Religion

[Ronron4ever]

I'm agnostic.

I think everybody has its Truth. Every Truth could be The Truth.

I think that nobody has the right to say to an other human that its Truth is better than his.

I beleive in human's ignorance. I'm just human. How could I know anything? May be there's a god, may be not. May be the Christians are right. May be the jewish. May be the musulmans, or the buddhists. May be Raël is right, or may be the atheists are right, how do we know?

And since I think these answers are out of my reach, as a simple human, I don't see why I would ask myself why I am here, where I come from, or what is my "mission" on Earth (which is a pretty arrogant question I think)

I think it's more important to say, I am here, alive, on this planet. Now, what can I do with my life?

If I ever have to get any information about the meaning of life when I die or whatever, then good. But I can live without and I actually don't really care about answers or Truths.

[Hexpiritus]

Some clarification of terms as I understand it through so-called formal education. I apologize if it's tedious to other people, but making my definitions clear is important to me.

Belief: A way to understand the world around oneself that hasn't necessarily stood up to consistent testing with repetitive identical results and corroborative experimentation (i.e. the scientific method). Incidentally, things that have been tested by the scientific method is what most people call facts.

Spirituality/spiritual: A belief in the sacred, i.e. there is some kind of special reality that is different than the "profane" or "mundane" reality that is "normally" experienced. This reality can be during our lives or after death or both.

Religion: In which a set of spiritual beliefs are institutionalized, i.e. there are feast days, places of worship, some kind of holy scripture or orally passed down body of work, rites of passage, leaders, and a community that worships or spiritually works together. Being recognized by "the state" is optional.

That being said, I am not officially part of a religion. I was baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic. I was initiated into eclectic paganism. I celebrate Christian and pagan holidays. I've got a home altar with a place for my dead and ancestors, portraits of laser Jesus and Miyamoto Musashi, statues of Shiva, Ganesh, Archangel Michael, Raven, Dionysus, Socrates, and a plaque for winning a bardic circle in an Asatru/Norse pagan festival called Midgard. Magickally, I come from the Chaos tradition (not Discordian, though I like them too). For those who have read Peter Carroll and Phil Hine, you will know that a large part of the Chaos tradition is about "random belief". This complements my very fluid and shifter nature; I tend to naturally switch into various belief systems and spiritual outlooks (including agnostic and atheist) when it suits me and the context I'm in.

However, I do not identify as a Chaos Mage/Monk. I have a core set of beliefs that I label internally as "Wayfarer", or following the Way. This involves a moral and ethical code of "right action" and constant balanced self-improvement in the areas of physical, emotional/psychological, mental/conceptual, social/communal, and spiritual/the sacred. This method also involves delving into your own shadow and darkness as much as reaching towards the light. How else can you know thyself?

I could go more into why I practice all beliefs and none, and when I do which and why I do when, but then this post will get very long-winded indeed. "The Life of Pi" by Sam Martel sums most of that up for me nicely anyway.

[nikkicoyotie]

I've got kinda a hodge podge going... I believe the most basic core of christian beliefs (Love your maker, however you view it, love your neighbor as yourself) and I do pray when I'm scared, or if I'm worried about someone.

I also feel the influance of a couple of totems, and feel like I have a spirit protector.

So that's my faith.

As for religious practicies? *shrugs* there's a united church I got to now and then if i feel the need. I go little enough they think I'm a new person every time I go.

[DeliriumCat]

I'm a Neo-Pagan Goddess Worshipper.

I tend to make a distinction between ecstatic and dogmatic religion. I generally have problems with dogmatic religions where people are told what to do. I prefer ecstatic religions where people are free to experience a connection to the divine instead of told what one person's experience of the divine was.

I specifically draw upon multiple forms of Neo-pagan belief for my individual practice including Feri, Reclaiming and, Strega witchcraft, First nations spirituality,  and Druidry. I however participate in a eclectic Wiccan group, a Asatru group and, am slowly pawing at a Voodoo group and a Druidry group.

I do however, believe that a knowledge of all religions is important and therefore have attempted to become more knowledgeable on Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Hare Krishna, Unitarian Universalist and working on Islamic belief systems.

The deities I work with on a regular basis include Brigit, Athena, Diana, Sekhmet and, Freya. As you might be able to tell I consider being a warrior as important. Also I randomly have a connection to Angels, Faeries and, Demons and work with Archangels Michael and Ariel.

