What is your hope?

[Amechania]

I found it was easier to believe in something than to drive myself crazy trying to explain nothing.

Interesting. Maybe it is easier to believe in something, anything, than to try to come up with our own answers. Would you say that your belief brings you peace of mind, and was that what you were seeking?

 

[Amechania]

I got my beliefs from lying on my back in soft grass on a warm summer night, watching the stars and listening to the wind as it blew through the trees and bushes. The reason I believe what I do is that the Universe is amazing, and that there is no evidence for anything supernatural.

I know that when I die, my body will provide nutrition for plants and microorganisms and I find that more beautiful than eternal life in heaven.

I think that's a lovely sentiment. Noble, even. Would you say that your feeling of awe about the natural world satisfies your sense of wonder?

 

[Amechania]

This sums up belief. How I apply that belief seems to be leading towards something like amor fati, or perhaps peace, or perhaps entertainment. Meh.

Amor fati, peace, and meh all in the same paragraph. Now that's entertainment!

 

[Amechania]

I don't believe anything for personal gain, but because as Westy said, I find it more accurate.

I do believe your op is vaguely insulting in the insinuation that people's religious beliefs are based on promised rewards.

I'm sorry you feel insulted, if only vaguely. it was certainly not my intention. My own beliefs are not yet fully formed, but they are forming as they are because of my strong desire to become a better person. I would consider that a reward that I promise to myself, and of course many religions promise similar rewards. I hadn't considered that someone might hold to a belief simply for it's own sake. Thank you for clearing that up for me.

 

[mycorrhiza]

Would you say that your feeling of awe about the natural world satisfies your sense of wonder?

Definitely! What is more wonderful than the Universe? We know so little about it, and many of the things we already know about it are stunning.

 

[BSM1]

Interesting. Maybe it is easier to believe in something, anything, than to try to come up with our own answers. Would you say that your belief brings you peace of mind, and was that what you were seeking?

Absolutely. I have no fear of dying, even if I am totally full of mud spiritually. And I really wasn't sure what I was looking for until I realized I already had it. Btw it's still an ongoing learning experience.

 

[SteveGrayFTW]

Regardless of your religion, what are your personal reasons for believing what you do? I'm not asking for a detailed lesson in theology or philosophy, just a candid explanation of what you believe is the primary reason, on a personal level, that you adhere to a specific religious belief? For example, a Christian or Moslem might say something like "I want to live forever in paradise." Or a Buddhist might say something like "I seek enlightenment." If you care to elaborate so much the better. Anyone of any faith is invited to participate -- agnostics and atheists too, if you can think of any direct personal benefit for your POV.

I believe what I do because of the awe I feel when I think about the world around me, and the universe as a whole.

I also believe that despite everything the humanity has learned and accomplished, we will still seek to know more, and that fact that we are able to do that tells me that we are the product of something wonderful and awesome.

I don't know what that "wonderful and awesome" thing is, but I do believe it is out there.

EDIT-I realize that doesn't necessarily answer the question though...so I'll try again. My personal benefit from all of this is peace, and comfort.

 

[AdityaMookerjee]

Regardless of your religion, what are your personal reasons for believing what you do? I'm not asking for a detailed lesson in theology or philosophy, just a candid explanation of what you believe is the primary reason, on a personal level, that you adhere to a specific religious belief? For example, a Christian or Moslem might say something like "I want to live forever in paradise." Or a Buddhist might say something like "I seek enlightenment." If you care to elaborate so much the better. Anyone of any faith is invited to participate -- agnostics and atheists too, if you can think of any direct personal benefit for your POV.

You asked about hope. There is no hope because we hope. Hope exists not because there is reason to. We hope, not for good, or bad. Perhaps, there is no reason for your belief, and you cannot bear to accept it. I can understand completely, because my issue with my perception is not this. I could also be erroneous about your belief, if you believe in religion.

 

[apophenia]

I don't believe stuff, but my spiritual goal, for want of a better word, is to die without regret.

With that in mind, my practice is to weed out the self-deceptions, or failures of will to act according to my principles, which could cause anxiety and regret when that time comes. I would like my death to be an experience which is comforting and peaceful for those I love, as well as myself.

 

[NIX]

I 'believe' as I do, for pragmatic reasons. My hope is to live the fulfilment of a richly abundant and sucessful life (by/on my own terms and standards) bestowing upon my heirs a richly abundant inheritance (as a blessing of life overflowing).

 

[Gui10]

Because I live for a fair humanity and fairness for all living things and I think we can only attain it by knowing what I consider to be the truth. I think religions, or at least Judaism, Christianity and Islam, are the cause of the regression towards universal fairness.

You can replace the word ''fairness'' by ''proportional equality''. You get the point.

 

[AdityaMookerjee]

I don't believe stuff, but my spiritual goal, for want of a better word, is to die without regret.

