Do you have a religion? Introduce me to it!

[Breathe]

I understand what these guys are trying to say. If I were to tell you what I believe, and how I came to believe it, it would be a 500 page essay that might be my autobiography, but would be incredible boring to you. Belief is an intricate complex process of mind, soul, emotions, and more.

For many religious folk, especially those who think for themselves, and don't just follow some dogma blindly because they can't think for themselves. it is indeed very long and convoluted.

:namaste
Well said.

 

[Me Myself]

I understand what these guys are trying to say. If I were to tell you what I believe, and how I came to believe it, it would be a 500 page essay that might be my autobiography, but would be incredible boring to you. Belief is an intricate complex process of mind, soul, emotions, and more.

For many religious folk, especially those who think for themselves, and don't just follow some dogma blindly because they can't think for themselves. it is indeed very long and convoluted.

exactly

 

[Sir Doom]

Currently, the range is somewhere between omnipotence and nothing. I'm still working through the data.

 

[F0uad]

There are Dir Sections where you can ask each religion questions and find more information regarding different religions.

(just saying...)

 

[confused453]

Try explaining blue to someone who was born blind. Is not that you cannot see blue, is that you just don´t know how to explain it.

We can't see infra-red, ultra violet, x-rays, gamma rays, yet we still can explain those.
My religion (not sure if it counts as one) is that every thing in the universe can be perfectly explained. We just need to keep learning, even if it takes 13 billion years more.

 

[kerravon]

Hello!

For anyone who's theistic, I'd like to hear what you believe in, and why. This meaning that I'm curious about what your theistic views are that you believe, and for what reasons you believe in them. I'd prefer you don't link me a Google or Wikipedia page if you can avoid it. I'd like to get personal accounts.

Well, I followed a path of strict science and atheism, and then attempted to identify my enemy, as an attempt to fix the world. Whether it is Australian rapists or the men of 9/11, or Josef Stalin, I wanted to categorize them.

It took years/decades to do this. I finally had the words to describe my enemy on Sept 11, 2004 in comment number 666 of a blog post on an Iraqi blog.

If that wasn't a surprising "coincidence" enough, my atheism was completely and utterly smashed when I started receiving "telepathic communication".

I'm a computer programmer, and I "recognized" that the telepathic communication was something that fitted a "computer simulation" model of the universe. ie if God (ie any old computer programmer) ran a computer game (e.g. a more elaborate version of Pacman), and gave the creatures in the "game" artificial intelligence.

I'm not saying that the universe is exactly like computers we know today, but it fits that model. I believe an intelligent entity exists in the dimension above us, and that perhaps the "Laws of Physics" in the level above us are more conducive to constructing universes. It is also possible that the level above us is in the same boat as us, not knowing how they were created, but they simply have the computer technology that we will presumably have in 100/1000/1,000,000 years from now (a very short time in the history of the universe).

I do believe that the guy above us is benevolent, and that when we die we can choose a new computer simulation of our choice. It's up to you what you actually want. Alternatively, this universe may actually already be 1,000,000 years into the future, and we've already got the required technology, and we've already developed a spaceship to take us to the next planet, and we're running this computer simulation to pass the time on the way (I believe we can have silicon replacements for everything with advanced enough technology, allowing much greater flexibility).

I believe that this universe is probably one of many, and they're all "puzzles" to be solved. The puzzle is to bring freedom to the whole world, without triggering nuclear annihilation.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

I take a more deist view. I find theism to be rather arrogant. To think that someone as powerful and omnipotent as a Universe creator would consider us important enough to pay attention to, especially at the level that most theists think he does, is probably the ultimate form of arrogance. If there is a creator and if he is aware of us, I would imagine it is like us being aware of the fact that there are bacteria existing in our bodies. Just my thoughts you understand.

 

[Me Myself]

We can't see infra-red, ultra violet, x-rays, gamma rays, yet we still can explain those.
My religion (not sure if it counts as one) is that every thing in the universe can be perfectly explained. We just need to keep learning, even if it takes 13 billion years more.

But how can you explan a blind person from birth how does blue look like?

 

[Twig pentagram]

I don't have beliefs I have thoughts, and I think the Omniverse created
itself. I guess that puts me in the pantheist / pandeist category.

