Religion

guy07 · Post by **guy07** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:36 am

Copycat_Revolver wrote:Quick, Doctors! We need a chart for the stupid level of this thread.]
Start with "Relegion".

Quiet you, you know spelling isn't my strong point. >.>;

Many (western) religions do this - their adherents try to get special treatment, try to change law based on their religious beliefs.

I think you're overlooking the fact that for thousands of years, religion WAS the law. You could actually be put in jail for not going to church at one point. And I totally agree with what you said about religions suppressing others. The Witch Hunts were a good example of that. They pretty much killed any woman who was a free thinker or strong willed. And we don't even KNOW how many were killed. Thank you, religion.

Kristyrat · Post by **Kristyrat** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:37 am

I used to claim I was atheist, without really knowing what it meant or if it was what I truly "believed". I forget exactly when, but I stumbled upon Deism, and realized it was a much more accurate representation of how I felt the world "worked", so to speak.

As for the concept of an afterlife... sure it would be cool, certainly something for people to look forward to. I personally think it's incredibly egotistical for us to believe that we're composed of anything more than flesh, and that we continue life after death, be it through reincarnation, heaven or whatever. Doesn't that put us above every other living being on Earth, and thus (a stretch maybe) equate us to God(s)?

Who knows?

purplepolecat · Post by **purplepolecat** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 12:22 pm

Lifelong atheist here. I can let you in on a few secrets:

1) I'm not mad at god or my parents (they are agnostic, I think)

2) Not believing is really easy if you've never believed

3) Being an atheist is like being the designated driver at the party and having to watch everyone else get drunk, you may not look like you're having much fun but you get to see some really funny shit

guy07 · Post by **guy07** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 12:28 pm

purplepolecat wrote: Being an atheist is like being the designated driver at the party and having to watch everyone else get drunk, you may not look like you're having much fun but you get to see some really funny shit

As funny as that sounds, that's sort of the way i see it too, lol.
Also, I'm not too sure about that whole 'mad at your parents' thing ... I don't see how not being religious would have anything to do with them.

surfsama · Post by **surfsama** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:45 pm

Generally, I'm a fair-weather Atheist. It amazes me how quickly I can become "religious" when things turn for the worse.

wurpess · Post by **wurpess** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 10:19 pm

LantisEscudo wrote:I could use any number of labels to describe my particular set of religious beliefs, but probably the most accurate would be "Agnostic Deist."

I believe that there is or was some "Power," for lack of a better term, that set the universe in motion, after defining the natural laws that govern it (gravity, atomic bonds, etc.), and then he/she/gendered pronoun humans don't use/it/they sat back and let it run. I've heard this described as the Celestial Clockmaker theory, too. Whether they're still around, have left completely, or are still actively involved but unable to be noticed by the universe's occupants is an unknown and really unknowable question.

I was raised in a Roman Catholic family (though one of my grandmothers and her family are very devout Lutherans), so that's really formed the core of my personal moral code, but I have a rather hefty scepticism about organized religion, especially given how much bad stuff has been done in their names (I'll admit, there's been a lot of good, too, but I'm not sure it outweighs the bad). Probably the two bedrocks of what I believe that apply to everyday life are the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and the quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes, "The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins."

I really don't mind what anyone believes, until it starts affecting other people, either through direct action or by trying to impose those beliefs on others. Then I have a problem with their religion. I hate being the target of an attempted conversion, but I'm perfectly willing to discuss religion or faith if I'm asked about them in an attempt at greater understanding, rather than a recruitment drive.

x2 almost completely word for word. Of course, being a schiz with the variety of voices I have makes things in the religious end interesting. (Lets just say that if I were religious, I probably would have been deemed "chosen" were I to reveal the words of my voices, but since I'm not. . . .) But yeah. that about sums it up. . .or something. . .

CodeZTM · Post by **CodeZTM** » Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:39 pm

I've missed out on a lot it seems.

I am a Christian. Let me be honest in this. I am a very strong Christian now. Mostly, that was what my small break from the site was about. My life was miserable. I had to get a lot of things straight with God, and I'm grateful for it now.

