Religion

In My Humble Opinion
101

I wasn’t raised in any religion. My mother had this guilt thing about how we ought to go to church, so she chose Anglican. By the time I was old enough to form my own opinion about it, I came to the conclusion that because I couldn’t see one, feel one, be touched by one or had never been spoken to by one, nor had anyone I’d ever met, the concept of god must be something people invented to make themselves feel better. Those people who say god talks to them all the time scare me. Some of them are in charge of stuff. Big, important stuff. And they claim to be hearing voices. Um, right. The rest of us, who have never had this experience, are sinners who need to be saved so we can hear the voices, too. Um, right. Overactive imagination much?

I can’t even call myself an atheist, as that can be interpreted as the religion where people don’t believe in god. I’ve coined the term apatheist, because I don’t care if there’s a god. If he or she or it was going to smite me, it would already have happened.

I try to be a good person, and I treat others the way I would like to be treated. I try to leave a place a little better than it was when I found it. When I die, I’m going in a box, or an urn, and that’s all there will have been of me. That being the case, I am learning to enjoy the time I have left here, and I’ve stopped trying to figure out religion, because there is no definitive explanation for it or the people who want to convert me (like the ones who came to my door yet again today - I didn’t answer it yet again - and they’ll be back…). I figure anyone can believe whatever they want to. I wouldn’t think of putting someone down for it. I can dismiss the concept, but I’d never harangue a person for what they believe in. I can’t say the same about them, though. In my experience, putting someone else down for what they believe or don’t has been worked into a pitiful artform, practiced exclusively by those who claim to be in direct communication with their god. Um, right.

102

I’m a HERETIC!

I have read each of the Gospels at least twice. I have 3 Bibles and a Cruden’s Concordance. Look up HELL in that concordance. The word HELL is not in the Bible. The Bible says SHEOL, HADES and GEHENNA.

I think most Christians are very ignorant of the Bible. They listen to their religious leaders who are either ignorant or liars.

I “suspect” the system works on reincarnation. I “believe” nothing.

Things you might want to research via the internet:

THE BIBLE CODE
WORMWOOD & CHERNOBYL
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL OF JESUS THE CHRIST

Dal Timgar

103

Sorry, don’t have the patience to read the whole thread but, anyone else read a book called “Soon”?

I was dooped into reading it by reading the book jacket and it sounded like a really good book. It ended up really sucking and had a religious (finger-waving) message at the end. Highly dissappointed.

Hey, if I want to read about God’s message, I’ll read the Bible.

But, in the book, it was about 40 years in the future. After we’ve had World War III. Of course, World War III was caused by, what else, religious conflict.

The survivors of this war form a new World Order and actually outlaw all organized religion. Claiming that, nothing but killing has come of religious conflict.

Sounds good right.

Yea but, the guy who wrote the book wimped out and just ended the book with a series of events and a “See, that’s why you need religion” message. Very wishy-washy.

However, I’ll say this, I was raised Roman Catholic an that’s how I raise my kids and only really because I don’t know much about “other” religions and I figure it’s the safest bet until they can form their own opinion.

I do believe in God and that his son, Jesus, was sacrifist for us, the imperfect. And, I tried to live my life with that lesson and guilt.

Organised Catholisism really turns me off however. It seems more of a club with by-laws than a Christian Organization.

Anywho. Just two cents worth.

104

Well, since you asked (and since this has returned)…

Born into an Irish Catholic family, but Mom and Dad were both rather agnostic. As the youngest of 5, I was not catechized as my older siblings were (at grandparents’ insistence). I was, essentially, raised with very little awareness of religion at all, let alone Christianity. There were Bibles around the house, though, as well as scholarly books on religion, and I learned a little from television.

When I was about 15, my older brother (the Maladroit) joined a Presbyterian church (he had always been a bit of a seeker), and I, being lonely and a something of a misfit, joined him for the fellowship. I ended up joining a church near my home, and I remained Presbyterian for about 5 years.

I graduated from high school and went to a nearby college, and left town two years later to finish my education. Away from the church, a fog lifted; with time to think for myself, my questions came to outstrip my belief. At the age of 21, I declared myself as an atheist to my sister, who replied “Oh, we’ve all been praying for you!” (Heh. My sister’s funny).

I’ve since come to realize some things about myself, and I’ve made some decisions about what I believe, and why.

–I believe that the truth of God is unknowable; I nonetheless believe absolutely that there is no God; I likewise believe that there are no gods, no no prime mover, no spirits, souls, ghosts, or supernatural beings of any kind. This is faith, if you will, and I do not arrogate it over other faiths.

