What do you believe?

[cheerful_deviant]

Anyone who read the threads here for any length of time will realize that we have many people here of varying beliefs about God, religion, meaning of life, what have you.

So my question is this, What do you believe in? Not a specific religion, but what are your beliefs in a spiritual sence? Do you believe in a Higher Being such as God, Allah, etc. Is that diety one omnipotent being sitting on a throne in Heaven, or is it a more like an idea shared by all, aka. God is in everyone and everything. Or perhaps you believe in many gods as Pagans and Native Americans.

Does this God or do these Gods have a direct hand in the running of the world? Do they manipulate the events of the world to their own ends or did they start us running then ababdon us to see how we do on our own. Or maybe something in between?

Or perhaps you are of a scientific mind and believe only in what can be proved. And until someone proves it, you will continue to believe that there is no God of any kind and that once you're dead, that's it.

Reincarnation? Keep coming back till you get it right or you get tired of the game?

I ask these questions because I have been doing a lot of soul searching of late. In the news see images of war, disaster & disease. Pictures of young children starving to death in countries wracked by civil war. Articles on a young mother so strapped for money that she has to live with her 2 children in a self storage unit, a 7yo girl who was killed in her house by a gunshot fired into her house from the street outside and I find myself wondering how some all powerful being off in the ether somewhere could let this happen? Is he/she that cruel, or is there a purpose behind it all. Or is it all just random, with no underlying purpose.

I have never been a very religous person. I believe that there is some meaning to life and that there is something beyond this life. But I don't really place much belief in organised religion any more. They may have good intentions, but most are far to black and white for my taste. God may be out there somewhere, but it appears to me that he/she set us running and stepped back to see how we would handle affairs on out own. I wonder if he/she is impressed?

[/ramble]

Anyone else?

 

[minsue]

I don't believe in any deity or afterlife. It's not even a matter of needing proof as in, "Well, I've thought it out and could believe if only someone proved it." I simply don't believe it and never have. As a child, I would pray, but I knew even then that it was a ritual that I was doing to comfort myself. I never believed that there was anyone or anything listening.

I've always been so deeply offended throughout my life by people telling me, usually in a condescending voice, that deep down I know there is a god/heaven/hell/insert other religious idea here. That used to piss me off to the point of literally seeing red until one day a few years ago when I caught myself thinking the same thing about those who do believe. That deep down they know it's not true. I must admit I was rather shocked and more than a little ashamed to realize that I was just as bad, but I am. I honestly have trouble wrapping my mind around the idea of anyone truly believing in any religion. The concept frightens me to my core. I'm working on that, though.

 

[TheEarl]

I'm a Theist. Not a dictionary definition, but a term which I've adopted to say what I feel. I believe in God. Just not in his cheerleaders. God is far too ineffable for any religion to get a hold of him/her/it.

I heartily dislike organised religion, simply because it's far too intolerant if you follow the exact word. Apart from Sikhism and Paganism, every religion states that they and only they have the way to enlightenment. Everyone else, who has exactly the same reasons to believe and in most cases follow a very similar credo, is going to hell.

What gets me more than the letter of the law in religion which states that I'm going to hell is the way people take them to mean whatever they like. Suicide bombers believe that they are going to get 70 virgins in heaven, because a preacher told them they were serving Islam. Unfortunately they're going to find out that they've broken the 5th commandment from the Qu'ran and will thus burn.

I believe in God. I believe that he/she/it created us and is watching - the basic rules of the game are ours. If we want the world to change, we have to put our back into it - he won't intervene on our whim and expects us to do the grunt work. We have a God who can help and who will help, but only if we start helping ourselves first. If we're worthy of it, then we'll get help.

I like having that God. It gives me an innate sense of fair play in the universe, that, if I work damned hard and am a good person, then things will go my way.

The Earl

 

[rgraham666]

I haven't the slightest idea, for or against.

If there is a God, I believe She cares more about how we live our lives than what we believe.

No matter what, we're not fooling Her.

 

[avery_elzmyth]

Never heard of god

Imagine never hearing of god or religion and some homeless drunk staggers up to you and says, "Hey buddy, did you know there is an all knowing, all powerful being who is invisible and lives in another dimension. And, he created the whole universe!
--------------

I don't think so.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I think I land fairly inline with The Earl, his views line up fairly closely with my own apparently. God is out there, but we're basicly on our own.

But at the same time I also understand where Min stands. But I am on the opposite side as her, trying to believe in something (not organised religion, but in some higher plane) and thinking "I'm just fooling myself, there is nothing after this." I ask myself why if something like 95% of the people on earth believe in somethin higher, then why can't I? Maybe it's because I'm such a cynic.

