Religions

[Dylflon]

Originally Posted by Typhoid

Not for argument's sake, but for conversation's sake;


You'd "know" you were being a phony?
How is that any less closed-minded than "There's definitely a God, Science is wrong".
You're not even leaving yourself any room for spiritual growth.

I'd know I was being a phony because I'd be being religious when I'm not sure in my heart if I believe in god or not.

[Typhoid]

Originally Posted by Dylflon

I'd know I was being a phony because I'd be being religious when I'm not sure in my heart if I believe in god or not.

How would you ever know if spirituality of any kind would help out your piece of mind if you're not even willing to attempt the possibility of expanding your beliefs.

Closed minds can never grow.
Obviously I'm not saying "Hey buddy, believe in God." I don't even believe in 'God' - we both know that.


But how do you know you'd be a phony if you're not even sure if you believe in a God or not in the first place. Sounds to me you're more afraid of what people would say about you if you truly did start believing in a 'God'.

By looking into various religions, you don't immediately forgo logic and everything you've learned about history and science.

[Vampyr]

Religion of any sort boggles my mind.

I feel like I live in a world where everyone believes in Santa Claus and I'm one of the few people who realizes that he isn't real.

[Combine 017]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

Religion of any sort boggles my mind.

I feel like I live in a world where everyone believes in Santa Claus and I'm one of the few people who realizes that he isn't real.

I think Buddhism is pretty cool, mainly because Buddhist monks and temples look cool.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

Religion of any sort boggles my mind.

I feel like I live in a world where everyone believes in Santa Claus and I'm one of the few people who realizes that he isn't real.

The North Pole is real...Midgets are real....reindeer are real....there are plenty of fatass people who are old and have huge white beards. And who doesn't like milk and cookies.

I think Santa is pretty probable, all things considered.

[Typhoid]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

The North Pole is real...Midgets are real....reindeer are real....there are plenty of fatass people who are old and have huge white beards. And who doesn't like milk and cookies.

I think Santa is pretty probable, all things considered.

Santa Claus: The world's favourite Canadian... Or Russian. I'm not sure. Both countries colours are primarily red, and the gift-giving can be seen as general Canadian niceness, or horrible Soviet Communism.

[Bond]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

Religion of any sort boggles my mind.

I feel like I live in a world where everyone believes in Santa Claus and I'm one of the few people who realizes that he isn't real.

What's your primary exposure to religion? The southern evangelicals? I think that may be skewing your view of religious people a bit (understandably so I might add).

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by Bond

What's your primary exposure to religion? The southern evangelicals? I think that may be skewing your view of religious people a bit (understandably so I might add).

My family is religious, but not overly so. I've never even been to church a day in my life.

They just believe in a god - for me that's enough to cross the line into strangeness. That someone could believe that, with not a shred of evidence. It's just so obviously a fairy tale to me - written by people for other people.

That's what I mean when I make the Santa Clause analogy. I feel like we, as a people, should have grown out of this by now. I know that's probably very offense to people who believe - I'm basically calling them stupid - but I just cannot grasp how someone can believe this stuff.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

That's what I mean when I make the Santa Clause analogy. I feel like we, as a people, should have grown out of this by now. I know that's probably very offense to people who believe - I'm basically calling them stupid - but I just cannot grasp how someone can believe this stuff.

It's a combination of evolution, tradition, family, and politics. Religion is ingrained in so many aspects of our society.

I think there is a lot of wisdom in religion. Unfortunately, most of the good wisdom is ignored. I'm pretty sure God hates Republicans (AND TO DISCOURAGE AN UNNECESSARY POLITICAL DISCUSSION, he hates Democrats too ).

Jesus was a hippy who hung out with prostitutes and blind people and preached the New Testament. He was more about giving your stuff to the poor and asking for forgiveness...which is kind of just saying "genuinely love your neighbor and God and good things will come to you."

[Professor S]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

Jesus was a hippy who hung out with prostitutes and blind people and preached the New Testament. He was more about giving your stuff to the poor and asking for forgiveness...which is kind of just saying "genuinely love your neighbor and God and good things will come to you."

Jesus asked people to be charitable with their own wealth, to CHOOSE to give to others. He never asked them to take from A to give to B, and Republicans are far more charitable than Democrats.

Back on topic: Now that the discussion has degraded into calling believers "stupid", I'll jump in.

It is a current statistical impossibility that life spontaneously originated on it's own. Those that choose not to believe in God have tried to answer this by presenting theories such as "planet seeding by aliens" (who created the aliens?) to "we just don't know yet, but it wasn't God".

Now either of these may be true, but there is no evidence for either of them. They are guesses. Statements made out of belief, and not fact. Feel free to choose your religion, atheistic or theistic, but no one should pretend that they know more or are smarter than anyone else simply because they choose to not believe in the "spaghetti monster". You simply choose to believe in something else, but in the end, it's just faith... same as the most devout Baptist.

[Bond]

Wow, this thread exploded.

Originally Posted by Vampyr

My family is religious, but not overly so. I've never even been to church a day in my life.

They just believe in a god - for me that's enough to cross the line into strangeness. That someone could believe that, with not a shred of evidence. It's just so obviously a fairy tale to me - written by people for other people.

That's what I mean when I make the Santa Clause analogy. I feel like we, as a people, should have grown out of this by now. I know that's probably very offense to people who believe - I'm basically calling them stupid - but I just cannot grasp how someone can believe this stuff.

I would encourage you to read and/or listen to Alister McGrath and John Lennox. Both are Oxford professors and extremely distinguished in their fields. Both are also Christian apologists (people who defend Christianity on a rational basis), in the same vein of G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis.

My intention is by no means to persuade or convert you, but rather to show you the best of the other side. I'd be happy to link you to a few specific lectures as well.

[BreakABone]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

Religion of any sort boggles my mind.

I feel like I live in a world where everyone believes in Santa Claus and I'm one of the few people who realizes that he isn't real.

NEVER compare religion to Santa Claus.. I did that once many years ago.. turned out well.