Religious Apologetics / What Do You Believe?

[cyrillen]

jewel said:

I go to a private, Catholic school. I've been there for WAY to long. As result? I don't believe in the Old Testement, and I'm questioning the New.
I think that the bible is just a story book; metaphors that serve no use to us anymore. =/. I'm not downing anyone here, but that's what I believe.

Hmm. I also think that there ARE truths to all religions. But. I dunno. Somedays I don't even believe in God. Somedays I do. +shrugs+ I'm very wishywashy on the subject. Obviously.

I agree with you, about the truths to all religions. The thing is for me, none have been either introduced nor taught to me in a way that I feel is right. Over a period of -how many, five? six? seven?- years at a Hindu spiritual center, I've gotten bored with the over-reiterated stories.

One thing that I think might make some religions a little repellent to the youngest children (3, 4, 5 years of age) is that the instant you step inside a religious place, constant pressure to become "pure" is put upon your shoulders. It's all good for those older than, say, 8, 9, or 10, but for some young kids that pressure might not connect with their personalities in a positive way.

Okay, let me think about this for a while.

To put it simply, I'm more attracted to meditation, serene music, and music which accompanies a key change of character in a movie, than I am to the bare teachings of religion.

A lot of the things I'm taught, I judge with extreme skepticism, and only let the ones which feel right in. Different types of personalities need to worship in different ways? Yup. People from different cultures can't manage marriage together? Down with that. My parents were born and raised on opposite sides of the globe. Music as a type of "intensive group meditation"? You bet. Arranged marriage? So long as you and the love of your life can function well together and with society, they need not be picked out by your parents.

^_^;;

[zarikrahia]

I myself am at the age where some days I'm a Anglican, and others where I'm a sceptic. I never really believe things that we are told are true, but Happened thousands of years ago. I need proof shoved under my nose in most occaisions.

Though, predjudice against someone because they don't practice the same beliefs as you isn't cool at all.
Not never.

[hat]

Yeah. I don't think people should PUSh religion on others. I mean, that's not right. Religion is about personal belief, which beliefs suit /you/ for... /you/.

Hmm. I think it's senseless to have wars over religion. Because, i mean, both religions are falso, yet both religions have some truths.

Heh. But for the most part... I like to stay out of it.



Haha, just decided to through this in there--but, at my school we have Religion class. And. I'm proud to say I'm one of the ones who raises hell in that darned class. XD. Always questioning... But see--I'm SERIOUS about my questions! I don't mean to like... be an ass. But. I just, really want to know.
Eh. The teacher just gets mad because she can't answer my questions. =/

[Lex Luthor]

jewel said:

Yeah. I don't think people should PUSh religion on others. I mean, that's not right. Religion is about personal belief, which beliefs suit /you/ for... /you/.

Hmm. I think it's senseless to have wars over religion. Because, i mean, both religions are falso, yet both religions have some truths.

Heh. But for the most part... I like to stay out of it.



Haha, just decided to through this in there--but, at my school we have Religion class. And. I'm proud to say I'm one of the ones who raises hell in that darned class. XD. Always questioning... But see--I'm SERIOUS about my questions! I don't mean to like... be an ass. But. I just, really want to know.
Eh. The teacher just gets mad because she can't answer my questions. =/

Questions such as?

[Tyrannitar]

jewel said:

Yeah. I don't think people should PUSh religion on others. I mean, that's not right. Religion is about personal belief, which beliefs suit /you/ for... /you/.

Hmm. I think it's senseless to have wars over religion. Because, i mean, both religions are falso, yet both religions have some truths.

Heh. But for the most part... I like to stay out of it.



Haha, just decided to through this in there--but, at my school we have Religion class. And. I'm proud to say I'm one of the ones who raises hell in that darned class. XD. Always questioning... But see--I'm SERIOUS about my questions! I don't mean to like... be an ass. But. I just, really want to know.
Eh. The teacher just gets mad because she can't answer my questions. =/

Well you must raise it with your language.

Blah, I have religion class too. /shines 99, which is highest mark in class/ Last semester I got 100 though, tear. All we really do is like a couple assignments, so most of our mark is in-class discussion participation and journalling on sections of the Bible.

[Strife]

There's no doubt in my mind... Religion is the biggest dividing factor in our society today. Because of this, I usually choose to keep my mouth shut, because I fear that people who would otherwise respect me will hate me. At the same time, I want people to know how I feel.

What I am about to say, is an expression of my own mind. I'm not doing this to start a fight or debate, or to insult anyone. I'm just saying what's on my mind.