 

[carsonshepherd]

One of my favorite authors/country singers/humorists/all around cool guy, Kinky Friedman, said in his hilarious novel "Roadkill":

I'm a Jehovah's Bystander. I believe in him, but I don't want to get involved.

I think that's funny, even though he's Jewish and I actually don't believe in God, the Devil, or what have you.

 

[Guest]

Anyone who read the threads here for any length of time will realize that we have many people here of varying beliefs about God, religion, meaning of life, what have you.

So my question is this, What do you believe in? Not a specific religion, but what are your beliefs in a spiritual sence? Do you believe in a Higher Being such as God, Allah, etc. Is that diety one omnipotent being sitting on a throne in Heaven, or is it a more like an idea shared by all, aka. God is in everyone and everything. Or perhaps you believe in many gods as Pagans and Native Americans.

Does this God or do these Gods have a direct hand in the running of the world? Do they manipulate the events of the world to their own ends or did they start us running then ababdon us to see how we do on our own. Or maybe something in between?

Or perhaps you are of a scientific mind and believe only in what can be proved. And until someone proves it, you will continue to believe that there is no God of any kind and that once you're dead, that's it.

Reincarnation? Keep coming back till you get it right or you get tired of the game?

I ask these questions because I have been doing a lot of soul searching of late. In the news see images of war, disaster & disease. Pictures of young children starving to death in countries wracked by civil war. Articles on a young mother so strapped for money that she has to live with her 2 children in a self storage unit, a 7yo girl who was killed in her house by a gunshot fired into her house from the street outside and I find myself wondering how some all powerful being off in the ether somewhere could let this happen? Is he/she that cruel, or is there a purpose behind it all. Or is it all just random, with no underlying purpose.

I have never been a very religous person. I believe that there is some meaning to life and that there is something beyond this life. But I don't really place much belief in organised religion any more. They may have good intentions, but most are far to black and white for my taste. God may be out there somewhere, but it appears to me that he/she set us running and stepped back to see how we would handle affairs on out own. I wonder if he/she is impressed?

[/ramble]

Anyone else?

I've also been doing a great deal of soul-searching the past year and a half. I still don't have any answers.

I imagine there must be some sort of God somewhere. But I think a deity is far too busy to worry about us and our day to day problems.

Our kids go to Sunday school; they're learning and enjoying the stories and the positive messages. We're glad. And our church is filled with wonderful people. And every so often I make myself attend a service, even though my pastor jokes about how he can see the cloud over my section of the pew.

He's such a jerk.

Good guy, though. I think I would have chucked the whole religion thing if it hadn't been for his smart-ass emails.

 

[Guest]

I believe thise thread pops up about every six months.

 

[minsue]

I believe thise thread pops up about every six months.

But did you need proof?


What's the point in complaining, Dran? Why not just ignore it if it's not your cup of tea? (apologies for the brief threadjack, it's just something I've oft wondered)

 

[cheerful_deviant]

I believe thise thread pops up about every six months.

I must have missed it the last time.

 

[Guest]

But did you need proof?


What's the point in complaining, Dran? Why not just ignore it if it's not your cup of tea? (apologies for the brief threadjack, it's just something I've oft wondered)

Not really complaining. Just thought I'd point it out.

Apologies. I'm just gonna shut up now.

 

[TheEarl]

One of my favorite authors/country singers/humorists/all around cool guy, Kinky Friedman, said in his hilarious novel "Roadkill":

I'm a Jehovah's Bystander. I believe in him, but I don't want to get involved.

I think that's funny, even though he's Jewish and I actually don't believe in God, the Devil, or what have you.

I'm a lapsed agnostic. I believe in God. I'm just not sure I trust him.
- Arnold Judas Rimmer

The Earl

 

[cantdog]

I tried for years to catch god in some fashion, to feel it, or notice it. Never anything but the upholstery of my own mind.

Mindy, if you went down the pews you'd find a lot of people who, actually, do not feel it and never have; some who are almost disturbed, they're so fervid; some who have crafted for themselves a sort of Certainty which seems to make their hatreds stiffer and more solid; and some serene believers who can't go a day without noticing another little message from God or another aspect of his mind. Dozens of different people in dozens of places. From feeling a call to sitting there because it's expected or cynically playing the whole thing for money.

But for me, each time I thought I had something, it was me, hypnotizing myself. So I took the leap of faith and I don't believe a word of it.

Even my mystical experiences have been like those the shamans had, shapeshifting or out-of-body things. So I'm an atheistic mystic, I guess.

cantdog

 

[alyxen]

I know this will sound like I am poking fun, but it's the closest analogy I can come up with:

Religion is Santa Clause for adults.

It's how the parents (governments) try to get the kids (people) to behave. Be nice to your siblings and you get a shiny new present when you die.

