How did you reach your views on Religion?

Strike Witch · #1 10-05-2007, 11:35 PM

Here's a question that hasn't been asked(at least lately):

How did you reach your views on religion?

What were you taught? What did you discover for yourself?

Oh, and, guys, no massive flaming. Debate and discussion is healthy, but you can atleast do it politely, if you need to debate at all.

So:

I'm an athiest. I grew up in a Roman Catholic family(grandparents) and and Athiestic single mum. She taught me a lot about the world, but never taught me about religion, she left it up to me.

I travelled most of Asia, Hong Kong, Beijing, Japan, and others.

I read every kind of scientific book or webpage I could find, and decided that God, if he exists, is a pretty shoddy bloke in my book and he sounds like someone with a personality problem. No thanks.

----

So how did you reach your religious viewpoint? Oh, and if you haven't yet, tell us how you're goin'!

Rupture Farms · #2 10-05-2007, 11:39 PM

I'm an Atheist too.

I get offended when I see these stupid ads like, "A lot of what Jesus taught was true".
They have no right to air shit like that, because what if you don't believe a lot of what Jesus taught was true? How are you meant to feel in that situation, where they're trying to convert people to religion like that? And what's most unsettling about it all, is that they're actually serious.

I obviously don't know if true or not, because I wasn't alive over 2007 years ago; and I don't mean to offend anyone, but "Religion" in general, sickens me. It's a virus.

I saw this interesting documentary called, "The Root of All Evil", and it truly opened my eyes. I agree with all of what Richard Dawkins was saying.

But probably the most ridiculous part of the bible, is where it states that Homosexuals are sinners. What, they 'choose' to be gay do they? It's all their fault because they're living a life they can't help.

As Richard would say, "The Old Testament God must be the most unpleasant character in all of fiction".

looney-bin · #3 10-05-2007, 11:58 PM

For God's sake, NOT ANOTHER RELIGION THREAD! Stop making them! We all know Havoc's going to come in waving his 2 inche weiner around spouting "GOD DONT EXIST U GUYZ R IDYORTS IF U FINK SO!", and Patrick's going to blindly whine about Islamics and how they're "TEH CULTZ" like some sort of inbred hic from the south of the US. These threads only cause flame wars and shitstorms, and besides that we already had a thread for this.

Rupture Farms · #4 10-06-2007, 12:01 AM

Yeah, but this "Ghost" person thinks Creating duplicate threads of long dead originals "is okay".
And I'm the one who receives the fucking witch-hunt because I actually want to bring back the old threads!

moxco · #5 10-06-2007, 01:15 AM

:

For God's sake, NOT ANOTHER RELIGION THREAD! Stop making them! We all know Havoc's going to come in waving his 2 inche weiner around spouting "GOD DONT EXIST U GUYZ R IDYORTS IF U FINK SO!", and Patrick's going to blindly whine about Islamics and how they're "TEH CULTZ" like some sort of inbred hic from the south of the US. These threads only cause flame wars and shitstorms, and besides that we already had a thread for this.

I totaly agree.

Patrick Vykkers · #6 10-06-2007, 02:02 AM

I reached my views on religion via logic, reason and a desire for spectacles involving lots of cannibalism and candles.

More seriously, I looked, I considered, I read, I researched, and I chose. Simple as that. The fact I had been present when my Catholic college graduate sister had been baptised was also an influence, and at the time I was dealing with some psychological issues.

Since then, I've been a consistent theistic Catholic, though my views on other religions have changed over time. My anti-Islam views came around a year and a half ago when while researching the Muhammad cartoons (a controversy which made me sick even then) I had found a site called MuslimWakeUp, comprised of liberal Muslims wishing to reform Islam. I then was led on a trail to different sorts of websites, and when I weighed it up, the total arguments and to be perfectly honest, bandwagon that yet involved thinking for yourself factor made me start to look further and find Islam wasn't the religion of peace I desperately wanted to believe it was.

My views on Buddhism fluctuate, as do those on Hinduism. Sometimes I'm a unificationist pluralist, sometimes I'm a hardline "Jesus is the only way" person, but this varies with mood and life experience.

abe is now! · #7 10-06-2007, 02:28 AM

:

For God's sake, NOT ANOTHER RELIGION THREAD! Stop making them! We all know Havoc's going to come in waving his 2 inche weiner around spouting "GOD DONT EXIST U GUYZ R IDYORTS IF U FINK SO!", and Patrick's going to blindly whine about Islamics and how they're "TEH CULTZ" like some sort of inbred hic from the south of the US. These threads only cause flame wars and shitstorms, and besides that we already had a thread for this.

Weell Said, Looney Bin. Rupture Farms can't insulte the catholic religion and others religions olny because he is atheist. I'm a catholic. I believe in God. What do you think about your and world creation, Rupture Farms?