–I therefore try to respect the faith of others. I never (well, almost never) mock the faith of others, and I respect their beliefs and the needs based on those beliefs. I do, however, get angry with those who see the need to arrogate their beliefs above others’, and with those who proselytize in that fashion.

–I also feel a little sad when I see people who sacrifice their lives and/or their happiness to their beliefs. I see it all as a waste, you see. I get quite furious with those who are willing to demand such sacrifices of others. And I get very angry with those who think it’s all a laughing matter.

–I get a little uncomfortable when going to church weddings, and when participating in others’ religious holidays.

– I believe in science. I hold a degree in biophysics, and I know enough to perceive at least the broad outlines of many mysteries that others lay upon God or superstition. Things like where we came from, how the mind works, what life is, what the soul is, what the universe is – if I cannot answer these questions, I can see how they might be answered by better minds than mine.

105

Oh – even as a Christian, I was troubled by the belief that Jesus was God Himself. I found the Biblical justification rather thin, and it seemed to be added later (which is apparently the conclusion of many scholars). I have since repudiated the entire thing, but even if I still believed in God, I don’t think I’d be a Christian. Even today, I refer to “Jesus is Lord” as “the Pauline Heresy” (I know he’s not realy the originator, but I think he’s responsible for it being the dominant form of Christianity).

106

My family was historically Methodist, but in recent years we’ve branched off in every conceivable direction. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, agnostics, Jews, etc. I’m an atheist myself.

107

I’m a Hindu. I went through an agnostic phase but I’m a low-level believer again-this time without the excessive ritualism that bored me into agnosticism.

I don’t believe in prosletysation and most major philosophical groupings of Hinduism espouse a universalist theme (many paths to one end theory) that I completely agree with.

I tend to get pretty huffy when someone tries the old “how can you have such disgusting beliefs that will land you in hell” trick on me but now that I live in the Bible Belt I’ve learned to just walk away rather than snark on the person. It’s useless as they sincerely believe you to be in the clutches of the debbil, anyhoo. Besides, they’re entitled to their opinion.

I haven’t slammed any doors on people yet but my parents just moved out of a strongly Jewish suburb in Massachusetts to a slightly more Christian one and they’ve slammed doors on 5 or 6 witnessers already. But it’s their door to slam, so whatever.

108

I’m a deist. In other words, I don’t care whether you guys are right about God, although I do admit that he/she/it might exist :wink:

I was so happy when I found out there was a word for people like me…

109

I believe, very deeply, in the existance of a god. I pray daily, and I feel that god has often responded to me. I believe the purpose of life is to be happy, that god has given us a wonderful place and life, and we should enjoy every moment of it.

However, I’m of no particular faith. I don’t attend church. I think the bible is a load of crap, and I won’t worship it.

I also really don’t care whatever people do. Just don’t expect me to go along with it. If you want to be a christian, jewish, hindu, buddhist, I don’t care, whatever makes you happy. I honestly believe that they all end up worshipping the same god anyway, and if they don’t worship a god, all the more power to them.

The only time I have a problem is when people try to make me worship with them. Witnessing, or soliciting, as I think of it, is a good way to see my bad side. I have been known to invite jehovah’s witnesses to come into my house to worship satan with me. Oooh, they run fast.

110

Just finished reading “Illusions” by Richard Bach (for my 10th time)… That book sums it up for me better than anything else I’ve read or heard… I definately recommend it for anyone who ponders what we’re all doing here and how we can best use our brief time. I read it whenever I start to forget.

I was born Jewish… (Totally non-practicing). I feel more affiliation, with and live my life more in line with “Jedi-ism” than “Judaism”!!!

111

Raised pretty much without religious instruction.

Now Celtic Reconstructionist Pagan - (We research the pre-Christian and early Chrisitan Celtic societies and try to figure out how they worked and replicate them.)

As far as other religions I feel that anyone can practice any religion they want. I have serious questions about the legitimacy of any faith that encourages people to treat others badly.

That said I think a reletively few organized religions are doing their best to destroy America.

I keep seeing reports that American kids suck at science when compared to the rest of the world. Often in the same edition of the paper I see that some religion is teaching its kids that Astronomy, Genetics, Geology, Archiology, Palentology, etc. are the lies of the devil and if you learn about them or even <horrors> believe in them then you will be damned to eternal torture. Often these same religions are blaming the teachers from the pulpit for the poor science grades.

I keep seeing organized religion attempting to grant themselves secular power by subverting the electoral process. They threaten their members with real life revenge if they don’t follow the churches politics. They threaten them with eternal revenge if they speak anything but the party line. They similarly herd their members to the polls with threats and therefore skew the election returns because no one is intimidating the rest of the population into voting. They threaten politicians with political revenge if they don’t support the church’s politics.

