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Post by dinosauria101 on Aug 31, 2019 22:50:21 GMT 5
Title says it: What are your reasons for being or not being religious?
NOTE TO MODS: I looked for a thread where this might fit and there did not seem to be one, but if you feel this belongs in an existing thread, then by all means move it
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Post by thalassophoneus on Nov 2, 2019 15:56:53 GMT 5
I used to be a very dogmatic atheist, but lately I'm more open to religion since I see its good aspects and people's need to belief in superntural protective forces. I have thought of joining the Bahai Faith.  |
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rock
Senior Member Rank 1
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Post by rock on Nov 9, 2019 20:15:20 GMT 5
i follow religion , but i beilieve in both evolution and religion , so i kinda beileve that a mix of both happened .
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Post by theropod on Nov 10, 2019 5:34:17 GMT 5
This is very similar to the "Rate your Belief" thread. I get that depending on the definition, religion is not necessarily "belief in god", but it does at least require some form of "belief" in some form of perceived supernatural power in order to actually be a religion (as opposed to a philosophy, such as a code of morality or ethics, or a view on the meaning of life), so I think it can be subsumed under that header even if the poll specifically asks about belief in god. I’ve already given reasons for why I do not believe in "supernatural" entities on that thread, e.g.: theworldofanimals.proboards.com/post/32880/threadAt least theoretically I would be open to the idea that (in a way similar to how I would be open to actual evidence for Sasquatch or Alien abductions) beings with abilities commonly ascribed to deities could exist, and that we may simply not have discovered them yet, as unparsimonious as that is. But I think the truly "supernatural" is, by its very definition, impossible (if it exists, then it is natural), as are beings that transcend all physical or logical laws. That’s why they belong in the realm of fantasy, which requires suspension of disbelief, not the real universe, which consists of things we can, at least theoretically, describe with science. As for religion, I think it is evident that throughout human history, while it has accomplished impressive things, it has mainly been used as a reason or very handy pretext, for many of the most terrible things humans have been doing to each other, and in many cases continues to do so. That is not in itself a criticism of "belief" or "religion", but rather the people adhering to it, and the structures organised religion often entails. But it should be a warning sign when over thousands of years, the same thing (most, if not all major religions) keeps being used as a means and an excuse for war, destruction, imperialism, oppression and bigotry. For example I’d like to think that buddhism is one of the more peaceful religions (if we even want to call it a religion, it’s straddling the boundary a bit), and throughout its history has certainly caused much less damage than the likes of christianity or islam, but even here all is not well. E.g. disability is considered to be a punishment for bad karma, and disabled people often treated accordingly. I don’t think I even need to get started on the systemic oppression of free thought and people, the war, the mass murder and the countless other cruelties that less moderate religions have caused and contributed to. Considering many religious institutions (e.g. the catholic church) have been around continuously since the times when such atrocities occurred, and often fail to sufficiently reform and distance themselves from their own dark past (and often continue willingly causing or condoning human suffering, e.g. the church’s refusal to lift their prohibition on the use of contraceptives in AIDS-ridden Africa, or their willing obstruction of justice in cases of systematic child molestation by clergy…), I would not want to associate myself with such an institution, even if I did believe in god(s). Another thing specific to religion, but not necessarily the mere belief in any form of supernatural entity, is that there are hundreds or thousands of religions, and most of them want you to choose them specifically to the exclusion of all others. But why would I choose one of those over the other? Why would I find the claims of christianity or islam any more likely than those of wicca or neo-paganism? We’ve already established that beliefs don’t base on any objective evidence, so if a religion is simply a system of specific beliefs, how can any single religion claim to be more "true" or "better" than any other? Funnily enough, most christians or muslims would probably take massive offence at being put on the same level as wicca, let alone pastafarianism, yet I haven’t talked to a single person adhering to any religion who was able to produce a coherent argument as to why their religion is more valid than any other.
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Post by sam1 on Nov 17, 2019 0:03:35 GMT 5
Religion is basically just one of the countless forms of what is the root issue.. ideology.
One would be hard pressed to find a human being that is not conditioned by some form of ideology.
In general, religion is a lesser for of the grand mother of all ideologies - the collective belief that humanity is above nature.
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Post by creature386 on Nov 17, 2019 0:12:06 GMT 5
As for the last line, religion isn't the same as Christianity. There were plenty of religions which believed all life on Earth was related (correctly, even if by accident) and some which even believed that things like rocks had souls.
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Post by sam1 on Nov 17, 2019 3:16:16 GMT 5
As for the last line, religion isn't the same as Christianity. There were plenty of religions which believed all life on Earth was related (correctly, even if by accident) and some which even believed that things like rocks had souls. Yeah, thanks for correcting me. What's even more, the first, animistic religions were actually the very opposite to the human-centrism of the two biggest religions today(christianity and islam). |
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rock
Senior Member Rank 1
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Post by rock on Nov 18, 2019 1:20:14 GMT 5
I used to be a very dogmatic atheist, but lately I'm more open to religion since I see its good aspects and people's need to belief in superntural protective forces. I have thought of joining the Bahai Faith. wow , you have a awsome profile picture , hell i say it looks even better than mine , sorry if its kinda random , just had to admire it , plus i love killer whales . |
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Post by Infinity Blade on Nov 18, 2019 1:32:37 GMT 5
I may post here later today if I find the time. But for now I have to write up my part for a project...and write a paper for another class.
