DeletedUser
There have been hundreds of threads here about religion, but none about people's religions. I think this thread is warranted, because we're always arguing and we say the same things over and over, but we never put all the hate, prejudice, name calling and belittling aside and just talk about what we really believe.
Religion is a strange thing. When I was young, my mother told me about her beliefs and back then, they were good enough for me to adopt as my own, but recently my own thoughts and actions have forced me to think again about what I believe.
Thinking about religion, for me, brings immediatly to mind people who are despicable. TV Evangelists, Terrorists, Hate Churches and such. Yet, no matter how hard I try to dismiss religion and go about my life, it continually comes to the front of my mind, what do I believe in? Where am I going? Is there only one true religion?
I am a baptized mormon, however from the start, I've been very unorthadox. I don't go to church regularly, I have trouble sticking to rules from the church, specificlly the one about Caffeine (Where's my Dr Pepper?)
So, over the past few weeks, I've been thinking about religion and what it means to each of us. To some, it's a way to get ahead, others live by it, some literally live in it and others, like me, are a mixed bag of beliefs.
Does it really matter what we call our god? Does it truly matter if we call him The Great Spirit, God or Allah? My answer is No. I can't see God, and that's just what I chose to call him, being so petty as to say "Only the people who call me Allah will get into my Kingdom." That would rule out a huge number of his creations, I say "He" simply because it's simpler to type.
Does it matter weather we fast, pray or meditate? Once again, my answer is No. I cannot believe a higher power would be so closed minded that he would only accept if you knelt beside your bed, bowed towards Meccha or go on a spirit quest, why woul dhe only accept a single form or prayer?
What about where we go after we die? I am a believer in reincarnation, but if you believe we go to heaven, get lucky with 72 virgins, fall into a giant bowl of Jell-o or go to the Happy Hunting Grounds, I can't see God being angry at you because of it. If I'm wrong, well I'll see you at the Happy Hunting Grounds, won't I?
Do I believe in Satan, or some great tempter? Yes, but I also believe that no matter how badly you fail during life, you'll just come back to try again. Satan, once again, call him whatever you like, is ther because without trials, our lives would be simple and we wouldn't have to make hard, but good choices. Choices are what makes a person, make bad ones and you get to try again after you die, make good ones and you go on. Once again, that's just my belief.
If you were to name my religion, I would hope you would decide upon the word Toloerance, Because that's what I believe in. I believe, if you live a good life, no matter what you decide to call our creator(s), you go on, but if you don't you go backwards and have to go through this all again.
What do you believe? Tell me, please, I am very intrested.
I believe we could all go on if we just decided to be good people and focus on other people and not ourselves. In the end though, it's your life, live it the way you want to live it, I hope you decide to live in the service of others. This thread isn't to get people fighting, it's to promote good will and friendship to people, no matter what they believe in, both on these forums and in real life.
Peril
Religion is a strange thing. When I was young, my mother told me about her beliefs and back then, they were good enough for me to adopt as my own, but recently my own thoughts and actions have forced me to think again about what I believe.
Thinking about religion, for me, brings immediatly to mind people who are despicable. TV Evangelists, Terrorists, Hate Churches and such. Yet, no matter how hard I try to dismiss religion and go about my life, it continually comes to the front of my mind, what do I believe in? Where am I going? Is there only one true religion?
I am a baptized mormon, however from the start, I've been very unorthadox. I don't go to church regularly, I have trouble sticking to rules from the church, specificlly the one about Caffeine (Where's my Dr Pepper?)
So, over the past few weeks, I've been thinking about religion and what it means to each of us. To some, it's a way to get ahead, others live by it, some literally live in it and others, like me, are a mixed bag of beliefs.
Does it really matter what we call our god? Does it truly matter if we call him The Great Spirit, God or Allah? My answer is No. I can't see God, and that's just what I chose to call him, being so petty as to say "Only the people who call me Allah will get into my Kingdom." That would rule out a huge number of his creations, I say "He" simply because it's simpler to type.
Does it matter weather we fast, pray or meditate? Once again, my answer is No. I cannot believe a higher power would be so closed minded that he would only accept if you knelt beside your bed, bowed towards Meccha or go on a spirit quest, why woul dhe only accept a single form or prayer?
What about where we go after we die? I am a believer in reincarnation, but if you believe we go to heaven, get lucky with 72 virgins, fall into a giant bowl of Jell-o or go to the Happy Hunting Grounds, I can't see God being angry at you because of it. If I'm wrong, well I'll see you at the Happy Hunting Grounds, won't I?
Do I believe in Satan, or some great tempter? Yes, but I also believe that no matter how badly you fail during life, you'll just come back to try again. Satan, once again, call him whatever you like, is ther because without trials, our lives would be simple and we wouldn't have to make hard, but good choices. Choices are what makes a person, make bad ones and you get to try again after you die, make good ones and you go on. Once again, that's just my belief.
If you were to name my religion, I would hope you would decide upon the word Toloerance, Because that's what I believe in. I believe, if you live a good life, no matter what you decide to call our creator(s), you go on, but if you don't you go backwards and have to go through this all again.
What do you believe? Tell me, please, I am very intrested.
I believe we could all go on if we just decided to be good people and focus on other people and not ourselves. In the end though, it's your life, live it the way you want to live it, I hope you decide to live in the service of others. This thread isn't to get people fighting, it's to promote good will and friendship to people, no matter what they believe in, both on these forums and in real life.
Peril
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