 

[Xelebes]

I'm a chaotist (a word that I came up with heh) - an agnostic who firmly believes the Chaos Theory cannot prove the existence of a God or lack of a God but it is damn useful for other things.

 

[Kassiana]

Or perhaps you believe in many gods as Pagans and Native Americans.
--I believe in all Gods. I only worship a few, though.

Does this God or do these Gods have a direct hand in the running of the world? Do they manipulate the events of the world to their own ends or did they start us running then ababdon us to see how we do on our own. Or maybe something in between?
--I see it more as a balance.

Reincarnation? Keep coming back till you get it right or you get tired of the game?
--It'd be nice, but I don't really know. All that I believe about the afterlife is the following: there is no hell, and if there's any form of afterlife, the Gods will take care of me in it.

One of my favorite authors/country singers/humorists/all around cool guy, Kinky Friedman, said in his hilarious novel "Roadkill":

I'm a Jehovah's Bystander. I believe in him, but I don't want to get involved.
--I have a friend of a friend who, upon being witnessed to by some Christian evangelists, told them of the God Raoul. Raoul doesn't care. You can worship him or not. He's apathetic. He only cared once, when he created humanity, but now he don't give a rat's ass about anything.

And I created a God once, too. I hang out on a fairly liberal religious board where we were being bombarded by Christian evangelists. They weren't getting any converts, naturally, and we were getting pissed off. So I created Lord Spumoni, a God who never quite gets anyone's name right, spends much of his time hitting on pretty Goddesses, and wants everyone to enjoy good food and the good things in life in general. He revealed himself to me after I got hit in the head with some bricks. I got eleven converts on my first try. The Christians were soooo envious.

 

[Carl East]

I believe in a higher being, call that God or the almighty, I just believe there is something. What I don't believe in, is all the different religions trying to tell me that they are the true path to enlightenment, and I should follow their example. Especially when half of them have no qualms about using violence to further their ends.

If there is a God, he must be extremely disappointed with his creations.

Carl

 

[Xelebes]

One of my favorite authors/country singers/humorists/all around cool guy, Kinky Friedman, said in his hilarious novel "Roadkill":

I'm a Jehovah's Bystander. I believe in him, but I don't want to get involved.
--I have a friend of a friend who, upon being witnessed to by some Christian evangelists, told them of the God Raoul. Raoul doesn't care. You can worship him or not. He's apathetic. He only cared once, when he created humanity, but now he don't give a rat's ass about anything.

And I created a God once, too. I hang out on a fairly liberal religious board where we were being bombarded by Christian evangelists. They weren't getting any converts, naturally, and we were getting pissed off. So I created Lord Spumoni, a God who never quite gets anyone's name right, spends much of his time hitting on pretty Goddesses, and wants everyone to enjoy good food and the good things in life in general. He revealed himself to me after I got hit in the head with some bricks. I got eleven converts on my first try. The Christians were soooo envious.

Did you create a whole Bible?

I think we should create a bible of a mythos or something. Some sacred texts and we can make some high brow references to it or something.

I started this some time now... does anyone think I should continue?

The Story of A’am

Chapter 1

1 In the darkness there was matter but no light
2 In the darkness there was no form in the matter
3 Fleeting about in the dark abyss, the matter came into one.
4 When the matter congregated, they created energy
5 And with energy created light, and with it came a being
6 And the being was named A’am.

Chapter 2

1 A’am in its youth was not wisened but was the wisest there was.
2 In his youth, he tamed all matter and with them, he made two beings .
3 The two beings became his children, Lo’am and Me’am.
4. With them, he commanded them to create something with all the matter.
5 With those words, they created A’am’od
6 In the world of A’am’od, rock and stone was formed
7 But no life was there as none was conceived.
8 They saw the lack of beings to attend to them, so they created life.
9 It was A’am’od that became the forge of life and a new world was created.
10. And it was called Lo’am’od.

Chapter 3

1. Life was limited in Lo’am’od but soon bloomed.
2. Soon it grew too much for Lo’am and Me’am.
3. So they created a new forge of life, a forge for keepers of life
4. And it was called Me’am’od.
5. Seeing as it became hard to keep the keepers together, Me’am made them breed
6. And the two became known as Malan and Mawen
7. To lead the two to co-exist together, Lo’am and Me’am became mentors.
8. Lo’am took to leading Malan, offering him the skills of the forges of rock and stone
9. Me’am too to leading Mawen, offering her the skills of creation of life.
10. Together they lead Malan and Mawen to prosperity.

