What religion are you?

[Robert]

1 - I could not reproduce that Hurricane exactly, it would require divine intervention, which since it does not exist, means your request does not compute. Also, I would not like to revisit all that death and misery upon those citizens again. Do you?

[Shoma]

I think anti-religous pple are just as close minded as anti-atheists. Just a diff P.O.V on life, no need for hatred. Anyway, i've been contemplating on my faith, mainly becuz i didnt want to be a believer becuz my family was. I wanted to be one on my own. Now in strongly into it.(still trying to get rid of bad habits.)

I've always asked myself, if i knew i was going to heaven no matter what i do, would i still live a Christian life?

Anyone who's really devout in thier faith should ask themselves that question.

And for those anit-religous comments, even though pple say all wars were started becuz of war, thats kinda misleading. For one thing, anyone can claim a religion and start a war. For example, the Bible teaches that we should all love our brethren, whether their homos, paligimists or even atheists. I have no idea where this "Believe what believe in or DIE " mentallity, the catholics had in the old times.(not knocking Catholics, i'm sure christains might have done da same.) But those are idviduals with power and used faith as jutisfication for.....Doing things that go against what they're faith?

"THou shalt not kill, so i will kill you for being gay!" Sounds stupid.

but my atheist freind did mention that i'm like the only religous friend he has becuz everyone would look at him like he 's a freak. He just belives in something diffrent. If you want to know about GOd and all that stuff, let me know, but i cant force nothing on you and i wont.

 

The REAL reason behind all the past wars, was lack of acceptance! Same thing with racism, no one just said, "Oh, we're totally diffrent! Well, lets move on with life...God bless, lol".

Edited May 31, 2007 by Shoma

[Elazul Yagami]

1 - I could not reproduce that Hurricane exactly, it would require divine intervention, which since it does not exist, means your request does not compute. Also, I would not like to revisit all that death and misery upon those citizens again. Do you?

 

so since you cannot reproduce the hurricane exactly, does that mean the hurricane is a fantasy?

 

btw, YOUR request does not compute, you're twisting something around because of a lack of proof of your logic.

 

you said since something cannot be reproduced, therefore it's fantasy (divine intervention) therefore, since katrina cannot be reproduced (same hurricane, same effects...etc) then it's a fantasy.

 

but try telling all those taht suffered from it, that it is a fantasy.

and no, i wouldn't wnat them to suffer, i have friends that were in it.

 

btw, there are those that would argue that divine intervention happens on a daily basis.

[Ahmad89]

Take it as an insult if you will, I find the forced concept of religion to be an insult. And no, I'm no sheep, I believe what I want to believe, I don't conform to silly standards of "Atheism" and the views pinned on it.

 

I believe in my religion not because it is now forced on to me. I believe in it becuae i chose it to be right and because it think it is the right way of life. If i find something in my religion that i dont like or dont beleive in i can stop any time i want.

Just wondering... when you say you thought it was the "right" religion, does that mean you think all others are wrong?

I believe my religion is 100% right but i do not think all the other religion are 100% wrong as thier may be some right. It is the wrong things, or contradictory stuff in a religion that i oppose. If a religion was not 100%(in my point of view, i would be happy to share) then i cant believe in it.

 

By the way whats wrong with trying to get you into heaven. Isnt that a good thing.

[Elazul Yagami]

By the way whats wrong with trying to get you into heaven. Isnt that a good thing.

 

nothing, that's if you BELIEVE in heaven.

alot of people, don't believe in heaven.

[Alpha]

this topic was a really bad idea, we are just creating tension between us untill we hate each other and the community is destroyed and the site eventually implodes

A little too paranoid perhaps? I'm glad we have discussions like this. It's always a good read to see what people believe around here. Just keep it as constructive as possible and all shall be fine.

[Robert]

Heaven? Does it exist? Or is it something you wish to believe exists?

 

I believe what I see, thus when you die your body will decompose and rot away. There is no evidence of a soul or a spirit or a place of judgement or purgatory or hell or the pearly gates with St Peter up there deciding on your fate. I defy ANYONE to prove otherwise.

[Lucandrake]

I already feel this going out of hand ... but then again I've been tensed up the past few days.

 

Anyways Ahmad, I still don't get why you said that...

 

Religion is not something that you do just to fit in or look for one that best supports your life, in my opinion. Religion is something that you look for to seperate right from wrong, good from bad. I wont pick a religion that practices cutting oneself just because the people in that religion i think are cool.

 

Elazull was right about my statement though, I meant find your own belief within your own head, even if it was influenced let it be just as long as you, the person him/her self, believes it's right.

 

Also, I don't think religion should really be used to separate right from wrong and the good from the bad, because most religions say "Ours is right if you believe otherwise then your wrong".

 

Btw Robert, when my mom first attempted to influence me in catholic church, at first I wanted heaven to exist, of course I didn't realize this for a few years and tricked myself into thinking I thought it was real.

Also, one thing, just because I want to be me, what about ghosts (again directed at Robert)?

[Robert]

Ghosts? What about them? It is not part of religion.

[Lucandrake]

You said

 

There is no evidence of a soul or a spirit or a place of judgement or purgatory or hell or the pearly gates with St Peter up there deciding on your fate. I defy ANYONE to prove otherwise.

 

My reply is "ghosts" .

[Ahmad89]

Drake:

the part where you said "Also, I don't thing religion should really be used to separate right from wrong and the good from the bad, because most religions say "Ours is right if you believe otherwise then your wrong" i say is i wont believe in a religion that has the smallest mistake becuase the smallest mistake can ruin the whole religion, but not making it all wrong, just that small thing. So that is why you are in or out.

