Religious?

[kerrysan]

just wondering peoples views on this. we were talking about how so many more americans believe in jesus christ and stuff than australians the other day.

i was christened into lutheranism, which is a branch of christianity, but only in tradition from my grandfather. i was never brought up in a religious household and have only been to church once. however, if i were to be a religious person, there is no doubt in my mind that i would choose buddhism.

what do you guys think?

[wumblesbub]

Hmmm, a difficult one :confused:

I wasn't brought up in a religious household. I had the choice of attending scripture and bible study as a child, but never church. I attended scripure til year 8 or 9 when it wasn't 'cool' to do so anymore, and I did a bit of bible group in my late primary school years, til my best friend there was killed and I couldn't stand to go cos of the memories there. The only time I went to church was for her funeral.

Then I hit adulthood! Met and moved in with a guy who's a Christian(yep, I know it's a sin, but we ain't 'active' as such), started to go to church, got baptised, began reading the bible...you know the drill ;)

But I haven't been to church for ages, everywhere I go I clash with someone there and leave before I get the boot :o But I do believe in Jesus, I always have. I'm not sure if I'm a Christian though- I'm a very naughty girl :rolleyes:

[lozzy]

catholic. went to catholic pre school, primary school and high school. i'm not sure if i really believe in it though. it was more forced upon me as a kid. i haven't been to church since high school, except maybe once or twice for easter. if i got to make a decision for myself i don't know what i would choose. i guess i'd have to think about it a bit more.

[talz0r]

oops accidently picked Christian instead of Catholic, but yeah I'm catholic, went to catholic primary school.. but then a lutheran high school where you attend chapel nearly every morning... I'm not a highly religious person, but I do believe in God and go to church and the likes.

[life is peachy without me]

hmm i would say i'm christian more than anything else, although to my christian mates i am offically known as a heathen :D I didn't really grow up in a religious family although i went to two catholic schools, until i got expelled from my last one! ah i started going to church when i was like 16 and went for nearly 10 years, now i just go every now and then..... so who really knows what i am. Although i have done a Bachelor of arts in Theology....quite interesting really

[MISTER WOO]

Well i'm not particularly religious i am a christian but it's not like i go to church,i used to when i was younger but now it does't really interest me,does that sound bad?

[:: katie b ::]

you dont have to go to church to be a christian :)

[Hinny]

I'm a Jedi. There was a campaign the last time we had a census to get enough people to sign up as Jedis for it to gain a formal recognition as a religion. I don't really like Star Wars as much as other people, in fact I haven't seen ep 2 and 3, but yes, I am a Jedi.

[kerrysan]

haha. so's puck.

and hut is a wizard.

[lozzy]

haha. so's puck.

and hut is a wizard.
i am a witch. you can't be a wizard unless you're a male. duh.

[what]

you dont have to go to church to be a christian :)
yeh. and just going to church doesnt make you a christian. its like standing in a garage and saying you're a car.

[Hinny]

yeh. and just going to church doesnt make you a christian. its like standing in a garage and saying you're a car.
Do excuse her. I gave Kez the Jedi mind trick treatment. I turned her into a goose.

[life is peachy without me]

that is a damn good example...

[swede]

i clicked other cause im agnostic

[kerrysan]

Do excuse her. I gave Kez the Jedi mind trick treatment. I turned her into a goose.
you certainly arent mistaking jenno for me are you hinny? you silly silly man.

[kerrysan]

i clicked other cause im agnostic
whats that? please explain swede.

[what]

you certainly arent mistaking jenno for me are you hinny? you silly silly man.
yeh cos i'm obviously so much hotter.

[swede]

it means that i think there may be something there but i need proof...

[:: katie b ::]

god made me...isn't that enough ;)

[swede]

my mother and father made me...

[:: katie b ::]

aw My GAwdd u r so ClevVaa.

[swede]

thankyou

[:: katie b ::]

i could rebut. but i can not be bothered at present.

[Hinny]

my mother and father made me...
Correction: An X chromosome and a Y chromosome combined to make you.

[swede]

it was from them that the x and y came from

[kerrysan]

oh yes swede, very true, BUT.... where did THEY come from?........(camera looks past swedes pondering face and zooms in on the mountains beyond him, stretching forever. fadeout with an epic score)

[JOLENE]

I believe there is a god .. im not any religion though .. im spiritual! lol
But anyway there is no way i could get married in a church, it would feel wrong. I don't believe in church, but i believe in god. I don't judge others who go to church, I think good on you for having a belief. To me, I have no idea which religion is right, they all differ, and not everyone can be right, can they?