Chapter 4

1. Together Malan and Mawen created offspring, to aid the keeping of the world.
2. The first child as Lo’ma’an, lord of the forges as only the knowledgable could keep the fire going.
3. The second child was Me’ma’en, lady of the hearth as only the most wise could keep the heat and light of life going on.
4. The third child was Leol’ma’an, lord of the soil, keeper of the health.
5. The fourth child was Nomi’mana, lady of the wheat, to reap the wealth of the worlds.
6. The fifth child was Koremaen, lord of power, the spite to drive all those to work harder.
7. The sixth child was Naegamau, lady of secrecy, the cloak to conceal the truth.

Chapter 5

1 Now A’am was not impressed by the outcomes of the six children, especially the last two.
2 He charged Malan and Mawen for creating children to spoil his world

 

[English Lady]

My beliefs? Well lets see.

I believe in the triune God (Three in one) I believe in

God the Father (or mother i guess but I see him as a him ) Who created the universe, this world and everything in it. He created humans and gave them free will to make up their own minds.


Jesus Christ, God incarnate (really here on earth)

I truly honestly believe in Jesus. Jesus is the centre of my faith. I believe it was his coming to earth, dying and being brought to life that brings salvation. I don't believe it is as easy as that though. God knows how we would react if Jesus was explained to us in just that right way that makes us think and I think he knows if we'd say "yay" or "nay" so I reckon there will be some surprises when I get up to Heaven and see who's there!

The Holy Spirit (The helper, here with me now)

The Holy Spirit is the bit God that is inside me. It is,i guess, like Jiminey Cricket -my conscience and my guide. The Holy Spirit is the bit of me that helps me see God in so many things, which helps me to try and make good decisions and basically keeps me sane *L*


So yeah. That is what I believe. I have always been a Christian. I have loved Jesus since being tiny and so I have a very child like acceptance of my faith. Which I don't apologise for but sometimes I wish I could have more of a grown up faith where I would have the right words and the terminology to really argue my corner. Thats not my lot though, my faith is purely instinctual and heart felt.

I really feel Jesus in my life. When I am sad and lonely, I feel his arms around me sometimes. When I am stuck and I can see no way out, Jesus shows me a way. His Angels keep me safe, I swear my guardian angel has grey hair and a nervous tick by now.

I believe in love thy neighbour and I believe it means everyone no matter what their race, sexuality, religion or the activities they do or do not take part in.

I will never force my beliefs on someone, I never offer them up unless asked for or I come across a thread like this. if anyone wants to know any more then just ask

but I also believe i will be late if I don't stop typing this now!

 

[English Lady]

....If there is a God, he must be extremely disappointed with his creations.

Carl

Yeah he is. Makes it even more of a wonder that he forgives all.

 

[Kassiana]

Did you create a whole Bible?

No, but I did quote from the Holy Bible and Recipe Book at odd intervals thereafter, saying such holy and memorable things as "Stir thy onions, that they mightest not burn" and "Take joy in the pudding, so long as it dost not have mold in it, for lo, that is disgusting and wilt make thou sick besides, believe Me."

 

[Guest]

I believe in a thing called love.

(Just listen to the rhythm of my heart!)



I don't believe in God, or any other kind of higher being. We're a fluke and maybe there are other flukes out there, who knows?

When we die, that's it, finito.

I believe in the wonder that we are, and that's about it.

Lou

 

[Guest]

i think ive made my own belief system. it makes me not fear death so much...
i borrowed bits and pieces from alot of different beliefs
i believe there is a higher power
i believe that when we die, we are not merely worm food
i believe that we come 'round again to learn some lesson...and its like washing hair... if you dont learn that lesson, rinse lather repeat.
eventually, we get to a level where being human is not needed and we move on to another 'plane' ...some kind of nirvana
i do believe that there are some things that just can't be explained.
i do believe that you should live your life with love and treat others with respect...(though thats one thing i some times have trouble with) yes, my sarcasm gets me into trouble alot... i might have to repeat at this juncture.

its odd. when you really think about it. if anyone really truly knew.. then there wouldnt be so many different religions.

just be good....love fully...like so many here have said. besides it takes so much more energy to hate...im basically lazy *grin*

 

[impressive]

Wonderful responses! I'm going to re-read them all after I let loose my own:

I do NOT believe in a "supreme being." The closest thing to a self label I've ever encountered is Pantheist. I believe the divine surrounds us in nature.

I tolerate organized religion only due to its charitable works, but I loathe the concept of "worship" (as least as it's currently applied by most Western religions). I see it as a psychological crutch.

I believe in the inherent goodness of the human spirit. I believe nearly everyone lives and loves with desire to do good works, be recognized/remembered, and make a difference in the lives of others.

I do believe in some sort of an afterlife -- but not in terms of the typical heaven/hell/purgatory trichotomy. I will define my own "heaven" and it will be unique. It may overlap yours. It may not.

*sigh* Deep thoughts.