Christianity is more than what a lot of people make it out to be. It's not about beating people with a Bible and converting them to add a shiny star to your scorecard. Christianity is about accepting people for who they are, and refraining from judging others. It's about accepting Jesus as our Savior, and realizing that He died for our sins, all in order for us to get into Heaven. Not only that, but by living by the Bible and Its Word.

Christianity does (by no means) not want everybody to be perfect. Perfection is impossible! God only asks of us to try and be better with each and every passing day, and ask for forgiveness from our sins.

Why do I believe in this? If you're asking for logical proof, I have none. But I know what it felt to be away from God and what it's like to have God. Having God is the best thing in my life. He's like the air I breathe. Just by asking Him to come into your heart will begin a wonderful transformation of your entire being. Now, I'm not saying the transformed you will always be happy and sorrow will go away, that's not how God works. He's not a magical genie giving out wishes. God wishes to push us to our limits, bring out the best in us, and make us happy. Life will never be totally perfect. We will have stumbles, we will fall, we will fail and we will sin. There is no getting around that. The only difference between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians have God to pick us back up when we fall down.

I know a lot of you don't believe in this, and I was the same way until about February of this year. It's all about faith, and a lot of you guys are really logical-based thinkers. I respect that, and I'm the same way in a lot of regards.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm always up for a rip-snorting good debate about religion.

wurpess · Post by **wurpess** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:22 am

CodeChrono wrote:I've missed out on a lot it seems.

I am a Christian. Let me be honest in this. I am a very strong Christian now. Mostly, that was what my small break from the site was about. My life was miserable. I had to get a lot of things straight with God, and I'm grateful for it now.

Christianity is more than what a lot of people make it out to be. It's not about beating people with a Bible and converting them to add a shiny star to your scorecard. Christianity is about accepting people for who they are, and refraining from judging others. It's about accepting Jesus as our Savior, and realizing that He died for our sins, all in order for us to get into Heaven. Not only that, but by living by the Bible and Its Word.

Christianity does (by no means) not want everybody to be perfect. Perfection is impossible! God only asks of us to try and be better with each and every passing day, and ask for forgiveness from our sins.

Why do I believe in this? If you're asking for logical proof, I have none. But I know what it felt to be away from God and what it's like to have God. Having God is the best thing in my life. He's like the air I breathe. Just by asking Him to come into your heart will begin a wonderful transformation of your entire being. Now, I'm not saying the transformed you will always be happy and sorrow will go away, that's not how God works. He's not a magical genie giving out wishes. God wishes to push us to our limits, bring out the best in us, and make us happy. Life will never be totally perfect. We will have stumbles, we will fall, we will fail and we will sin. There is no getting around that. The only difference between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians have God to pick us back up when we fall down.

I know a lot of you don't believe in this, and I was the same way until about February of this year. It's all about faith, and a lot of you guys are really logical-based thinkers. I respect that, and I'm the same way in a lot of regards.

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'm always up for a rip-snorting good debate about religion.

Now see, this is beautiful. What Christianity should be about. About celebrating God and Christ and bonding with your fellow God/Christ celebrating neighbors. You see, like communism, Christianity, and other religions, work great on paper, and maybe on a small scale with a select group of people. You get it too wide spread, human kind type stuff kicks in and it becomes one big disaster. Which is why I have a problem with organized religion in general, but not with religious people who stay true to their faith. *^_^*

guy07 · Post by **guy07** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:58 am

X2 what wupress said. Props to chrono for actually following what the Christians teach.
@wupress: Did they say anything about Canada winning the in the Olympics ...? bad joke, i know >_<
We need more regions in here, isn't anyone here like Buddhist or Satanic or anything?

The Origonal Head Hunter · Post by **The Origonal Head Hunter** » Sun Jul 27, 2008 1:36 am

wurpess wrote:being a schiz with the variety of voices I have makes things in the religious end interesting. (Lets just say that if I were religious, I probably would have been deemed "chosen" were I to reveal the words of my voices, but since I'm not. . . .)

You are the modern Joan Of Arc.

x3 to the chrono props.