Religion-discuss yours.

[rengadeirishman]

Religion

My religiousity is complicated. I tend to describe it as a mixture of catholic, celtic, and norse beliefs. my primary focus is on honour and a warrior ethos. i dont find belief in the catholic god to be mutually exclusive to other things. The bible says that you are to have no other gods before him. To me, that means "he" is the chief among gods, but not necessarily the only one. I belief god is to big to be pigeonholed into one end all be all form. I believe that the world is brim full of spirits, created by the Creator god, and that the other gods are "his" servants. I believe that honour is paramount, and thus chief among all virtues.

any other questions, feel free to ask. and if you feel comfortable please discuss yours. Relgious belief is something that fascinates me to no end. which is why my minor is in religious studies.

I ask everyone to be courteous and respectful of what others post and believe.
thats why i posted here as opposed to the GB.

 

[S-Des]

I was brought up Christian (no denomination, just always Christian churches). My parents had different views, the sort where belief was important, but mostly in how it shaped your life and influenced how you treated others, not that you were supposed to let everyone know what you thought (or try to convert people). I've had things happen in my life that solidified my belief, which tends to lean strongly towards the New Testament, but with strong skepticism towards the Old Testament (there is stuff there that just can't be explained rationally).

At the same time, there is so much misery here on earth, and people who are born into situations that never allow them to sample different religions, that I don't believe in a single-religion philosophy (that there is only one way to Heaven). I can't fully explain it because it's ever-evolving, but I basically try not to judge anyone, because I simply have no idea what the real answer is. I don't believe that the Bible is 100% God's word, so standing on any particular section is a waste of time. I treat it more as a philosophy and try to live up to what I intereperate as the intent of Jesus, who I believe is who he claimed to be. I belive that living up to the things he stressed will make you a good person, so even if I'm wrong about everything else, at least living up to his example would be positive.

 

[rengadeirishman]

i uttered a similar sentiment many a time. If you live as the gods say you should and it turns out that that you're right, you're golden. But if you live that way and it turns out there is no god, nothing beyond this transient existence, then the worst that can be said about ya is you lived a decent life.

 

[rgraham666]

I'm an agnostic. I'm still working on the existence of God. I do not believe in religion.

Religion always devolves into ideology. Which means it becomes more concerned with being right than being good. And, of course, protecting the powerful within the hierarchy.

 

[TxRad]

I'm an agnostic. I'm still working on the existence of God. I do not believe in religion.

Religion always devolves into ideology. Which means it becomes more concerned with being right than being good. And, of course, protecting the powerful within the hierarchy.

I pretty much agree on this one.

God i don't have any problems with. Man has to have a higher power to believe in. That's just the way we are.

Now religion on the other hand is not worth the time or effort. It's only purpose is to control man for it's own benefit.

 

[impressive]

I consider myself spiritual as opposed to religious. I try to live by the "Golden Rule" because of its wisdom, not because of any associated faith.

I do not believe in a "supreme being" as a single entity, and I totally reject the concept of "worship." Respect? Sure. Worship? Never. No benevolent god(dess) would require it. No maleficent god(dess) would deserve it.

The closest I've ever come to categorizing myself in terms of a religion is pantheism.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I believe there is a god that doesn't like or care about us.

I am also against organized religion. It seems that most of the organizers have no idea what religion should be. A thought of your own on what the universe around you really is. If you want to share those thoughts with other people that is fine by me. If you want to meet and greet in a church that is also fine. But when one man steps up and takes control of the pulpit, telling people what to think and believe and feel, and how to live their lives, I want to throw him down and open the room up for discussion among everyone there.

Religion should be like Alcoholics Annonymous. You grab a cup of coffee, sit down, greet everyone, chat about what you feel and why you feel it, have some doughnuts and chat some more, sip some more coffee, and then go your separate ways until next week.

But that's just me.

 

[Liar]

The only god I can accept is one that doesn't demand that I believe.

Blind faith goes against what I hold as the very essence of being human - curiosity, deliberation, critical thinking, pursiut of truths. I'd rather discover than believe.

So if God reads this, stop by for a chat, and I'll start believing in you. I'll make tea and smores.

 

[cloudy]

I doubt you'll get too many takers, darlin'. Religion tends to be not only a very personal thing, but a very contentious thing for some.

Good luck, though.

eta: I love this, though. It expresses my beliefs more eloquently than I ever could -

Why we dance:
to dance is to pray;
to pray is to heal;
to heal is to give;
to give is to live;
to live is to dance.

 

[English Lady]

The only god I can accept is one that doesn't demand that I believe.

Blind faith goes against what I hold as the very essence of being human - curiosity, deliberation, critical thinking, pursiut of truths. I'd rather discover than believe.

So if God reads this, stop by for a chat, and I'll start believing in you. I'll make tea and smores.

"behold I stand at the door and knock..." *grins*


I'm a Christian, I don't really like the "religion" word but my faith is in God.

