2008-12-29, 15:50 | Link #1461 |
Bittersweet Distractor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 32
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Much of the last pages have revolved around semantics. In any case, it does not really matter what term is used if people are able to understand the intended point.
For example people have been referring to the beliefs of one person concerning the supernatural to be either religion or just spiritual. Or they have been questioning whether a religion takes one person or many. Finding a common definition is only helpful for organization and does nothing to backup any points concerning the issue. If two people are in disagreement over word-usage, but are able to understand what each other is referring to, then there is no reason to keep arguing as it gets them nowhere. It is not pertinent to keep doing so, and it is far better to discuss each others viewpoints rather than the somewhat subjective spins on definitions of certain terms that we hold. This I believe is leading to arguments when there really is not much of a argument to be made between posters. Taking Urzu 7 as an example.... He/She seems to be under attack by supposedly anti-religious people, but what most people including he/her are not particularly fond of in the first place is organized religion (Or just simply religion if you choose to follow WanderingKnight's reasoning) where sheep are force fed knowledge and there is a lack of open-minded thinking taking place. On that point, I feel that organized religion (The Vatican Church) has done a lot of good for society, but is quickly losing any sort of value it really once had and is now evolving into ugly forms like the Chinese Government where the State has essentially become the religion. It is definitely a form of control, as are many things in society, but is especially dangerous because of the means in which it takes control of people (Takes very little effort, sometimes none at all). I am not against individually formed, open minded beliefs concerning creation and the like, which I would coin as spiritual beliefs, but organized religion is definitely as WanderingKnight has put it is a hurdle that society must conquer in order to progress. I myself remain Agnostic, because I will not deny the possibility of people's beliefs, but I will not hold them as true because it is founded irrationally and without factual basis. So the flying spaghetti monster is about the same as God to me, as ludicrous as that may sound to many overly zealous, religious minded people.
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2008-12-29, 15:56 | Link #1462 | |||||
I disagree with you all.
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Or the next paragraph about factuality of the Bible. I'll be the first to say there's nothing reliably factual about it. But I won't in the next breath claim I'm trying not to be offensive. If I say so, it's fully aware that some devout Christians may be offended that I've insulted the holiest book of their religion that their faith explicitly state is 100% true and factual. Quote:
And by the way, I'm not trying to say you're a jerk. I'm a jerk: I give offense and I don't care. I'm trying to say you're insensitive: you give offense and you don't know. |
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2008-12-29, 22:16 | Link #1464 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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Buddhism is legitimately considered both a religion and a philosophy ... in fact, calling it a "religion" is not quite accurate in terms of western J-C-I forms of religion. Now there are many *forms* of Buddhism because as it moved from India through China and outward, it tended to be incorporated with the local traditions and indigenous religions -- which is how you got Tibetan, Thai, Japanese, and other wildly different looking versions overlying the basic principles of Buddhism. Many of the forms *appear* to worship the Buddha ... but they're simply honoring the guy who "figured it out and passed the solution along".
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2008-12-29, 23:58 | Link #1465 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: holding my BAROQUE...X__X
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asdadasdsad
i don't belive in the way the church does... i just found the religion like a good plan...but like always the mankind took it the wrong way... i mean....like politycs... ....now i only found it like an excuse to fight each other... i mean...people fights for what they believe...and exterminate the other who doesn't think in the same way... there is still a great lot of people who thinks in that way D: |
2008-12-30, 02:02 | Link #1466 | ||||
Juanita/Kiteless
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: New England
Age: 40
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As someone said, it starts to get bogged down by semantics. Quote:
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I'm not against people being atheists. People form different views in life; it is a part of life. I don't like how some Christians treat atheists in a poor regard and totally get in their hair, either. Nor do I like to see some people making it their goal to slam and slander religion in its entirety at every chance they get. I went and re-read some of your posts. I'm sorry I didn't read them as carefully as I should have. It does seem to me that your criticism does mainly lye in the religious institutions of the world, which plug directly into societies. Harm has come out of them, in a way, but most times it is not a real reflection on what the religion stands for; I still will argue that most times it really boils down to people failing to do things right. Really, religion is not so bad, it is people you have to be concerned with.
