Do you believe in Religion or God for that matter?

[smiffy]

Hello all! I was just wondering whats everyones opinions on basically religion and faith in God.

I grew up as a catholic went to Church every weekend for 17 years. However while i'm spiritual I do not believe in formalised religion

While in america on a J1 I played tennis against a Theology student who was a hardcore Christian, despite all my voluntary work and spiritual living she said that I was destined to hell if I didnt follow her religion. She was trying to convert me!

I for one think its very scary that people have this opinion.

For instance If I was born in the middle east in a poor family what are my chances of been converted to a Christian before I die?

The fact that someones can be destined to hell on the basis of geographic location is quite scary.

Im sure this post has my have been done before, sure let me know what ya think!

 

[slant]

No god, no cry.

 

[Quinlan]

Maybe there is a higher power, maybe there isn't. It doesn't really concern me.

If there is a higher power I doubt it is anything much like what religion describes.

 

[midnightmelody]

I'm Catholic too, and that's great,

but I"m more into connecting on a personal way. I choose to be under a "demonination" and I pretty much go with the standards but it's also still very personal for me.

I like my faith.

 

[Hinsoog]

While I'm reluctant to call myself an atheist, I do think that they healthist perspective to take on for the greatest clarity is a "secular" perspective. I think that it becomes very hard to be religious when having a basic awareness of the history of religion and then to watch people use it today. It becomes clear that religion is just a malleable tool developed by humans, sometimes a tool for very unfortunate ends, and that invalidates it for me. I can appreciate the idealism of transcending our animal nature, but I think that that kind of idealism is just as strong and with even greater clarity if people go about it with a secular point of view.

Though, I do understand that religion can be a powerful tool for some in getting through certain hard situations, as though they needed to visit a pharmacy to get drugs to manage the pain from a build-up of bad habits that finally manifested in a sickness of some sort. Even then it's just a drug/tool that is not the healthiest route. In fact, people should not get so comfortable banking on something so pseudo-scientific, because like any pseudo-science, you get the answer you want to hear, and not something that gets you to greater accuracy.

 

[Ketsugi]

I'm a Buddhist. Feel free to interpret that as you will.

 

[acd]

I have a hard time accepting anything that I can't review through empiricism. I find all things deemed mystical and supernatural to be frustrating and annoying because they're not meant to be completely understood.

Plus, I trace most religions back to an agenda of oppression and exploitation of a certain population. Hindus and their castes and Christ and His stating, for example: "You'll always have the poor." Not to mention the misogyny of almost all religions except neo-paganism (whatever the hell you want to call it.)

But, I can't quite bring myself to be an atheist. It's too final for me at this point.

Call me a prideful person if you're a religious one, but I find no comfort in dogma.

 

[smiffy]

While I'm reluctant to call myself an atheist, I do think that they healthist perspective to take on for the greatest clarity is a "secular" perspective. I think that it becomes very hard to be religious when having a basic awareness of the history of religion and then to watch people use it today. It becomes clear that religion is just a malleable tool developed by humans, sometimes a tool for very unfortunate ends, and that invalidates it for me. I can appreciate the idealism of transcending our animal nature, but I think that that kind of idealism is just as strong and with even greater clarity if people go about it with a secular point of view.

Though, I do understand that religion can be a powerful tool for some in getting through certain hard situations, as though they needed to visit a pharmacy to get drugs to manage the pain from a build-up of bad habits that finally manifested in a sickness of some sort. Even then it's just a drug/tool that is not the healthiest route. In fact, people should not get so comfortable banking on something so psuedo-scientific, because like any pseudo-science, you get the answer you want to hear, to something that gets you to greater accuracy.

yeah while i had to read your quote three times and use wiki to find the meaning of two words! Ill let you guess which ones

Ultimately I think that some humans use religion to their own devices, that is why I cant follow catholism, while there is alot of good in the church I believe it to be too flawed and also dont buy into the bible although the character of Jesus is cool

I believe so much more could be done for people, alot of older people I know just go so they can chat to their friends at the back all the way during mass, think a more active based society could do better with observable positive outcomes for society. Get all the local children and instead of sitting them through mass let them play a football game and make new friends or go and clean a park

anywhere theres goes my hippy rant!

 

[VH]

I am a minister. I believe in God, but I certainly don't believe in religion. My preaching centers on the difference between religion and God.

 

[smiffy]

I am a minister. I believe in God, but I certainly don't believe in religion. My preaching centers on the difference between religion and God.

ok elaborate? Preaching centers eh? does that mean your the boss?

is your preaching center under any religious denomination?

oh BTW although I have no religion I have alot of faith that there is a a God! But I dont think its anything like whats written in any faith

 

[acd]

How can you actually separate God and religion when there are rules to abide by and a code of conduct?

"Know them by their fruits."

I was a Christian a few years ago, I was "born again" in 2005. I've lost the faith. It doesn't make sense to me. It just seems to be a means to get people to conform because they are afraid to really live. I'm not attacking you Von Hase, not at all. I'd actually like to gain some clarity and insight from your perspective.

