What kind of religious are you??

[joshi]

vaporshi said:

However I think it's also possible for both evolution and creationism to co-exist if it was argued that God was the cause of the beginning of the world and then evolution just happened on its own.

That is actually a belief called Deism if I do remember from English class, the belief that God created the Universe and just let it run its course by itself.

I myself am a very strong Christian, not sure of what EXACT type of Christian I am, but I am Christian regardless, I do believe that Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins at the cross and that God is his father, and that you can gain salvation into heaven by simply confessing to Jesus that you do believe he died for your sins, also known as Faith, which I believe Luther came up with the concept of having the ability to go to Heaven through Faith rather than Works (Works are what the Catholics used to do, that's back when the Catholic Church was corrupt, so certain people started to break away from it and that's how you got Protestant Christians. Works are like, going to your Priest for every time you sin and asking him to give you something to do to repent them, like dig a hole in your back yard or do a quest, which I believe is highly unnecessary and had little to do with God).

Almost all of my friends IRL are Christians, and they are awesome people, I'm telling you they are really nice and sincere and moral. I only have like 1 or 2 friends that aren't Christians, because usually I make friends at Church, and once you make friends at Church, at school you always tend to hang out with them, because they're like your family, and your culture, it's really great to have a group of friends that have the same belief as you. I'm like Yoshiken though. I don't really Chastise anyone or avoid someone because our religions are different, I can accept them for who they are alone, but now if they start getting pushy on their beliefs and start taunting my religion, I might as well preach to them the word of God if they're going to start pushing their beliefs to me, because that's just messed up. I deserve to get treated the same way I treat them.

The only excuse I cannot accept from a non-believe is the one Yoshiken stated. Which is, "I don't believe in God because I can't see him." Any other excuse if valid to me, such as, "I don't believe in God because I'm Bhudda," or "I don't believe in God because my parents prohibit it," or something around that sense, but not seeing him is an invalid excuse to me. That's like saying, "I don't believe in Carbon Monoxide because I cannot see it," or "I don't believe in your breath becauseI cannot see it." But the truth is that it is there, Carbon Monoxide is plaguing you as you are unaware that is there and someone's breath may be invisible, but the stench is wide awake. It's Faith, that's what all religions are about, believing in what you cannot see with your eyes, but what you can feel spiritually and what you can hear speak to you in your dreams.

[Sky]

joshi said:

The only excuse I cannot accept from a non-believe is the one Yoshiken stated. Which is, "I don't believe in God because I can't see him." Any other excuse if valid to me, such as, "I don't believe in God because I'm Bhudda," or "I don't believe in God because my parents prohibit it," or something around that sense, but not seeing him is an invalid excuse to me. That's like saying, "I don't believe in Carbon Monoxide because I cannot see it," or "I don't believe in your breath becauseI cannot see it." But the truth is that it is there, Carbon Monoxide is plaguing you as you are unaware that is there and someone's breath may be invisible, but the stench is wide awake. It's Faith, that's what all religions are about, believing in what you cannot see with your eyes, but what you can feel spiritually and what you can hear speak to you in your dreams.

However, Carbon Monoxide and someone's breath is proven scientifically to exist, having particles and actually being present even though we cannot see it. Whereas, a deity of any kind has not really been proven to exist apart from the teachings and the written documents. Again, I'm not saying that it's downright wrong to believe in God, far from it; I'm just saying it's hard to comprehend something and follow something if there's no concrete evidence of it really being there, I'm just like that. I respect people who follow what they think is right, though, and won't balst them for thinking what they think.

This also brings me back to my previous statement, why is there multiple religions out there? It's always perplexed me. If there was only one God, or a set of gods out there (depending on a monotheistic or polytheistic point of view), why would that or these allow the creation and spreading of other teachings but their own? Say one religion is in fact the right one, will the rest of the world population that believe something different suffer from this? I don't know, it just sounds weird to me.

[joshi]

yoshiwannabe said:

This also brings me back to my previous statement, why is there multiple religions out there? It's always perplexed me. If there was only one God, or a set of gods out there (depending on a monotheistic or polytheistic point of view), why would that or these allow the creation and spreading of other teachings but their own? Say one religion is in fact the right one, will the rest of the world population that believe something different suffer from this? I don't know, it just sounds weird to me.

