What's your belief?

[Smiley face]

I'm sure this has already been posted in the past but since I am new here, I'm posting it. What religious beliefs do you have as an SA? I don't want to turn this into a debate I just want to know your views. I for one grew up with a lot of anger and pain brought upon me by my peers. So I was not a happy child and could never truly accept god because if there was a god, I thought to myself, my life wouldn't be like this. So yeah, I'm a non-believer and please don't patronize me for it.

 

[WelshOne]

I believe in God because I want there to be a heaven. It makes it so much easier to deal with the loss of loved ones. Also... I have asked God for things in the past, and can remember getting what I asked for on several occasions, which strengthens my belief.

To contradict that, though, I also believe in the theories provided by physicists, such as the Big Bang. Or maybe those two beliefs dont contradict... I can think of ways for both God and the Big Bang to be true/real, I suppose.

 

[spider04]

I believe in God

 

[mozart87]

religious beliefs....hm... I believe there is a god...but i'm not an obedient christian... I have really serious doubts about most of the "churches", "denominations",priests, pastors etc.

I believe in a god that rewards people that try their hardest in order to strive perfection. in the afterlife.
it's clear that life is unfair. so I think that each have to try his best in being moral and fair.
as I said not such into religion, but, I listened to some sermons... and started to search for answers... I mean, you don't have to take words mot-a-mot, better read between the lines.

 

[gsmax5]

To contradict that, though, I also believe in the theories provided by physicists, such as the Big Bang. Or maybe those two beliefs dont contradict... I can think of ways for both God and the Big Bang to be true/real, I suppose.

Yeah, I'm not sure if I believe in God, but I never understood how the Big Bang and God contradicted each other. I always thought of God just influencing everything and how things happen rather than directly creating things with magic.

 

[I_Walk_Alone]

I find it hard to trust religious people.

Who knows what they're thinking.

Do any other athiests feel ike this?

 

[Nack]

I don't know what to believe in. Maybe that's why im so confused.

 

[sabbath9]

Like a million little doorways
All the choices we made
All the stages we passed through
All the roles we played

For so many different directions
Our separate paths might have turned
With every door that we opened
Every bridge that we burned

Somehow we find each other
Through all that masquerade
Somehow we found each other
Somehow we have stayed
In a state of grace

I don't believe in destiny
Or the guiding hand of fate
I don't believe in forever
Or love as a mystical state
I don't believe in the stars or the planets
Or angels watching from above
But I believe there's a ghost of a chance we can find someone to love
And make it last...

Like a million little crossroads
Through the back streets of youth
Each time we turn a new corner
A tiny moment of truth

For so many different connections
Our separate paths might have made
With every door that we opened
Every game we played

Somehow we find each other
Through all that masquerade
Somehow we found each other
Somehow we have stayed
In a state of grace

I don't believe in destiny
Or the guiding hand of fate
I don't believe in forever
Or love as a mystical state
I don't believe in the stars or the planets
Or angels watching from above
But I believe there's a ghost of a chance we can find someone to love
And make it last...

 

[ramirez]

I find it hard to trust religious people.

Who knows what they're thinking.

Do any other athiests feel ike this?

No, I'm an atheist, but I'm also very tolerant to other people's beliefs. Some of my friends are quite religious and I have no problem with it.
Maybe you just don't trust people in general?

 

[Doomed2Die]

I'm Christian under the teaching of Jehovah's Witnesses. As for my association with them, it's minor due to health issues (blah), however my mother is a baptized member.

Before I started learning from the bible I was a cynic, I disagreed with most of society and it's promises and felt there was more to it, this drew me onwards.

I find it hard to trust religious people.

Who knows what they're thinking.

Do any other athiests feel ike this?

Uh, would it not be alot easier to know what they are thinking? Considering a religion is a set of beliefs and all.