I keep seeing organized religions at the heart of efforts to keep secular equality from anyone their religion detests. This is of course a long and well known course for certain religions. They essentially took the same course on the questions of the indiginous population, black slaves, freed slaves, women having secular power, blacks having secular power, the Irish having secular power, black and whites being able to marry, jews having equal protections, any non-Christian having equal protections, and many many more. Today they are trying to prevent Pagans, Athiests, Muslums, homosexuals, immigrents, etc. from having equal opportunities in this country. Essetially they put forth every effort to preserve American culture as their own private refuge rather than supporting a secular society in which the various religions and the non-religious can exist, and even cooperate, in peace.

So while I support the idea that any religion is acceptable for any individual I feel that there are several highly organizaed religions that are really political parties first and religions only as an afterthought. I feel these organizations are anti-American in the extreme and a current danger to the country, those who disagree with them and even to themselves.

112

See…I think Christian ethics are based on human nature; not the other way around.

That said, I’m a skeptical agnostic with strong athiest leanings.

113

Christian. I’m in the Church of England, so obviously I don’t believe in organized religion. :wink:

OK … seriously … I’m all for cultivating a personal relationship with God, I’m quite in favour of loving one’s neighbour as oneself … I’m a bit less struck on the idea of treating the Bible as a science textbook (it isn’t one), and on organized religion wielding temporal power. God gave people freedom of conscience, it’s not for any lesser power to try and take that away. (And I think an infinitely loving God will find a place in His heart for everyone, believer and unbeliever alike.)

As for witnessing and so forth … I’ve seen Christians who live God’s love, the way He most likely wants them to. And I’ve seen Christians who shout on street corners about the evils of fornication … I know which sort I prefer.

114

Raised as a Conservative Jew. Became an atheist when I actually read the Bible and some Bible scholarship.

I’m agnostic on whether math is a science.

As for other religions, I divide religious people into two groups. The first openly admit that they believe based on faith, and would never think of coercing anyone to follow morals based on faith. I respect these people. We have many here in SDMB.

The second are people who claim that their religion is a fact, but when pressed retreat to faith. (Sound familiar?) These people want to impose their morals on others, and switch to the fact mode when making these arguments. These people are dangerous.

115

Agnostic. Secular neo-pagan. Rational anarchist. Or all of the preceding, depending on my mood and the time of day.

Raised in a nominally-Anglican household, but anyone of my mother’s generation or younger never really believed it (with the exception of my sister, who grew up to become the white sheep of the family, and none of the rest of us can figure out why).

I will say that I tend to be anti-authoritarian more than anything else. Believe what you want, but don’t force it on me, etc. If I was going for an organized religion, I’d look at various local neo-pagan groups, Shinto, Buddhism, or Unitarian Universalism. The more likely a religion’s follower is to proselytize me, the less receptive I am to that religion.

[sub]Does an apathetic agnostic think, “I don’t know and I don’t care”?[/sub]

116

Raised Catholic. Now Lutheran by happenstance and choice.

I think Organized Religion is a very dangerous thing. Fortunately, I haven’t come across many organized religions.

117

Raised fundamentalist Baptist, then Presbyterian (my parents switched denominations when I was a kid). Invented my own religion at 15, inspired by Homer. Now a committed agnostic/atheist until I see fit to believe otherwise, which I’m not anticipating is going to ever happen. I don’t presume to know for sure if there’s a god or afterlife or anything like that, but I highly doubt it and I don’t believe there is.

I’m personally not into organised religion, but I have no objections against the religious, so long as they don’t force their beliefs on other people. Each to their own.

For some reason the happy orthodox jewish man isn’t showing up on my list of smilies so I’m just gonna post him here cause I want to know what he looks like. ;j

118

Weird. He’s still not showing up. Happy, but reclusive, orthodox jewish man.

119

I was raised United Methodist in a largely Roman Catholic family. I’ve considered myself to be agnostic since I was twelve years old. I believe in God, I don’t believe in hell and I don’t know what to think about anything else. I still go to church occasionally with my mom or my grandparents. I’ve never elucidated my beliefs to them because I don’t see a reason to. My dad and stepmom were both raised Catholic, but have lapsed. I think they’re on the same side of the fence as I am. They have crucifixes over the doors and statues of Buddha. They only attend church for weddings and funerals (we even sat outside during the mass before one of my cousins’ christenings) but sent both my stepbrothers to a (very) Christian summer camp.

120

I’m an Orthodox Jew.