Religion What's your religion ?

[Mycernius]

Call me a cynic (CYNIC!), but I don't believe in miracles. They are something that we just cannot explain at our present moment of knowledge. To someone 500 years ago, to cure the plague was a miracle. Nowadays is it quite easy. Our knowledge has advanced to the point where we know the cause and effect of disease and our ability to cure. For some of the "miracle cures" I think people do not put enought stock into the abiltites of the human body and mind.

 

[-Rudel-]

Not if we can find a cure for AID/HIV then that will be a miracle!

I know the docs are still working on it, but after 20 years, there is still no solution, except for the 20 pills you need to take to keep it from spreading.

Anyways...I'm not to religeous, but I do have my own thoughts and beliefs about what's going on and how 'some' things work. But...I rather not get to off topic.

Found this floating around earlier posts.
Here are my results:

01. Neo-Pagan (100%)
02. Mahayana Buddhism (96%)
03. Unitarian Universalism (94%)
04. Theravada Buddhism (93%)
05. New Age (87%)
06. Liberal Quakers (85%)
07. Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants (75%)
08. Hinduism (72%)
09. New Thought (65%)
10. Sikhism (63%)
11. Reform Judaism (61%)
12. Secular Humanism (59%)
13. Bah?E?EFaith (54%)
14. Jainism (51%)
15. Orthodox Quaker (49%)
16. Taoism (48%)
17. Scientology (48%)
18. Orthodox Judaism (45%)
19. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (42%)
20. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (35%)
21. Non-theist (33%)
22. Eastern Orthodox (27%)
23. Jehovah's Witness (27%)
24. Roman Catholic (27%)
25. Mainline - Conservative Christian Protestant (24%)
26. Seventh Day Adventist (24%)
27. Islam (20%)

 

[Silverbackman]

My religious beliefs have been changing quite a bit over the last few years. About two years ago I gave up with christianity, wasn't suited to my true beliefs. Then I became deist,, belief in a God but follow no dogma. Now I feel I maybe on the path to hinduism. Hinduism is one of the most complex religions in the world, and is the oldest religion. However unlike zorasterism it has not gone extinct, and if you read the religious texts of hindus you will find it is a religion on the future in a way.

Hindus believe that in One Truth, but Many Paths. Behind all the mythology there is a fundemental belief in one God (called the Bhraman) that is more of a pantheistic concept. The Gods in Hinduism (Vishnu, Shiva, ect.) are more of manefistations of God, which can be said the same about the concept of Jesus being God. Hinduism does not claim to be the only way, in away beliefs in all religions are summed up in hinduism.

Even the great religion of buddhism is more of a break-off of hinduism, and buddhist still follow many of the concepts discussed in hinduism. Even Taoism that was influenced quite a bit by buddhism all comes back to hinduism.

It is said that Jesus Christ came to the East during his early years, probably to South Asia and learned of the many non-violent practices discussed in buddhism that came from hinduism. It is also said he may have been divinley inspired to return to the West and deliver the ultimate message from the East and later created Christianity.

Either way you look at it the more you study the deper meaning of hinduism you come to feel how true the message is. Unlike Abhramic Faiths it does not force you to do things, it encourages people to seek out knowlage and nothing from the hindu scriptures has been proven wrong, unlike many concepts of judeo-christianity that are considered invalid in many aspects of society.

I think in the future Christianity, Judaism, and even Islam may fall to a low number but even at the end of the road I believe hinduism will stand strong till the end. Afterall it has been here since the beginning and is showing no sign if disappearing.

 

[hakui]

More options

Every question is good.
My favourite is : Who are you?
I think everyone has its own religion.

:souka:

 

[Mars Man]

I had to think a while 'cause I'm just not sure where I do fall, but I put in for Agnostic.

Now, I did notice, as I mentioned before on another post under a different thread, that some of our friends who are pro-Christian, don't really know the ins and outs of the texts they commonly call the Bible. For example, Sabro mentioned that the Bible said (you know, that wording is used to mean that somthing is written in there) '"God" created man and woman in our image' when in reality, those words are NOT written. That translation used is the result of Political Correctness. THE original Hebrew text has only the word 'adham'--which means male person. The word for non-male person doesn't come up until verse 22 of chaper 2 of Genesis. ( ishshah literally means female man) The word 'female' which comes earlier in Genisis 1:27 is not the word 'ishshah'. This is the problem with many modern easy to read Bibles, people who don't know, can't see the writings through the eyes of THAT culture at THAT time by THOSE writers and readers, and come up with concepts that were foreign to the original--as far as scholarship can see.

