What's your religion?

[Ramong]

I an atheist, but since i live in Denmark thats normal here. While in other countries the religious ones are the norm, here only a handfull go to church, and it is more and more normal to not get married in the church.
Denmark are officialy of the Lutheran Church. Afaik onyl Iceland are less beliving than us

[faustianideals]

Originally Posted by Ramong

I an atheist, but since i live in Denmark thats normal here. While in other countries the religious ones are the norm, here only a handfull go to church, and it is more and more normal to not get married in the church.
Denmark are officialy of the Lutheran Church. Afaik onyl Iceland are less beliving than us

Have you read the gospel of our fair lady Google?

[WanderingKnight]

Perhaps this isn't the best thread to post this in, but since we've been discussing this sort of thing a lot in it, I thought I'd drop a comment on it.

I've been reading Asimov's Guide to the Bible. I know that it might be a little outdated, but it's a great read to learn more about the secular aspects of the Bible as a historical document. Hebrew mythology aside, it's very interesting to see how you can sew together a historical line out of the extremely vague words the Bible conveys, and it's even more interesting to see what sort of perspective of the world gave birth to such a document. I find the interpretation of the Garden of Eden as a nostalgic remembrance of the Tigris-Euphrates valley and the long-lost Sumerian civilization particularly interesting. It's... sort of "exciting" to see exactly where all these myths and beliefs anchor themselves in reality.

Either way, I just wanted to contribute that. I'm still halfway through the book, but it's a very interesting read. If anything, it's at least to learn a bit more about the origins of the Jews as a civilization and how their system of beliefs came to be (and subsequently dominated most of the Western world).

[yezhanquan]

Nominally, I have no religion. I believe in Buddha's teaching's (though I find it hard to follow all of them). I believe in supernatural stuff. I believe that there's a counter force to everything and anything. "Darkness" is at least as powerful as the "Light".

[Vexx]

Asimov's Guide to the Bible was one of my favorite early reads as well (I think I read it a decade or two ago). In fact, I need to lay hands on a copy because there is the rare occasion I'd like to quote from it.

[Irenicus]

My religion came from The Gospel According to Jesus Christ.

Man, God was so cool in that book. And so was Jesus, gutsy man he was. And the Devil. The Devil was the best.

Brilliant book too. The end got a little rushed, but the rest was just completely awe-inspiring. Extra points for a truly unique writing style and one of the most convincing portraits of what the Ancient Hebrews must've thought, felt, and lived in their time.

...

Joke aside, I find religion in general not all that convincing. ~_~

[wnmnkh]

I read the whole Bible several times (in different versions as well), and found many things are just not acceptable, and there are so many contradictions and errors as well.

Same for Qur'an as well. (I must say that I understand the translated Qur'an is not really the Qur'an because it is not written in the original language. But I assume that at least I get most of the basic ideas.)


.....Any of you guys actually read holy books? It seems many people just believe their religion without bothering reading single sentence on their books. Same for non-believers who bash the religion without knowing important details on that religion.

I see many people, believers and non-believers alike, read 'guides' instead of the original. I do not like the idea of 'guides', since such books will introduce the author's view/bias on the religion, and most books are not just comprehensive enough (see the length of the Bible and the Qur'an, it is not possible IMO.)

Plus : I regard such guides as more like additional views and ideas, and that's only useful if I had read the original first. So, I suggest all of you guys read the holy books first, then read guides for the extra thoughts.

[HayashiTakara]

Born and raised buddhist... never been back to the temples or anything since I've moved out of my parents 8 years ago, but most of my beliefs still revolves around it.

[NorthernFallout]

Atheist/Nihilist/Satanist....yeah it doesn't make any sense but that's how I feel.

[HayashiTakara]

Originally Posted by Ilya

Atheist/Nihilist/Satanist....yeah it doesn't make any sense but that's how I feel.

er.. yeah, especially when Atheist negates everything else, well nothing wrong with being confused. XD

[NorthernFallout]

Originally Posted by HayashiTakara

er.. yeah, especially when Atheist negates everything else, well nothing wrong with being confused. XD

It varies from time to time that's why I'm confused :P

[Echoes]

Originally Posted by HayashiTakara

er.. yeah, especially when Atheist negates everything else, well nothing wrong with being confused. XD

Atheism doesn't negate nihilism. Being an atheist just means you don't believe in God, while nihilism is a philosophical position.

Satanism doesn't work that well with atheism, though, if you're talking about the traditional worship of the Satan in the Bible.