 

[freestylemonster]

I'm agnostic/Buddhist and I wanna read a little more about Taoism

I think religion could do the world a lot of good if it wasn't so corrupt

 

[Reiji Moritsugu]

I don´t have any religious beliefs per se, but it´s not because I believe there is a god to blame for the way I am...if there´s something to blame, I´d say nature and genetics are more likely candidates

Now to be a bit more on topic, I mainly believe in the law of cause and effect. Known by most people as karma, it states that for every action there is a reaction or similarly, for every cause there is an effect and from every effect there must have been a cause. So your actions have a direct influence on life and circumstances.

My belief in this is reinforced by the fact that, during a certain period of my life I did nothing more than hurting others and being a burden for them; sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. So, my life being as screwed as it is nowadays is nothing but the punishment for my past actions. Things will go utterly wrong if your thoughts and actions are shrouded in darkness like mine have been/are now.

 

[worrywort]

I'm a christian trapped in an atheists body! I have so many issues with christianity, and the vast majority of objections that most atheists raise I happen to agree with. I've always been very sceptical and I LOVE the truth.......I just also happen to believe that the evidence in favour of the god of the bible is heavier than the evidence against it.

p.s. I expect this thread will be moved to off topic soon, but I hope it doesn't. I think it's a shame that religious discussions have to end up in nasty arguements. I think people should discuss their beliefs more often and debate and find out what's true and what's not. I think it's healthy.

 

[ptah]

I was raised a catholic but I quit due to inconsistencies in the Christian belief system that I discovered . Now I'm sceptic and non-believer. I don't think there's a god as described in Bible or any other holy book. I would be to call anything a god I'd call a god some kind of fundamental energy that penetrates material world. But then, why call it 'god' if it's already called 'energy'...

 

[I_Walk_Alone]

Ive got no problem with religious people, just religion.

 

[freestylemonster]

^^What's wrong with it??

If it's that Europe ruined Christianity (I assume that's what you mean when you say religion because that's what most atheists mean) I agree!

 

[Glumlock]

I'm an agnostic liberal Christian... kinda

i was born and raised a Catholic, but i turned away from the church because i disagree with most of their teachings - sexism, homophobia and their almost neo-Nazi views on abortion. I refuse to associate with the people who are an embarassment to the person they claim to worship so much.

If Jesus were alive today, i think he would be disgusted at Christianity, particularly Evangelists and Catholics because they are so right wing. Jesus taught us to accept everyone - so why do Catholics hate gays? It makes no sense. It's a load of hypocritical bullshit in fact.

i don't understand how so much of the bible can say how we should accept other people for who they are, regardless of race, gender or ethnicity and to love thy neighbor ect and just because there is no homosexuality mentioned in the book, assume that it is wrong? It makes no sense.

If catholics would take a minute to consider this and take their heads out of their arses and just LOOK at the world around them, perhaps the world would be a much better place.

I still consider myself a liberal christian, i try to follow the teachings of Jesus. God has no place in my life, but Jesus does if that makes sense?

 

[this_portrait]

I believe in the very basic aspects that almost all Christians believe in, but I do not agree with nearly all of the practices, such as church, for example. I guess you could say I'm more about "faith over tradition" and trying to be a good person, not only because it would please the God I believe in, but it's the humane thing to do.

 

[DASwife]

I'm a Hindu, I worship the Goddess Parvati (and all her incarnations), and Her husband Shiva.

Since I worship mainly the incarnation Kali, its a very anti-religion. It more a do as what makes you happy while respecting everyone else. The emphasis is more on exploring your sexualities and emotions than real religious rules or anything. I like it because it teaches not to judge, to find the right in everyone, and to love each other, as well as including all the fun tantric stuff too!

I find that the times I get the most comfort is when I am meditating or taking part in rituals, so I am hoping this year to become a little more religious!

This is a cool thread btw, very interesting!

 

[Doomed2Die]

About the bible, you can take small things from it and take those to heart, but often the rest ends up making no sense. However you can learn to read the bible, study it pretty much, there is a heck of alot to it. This is what the JW's teach.

If I may say, why take from it and use the wisdom out of context knowingly? Does this not invalidate a purpose of the bible? (truth) and as such invalidate the wisdom taken?