Your Religion

[ChieftheCef]

Tell me about your religion.

Not facts about the religious label you use, but what you personally believe and practice. Suppose I know nothing, and explain who or what things are that you mention.

If you have no religion, tell me about ways in which you are reverent to whatever it is you hold dear.

If you're reverent towards nothing, tell me a knock-knock joke.

I'll tell you the joke anyway. Me can(t) burn weed anymo.

Anyway. I hold our great benefactors, such as the sun, space-time, Earth, the planets, the moons, mother nebula etc, in high regard. I'm not the most devout in my worship of them, but I calculate, discover and guess educatedly what they are instead and their interplay. I have a small shrine dedicated to some of these scientific gods. I engage in my purpose to please them and their supreme progenitor, nothingness, space-time. I believe I may interact with these beings but I do not know that for a fact. I believe space-time is also consciousness as it has every other trait of god. I also believe the religions discuss this poorly and are subject to biases and other mental ills that we would not be today, such as the fallacy that fun is not required for life, with Science.

 

[ChieftheCef]

I'll tell you the joke anyway. Me can(t) burn weed anymo.

Anyway. I hold our great benefactors, such as the sun, space-time, Earth, the planets, the moons, mother nebula etc, in high regard. I'm not the most devout in my worship of them, but I calculate, discover and guess educatedly what they are instead and their interplay. I have a small shrine dedicated to some of these scientific gods. I engage in my purpose to please them and their supreme progenitor, nothingness, space-time. I believe I may interact with these beings but I do not know that for a fact. I believe space-time is also consciousness as it has every other trait of god. I also believe the religions discuss this poorly and are subject to biases and other mental ills that we would not be today, such as the fallacy that fun is not required for life, with Science.

Sorry, Staff etc if that joke is not allowed. I thought it was extremely hilarious and ultimately cool to post.

 

[ChieftheCef]

As some sort of claimed zennist I have found my (limited) reading of stoicism to resonate considerably.

It's all one path.

 

[Tamino]

To summarize it all: Don't fall for your own bull****. That is an utterly impossible task, but you keep getting better at it, and the attempt itself is worth the effort.

That is excellent advice and nicely summarized. I never managed to find such clear words to express the same sentiment.

I have a little voice that lives in my head that preaches the very same: "Are you sure that this isn't all just bull****? Like, really, really sure? Because maybe you're really just making this up as an excuse. And you know you can't trust your brain to give you any unfiltered, ojective data about reality..."

So that keeps me second-guessing myself. One could say that I believe in my gods, but I don't quite believe in myself being right about that belief. Luckily, my goddess couldn't care less if I belive or not, as long as I manage to be a halfway decent human being and bring her flowers now and again.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Sorry, but I'm actually amused by the "won't scoff but would question" response.

In my experience, it's the claim of universal truth that brings scoffing, not experiences themselves. I and others have shared experiences here with minimal scoffing. I can't recall the last time someone scoffed at mine.

@Tamino even places a qualifier in his post stating that he is not claiming universal truth. Then you come along and make a claim of universal truth.

You would do well to consider precisely what sorts of behaviors solicit scoffing.

Oh grief! One can be respectful in asking sincere questions; that is not scoffing.

(You believe otherwise?)

And yes, in the past on RF I’ve noticed some scoffing replies regarding spirit contact others have had.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

In my experience, it's the claim of universal truth that brings scoffing…

Yes, in my experience too. And I have personally experienced it.

As I mentioned to you a couple days ago, though: I believe there is one Creator as the source of all things…. Why would it be a stretch to think that He is the source of all truth, too? A universal truth?

Not that any human group would know all of it, but that He would make sure a group having His approval would know some of it with some accuracy?

I don’t think that’s such a farfetched idea at all.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Haven't posted this in a while:

Don'tworrybehappyism

Here's how this works; A). Don't worry... B). And you will be happy Some of the core precepts of DWBHism; Things are never as bad as you think, so stop thinking. There are only two teachers in life; pain and humility (and all pain teaches you is humility). You are already happy...

www.religiousforums.com

I just read the whole thing.

You are sooo laidback & cool, Quagmire!

If what I believe is accurate, you are gonna love the future that is coming, my cousin/friend!

Most people will, I think.

 

[SalixIncendium]

Oh grief! One can be respectful in asking sincere questions; that is not scoffing.

Show me the "sincere questions" in your post to @Tamino.

Is suggesting someone "question identities" of entities one experiences the same thing to you as "be[ing] respectful in asking sincere questions"? Or is it superimposing your beliefs onto someone?

