Are you religious?

[Guest Stevie]

What religion are you? Do you think it's a load of bollocks. Is it possible for different religions to co-exist - it's probably caused more wars than the yanks? On the other hand people co-existed in Jerusalem for centuries. How deep is your faith, do you go to church or a mosque? Would you kill for your faith, or is it a systematic form of controlling the masses?

Edited February 12, 2009 by Stevie

[Ketsbaia 0]

I'm a militant atheist. Me and Dawkins will rule the world one day.

[JawD 31]

Im Catholic. I'm quite interested in history though (fuck me I some a boring twat). I'm not so sure religions can co-exist. Certain ones anyway. Catholics (the people, not the religion itself) had been pretty much abused over the centuries (Im thinking the crusades and so on). I think the essence of most religions are good, its the people in control of them that are fucked up and abuse their position. I see most as a very personal thing and wouldnt hold someones beliefs against them so long as its not harmful to another. I respect the views of most. Most religion will help people live with hard times etc and cope with the general day to day shite. I dont actually think anyones God can influence our day to day being. But can help people cope with self belief etc.

 

Something like that anyway. I'd need to get back on the smoke to answer it properly ....

[Jimbo 133]

My belief borders between atheism and agnosticism if that's at all possible.

[trophyshy 6434]

Anti-religionist with spiritual hope.

[MattM4 0]

My belief borders between atheism and agnosticism if that's at all possible.

Same.

[NJS 3986]

Raised a catholic - doubts surfaced as I hit teens - sort of hung on for a couple of years from not wanting to hurt my Mam's feelings and when I told her she call me an idiot (nicely) for not being honest.

 

Now I entertain the notion of a Deist "creator" but feel its unlikely and am vehemently against the man-made organised control regimes that blight the world.

 

I accept what I see as the human weakness in wanting to have something post death and don't knock that need but the dogma and irrational beliefs like creationism drive me absolutely mental.

 

I'm a militant atheist. Me and Dawkins will rule the world one day.

 

Prefer Hitchens - nastier with more alcohol around.

[Snake 0]

I'm a Jedi Knight

[smoggeordie 0]

Catholic, go to church when i'm visiting the folks or at Easter/Christmas. Used to go every week pre uni, but the temptations of sunday morning lie ins....

[2bias 3]

No religion

[tooner 243]

What religion are you? Do you think it's a load of bollocks. Is it possible for different religions to co-exist - it's probably caused more wars than the yanks? On the other hand people co-existed in Jerusalem for centuries. How deep is your faith, do you go to church or a mosque? Would you kill for your faith, or is it a systematic form of controlling the masses?

 

 

first off I'd like to say I'm not a yank....but I find it hilarious that you are even suggesting that the yanks have started more wars than Britain......granted you've been around longer but c'mon

 

 

ooops.....i forgot to say i am a not religious but have done a lot of reading on Taoism and I used to consult the I-ching

Edited February 12, 2009 by tooner

[Neville Neville Neville 0]

I was brought up reasonably religiously, and I think that has had a positive impact on me becoming the (hopefully, good) person that I am today. I would never have a go at someone for being religious, because we need a coping system for the horrible things that happen with the world, and if religion helps people cope just a little bit better, then it can't be a bad thing.

 

I also think that religion still has an important role in bringing up children, and guiding them into learning whats right and wrong. And this may be reflected by the increased deterioration in English society as society generally becomes less religious.

 

However, as I've grown up, I've moved towards the important thing being whether at the end of the day you feel that you have generally had a positive influence on society and done what you can to make your little bit of the world a better place. A sort of personal judgement day as compared to the more extreme religious End of World, Judgement Day. There is no Heaven or Hell reward/punishment for having lived a good life, you are just being good because you should be.

 

I don't know when I stopped believing in a 'God' per se, but I have only relatively recently began to stop associating myself with religion. I think thats come from a realisation that most of the good things to do with religion are mainly done on an individual basis, whilst the corruption, stupid (in my opinion obviously) and barbaric things practised tend to be more in the name of the religion. Basically, if all religion was abolished, I feel that a large amount of good done by religious people would carry on, whereas quite a lot of bad done would no longer happen.