There's a different thread now for that and I will keep a close watch there, and I would be more than happy to present a very legal-like, 'only-the-facts-maam' (the old Dragnet quote)reply to any questions.

AND that Jehovah's Witness thing? Well, I associated with that group in the past and feel I have the credentials to answer any questions as to why they do and say and think the way they do, if any wish to know.

Revenant, I feel as though I can fully appreciate your feelings and understanding/beliefs, but I just can't help but reason that for the Abrahamic Faith-based religins (Judism, Christianity, and Islam) the concept of having a relationship with "God" absolutely depends on the written documents which proscribe that "God" AND just what 'having a relationship with THAT "God" ' means. And if it can be shown by empirical, scientifically, reasonably well proven or accepted facts and theories that the truth value of those said Scriptures is very low, then the truth value of the belief will equally be low. I mean we can build an argument on a premise, but to the degree that the premise is false, the argument will mostly be false. ( I try to chose my wording to leave room for unforseen, random occurance) For that very reason, I have learned, through my studies in this field, that really knowing the historical, linguistical and culturally involved aspects of the Books under discussion here, is a BIG MUST !!

 

[Revenant]

I gave up Christianity, the faith I had been brought up in about two months ago. It seemed to me that anyone should be able to come to the truth, and a God who had His chosen people (the Jews), leaving all others without hope, just couldn't be compatible with the definition of love. In short, I think anyone, on their own, free from doctrine, or holy men, can find the truth, if they ask themselves questions with great intensity. Repentence is great, but that's just fulfilling all of what it means to be empathetic (a person can see he has caused someone else suffering, and hope to undo, or make reperations for it).

I have started reading A History of God, and it makes sense, especially in the context of all the contradictions that I tried so hard to subjectively reason out in the time I was a Christian.

 

[No-name]

Revenant-
Sorry to see you leave the faith. We will miss you.

 

[Mars Man]

I have started reading A History of God, and it makes sense, especially in the context of all the contradictions that I tried so hard to subjectively reason out in the time I was a Christian.

Sounds like a good book. Who wrote it?

 

[Kara_Nari]

When I was younger at my primary school we had bible studies. They didnt push us to believe anything, just learning the bible and such like. The only times I went to church were for when people got chistened or baptised, and when the pope died, I went with a friend to pay my respects.
I do go to a lot of temples, and show my respects there, I prefer to think that we are here to make this lifetime a better life, hopefully it is my last life, I believe in past lives, and the afterlife to some degree.
There are too many people who claim to be 'religious' but fail to practice, or just plainly ignore what is expected of them.
When all of my friends went to Sunday school or Youth group, I didnt really understand why I couldnt go along and eat cookies and drink juice with them. When I asked my mother why not, and what religion I belong to she would just shrug and told me that if anyone asked to tell them I was Presbytarian. Still even though I was supposedly Presbytarian I never got to go and drink juice, or cups of tea with all the old ladies.
As I got older, my mother came to me, and said that she was seriously considering becoming religious. She was moving more towards the Christianity side. Sure she would make a great Christian, she doesnt drink, smoke, use bad language or do anything bad really, but she had lived her life long enough without it, so I was a bit concerned as to what was making her think that she should do something about it now.

 

[Tsuyoiko]

Sounds like a good book. Who wrote it?

Karen Armstrong

 

[No-name]

I for one find Faith an overwhelmingly positive thing in my life, and it is always sad to hear that someone has lost, or abandoned something that should be so close to the core of their being. I'm always reminded of M. Night Shayamalan's subplot in Signs about a minister losing his faith over his wife's death. It sits heavy on me that the reason that comes up most is the quality or character of other people of faith- that our hypocracies, failures, deficiencies and idiosyncracies are what people cite as the main reason for leaving.

We are all on a spiritual journey, and there are some dark places and difficult climbs everyone must make. And no one can make the trip for you. Good luck on yours, I hope you don't have to go alone.

