Religion/Life Philosophy

[Xetxa]

Since I'm new here, I'm a little curious about how everybody sees their world. I've always thought that a person's religion/philosophy can say a lot about them.

Personally, although raised Christian (first some Protestant denomination I don't remember, then Catholic) I don't buy into most Judea-Christian ideas. Only allowing men to become priests, and damning people who engage premarital sex in an age when we don't get married until late 20's while nature dictates to 'be fruitful and multiply' once puberty hits just doesn't make sense to me.
I have a need for balance, and I don't believe that certain things a lot of people think are evil actually are evil. It's human nature to lust after an attractive person and to get mad if something pisses you off, just as it's human nature that parents want to protect their kids and everyone wants to eat good food.
I'm still trying to figure out the whole 'Is there a God, or life after death, or spirits, or... ect.' So I really don't have a definitive religion I call myself.

What about you guys? Any particular way of living life you believe in?

[Mamba]

I was raised a Christian but I don't practice. I generally live by the rule that if you do good to others, it will be returned and if you do bad, vice versa. I believe in Karma, but I still think sometimes it needs a helping hand. e.g If someone fucks you over, speed up the punishment.
I believe in reincarnation and spirits, most definitely.
I believe there is a God, but it's not the archetypal God, but rather a creator energy.
I believe in angels, in demons and things that go bump in the night.

I'm still pondering this, though so come back when I've figured it out.

[Violet]

My dad is an atheist and my mom considers herself agnostic. Religion really didn't play much of a role in my life (other than kids picking on me for not believing in "God") until I started going to church to satisfy my curiosity in my early teenage years.

I didn't really like much of what they had to say. No one, not even the reverend, could answer my silly questions about dinosaurs. I was told dogs didn't have souls, though they obviously expressed emotions such as joy, love and anger. Sure, these were the inquiries of an adolescent, but it irritated me. Besides that, this God that everyone worshiped sounded awfully quick to damn people.

I've tried in the past to keep an open mind about religion. I treat others as I'd like to be treated, and I generally try to be a good person, but I don't do these things because I have a fear of damnation. I've seen no reason to believe in a god so far.

[Amythist]

I am not a go to church type person. I do believe in God but it is a between me and him thing. I hate people who feel the need to push their beliefs on others. Everyone is different and sees things in a different way , no need to push!

[Scabman]

I'm an atheist and I weren't raised in any direction. My parents wanted me to have the chance to choose, so they didn't baptize me or my sisters.

I don't believe in any God, angel, demon, ghost or other superficial being. There's facts and there's faith, and honestly I find the latter to be nothing more than a comforting pillow for anxious people.
Life is a ride on a roller coaster, there's ups and downs and it will come to an end. Rather than focusing on what happens at the end, I try to enjoy the ride while it lasts.

And I usually tend to steer away from religion discussions as I opt for the "live and let live" mantra.

[Easytrigger]

Amen.

[Negativecool]

I am a baptized and confirmed Lutheran Christian (lotsa Germans in the Milwaukee area). I've exhausted my thoughts on the matter in discussions and debates elsewhere numerous times, so I'll make this (relatively) short and sweet through a few bullet points...