What does it matter on how many different Gods there are? Logic is not something that'll buy happiness, Logic also has little worth, like Graedius said, what's important is that you live life to the fullest. All of these Buddhists, and Christians, and Catholics, and however many other religions there are, they believe in something because it gives them something to live for, and something to find happiness in, and something to look forward to after death, life is like sweet candy sometimes, and then like a deadly plague at other times, I believe in God and Jesus Christ because after I die, I wish to rejoice with them in heaven, where there is true eternal happiness, when everything here on Earth, is just temporary. And by the looks of things, my English teacher was right. All of you have apparently had something or someone to believe in when you were young, and something to look forward to seeing, but as we all grew older, we lost our innocence and we more concerned with logic and what is blatantly obvious, what once was a circus animal and a fun toy/shape is nothing but a white globular mass in the sky known as a cloud.

The truth is, I don't really care that I do not see God, because I know he's there, I see him in my dreams, and when I pray, I feel him standing beside me, and as a matter of fact, he has protected me before, I don't know if I'd even be alive without him, when I was a little kid, something happened to me that almost caused me to die, but my dad said that God has protected me throughout the whole thing, and I believed him, I don't really care what some scientists have to say about my belief, they can trash talk me and call me a ridiculous freak, this makes me happy, and logic is not going to take that away from me, I have someone to live for, and a future to look up to, and that's all I really need to have for me to be happy.

[Sky]

Interesting points, maybe there is a certain factor in losing the innocence point, maybe not, it differs from each individual. But as more mature individuals, doesn't everyone lose that innocence? Or are you saying that some lose it more than others? I just want a clarification on that, I'm slow ^^;

I can't claim to know what'll happen after we die, nor can anyone really, for when you die, you can't really come back to the living. Maybe there is a better place after this, yet maybe there's absolutely nothing after this, again, who knows? I would much prefer living it grand in our short life here than not, I don't want to be disappointed to find out that I didn't do so and there's nothing after death, then again, how could I be disappointed, I'd be dead. I know most would say that Heaven's there and all, but I'm very open-minded, and love to explore every single possibility. It's just one of those mysteries of life that we as living beings cannot solve, we can only trust our gut instinct about it.

Again, I'm not dissing anything, I'm just someone who goes with what I think and like to explore every little outcome.

[contention]

YW, you make a very good valid point in your question at the end of your thoughts. You rose the statement of, what happens if one religon is right then what would come of all the others who followed their religons. It's hard to say then, who and what is right. There is no exact way to decide what is what and why it is what it is. If its true that one of the religons beliefs is right... wouldn't that mean we would all be banished to some underworld that they had predicted. Theres no real way to decide or even come to a conclusion of who would be right. There are so many ways you can look at things, so many ways you can open your eyes to believe in what you feel is right. Logic may not bring happiness, and it may not give you what you want to feel. In all out truth though, you can feed yourself things you do not know and feel happiness which you can not lean on. Or you can give yourself, what everyone else says, and feel happy knowing that in some small facet you fit in.

The main gist, is of course in Religon to supply human beings with unity and a sense of happiness. When you feel that you belong to a group, you can easily push away thoughts of being alone. You can agree on something, but you can never make sure that it is indeed the correct path of enlightment. What does the bible say, what does every line really mean? Is it true, well thats for everyone to decide, this life is of course your life. No one can tell you that hell is your destination, and you can easily believe you'll go to heaven and that might not be. What matters the most is that you live, as many have said, to the fullest that you can. Religon has always been around, since as far as history can date back in some form. It moved all the way and Catholics were born from Zoraster... I believe thats how it was spelled.

Human kind needs something to believe in, because if it turned out in all out seriousness that this world was left only to us; then we indeed would be left without a cause. What rules would we follow, why would we stop ourselves from doing the things that religon says is wrong. As long as we know that there is some punishment out there, we wouldn't do the things that the "rules of church" say. Theres no wrong answer to the question of religon and there is no right answer to the question of religon.

All of these questions that have been asked lately all form around one thing. They are pure and total opinion, there is no answer and its one big debate over what is right and wrong. No one can make you believe and no one can make you see. We are not missionaries, and they themselves can not show what the truth would be. They are forms of tools of showing what "might be" instead of what "is".

There have been many basic laws since time has passed. Such as Survival of the Fittest and Evolution. Some have wondered why they are so greatly put together, almost perfect so that life can go on. Why is it that all of them seem to go in place and continue on. That my friends, is all as well a matter of believing. If you believe in God, then you'll come to the conclusion he alone made that so. If you believe in science you will believe the atoms and protons somehow created The ribo nucliec acid in such forms that it could only work that way.