Joke aside, I find religion in general not all that convincing. ~_~

I'll second that. I'm very skeptical to even the existence of a God, and that some people have been able to figure out exactly what he wants, down to his preference with regards to our personal sex lives is, to say the least, unconvincing.

[Solais]

Yeah, it's like I'm being a materialist and idealist at the same time. They contradicts with each other, but still. Maybe I really have multiple personalities.

But this is off topic.

[WanderingKnight]

I do not like the idea of 'guides', since such books will introduce the author's view/bias on the religion, and most books are not just comprehensive enough (see the length of the Bible and the Qur'an, it is not possible IMO.)

It's not like that with Asimov. He merely presents a secular view of the Bible, trying to interpretate exactly what historical events are presented there. There is not a single mention of his position towards the existence of God in the whole book (and the book is damn long, by the way--longer than the Bible itself).

The Bible, you want it or not, is not written in a fashion nowadays we find easy to understand. The people who wrote it did it a very long time ago, and there were a lot of preconceptions their target readership handled that we don't. To put a silly example (mainly because it's one of the things that it's the most easy to realize, even without Asimov's insight) he explains how the different heroes the early history the Bible speaks of are merely eponyms for different tribes or people. I knew that long before reading this book, however, I guess that many people who haven't given it a second thought didn't realize it from reading the Bible alone.

The only notion Asimov's book is stepping on is the one that says that, somehow, we have to interpretate the Bible literally... which is not to be taken seriously to begin with.

[NorthernFallout]

Originally Posted by Echoes

Satanism doesn't work that well with atheism, though, if you're talking about the traditional worship of the Satan in the Bible.

I am a satanist in the sense that I am my own god, which is one of the standpoints in this part of satanism. But then again it varies from time to time.

[james0246]

A girlfriend I had, a few years ago back in my college days, formed all of her knowledge and opinions on religion (specifically Christian) based on movies and non-religious fiction novels (thankfully those novels were like or were The Master and Margarita, and not the gloriously bad recent Left Behind series ). She did this because she believed, as a communication/sociologist major, that the truest beliefs of mankind can all be found in the simplest phrases and expressed in our artwork. So, she only ever attended the church of Theatre (the Faith I subscribe to (with Netflix as a new Prophet or maybe even the Messiah)) or a Museum of Art. What I always found suprising, though, was how she was effortlessly able to talk to almost anyone, whether they be a religion proffessor or simply a religious person, and seem to actually hold a fairly deep conversation concerning their paticular faith.

[bbduece]

I believe in science and also consider the posibilities that higher beings(ancient advance civilization or absolute omnipetent beings) created this universe. But i am very skeptical on the big bang theory and earth mass extinction theories and other theories/etc. I cant conform to the notion that those are the facts since we were never there and it has been reveal many times that unexplore variables have accounted towards countless miscalculations.

[yezhanquan]

Originally Posted by bbduece

I believe in science and also consider the posibilities that higher beings(ancient advance civilization or absolute omnipetent beings) created this universe. But i am very skeptical on the big bang theory and earth mass extinction theories and other theories etc. I cant conform to the notion that those are the facts since we were never there and it has been reveal many times that unexplore variables have accounted towards countless miscalculations.

That's what they are. In the absence of other/better evidence, they are the ones which we can work with at the moment. If anything, I believe that if these are not the full story, then the story is even more fascinating and mind blowing.

[bbduece]

Originally Posted by yezhanquan

That's what they are. In the absence of other/better evidence, they are the ones which we can work with at the moment. If anything, I believe that if these are not the full story, then the story is even more fascinating and mind blowing.

Theories are sceintific speculations base data. But a lot of people treat them like absolute facts even respectable scientists omit the truth behind the plausiblity of these theories. They are not facts. Perhaps in the future when we become a "TypeIII+" civilization we might be able to get closer to the truth and the origin of existence.

[yezhanquan]

Originally Posted by bbduece

Theories are sceintific speculations base data. But a lot of people treat them like absolute facts even respectable scientists omit the truth behind the plausiblity of these theories. They are not facts. Perhaps in the future when we become a "TypeIII+" civilization we might be able to get closer to the truth and the origin of existence.

Well, when it comes to theories, be ready to wipe the slate clean. It's harder for scientists to do that. It's a big kick to the groin if you've spent your entire life researching on something that turns out to be only part of the puzzle. I believe that was why Einstein didn't believe in quantum theory.