 

BTW, I think culture is more important than religion, and I've kept on quite a few bits and pieces that are from religion, not for religious reasons but to remain embracing my culture

 

I've moved more to a humanist stance.... although knowing the way people are, that will become a religion one day, and wars will be fought in the name of humanism (as parodied by the cracking South Park Episode 'Go God Go XII' with the warring Allied Atheist Alliance, United Atheist Alliance, and the United Atheist League)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism

 

Humanism is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people, based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appealing to universal human qualities, particularly rationality.[1][2] It is a component of a variety of more specific philosophical systems and has been incorporated into several religious schools of thought. Humanism can be considered as a process by which truth and morality is sought through human investigation. In focusing on the capacity for self-determination, humanism rejects transcendental justifications, such as a dependence on belief without reason, the supernatural, or texts of allegedly divine origin. Humanists endorse universal morality based on the commonality of the human condition, suggesting that solutions to human social and cultural problems cannot be parochial.[3]

[Renton 17848]

Raised a catholic - doubts surfaced as I hit teens - sort of hung on for a couple of years from not wanting to hurt my Mam's feelings and when I told her she call me an idiot (nicely) for not being honest.

 

Now I entertain the notion of a Deist "creator" but feel its unlikely and am vehemently against the man-made organised control regimes that blight the world.

 

I accept what I see as the human weakness in wanting to have something post death and don't knock that need but the dogma and irrational beliefs like creationism drive me absolutely mental.

 

I'm a militant atheist. Me and Dawkins will rule the world one day.

 

Prefer Hitchens - nastier with more alcohol around.

 

Pretty much the same.

 

As far as religion's coexisting, of course they can, to an extent, they have been for millennia, but they will always be a source of friction and ultimately bloodshed. Of course, it's impossible for them all to be true - I'm amazed that this fact alone (i.e. disregarding any lack of empirical evidence for any religion etc) itself isn't enough to convince anyone with half a brain that the whole lot is manmade bullshit. But then religion, and many of its followers, is clearly supremely arrogant. I think Nevillex3 was alluding to this in the other thread using football support as a metaphor.

 

I had hoped that rationality would win the day, in the West at least, and we could evolve to become a truely secular society where religion took a back seat for those (hopefully few) that wished to remain superstitious. Unfortunately recently we have seen a reversal of the enlightenment, especially in the US, ironically partly caused by islamic fundamentalists. I find the whole backward movement quite depressing.

[The Fish 9027]

I've gotot nothing against personal belief structures, but when they become organised and stationary I find them exclusive and contradictory.

 

I also do not think a persons religion is enough to define them.

[Guest alex]

Basically, if there is a God, why does he allow such suffering to happen? He's either helpless or malevolent. Or doesn't exist. I tend to go with the latter.

Edited February 12, 2009 by alex

[bawan 0]

Muslim, Dont pray, Dont go to mosque, "Would you kill for your faith" thats a load of bollocks, people killing in the name of religion is just wrong. In no religion does it say you have to kill in the name of god

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Christened Church of England, but not remotely religious, I believe in science.

 

Don't recall the last time I was in a church. Last wedding I went to was a registry office do and the last funeral was a non-religious humanist ceremony at a crem.

 

I do think that most of the wars and conflicts of the last century have been caused at least in part by religion.

[bawan 0]

Just a quick note Stevie its either Shiite Muslim or Shia Muslim not Shite.

[Guest alex]

Christened Church of England, but not remotely religious, I believe in science.

 

Don't recall the last time I was in a church. Last wedding I went to was a registry office do and the last funeral was a non-religious humanist ceremony at a crem.

I do think that most of the wars and conflicts of the last century have been caused at least in part by religion.

I don't think that bears close analysis tbh. WWI/II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War etc?

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Christened Church of England, but not remotely religious, I believe in science.

 

Don't recall the last time I was in a church. Last wedding I went to was a registry office do and the last funeral was a non-religious humanist ceremony at a crem.

I do think that most of the wars and conflicts of the last century have been caused at least in part by religion.

I don't think that bears close analysis tbh. WWI/II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War etc?