Cons:
-I've never felt comfortable in church, ever. I hate singing, I hate the mindless droning of group prayer, and I hate hearing about how I'm going to hell.
-Church get-togethers always make me extremely uncomfortable. I hate meeting and being friendly with "churchy" families; you know the type. I swear they don't fucking fart.
-No one has ever been able to answer my questions about god (questions I will not get into here), hence, Christianity is a religion based on faith, which has never been good enough for me, even as a naive child.
-I suspect most others I have seen in church have similar doubts, but I seem to have been the only one with balls enough to admit there is no god.
-Which religion you are is entirely geographic. If there was a supreme being, he really fucked up spreading his one supreme word. I do not want to follow such an incompetent fuck up.
-Everyone seems to believe in god in a hospital. It's really hard to motivate a patient that I cannot connect with, because they only find comfort in a god in which I do not believe.
-Everyone I've met that have a profound belief in Christ have come across to me like a naive misguided pinheaded twat. Although, many of them have been highly educated and intelligent people.
-Religious people tend to turn science and scientific theory (and law) into a belief system like religion. Science is based off of peer reviewed fact (facts which are tested by a view of skepticism within the scientific community FIRST, before being thrust upon the retarded masses), whereas religion is based off of blind faith. Yet somehow, hundreds of millions of people believe the Earth is a mere 5,000 years old, and they discount science as heathenistic atheism. There are Christian scientists for fuck sakes! Science is not an atheistic conspiracy to destroy god!
-Religious people and Christian values are hindering the greatest life saving/changing sciences of our time.
-Religion is too important a factor in American politics. There is nothing I hate worse than a politician that quotes scripture. If I ever hear either Obama, or McCain quote from scripture in a debate, they have automatically lost my vote. A minority president isn't the true triumph of the American dream---An atheist president IS.
-An intellectual debate about the existence of god with someone of faith is inherently impossible.

Pros:
-At the very least, at its core, Christianity (I can only speak from Lutheran Christianity though) instills good moral values and helps one become a member of polite society.

Other:
-My wife believes in god; church gives her peace of mind. I'm ok with it, because she doesn't feel the need to discuss it...ever.
-My children will go to church, and will thus have the requisite knowledge to make an informed decision about it themselves, as I did.
-I have always loved philosophy and theology, even though religion pisses me off. I will try my best to study the theory behind Christianity and other religions, so if my children have a question, I will do better than--STFU and worship thy god!
-There was a time when I was a child that I believed in god, and also the devil. The knowledge that the devil was real scared the shit out of me for quite some time. My eventual enlightened skepticism released me from that terror.
-I never capitalize "god," even though it is probably grammatically correct to do so, for a reason.

That is all, carry on.

[Polar Bear]

I've seen no reason to believe in a god so far.

Jesus and I love you, hun.

[Silly Cunt]

I am an avid enthusiast in anti religion.

If I could flick a switch and devoid the entire human race of fantasy beliefs, and the way said beliefs control their lives, I would.

However, I can't, and I'll remain happy & content regardless.

[Sideshow]

I'm and atheist and have recently (in the last two or three years) become less tolerant of others' religious beliefs, especially those involved in organised religion. While my general principle had previously been the 'live and let live' mantra, I find as a humanist I don't want people to waste their time having faith in a personal god. Unfortunately, as my own views have solidified, I am less willing to approach religious discussion with tact.

There is testable knowledge and then there is religious faith and I can't understand how anyone even half-way rational needs a belief in god to make sense of their world.

Reality functions just fine without needing god.

[KommieKat]

I'm Buddhist but not hard core. I've studied buddhism since high school. I've stayed at buddhist monestaries.

I do eat meat at times and will kill mosquitoes because they serve not function and they piss me off.

[Assinhat]

I think my father is a baptist but he's never brought it up. My mother is agnostic, but we've really only ever discussed it in passing.
My siblings and I were left to our own devices for pretty much everything, religion included.
I beat this topic to death in my teens but the conclusion I came to is that most organized religions are really fucking stupid, and large groups of people in a "My God Cock Is The Most Enormous!!!1one!" pissing contest are really fucking dangerous.

Christianity in particular is silly. It's based on a book that's been in semi constant rewrite for thousands of years. Throw in translation difficulties and ergot madness and you've got a fairy tale with plotholes big enough to throw Luvluna through.

The process of believing is putting the cart before the horse.
Personally, I follow a chain of events to a conclusion, or see the event and try to back track what made it so.
Faith in god seems to be taking the event and cramming in whatever is at hand to support what you've already decided, or worse yet, what someone else decided a long ass time ago and handed down to your parents, who force fed it to you.

TLDR: I'm not sure why we're "here". In the meantime I'll walk softly but carry a big stick.

[Polar Bear]

The process of believing is putting the cart before the horse.

YOU need to post more.

[Blood]

I'm not sure either way. I was raised a Catholic and i was hardcore catholic until i was about 12, but the deeper i got into the church, the more flaws i saw in it so it kinda put me off religion all together for a while.