I refuse to believe that my life, and the world I live in, is commanded by a single supreme being with power over everything. If such a being even exists, why would it bother with such a small planet as Earth, when the whole universe is its canvas? How would it even be possible for such a being to watch over every individual on the planet, and determine who is a sinner and who is not?

Call it atheism, antitheism, godless, whatever you want... but I see the universe almost purely through the eyes of science and technology. Granted, I have some spiritual values, but they only help to fuel my imagination with the things I create, and they do not revolve around the existance of a God who tells me how I should live my life.

Because of our lack of knowledge on the universe, I feel that we tend to use religion to simplify the things that we can't explain, and that we use religion to fill in the gaps that science hasn't determined yet. For example, science hasn't proven exactly what happens to our conciousness when we die, so our minds formulate our own conception of an afterlife.

Religion is a subject and a concept that fills me with fear, and it's something I rarely bring up unless I feel very, very strongly about how it's affecting my life. And it does. I live in a country that is mainly Christian, where the words "In God We Trust" is printed on our money. Some day I may stand up and be more open about my feelings towards it, but for now, I really don't feel like being bashed and criticized by the theistic folk in my community.

[Zylaa]

I've been raised Catholic, however, I'm leaning more towards the C.S. Lewis quote on Christianity... something about a lot of rooms off a hallway, and all that matters is that you get out of the hall. I'm not still Christian out of blind following, I've read through the Bible, and I've probably drawn conclusions from that which go against Catholic teachings, but I don't know. Basically I believe that God wants us to be good to each other. The greatest commandment (after loving God) is to love thy neighbor as yourself, and as such I don't think anybody should be discriminated against. Also, I don't think Christians should judge people outside Christianity so harshly. (somewhere in the Letters) "God will judge those outside. Purge the evil from your midst."
I know that churches, paticularly Catholocism, have done some stupid things in the past. But that doesn't make the entire religion false, and it pains me when people use things like the Crusades as "proof" that Christianity is bunk.
And also, as Stal says, I've had too many prayers answered to dismiss all the things in my life as coincidences.

EDIT: Humans are, admittedly, quarks of the universe or smaller. But since when have people been defined by their size? Humans- arguably other life too- are defined by thoughts and feelings and emotions and interactions, and none of those things can be measured in physical size. Whether there's intelligent life elsewhere or not is a matter for a different discussion, but I believe that to omniscient God, thinking feeling beings are far more interesting than the massive nothingness of space.

[Deleted]

I believe...

I believe in fate... in a way that makes things look positive. Like, things always happens for a reason... no matter how painful it is, it's always for the better.

I do not believe in the God(s) of the major religions, because it just doesn't make sense to me.

What -does- make sense to me, is that there are powers around us that we have yet to discover.

Man discovered radiowaves, and other types of waves in the air.
So why isn't it possible that there are other energies around us... some that people refer to as 'ghosts' or 'spirits'?

I believe that there once was a man named Jesus, and he had some abilities - but like all other good stories, they tend to gain 'weight' when passing through.
In my oppinion at least....

I respect people's religions. I love knowing stuff about different religions. As long as I'm being tolerated for being an atheist.

Everybody needs something to believe in.
To some, it must be a religion... a god... a higher supreme being.
To others, something more... simple can suffice.

As long as the people can tolerate that every person on the planet is different, and should have the right to believe in what they choose to believe in... I don't see religion as a problem.
I see the people who singlemindedly believe in the religion, without tolerating others... as the true problem.

[Crystal]

Well...

I'm a Christian.

*shrug*

And I believe in a God because I've seen Him, I've felt Him, and you know, that kind of thing.

In the vast realm of things, I seem small... but to me, my parents, and people to care for me, I'm big. It's all relative, isn't it? Maybe God's relative is just different.

Frankly though: I was pretty unsure of God before I went through quite a bit of stuff which wound up convincing me not only of His existence, but the existence of spirits, demons and so on. It is hard - in fact completely illogical - not to believe when you've seen a sweet, close friend trash on the floor and snarl like an animal upon hearing Jesus' name. (I had an athiest friend ask if it wasn't just bad oysters or something. That was beyond doubt one of the most insulting things I've ever been asked. :/ Please, you may have to insult my beliefs, but you don't have to insult my intelligence as well. I know what's food poisoning.)