 

Robert:

I dont know the name of the theory or the guy that said it but i will try my best to explain it.

 

Good person: Either Heaven (if it exists) or nothing (decompose etc)

Bad person: Either Hell (If it exists) or nothing

 

In my point of view i have between three choices heaven, hell, or nothing. If i do bad (or not practice any religion) i go to hell. If i do good i go to heaven. I am not taking my chance on nothing as one of the outcomes is bad. I will take my chance on good as both of my chances are..well not bad. Now the hard part is looking for the right religion. One that is makes sense, doesnt damage your health and keeps you happy.

 

One more thing, i dont think if someone is not my religion then he will go to hell as it is not my choice to pick who goes to hell and who goes to heaven. No one on earth has the right to tell you where you go. Their might be a chance that even an athiest might go to heaven. My religion does teach that and if by chance someone does not pick the right religion as he was to ignorant (not in a bad way) that does not mean he will go to hell.

[L.S.D]

Whew, is it me or is it hot in here? Let me just give my 2cents and run off to whatever hole i'm coming up from.

 

I am a Christian in faith. And Christianity encourages you to spread the good news to all the people in the world so that they can be saved. Encourage, not forcing. i nver felt that I need to spread the Words to all the people I met. i only do it if I think the time is right.

 

I am a Taoist before. Most Chinese in Asia are mostly either Buddhists, Taoist or Christian. So, i have worship many gods before, even the monkey god then I follow my mother to profess Buddhism, but I still feel empty. Then i think i gone and become anti gods and I DO REALLY believe all what marilyn manson said at one time That was a period where I believe everything is fake, there is no miracle and gods did not exist and most things can be explained scientifically (seems like someone here).

 

But then, I still feel empty. I still feel like something is missing in my life?!? Then, I experience God. I was in prison for causing death in an accident. If you watch Prison Break, just think of almost the same setting only much much smaller and much much worse, dirty and so on.

I was afraid. I am a law-abiding citizen and now I found myself in a prison, with corrupted officers waiting for bribe in order to let me go or let me rot in prison. I was bundled in with other convicts, God knows what they done, 15 persons in one small cell, all sleeping on the floor.

I don't know why but I have no one to turn to for comfort. I really pray to Jesus even though I don't know who He is (i only know he is a God for all and love all, you see). Im mediately, I felt a soothing comfort come over me and i can sleep peacefully with the other cell mates, not feeling the barren cold floor. The next morning, I was discharged with no bribery needed ( as one of my lawyer friend turn up). I was saved spiritually that time. i was saved again when I involved in another accident. I dozed while driving at night and suddenly, I felt a voice waking me up. And I wake up in time to crash into a cement mixer but still manage to swerve a little to the right to avoid the full impact. Miracously, I came out in one piece with only a little bruise, but my car was totally a wreck.

 

Whew, long rant. But what i want to say is, yes, each person will have their own beliefs at one point of life, but your belief might change depending on your experience. I have experience God. My belief is strong. I do question some of the statements in Bible and yes, I am not really "doing my job" as a Christian, but asking me of my belief, and I will proudly tell you that I believe in Jesus. I don;t go around questioning other people's beliefs no matter what we think how wrong they are. In fact, no religions teach you to be bad. I respect islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism etc, it is the exteme thinking of some who profess the religion that I can't stand. For now, the worst that i see is in Islam as the extremists are really giving the religion in a very bad light with their hardcore violence and suicide killing. I believe Islam is a religion of love and tolerance but the behaviors of some Islamic people leave a lot to be desired.

 

So, yes, pls continue on with life, with your own beliefs as long as you are not hurting others. There is no need to forcefully expound your belief to others. Insults will only show that we are not mature enough.

 

Ok, i am getting back to my hole.

[Robert]

Well said sir.

[LoRd_SnOw]

By the way whats wrong with trying to get you into heaven. Isnt that a good thing.

 

nothing, that's if you BELIEVE in heaven.

alot of people, don't believe in heaven.

 

This was probably mentioned but what about reincarnation?

[Sybarite Paladin AxL]

yay here I come to add more fuel to the fire!

 

I chose Christian. Because it's all encompassing in the context of this article. I'm an Orthodox Christian by birth.

 

Cinder, just because you think you follow your own ideas, does not make you more or less of a sheep. Reason is simple, your ideas are not your own ideas at all, as you have been influenced throughout your life into acquiring them, just like millions of others have before you. you are not original hehe.

 

irrefutable proof that a supreme being is real, at least in the context of our current understanding of the world: existence. simple as that. everyone knows that in the beginning there was nothing, just empty space. then the big bang occurred then blah blah world today. now, isn't it just a tad weird how all of a sudden something came out of NOTHING? hehe

 

we all know how the body works... we just don't know why

 

if you would like to know my practices please divert your attention to my post in Shoma's Science and Religion topic.

 

for me religion is a state of mind. a collection of ideas and ideologies to better my life and those around me. the concept of God and Heaven is nice because EACH AND EVERY HUMAN BEING NEEDS LOVE TO FUNCTION!

 

you want to know the reason why those poor souls blow themselves up in air planes? because they have been brainwashed into thinking that they will be in a place of eternal love. it's not just the lack of education that makes recruiting suicide bombers easy. it's the lack of a purpose in life, of someone to love and care for that person. when they are promised such things, which they have never experienced, they'd jump in front of a truck for them... humans are twisted...

 

whatever your ideas are, as long as you make your life better and respect everyone else's you can call me brother.

 

in the worlds of the immortal Vash: LOVE AND PEACE!!!