 

[Revenant]

I absolutely believe that some convictions (yes, a certain amount of faith) is needed. Personally, I simply wanted to simplify, and the Christian faith caused me a whole lot of confusion, as I tried to reason out much that didn't seem to make sense.

I believe in a higher compassionate power of some sort, and I believe in empathy in so many ways. Empathy is happiness, it is compassionate, it is moral, and it is everything that people tried to instill in the followers of so many religions. I do not wish to get lost in the confusion of religious texts, as was my experience with Christianity. I will take that which I understand, and remember that which may be click later on from a variety of religious texts.

 

[No-name]

I sincerly believe in a fairly ordinary orthodox Christianity: nothing ground-breaking, different or earth shattering. All the miracles, the forgiveness thing, the resurrection- I buy it all. The whole thing about Jesus being the only way...that too.

But I do think that everyone has to find their own path. The verb in the book I think is "seeking". Never stop looking for the truth and you will find it.

 

[Dutch Baka]

its a hard qeustion that i dont know for sure.. i believe in something, and i do pray sometimes for the best of my people around me, and really sometimes for myself.. but who i pray to ? i dont know excualy.. in one way i feel to young to really believe in something , a religion that i support.. i dont support christian, i dont support moslim or jewish... neither i do others... if i could choose one i like, it would be budhisme..

i just can not believe a book that tells me what to do in live... dont have sex before marriage, dont eat this dont do that... it is my life.. life is there to get expierenced for going over to the next life!!! * why i believe in this, i havnt found my answer yet..* whats life when you dont try things, when you just follow a god?

there are so many qeustions in life, some you will never find, some of them needs time to understand them, or to just accept them.. even i have some expierence in life with things.. i am still 20 so yeah ask me in maybe 20 years , then i can maybe answer on some more things !

 

[Revenant]

After a lot of thinking, I do believe that spirituality can only be practiced now. Heaven, Nirvana, etc, cannot be conceptualized. So often, we spend time in the future, or in the past, when the only moment we can live, and have any power over is the now. People are so often ever active, cause they just can't be content in the moment. They plan for new house, the new car, the perfect spouse, or the perfect child, or even heaven, and by doing so, they lose so much focus of the present (I do believe some planning and retrospect are necessary, but a lot of people seem to go to an extreme, including myself). Lose awareness of the present, and one also loses potential enjoyment, in the forms of connection, and the ability to practice serenity, gratitude, etc.

How can one focus on heaven, when the means to get there involves being happy now. This I believe, focuses on happier things make people happier, happier people make better connections, better connections is the fulfillment of empathy, or in other words, love.

Gratitude, serenity, and empathy can all be practiced, both in deep meditations, and in daily life, but all require one be as present in the present as possible to reach it's fuller potential.

I wonder if that made sense, and if there are any holes in this that I am missing.

 

[Limonette]

Lutheran - God's frozen people. However I think I need a little Zen in my life. I don't go to church often but religion/spirituality has a place in my life, like the Nightcrawler. (thought i'd mention him - makes it sound cooler)

 

[GoldCoinLover]

Hmm, I don't think I'm any of these. I believe in the fact that humans do not know enough currently to explain everything, including conscience, big bang, etc. I don't think however intelligent you are you could explain everything.

 

[Disembodied Spirit]

I don't believe in anything like christianity, though. I do believe in aliens And also in spirtual things.

 

[Horizon]

Hmmm...I chose "athiest", however, I'm open to the possibility that everything has a spirit-like thing or something of the sorts and, part of my logic in not believing in a deity is that there's no proof. I might also just have no religous/spiritual believes. I have no idea...I haven't really put that much thought into it actually, nor do I really plan to (afterall, I already know where I stand. Why must I give it a label?). :relief:

 

[studyonline]

Hmm, I don't think I'm any of these. I believe in the fact that humans do not know enough currently to explain everything, including conscience, big bang, etc. I don't think however intelligent you are you could explain everything.

Exactly. Any human struggle and effort will lead nowhere. Not many realize this; thus they try so hard to find whatever they are into. It's like never-ending chronic circle.

The verse in the Bible is for anyone who finds the truth.

"the truth shall make you free." If a person can find it, he/she is free from the search.