Religion: Your Stance

Religion is big. It can and does encompass more than just your own personal faith (such as when people disallow a mosque to be built near ground zero). This makes it an issue for everybody, and something that we can all discuss. It also in some cases (Christianity specifically) encompasses the homosexual rights topic. I realize this is a touchy subject, but hey, this is what the debates subforum is for, right?

I am personally not religious. I don't want to say I'm atheist (this is the literal belief that there is nothing) but rather agnostic (Lacking a religion). I have not 100% decided that there is absolutely nothing else to life, but at the moment, no religion really has the capacity to convince me otherwise.

Addressing the the homosexual rights, I say that it is not anybody's place to judge what goes on in the bedrooms and homes of other individuals. I have nothing personally against homosexuality either. Many gay/lesbian people are kind, professional people. I live in a city where gay marriage is legal and celebrated and the gay community on a whole is a kind, hard working, contributing people.

So come on pulp, share your thoughts.

I pretty much have the exact same views as you Greezy.

*High-Five*

I am a full fledged christian, but none of the likes any of you are familiar with. 90% of all christians (and catholics) misinterpret the Bible, or the word of God. One major thing they mix up is the confusion between the New and Old Testament; let it be known: the Old Testament is for our learning of it's stories. All "laws" (or commandments) are for the people living in that time. The New Testament is the one we should be heeding, and if done properly, one comes to realize that life is only as hard as we make it out to be, and there isn't anything we won't be instantly forgiven for.

It's grand stuff, I know for a fact that no one will procure, but if you are interested, PM me.

Also, I am pro-choice all the way. Basically, if you want to live that way, I do not care, it does not affect me. That is another thing covered in the New Testament, acknowledge not those who only have negative things to say, i.e. protesters protesting. . . anything, ignore them.

Another thing, love your neighbor as yourself, and neighbor doesn't mean the guy one door down, neighbor means any and everybody you come into contact with.


tl;dr I'm christian, but I don't care how people live their lives.

I realized at a young age that in specific and narrow terms, religion is just a root of morality that a lot of people need since it's difficult for the majority to take personal accountability for their actions. In other words, it's a nudge in the right direction on how to live your life.

In broader and more existential terms, religion serves to counter the fear of death and the unknown.

As I grew older, I eventually realized that I'm OK with dying and I can be a decent person without the narrowed perception of spirituality that is organized religion.

As an adult, the horrors that religion has visited upon humanity has made me seriously question those who are fanatically devoted. In the end, I can't really decide if there is a being or beings in control of it all. Trying to decide that just made me feel naive and I gave up.

First of all let’s get some definitions straight:

• Theist: one that believes a specific deity exists
  
• Deist: one that believes a deity exists
  
• Atheist: one that does not believe a deity exists
  
• Gnostic: one that claims to know
  
• Agnostic: one that does not claim to know

Please note that the (A)Gnostic terms and the –eist terms cover two different topics: knowledge, and belief. The definitions of the words do not imply any sort of exclusive relation between the two. Also, the word atheist does not mean in any way:

• One who believes there is no god
  
• One who rejects god
  
• One who lacks belief in god

That being said, I am an atheist. Many people try to convince me I am not, using poor definitions of the words atheism and agnosticism to steer me towards a more amenable view in their eyes. But I stand by my beliefs. I do not believe any sort of deity exists much in the same way the general public does not believe any type of mermaid, invisible pink unicorn, or a teapot orbiting the sun.

The Mad Hatter wrote:I can be a decent person

lol

but i agree with most of what you said

I agree with the Mad Hatter. I understand why people (want to) believe in a higher power and I respect that but I don't do it myself. I know I am responsible for my own actions, I know how to behave in society and I make my own decisions based on my own experience.
On a side-notice I am a bit of a misanthrope or at least a pessimist.
Oh and as for the 'mosque' at ground zero, stop whining! It's two blocks away from ground zero and it only contains a single praying room along with a youth center, baseball court and other things.

Let them whine about the cultural center. It's not going to change anything until it opens.

Then I expect a Christian suicide bomber. Oh, the irony.

ninji wrote:90% of all christians (and catholics) misinterpret the Bible, or the word of God.

That's very bigheaded of you, like 100% of Christians (and Catholics). When you go to college take a religion or theology class.

You can't say 90 or any percentage of Christians and Catholics misinterprets the Bible when no one can surely know the right way to interpret it.

I believe that everything in the myth-cycle known as the "Cthulhu Mythos", is truth and all mentioned in the "Necronomicon" actually happened and exits.

But really personally I don't believe in a god, I can't believe anything that denies evolution or lacks proof to back it up. Though I wish there was a god because then he could right all wrongs and so on.

The Mad Hatter wrote:

ninji wrote:90% of all christians (and catholics) misinterpret the Bible, or the word of God.

That's very bigheaded of you, like 100% of Christians (and Catholics). When you go to college take a religion or theology class.

I see what you mean, and I will surely do that, but, let's be honest, Catholics aren't the most honest group of individuals we know, I think it a broadly known fact that Catholics twist and change the meaning of the bible for their own gain. But, this doesn't change my moderate temperament you mentioned earlier.

Siphex wrote:You can't say 90 or any percentage of Christians and Catholics misinterprets the Bible when no one can surely know the right way to interpret it.

Both of you are right, I shouldn't say 90%, hale, I shouldn't say 5%. No one really knows, we really don't know who we are or where we are going in this ocean of chaos.