 

[BruceDLimber]

I'm a Baha'i.

The Baha'i Faith began a bit over a century and a half ago; its primary focus is on what we call the "Three Onenesses:

• the Oneness of God (Who is known by many different names in the various languages and cultures),
• the oneness of humanity (who are all spiritual brothers and sisters), and
• the oneness of religion (all the great faiths being legitimate, God-sent, and part of an ever-evolving, ongoing process of revelation).

More information is available at:

• http://www/bahai.org
• http://www.reference.bahai.org

Best!

Bruce

 

[Jacksnyte]

Hello!

For anyone who's theistic, I'd like to hear what you believe in, and why. This meaning that I'm curious about what your theistic views are that you believe, and for what reasons you believe in them. I'd prefer you don't link me a Google or Wikipedia page if you can avoid it. I'd like to get personal accounts.

As I'll most likely have questions and I'm opening this to all religions, I've posted this in the "Debate" forum.

The presence of something that changes the way you think and makes some fundamentalists pretend that some basic things in our reality don't exist when they clearly do intrigues me. I'd like to know how you've come to this process and way of thinking. It must be something life-changing and powerful for you to have such strong feelings, regard, and firmness in what you know. So, I welcome you to share it with me.

Thanks in advance!

I would suggest you ask specific questions. A complete faith-system usually cannot be simply summed up in a quick soundbite.

 

[Leyora]

I would suggest you ask specific questions. A complete faith-system usually cannot be simply summed up in a quick soundbite.

I understand what these guys are trying to say. If I were to tell you what I believe, and how I came to believe it, it would be a 500 page essay that might be my autobiography, but would be incredible boring to you. Belief is an intricate complex process of mind, soul, emotions, and more.

For many religious folk, especially those who think for themselves, and don't just follow some dogma blindly because they can't think for themselves. it is indeed very long and convoluted.

I'm not asking for the entire spectrum. Like Odion did you can link articles or site sources for the more detailed pieces. I'm asking for the short version, the summary. Even if I don't understand the response 100%, I can at least get a brief idea.

But how can you explan a blind person from birth how does blue look like?

You can only go as far as explaining a description. It's a color. That's it. They've never seen a color but you can explain to them that different objects have different colors to them, just like the sounds they hear have different pitches. See! I just explained it.

Also, using the example, "This is like explaining to a blind person colors" is in err. This is the equivalent as telling me that I'm missing a sense that you posses and I don't have. (Me being the "blind" and you being able to "see.") Which is not true. If it's something you gained then I can very gain it as well and experience it... So it's not a perfect example. It's a good way to say "I don't really know how to put it into words" I guess.

There are Dir Sections where you can ask each religion questions and find more information regarding different religions.

(just saying...)

Just sayin' I'm already aware of a good percent of the religions in the categories and that's not what I'm looking for. I'm not looking to ask what a Christian believes in, for example, because I already have a good idea. Also, I'm not posting the same topic in every single forum, that would be redundant. (And personally to me, rather spammy.) While I do have the ability to post multiple topics asking the same thing at once, it would be a terrible idea, because it IS a terrible idea.

I also said I'd be asking a lot of questions and I'm sure that would turn into a type of "debate" eventually when we don't agree long the lines, so this would be the perfect forum for it.

As answered above, I do believe the Divine is Conscious. I suppose "Super-Consciousness" sounds kind of, well, right.

I won't ask you in depth on how you received this knowledge since you said the crucial parts are too personal for you to discuss here or at all, so asking you not only how to do you know all of this, and how everything can be "God" and have a consciousness at the same time, would be pointless.

Though, I ask those who have a similar answer to feel free to explain.

You have to explain these things to me as if I have no idea what you're talking about, because honestly, I don't. I never got the memo that told me "everything is God" -- As when I see everything, I see it for what it is, itself. Now if a god existed I could picture everything being a part of "God" in a sense, but the way you're describing "everything" and "God" makes very little sense.

I'm a Baha'i.