All you need to remember in life, is that you alone are yourself. Who and what you are is dependent upon what you believe in. You control your mind, and you can make anything you want real. You can believe that God is right beside you, and you can believe that their is air beside you made up of many diffrent particals. It shouldn't matter on what you believe, and never should you feel judged by what it is you look for. Just never forget, there is no one to impress and in life you are never really alone. Life is hard, its a never ending task until ineviltability comes and all is put to a rest, and even then comes the questions we all beg to ask. What on earth is going to happen? Sometimes, you must wait for an answer, sometimes, believing in yourself and giving what you can; shows how much you are capable of.

We could fight wars for thousands of years over this matter, and all out truth we have. We could debate for centuries, and we also have over this thing. But never have we come to a conclusion. The basis of what you must know, is all in your mind. It is indeed your life, be happy and what sin your heart, will be the beginning of what your beliefs are.

This world is full of corruption, you will indeed lose your innocense when you finally start to learn. "The more you learn, the less you really know." If you know all about the past and all about now and technology then you know of mistakes, but you never know if you could stop them. So you can't say that you yourself are not corrupted, because we all are. We all know some forth of truth of how things work, we no longer make up answers to the questions as we did when we were children. We know the outcomes of things and are willing to debate them. Thus, we are not innocent, we are corrupted ... that all depends on what you define as corrupted.

If there is a truth out there... what would the truth be.. and if someone knew it, how would they take it? If there was some answer, how would human nature put it to work. And why oh why do we raise pain over such a matter? It's a belief, a pure and simple thing. Why do some feel so harsh toward it, and push what they believe in.

[joshi]

yoshiwannabe said:

Interesting points, maybe there is a certain factor in losing the innocence point, maybe not, it differs from each individual. But as more mature individuals, doesn't everyone lose that innocence? Or are you saying that some lose it more than others? I just want a clarification on that, I'm slow ^^;

I can't claim to know what'll happen after we die, nor can anyone really, for when you die, you can't really come back to the living. Maybe there is a better place after this, yet maybe there's absolutely nothing after this, again, who knows? I would much prefer living it grand in our short life here than not, I don't want to be disappointed to find out that I didn't do so and there's nothing after death, then again, how could I be disappointed, I'd be dead. I know most would say that Heaven's there and all, but I'm very open-minded, and love to explore every single possibility. It's just one of those mysteries of life that we as living beings cannot solve, we can only trust our gut instinct about it.

Again, I'm not dissing anything, I'm just someone who goes with what I think and like to explore every little outcome.

There you go, you're right, EVERYONE (no exceptions) loses their innocence once they have matured, education and society corrupts us. See as a psychologist I would've expected you to catch on to that real fast, see while a child will choose to play with a colorful rainbow ball, most mature people would rather find a more sophisticated, bland form of entertainment. Children can see what we adults cannot, their imagination is unlimited, their understanding capabilities far surpass ours, and their creativity reaches out far into the horizon. When we are adults, we lose all of that, and we narrow things down to the thing we're told (this is not this, THIS is THAT and nothing else) and we only believe in the things that have been proved by profesisonals. So we can no longer comprehend the things we used to, because our minds have been decreased into the obvious, and no longer outside the box or into the world of innovation and imagination. Some fall into the wrath of logic faster than others however, it all depends on what you choose to believe and what you choose to take in.

As for the afterlife, NOBODY really knows what comes after death, there are only stories and tales from people who have never even died. So you are right, but you shouldn't really be disappointed either way, You're living life to the fullest without a religion, and with a religion, you're adding some super ultra special onto your life, not taking it all away. That's what people think, that religion means you have to give everything up, but that is not true, you're just adding onto it, and adding on to it, will all the more make you less fearful of death, because you know there's something great awaiting you after death, but most without religion fear death, because to them, nothing comes after.

