Why Are You Religious, or non/anti-Religious? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Skid Row Joe · #1 12-02-2010, 09:46 PM

SEE IF WE CAN KEEP THIS A JUDGEMENT-FREE ZONE.....ASK QUESTIONS, BUT DON'T JUDGE OR BASH ANSWERS.

I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHAT OTHERS THINK, AND IF POSSIBLE - WHY THEY THINK WHAT THEY DO.

I AM NOT LOOKING TO ENTRAP ANYONE'S THOUGHTS OR EXPRESSIONS AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU......

LET'S TRY TO CONSIDER WHAT OTHERS THINK, AND LEARN FROM IT........OK?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________

I consider myself religious, and as a creature of habit, I embrace my religion.

I bought into what I was exposed to as a youth, so, yes, I think I am religious.

It gives me great consolation, in having those thoughts and feelings.

None of which can I prove or disprove, BTW.......

.

Jim B. · #2 12-02-2010, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

I consider myself religious, and as a creature of habit, I embrace my religion.

You worship money, right?

elchivito · #3 12-02-2010, 10:12 PM

Depends how you define religious. Parameters, please?

Skid Row Joe · #4 12-02-2010, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elchivito

Depends how you define religious. Parameters, please?

I'll go with Webster's for you.

Take it from there...

elchivito · #5 12-02-2010, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

I'll go with Webster's for you.

Take it from there...

Great.

"Relating to or manifesting faithful devotion to an acknowledged ultimate reality or deity"

The answer is: yup. I am.

elchivito · #6 12-02-2010, 10:31 PM

Oops, I missed the "why" part. Because it has worked for me and continues to. Individual mileage may vary. I wouldn't presume to suggest my beliefs are good for anybody else.

Skid Row Joe · #7 12-02-2010, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elchivito

Jump back one, we posted at the same time.

DONE.....edited it out........

LaRondo · #8 12-02-2010, 10:44 PM

Religions are "Belief Systems". 'Believing' is second to 'Knowing'. Once you know, it is no longer necessary to believe.

I prefer to know.

People think: "You got to believe in something ...", so they go ahead and adopt a beliefsystem, if they don't already have one and start believing.

Complete nonsense in my view. Human existence does not require a belief system'

Thanks to our constitution we have Freedom of Religion, which means to me I can be free of Religion.

If you look at the official dictionary version, it amazes me to see that the verb 'believe' has already become so much a definition for a person's relationship to their belief system. What the word really means can be found under 3. to have an opinion. That's all there is to it.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/believe

BAVBMW · #9 12-02-2010, 10:55 PM

“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”
Stephen Roberts

Fairly well sums it up.

MV

kerry · #10 12-02-2010, 10:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaRondo

Religions are "Belief Systems". 'Believing' is second to 'Knowing'. Once you know, it is no longer necessary to believe.

I prefer to know.

People think: "You got to believe in something ...", so they go ahead and adopt a beliefsystem, if they don't already have one and start believing.

Complete nonsense in my view. Human existence does not require a belief system'

Thanks to our constitution we have Freedom of Religion, which means to me I can be free of Religion.

I don't concur, even though those ideas are pretty widespread. I think it's a modern response to cultural changes but is not universal. Most medieval s knew there was a god, but believed in God nonetheless. For instance I know that Brett Favre exists but the question of whether i 'believe' in Brett Favre is a different issue
Since traditional ways of proving God's existence have failed since the Enlightenment, people now think of 'belief' as a substitute for knowing instead of an addition to knowing.
I think it's possible and reasonable to know that there is a god, but not to believe in that god. It's also possible to know there's a god and to believe in that god. I think most naturalistic pantheists do that.

SwampYankee · #11 12-02-2010, 11:01 PM

Despite being a WASP, I'd go with non-religious but not anti-religious. It's just not something I ever think about. While (some of) my morals may mirror those based upon a religious beliefs, I adhere to them out of respect for myself, my family and my community rather than out of fear of reprisals upon my passing.

OTOH my wife is (semi-practicing) Roman Catholic and since I know her religion is more important to her than my lack of one is to me, we're raising our kids as RC. It's not something that I would consider converting to myself, but I don't have any problem whatsoever attending mass with them, watching them get Baptised, receive Communion, etc.

My beliefs are probably more along the lines of an atheist but I don't care if the various religious symbols are put up around these winter Holidays, church bells can be heard tolling hymns (that's the right term?) on Sunday morning or if they say God in the Pledge of Allegiance. I'm by no means anti-religion, it's just not for me. I would never force my lack of religious beliefs on anyone. To each their own.