[BCRE8TVE]

I'm baptised and confirmed christian. What does it do to me? Well, not much.

Like a lot of people said, I make my own religion. I like to read, and so I've read a lot about different stuff, including religion. I take a peek at this, a look at that. I take what seems to me as good morals and leave what doesn't. Notice I didn't say it bad, just that it doesn't suit me.

Some people can go against this piecemeal approach to religion. They might say you have to take it all, not just what you like. It's to avoid moral deprivety of some sorts, getting all the advantages without any of the obligations. To that preson, I'd answer, so be it. I know I'm capable of staying out of moral debauchery, I'll stick with my problems, stick with yours.

The way I go is along the lines of 'Live and let live'. I agree religions help people stay out of trouble, but to me, there's as much good in it as there's not as good. Notice I didn't say bad. I don't confine myself to one religion, neither do I confine myself to one name. I don't know about you, but saying I'm a core Lutherist (Lutherian?) influenced by druidism and satan, with a little touch of greek beliefs for flavours seems to defeat the point. I don't confuse myself with names, I'm just me.

It's funny to see pre-christian world was mostly made up of polytheist religions, with only judaism as the monotheist. Then JC came up, there was a number of revolutions along the lines of 'Convert or I'll lop your head off', a few religious wars, and BADAM! An explosion of 'different' religions. Judaism, christianity and islamism as the big three, then the lutherians, protestants, anglicans, orthodox, it all explodes.

It's also funny (to me at least) to notice how each religion is the one true one, they worship the one true god, they all promise they are the only way to salvation, that all the others are non-believers and heretics, that all of them are condemned to Hell or worse at the end of times, etc (yes, I know I exxagerate, I do it sometimes to annoy people :P), even within two branches of the same religion. Seeing that, choosing a religion is like choosing the less silly one.

Religion can indeed be silly. After all, it is a great excuse for war and slaughter. A friend of mine put it this way: 'A war of religion is like saying my imaginary friend is better than yours.' Silly, isn't it?

Then you consider all those that claim they do not believe in God, that it cannot be proven, etc. (I especially like the 'proofs' of believers trying to convert them to their religion, it's so funny!) While indeed god may or may not be proven, religions give people something to believe in, that there's something out there, a meaning, a purpose, and to some, that's enough to keep them going in the worst conditions. To those people, I say kudos. They've found the gold stack in the labyrinthic coal mine of religion.

On a site note, I wasn't surprised to see few people here were 'true' or 'hard-core' believers of any one kind of doctrine. Think about it, what would such a saintly person be doing here, in this filthy internet forum attended by perverted animal-lovers? We're all devious enough, being furry and all, that I dont expect anyone to follow a straight path in religion either. Now I don't mean furry fandom is a bad thing, it's just the view that the media has shown to the world, an easy to understand view that avoids you from overworking your brain trying to think for yourself and re-evaluate your own beliefs. To them, we are indeed devious, and us being the minority, we don't have much choice.

I was just saying we're sort of the black sheep, or more appropriately not a sheep at all (depending on your fursonas). To come here, we probably had to think for ourselves often enough. Doing that, we've broken a golden rule about indoctrination of the masses. We don't let someone else do our thinking for us. So many people are following along blindly and mindlessly, and while this is not always a bad thing, it leaves little room for individuals in society to express themselves. And that is what I dislike the most about religions.

I go around, flitter through what I find, reading here and there, comparing, thinking. I'm a person. I'm also a furson. I am creative. I'm writing a furry story. If I had followed the rules of any single religion, would I be the same person as I am now?

Some people find satisfaction, answers and a purpose in religion. To some, it's paradise. To some, it's afterlife. They say life would be dull and daft without them. I find satisfaction in finding my own answers. To me, we don't have a purpose. Life doesn't have a purpose. After all, Darwin said life was just a series of random accidents, organized chaos. My purpose is to lead a significant life. I can do things, I can change them. No one else can do it just like me, like I can't do it for someone else. I think there's purpose enough in that. God may or may not exist, or it might be vrey crowded up there, I don't know. However, I don't think they'll disapprove of me leading as good a life as I can lead, no matter what the people in silly robes say.