The Baha'i Faith began a bit over a century and a half ago; its primary focus is on what we call the "Three Onenesses:
the Oneness of God (Who is known by many different names in the various languages and cultures),
the oneness of humanity (who are all spiritual brothers and sisters), and
the oneness of religion (all the great faiths being legitimate, God-sent, and part of an ever-evolving, ongoing process of revelation).
More information is available at:
(URLs removed due to my post limitation.)
Best!

Bruce

Thanks Bruce, you forgot to answer the "why" you believe in this faith. It's a very easy and automatic reply for most people to be able to tell what their faith is and what they believe in, but not many people are faced with the question of "why."

If that wasn't a surprising "coincidence" enough, my atheism was completely and utterly smashed when I started receiving "telepathic communication".

Voices, feelings, or just instant knowledge? Also, do you know where this telepathic communication is coming from? The "entity" from "above"?

What a unique twist on such a close answer...

I take a more deist view. I find theism to be rather arrogant. To think that someone as powerful and omnipotent as a Universe creator would consider us important enough to pay attention to, especially at the level that most theists think he does, is probably the ultimate form of arrogance. If there is a creator and if he is aware of us, I would imagine it is like us being aware of the fact that there are bacteria existing in our bodies. Just my thoughts you understand.

I can completely identify and understand that explanation. Though, my personal view is if there was such a deity that once existed to create this realm, they'd be powerful enough and intelligent enough to find a way TO care and recognize it's creation at the same time. If bacteria was sentient and I could modify it via will or talk to it, I'm sure I'd be curious enough to do so. That would be rather impressive, in fact!

Currently, the range is somewhere between omnipotence and nothing. I'm still working through the data.

Depends on your definition of self-awareness. A subject line in your memory buffer could be considered "self-aware" until it's not longer in memory. The memory, constantly being verified, would be the "awareness" part, as it has to check for it still being in memory. Though, that's as far as the limits would suggest as a computer isn't exactly sentient.

By the way I want to say that I'm impressed with some of the religious "choices" (for a lack of a better word at the moment) from most of you who have replied. And yes, it's a compliment.

 

[Vadergirl123]

I believe there's only one God, that created everything very good, and then sin entered the world by the choice of a man named Adam and we became destined for hell. Some thousand years later God sent his son Jesus to save us from a destiny of hell, and instead provide a relationship with God, by dying on the cross. And I believe this because I believe what the Bible says.

 

[Leyora]

I believe there's only one God, that created everything very good, and then sin entered the world by the choice of a man named Adam and we became destined for hell. Some thousand years later God sent his son Jesus to save us from a destiny of hell, and instead provide a relationship with God, by dying on the cross. And I believe this because I believe what the Bible says.

You believe these things because a book told you? There are tons of books that tell many things, some factual stories and some fictional. You must lead an interesting life if your entire choices come from books.

While books are an excellent resource, I wouldn't 100% trust that they're true automatically.

What is this sin you talk of? Is it tangible? Is it metaphoric? Why would such a God allow such an entity called sin to exist? Why am I, (as listed in your "we") destined for a place called Hell? Where is Hell?

Why not just abolish sin instead of sending his son to die on a cross?

I've never experienced these things, could you elaborate more? Also, what other books have you read, by chance? I cringe to try to assess what conflicting things you believe in if you trust the word of every book you read.

 

[confused453]

But how can you explan a blind person from birth how does blue look like?

The same way you explain to yourself how infra-red looks like, because you are blind to it (unless you're not..), but it doesn't mean it's not there (heat, remote controller). You put yourself in that person's position and try to find the right way to to make him/her understand. You could talk about electromagnetic spectrum, wave lengths, radio, light sources, how light can be generated.

My guess is that the easiest way would be to compare the blue to some noise, or smell. Then you'd say that we actually feel certain infra-red light as heat, but other parts of light as vision (just another sense), and even shine it. It's like telepathy or psychokinesis, where we have a good idea what it is, but never experienced it. He won't know the true feeling, but at least he'll have a good idea that makes sense, until bio implants are available

PS. btw, click on the word see, in my previous post...

 

[Rocky S]

Hello!

For anyone who's theistic, I'd like to hear what you believe in, and why. This meaning that I'm curious about what your theistic views are that you believe, and for what reasons you believe in them. I'd prefer you don't link me a Google or Wikipedia page if you can avoid it. I'd like to get personal accounts.