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Post by creature386 on Nov 18, 2019 1:38:35 GMT 5
I should write a paper, too, but damn, writer's block.
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Post by thalassophoneus on Jan 1, 2020 16:39:47 GMT 5
I used to be a very dogmatic atheist, but lately I'm more open to religion since I see its good aspects and people's need to belief in superntural protective forces. I have thought of joining the Bahai Faith. wow , you have a awsome profile picture , hell i say it looks even better than mine , sorry if its kinda random , just had to admire it , plus i love killer whales . It's from Deviantart actually, which kinda makes me wonder whether I'm doing something illegal. Copyright is an extremely sensitive subject and I still don't understand how exactly it works. www.deviantart.com/tilikum/art/Too-close-174195833 |
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TheLionBoy
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Post by TheLionBoy on Feb 7, 2020 23:34:09 GMT 5
I am a muslim person
But I respect every religion
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Post by Infinity Blade on Feb 8, 2020 0:05:20 GMT 5
I may post here later today if I find the time. But for now I have to write up my part for a project...and write a paper for another class. Completely forgot about this. But anyway, here's my (admittedly probably not the best) explanation for my views regarding religion (particularly why I don't really follow it). I am no longer inclined to follow any religion simply because...why should I? For one, I don't see what can't be explained without goddidit. To illustrate what I mean by this, allow me to provide an example. All life on Earth today is the way it is as a result of billions of years of evolution: the first organisms were not humans, dogs, cats, elephants, or giraffes in their present form. And, although all the nuanced mechanisms of abiogenesis (i.e. how it occurred) are not fully understood, that abiogenesis occurred at all is not in question amongst scientists. Could I still believe in a deity or some supernatural power, one that could have even had a hand in both abiogenesis and evolution ( as per theistic evolution)? Sure. Buuuuuut...why should I? Even the parts where we're not sure how things operated don't mean or necessarily require a supernatural force as an explanation. And the parts where we do know how things operated definitely do not require goddidit (or anything by the likes of it). Now, I won't pretend that I've totally immersed myself in the subject regarding what evidence there is for a certain deity's existence or why follow a specific religion. I haven't delved into what a bunch of great theologians have said in the past. So no, I won't be able to make a comment on what arguments these guys brought up. But then again, I'm not interested in any of these religions either. To quote an atheist who once spoke to Aron Ra, " Why should I study all these religions I don't even believe in when I'm not even interested in that?". I don't think we don't judge people who don't believe in Bigfoot, ghosts, or reptilians just because they aren't all the way down at the bottom of the Bigfoot, ghost, reptilian, or what-have-you rabbit hole. In the same manner, I don't have to effectively become a theological scholar to be an atheist or an agnostic. |
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Post by creature386 on Feb 8, 2020 1:33:53 GMT 5
Well, I guess I can give my take, too.
-I have little to no reason to believe that the claims made by the major world religions are true.
-There is little to no social pressure where I live to follow religion and in fact plenty against it.
-I find little meaning or fulfillment in following any world religion and they are generally incompatible with my worldview.
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Post by Life on Feb 17, 2020 15:57:22 GMT 5
Title says it: What are your reasons for being or not being religious? NOTE TO MODS: I looked for a thread where this might fit and there did not seem to be one, but if you feel this belongs in an existing thread, then by all means move it Religion is about creating a civilization - a belief system which facilitate centralization and shared values in a group of people. There will be CHAOS otherwise. Modern-era nation states have adopted the Parliament model to create civilization(s) but state institutions cannot curb human transgressions by throwing people in the JAIL and such. State institutions are all about ENFORCEMENT of "Policies." FAITH is the best technique to shape MORAL CHARACTER. Study for reference: www.researchgate.net/publication/327727871_The_Role_of_Religion_in_Shaping_Moral_Character_an_Islamic_Perspective--- I am religious and a believer. My faith shapes my humanity but does not hinder my rationality or prevent me from being scientific - I strive for truthfulness and knowledge. I am comfortable with the notion/reality of the UNSEEN. I believe that there is much about the COSMOS which WE do not understand yet. On the face of it, humans are a small (and insignificant) component of the COSMOS. I have noticed that lifeforms show a tendency towards SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE over time until a RESET occurs. Superior intelligence enable lifeforms to explore their surroundings in greater depth, have a sense of purpose and seek ANSWERS besides fighting for survival. The most pressing question is this: WHOM DO WE LOOK UP TO AND WHY? ENTER GOD FACTOR. What is happening on Earth, is not representative of the COMPLEXITY of the COSMOS on the whole. Better (to be) be safe than sorry. |
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