What are your religious beliefs?

[The Merchant Republics]

Saraswati was one of my favourites of the Hindu Pantheon (if you'll pardon the term) as well as Brahma. Hinduism is a good religion in a lot of ways, though I don't know if I agree with the rigidity of their caste system and concepts of Dharma, I imagine your more liberal in the interpretation of that though.


If I were not a Christian and I know it sound silly to have a "second choice religion" but what I mean to say is that if there is one religion I have a great admiration for outside of Christianity and the Abrahamic Faiths, it would probably be Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Zen. Though I have deep appreciation for the core of the Muslim religion as well.

Why would I pardon it? It's a pantheon, ain't it? And naturally. I'm a cosmic Hindu: when The End comes, the whole universe is reborn once again, and the Next Life comes around. The Caste system seems more an ATTEMPT at classification rather than a rigid division of classes. It's too rigid to work correclty, IMO. What isn't there to like about Dharma/Karma/whatever the fuck they call it? It's... Well, it's karma. It punishes wicked acts and rewards good ones.

You could just "convert" (well, Hindus don't subscribe to such a concept, but you get the idea).

Well I wasn't keen on the terminology of pantheon, because the concept of the Hindu gods is very different from the Classical Pantheon, which tends to treat Gods as separate entities of their own power, rather than the many facets of a single essential source.

Dharma and the duty you have to your caste sort of turned me off Hinduism, Karma is alright though the Hindu concept of Karma is too far-sighted in my opinion, it punishes wicked lives but in that own sense I can't really rectify it with my own sense of justice. To each his own of course.

No chance of conversion, I like Buddhism, but I don't believe it. There are lots of elements of Buddhism I subscribe to like the use of meditation to attain clarity and knowledge though I reinterpret that through a Christian lens.

[Hallistar]

Faith is basically shooting a proverbial arrow at a dartboard, while blindfolded, and hoping you get it right. I suppose its better than nothing at times, but even then, faith is basically, well, a leap of faith. Every religion has things about it that are convincing and believable, and at the same time have things that sound like rubbish. Does sounding like rubbish automatically change the universe from what the truth might ultimately be? No, but when the stakes are pretty much burning in charcoal fire and boiling stuff forever and ever and ever and the usual, or going to some strange heaven place forever, or the difference between coming back as a deer or a well-off human, or something else, then it just gets annoying when faith in something more believable could still get you screwed over. Its just one of those things I'm going to have to hope on for the best, 'shoot that lucky arrow' on whatever happens to be true, and get something decent in the afterlife (If there is one, if not, then oh well. Its not like you're going to miss anything if you're turned into oblivion)

Don't worry, science has things that sound like rubbish too. For example, if you didn't learn it at school and went to observe the Sun, you would too conclude that it revolves around the Earth other than the counter-intuitive alternative which we know to be correct.

Well yeah but atleast in the end, someone can actually prove that the earth revolves around the sun, this a difference between something (relatively) accessible in our universe, and something that would require us ending up dead to know it, and even then, people who have been legally registered as dead and claiming they know what happens in the afterlife (I only seem to find christian versions of these for some reason, but nevermind) are looked upon skeptically, which I can't blame, I suppose there will always be that .00002 chance that some part of their body was keeping them alive, but then again that revolves around the whole concept of no one can ever know.

[Hallistar]

Faith is basically shooting a proverbial arrow at a dartboard, while blindfolded, and hoping you get it right. I suppose its better than nothing at times, but even then, faith is basically, well, a leap of faith. Every religion has things about it that are convincing and believable, and at the same time have things that sound like rubbish. Does sounding like rubbish automatically change the universe from what the truth might ultimately be? No, but when the stakes are pretty much burning in charcoal fire and boiling stuff forever and ever and ever and the usual, or going to some strange heaven place forever, or the difference between coming back as a deer or a well-off human, or something else, then it just gets annoying when faith in something more believable could still get you screwed over. Its just one of those things I'm going to have to hope on for the best, 'shoot that lucky arrow' on whatever happens to be true, and get something decent in the afterlife (If there is one, if not, then oh well. Its not like you're going to miss anything if you're turned into oblivion)

Don't base what you do with your life on whether or not it'll send you to a "heaven", but base what you do on what makes you feel spiritually fulfilled.
That's my belief.

Heaven isn't really my concern, its hell or any other thing that wouldn't be good. Spiritual fulfillment is great, but it ain't helping me with the issue of a bad afterlife.

[Lucent Dawn]

Don't base what you do with your life on whether or not it'll send you to a "heaven", but base what you do on what makes you feel spiritually fulfilled.
That's my belief.

Heaven isn't really my concern, its hell or any other thing that wouldn't be good. Spiritual fulfillment is great, but it ain't helping me with the issue of a bad afterlife.

Why doesn't it help?

[The Merchant Republics]

Anymore weak than living a life without convictions?