As I'll most likely have questions and I'm opening this to all religions, I've posted this in the "Debate" forum.

The presence of something that changes the way you think and makes some fundamentalists pretend that some basic things in our reality don't exist when they clearly do intrigues me. I'd like to know how you've come to this process and way of thinking. It must be something life-changing and powerful for you to have such strong feelings, regard, and firmness in what you know. So, I welcome you to share it with me.

Thanks in advance!

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker ofheaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I acknowledge one lord one faith one baptism.I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
And more specific statements of faith:
• The Bible is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative written Word of God.
(Ps. 119; Mat. 4:4; Lk. 24:27)
• There is one God, eternally co-existent in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (I Jn.5:7)
• In the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His Virgin Birth, in His Sinless Life, in His Miracles, in His Vicarious and atoning Death, in His Bodily Resurrection, in His Ascension to the Right Hand of the Father, in His personal future return to this Earth in Power and Glory to rule a thousand years.
(Jn.1:1-4;Eph.2:13-18;Rev.Chpts.19-20)
• In the Blessed Hope--the Rapture of the Church at Christ's Coming.(I Thess.4:13-18)
• The only means of being cleansed from sin is through Repentance and Faith in the Precious Blood of Christ. (Rom.5:1;Eph.2:8-9,13-18)
• Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal Salvation.(Jn.3:5-8;Titus 3:5)
• The Redemptive Work of Christ on the Cross provides healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer. (Ex.15:25-26;James 5:14-15;I Pet.2:24)

• The Baptism with the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is given to Believers who ask for it.
(Acts 2:4;10:44-46;19:1-7)
• In the Sanctifying Power of the Holy Spirit by Whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy life. (Rom.6:3-14;8:1-2,11)
• In the Resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the one to Everlasting Life and the other to everlasting damnation. (Rev.20:5-6,11-15)


I would be interested in answearing any questins or spacific question you may have:

God bless...

 

[Leyora]

The same way you explain to yourself how infra-red looks like, because you are blind to it (unless you're not..)...


...until bio implants are available

So basically, Geordi La Forge completely understands both. He's both blind AND can see infrared.

 

[Riverwolf]

Hello!

For anyone who's theistic, I'd like to hear what you believe in, and why. This meaning that I'm curious about what your theistic views are that you believe, and for what reasons you believe in them. I'd prefer you don't link me a Google or Wikipedia page if you can avoid it. I'd like to get personal accounts.

As I'll most likely have questions and I'm opening this to all religions, I've posted this in the "Debate" forum.

The presence of something that changes the way you think and makes some fundamentalists pretend that some basic things in our reality don't exist when they clearly do intrigues me. I'd like to know how you've come to this process and way of thinking. It must be something life-changing and powerful for you to have such strong feelings, regard, and firmness in what you know. So, I welcome you to share it with me.

Thanks in advance!

Okies, I'll do my best.

I'm a theist (specifically polytheist) simply because that's how my mind is wired right now. I came to this conclusion a few years ago when I observed my behavior throughout my life; ever since I can remember, I was deifying things left and right. Even during my early teenage years, I had constructed my own religion, and believed it strongly, based on a combination of elements from favorite video games and childhood movies. (For example as to just how wacky it was, I believed VERY strongly that Earth was created by a Goddess made of water from the planet Neptune, whose design was loosely based on Chaos from Sonic Adventure, singing the ending theme song from The Land Before Time. No, I am not kidding, and no, I don't believe that anymore.) Even as those beliefs faded away, elements of it remained, such as the belief in Gaia, and the Goddess of the Moon.

Therefore, based on this behavior, it would take a lot of rewiring of my brain to completely become atheistic, having no deifications of any kind, so I don't bother doing so. If I ever become an atheist, it will be through a natural progression.

As it stands, I believe in strict scrutiny and brutal honesty. For example, I've concluded that, despite my theism, there is no empirical evidence for any sort of God or Gods, so my belief is out of desire, not logic. However, I have also determined that, based on the world that I can see, it is extremely unlikely that any of the Gods are both omnibenevolent and omnipotent. I have also prayed a few times, and only sometimes got what I wanted. Therefore, I have no way of determining whether prayer actually works, and it's likely that it doesn't, at least not for average Joes like me.