I'm currently at a Church of England church but have been to Pentecostal, Baptist, Salvation Army and Evangelical church as well as several Cathoic retreat centres. I'm definitely not definied by denomination.

I believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and I believe that when I get to heaven I'll find some intereting folks up there that I'd not neccessrily expect *grins*

I believe whole heartedly in the love and peace and healing of God and strive to let it flow through me at all times (though i frequently bugger that up, it's the whole human, free will thing, yannow?) and I'm very open with my faith but I don't like to get into never-ending debates, though I will fight my corner as much as I can

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

I'm well on my way to developing my own religion. The major hurtle seems to be finding volunteers for the Human Sacrafice, but I will eventually overcome that and the other minor roadblocks such as the State Liquor License for the Church.

 

[rengadeirishman]

I'm well on my way to developing my own religion. The major hurtle seems to be finding volunteers for the Human Sacrafice, but I will eventually overcome that and the other minor roadblocks such as the State Liquor License for the Church.

you should come out here to baltimore. Ill take ya up to Calvert Hall and we can round up sacrifices by the dozen. They wont volunteer, but I'd be damn happy to be rid of 'em.

and i appreciate everyone who has contributed so far.

 

[BlackShanglan]

The only god I can accept is one that doesn't demand that I believe.

Blind faith goes against what I hold as the very essence of being human - curiosity, deliberation, critical thinking, pursiut of truths. I'd rather discover than believe.

Ironically, I'm a nominally a Catholic but quite close to this in my perspective. Like S-Des, I mistrust literalist interpretation of the Bible, but I do embrace the message of Christ. I also agree with S-Des that it seems unlikely that there is only one path to God; if the Lord is a shepherd, a father, and a loving parent, I can't imagine him closing the door to people who got to it by a somewhat different path. I imagine that God is forgiving, as we tend to be of our children, and recognizes the limits of human knowledge and understanding.

But too, like Liar, I prize thought. I can't imagine that God doesn't. I think that questioning, reasoning, and examining the tenets of one's faith is more than acceptable; I believe that it is an obligation. There can be no faith without doubt, and there can be no sincere belief until one has taken some personal responsibility for asking and learning what is right. I think it's important continually to question one's motives and test one's ideas, and to keep looking for the places where habit, self-interest, or ease are making inroads into virtue and reason.

I think most of all that any sincere religion must ask more sacrifices of the believer than of those around him. It's important to me to maintain a strong habit of turning the demands of my faith back inward as often as possible.

 

[English Lady]

But too, like Liar, I prize thought. I can't imagine that God doesn't. I think that questioning, reasoning, and examining the tenets of one's faith is more than acceptable; I believe that it is an obligation. There can be no faith without doubt, and there can be no sincere belief until one has taken some personal responsibility for asking and learning what is right. I think it's important continually to question one's motives and test one's ideas, and to keep looking for the places where habit, self-interest, or ease are making inroads into virtue and reason.

I completely and utterly and totally agree with this -well put.

 

[lesbiaphrodite]

I am spiritual rather than religious, I think. I express my spirituality through meditation, creative acts, love, giving, and mindfulness.

I try not to hurt others and I stay in the moment. Basically, I live each day as if it were my last.

 

[shereads]

Religion is a school of fish. Spirituality is an ocean.

 

[Jubal_Harshaw]

Almost fanatical athiest.

I don't go to church every single Sunday and it would take a team of clydesdales to keep me from not going.

I don't pray every minute of the day for forgiveness and mercy and strength. In not doing so I have found my own.

I don't sing praises all day long and enjoy not listening to others who sing them. I find inspiration in the music of the world around me and it is uplifting.

I don't go door to door witnessing for my faith and have not saved thousands of in the process. People have actually thanked me for the sermons I did not bring to them.

And when I die I know there is a place for me. All I ask is that someone cast my ashes to a strong east wind.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

God and I talk all the time.

 

[carsonshepherd]

Religion... hmm.

I was raised by outspoken atheists. My mom was raised Catholic and had nothing but recrimination for the Catholic church. I never set foot in one. My dad denounced religion. He told me once it was because he couldn't believe in a religion that said his father was going to hell because he wasn't a believer. My dad got terminal cancer in his early 40's and while he was very ill and dying, he let his cousin, a Baptist missionary, come to see him and talk to him about God. At the very end of his life, he was "saved". I see why he did it. He was afraid his children would be left alone in the world. He was afraid that he would never see his children again, that death was truly the end. He was afraid of there being nothing.

My path has taken me down several different roads. I have pondered (and, at times, refused to think about) religion and spirituality a lot more than I care to admit. I have believed, and then lost my faith.

Do I believe in an almighty God? No. I have searched, and found no faith within myself. Not even a grain. There have been so many atrocities commited in the name of God, faith and religion.

Do I believe that something unites us on a deeper level? Yes. I think it is our collective past, our history, the blood in our veins. For every evil act commited it God's (or Allah or whomever) name, there is an act of true love and compassion. There are people out there, my grandma for example, or our own English Lady, who are the real deal - charity, love thy fellow man and the whole enchilada. Those people restore my faith. But not in God.

