Religion

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People think that I'm talkin' bad when I say that I am druid, I believe that all spritaul religons are one, save for demon- and satinism. Muhammab, Budda, God, I believe that they are all the same, what do you think?

What ever floats ur boat man.

I consider all conceptions of a divine entity as reflections of a higher power also. I am generally tolerant of the beliefs of others for this reason, except where their code of 'thou shalt nots' or evangelising affects the freedom or peace of others (including me at home - religious enquiries not welcome, I have my own beliefs thank you. My usual attitude is 'if only you and your chosen zealots are going to heaven, count me out....' )

I believe that which ever God or Goddess you choose is simply a way of connecting with the divine. Different Goddess (Gods) are useful for connecting with different aspects of the All, which is both male and female.

Do you belong to a grove Rakkety_Tamm ?

I don't put down anybody due there religon, but when I comes to Extremists like Bin Laden, they put a bad face on any religon they "represent," hey, I have a freind who is muslim, and he ain't a Christian hater or any thing.

I find it difficult to believe in any religion that exhibits a history of violence in the name of that religion and/or exhibits human or mythological qualities in their idea of God. To me, for example, to Jesus is the literal son of God, is no different in ancient Greeks belief that Hercules, Apollo, Perseus, and such were the literal sons of God. On the other hand, I have heard opposing views or accounts of Jesus, that he was not the literal son of God, which I tend to think is more believable. After all, if God exists, and does so as a divine, singular embodiement and is perfect, all knowing, all loving, all seeing, and so on, then he could not have a human son, which by definition and in some beliefs place him above all other humans. That is contradictory with the idea of a perfect, balance, unbiased, and all loving God. So would the idea that there is an infinite number of souls.

Nearly all religions have shown a propensity for violence in the name of that religion. Examples: Spanish/Moorish wars, crusades, inquisition, werewolf hunts/trials, witch hunts/trials, Mohommed's conquests, treatment of natives of India, America, Africa, and Asia by European powers, the terrorist cells of the 13th and 14th centuries, Ottoman wars against Byzantium Empire, Barbary Coast piracy, Kidnappings in Indonesia and Phillpines, Turks treatment of prisoners of war while attacking the Bulkan states, attacks on the Balkan states beyond Byzantium's lands, Persian aggression and empire growth, the shoguns efforts to stop the influx of alternate religions in the 15th to 17th centuries and beyond, Somalia, the rise of Saddam, Al-Jazeera propaganda and showing of half truths to bend facts to their agenda and make the west look bad or at least worse than it is, Taliban, Quadhafi, civil war in former Yugoslavia, civil war in Lebanon and Syria's involvement, the Muslim nations wars of the sixties against Israel, Isreals reactions to PLO actions, terrorism over Northern Ireland (England is protest anglican and Ireland is catholic, there is at least some motive in that), the PLO, Chechnya, and so on. Doesn't any of that sound familiar? There are religious motivated and wars and religion involved acts of violence everywhere and throughout human history. Perhaps, humans will never be mature enough or deserving enough to ever understand the nature or our creation, whatever that maybe.

By the way, this is not a rant against specific persons, just the nature of religion as it has been interpreted by nations or societies as excuses for war or violence.

I don't think any religion is more right than the other, but ones that have prove their faith and committment to peace are certainly noteworthy. It is the evident ability to practice what they preach that seem lacking in many religions on a overwhelming scale and kept up throughout existence. Confusianism, Buddhism, some American Indian beliefs, some Pacific Islander beliefs, some African perhaps, and maybe forms of Druisdism or nature centered worship are among the few that I have difficulty thinking of or finding any significant evidence of violence, large scale or otherwise.
Even those religions with this less than admirable past have some redeeming qualities and for the most part they seem to keep human morality and values in a proper perspective. It would just be nice if religions were less confrontational and more humane and understanding.

Hi all!
I have with these stuffs unlucky experiences. My parents belong to one little christian denomination (Nazarean church; in America is called Apostolic christian church (Nazarean)). I cannot to become accustomed to their view of life and meaning of life. They unwavering believe, that only their system of belief is the only right and that all other people will go to hell. They are satisfied with the state of todays world in such sense, that they would never to try to change something, that isnt quite right. They believe, that this world is dedicated to fire and that it hasnt sense to try to change something. I am very alone yet in my family. I havent many friends, especially intimate. I was trying to discuss some stuffs about their belief, but it is impossible to establish with them constructive discussion. They believe literally only to Scriptures. Nazarenes have e.g. generally a lot of children, because in Genesis 1:28 is stay written:
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and MULTIPLY, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
I have four sisters, but at them its common to have 7 and more children. What do you think about this? My mother e.g. speaks derogatory about women, that have only 1 or 2 children. Its view of the world is very narrow-minded. They believe, that it is will of the God, that women should bear on head headscarf, because in 1 Corinthians 11:13 is written:
Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
and on another place in Bible (Luke 18:1) is written, they they should always to pray.
My parents love me by their way, but i dont trust them. They dont advance in their spiritual development, what is (in my opinion) the purpose of life.
I dont like people that think, that only their system of belief is the only right, who try force their belief on another. A always respect views of other people, because i know, that different people stay on another stage of spiritual development. The way to knowledge is very hard and man is so lonely and exhausted. I am already adult (i am 21 1/2 years old) and i have my own route in life. I dont see my family too often, because i study far from my home and i come to home once in a few weeks. I dwelt in college, but i havent it easy with my roommates. Now i study already 4. year electronic and telecommunication. Past year i could not sleep, because of noise from computer of my roommate. It was very hard. This year i take very good medicine (Bio Melathonin), which helps not only to get asleep, but also is very good by depressions; improve concentration, memory and immune system. I am very glad, that it exist this ecellent website and that i can speak with people, that understand me. I fall in love (above one year ago) with my schoolmate, but she dont know this. I have not guts to tell her, that i love her. She is very nice and whenever i see her, she smile at me. I am very shy and remain cold, but my heart is stormed like sea by storm. I dont spoke about this to anybody up to now.