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Show me the "sincere questions" in your post to @Tamino.

Is suggesting someone "question identities" of entities one experiences the same thing to you as "be[ing] respectful in asking sincere questions"? Or is it superimposing your beliefs onto someone?

I haven’t even stated what my beliefs are, for one thing. So I’m not superimposing anything, am I?

For another, I’m not questioning whether @Tamino is genuinely experiencing these occurrences… I sincerely believe he is.

So no, it’s not scoffing.

You’re making assumptions; I thought you ‘made it a point’ to not do that?

You seem to have a problem with me.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

Show me the "sincere questions" in your post to @Tamino.

Please, you show me.

I haven’t really asked any kind of questions yet.

(Except in my first post to @Tamino, which he honestly and graciously answered.)

 

[Tamino]

I haven’t even stated what my beliefs are, for one thing. So I’m not superimposing anything, am I?

For another, I’m not questioning whether @Tamino is genuinely experiencing these occurrences… I sincerely believe he is.

So no, it’s not scoffing.

No, I would agree with you - it's not scoffing.
But I also agree with @SalixIncendium - your "honest question" feels like it is asked with a certain purpose. Perhaps we're just extrapolating from prior experiences. Because it usually goes like this:
- the Christian person hears of a polytheist relaying his experience with the gods
- the Christian person translates this story into their own worldview and concludes that the polytheist must be talking to demons
- the Christian person is afraid for the polytheist's soul
- the Christian person gently tries to get the polytheist to question his interpretation, suggesting that the "gods" might in truth be harmful entities
- the Christian person might mention their own favorite resource, the bible, to encourage the polytheist into finding a new insight

You have encouraged me to question my interpretation, expressed worry and suggested the bible as a better resource for truth - all in the same short posting. Please forgive me if I was unfounded in my suspicion that this is an attempt at conversion... but it sure sounded like that

 

[JustGeorge]

**Please be mindful of Rule 10; Interfaith Discussion is a non-debate area**


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10. Debating in Non-debate Forums or Posting in DIR/ONLY Forums
Religious forums is structured to provide spaces for many different kinds of conversations. Different kinds of conversations belong in different areas of the forum:

1) Debates should be kept to the debate areas of the forums, including Religious Debates, General Debates, and Political Debates. Debating anywhere other than these forums may result in moderation. Same Faith Debates is governed by special rules described here. Only members of the specified groups(s) can participate in these threads.

 

[Tamino]

**Please be mindful of Rule 10; Interfaith Discussion is a non-debate area**


​

Ooooops... I literally just checked the rules some day ago when I joined but honestly lost track of that one... Noted. I will move any debate of sneaky conversion tactics to another area

 

[Hockeycowboy]

No, I would agree with you - it's not scoffing.
But I also agree with @SalixIncendium - your "honest question" feels like it is asked with a certain purpose. Perhaps we're just extrapolating from prior experiences. Because it usually goes like this:
- the Christian person hears of a polytheist relaying his experience with the gods
- the Christian person translates this story into their own worldview and concludes that the polytheist must be talking to demons
- the Christian person is afraid for the polytheist's soul
- the Christian person gently tries to get the polytheist to question his interpretation, suggesting that the "gods" might in truth be harmful entities
- the Christian person might mention their own favorite resource, the bible, to encourage the polytheist into finding a new insight

You have encouraged me to question my interpretation, expressed worry and suggested the bible as a better resource for truth - all in the same short posting. Please forgive me if I was unfounded in my suspicion that this is an attempt at conversion... but it sure sounded like that

I meant no disrespect at all.

It seems lately, I’ve been debating with some who promote natural methodologies as the source of everything, and when I come across rational-thinking posters who’ve had personal experiences & interactions with invisible entities, I’ve found it useful to try & use their interactive experiences with these beings as reasoning points to discuss the atheistic support of naturalism.

You said I “suggested the Bible as a better resource for truth”; better than what?

Have a good evening.

 

[Psalm23]

Tell me about your religion.

Not facts about the religious label you use, but what you personally believe and practice. Suppose I know nothing, and explain who or what things are that you mention.

If you have no religion, tell me about ways in which you are reverent to whatever it is you hold dear.

If you're reverent towards nothing, tell me a knock-knock joke.

I'm a Christian. I believe Jesus is God come in human flesh, was born of the Virgin Mary and that he died for the sins of the world and rose again the third day. I believe in forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus. I believe that Jesus is coming again to the world and I look forward to his coming. I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.

I currently attend church at a evangelical church. Some of the ways I practice my faith is through listening to some online pastors, reading the Bible, singing worship songs and prayer.