But just because I'm not necessarily religious doesn't mean i feel i should be able to just blindly go through life living selfishly without any regard for the people around me. I'm not sure i truly believe in karma as much as i believe in simply treating people how i would wish to be treated.
I think if more people lived like that, and just gave up on the copout free for all bullshit, and started living for others instead of just yourself, that the world would be a better, more peaceful place.

[funeeman]

I've gone from one extreme to the other in my life and then probably back again a time or two. My problem is not if there is a God but rather with religion. Unfortunately religion was created by men and we're all in it for our selves so organized religion isn't perfect. I think its better than nothing, but it should be used as a guide of right and wrong instead of something absolute. More problems in this world are caused by organized religion yet that shouldn't be a reason to hate religion. Remember. . . its man that manipulates religion to suit his or her needs.

When I was a bible thumper people often asked me how I knew there was a God and my answer was always faith. Sometimes you have to belive what you can't understand. Which wasn't a good answer for them. Then I'd ask them when did time start? Where does infinity begin and end? etc. These are all things that people commonly accept as having a real answer yet they cannot be determined precisely and no one knows the answer to. The same is true for God.


To me . . after much debate. God is simply "Love". That's it. There is the polar opposite and that's evil and you can call it the devil or what ever but its simply "Hate". And it does exist and it manifest itself daily. Its probably more prevalent than God and its much easier to accept and embrace. That's why its pretty cool that God is still at work because it would be much easier to turn away and go with whats easy.

I don't think God helps you win a race, or get better, or accomplish daunting tasks. That all comes from each individual, but I do think knowing that there is God and Love and people who love you can make a person more determined to succeed.


I think there are ghosts, demons, guardians, angels, etc. There are souls all around us, some who don't notice us and others that obsess on the living. Some watch over us and others try to do us harm. They often get linked to religion and the existence of God but in reality they are inconsequential to the argument or a person's beliefs. They simply related to life or death.

[CrAnIuM]

I believe in self... and as such I believe I am the reason for and the reason why everything good, bad or indifferent happens to me.

No flying spaghetti monsters, or fat dudes sitting on rocks or bald assholes spouting transcendental masturbation techniques have ever come close to convincing me of an afterlife or of the need to believe in a "higher power".

I also believe that everyone has the right to believe what ever they wish to believe. But religion in its base form, REQUIRES a 'believer' to go out amongst the unwashed masses and attempt some manner of conversion. THIS is why I have a distinct aversion to organized religion of any type.

MOST major wars, MOST major genocide events, MOST major fucked up shit has had the tinge of religious overtone at least and the outright overt interdiction of religious pomposity at worst.

Stupid people cling to religion, uneducated people need an easily understood "blank check" to explain away the evils that happen to them.

I DEMAND an understanding beyond faith. Faith gets people killed, Faith motivates people to frenzied ignorance on a massive scale.

Bottom line:

I am me, I screw up, I suffer. on the other hand ... I do good, I enjoy the rewards of my labor.

[Negativecool]

But, religion in its base form, REQUIRES a
mother fucker to go out amongst the unwashed masses and attempt some manner of conversion.
THIS is why I have a distinct aversion to organized religion of any type.

That is an excellent point.

[SlimSkeeter]

Forgive the late post, but I just came across this. I'm one of those poor saps who has been on both extremes of belief. When I was younger I was a hardcore bible thumper, then as I grew up I became a staunch atheist. Now, I consider myself a seeker. Agnostic, is the way to put it. I look at religions around the world and they are all so contradictory, even within their own houses. I read the bible, that almighty book that christians threaten to beat each other with, and I find too many holes within. So I look for my own truth.

[frozenstar]

I look at religions around the world and they are all so contradictory, even within their own houses. I read the bible, that almighty book that christians threaten to beat each other with, and I find too many holes within. So I look for my own truth.

