Just curious

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I believe in god, and I even believe in Jesus, but I don't pray, don't go to church, and don't read my bible. I'm not religious in any way. I just think god exists and so did Jesus and that Jesus was cool and tried to tell us something.

I believe we should rely on our minds, and logic, rather than our faith.
 
I was raised RC but have now lapsed. I don't really care if JC or God exsist, I just try to live by Do unto others...
 
I'm a 'practising' Catholic (that's such an odd term :rolleyes: ), so I guess you could call me religious.

I'm also a curious Catholic, who would like to know what brought this on as a topic of conversation. Isn't it dangerous to discuss religion and politics in mixed company?? :D
 
e-Morgana:-
So long as you keep to the old Chinese and Indian concept that ALL religions( barring ones that does human sacrifices on a daily basis ) are all correct, and all are merely part of seeing the same Ultimate/Tao/Dharma/Oneness/God whatever you call it, no sparks will arise, merely intellectual oneness and the occasional, ritual swapping and deity swapping :).

I myself am a practising Buddhist with a Taoistic slant, though I follow what you can say the Way of Sceptism( or more aptly called the Way of the Seeker ). In a way, you can call me religious since as part of following the Way of the Seeker, other than studying the Buddhist and Taoist way, I also study other religions and other Gods and deities, including this concept of a Singular Deity that do not remanifest prevalent in Judea-Christian religion.
 
My faith is a nice blend of bhuddism and newage pagan. Very much the Seeker like Aik Haw.
 
E-Morgana asked:

"Isn't it dangerous to discuss religion and politics in mixed company?? "

Indeed it could be, but I have a feeling that on this forum it isn't, especially if you think of those nasty little wars that go on about religon and politics elsewhere in cyberspace where people just insult each other. That doesn't seem to happen here.

Anyway, I think it's a very interesting question as I'm a lapsed "cradle Catholic" myself (now there's a curious little term to go with "practising Catholic") I grew up in 70's & 80's Ireland which seems like an almost Iranian style Theocracy (without the stonings) from today's vantage point, but it can provide a deep structure to life that leaves you reeling a bit when you lose it.
So, I miss the absolutist certainties of Catholicism and am constantly fascinated by religon and religous belief.
I'm an agnostic but I still find most satisfaction in my "spirituality" reading with the likes of Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen and Anthony de Mello all of whom would be considered progressive Catholic authors.

Science Fiction and Fantasy with a religous undertow can also be very satisfying - Cordwainer Smith, say, or Gene Wolf or Tolkien. None of whom ever proselytised, but the faith is there, I think, informing the art.
The there's Orson Scott Card, a Mormon - but I don't know enough about that religon.

The Unitarian Universalist church, which would appear to be mostly very strong in the US, also has great appeal with it's emphasis on rational inquiry aswell as faith and prayer. But to an ex-Catholic it can still feel a wee bit sterile and lacking in punch and certainties.
Well, that's my long-winded contribution.

What about you yourself Fluffy Bunny?
 
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I was raised without any religion and I don't believe in God or J.C. or any of that and really resent a lot of things that the Church has done throughout history, but I see why people are religious. I feel like religion is the easy way to explain the afterlife, the easy way to explain our existence, and the easy way to have some way to hold on to something greater whenever things go wrong. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I almost wish that I could have that kind of faith and believe in something that strongly. Unfortunately, I'm a bit cynical and can't help but wonder about all the contradictions within religions and between various religions. Who's to say which one's right? Certainly not me.

I find Taoist philosophies very interesting, however, along with most Eastern philosophies.

I think I kind of believe in something greater than us out there... I mean, I hope something exists, I just can't establish any concrete faith.
 
Interesting the number of Taoist-leaning folks here. I too follow that path, although not in a structured sense, more as a philosophy on life. I incorporated quite a bit of that into my book, actually, along with some of the contradictions of organized religions already mentioned here, particularly the conflict between faith as blind dogma and faith as fully understanding the teachings of one's religion.

Besides, by putting some of my Taoist thoughts into the book I could use a lot of pithy sayings! :)
 
Science is my Religion.

I don't believe in God, Jesus, or any other deity that could control our fate. I consider myself a man of science, and i precieve religious writings as amazingly good works of fiction (ie that little gem called the Bible).
I know there is a certain amount of faith you have to invest in whatever you believe, even if it is science. But all in all, there's much more concrete evidence for science and i just can't believe in something blindly.
I can see the need for something like a God to believe. Back in the Dark Ages when everything was bleak there was a need for something to hold on to and there was no way of explaining things. A belief in an all powerful God solves all problems, "How did this Happen?" "Why is this like that?" the simple answer is: God made it that way.
I understand the ancient Greeks, Roman, and Norse more than Catholics. Way back when, people saw things that they couldn't explain or had any idea about and created gods for each thing, like the Sun rising, Thunder, Lightning, and created Gods to explain it. I respect them more than the Catholic or Anglicen Churches.
If there is a God, it was a quantum mechanical singularity (but that's a topic for another thread).

Kilroy Was Here
 
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In answer to how many are religious - not me either.

I don't particularly like any religion but I value diversity and freedom so worship what you like as long as it isn't the almighty $$$.
 