Funny. I have never heard of the Apostolic, but have heard of Nazarean and I live in the U.S.

I agree about the my way or the highway. I also anything should be open for opposing views, but in order to stand firmly on side or the other, I would prefer and respect more, original, multiple sources and/or evidence, clear arguements, and even if its biased, then base on bias from both sides in support of their views as opposed to blind ranting and raving with one sided or one source points in their diatribe.

So that you could not tell Bush was aweful without telling me why, where you got you proof or facts or evidence, who made it, is it realiable, what is the bias. You could almost argue such thoughts about any president or anyone for that matter, especially if your source material is limited or biased. Clinton and Nixon committed crimes while president. Perjury and tamper with or withholding evidence respectively. Lincoln had only about 39% popular vote or popularity, I am not sure which. Jackson got the heat for causing thousands of Cherokee deaths with the "Trail of Tears" though it is debateable whether Jackson or his predecessor (I think it was Van Buren) was responsible. Harding was supposedly had the most corrupt cabinet in U.S. history, Woodrow Wilson was spineless and let Britain and France walk all over him after he saved them from more death and years of fighting and itched to penalize Germany so bad that it would come bac k to haunt them later for some reason the U.S. bailed them out again, Vietnam was begun under JFK, and LBJ expanded Vietnam. Just a few examples.

As I posted in another thread, Catholicism is my special interest - an aesthetic high, a code to live by and an interface with normal people and the wider world. Has been for over 20 years. Like they said of Elvis, I was born believing in God. You can read about all that by clicking the www button at the bottom of my postings.

I think that the most important thing in any religion is a belief in God that guides you to do the right thing . . .

Religion is my special interest and I find that every religion that I read about can basically be boiled down to a set of instructions for how to behave around other humans - and all contain some version of the golden rule . . . this tells me that the same spirtiual force is coming up with all religions . . .
I think that each religion reflects the culture it came from and is simply what worked for that culture - therefore none is better than the other . . .

I myself follow Christianity, but I certianly don't condemn other religions as I know people who are Wiccan and Buddist and Hindu that are perfectly fine people . . .

It is interesting, by the way, that the first post on this topic mentioned satanism - this is the only 'religion' that is a reaction to another religion and does not have its own history . . . to me a relgion has to have two things to be a real religion 1) most basically it is a system of beliefs that guides a person's actions, and 2) it has a history and satanism is simply a reaction to Christianity - therefore it has no history . . . really, all it is a reversal of Christianity, making it a reaction, not a religion . . .

Isn't that overstating things a bit? The golden rule could just as easily be the most logical outcome of any two life forms to be treated equally, as one would treat another, mutual respect, if you hurt me-I hurt you, and therefore it could also and/or be a form of reaction itself. To conclude that a singular all powerful entity is responsible for life just on the basis of this simple formula and its common element in religions, is folly. One cannot conclude anything upon anyone common characteristic or one fact, more supporting evidence is always needed. In the case of a greater singular type of entity, force, or forces being responsible for the universe, then one would need even greater evidence.

you may be interested to read "Eye of Spirit" by Ken Wilber, who talks about the truth in all religions. but be warned - he is a total iconoclast, and is guaranteed to piss just about everybody off, but he'll make you think like a thinky thing.

btw - satanism is not a reaction to christianity, but an entity in its own right. devil worship is the one you're thinking of, and that's just for people who should find something better to do with their time. shock value is for teenagers.

what sort of druidism, raketty? i'm both a druid (well, ovate, actually) in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids (OBOD - interesting website) and a witch.

I am a new member of the South-East Druid Coalition, just join about a year ago.

I think organised religion is all based on fear.

I'm not a believer of any religion. I do believe in God and I believe He began evolution. I believe that he has chosen messengers who have tried to set an example for how people should live their lives (Buddha, Jesus, Ghandi, Mother Teresa, etc.) I think that if you try to live like these people you will be fine.

Some of my friends are born-again evangelical Christians. I have such a hard time believing in what they think. A lot of the tings they believe are just cruel. One of my friends actually told me that Ghandi is in Hell right now because 'Jesus Christ wasn't his personal Lord and Saviour'. I don't think a person needs to be 'saved' because why would God create such horrible beings that could never live up to His standards? I also think that there are errors in the bible. It was written by men years after Jesus died. His words could have easily been altered. Even if everything in the bible is accurate, that still leaves a lot of things up to interpretation. The bible claims Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.' If Jesus did actually say that, what if he meant through his example, by living your life the way he lived his?

There are what you might call contradictory elements, however, not all books were written immensely distant from his day. Mathew, Thomas, to name a couple. The problem is many of them were excluded from the bible in the years shortly before Rome's collaspe I think...because they wanted to reinterpret Jesus into their personal Ideologies and it has unfornutatly remained strong for many years.

One thing about christianity that has puzzled me somewhat- why is it that Jesus was accepted as the true son of god by so many people, but yet when David Icke made the same claim he was practically laughed out of the country???