[swede]

oh yes swede, very true, BUT.... where did THEY come from?........(camera looks past swedes pondering face and zooms in on the mountains beyond him, stretching forever. fadeout with an epic score)

from their parents also

where did they all come from?

the start i guess was some molecular explosion somewhere.

where did it all come from in the beginning? we dont know. i guess thats why i think there could be something there... but what? and i want something concrete to go by

[wumblesbub]

my mother and father made me...

hehe my first laugh for the day :D Thank you swede ;)

That's what I say too when me and my partner fight about his christianity. He's like rah rah it's cos of god your here, I'm like no it's cos of my parents I here, they did the deed which resulte in me :rolleyes:

But I know it's Jesus who created us all, he just made baby making the fun part of it all :p

So swede, yes your parents made you, but god created everyone. So everyone is right, really. But forget about the explosion part, swede, it's called CREATION ;)

Hey, this is a thought- Adam and Eve where the first man and woman. We came from them. Which makes us all related, really. Ewwww, we are INBRED!! :eek:

[swede]

lol! i honestly dont know though - just my thoughts on the topic.

glad that u laughed though, thats cool for school :)

[what]

omg get this. ya know cain and abel from the bible? they married their sisters. WtF

[:: katie b ::]

omg get this. mary didn't root to have jesus. :eek:

[what]

OmG get this. mary rooted to have three other kids tho.

[thatgirlmichelle]

Um well I was baptised Catholic, but it was more out of tradition than anything else...we're not religious at all, Dad's side of the family aren't baptised or anything.

[Hinny]

I'm not inbred with you lot. I was created by the deity Zogondria, in an alternate reality where it rains chuppa chups, except we called them Mnytobos (plural is Mnytobiligus- don't ask, it's our own grammar structure). I was sent here to corrupt youse all.

[jademonty]

, if i were to be a religious person, there is no doubt in my mind that i would choose buddhism.

what do you guys think?
i wasnt raised really with any religous belifs i have experinced many of them but yeh im wit u on da buddist.....they seem to have da veiws and all to what i believe in..

[kerrysan]

Hey, this is a thought- Adam and Eve where the first man and woman. We came from them. Which makes us all related, really. Ewwww, we are INBRED!! :eek:

the bible says that adam was the first human created.
adam created eve by planting his rib.
eve gave birth to two sons, cain and abel.
adam and eve sent their sons into the forest to find wives.

...where did these wives come from???

jesus smoked drugs.

[:: katie b ::]

jesus did not create adam and eve, god did. so he would be the one on drugs. ;)

[Hinny]

Ministry's song Jesus Built My Hotrod is excellent.

[kerrysan]

that jesus smoked drugs was just an extra fact chucked in. it had nothing to do with the other crap. note that i use the word fact.

bible uncut.

[Cactus]

Hey there.

Well firstly can I say I respect and admire anyone who has that much faith... in faith...

But I just dont believe in it. I was christianed. But that was when I was too young to have a say in the matter.

Im an athiest.
I think religion, the afterlife.. etc was something invented so we weren't afraid of dying.

Its my view. Don't think Im rude, everyone can have they're opinion. and thats just mine.

Cactus

Hey has anybody seen Ben Harpers Pleasure & Pain DVD? It has a good quote about religion in it. I cant remember it at the moment.. Tribal? anyone?

It says something abuot people not giving a f..k about god.. hypocracy... umm sorry... cant remember.

TO EACH HIS OWN

[what]

the bible says that adam was the first human created.
adam created eve by planting his rib.
eve gave birth to two sons, cain and abel.
adam and eve sent their sons into the forest to find wives.

...where did these wives come from???

jesus smoked drugs.
their sisters foo. their sisters. i already said this.

[Wiccanhp]

Other (eg. pagan, voodoo, etc) ???

WTF? ..are you kidding? ... intentional or ignorance! either way. ;P

[swede]

Hey has anybody seen Ben Harpers Pleasure & Pain DVD? It has a good quote about religion in it. I cant remember it at the moment.. Tribal? anyone?

It says something abuot people not giving a f..k about god.. hypocracy... umm sorry... cant remember.

TO EACH HIS OWN

havent seen it in a while, loaned it out.

i know that ben harper is about faith more than say a certain god. respects a higher being of some sort or whatever..

nehow, ill have a look when i get it back.

[kerrysan]

Other (eg. pagan, voodoo, etc) ???

