't have to think on them every single moment--like I said, they're ingrained in me, *I* know what they are at least, so I don't see the need to constantly analyze them or defend them for others (when others probably won't agree with me anyway). Why analyze something I pretty much understand? I'd rather try to figure out and solve the other problems that face me.
[And the point I was trying to make is that you can't seperate parts of your life off from your spirituality; sprirituality is about your whole life, and with any problems in you life the best thing to do is to try to locate that place of inner calm where no problems reside, and to approach it from there.]
: You see, this is why I don't like discussing my views; they're much too easy to be misunderstood, which is what I believe just happened. I hope I've managed to clear things up a little??
: AUS,
: Tehuti
[You assume because I'm not aggreeing with you that I'm misunderstanding you.]