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Last edited by Urzu 7; 2008-12-30 at 02:24. |
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2008-12-30, 21:27 | Link #1467 | |
Human
Join Date: Aug 2004
Age: 37
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There's actually an old philosophical argument (classical Greek philosopher era) for why gods can't be the source of morality (which is called the Divine Command theory of ethics). Basically it goes that DC theory is self-refuting. Either god's commands have no logical reasoning behind them, which makes them completely arbitrary and therefore amoral (morality is by definition not arbitrary) or god has some other reasoning behind the commands, in which case god is no longer the ultimate source of morality. This was basically the basis for the philosophy of ethics; since morality has to come from something other than religion, it must be possible for us to figure it out without reference to spirituality. Which is of course the basis for the agnostic position that religion is completely unnecessary for moral behavior that's done for the right reasons (assuming the reasons matter at all). Unfortunately its susceptible to the counterargument that "god is special and ignores logic" to which there is no satisfactory reply. |
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2008-12-30, 22:03 | Link #1468 |
The Princess Has Arrived♥
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It's fairly hard for me to distinguish what religion I am apart of now, seeing as my mom is Christian, and I originally grew up around Jewish traditions. I'm basically agnostic-Jewish.
So confused with my main religion. So I don't really celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas. ;-; |
2008-12-31, 12:17 | Link #1469 | ||
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2008-12-31, 12:21 | Link #1470 |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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My religion is Haruhiism.
Really! I even write it in application forms. The difference about Haruhiism from other religions is that it does not preach peace in whatever kind of approach or form, it preaches spreading excitement around the world to make it a better place. Sekai Oikete, geddit? All hail Haruhi Okami-sama, wielding her infinite power of moe to change the world for better! |
2008-12-31, 14:55 | Link #1471 | |
Afflicted by the vanities
Fansubber
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fish-shape Paumanok
Age: 36
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Maybe you say that's not fair because it's a wrong interpretation, but clearly religious people would say that about their religion...
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2008-12-31, 18:39 | Link #1472 | |
Human
Join Date: Aug 2004
Age: 37
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Well, I don't have a strong opinion either way; I was just throwing that argument out there. |
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2008-12-31, 18:48 | Link #1473 | |
Just call me Ojisan
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: U.K. Hampshire
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Before this thread is dragged off-topic yet agian, please remember the actual topic.
Here's a post made a while ago in this thread. Quote:
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2009-01-03, 06:26 | Link #1475 | |
Astral Traveller
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Mimizan, Landes, France
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I think everyone agrees religion is just a reflection of how you live your life: Hindus live by the Bhagdavad Gita and other texts. Buddhists live by the Vinaya and Sutra. Christians live by the Bible. Muslims live by the Koran. Atheists live by method and reason. Jewish people live by the Torah. Agnostics live by their own morality. Did I forget any? Oh yeah, myself.... My religion actually changes from day to day. So here's the tenets of my religion today: #1 You should like headaches, it means your mind is growing. #2 I don't consider myself an atheist, because I like religion, I like art, I like sex, I like learning. I just like being alive. If someone were to ask me though, I would tell them I hold an atheistic view of the world. God is interesting, but only because humans are interesting, and is no way more real than say the elven characters of a fictional fantasy world. #3 Likes are stronger than loves. Loves always have a sense of 'attachment' to it, an overbearing feeling of passion that must be reciprocated. Loves are more social than personal. So instead of saying, "I love you", I just like to say "I like you". It's just more fun that way. (I'm sure my religion will chage by tomorrow ) |
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2009-01-03, 11:25 | Link #1476 | |
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Join Date: Jan 2009
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2009-01-03, 12:28 | Link #1477 | |
Wiggle Your Big Toe
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Milwaukee
Age: 33
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The Tanakh contains three sections: Torah (the first five books of the Old Testament), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). The Tanakh contains the 39 books found in the Christian Bible and called the "Old Testament." The talmud is considered the most important book in Judaism. This tells the jewish how to interpret and apply the laws found in scripture.
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2009-01-03, 12:49 | Link #1478 | |
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Join Date: Jan 2009
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not a debate, philosophy, religion |
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