Why do you believe in religion?

[Albrenia]

The Chinese are actually starting to convert to Christianity in large numbers nowadays. Although I've heard it's an altered version of Christianity with supernatural stuff given a 'sci fi' twist... whatever that means.

hmm....The church i'm going to actually has large numbers of Asians in there, so I see that as true...I'll have to do my research on that one.

_{Wtf do they mean by sci-fi??? I am confusion?????}

^
not meant to be rude.....

A very good question, and one I don't know the answer to. I'm envisioning some sort of Jesus-was-an-alien sort of business or something, but that's just me speculating.

[New Bradenia]

I'm an atheist, and have been so for as long as I can remember. Despite trying when I was younger, I've found no evidence or 'sense' of the divine, and plenty of the opposite. The horrors of various religious myths and stories didn't help either.

Still open to changing my mind if the evidence is presented, but I'm quite doubtful that would ever occur.

and

[The New California Republic]

China is mainly a mix of Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Christianity.

Isn't it true that there's a sizable portion of atheists or agnostics after China converted into a largely secular, communist government?

Yes there is. I was just listing the major religions, I couldn't include atheist in that list.

[Brizalia]

hmm....The church i'm going to actually has large numbers of Asians in there, so I see that as true...I'll have to do my research on that one.

_{Wtf do they mean by sci-fi??? I am confusion?????}

^
not meant to be rude.....

A very good question, and one I don't know the answer to. I'm envisioning some sort of Jesus-was-an-alien sort of business or something, but that's just me speculating.

Lord, Bless their hearts

[The New California Republic]

I'm an atheist, and have been so for as long as I can remember. Despite trying when I was younger, I've found no evidence or 'sense' of the divine, and plenty of the opposite. The horrors of various religious myths and stories didn't help either.

Still open to changing my mind if the evidence is presented, but I'm quite doubtful that would ever occur.

and

Why?

[NERVUN]

The same as it does in the US...

Well, to extend that I should say, it's been years since I've been to a church as the closest Presbyterian church is in Tokyo... and is a Korean branch. So I'm rather isolated in that regards, excepting me performing wedding services most weekends (It's a Japanese thing, really).

I would say that Japan's... hrmm... very Japanese notion of seeing nothing wrong with going to whatever faith works for you for the issue at hand has influenced me to also being more willing to accept that my Truth is MY Truth, and may not serve for anyone else. And that's ok.

I've heard that Japan is largely secular and has a large population of atheist residents. Is that true?

The joke about Japan is that if you ask the Japanese, 78% will claim to be Shintoist, 78% will claim to be Buddhist, and 78% will claim no religious beliefs at all.

And this is more or less true. The country itself does not have a very religious bent, BUT, it has a very STRONG cultural ideal of participating in religious events because reasons. So you will find people who swear they have NO beliefs in religion, but still go to shrines to get charms for traffic safety or to pray to pass exams. You bring your baby to the local shrine to report to the neighborhood gods that he or she was born, and you bring them back again for 7-5-3 blessings. You attend the local harvest festivals, partaking in blessed sake and salt, watching dances to ask for good rice, or to say thanks for it. When you build your house, you have a small ceremony to apologize to the land for disturbing it. When you get married, you stand in a church before a Christian 'pastor' (Me) to ask for God's blessing on your marriage and pray to Jesus Christ. And when you die, Buddhist monks come to chant sutras hoping for your rebirth and to give you a Buddhist name in death.

And they see absolutely NOTHING wrong with any of this, an claiming they are not religious at all.

[Valrifell]

I couldn't reconcile a higher power with the heat-death (or other potential end) of the universe. I mean, what kind of benevolent force would quietly let it's creation drift away into a chaotically pure void? Though technically atheism is a lack of belief in a religion and not a religion, but I saw other people do it so it must be fine.

Outside of that, the mythologies of religions and the whole concept of faith itself as always been interesting to me. I'd like to jokingly consider myself a worshiper of Sol Invictus.

We'll put a flag on the Sun one day. One day. And when that day comes, the world will know there's a flag on the Sun because there'd be a flag-shaped shadow.

Y-you can't land on Sol, that would conquer it. You wouldn't dare remove the "Invictus" from "Sol Invictus"

Would you?

[Sapnu puas]

why not?

[Cute Puppies]

Because somehow, there is no explanation for how something came from nothing, apart from the mystical and the paranormal.

I don't mean to be rude, but I don't understand how the absence of a logical explanation and evidence substantiates religious beliefs and the existence of a specific god or gods.

[Valrifell]

I've heard that Japan is largely secular and has a large population of atheist residents. Is that true?

The joke about Japan is that if you ask the Japanese, 78% will claim to be Shintoist, 78% will claim to be Buddhist, and 78% will claim no religious beliefs at all.