Strike Witch · #8 10-06-2007, 03:39 AM

:

For God's sake, NOT ANOTHER RELIGION THREAD! Stop making them! We all know Havoc's going to come in waving his 2 inche weiner around spouting "GOD DONT EXIST U GUYZ R IDYORTS IF U FINK SO!", and Patrick's going to blindly whine about Islamics and how they're "TEH CULTZ" like some sort of inbred hic from the south of the US. These threads only cause flame wars and shitstorms, and besides that we already had a thread for this.

Eh, I said for people to be polite.

So be polite.

And if you wuz paying attention, you'd see that I said "how did YOU reach YOUR views" not "Bitch and Moan about others." Like you're doing.

And thanks Patty for that well-written post.

Rupture Farms · #9 10-06-2007, 03:51 AM

:

What do you think about your and world creation, Rupture Farms?

World creation?
Well, like literally everyone else on the planet, I have no idea.
The Big Bang?

Strike Witch · #10 10-06-2007, 03:58 AM

:

Yeah, but this "Ghost" person thinks Creating duplicate threads of long dead originals "is okay".
And I'm the one who receives the fucking witch-hunt because I actually want to bring back the old threads!

Yeah, that's exactly what I think. Hee, you're funny.

But don't drag stuff off topic. Ikahodo?

abe is now! · #11 10-06-2007, 04:06 AM

Yes the Big Bang... Generated by God will.

Rupture Farms · #12 10-06-2007, 04:23 AM

It is? I always just thought it was some natural thing..
I think it just...happened. That might be stupid, but I think the same about certain religions..

(I swear that this post, or any other ones I make in this thread will make it into people's signatures..)

Hobo · #13 10-06-2007, 05:14 AM

I sat and pondered until I reached my own beliefs. None of this sheep crap.

Bullet Magnet · #14 10-06-2007, 05:27 AM

My favourite philosophy is "things just happen, what the hell." Not that it is always helpful, true or healthy.

I would describe myself as an ignostic atheist. That puts me firmly on the atheist side of agnosticism, but agnostic nonetheless. Which is a stance I'm sure any self-respecting atheist should be, because in all honesty it is impossible to demonstrate that God does or does not exist (not falsifiable). Which I do find rather convenient, but that is that nature of such things that are so ill-defined apart from the "supernatural" tag. I don't believe in God or equivalent, but that doesn't mean I can say that there are none. This makes the existence of God or equivalent a complete non-issue for me.

The "ignostic" part is another form of agnosticism. No one will define the concept of God in any acceptable, meaningful or understandable way to me, in all honesty I don't have a clue what people are talking about. It's just me trying to keep scientifically objective, something which of course does not mix with the big religious issues. The statement "God exists", as a definition of state, makes as much coherent sense to me as "all mimsy were the borogroves".

I was never indoctrinated to any faith (or lack thereof). I mean, there was always prayer at school, and occasional trips to church in primary school (often to learn about celebrations or general history) and with the scouts, but they did little more than make me think about the specific issues addressed, rather than the one beseeched for aid in the matter.

My mother is a definite atheist, though she rarely discusses those views, when she does I am somewhat alarmed by the apparent extremism. I don't think the rest of my family has ever once mentioned religion in any form at all (besides my brother "taking offence at the idea of using the Bible as a textbook" mostly due to his take on it being boring)

I only came to my views by thinking about the world myself. It was only properly refined when I understood the principles of falsification, and realised that the whole issue wasn't worth my time. A kind of irony, considering the length of this post.

Havoc · #15 10-06-2007, 08:45 AM

Came to my conclusion using logic and life experience. I spent over 12 years on heavily christian schools, heard every biblical ever told and read the bible at least 3 times. However I've always been smarty pants, I never saw those stories as anything but mere stories. Being of no more value then Little Red Riding Hood or the Three Little Pigs. Christianity itself is full of holes as it is and can be shot down by a blind guy with a musket any day. Believing in an all powerfull person in the sky that rules everything, wether this is god, Allah, Buddah or a dragon is a different matter but just as silly. To me, saying that you believe a fairies or talking dogs is just the same as saying you believe in an invisible figure in the sky looking over everyone. It comes down to "it's written in a book so it must be true" and that's just retarded.

***Alcar*** · #16 10-06-2007, 09:46 AM

My defining moment?

Year 8 in High School - when I was around 13 or 14 years old. I had held reservations about the validity of Catholicism previously (and Christianity in general), but never in such ferocity as current. The defining moment was looking around at a full Church Mass. I vividly remember spacing out - time had stopped - and I was looking at 600+ people who were worshiping a false idol.