With that in mind, my practice is to weed out the self-deceptions, or failures of will to act according to my principles, which could cause anxiety and regret when that time comes. I would like my death to be an experience which is comforting and peaceful for those I love, as well as myself.

You know, people might say you are a Saint, because it doesn't seem that what you want is not already happening.

 

[apophenia]

You know, people might say you are a Saint, because it doesn't seem that what you want is not already happening.

If I was a saint, in your terms, then it would be "already happening". I have learned enough life lessons to realise that that is what is important to me, but I have certainly not yet reached that state of peace and acceptance, freedom from self-doubt, and regret. I hope to be in such a state of peace when I die, at least able to accept my flaws and failures, and depart this life gracefully in a way that will be an encouragement to my grandchildren to live with a feeling of love and dignity, acceptance of humanity and fearlessness in the face of their mortality.

A sufi proverb I took to heart is "Premature emancipation is the child of conceit".

So, I want to be able to die without regret, and be free of self-deceptions and failures of will, but I'm not there yet. I may or may not arrive at such a state in my life, but the thread title is "What is your hope ?", and what I said is my answer to that question.

 

[loveistheweapon]

I'm a Unitarian Universalist. I believe this religion is the best for me because of it's focus on the worth of all being, and the interdependence all beings have with one another. This is what first drew me to the religion.

Recently, I have also come love this religion because of the emphasis on the wonder, mystery and spirituality inherent in science. The fact that everything in the universe in made of the same matter, the we are made from stardust is so completely beautiful to me.

We are everything in the Universe that has been and will ever be, we are all connected through the Universe. This again goes back to interdependence, and I find the allowance for that in my religon to be amazingly beautiful, relevant, and infinite.

 

[Amechania]

I'm a Unitarian Universalist. I believe this religion is the best for me because of it's focus on the worth of all being, and the interdependence all beings have with one another....We are everything in the Universe that has been and will ever be, we are all connected through the Universe. This again goes back to interdependence, and I find the allowance for that in my religon to be amazingly beautiful, relevant, and infinite.

How long have you been a Unitarian? Do you feel the tenets of your faith are enabling you to develope a closer sense of interconnectedness in your daily life? Is that something you seek?

 

[dgirl1986]

I got my beliefs from lying on my back in soft grass on a warm summer night, watching the stars and listening to the wind as it blew through the trees and bushes. The reason I believe what I do is that the Universe is amazing, and that there is no evidence for anything supernatural.

I know that when I die, my body will provide nutrition for plants and microorganisms and I find that more beautiful than eternal life in heaven.

I love this.

 

[Reptillian]

I believe what I do because I think that deep down we all want answers to the questions, "Why am I here?", "Why do I exist?", "What's my place in the world?" and I think that the best way to possibly answer those questions is to first admit that I don't already have the answers. All wisdom begins with the phrase "I don't know".

 

[Konjim]

I friends i am Hindu and my personal point of views is that God is every where , every Things is created by a God and god give us direction for work and we do ,

all above is my personal believe any suggestion beyond most well come

 

[lunakilo]

Regardless of your religion, what are your personal reasons for believing what you do? I'm not asking for a detailed lesson in theology or philosophy, just a candid explanation of what you believe is the primary reason, on a personal level, that you adhere to a specific religious belief? For example, a Christian or Moslem might say something like "I want to live forever in paradise." Or a Buddhist might say something like "I seek enlightenment." If you care to elaborate so much the better. Anyone of any faith is invited to participate -- agnostics and atheists too, if you can think of any direct personal benefit for your POV.

Hmmm, it sounds like you asked the question backwards.

"I want to live forever in paradise." sounds more like something you want because you believe in paradise, you don't believe in paradise because you want to live forever do you?

I am not religious, so the only direct personal benefit I can think of is that I have convienced my selv look at the world the way I believ it to be an not the way I wish it to be, and it feels good believing that I am not lying to myself

But I don't believe what I believe to make myself feel good, I believe what I believe because that is what makes sense to me.

I don't see any point in trying to convience myself that I will live forever when it makes no sense to me to believe that.
It makes more sense to me to deal with the fact (I see that as a fact) that I will in fact not live forever.
This means that I will one day leave this world to my children and the generations to come.
This again means that taking care of this world we live in so that it will be around for the coming generations.

Having to deal with problems like pollution, climate change, overpopulation, people starving,... may not be as rosy as ignoring all the problems because they will go away anyway when the world ends and all the good people go to heaven to live an eternal life (or whatever some people believe), but it does sound more realistic and better in the long run in my opinion.

 

[Revoltingest]

I believe what I do because I think that deep down we all want answers to the questions, "Why am I here?", "Why do I exist?", "What's my place in the world?" and I think that the best way to possibly answer those questions is to first admit that I don't already have the answers. All wisdom begins with the phrase "I don't know".

The helpful companion of "I don't know" is "I don't care".
(Desire to know leads many to the dark side, ie, faith in myth.)


My hope:
Survive the crash & become rich again.