I'm not religious at all, never have been.
I don't know if there is a god or any other kind of supreme being(s) and frankly, I don't care.
If there is a supreme being out there watching us, I would like to think that they would value us being nice to each other, helping each other and aiming to better ourselves much higher than worshipping them.
If I'm wrong & all they want is a little arse-kissing , well fcuk 'em.
If I'm wrong and there is no-one, I might have made some lives better on the way and I can be smug about that.
Either that's a prayer for a more interesting thread , or you find reading about people's beliefs boring - so why look at this thread? There are plenty of other threads and if you'd rather read one where people are having a go at each other for what they believe, you can find those too.
I'm enjoying this thread - and I agree with Jiveknight on the 'respect' thing. A couple of key things I think when discussing religious beliefs are
a) listen to what the other person has to say - you may not agree, but you'll probably learn something and
b) don't assume you know everything about what a person believes just because you know what 'label' they have - we are all individuals.
I like the Buddhist way of thinking - live and let live - this is very much how I live my life, I let people get on with their lives and I get on with mine. I am however, a Christian, not that Christians don't think this way, I'm not just not overly religious and prefer to live the life I was given and take advantage of life while I'm still here. It's my belief that God would rather me live life to the full than worry about what time on a Sunday I should be at Church worshiping!
Absolutely, especially based on what nonsense they spout on public forums for the sake of schadenfreude.
There was a Buddhist temple in the news that was pretty much unusable as a colony of fire ants had moved in - the monks of course can't kill them and attempts to evict them with a vacuum cleaner proved futile. Other religions have no problem killing things with man as the "chosen race", Buddhists love everything. I like that
Indeed, your lack of going to church does not make you any less a Christian. In fact there are Christians who would say you are NOT a Christian if you go to Church, especially if you go to the "wrong" one Best be true to yourself.It's my belief that God would rather me live life to the full than worry about what time on a Sunday I should be at Church worshiping!
In my youth I was a very religious person. (Baptist)
I attended church, bible group, bible readings, prayer groups and ever went round the doors offering flyers and spreading the "good word"
At the time it felt right for me and I don't regret a second of that.
However, now I'm positioned diametrically opposite my original beliefs. I no longer believe in any preternatural or supernatural entity, a supreme being, a benevolent creator of all we see.
I don't mind people having religion in their lives. Live and let live is my motto. If they worship God, Budda, Bixia Yuanjin, Ganesha, Quetzalcoatl or the Flying Spaghetti monster it doesn't matter to me. What ever gives them the strength to get through the day is fine in my book.
it's when people suffer for the name of religion, that's what I can't understand. Admittedly most (but not all) conflicts use religion as an excuse for other issues, control of resources, conflicts over land etc
religious people say they are tolerant of others and in the majority they are. However there are a few extremists who quote carefully selected lines from their holy scriptures to promote sex discrimination, homophobic fury and to validate their abhorrent terrorist activities.
The vast majority of religious people I have no problem with .. I've been one, I know where they're coming from. I don't like people forcing it down my throat. It should be about choice and the choice NOT being "Choose my god or die" either.
I go through the world and every day I try and make things a little better for people. I treat everyone with respect unless their actions decree otherwise. I help others when I can and I don't mock others vision of the world either. if they want to believe in the force, the great green Arkleseizure or The flying spaghetti monster then so be it.
When some nut (religion aside here.. doesn't matter what belief system they have) decides to ram his message down my throat and scream abuse at me if I happen to disagree with his "teachings" then I have issues then. If I want to learn about his /her religion I'll seek out his/her church and go there of my own will.
It shouldn't matter to ANYONE if you're hindu, buddist, Christian or jew, Black, white, yellow or green with red polka dots. As long as you're a good person, who treats others with respect then I don't care what you do.
and hopefully when I pass on, if I have been wrong and there is some supreme being up there watching over us all then he/she/it will see I've lived my life so as not to offend others, to better others lives and to help spread happiness around in my wake. Any truly benevolent God should be able to accept that regardless of any membership to one of the many god-fan-clubs here on Earth. And if he/she/it doesn't .. then I'd rather not be there anyway.. if I couldn't live with intolerance why would I want to spend eternity with it after I'm dead?
That's just my view. Other's mileage may vary
[quote=SuzyQ;362101
But you don't always get everything you ask for because we don't always know what is best for us and often fail to have the long view!
SuzyQ[/quote]
To quote a rather nice Garth Brooks song (don't flogg me for knowing this please)..."somtimes I thank God for unanswered prayers" - You're right SuzyQ, sometimes what we want is very very far from what's the best for us at that point in time.
Cool! I go to church but it's not every Sunday and we attend a church where you don't have to be pretending to cough just to get a sweetie out of the wrapper! I was brought up in quite a formal church tradition so the more relaxed direction some of the Church of Scotland is taking is refreshing! I also believe that I don't have to go to church every sunday to be a christian...I know some people who go to church who stretch the definition of Christian to it's limits - read Robbie Burns poem "to a Louse" if you want a nice take on the issue! So saying... there are some things I struggle with every day in the knowledge that sometimes my behaviour is not as the Lord would wish... but I'm trying and that's what counts surely?
Oi!
Though some churches teach that Christians shouldn't dance. But they're ones who tend to teach that its about a list of things that you do, rather than about what you actually believe.
Re SuzyQ's comment - I would say that its probably nice simply because its another thing someone might have in common with another dancer?
I used to go to a CofS, which is currently looking for a new minister. It's nice to see that the church can tick over quite nicely without an overall leader at the moment, the congregation has really risen to the challenge. One of my friends is on the committee for selecting a new minister, and I think there's a sense of anticipation about the place with regards to the direction the church will take once a new minister comes along. As it is, I jumped ship to a nearby Baptist church a while back!
Bet the congregation are excited about things! I sometimes think things are too informal but that stems from coming from the kind of background I do and I'm slowly drifting into the more progressive style.... I've never been to a Baptist Church. Can you enlighten me re beliefs and so on?
Ah but does it help knowing they like eating cakes (particularly chocolate cakes )
*cough* Lord of the Dance *cough*
"More people have died in the name of religion than have ever died of cancer. And we try to cure cancer" - Chuck Austin.
I've always had great sympathy for God. "Love one another. Love Yourselves. Love Me". I mean really, how hard is that?
"Be excellent to each other" - Bill and Ted
Is it just me, or does this thread seem to be drifting away from the discussion of various beliefs in a tolerant environment, and is now drifting towards sticking pins into each others belief structures?
People have died in the name of religion, but that is not really what this thread is discussing is it? Some religions discourage partner dancing, but that is not what this thread is discussing either is it? I was enjoying looking at the beliefs of others here, and now it looks like it's going to derail and head towards the usual ChitChat thread quagmire
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