OT/ Religious

[HughieG]

Are you?

I'm not. Don't think I'd ever be. I read part of Christopher Hitchens' "God Is Not Great" and want to read Dawkins' "The God Delusion". However, I also want to see it from the other side. Trouble is that the argumentation and reasoning is usually pretty bad.

Nothing wrong with being religious as long as it is not used to govern a country or have a direct influence on politics.

[toonlegend]

don't think whether you are religious or not is down to argument and reasoning. you either are or you aren't - it's virtually impossible to put forwards valid reasons on the side of you are, because of course there isn't anything definitive that you can say - blah blah ...this proves it. it isn't called "faith" for nothing

me, i was brought up in an era where - you went to sunday school, church and nearly all activities were church based or ran by the church - youth clubs, brownies, guides scouts that sort of stuff.

.... am i religious ? deep down something has stuck i like to think there is something there but what that something is ... no idea

[toptoon]

Good...a nice, non contentious thread

It's been and still is being used as a tool for power by bad people that causes death and suffering to many people. That's not the fault of the religion itself but the strength of faith (and in most cases naivety) of some followers. I say naivety because you only need a slight understanding of any religion to see that the underlying message is peace and not to harm others.

When religion is used in the right way I think it's great whether God exists or not. If it makes people follow a moral code of respe ting and helping others then it can only be a good thing.

One thing's for sure, any rivalry between religions is plain stupid. I was Christened C of E but if I'd been born in Israel, I'd be Jew, India and I'd likely be Hindu, etc.

Personally I'm 100% agnostic and swing back and forwards between belief and non-belief.

[Tut_Foster]

I'm actually anti theist.. religion has brought zero good to the world.. the indoctrination of children to me isvchild abuse.. I really don't want to get started on this topic as I will be here all day..

Flat earth
Penguins walking to the middle East
Talking snakes
Made from clay and born from incest (twice)
Slavery
Murder
Rape

The list goes on..

There's one simple thing that defines why no one should believe there's any type of deity and that word is "proof"

[Sclox]

I love Jesus.

I hate his fan club.

[Tut_Foster]

Best video you'll watch today..

https://youtu.be/2-d4otHE-YI

[ex_pat_magpie]

I firmly think all faith, belief, religion, ethics, morality or whatever you want to call it or how ever you want to put it comes down to your own conscience.

Your conscience is never wrong and will tell you whether or not what you are doing is right or wrong. You can go with it or against it but you then know what is the difference.

[ghostrider]

It's not the argument as to whether there is a god of whatever kind, it's more of being brainwashed into a belief in one depending on where you live. A sort of stamp on your head, so to speak that you generally carry throughout life and tend to hang onto even if your mind is change in the silent sense, so as not to upset anyone.

It's about trying to take simple logic in the physical world that you know as opposed to the non physical world that every person is told exists in their religious groups.

The first thing we have to do is to try and sort the wheat from the chaff. Figure out what we live on or in and why.
Not an easy thing to answer but an easy thing to be coaxed into if people want to believe in video and photo's that they simply take as a truth and refuse to question.
This could be Earth shape, or a god in drawing, statue, or whatever shape of form it's portrayed as.

The best way to find out if there is a god of the type we are told about is to imagine praying to that god and wonder why you're doing so.
Is it to be thankful for your life? For food?.....or what?
Is it to keep in the good books so you don't get sent to the fire pit below....as we are told?

Pray every night to a god and watch how things turn bad and some good. Was it god?......Was it him granting you the good when you were at a low ebb but equally giving you the bad when you were happy?

Try placing a big Teddy bear on the bed. Pray to that Teddy every night and ask the same as you would ask a god. See which one's answer your prayers.
My guess would be basically even. Anyone doubt it?


However, what people need to remember, whether they're agnostic, religious in whatever way or atheist etc....is, a belief in something...anything, can be a comfort to a person at a low ebb. Going to church can give a person the feeling of belonging and not alone.
Also it can give a person the comfort of believing their life is worth something and when they expire, they will be rewarded in the after life and the bad will be punished.


My personal feelings is, when we're gone we're gone. Lights out and you only carry on in the minds of those who mourn over you, until nobody remembers you...however long that takes or however short if you have no family or many friends.


What none of us can really do is argue it in a sense of yes there is....or no there isn't, scenario and take the high ground on it as a truth....but each person can hold their own as their belief for their own personal comfort.

[Tut_Foster]

However, what people need to remember, whether they're agnostic, religious in whatever way or atheist etc....is, a belief in something...

100% not true Ghost.. atheism is the lack of belief in something (a god in this instance)

Agnostic means that person is unsure in what to believe..

To have belief in a god is faith.. faith is believing in something without proof.. every single religious person could be classed as agnostic.. there are over 2000 gods to choose from.. believing in only one of them makes that person 99.95% agnostic.. give or take..

There's the age old argument that because god can't be seen he can still be there as you can't see air or oxygen.. thus could be discredited by holding a bible and sticking your head under water to see if God helps you breath..

I'm gonna stop now..

Until someone somewhere gives me evidence of a deity then I'll remain anti theist

[ghostrider]

100% not true Ghost.. atheism is the lack of belief in something (a god in this instance)

Agnostic means that person is unsure in what to believe..



To have belief in a god is faith.. faith is believing in something without proof.. every single religious person could be classed as agnostic.. there are over 2000 gods to choose from.. believing in only one of them makes that person 99.95% agnostic.. give or take..

There's the age old argument that because god can't be seen he can still be there as you can't see air or oxygen.. thus could be discredited by holding a bible and sticking your head under water to see if God helps you breath..

I'm gonna stop now..

Until someone somewhere gives me evidence of a deity then I'll remain anti theist

You're misreading what I'm saying.
I'm saying it doesn't matter whether a person is religious or agnostic or atheist...a belief in something, anything, can be a comfort to a person at a low ebb.
I'm talking about a person in general, not a person who holds any particular stance.