Officially, I'm atheist and have been for a long time. I wasn't raised religious, and I think that has a lot to do with how I view the concept of "higher beings" and what not. It's hard to believe the world was created in 6 days as an adult, though when told to children, it is much more believeable. I do understand the appeal religion has and I don't judge people as long as they don't judge me. Unfortunately, many religious folks equate the term "atheist" with "baby sacrificing devil worshiper" so I usually keep my beliefs to myself.

Like many here, I'm much more in tune with Eastern philosophies than any christian religion. I'm pretty much against any religion that makes a serious habit of imposing their beliefs on others.. ie missionaries. I think that faith is VERY individual and should not be forced upon someone.
 
Originally posted by Rocketsheep
In answer to how many are religious - not me either.

I don't particularly like any religion but I value diversity and freedom so worship what you like as long as it isn't the almighty $$$.
Click to expand...

As a capitalist I must confess to worshipping the symbob of intellectual and physical value that is the dollar.
 
I agree...and I don't think athiests are 'baby-sacrificing devil worshippers.' ;)

I believe in God and Jesus, in faith and logic; I believe that science is a part of God's language. I prefer the word "faith" over "religion," as religion tends to describe what people do and faith describes what they believe.

Religion is easy, but faith is difficult--it requires both thought and trust.

The historic church (religious) often gets a bad rap for the wickedness done by people who lacked faith in the whole of what the church supposedly professed. Christianity did not inspire violence: power did.

It happens in every religion that becomes powerful.

I won't get into theology (I'm studying at a theological institution at present--won't bore you ;) ), but I will say that contradictions (paradoxes) are a part of the balance within Christianity. Battles are fought at the poles, but the Bible stands at the center: free will to man and God's will be done. Electrons are waves and particles--(unless if that's changed recently ;) ). We must accept both, because it's a lie to call it one and not the other. (I hope that made sense. ;) )
 
I have way more respect for the scientists and priests who say that the two things aren't mutually exclusive.

I've been spending a lot of years building kind of a personal cosmology, I'm very spiritual, but I don't go in for organized religion (yet). So far I think I've done pretty good, I'm a good person and a tolerant one. I'm not particularly worried about death and I think it doesn't really matter how you reach the state of being a good person so long as you get there. If you think about it, a good catholic and a good buddhist will both be pretty compassionate people, so what's it matter? As I've mentioned before, I was into zen a while ago, but it wasn't really working, these days I'm most strongly influenced by the Tao of Pooh. Sounds goofy as hell but it's a very good book and it works for me.

kay, so my beliefs: There is a god/ all-powerful being/ guiding force what have you. Perfect? No. (got into a long discussion with my friend over this one)

chi I think is believable in the extreme. The dynamic of opposites is pretty visible in most things. For this reason I also think that perfection is not only unattainable, but undesirable. A perfect world is a stagnant one. People I disagree with are just as needed as I am, cuz we're all part of the process.

As for dying, I believe we come back as many times as we need to learn whatever it is we're supposed to be learning. If existence has a point it's to learn, by interacting with others and with the world. I don't necessarily mean book learning and facts, although that can be a part of it, I think it's more about attaining a richer understanding of things.

I love the beauty and sadness the world can throw at you and take comfort in the impermanence of it all.
 
Originally posted by Forrest


As a capitalist I must confess to worshipping the symbob of intellectual and physical value that is the dollar.
Click to expand...


GASP! :o

Actually, I think it would be one of the hardest things to break away from if you lived your whole life in a er... modern affluent society.
 
I hate questions like this......

I am a total atheist, and i believe that you get one chance at life, and when you're dead you're dead - and you won't even know it......your conciousness just ceases to exist. Unfortunately this is a totally depressing belief, so i avoid thinking about it as much as possible!!

I am terribly jealous of people who believe they go to a better place when they die - and even more jealous of people who believe an all-powerful figure watches over them. It must be terribly reasurring - and it just isn't a possiblity I find myself able to accept.

So far as how i live my life, etc, it's pretty C of E-esque. i went to a C of E school, and christianity is by far the predominant religion where i live. I agree with most Christian ideas of what is or isn't moral, and do my best to stick by them. (It's not always easy though :D)
 
I went to sunday school as a child and regularly went to church as a teenager but I believe that the main reason I attended church was due to an interest in religion rather than believing in the religion ( I was probably more of an agnostic). I am now an athiest and have been for many years but I am still fascinated and very interested in religion.

One thing I find interesting is the way that many people will say they are a certain religion but in reality do not really agree with many aspects of that religion, and the beliefs etc of that religion do not play any real part in their life. They are that religion only because their parents were.

Kilroy said "Science in my Religion"

And I think that also describes my beliefs.

Its interesting that Kilroy describes the Bible as a work of fiction. I have described it many times as a Science Fiction novel.
 
I was brought up a Baptist, so God has always existed in my life. I don't go to church anymore, pray very rarely and wouldn't even begin to describe the way I live my life as particularly Christian, yet I couldn't just stop believing in God, for me it would like trying to stop believing that the sky is blue.
As for the Bible, my mum always described it to me as an epic poem which although true was highly stylized. For instance God created the world but not in six days, that was just for the sake of a good story.
 
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