I've found just the opposite to be true. From my perspective, all religions are basically just variations on the same underlying theme. They were instituted to bring order to chaotic lands. They taught complex lessons using stories that simple people could understand. They offered certainty in an uncertain world. The Bible, the Koran, the Torah, the Book of Confucius and other sacred texts all aimed to provide their readers with a set of moral laws by which they can live meaningful, productive lives. They are all essentially just that - guidebooks to life. As for how those religions have been distorted over time to achieve specific economic and political goals... is an entirely different subject.

I don't subscribe to any particular organized religion, but I've found lots of wisdom in their texts.

That's my view, anyway.

[SlimSkeeter]

The Bible, the Koran, the Torah, the Book of Confucius and other sacred texts all aimed to provide their readers with a set of moral laws by which they can live meaningful, productive lives. They are all essentially just that - guidebooks to life. As for how those religions have been distorted over time to achieve specific economic and political goals... is an entirely different subject.

You struck upon the essence of what a religion SHOULD be. It should be a moral code for people to live by, and I agree that there is wisdom to be found in most all iconic texts from around the world. My point is that what is moral for one group seems to be amoral for another, hence contradictory. Women are property to some, to others women are deified. Most with a hell think that if you don't believe the way that they do, then you are going to hell. And for an easy poke, Christians the world over can't seem to agree upon something as basic as how to worship their Messiah, which seems to have brought forth many schisms and branches, all of whom claim to be Christians. I feel for them, as those who wrote the bible couldn't seem to keep things straight (I can, upon request, furnish a list of contradictions), of course it was written by committee with loads left out.

I just can't see that anyone has come to find Truth, and if they have, they haven't shared it with me, so I keep looking.

[Josie]

I just can't see that anyone has come to find Truth, and if they have, they haven't shared it with me, so I keep looking.

I am the way, the truth, and the light.

Bam! You are healed.

[Pinkslit]

It may be difficult for some to understand, but every individual on this planet, whether a terrorist, rapist or a priest, are living their lives the best they can. All are living their lives according to their truth, whatever that truth in their mind might be, however right or wrong we may believe it is.
Nothing is true or false, right or wrong for me. I live my experience of my life, which may or may not be remotely similar or dissimilar to yours. I am not a God, so I am not on this planet to determine right from wrong. Anyone who does so, in my opinion is playing a form of God.
I have no respect for law, rules, etiquette or manners. They are all rituals invented by my fellow human beings to create a standard, that defines the people who are acceptable to the group that the laws, rules, etiquettes or manners apply to. I do not wish to join any of those groups.

My life philosophy is simple; leave me alone and I'll leave you alone.

[Josie]

I have no respect for law, rules, etiquette or manners.

You have no respect for them, but follow most of them anyway? That must suck.

[InterStella]

Agnostic.

Those that say "if you're a good person, you will be rewarded in heaven" can suck my fucking toes. There is no heaven. There is no god. There is no afterlife.

When you're dead, you're dead, and that's it.

THAT is why you should be a good person NOW. Because you don't get any second chances. End of.

[Kill_em_All]

What amazes me is that there are actually well-educated people in this world who honestly believe that there is an all-knowing, all-seeing, omnipotent, spirit in the sky who enforces his will upon humanity from thousands of years ago. These same people will actually scoff at scientifically proven, logical data that completely contradicts their religions.

Mind you, most religions were established in the days when people thought the (flat) world was the center of the universe. Never mind that, though, because subscribing to archaic beliefs that were drawn up thousands of years ago and filing into churches, synagogues, temples, or fucking pyramids to sit, kneel, stand, and sing to a mystical spirit seems so much more intelligent!

I base the way I live on Judaeo-Christian values. Not because I'm afraid of how some spirit is going to torture me in the afterlife if I choose not to, but rather because the morals and values within the religion reflect the type of life that I want to live.

I'm with Prick to some extent, as well. I have faith in myself. That's good enough for me.

Additionally, I don't knock anyone for their beliefs. If faith in some mythical deity, be it God, Yahweh, Allah, Zeus, or a fucking cold cut sandwich is what makes you a better person, then go for it. I'd have to seriously question that person's intelligence, but I can't be too critical of people who make stupid choices considering I'm the same guy who thought going to traffic court drunk was a good idea.