LaRondo · #12 12-02-2010, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerry

I don't concur, even though those ideas are pretty widespread. I think it's a modern response to cultural changes but is not universal. Most medieval s knew there was a god, but believed in God nonetheless. For instance I know that Brett Favre exists but the question of whether i 'believe' in Brett Favre is a different issue
Since traditional ways of proving God's existence have failed since the Enlightenment, people now think of 'belief' as a substitute for knowing instead of an addition to knowing.
I think it's possible and reasonable to know that there is a god, but not to believe in that god. It's also possible to know there's a god and to believe in that god. I think most naturalistic pantheists do that.

What you state is not unreasonable, yet once you "know" there is no longer a reason to believe. If you want to relate your knowledge to the existence of a God (whatever it may be, somebody define God, lol) believing in it takes a different turn. It turns into 'trust'. Big difference.

True Knowledge of 'God' is the oldest thing in existence, so you can hardly call it "a modern response to cultural changes".
This view is based on the acception of another belief, granting that Religions are the oldest form of description of a 'Higher Power'

You were born and you exist, regardless of any religious scripture.

kknudson · #13 12-02-2010, 11:14 PM

I consider myself Agnostic to AThesit.
But I respect your right to believe differently.

THESE IS MY OPINIONS and ONLY MY OPINIONS.
Religion was born out of man's fear of death, the concept of an afterlife allows one comfort in the belief that their spirit will continue after their physical being dies.

and

Having seen this world, if their was a god he / she (I'll be PC) would have trashed it years ago and started over, or decided the human race wasn't worth it and given up.

I have several "supporting" concepts.

There was a movie many years ago where a scientist working on suspened animation is awoken several hundred years in the future to a different world. One of their beliefs is the teachings of 'Saint Sigmund'.

Also many events in the bible can be explained by localized natural events, as the story of these events was passed down generation to generation to generation it evolved into what we know today as the bible.

And a favorite story from one of my Uncle's, who was very religious.
Every notice the holier than thou people in church bowing, praying etc.
Watch them fight, swear and cut each other off to be the first out of the parking lot.

But again, I respect your beliefs and your right to follow them.

Although I do think church's should be taxed, when you have church after church on a street.
Big ornanate(?) houses of worship, build a basic structure and use the remainder for charity work.
AND the big Mega church south of me in Barrington, the pastor was quoted in Forbes years ago that they were exploring 'Franchising' their concept. HUH ??

kerry · #14 12-02-2010, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaRondo

What you state is not unreasonable, yet once you "know" there is no longer a reason to believe. If you want to relate your knowledge to the existence of a God (whatever it may be, somebody define God, lol) believing in it takes a different turn. It turns into 'trust'. Big difference.

True Knowledge of 'God' is the oldest thing in existence, so you can hardly call it "a modern response to cultural changes".
This view is based on the acception of another belief, granting that Religions are the oldest form of description of a 'Higher Power'

You were born and you exist, regardless of any religious scripture.

Yes, belief can be 'trust' or 'confidence in' or 'commitment to'. If it is, it doesn't require a disjunction between it and knowledge. My point was that it's only people who don't 'know' there is a god, who substitute belief for knowledge. I do think that there is still a possible need for belief even if a person knows. I know Brett Favre exists, I believe he is the salvation for the Vikings.

Not sure that I understand your middle paragraph.

I don't concur with your last sentence. The unified existence of a continuing self is not evident to me. Regardless of the fact that something or someone is typing these words right now, there is no compelling reason in my mind to think it's the same person who typed something on this forum 8 years ago and it's definitely not the same person who would have commented on these topics 30 years ago.

ramonajim · #15 12-02-2010, 11:17 PM

Organized religion frightens me. Greatly. Too many experiences, personal and second hand, of "Christians" with no sincere connection that the precepts that their proclaimed savior sent them towards. Lots of potential bumper sticker type "God save me from followers" type quotes could go in here, but I'll abstain.

Is there a higher power? Yeah, I think there probably is. Do I know what/who he/she/it is/wants/does/requires? Nope. Not a clue. So agnostic/atheist probably doesn't fit.

Buddhist/Taoist/Woodist probably a lot closer than Christian, for me personally - but none of 'em really fit.

I guess the bottom line for me is that I believe that there is a central core of goodness in all humans, and that the future of our species depends on our ability to remove the cultural, religious, economic, and other constraints that prevent each of us, individually, from embracing, loving, and being the best human we can be.