There are times when I wish I DID believe in a benevolent God who answers prayers. There are plenty of people I would pray for - GalaxyGoddess, and many others I've never even met as well as ones I know personally - and I wish that someone really was listening.

But I know nobody is there.

I have made it through my own trials, not nearly what other people have to endure, but enough to make me come out of it deeply grateful for another chance, and deeply grateful for those people who helped me along the way. Here's the thing - it wasn't God. It was people. It was kind, loving people who stood by me, helped me and didn't give up on me.

People are inherently good. And the best way to repay someone who has helped you, is to help someone else. I am not a Buddhist; there are too many rituals and even though Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion, it still demands some adherence to its beliefs. Yet, I have found huge spiritual strength in the mantra Om mani padme hum. As I focus on repeating this mantra, I imagine my compassion adding to the sum of all love and compassion in the world, and surrounding those who need it. I can't help them, especially those whose lives don't intersect my own, but I do feel compassion for them; and I know firsthand, from those who helped me when I needed it most, the power of compassion.

So, I'm not religious. I sometimes long to believe that I'll see my dad again one day, but I don't have that comfort. I only have the comfort of Mahanaya, the Great Vehicle through which all compassion flows, and I offer it to others as much as I can, to repay that which has been offered me.

Mahanaya.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I'm the odd-man out.

I dont go to church. I cannot quote Scripture. I cant debate the Bible because I'm completely ignorant of it. I dont particularly like Christians. But I do have a relationship with THE ALMIGHTY. And God and I have a deal.

The deal is God cuts me slack and opens doors and pulls an occasional rabbit from a hat for me, and I submit when he requires my services. When I am called I set aside what or who I'm doing and go. And I'm bullet-proof during those times. I really am.

 

[Frank Noir]

My friends say I'm a Buddhist.

Personally, I don't want to label myself like that - it implies worship, prayer and lots of stuff I can't be bothered with.

To me, the Buddha was simply a very clever man, who had some amazing insights about how the mind works and how to rid yourself of unproductive thoughts - pretty much like modern psychotherapy, in my opinion.

Call Buddhism a philosophy, if you like - but since they don't really involve a deity, I'd hardly call the Buddha's teachings a religion. All the religious trappings - statues, spirits, ritual - came later.

Oh, and by the way: What is "spirituality"? I can't really get my head around that word. Does it involve a "soul" and other supernatural phenomena (which I don't believe in) or will mere human brain be enough?

 

[Darkniciad]

Those who can - do. Those who can't start a religion and sponge off people in need of hope for the rest of their lives.

Religion is just like anything else. For some people, it makes them easier to deal with in day-to-day life. For others, it turns them into people you want to put into a spaceship and send to the moon so they can bounce around pointing fingers at each other and yell "Sinner!"

Got no use for any organized religion. I was force fed Methodist doctrine, and I've seen the corruption that is ineveitable any time you start putting money and power together.

Strip away the dogma, ceremony, tithing, and big soaring structures dedicated to ( insert non-specific deity figure(s) here ), and you're left with something simple: The Golden Rule. It doesn't require any deep thinking. It covers all the bases. It makes you a tolerable human being to share the planet with if you adhere to it.

No facing west and kneeling on your right knee while humming Amazing Grace, holding your bible in your left hand open to John I chapter four verse nine, and wearing the proper clothing required.

Everything seems to make sense until you get to the point immediately before the Big Bang. Where'd the little ball of dense everything come from? At that point, you have to consider the potential for something larger, beyond our ability to comprehend, and probably intelligent.

Something dealing with the Universe and all the myriad other important details involved in that would waste any time observing any one lifeform in a tiny speck of that great whole just seems a little far-fetched to me. I believe there's probably something out there, but it probably cares as much about us as the tiniest screw in a 747. We only become important if we start a chain reaction that threatens the plane as a whole. I somehow doubt that the whole planet's worth of us who has ever lived or will ever live could really cause enough of a blip for whatever it is to do more than glance over at us for the tiniest fraction of a millisecond to make sure we aren't destroying the fabric of timespace.

 

[rengadeirishman]

these are all wonderful insights, i feel like it helps me know you all better. I also would like to give heartfelt thanks to everyone for being civil and not breaking down into flame wars as it would have most anywhere else.

Thank you all.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

DARKNCIAD

Read Richard Feynman's thoughts about religion. Feynman was an atheist. Feynman won a Nobel Prize for physics.

In a nutshell, religion does two things: It answers the question SHOULD I DO SOMETHING? And it provides people with a moral philosophy.

 

[cloudy]

In a nutshell, religion does two things: It answers the question SHOULD I DO SOMETHING? And it provides people with a moral philosophy.

It may, indeed, for some. Others are quite capable of answering that question, and having a moral philosophy without it. So, it isn't necessary.

I have no problem with people's religious beliefs as long as they don't intrude on my life.