 

[smiffy]

How can you actually separate God and religion when there are rules to abide by and a code of conduct?

"Know them by their fruits."

I was a Christian a few years ago, I was "born again" in 2005. I've lost the faith. It doesn't make sense to me. It just seems to be a means to get people to conform because they are afraid to really live. I'm not attacking you Von Hase, not at all. I'd actually like to gain some clarity and insight from your perspective.

i too would slo like to say Im not attacking, really trying to think about how this could be done?

 

[Hinsoog]

I believe so much more could be done for people, alot of older people I know just go so they can chat to their friends at the back all the way during mass, think a more active based society could do better with observable positive outcomes for society. Get all the local children and instead of sitting them through mass let them play a football game and make new friends or go and clean a park

anywhere theres goes my hippy rant!

Hahaha, yeah. It makes me think of what could be a good replacement for mass that aims to actually help people be healthier in a more focused way. I'm imagining some kind of psychology meeting with a more idealistic twist, but still has to stand up to the growing reason and science of psychology. Heh, it seems so difficult just imaging it... Maybe the ease of the mass with all of its easy answers, built-in structure, and assumed importance, is how it gets such a strong place in the tradition of people even though it clearly has a lot of flaws and clutters our efforts to have the healthiest perspective possible.

 

[Indie.J]

I think too many people these days follow their religions blindly without knowing what they mean. It's amazing what people will do in the prospect of being faced with going to hell. I've had many scripture teachers stand in front of the class in primary school and tell all the kids that they're going to hell if they don't believe in god, or christianity as it was.
And I've also heard many people say that heaven is going to be made of gold. This I find a bit shallow as I know they mean it in the literal sense. If I was to read that with a lust for material possesions out of mind it would be more like heaven is going to be bliss.

But anyway, this descrimination against other religions as got to stop. Telling everyone outside a religion they are all going to go to hell is just unnecessary. My experience has come from christian foundation and so I'll say this... God is love. Do they really think they are expressing love through their actions?

But saying all this, I don't really feel I belong to a religion as of yet. I learn and take morals and beliefs from all different religions when they agree with me. I find sitting back and excepting peoples' choices while making my own is a much more peaceful way to live. And if god does exist and you've lived your life with kindness and love, why would he make you suffer?

My family and close family friends are christian

 

[smiffy]

Hahaha, yeah. It makes me think of what could be a good replacement for mass that aims to actually help people be healthier in a more focused way. I'm imagining some kind of psychology meeting with a more idealistic twist, but still has to stand up to the growing reason and science of psychology. Heh, it seems so difficult just imaging it... Maybe the ease of the mass with all of its easy answers, built-in structure, and assumed importance, is how it gets such a strong place in the tradition of people even though it clearly has a lot of flaws and clutters our efforts to have the healthiest perspective possible.

once again I had to read it twice, I just came to the conclusion that one of my best friends must be a IN type. We often have conversations and his use of language confuses the %^$

 

[smiffy]

I think too many people these days follow their religions blindly without knowing what they mean. It's amazing what people will do in the prospect of being faced with going to hell. I've had many scripture teachers stand in front of the class in primary school and tell all the kids that they're going to hell if they don't believe in god, or christianity as it was.
And I've also heard many people say that heaven is going to be made of gold. This I find a bit shallow as I know they mean it in the literal sense. If I was to read that with a lust for material possesions out of mind it would be more like heaven is going to be bliss.

But anyway, this descrimination against other religions as got to stop. Telling everyone outside a religion they are all going to go to hell is just unnecessary. My experience has come from christian foundation and so I'll say this... God is love. Do they really think they are expressing love through their actions?

But saying all this, I don't really feel I belong to a religion as of yet. I learn and take morals and beliefs from all different religions when they agree with me. I find sitting back and excepting peoples' choices while making my own is a much more peaceful way to live. And if god does exist and you've lived your life with kindness and love, why would he make you suffer?

My family and close family friends are christian

exactly if god does exist and is as great as they say, he wont make you suffer, think the kindness and love is the way to go! Well when people follow anything blindly it can become dangerous

 

[Indie.J]

Religion is how you've interpreted to follow god. How you've interpreted the bible is not necessarily what god had in mind.

You can interpret that heaven is made of gold in the literal sense or you can take it as a metaphor for something greater.

Just what I think anyway.

 

[smiffy]

Religion is how you've interpreted to follow god. How you've interpreted the bible is not necessarily what god had in mind.

You can interpret that heaven is made of gold in the literal sense or you can take it as a metaphor for something greater.

Just what I think anyway.

although it is dangerous when one persons interpretation is forced on others! cough cough

 

[Indie.J]

although it is dangerous when one persons interpretation is forced on others! cough cough

Exactly.
And that is what religion is these days and way I'm so hesitant to follow it and why I choose to follow any form of religion in my own way.

Put it this way. My family's beliefs don't even get passed me without my tick of approval.

 

[Ketsugi]

Atheism is just as bad when it's forced on others. It's no exception.