WTF? ..are you kidding? ... intentional or ignorance! either way. ;P
huh? i wasnt kidding. why is that ignorance?

[Bocks]

I'm a actual Jedi.

[JOLENE]

Im an athiest.
I think religion, the afterlife.. etc was something invented so we weren't afraid of dying.



i watched this docco once and it showed how massaging certain area's of your brain can bring on a 'so called' afterlife experience. They did it to this girl and when they finished she started crying and begging for them to keep going, that she had never felt love like that before, reckoned she saw loved ones and all .. strange huh! so maybe it is just something your brain does so that you don't get freaked out? who knows!

all i know that if I die and there is nothing im gonna be highly pissed off .. the only good thing is that i wont be around to know that im pissed off :D

[Hinny]

Other (eg. pagan, voodoo, etc) ???

WTF? ..are you kidding? ... intentional or ignorance! either way. ;P
Witchcraft, Roman mythology, Zoroastrianism, Taoism... they all make as much sense as the ones listed.

But Jedi... that's where it is. Pucko knows where it's at.

[lil el]

i dont believe in religion. i believe in myself n my friends n family. thats all that matters. :)

[Bocks]

But Jedi... that's where it is. Pucko knows where it's at.
These are not the droids you are looking for.
he can go about his business.

[Wiccanhp]

I'm not really offended, it's just that most are younger here, and may see Pagan next to voodoo, and figure they are alike ... A different more appropriate title could have been given is all I'm saying.

[Chrissie]

I wouldn't say I'm religious.. but I tend to only believe in God when i'm in deep shit and hope everything will turn out okay if I believe.. and it does. Hmm.


Im an athiest.
I think religion, the afterlife.. etc was something invented so we weren't afraid of dying.

Yep, I tend to think that too.

[swede]

I'm not really offended, it's just that most are younger here, and may see Pagan next to voodoo, and figure they are alike ... A different more appropriate title could have been given is all I'm saying.

it was just a list of religions that could fit into the "other" category. meaning she probably didnt think that there would be as many pagans as christians so she put them in that category. so people who choose other would usually just state which they are of those or whatever, well i guess if they chose to.


jellibean - i truely think that is the most full of crap kind of thing ever... i truely dont believe in such things lol also if u die and there is nothing, u wont know anything to be pissed off about. so really... either way u win right?

religion and the after life wasnt made to stop makin people afraid of dying, if anything it was placed as a construct to ensure righteousness (well for that given time and place, as you know morals have changed so much and are so different pending on culture and what not). eg christianity - if you are good you go to heaven, bad you go to hell (simplified i know, but an example). whetheri believe this actually happens? i do now know as i have previously stated.

[kerrysan]

I'm not really offended, it's just that most are younger here, and may see Pagan next to voodoo, and figure they are alike ... A different more appropriate title could have been given is all I'm saying.
what would you prefer for me to use as examples of 'other' religions?

[JOLENE]

jellibean - i truely think that is the most full of crap kind of thing ever... i truely dont believe in such things lol also if u die and there is nothing, u wont know anything to be pissed off about. so really... either way u win right?


i saw it on tellie .. dont crucify me for something i saw
and didnt i already say that? i wouldn't know .. it was a joke .. lighten up

[swede]

uve definitely mis-interpreted what ive said, i didnt have a crack at u, but rather the tv program. "lighten up"

[JOLENE]

ok sorry, im realy sick and bitchy at the moment :(

[Hinny]

religion and the after life wasnt made to stop makin people afraid of dying, if anything it was placed as a construct to ensure righteousness (well for that given time and place, as you know morals have changed so much and are so different pending on culture and what not). eg christianity - if you are good you go to heaven, bad you go to hell (simplified i know, but an example). whetheri believe this actually happens? i do now know as i have previously stated.
I could go on and on about the evolution of religious practice, but to keep it short, the origins of religion has nothing to do with righteousness, and everything to do with understanding the natural order and of existance, and nothing more. Ideas like gods, monotheistic or polytheistic, and concepts like heaven and hell came MUCH later.

