I was wondering if anyone followed a religion and how it affects you? As a toddler my dad and his side of the family was and still are Christian. My dad died when I was five years old.I have questioned religion since I was a young teenager.
I now consider myself to be a Unitarian Christian. I don't believe a lot of the bible but, I think the Christian bible is a book of good teachings and moral stories. I was just wondering what if any religion you followed? I'm not here to start a fight I am just curious.
The way the world works, mediocre people rise to the top and run things. The least talented and most talented have to suffer. Most religions - like most governments, corporation etc - are run by the mediocres. They tend to lose track of the actual message/meaning of a religion and get caught up in bureaucracies, dead rituals, power, self-preservation etc. Its like a great spiritual leader says profound things while standing on a beach - and then the following religion focuses on worshiping the footprints left on the beach and not the meaning of the messages.
In that regard, I find most of the enthusiasts and critics of religion rarely know what they are talking about. Having been raised a Catholic, I know the Church says "you must do this this and this". Then the critics come by, and say I don't like the Church because you must do "this this and this". In truth, neither Jesus or apostles actually said people must do "this this and this". Jesus himself was anti-authoritarian - a reason religious leaders had him killed. He regarded a lot of religious leaders as frauds. The same is true today.
Very often I see religious people condemning themselves because they cant be as good as the want - and I see critics condemning their religion because it makes people force themselves into codes of conformity. The fact is JC said you can't save yourself by your own efforts, and being superficially conformist was one of his biggest complaints. That doesn't mean people don't have to yearn to do better and seek change. Its just means they cant pick themselves up by the bootstraps (there's another way) and they won't find what they need from plastic religious leaders who want your money/ allegiance more than your well being. People need to learn about their religions directly on their own studies and not rely on the mediocre sources. That doesn't mean people should invent their own facts - just that they should be clear on exiting ones. "Love your enemy" ws intended as a self defense and not an encouragement to allow people to walk over you (the usual interpretation).
Last edited by Isoverity : 31-12-2014 at 11:12 PM.
I grew up Methodist Christian, pulled away and became very negative towards religion in general, then in more recent years I have researched, read about, experienced and talked to many people with many different views and belief systems and although I would consider myself still learning (probably always will be) and still searching, I now strongly identify as a Methodist Christian and I am very happy to say so :)
'Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.'
['There is only one thing we say to death. Not today'.']
'We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.’ – Oscar Wilde
‘It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.’ Sydney Carter
I myself am Wiccan, and though that's caused quite a few problems for me, as a lot of folks around where I live are the kind who are unforgiving of those with different religions, I still hold strongly to my beliefs. I do understand other beliefs, though, and in fact I like studying them, I just wound up practicing Wicca because that's what speaks to me most.
In the whole, I find my beliefs have been a huge source of relief and has helped me in my recovery a bit. Performing a ritual or just a simple talisman spell really gives me, personally, a good focus for my energy, and a way to occupy my mind.
These are just my personal feelings. I do subscribe to certain Christian morals, as a large majority of them are shared between Christianity and my belief system. Ultimately I think religious choices come down to how each person feels, and no one should judge anyone for their beliefs.
Sorry, I think maybe I got a little off topic. Best wishes to you <3
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Wannabe CPN : -)
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When i was a kid we used to have a Vicar come in and make us pray , i did it up until around age 14, i believe in God, and believe we will end up in heaven however i do not go to any types of church.
in not sure how i would describe my religious view point really. i think there is some form of higher power but i also have the belief that everything is connected in terms of energy if that makes scene.
I am atheist, though I was agnostic in a general sense for many years and before that Daoist, experimented with paganism as a teen but found it didn't quite fit, haven't believed in a God as such since I was 10, I didn't like the traditionalism and sometimes ritualism involved. I used to be very anti-religion but nowadays I am alot more respectful, it can bring out the best in some people, it's a shame it has caused so much conflict and suffering.
The way the world works, mediocre people rise to the top and run things. The least talented and most talented have to suffer. Most religions - like most governments, corporation etc - are run by the mediocres. They tend to lose track of the actual message/meaning of a religion and get caught up in bureaucracies, dead rituals, power, self-preservation etc. Its like a great spiritual leader says profound things while standing on a beach - and then the following religion focuses on worshiping the footprints left on the beach and not the meaning of the messages.
In that regard, I find most of the enthusiasts and critics of religion rarely know what they are talking about. Having been raised a Catholic, I know the Church says "you must do this this and this". Then the critics come by, and say I don't like the Church because you must do "this this and this". In truth, neither Jesus or apostles actually said people must do "this this and this". Jesus himself was anti-authoritarian - a reason religious leaders had him killed. He regarded a lot of religious leaders as frauds. The same is true today.
Very often I see religious people condemning themselves because they cant be as good as the want - and I see critics condemning their religion because it makes people force themselves into codes of conformity. The fact is JC said you can't save yourself by your own efforts, and being superficially conformist was one of his biggest complaints. That doesn't mean people don't have to yearn to do better and seek change. Its just means they cant pick themselves up by the bootstraps (there's another way) and they won't find what they need from plastic religious leaders who want your money/ allegiance more than your well being. People need to learn about their religions directly on their own studies and not rely on the mediocre sources. That doesn't mean people should invent their own facts - just that they should be clear on exiting ones. "Love your enemy" ws intended as a self defense and not an encouragement to allow people to walk over you (the usual interpretation).
all my few years not being on here, i actually missed reading what you have to say.
i do catholic stuff when i pray. i read a christian bible cuz my grandma gave it to me. depending on the day i could be atheist lol. i hardly claim myself. i cant follow a guidline
and re reading what you said makes me not want to seek guidance from the church tomorrow. **** it.
and re reading what you said makes me not want to seek guidance from the church tomorrow. **** it.
Its still good to talk to various people. I used to talk to Hare Krishnas, Moonies, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses etc. - all sorts of people. You just don't have to be a belonger to anything. The Church has a lot of good ideas. Its things like having to be baptized to go to heaven that stand out as odd additions. I remember when my father died, and the deacon and lay reader came over and told us all not to "worry" since my father had been baptized. I figured my father probably wasn't in heaven and if he was it wasn't because of baptism lol. There's nothing in the Christian bible that says a person can't go to heaven if they aren't baptized. That's additional bureaucratic thinking intended to put clergy first. Martin Luther was a Catholic priest until he read the bible for himself and was like "whoa" lol
Last edited by Isoverity : 17-01-2015 at 07:00 AM.
From what I can gather he's saying that in any religious or other organisation there will be people leading who probably shouldn't due to their motives, but the actual religion itself is not wrong or 'evil', just those claiming to talk about their view on it as fact. I do not see any problem with someone who has researched and/or thought about their beliefs and decided x religion is for them, the only time I have a conflict is when people are forcing their views on somebody else or are trying to manipulate people of a certain religion to believe that said religion dictates that they must do awful things.
In summary, so long as the individual doesn't let their faith negatively harm others and do not follow blindly the leaders of x or y religion without questioning then I think for some, including myself, religion can be a positive thing.
'Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor, and it can never be used to hurt you.'
['There is only one thing we say to death. Not today'.']
'We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.’ – Oscar Wilde
‘It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.’ Sydney Carter
