Help me find a religion

[Treks]

Thirza ji, have you tried making a list of your values instead of your beliefs and seeing which religions teach morals which match your values? In my experience values don't tend to shift around as much as beliefs do, within a person or within a religion. Your beliefs can change in the passing of a day but your values are more essential to you.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Thirza ji, have you tried making a list of your values instead of your beliefs and seeing which religions teach morals which match your values? In my experience values don't tend to shift around as much as beliefs do, within a person or within a religion. Your beliefs can change in the passing of a day but your values are more essential to you.

Good idea. Thanks!

 

[Sand Dancer]

I'm always looking for new acolytes to worship me. You may call me mistress.

I am sure you are worshipable, but I will keep looking. :bow:

 

[Freelance_Policeman]

I prefer to think in the big scheme of things in regard to natural disasters--if there is an afterlife, death isn't really a tragedy. The real tragedies are the deaths of loved ones, torturous experiences, and all other varieties of severe pain and sorrow.

By the way, the idea that Jesus is/was God incarnate is found nowhere in the Christian bible. Even Paul denies that idea.

 

[HankHill]

This belief-o-matic thingie gives me a different religion every time I take the quiz.

Here is what I believe...I think:

I believe in a Creator God who is loving, but I can't understand how natural disasters that kill people could be done by a loving God. I want to blame it on an evil Satan-like spirit instead.

I don't know what I believe in regard to an incarnation of God.

I believe in a heaven, but not sure if I believe in a hell. There should be some sort of punishment, but I don't know whether I think it would be for those who don't believe in God or those who do evil acts.

I think we should try to live simply and help poor people and fight injustice.

I don't agree with wars and violence.

Help me out! I'm such a mess!

I wouldn't put too much stock into what those quizzes say, I'm a non-denominational Protestant Christian but alot of religious quizzes I've taken say I should be Mormon. But given what you've said, I'd read up on groups like the Christadelphians and the Seventh Day Adventists who have views on hell different from mainstream Christianity.

 

[MightyWarrior22]

I am not zoroastrian, but about natural disasters and God, I found this in a reformist zoroastrian site:

(...) earth quakes and volcanoes do cause consequences that are destructive and disastrous to human existence, in reality they are necessary to relieve the inner pressure of the Earth's crust. Without this relief of pressure, the Earth would explode.

In Mazdayasna God is totally good, thus all His creation is good and is functioning as it was designed. Evil is the product of man's wrongful choices and it is to be eliminated by good choices. Zarathushtra expresses this beautifully as "delivering wrong into the hands of righteousness." When mortals eliminate evil choices they become progressively more Whole (complete), eventually leading to immortality in the better existence (the House of Good Mind) and in the very presence of our Creator.

 

[skepticalseeker613]

You sound like a Liberal Quaker, Reformed Jew or a Mennonite, you have the theistic view of these three religious faiths,You have the uncertainty of a Messiah like Reformed Judaism, Your view of a god seems to fit quakers and your views on the poor fit quakerism and the mennonites, also like the mennonites you have a pacifist(non-violence view) on the world

 

[blakeg09]

Hello, Thirza. I think you're starting in the right place with your belief in a Creator God who is loving. If this is true, there must be an explanation for how evil/bad things can exist along with Him. However, don't allow your current inability to reconcile these two things be mistaken for proof that your first belief (loving creator) is false.

Our problem is that, from the very beginning, we rebelled against this loving God. We all do evil (any act against God's desires for us is the opposite of God, which is evil), and therefore deserve punishment. This is where the incarnation of God becomes necessary. We owe a debt that we cannot pay. The cross is Jesus paying this debt for us. True religion is found in recognizing that we have a debt and believing that Jesus paid it on our behalf. Without this, we have no hope of being reconciled to God, because our sin (evil) separates us relationally from God.

I pray that you will consider the incarnation as being the essential piece to knowing God and providing meaning to our existence.

bg

 

[Saffronknight]

You may try Hinduism

1. Natural Disasters are the mere cause of the actions of humans like industrialization, deforestation, hunting etc
Tsunamis, cyclones, soil erosion cause large scale devastation because we have wiped out the natural vegetation cover in the coastal areas and vulnerable land.
Hinduism says " The Supreme, all loving. is not responsible for calamities on humanity. Human's unjust action or bad karma are responsible"
There is no evil spirit or Satan.

2. Incarnation of God.
Hinduism believes in incarnations (Avatars)
Hinduism describes incarnations as "one Who Descends" and believes that The Supreme Soul descends to establish truth.
According to the Vedas, "The person who performs Yoga and meditates on The Supreme Soul with one complete dedication and concentration, unites with him and attains Supreme bliss" Then the person becomes an incarnation

3. Hinduism has the concept of Heaven which is like being getting liberated from the cycle of Birth and Death, and attaining "Moksha" or Supreme Bliss and uniting with The Supreme.
There is no concept of Hell as such, The cycle of Birth and Death is dependent on "Karma" or deeds of a person in previous life.
If his deeds are evil or he has committed "Adharma" (nonrighteousness) he will get his punishment in his next cycle of Life.
Adharma does not mean not believing God. In Hinduism you can be an Atheist, and do good Karma by helping the needy and fighting injustice