[swede]

hinny - modern day interpretation in our culture and society is focused upon heaven and hell - therefore previous origins are of no consequence in this instance

[Bocks]

well i am a jedi

[Tinkers]

I could go on and on about the evolution of religious practice, but to keep it short, the origins of religion has nothing to do with righteousness, and everything to do with understanding the natural order and of existance, and nothing more. Ideas like gods, monotheistic or polytheistic, and concepts like heaven and hell came MUCH later.

yeah, but you're only talking about the origins though. Im pretty sure swede's right- the reason it evolved as an institution the way it did later on was to make people behave. Using scary threats such as 'if you steal, you go to hell' to keep order. thats why i prefer the way buddhism is so general 'if you do bad things, it doesn't mean you're bad, but it will provoke negative consequences' and the fact that it refers to things that you'll have to deal with in THIS life, makes it more practical, and makes life less scary.

anyway, buddhism rocks. i am such a fan of the philosophy of this religion, i just cant be bothered doing all the praying and chanting and visiting temple. (even though there’s a buddhist temple at the end of my street) i do think about the ideas of this religion a lot though, so im not sure if that makes me a buddhist or not.

i think the point of religion is to make you feel good- give you something to believe in and helps you find meaning in your life. Obviously, people are different so different religions are able to cater for that difference. Buddhism suits me, therefore its right for me. Hillsong makes other people happy so its right for them. I guess there’s no real way of knowing what the answer is, so it doesnt matter.

oh, and by the way, this has been quite a peaceful discussion about religion. its nice.

[Bocks]

wow shit, not even my jedi skills could keep me awake for the duration of this thread.

[Hinny]

Fair enough.

I just need to make the point, though I'm sure people understand already, that you don't need religion to believe in something and to find meaning in one's life.

[Hinny]

wow shit, not even my jedi skills could keep me awake for the duration of this thread.
You have much to learn, my young Padawan

[swede]

Fair enough.

I just need to make the point, though I'm sure people understand already, that you don't need religion to believe in something and to find meaning in one's life.


i do.

i think yalom is one of these isnt he?

[Bocks]

You have much to learn, my young Padawan
no Jedi Hinny I am not your padawan. I am a Jedi. i strive for the rank of master.

[Bocks]

you don't need religion to believe in something and to find meaning in one's life.
true that. i dont need some punk asssssssssss 30,000 year old fictional book to tell me how to be happy.

[Hinny]

true that. i dont need some punk asssssssssss 30,000 year old fictional book to tell me how to be happy.
As I said, you have much to learn, my young padawan. You need to respect your Jedi masters, or you'll end up like Vader.

There is no such thing as a 30,000 year old book, fictional or non-fictional. 30,000 year old cavemen rock paintings, probably.

[Bocks]

typo.
3,000*

[Bocks]

As I said, you have much to learn, my young padawan. You need to respect your Jedi masters, or you'll end up like Vader.

There is no such thing as a 30,000 year old book, fictional or non-fictional. 30,000 year old cavemen rock paintings, probably.

I want to be Darth Maul.

[kerrysan]

Fair enough.

I just need to make the point, though I'm sure people understand already, that you don't need religion to believe in something and to find meaning in one's life.
this is true, but when people have nothing in their lives to make them happy, that is when they turn to religion. thats not saying that religious people have nothing, just that religion is a good outlet for folks who are down.

[Choppy]

Im buddhist tho I go to a caothlic school. I think its odd that every ancient civilisation had a god to belive in. A god to fight for. A god to pray to for protection. It proves that people need something to belive in. Its changing tho as thousands of years pass. I think humans are becoming more sure of themselves and less accepting that somewere there is a source that is more powerful than them.

[kerrysan]

most religions started with more than one god. buddha belived in many gods, and like greek gods were plentiful. monotheism is fairly recent. i think jews were the only ones to have only one god before christ.

[Missah]

I was baptised as a Catholic, but my mother only did it for my grand-mother and my great grand-mother because my great grand-mother was extremely catholic and she would have been dessapointed if I wasnt baptised, because she believe god wouldnt protect me and that I was sure to go to hell. So I was baptised, but my mother is complete athiest and so am I. I dont judge or discriminate, but i just couldnt believe in religion.

[Hinny]

Im buddhist tho I go to a caothlic school. I think its odd that every ancient civilisation had a god to belive in.
Not exactly. There are 4 monotheistic religions all up. Zoroastrians were the first. They conquered the Jews, and gave the the concept of the single god. Then Judaism spawned Christianity, and Islam pretty much adopted this ONE god idea from them. The word "civilisation" plays a big part, too complex for me to explain.

Find a copy of the book "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn. Read it.

All other religions have been polytheistic i.e. more than one god.

It proves that people need something to belive in.
This is fair enough. Animism, the idea that personalized supernatural beings (or souls) inhabit all objects and govern their existence, was truly a global belief system before all these mythologies evolved to produce concrete ideas like deities, an afterlife, and theories of how the world came to be.