Is giving in to hedonism any stronger than fighting temptations? Putting aside the subjectivity of morality, to live according to any code of morality is in no way weak, it means fighting your carnal instincts rather than giving in to them. Faith demands strength but the reward is aid when you are weak.

If I decided to live the rest of my life without using my right leg would that make me strong or commendable for adhering to a meaningless rule? Not really. Objective morality is just intellectual laziness.

It depends on your motivation for it. If you choose not to use your right leg for the purpose of bettering your life and the lives of others I would say that makes you very strong indeed. However in either case it most certainly does not make you weak, to give yourself a handicap may be foolish to some but not weak.

Morality as I said before and I agree with you is ultimately subjective in the material world, however devoting yourself to your own morality is nothing close to intellectual laziness.

[Hallistar]

Heaven isn't really my concern, its hell or any other thing that wouldn't be good. Spiritual fulfillment is great, but it ain't helping me with the issue of a bad afterlife.

Why doesn't it help?

Because I could feel great (Which isn't a bad thing, I'm not looking down on spiritual fulfillment here completely), but It isn't going to change what happens after I die.

[Lucent Dawn]

Why doesn't it help?

Because I could feel great (Which isn't a bad thing, I'm not looking down on spiritual fulfillment here completely), but It isn't going to change what happens after I die.

What does affect what happens after one dies, then?

[Samuraikoku]

I would rather have people remember me after I'm dead (and if possible, that they do whatever I might have inspired them to do), than experience an afterlife, either good or bad.

[Hallistar]

Because I could feel great (Which isn't a bad thing, I'm not looking down on spiritual fulfillment here completely), but It isn't going to change what happens after I die.

What does affect what happens after one dies, then?

The only thing that can affect it, is what is already there. I don't know what is already there, but I meant that spiritual fulfillment in something that isn't the same as what is ultimately there, won't remedy the situation. For clarification though, by spiritual fulfillment, do you mean like meditation and yoga and all that stuff, or are you referring to organized religion?

[Lucent Dawn]

What does affect what happens after one dies, then?

The only thing that can affect it, is what is already there. I don't know what is already there, but I meant that spiritual fulfillment in something that isn't the same as what is ultimately there, won't remedy the situation. For clarification though, by spiritual fulfillment, do you mean like meditation and yoga and all that stuff, or are you referring to organized religion?

I'm referring to neither of those.
By spiritual fulfillment, I simply mean feeling that one has lived a good life, has been happy, has done good with what has been given to him or her, etc.

[Christian Democrats]

I'm Catholic.

[Furious Grandmothers]

If I decided to live the rest of my life without using my right leg would that make me strong or commendable for adhering to a meaningless rule? Not really. Objective morality is just intellectual laziness.

It depends on your motivation for it. If you choose not to use your right leg for the purpose of bettering your life and the lives of others I would say that makes you very strong indeed. However in either case it most certainly does not make you weak, to give yourself a handicap may be foolish to some but not weak.

Morality as I said before and I agree with you is ultimately subjective in the material world, however devoting yourself to your own morality is nothing close to intellectual laziness.

Yea, you can't blame a kid for being intellectually lazy by following the morality of his parents. However, this is another reason why I support that kids should not be religiously influenced until they grow up to a stage where they can think for themselves what to believe.

[Hallistar]

The only thing that can affect it, is what is already there. I don't know what is already there, but I meant that spiritual fulfillment in something that isn't the same as what is ultimately there, won't remedy the situation. For clarification though, by spiritual fulfillment, do you mean like meditation and yoga and all that stuff, or are you referring to organized religion?

I'm referring to neither of those.
By spiritual fulfillment, I simply mean feeling that one has lived a good life, has been happy, has done good with what has been given to him or her, etc.

Ah, well I suppose I could try all that, I just meant earlier that even though living a good life isn't such a bad thing, if the reality of it all is that there is a god and one who wants to throw me in hell for not believing in their organized religion and doing things considered against it, then I'd rather prepare for such an inevitability and 'get on their good side', even if it comes at the cost of feeling satisfied with my life. The only way I'd know which to prepare for though is if I knew what happened when I die.

[Shaoyuan]

Bettering the lives of others as long as they're not gay, or transgender, or anything else that diagrees with the doctrine, right?

[Lucent Dawn]

I'm referring to neither of those.
By spiritual fulfillment, I simply mean feeling that one has lived a good life, has been happy, has done good with what has been given to him or her, etc.

Ah, well I suppose I could try all that, I just meant earlier that even though living a good life isn't such a bad thing, if the reality of it all is that there is a god and one who wants to throw me in hell for not believing in their organized religion and doing things considered against it, then I'd rather prepare for such an inevitability and 'get on their good side', even if it comes at the cost of feeling satisfied with my life. The only way I'd know which to prepare for though is if I knew what happened when I die.