4. Hinduism relies on the principles of "Dharma" meaning The correct way to lead your Life.
Dharma does not mean religion, which most people misinterpret.
Doing right Dharma means
1. Helping the poor
2. Not hurting any Human or Animal or somebody unnecessarily.
3. Having patience, telling truth, and being Honest
4. Being well informed and unbiased before Judgment.
5. Standing by truth, fighting by Justice against Adharma- to the utmost extent by non violence and co- operation and after that by Force if needed
6. Teaching the inexperienced ( Newborn, Needy etc) the selfless Karma towards others
7. accepting the ideas and opinions of others through Unbiased Judgment
8. Not hurting a person's sentiment by saying foul words

 

[Sand Dancer]

I just saw these! Thanks for the replies! I think I might like going to a Quaker meeting, Skeptical! I think, though, there is only once meeting house in Orlando. I may try it.

 

[Satnaam]

This belief-o-matic thingie gives me a different religion every time I take the quiz.

Here is what I believe...I think:

I believe in a Creator God who is loving, but I can't understand how natural disasters that kill people could be done by a loving God. I want to blame it on an evil Satan-like spirit instead.

Sikhi has one Universal Creator God who loves everyone.

Disaster and calamities are equalisers, necessary for life to continue.

I don't know what I believe in regard to an incarnation of God.

God does not incarnate in Sikhi.

I believe in a heaven, but not sure if I believe in a hell. There should be some sort of punishment, but I don't know whether I think it would be for those who don't believe in God or those who do evil acts.

What about experiencing heaven or hell right here on earth?

I think we should try to live simply and help poor people and fight injustice.

I don't agree with wars and violence.

That is 100% Sikhi, these lines made me suggest you to search in Sikhi. We believe in working honestly, sharing with others what you got, looking after the poor and fight injustice. Ensuring that Justice is served is one of the key principles of Sikhi. Violence and wars are not allowed in Sikhi unless it is for a righteous cause (help someone or self-defence), we ought to respect all humanity regardless of gender, race, religion.

Help me out! I'm such a mess!

Best of luck on your journey.

 

[Satnaam]

The 'holy scripture' of Sikhi is Guru Granth Sahib Ji, here are some verses.

"Nanak will stand by the lowest of lowest, not with the elite. Societies that take care of the downtrodden have the blessing of God."
(M:1, page 15, SGGS)

"It is service to humanity that earns seat in God’s court."
(M:1, page 26, SGGS)

"Truth is higher than every thing but higher still is truthful living. Regard everyone high; do not look at anyone as low because the One, Whose light shines in all, creates all."

(M:1, page 62, SGGS)

"Truthful is the one who follows the truth and shows compassion for all living beings and practices charity."
(M:1, page 468, SGGS)

"One who works hard to make an honest living and shares with others has found the righteous path."

(M:1, page 1245, SGGS)

 

[Sand Dancer]

That is 100% Sikhi, these lines made me suggest you to search in Sikhi. We believe in working honestly, sharing with others what you got, looking after the poor and fight injustice. Ensuring that Justice is served is one of the key principles of Sikhi. Violence and wars are not allowed in Sikhi unless it is for a righteous cause (help someone or self-defence), we ought to respect all humanity regardless of gender, race, religion.



Best of luck on your journey.

I was thinking of that too, but do they believe in reincarnation? That perplexes me. I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it.

 

[Satnaam]

Yes, there is a belief of transmigration. What exactly about it perplexes you?

 

[Sand Dancer]

Just thinking about "recycling" souls. Maybe I just don't understand enough about it.

 

[Satnaam]

Do you know that the feeling of 'existing' is just a 20 watt energy in your mind. And we know from science that energy doesn't cease to exist, so what happens after death?

Anyways coming back to reincarnation it is indeed a fully different approach than seen in Abrahamic religions, so might take some time to grasp.

 

[nash8]

Why not just take the parts you believe from each religion and make your own belief system? That's what I do, and it works out great for me. I can literally say I am, and I am not a follower of any particular religion as it suits my needs, and not be untruthful either lol.

And that's not neccesarily true of the Abrahamic religions, many sects of Jewsish thought (including the Pharisees and the Essenes) believed in reincarnation much as it is portrayed in Buddhist and Hindu beliefs.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Do you know that the feeling of 'existing' is just a 20 watt energy in your mind. And we know from science that energy doesn't cease to exist, so what happens after death?

Anyways coming back to reincarnation it is indeed a fully different approach than seen in Abrahamic religions, so might take some time to grasp.

Yes, I think so. Thanks!

 

[Sand Dancer]

Why not just take the parts you believe from each religion and make your own belief system? That's what I do, and it works out great for me. I can literally say I am, and I am not a follower of any particular religion as it suits my needs, and not be untruthful either lol.

And that's not neccesarily true of the Abrahamic religions, many sects of Jewsish thought (including the Pharisees and the Essenes) believed in reincarnation much as it is portrayed in Buddhist and Hindu beliefs.

I think I will be doing that. Thanks!

 

[Breathe]

Have you looked into:

Quakerism
Unitarianism (not exactly UUism)
Islam
Reform Judaism


?