And this is more or less true. The country itself does not have a very religious bent, BUT, it has a very STRONG cultural ideal of participating in religious events because reasons. So you will find people who swear they have NO beliefs in religion, but still go to shrines to get charms for traffic safety or to pray to pass exams. You bring your baby to the local shrine to report to the neighborhood gods that he or she was born, and you bring them back again for 7-5-3 blessings. You attend the local harvest festivals, partaking in blessed sake and salt, watching dances to ask for good rice, or to say thanks for it. When you build your house, you have a small ceremony to apologize to the land for disturbing it. When you get married, you stand in a church before a Christian 'pastor' (Me) to ask for God's blessing on your marriage and pray to Jesus Christ. And when you die, Buddhist monks come to chant sutras hoping for your rebirth and to give you a Buddhist name in death.

And they see absolutely NOTHING wrong with any of this, an claiming they are not religious at all.

I really dig this aspect of Japanese culture, actually.

[The Parkus Empire]

I just do. Can't explain it, but I believe the Gospels, and that Christ is risen.



I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

[Zanera]

We'll put a flag on the Sun one day. One day. And when that day comes, the world will know there's a flag on the Sun because there'd be a flag-shaped shadow.

Y-you can't land on Sol, that would conquer it. You wouldn't dare remove the "Invictus" from "Sol Invictus"

Would you?

After Hercules shot at the Sun and the Sun liked it, I think the Sun wants a pimp-daddy.

[Firaxin]

Christ taught and exemplified the best values better than any other man on Earth. Even if he was crazy, or the greatest con man of all time, I'll still try to follow what he taught.

Even if God doesn't exist a good lie is better than a bad truth, at least when the lie is less harmful.

[New Bradenia]

and

Why?

Why? BECAUSE THE DON'T BELIVE IN GOD

[Cute Puppies]

Y-you can't land on Sol, that would conquer it. You wouldn't dare remove the "Invictus" from "Sol Invictus"

Would you?

After Hercules shot at the Sun and the Sun liked it, I think the Sun wants a pimp-daddy.

This is not how I expected the thread to go

[Big Jim P]

Because it works for me and I agree with the teachings thereof.

That's really what it comes down to.

Exactly.

[Luziyca]

If there is a God, he probably is doing something better with his time, or he is being a major league asshole. So I am not too inclined to believe in a distant or a douchey God.

[Sterkistan]

Although I don't expressly practice the teachings, I am fairly religious.
I wasn't when I was younger, but years of isolation, disassociation and suicidal tendencies I really turned to the only viable light I could see.

[Sierra Lyricalia]

If you don't mind me asking, what do you believe in?

I'm a Presbyterian.

My father's family moved around a lot when he was a kid. We're American, but my granddad was responsible for opening new department stores in Canada, getting them running and establishing a good relationship with the community, and then moving on. They got to Peterborough, ON in the early 60s and my granddad found himself at some party. One of the attendees, known somewhat in town as kind of an intense guy, heard he was a Yankee and came over. "I want you to know," he said menacingly, all but inventing the two-fingers-pointing-at-the-eyes gesture forty years early, "I'm a United Empire Loyalist." A slightly smug chip-on-shoulder air of triumph now.

"Well," my granddad said, totally missing why this was a thing, "I'm a Presbyterian myself!"

[Great Minarchistan]

After witnessing and simulating several religious discussions, I've reached a conclusion that both sides cannot prove or disprove God. So if you are embracing atheism or theism doesn't really matter (although if you use Pascal's Wager rationale it's better to do the latter).

[Internationalist Bastard]

Because I’m highly superstitious and have to trouble believing nothing is out there. However my religion is more apathetic then worshippy

[United Muscovite Nations]

Because I accept the argument from design and also believe in the necessity of God as a pretext for existence.

[Cute Puppies]

After witnessing and simulating several religious discussions, I've reached a conclusion that both sides cannot prove or disprove God. So if you are embracing atheism or theism doesn't really matter (although if you use Pascal's Wager rationale it's better to do the latter).

What I find puzzling about Pascal's Wager is that, if you didn't personally believe in religion, but considered that it may be true and took Pascal's Wager and pretended to worship the a deity, if the deity were real and were omnipotent and omniscient, then the deity would be aware of your insincerity and realize that you only prayed to a religion to be rewarded in life or in the afterlife. I find Pascal's Wager useless ultimately.

[Risen Prussia]

Because I’ve seen miracles happen with my own eyes

That sounds cool. It would probably be rude of me to ask what the miracles were, although I am genuinely interested.

People passing out under the Holy Spirit, being exorcised, Tumors falling off, bones straightening out, stuff like that

It was so lit, the worship was awesome and lots were healed

[Albrenia]

After witnessing and simulating several religious discussions, I've reached a conclusion that both sides cannot prove or disprove God. So if you are embracing atheism or theism doesn't really matter (although if you use Pascal's Wager rationale it's better to do the latter).

What I find puzzling about Pascal's Wager is that, if you didn't personally believe in religion, but considered that it may be true and took Pascal's Wager and pretended to worship the a deity, if the deity were real and were omnipotent and omniscient, then the deity would be aware of your insincerity and realize that you only prayed to a religion to be rewarded in life or in the afterlife. I find Pascal's Wager useless ultimately.

Indeed, not to mention the myriad of gods who find worshipping other ones to be sinful. So you're risking several dozen hells to avoid one. God and Nothing are not the only two potential answers, after all.