Don't go believing what some organised religion tells you. You have to find the truths about your reality yourself. Go and feel satisfied with your life. Don't let what a book says or what someone else tells you control your life. YOUR life.
We can't be fully prepared for what happens when we die. But we can work on intuition. Be yourself, be individual, and make your life feel worthy. Spirituality is going to be different for each person.
I'm one of those people who believes the journey is the destination, ultimately.

[Seperates]

Heaven isn't really my concern, its hell or any other thing that wouldn't be good. Spiritual fulfillment is great, but it ain't helping me with the issue of a bad afterlife.

Why doesn't it help?

Yes... priests raping young boys is spiritual fufillment. Makes perfect sense.

[Hallistar]

Why doesn't it help?

Yes... priests raping young boys is spiritual fufillment. Makes perfect sense.

erm..Did you not read what he/she posted before and after?

[The Merchant Republics]

Bettering the lives of others as long as they're not gay, or transgender, or anything else that diagrees with the doctrine, right?

That depends. In their own misguided ways, many Christians do think they're bettering the lives of gays and transgenders. They certainly aren't right and I subscribe to a much more liberal view on sexuality and much more tolerance in general. However you yourself said that morality is not objective.

Anyways, as far as it stands, "Judge not lest ye be judged" and the "Love thy enemy" should both rightly apply to even the most intolerant of Christians if they are truly faithful. I and many other Christians I know would gladly better the lives of everyone regardless of their sexuality.

The correct way to religion is as a personal code, we have no right to punish the sinful being sinful ourselves, and have no right to judge being guilty, the best we can do is attempt in all cases to live as virtuously as we can and that thus includes being kind to everyone gay, transsexual, drug-addled, and even belligerently atheist.

[Genivaria]

Ah, well I suppose I could try all that, I just meant earlier that even though living a good life isn't such a bad thing, if the reality of it all is that there is a god and one who wants to throw me in hell for not believing in their organized religion and doing things considered against it, then I'd rather prepare for such an inevitability and 'get on their good side', even if it comes at the cost of feeling satisfied with my life. The only way I'd know which to prepare for though is if I knew what happened when I die.

Don't go believing what some organised religion tells you. You have to find the truths about your reality yourself. Go and feel satisfied with your life. Don't let what a book says or what someone else tells you control your life. YOUR life.
We can't be fully prepared for what happens when we die. But we can work on intuition. Be yourself, be individual, and make your life feel worthy. Spirituality is going to be different for each person.
I'm one of those people who believes the journey is the destination, ultimately.

I hate this New age crap.

[Mosasauria]

It depends on your motivation for it. If you choose not to use your right leg for the purpose of bettering your life and the lives of others I would say that makes you very strong indeed. However in either case it most certainly does not make you weak, to give yourself a handicap may be foolish to some but not weak.

Morality as I said before and I agree with you is ultimately subjective in the material world, however devoting yourself to your own morality is nothing close to intellectual laziness.

Yea, you can't blame a kid for being intellectually lazy by following the morality of his parents. However, this is another reason why I support that kids should not be religiously influenced until they grow up to a stage where they can think for themselves what to believe.

One of the few things I agree 100% with Dawkins about.

[Lucent Dawn]

Don't go believing what some organised religion tells you. You have to find the truths about your reality yourself. Go and feel satisfied with your life. Don't let what a book says or what someone else tells you control your life. YOUR life.
We can't be fully prepared for what happens when we die. But we can work on intuition. Be yourself, be individual, and make your life feel worthy. Spirituality is going to be different for each person.
I'm one of those people who believes the journey is the destination, ultimately.

I hate this New age crap.

I'm sorry.

[Mosasauria]

Don't go believing what some organised religion tells you. You have to find the truths about your reality yourself. Go and feel satisfied with your life. Don't let what a book says or what someone else tells you control your life. YOUR life.
We can't be fully prepared for what happens when we die. But we can work on intuition. Be yourself, be individual, and make your life feel worthy. Spirituality is going to be different for each person.
I'm one of those people who believes the journey is the destination, ultimately.

I hate this New age crap.

It's true for those who accept logic and still have faith. I was at that point not too long ago...

[Genivaria]

I hate this New age crap.

It's true for those who accept logic and still have faith. I was at that point not too long ago...

Yeah, I guess I understand. I use to be a deist.

[Shaoyuan]

I hate this New age crap.

It's true for those who accept logic and still have faith.

*clamps mouth shut*

[Seperates]

Yes... priests raping young boys is spiritual fufillment. Makes perfect sense.

erm..Did you not read what he/she posted before and after?

*shakes head* Yes I did... The problem with the 'New Age' inventions is that it does not help to define what is acceptable "spiritual fufillment." And if a pedophiles version of spiritual fufillment is raping young children, according to their philosophy, what right do we have to deny them that?

And I'm not even going to start on Islam's disgusting version of "spiritual fufillment"...