However, I also believe that Gods can serve as ideals and directions to grow towards. After all, I believe that most Gods were once humans who became deified.

Well, that's my current thought process on my own theism, greatly simplified. Anything else you want to know?

 

[Leyora]

I'm going to quote you without the annoyingly bright red color, if you don't mind. Not because I find the color red to be annoying, but because I find sifting through the post annoying with the 100's of redundant BB code that was poorly and automatically inserted to your post, of no fault of your own. =P

• The Bible is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative written Word of God.
(Ps. 119; Mat. 4:4; Lk. 24:27)

I'm sorry which bible? I'm assuming you're talking about the "Holy Book (of Christianity)."

That book was not written by any god, it was written by humans. If it's the "Word of God" then god would have wrote it "Himself" and it would not be "inspired." Inspiration is different than "direct word." Being inspired to write something is different than being instructed to write something.

Also, that book has been proven to be erroneous in a number of ways, so I'm wondering why you would describe it as infallible.

• There is one God, eternally co-existent in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (I Jn.5:7)
• In the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His Virgin Birth, in His Sinless Life, in His Miracles, in His Vicarious and atoning Death, in His Bodily Resurrection, in His Ascension to the Right Hand of the Father, in His personal future return to this Earth in Power and Glory to rule a thousand years.
(Jn.1:1-4;Eph.2:13-18;Rev.Chpts.19-20)
• In the Blessed Hope--the Rapture of the Church at Christ's Coming.(I Thess.4:13-18)
• The only means of being cleansed from sin is through Repentance and Faith in the Precious Blood of Christ. (Rom.5:1;Eph.2:8-9,13-18)
• Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal Salvation.(Jn.3:5-8;Titus 3:5)
• The Redemptive Work of Christ on the Cross provides healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer. (Ex.15:25-26;James 5:14-15;I Pet.2:24)

• The Baptism with the Holy Spirit, according to Acts 2:4, is given to Believers who ask for it.
(Acts 2:4;10:44-46;19:1-7)
• In the Sanctifying Power of the Holy Spirit by Whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a holy life. (Rom.6:3-14;8:1-2,11)
• In the Resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the one to Everlasting Life and the other to everlasting damnation. (Rev.20:5-6,11-15)

And you believe all these things because this book told you they were true?

This is why I keep asking for a "why" part to my question. You believe in this book and the quotes you've provided... Why?

I would be interesting in answearing any questins or spacific question you may have:

God bless...

Explaining why you believe in the aspects of Christianity and the content written within it's "holy book" would be helpful. Are you in agreement with Vadergirl123, in that you believe that this book is true because you read it in the book? My same question I asked her also applies to you as well... Do you often trust everything you read in books and accept them as fact?

 

[Leyora]

Okies, I'll do my best.

I'm a theist (specifically polytheist) simply because that's how my mind is wired right now...

...despite my theism, there is no empirical evidence for any sort of God or Gods, so my belief is out of desire, not logic. However, I have also determined that, based on the world that I can see, it is extremely unlikely that any of the Gods are both omnibenevolent and omnipotent. I have also prayed a few times, and only sometimes got what I wanted. Therefore, I have no way of determining whether prayer actually works, and it's likely that it doesn't, at least not for average Joes like me.

I'm sorry, I think I missed something. You DO believe in an entity that could be described as a "god" or "God" -- Yet you haven't found evidence for this. Thus, it's just a hopeful wish? A desire?

So... you believe there is a "god" because you hope there is? Or do you NOT believe in a "god" but hope there is?

Thank you for answering my question by the way! Probably one of the few posts that actually knew outright what their answer was and attempted to explain and why. (Despite your conflict of believing in gods that you claim are unverifiable.)

(Also, I apologize for the double posts. Depending on how posts are answered and replied to I might end up posting separately instead of editing the post. If a moderator wishes for me to still edit in my posts together at all times, I'll do that... and I currently try to do just that. I'm not attempting to bump my post, etc.)