[Sky]

joshi said:

There you go, you're right, EVERYONE (no exceptions) loses their innocence once they have matured, education and society corrupts us. See as a psychologist I would've expected you to catch on to that real fast, see while a child will choose to play with a colorful rainbow ball, most mature people would rather find a more sophisticated, bland form of entertainment. Children can see what we adults cannot, their imagination is unlimited, their understanding capabilities far surpass ours, and their creativity reaches out far into the horizon. When we are adults, we lose all of that, and we narrow things down to the thing we're told (this is not this, THIS is THAT and nothing else) and we only believe in the things that have been proved by profesisonals. So we can no longer comprehend the things we used to, because our minds have been decreased into the obvious, and no longer outside the box or into the world of innovation and imagination. Some fall into the wrath of logic faster than others however, it all depends on what you choose to believe and what you choose to take in.

As for the afterlife, NOBODY really knows what comes after death, there are only stories and tales from people who have never even died. So you are right, but you shouldn't really be disappointed either way, You're living life to the fullest without a religion, and with a religion, you're adding some super ultra special onto your life, not taking it all away. That's what people think, that religion means you have to give everything up, but that is not true, you're just adding onto it, and adding on to it, will all the more make you less fearful of death, because you know there's something great awaiting you after death, but most without religion fear death, because to them, nothing comes after.

First and foremost, I love that psychiatrist sentence you wrote XD ... Like I said, I'm very open-minded, hence I understand and respect other's ideas on the subject, even though I may have trouble believing it myself. As for the people going blander because of maturing and believing what they are told, true, I'd say that a lot of people do live by that. But I do also believe that we cannot lose all our innocence, ever. I may sound like I lost mine, but it's still quite there, just looking around my room, I see my 2 Yoshi plushies and am awaiting a Bowser plushie from Japan this coming month, I don't see much soon-to-be 21 year old adults with plushies in their rooms. Innocence and chilish go hand-in-hand, as you said, they're proportional, though we can't lose it all. We still think outside the box, not in every topic matter in the world mind you, but we still do. There wouldn't be any new innovations without thinking outside the box, and as we go on and on, we're getting pummeled with new things nearly everyday now.

You're right, I admit it, I fear death. I fear the fact that it'll all be over after I die, I fear not existing anymore in some 50-80 years ( that may sound far, but I do have 20 years down the drain already ^^; ), I hope that it won't be the case. That's the only thing making me think otherwise, hope. If I wasn't scared and wasn't hopeful, then I'd be deadset on the idea that when we die, that's it. But, hope is a reason why we sometimes look into other alternatives and explore other boundaries in life, this topic can only make us grow as individuals if we, of course, respect and not flame others. It helps broaden what people think in life, and isn't that part of what it is to being human?

I know one thing for sure though; my belief in life is that I have only this life to life and that's it, and I gotta do what I find is the best thing to do, that is to be there for all my friends, help them, listen to them, be there for them, and that's all I really need to know. That's all that really matters to me the most.

Here's one thing I admit:
I don't fear death.
I know that if I die, I will go to heaven for my faith in Christ.
(no offense... wait, I always say that...)

[Voshee]

Baptist (christian)

[anjilfan]

I do fear death.I would be happy in life or death though.Bacause in Heaven,you will be happy. (and I will meet some people/things I always wanted to meet.I'm not telling what/who)

[Brute]

This is what i learned in my catholic CCD class: when you die you can either go to heaven or hell...but if you're not accepted into either, there is a place where you go until your accepted into heaven called PURGATORY...its like a place where souls can remain in free space until theres time!

[Dragon]

Well, Joshi says I might be Deist, since I believe God created the atom that made the Big Bang, but left it from there. But I dunno... Like, okay, let me put it into a timeline. God creates atom (but no Heaven or Hell), God makes atom explode, BIG BAAAAAAAAAANG, Milky Way Forms, Earth Forms, Bacteria Forms, Fish Form, Evolution, Humans, then a human dies, either reincarnated or made into a soul, if a soul it either wanders around or sleeps peacefully and does whatever it wants. Here's a link to the Deist site I found, it's actually quite interesting. www.deism.org/ Finally though, a religion I can actually begin to relate to. The only thing I dislike is that they call Christianity stupid, and I personally think Christianity is a very smart religion, not to mention lots of my friends are Christians, the site is kind of biased in that sense. But it is very interesting though, and even more stunningly similar to what I've believed since like 5th grade.

[Graedius]

yoshiken said:

oooh! since this is now officially a debate, i can start getting fierce XD.

and on the other comments, I shall quote a scripture in the Book of Mormon.

