RELIGION-whats your opinion?

Id have to say religion is controversial, because i have yet to expirience "Divine Intervention" and have been recently listening to others who say that people can percieve things, example: the bow, Both Native Americans used this weapon as did the Europeans way before Europeans started to explore the "new world".

Im wondering who might think the same thing i do, i try to keep an open mind, and i mostly think that christian, and other strands of that religion are a bit biased in opinion, it seems akward that god would make every man and woman be born with "natural sin" for something adam and eve did in the biblical era.

any feedback?

 

there is a thread with 80+posts on this.

 

OK.

 

but not this particular ONE.

 

I think that most religions are biased, and rooted to their beliefs, but even the largest and strongest trees can fall.
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Some beliefs are like walled gardens. They encourage exclusiveness, and the feeling of being especially privileged.

Other beliefs are expansive and lead the way into wider and deeper sympathies.

Some beliefs are like shadows, clouding children's days with fears of unknown calamities.

Other beliefs are like sunshine, blessing children with the warmth of happiness.

Some beliefs are divisive, separating the saved from the unsaved, friends from enemies.

Other beliefs are bonds in a world community, where sincere differences beautify the pattern.

Some beliefs are like blinders, shutting off the power to choose one's own direction.

Other beliefs are like gateways opening wide vistas for exploration.

Some beliefs weaken a person's selfhood. They blight the growth of resourcefulness.

Other beliefs nurture self-confidence and enrich the feeling of personal worth.

Some beliefs are rigid, like the body of death, impotent in a changing world.

Other beliefs are pliable, like the young sapling, ever growing with the upward thrust of life.
-Sophia Lyons Fahs
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there is a story as well, by Aesop (we have a book called "Aesop for Children" for my toddler)

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The Oak and the Reeds

A Giant Oak stood near a brook in which grew some slender Reeds. When the wind blew, the great Oak stood proudly upright with its hundred arms uplifted to the sky. But the Reeds bowed low in the wind and sang a sad and mournful song. "You have reason to complain," said the Oak. "The slightest breeze that ruffles the surface of the water makes you bow your heads, while I, the mighty Oak, stand upright and firm before the howling tempest."

"Do not worry about us," replied the Reeds. "The winds do not harm us. We bow before them and so we do not break. You, in all your pride and strength, have so far resisted their blows. But the end is coming."

As the Reeds spoke a great hurricane rushed out of the north. The Oak stood proudly and fought against the storm, while the yielding Reeds bowed low. The wind redoubled in fury, and all at once the great tree fell, torn up by the roots, and lay among the pitying Reeds.

Better to yield when it is folly to resist, than to resist stubbornly and be destroyed.


I am proud to say that my faith is my own, and that it was forged in love and pain, and is a personal truth. Faith is best discovered for oneself and not dictated by anyone other that you.

PS. why can't you recieve PMs? that was kind of a pain.

 

Yea that is the paradox of a moral God. God knows everything and, if there is a hell, he knows that he will be sending a person to hell before he creates them. Thus some peoples' purpose would be being tortured forever.

yup there was a recent thread like this... but it wasn't this specific one .

 

People are born with natural sin because god gave humans free will and hence there is true human nature. The Bible is basically a gigantic set of morality plays.

But really, there was another religion thread like 6 below this one.

 

we are not special, we are not creation of love, we are children of our past generation not christ, we are not blessed with immortality of heavens, we rott underground just like every other mammal and creature. we are not special, we are not watched and caredfor, we were bought into this world for the natural instinct of passing down ones geenes, it is the most scientific theory for our existance. it means what we develop, will not dissapear like money, and other belongings, gene tree can last centuries - and in theory even eternity, unless theres a flaw and natural selection doesnt take pitty on you. we are not special, we dont need to know we arent alone to feel safe, because fear is nothing, death is nothing. we all die, fear is just lack of knowledge. we are not special, we are independent and responsible for our actions, prayers will not save you from the corrupted grip of law, prayers will ot save you from the inoparable tumour above your jaw. we are not special, we are like all other creatures, born alone we die alone, dissapear. there is no higher power, not everything has a meaning not everything needs a meaning, life is life - it is not some test. god wants you to be a sheep, otherwise u go to hell for being a goat. go ahead and believe you are special, go ahead and kiss the ass of the government that does not give a fuck about you or your family, kiss the ass of a theory developed as a common day main practise of crowd control. we are not special, we are cursed to death from the second we are born - it doesnt matter what/who/when/why/where, you will rott, just like me, just us.

 

i dont buy any of this stuff...only way ill believe is if i have concrete evidence placed before me... the new testament has been altered like crazy the only one true to its old form that i somewhat feel has truth to it is the old testament...the torah it hasnt changed for thousands of years

 

But God already knows the decisions that will come from this "free will" and has already decided how he will react to them.

 

religion is either for the weakest ppl or the strongest, depending on how you look at it

 

I think the purpose of religion is to one day question the dogma. That may be the heart of religiousness.

Religiousness should be personalized, and organized religions, with it's dogma, should eventually go away... though, maybe not entirely. There is nothing wrong with rituals, and certain teachings, as long as you don't take them way to seriously.

 

Even if he knows it's still people's choice. The one thing atheists and most Christians and for that matter other religions have in common is that people have free will, we create our own both misery and achievements

 

thanks for responses, and i do believe in a "higher power" but not necisarily a "god" becuase the way God is described its almost too good to be true.

 

personally i think that we should give into lust and sin why the hell is it so bad if it makes u feel good?

 

I think people would be happier and lead more fulfilling lives if they abandoned religion. I think the core of religious beliefs are false (no evidence for deities, and the word 'supernatural' is doublespeak). I think the implications of the existence of the Abrahamic God are scary, although I also worry about the implications of a universe with no God. One where "everything is permitted" as Ivan Karamazov puts it (YES, MY FIRST BROTHERS KARAMAZOV REFERENCE!). However, I think most people would still behave in a 'moral' manner as atheists. I know tons that do.

 

good point

 

It's supposed to be about moderation, if we all we did was drink, gamble and roll around in the mud and fuck all day society would be shit. It's like the same with drugs, most drugs are fine once in a while, give into temptation and start doing them constantly.......

 

Personally I am a follower of Christ and His teachings. I believe in the bible, but I hate the term religion as it's been warped and twisted to mean too many different things over time. I am not a fan of denominations and and do believe the bible and God's teachings leave a lot of room to interpretation (infact sometimes too much room).

I am confident in my beliefs and know that I am at least on the right track as I have witnessed at least one major miracle in my days. My brother was having massive migraines to the point he could not eat, sleep, or function. He was told by many doctors that he'd have to have brain surgery as he had a rather large lump. Well my family took him to a healing session that was in town and they laid hands on him and prayed. Two days later the doctors were shocked when they took their pre-op scans and found nothing (I say they found nothing at all LOL, but my brother claims the brain was in tact, just not the lump). They were astonished and said themselves it was nothing short of a miracle.

 

But, in the hypothetical case of an all knowing being having created a person, then the being has created him, with knowledge of every way in which he will react to situations, as well as every situation he will face. Because a being of infinite knowledge has knowledge of all of your actions, then your actions are already set in stone, from the beginning of existence(or, at least form the beginning of the existence of the being of infinite knowledge). Thus, in that situation, a person can only have, at most, the illusion of free will; in actuality, they are only acting accordingly to the script.