To say I was disgusted would be an understatement. As much as I respect individual freedom, I could not understand how such propaganda and lies could be spread so virally. I was really upset by the incident - even extremely distressed.

Alcar...

abe is now! · #17 10-06-2007, 09:51 AM

:

It is? I always just thought it was some natural thing..
I think it just...happened. That might be stupid, but I think the same about certain religions..

(I swear that this post, or any other ones I make in this thread will make it into people's signatures..)

The natural things are all created by God, including the Big Bang

Havoc · #18 10-06-2007, 11:36 AM

Please don't present those things as if they are fact... it makes me hate you.

looney-bin · #19 10-06-2007, 11:38 AM

:

Eh, I said for people to be polite.

So be polite.

And if you wuz paying attention, you'd see that I said "how did YOU reach YOUR views" not "Bitch and Moan about others." Like you're doing.

And thanks Patty for that well-written post.

I'm "bitching and moaning" because these threads just lead to to "science VS faith" bullshit, and nieve people like yourself who keep posting these threads don't help.

Also havoc, I think it abit hypocritical of you to compare believing in a faith to believing in fairy tales, considering you think you were once a tiger in a past life.

Why can't people just accept people believe or not believe in a religion (not counting the cults) and that be that? I myself was baptised Church of England, and I believe in both science and the possibility of a higher being.

Hobo · #20 10-06-2007, 11:44 AM

Looney-bin. Your negative comments are ones that lead to thread derailedments.

They are not facts. They are faiths. The simple fact that it's called a faith shows that there is no scientific fact in it. If anyone wants a religious debate quote this post NOW!

Strike Witch · #21 10-06-2007, 02:20 PM

:

I'm "bitching and moaning" because these threads just lead to to "science VS faith" bullshit, and nieve people like yourself who keep posting these threads don't help.

Also havoc, I think it abit hypocritical of you to compare believing in a faith to believing in fairy tales, considering you think you were once a tiger in a past life.

Why can't people just accept people believe or not believe in a religion (not counting the cults) and that be that? I myself was baptised Church of England, and I believe in both science and the possibility of a higher being.

Why are you bringing this up? This thread is for polite explanations of how people reached their beliefs. Not Science Vs Faith. That is you projecting.

See, if you had just elaborated on the last sentence of that post, you'd be following along and every thing would be dandy.

Stay on-topic.

Havoc · #22 10-06-2007, 02:29 PM

:

Also havoc, I think it abit hypocritical of you to compare believing in a faith to believing in fairy tales, considering you think you were once a tiger in a past life.

When the HELL did I ever say that?!

Patrick Vykkers · #23 10-06-2007, 03:24 PM

@All; Go ahead, insult the Catholic faith and piss on the Pope all you want. I won't stop you. You'll probably bear the consequences in purgatory but eh, that's your responsibility.

@looney-bin; Havoc does not believe he is a reincarnation of a tiger. He does, however, suffer from a mental disorder (which is not intended to be an insult towards him, merely a medical description of him) which makes him sexually attracted to animals, especially tigers.

Havoc is a staunch atheist and does not (correct me on this if I am wrong, Havoc) believe in any sort of life beyond that of the present one. So, he would not believe anyone had a past life.

@looney-bin; Nothing should be immune from criticism. Not even religion. If no one criticised religion, we would still have the Thugee, Japanese Emperor cult, Aleister Crowleyism and all sorts of cults.

Rupture Farms · #24 10-06-2007, 03:35 PM

:

The natural things are all created by God, including the Big Bang

Okay, well I don't beleive in God. Can you actually prove these so called "facts"?

Bullet Magnet · #25 10-06-2007, 04:48 PM

"Proof" is strictly a mathematical concept.

Rupture Farms · #26 10-06-2007, 05:08 PM

Not really.

Bullet Magnet · #27 10-06-2007, 05:41 PM

Yes really. Too long has it had rampant incorrect usage as the word "evidence". I only mention it because so often do I hear demands to prove something, frequently scientific, but also other claims, when such a request is impossible to meet.

You can prove something is wrong, however. Anything that cannot be proved wrong by its own definition or catch 22, ie God or most conspiracy theories, is not scientific.

You can support stances with evidence (ie evolution, Big Bang etc) but proof can only describe the relationship of cosine and tangent.

Rupture Farms · #28 10-06-2007, 05:49 PM

Okay, well I knew most of that. I was just trying to ask abe is now! if he had proof, when of course, there is none.

Bullet Magnet · #29 10-06-2007, 05:51 PM

Unless the Almighty is expressible mathematically, which would... be interesting.

Strike Witch · #30 10-06-2007, 05:55 PM

Occams' Razor.

God Created / The Universe.
God/ Just exists.

= The Universe Just Exists.

You could always look at it that way, or you could go for the other side.