Well, for one, a debate like this is pointless. A lack of concrete evidence on both sides makes tihs arguement that of opinions and less of facts that can be proven. On the same note, I would not consider any quotes from the Book of Mormon concrete evidences of anything because, like all and any religeous texts, not it alone, they are never bluntly clear, always up to interpretation, and again, lacking in guaranteed evidences of anything, and as such not useful to proving any point at hand.

joshi said:

vaporshi said:

The only excuse I cannot accept from a non-believe is the one Yoshiken stated. Which is, "I don't believe in God because I can't see him." Any other excuse if valid to me, such as, "I don't believe in God because I'm Bhudda," or "I don't believe in God because my parents prohibit it," or something around that sense, but not seeing him is an invalid excuse to me. That's like saying, "I don't believe in Carbon Monoxide because I cannot see it," or "I don't believe in your breath becauseI cannot see it." But the truth is that it is there, Carbon Monoxide is plaguing you as you are unaware that is there and someone's breath may be invisible, but the stench is wide awake. It's Faith, that's what all religions are about, believing in what you cannot see with your eyes, but what you can feel spiritually and what you can hear speak to you in your dreams.

Josi, did you not read what I wrote inresponse to that? I said the examples you guys gave to compare the situation are not the same, at all, because in their cases there is a possible way to provide concrete, guaranteed undeniable proof of their existences. One can be physically shown the truth that Botswana exists, there is at the very least one way in which they can be emperically exposed to concrete, undeniable truth of it's existence, and to continue beleivng otherwise would be of ignorancy. The same goes for Carbon Monoxide -- there is blatant proof of its existence, and to deny it would to be a fool.

In terms of God there has yet been no guaranteed, one-hundred-percent honest-to-goodness concrete evidence of proof of his existence. There is not so much as one thing you could use that would serve as enough proof to allow an unbeleiver to be no longer able to deny his existence.

[Koshizu]

Logic is not something that'll buy happiness

What
I know I rely heavily on logic above pretty much all other ideals. Graedius seems to as well. Perhaps because neither of us are religious plays a role in it, but other than that, I see no reason how this sentance is true.

Pokemon morals do not work in the real world. And probably not in the fantasy world, either...even though thats irrelevant, because we do not live in a fantasy world.

But the truth is that it is there, Carbon Monoxide is plaguing you as you are unaware that is there

Or so the MEDIA WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE D:

There you go, you're right, EVERYONE (no exceptions) loses their innocence once they have matured, education and society corrupts us. See as a psychologist I would've expected you to catch on to that real fast, see while a child will choose to play with a colorful rainbow ball, most mature people would rather find a more sophisticated, bland form of entertainment.

I object. And wonder what the he...ck this has to do with religion.

I can't even remember why I was posting here...oh yes, it was just a short reminder to keep on track, religion is a touchy subject. Don't force opinions, yadda yadda.

'Discussion is fine, but flaming is not.'

[Graedius]

koshizu said:

Logic is not something that'll buy happiness

What
I know I rely heavily on logic above pretty much all other ideals. Graedius seems to as well. Perhaps because neither of us are religious plays a role in it, but other than that, I see no reason how this sentance is true.

Indeed, Agreed. I think that the correct statement there is that "Logic does not buy a false sense of happiness/security."

Or so the MEDIA WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE D:

Did I just waste $28 on a Carbon Monoxide Detector?

There you go, you're right, EVERYONE (no exceptions) loses their innocence once they have matured, education and society corrupts us. See as a psychologist I would've expected you to catch on to that real fast, see while a child will choose to play with a colorful rainbow ball, most mature people would rather find a more sophisticated, bland form of entertainment.

I object. And wonder what the he...ck this has to do with religion.

Yes, I was.... rather wondering myself.
Oooh, this has become such an intellectual debate, I don't even know where to enter anymore, or f I even should. ^^;

[contention]

Actually you two post interesting ideas and remarks onto the debate that was at hand. It never fails that a post always takes a strange twist as from, "what religon are you" to "Why don't you believe in God or why do you." I also agree with the fact this is a very touchy subject, just believe in what you feel. As long as you are yourself, then there is possibly nothing that you could do wrong to your own self. Well.... there is a possiblity.... but usually we think before we act. I actually also agreed to the Logic not applying false happiness in my post during the midsection of that debate, but thats all an opinion unfortuantly. But then again, we all took a hand at the debate... either way, I think more-less the views are taken. Theres so many ways to look at things, no one will ever agree with anyones answer on religon in full proof. Theres always something to add on, something to take out of what someone else said.