My church encouraged people to actually question and find God for yourself (a couple kids, after doing so, actually left), but the vast majority, including me, did the former... and I found Him. Now, I do go through some rough patches ever now and then, when I don't feel like reading my Bible, but when I get hit, I always fall back on God, and He's never let me down.

It's hard to explain it. It's just this vast, wonderful peace when you call upon His name in the times I'm most unhappy, and it cheers me up so much for some inexplicable reason.

So I don't question God. I don't question how he reveals Himself to the world, either. I just figure that if you've never seen evidence of His existence, maybe you could... um, look.

[zarikrahia]

Looking back on my other post- I am, in fact, an atheist. Because if theere is a higher power, he would have heard the countless voices- Little things like finding a book, or big things like a parent getting better, and out of hospital. Many have attempted to pressure me into Catholicism(sp?) or some other type of Christianity. Frankly, When I was younger, I believed whatever anyone told me unless proof was shoved under my nose.
And it was. I spent a whole year of my life praying for my life to start actually coming within my control. That didn't work for me. It might for you.

I hear voices, telling me what to do and where to go. Some people say it's God. I say it's just how it's meant- How the world meant it to be. Everyone has their own steps to trace, their own path to follow. Any God, isn't going to make us believe in him and only him. I think he'd smile if he saw our opinions, because the world would be empty if there was no-one who dared to be different.
I'm not targeting anyone here. If I seem a bit blunt, that because I'm a little bit supressed, going to a christian school and all.

[mashedpotatoes]

Sorry if this isn't appreciated because I don't usually post, just lurk, but religion is something I feel strongly about.

What do I believe?

I'm a Mormon. I know a lot of you out there have definitely heard some crazy things about Mormons, but most of them are pretty laughable. I really sincerely believe that my religion is true. It has answered every question I've ever thought of asking in a way that makes sense to me, even now as a teenager. My religion puts a lot of importance on choice. Children aren't baptized until they are at least eight, and even then they are interviewed to see if they are ready and/or want to be baptized.

I believe life on Earth is a test and that we lived before we can to Earth and will live again after death. I also believe that the afterlife is a lot more complicated than just heaven and hell. We will be rewarded for the good things we have done here on Earth, but it takes more than just works or grace to get to heaven.

I believe that Jesus Christ suffered and died for us and every other person who has ever walked this planet. I don't believe the Trinity exactly. I believe God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings

I also believe that man named Joseph Smith Jr. restored the true Church to the earth in the early 1800s because after the deaths of the Apostles, the authority of God was lost. I believe that there are once again prophets and apostles on the earth.

I don't drink or smoke. I also don't drink coffee, tea, and I try not to drink anything with caffeine in it either. I'm not dating until I'm 16, and even then I don't think I'll be very serious. No serious physical relationships before marriage. Holding hands is about as far as it goes.

I believe the Bible contains the word of God, but I also know that it was written by Men and subject to the errors of men. I also believe that a book known as the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I believe most religions have some truth to them, just not the complete picture.

Er... I'm kind of rambling now. If you have any questions, PM me or check out this website: www.mormon.org.

[Salah~]

Well...

I'm an atheist. I just don't see evidence that a god exists. I'm skeptical about most things I can't see proof for, actually. Whether or not God exists, though, I don't really believe in religion in general. Probably because it's caused so much conflict.

...that's basically it. I don't have a lot to say on this subject.

[Deleted]

I like religion. Used to hate it. But now I've realized that it is really good for people -- I especially like some of the teachings in the Bible. But to me, they're not much more than values and teachings, some of them archaic.

I have zero faith in the Bible, Koran, Torah, or any other religious document. I just don't see where their credibility comes from. Sure, the stories have symbolic values that are important to me, but I can hold those values without devoting myself to a Supreme Being. I like to sleep in on Sundays. =/

So, I suppose I'm an atheist, but I've never given myself a real label. Sometimes when I'm in a crunch, I'll say something like, "Please God, let this work out," but I think that's me being superstitious more than anything.

[Deleted]

My family is Catholic, but we do not practice religion. I don't know why, we just don't.

I consider myself agnostic. I would be an atheist, but something pulls me back to the thought that maybe something does exist, but there is no way of knowing. In other words, you show me proof, and then I'll think about it.

I'm caught between agnostic and atheist.

[jockylocky]

I'm a Christian, my parents are Christian, my grandparents are christian, and i think from then on we are Mennonite...which, i think is almost the same thing...not sure. I never really do understand other religions well, just the one i strongly believe.

I would explain why, but i can never argue my case good enough...guess that cancels Lawyer off my job possibilities.