/Few, sorry for the long text, sorry if it seems disorganized and goes nowhere, I had a lot to write and not much time! Also, I don't mean to insult anyone or any belief, so please don't kill me./

[Meer]

I don't know. However, I don't think they'll disapprove of me leading as good a life as I can lead, no matter what the people in silly robes say.

You pretty much summed up my approach to religion right there.

I was baptized and I do identify as a Christian, but I pretty much only follow the core beliefs. I see a lot of the more contentious issues as social constructs that were added later.

Homosexuality is a sin because back then people wanted their citizens to reproduce, more citizens meant more tax money coming in, larger draft armies, more power. Gay people don't reproduce, and this is counter-productive to what the rulers and the church would have wanted, thus it's 'evil'. Masturbation being a sin could also be seen as a construct based on this reasoning.

In the case of the Jewish faith, "Don't eat pork" makes sense as a social construct simply because pig meat was generally rife with disease before proper processing techniques were developed... people are just more likely to follow a rule if you attach a religious meaning to it.

I'm sure there's plenty of them you could come up with social reasoning for wanting to outlaw it as religiously immoral.

So I tend to just ignore the ones that don't make sense to me, as they pretty much contradict the underlying message Jesus brought to people. Be a good person, try to do the right thing, etc and you'll be fine regardless of your sexual preferences or beliefs.

If I'm wrong, and there is a God but if you don't go to church every Sunday to listen to a bunch of people that proclaim they're the only path to God and Heaven (Who are hired by a group of other people in some room somewhere) you're going to hell, well, I don't really want any part of a God like that anyway :P

In short: Faith and Belief in God = Yes
            Organized Religion = Not bad, but not for me.

[Ramses]

church of the green bottle!

its hard to be conflicted or disappointed with anything that comes out of a green glass bottle. their contents really tend to take the edge off existential angst too.

also, green bottles' contents bring people of different groups quite amicably.

archaeological fact: humans invented drinking before writing. HUMANS INVENTED DRINKING BEFORE WRITING. this speaks to a truly endemic human priority.

feel lost? have questions about god and the universe? hate or disagree with someone else's beleifs? open a green glass bottle, drink what's inside. ponder. discuss. perhaps snack. discuss more. ponder again.

experience shows this approach often leads to opening several more green glass bottles and additional snacks. it often also leads to fascinating new ideas and views. several fun hours of this will bring nearly any two people or groups together. sometimes a little too closely together, which leads to new hybrid ethnicities! fun!

[Indref]

Religion is in the same realm as the hypothesis that there is a tea pot circling Pluto.

- The idea is preposterous.
- It is unprovable either way. Youi cannot prove there is a tea pot out there. You cannot conclusively prove there is not.
- Even if it were true, it's obvious that its existance has no palpable effect on day to day life.

Disclaimer: The above is personal thought on the topic at hand and is posted with the pure intention of moving forward one line of thought, without ego, superstition or malice. Purple monkey dishwasher only on Sundays but rather I over under liability hitherforth in which may or may not in actuality flipply bobry sniqueity give it away now give it away now five.

[BCRE8TVE]

Actually, that would depend on your religion. The jehova's witnesses, for one, believe we were perfect (adam and eve), they then ate the fruit and became imperfect. We inherited that imperfection, thus we are not perfect, thus we are unable to properly 'rule the world'. At the end of days (according to them in the next 20 years or so) god will free us from guilt fear pain yadda yadda yadda, assume lordship over the world, will fix everything, no questions asked. Seems kinda like a comic book ending to me.

Anyhow, that god can do something, supposedly in the next 20 years. And when nothing happens, they'll say they misinterpreted the omens and that the end of the world is actually 20 years later. The pope menaced (and probably still does(I don't know for you, but whereas John Paul II looked like a saint, Benedict 16th looks like an old fart looking down at you saying 'I know what you did'. Ugh, creepy.)) people they'll go to hell if they're not good. The jehova's witnesses are forever preaching the end of the world is near and you'd better start doing something about it if you want your place in paradise.

(PS: just so you know, omission of capital letters on some words is not accidental)

[Widontknow]

Arguing religion has no effect on your day to day life is like arguing that gravity has no effect on your day to day life because "it seems pretty constant to me."

It doesn't have an effect, and it doesn't really matter, until it does, that is.

Religion has formed the foundations of our society, and in that sense it is almost omnipresent.  True, you rarely think about it, or visit church on a daily bases, or let it consciously control your life,...but nonetheless, it's effects are everywhere.