Thoughts on Religion

[Abby]

I always had a theory that there is ONE God, speaking to all nations, and somewhere between the perfection of God, and the imperfection of man - the message got skewed.

I'm Christian but I enjoy listening to other peoples opinions.

Anyone else had this thought? What do you think?

Also to atheists: Do you believe there is a possibility of a God. Do you think differently about people who do believe?

[amyuilani]

I believe that people want to believe that there is something out there that is greater than this world and what they know. I believe people find comfort in like-minded ideals. I believe people want to know that the lives they are living will inevitably lead to something greater. I believe people are more willing to believe in a single deity as being a creator or leader, because so many other elements of their lives have revolved around that same theory (dictators, presidents, coaches, teachers, parents, fairy tale characters, royal families, etc.) When people choose to define the deity they believe in as God, Buddha, or some other being, it gives them a greater sense of belief in what they are hoping for. It's as if naming the puppy makes him yours.

I believe people take tales, legends, folklore, etc. and eventually believe them to be facts. When they start believing tales to be facts, they fight to the death to prevent what they are afraid might be true, that everything they've ever believed could be flawed or wrong. People do not want to believe that everything they have ever known could be a fantasy. They do not want to believe that they have lived their lives for nothing. Therefore they do everything they can to continue to assert their beliefs as truth at the expense of others and with a blatant disregard to what others believe to be true themselves.

I do believe that there is a greater purpose to life, but certainly not one I can tie to any one religion or deity. I feel that people should have something to believe in in their own lives, but draw the line when they think it's their responsibility to shove their beliefs down other peoples' throats. Not only is it rude, it leads us further away from the peace we profess to be seeking.

I think if you want to believe in God, that's wonderful. I'm sure your belief in God will get you through tough moments in your life. But I also feel that God is incredibly subjective. Who God is to you can be nothing like who God is to me, even if we think we are referring to the same God. All of the different religions out there who interpret the same bible prove this. There are those who think God got them through things, where others think the absence of God got them through things. Both positions are right, and both are okay to have.

[Bucho]

Isn't atheism pretty much defined as the rejection of any kind of deity?

I think it's possible there's a creator but if there is I haven't found a religion yet that describes that creator in terms I can go along with. I was raised by a Christian mother and went to church until I was about 12 or 13 but I can't remember at what age I decided the God of the bible was about as believable as Santa Claus. Maybe 10 or 11. I think what first lead me out of the mindset of Christianity was the question of why an all seeing, all knowing, all powerful God would allow such monumental suffering upon the innocent if he was truly a God of love. I've never heard an answer that washes.

Now I see things more or less as Amy has described. I still think Jesus had a bunch of pretty awesome ideas though.

[da_ticklah]

Atheism is the rejection of a deity what you speak of is maybe Agnostic or a Deist, at best. which is kinda where I see myself, I acknowledge the possibility of God, I just look at the religions of the world as attempts at mass mental slavery. I'm mainly familiar with Christianity but from my understanding they all have documents that are allegedly the word of God that have had way to many opportunities for (documented and undocumented) edits to be taken seriously.

[Cretaceous Bob]

Christians like to see the world as "everybody who believes" and "everybody who doesn't". It's a much bigger deal to me exactly what you believe, not which side of an extremely simple and ultimately pointless distinction you believe.

You can see clear differences between groups of people of different beliefs, but "believers" and "atheists" is not one of those clear sets of differences.

[silverback chiro]

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[dEadERest]

Originally Posted by Abby

Also to atheists: Do you believe there is a possibility of a God.

No.

Originally Posted by Abby

Do you think differently about people who do believe?

And yes. But not in a bad way. I just don't invest time in conversations with them of any depth.

as a kid, i served more catholic masses than many people go to as I served daily mass for years. when you are at daily mass you hear readings most people never hear or read. i also served lots of funerals and weddings (small town). i thought the nuns were nuts and the general teachings sounded like crap. i had an older brother who read Vonnegut, etc. So i was dyed in the wool with cynicism.

there is a beautiful freedom, i find, that comes with allowing the universe to be vast and meaningless.

"Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful." - Seneca the Younger 4 b.c.- 65 a.d.

[Dean from Australia]

My Christianity got crushed at an early age. Now, I believe that this is it - life as it is now is it. And once you're dead, you're dead.

Jesus was born, Jesus lived and Jesus died on the Cross. End of Story.

[dEadERest]

Originally Posted by Dean from Australia

And once you're dEad, you're dEad.

oh hell yes

i tell born-agains - "Have you accepted JC as your personal savior?" "Nah, but I will, right here, right now, if you can accept him as political radical."

I then tell them, if they're still standing there, that I am a Jesusian. Heluva guy, that Yeshua.

[panicBoy]

Atheist. Not something I take lightly either. Took years of introspection.

And yes, unfortunately, I tend to view those who believe as somewhat intellectually stunted, sometimes to the point of being anti-intellectual. People tend to view non-theists as arrogant and untrustworthy. I ask if there's anything more arrogant than the idea that an omnipotent, omnipresent ruler has a unique plan for little ol' you.

We amass knowledge at a geometric rate that explains how the physical universe operates. It's simple, it makes sense, and it's beautiful. Why would anyone want more? We have all been given this brilliant flash of existence, against insurmountable odds, and you want MORE? We're really going to waste our time warring over which end of the egg to open? Aren't there better things to do than genuflect to the man in the sky?

Or argue about this on the internet?