Didn't persecution of the jews play a part in WW2 then?

[Guest alex]

Christened Church of England, but not remotely religious, I believe in science.

 

Don't recall the last time I was in a church. Last wedding I went to was a registry office do and the last funeral was a non-religious humanist ceremony at a crem.

I do think that most of the wars and conflicts of the last century have been caused at least in part by religion.

I don't think that bears close analysis tbh. WWI/II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War etc?

Didn't persecution of the jews play a part in WW2 then?

It wasn't a cause of the conflict.

[JawD 31]

Basically, if there is a God, why does he allow such suffering to happen? He's either helpless or malevolent. Or doesn't exist. I tend to go with the latter.

 

and yet man could wipe out the most of the worlds suffering. If man looked at itself as one being, one thing, it could share wealth, make everyone equal, forget about personal gain or satisfaction and help those is need. Of course, there is as much chance of seeing a God than this actually happening. but, fact remains, why would a God help if we cannot help ourself? Mind, Im thinking on the grander scale here. Wars, starvation etc man has a hand in. a tsunami that wipes out thousands is a different arguement Many might argue that mans constant neglect and misuse of life brings this on himself.

[Guest alex]

Basically, if there is a God, why does he allow such suffering to happen? He's either helpless or malevolent. Or doesn't exist. I tend to go with the latter.

 

and yet man could wipe out the most of the worlds suffering. If man looked at itself as one being, one thing, it could share wealth, make everyone equal, forget about personal gain or satisfaction and help those is need. Of course, there is as much chance of seeing a God than this actually happening. but, fact remains, why would a God help if we cannot help ourself? Mind, Im thinking on the grander scale here. Wars, starvation etc man has a hand in. a tsunami that wipes out thousands is a different arguement Many might argue that mans constant neglect and misuse of life brings this on himself.

God, supposedly, created man in his own image. I don't believe in God anyway though.

Edited February 12, 2009 by alex

[tooner 243]

Raised a catholic - doubts surfaced as I hit teens - sort of hung on for a couple of years from not wanting to hurt my Mam's feelings and when I told her she call me an idiot (nicely) for not being honest.

 

Now I entertain the notion of a Deist "creator" but feel its unlikely and am vehemently against the man-made organised control regimes that blight the world.

 

I accept what I see as the human weakness in wanting to have something post death and don't knock that need but the dogma and irrational beliefs like creationism drive me absolutely mental.

 

I'm a militant atheist. Me and Dawkins will rule the world one day.

 

Prefer Hitchens - nastier with more alcohol around.

 

Pretty much the same.

 

As far as religion's coexisting, of course they can, to an extent, they have been for millennia, but they will always be a source of friction and ultimately bloodshed. Of course, it's impossible for them all to be true - I'm amazed that this fact alone (i.e. disregarding any lack of empirical evidence for any religion etc) itself isn't enough to convince anyone with half a brain that the whole lot is manmade bullshit. But then religion, and many of its followers, is clearly supremely arrogant. I think Nevillex3 was alluding to this in the other thread using football support as a metaphor.

 

I had hoped that rationality would win the day, in the West at least, and we could evolve to become a truely secular society where religion took a back seat for those (hopefully few) that wished to remain superstitious. Unfortunately recently we have seen a reversal of the enlightenment, especially in the US, ironically partly caused by islamic fundamentalists. I find the whole backward movement quite depressing.

 

 

agreed, they served to add fuel to the Evangelical Right (the ones that pushed the second term of Bush into reality), they scare the hell out of me more than any bomb toting muslim

[Tom 13883]

Christened Church of England, but not remotely religious, I believe in science.

 

Don't recall the last time I was in a church. Last wedding I went to was a registry office do and the last funeral was a non-religious humanist ceremony at a crem.

I do think that most of the wars and conflicts of the last century have been caused at least in part by religion.

I don't think that bears close analysis tbh. WWI/II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War etc?

Didn't persecution of the jews play a part in WW2 then?

It wasn't a cause of the conflict.

 

The vastness of the Holocaust wasn't discovered towards the very end of WW2.

 

A lot of Britain were quite anti-Semitic at the time too...