Are you religious?

[ShadOBabe 18,984]

Just now, Celli said:

I'm sorry if I offended you, maybe not the best choice of words, but I hold some personal ire towards a lot of it. Like, an example is that I hate having some Christian tell me it's wrong to have an interest in the same sex and that I'm going to hell became it goes against God's will or something. Religion just feels controlling to me.

Well here's the thing. Yeah all religions have opinions on what should and should not be done. Trying to get as close to God's (or whatever their higher power is) ideal as possible. It differs from religion to religion.

My personal approach to it is this: I don't have to agree with what you do with your life, but unless you specifically ask me, "hey what do you think about this thing", or you're actively hurting someone, I'm just going to leave you be. I wouldn't like some random wad coming up to me and telling me what a braindead, bigoted sheep I am based on my religious leanings, despite them know literally NOTHING else about me.

Definition of "bigot": a person who is intolerant toward those holding different opinions.

That label is usually thrown at religious people, but it could apply to ANYONE. Relgious, atheist, liberal, conservative, anyone.

But you can in fact live harmoniously with people that have different moral compasses than you, as long as you understand that thoughts and opinions by themselve are intangible concepts that cannot hurt you. More people need to be cool with the fact that someone somewhere on this planet thinks they are wrong. Not someone getting in your face unsolicited, JUST the idea that someone doesn't agree. Someone thinking you're wrong isn't going to hurt you. If your beliefs or convictions are so weak that the possiblity that someone doesn't agree upsets you, you have some things to think about.

[Celli 4,332]

@ShadOBabe I get that, I'm just not a fan of the whole "it's immoral" or "it goes against my beliefs". I like both guys and girls and it just doesn't sit well with me that most religions forbid homosexuality. 

AlsoI'm skeptical of the whole faith thing, believing in something you can't see or prove exists. 

 

 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, Celli said:

I'm an atheist and I detest (modern) religion. I hate the ideals of them and rules, and the idea of a Utopia makes zero sense to me. If I could, I'd abolish religion altogether.

I am non-religious as well, but I'd ask you to challenge your views so you can fully understand why other people have opposing ones. Watch this video, (and if you want to expand on it, this video and then perhaps the entire podcast,) take it in, digest it and see if you might not be a little too rigid in your beliefs.

When folks talk about the teachings of Christ or any other modern religion, they don't strictly mean the unfounded faith in a thing you can't comprehend or see with your own eyes. In fact, it is from religious denunciations and promotions that we have our morality as it is at all. Every major modern religion teaches a series of values that, in the simplest ways of saying, could teach a parent how to raise their children to be honest and successful members of society. The number one rule, (which we as bronies have adopted early on as one of our own,) is The Golden Rule; treat others as you would want to be treated yourself. Without the word of God spread as it was, how easy would you think it would have been to not have something as simple and truthfully virtuous as that taught across the world? And you're saying that's an ideal you hate?

What is particularly striking to me is the fact that you take the time to point out that you hate modern religions. That's normally the argument a non-religious person has no ability to make because only a recent snapshot of a religion has the place in time to have evolved and modernized with civilization. Otherwise people would still be stoned to death for a myriad of things faith used to deem as crimes, but they aren't and they wouldn't be today even if there weren't a divide between church and state. In fact, one of those recurring rules is for every practitioner to work for the present to avoid focusing on faults like that. To work for the happiness of those less fortunate than yourself, to aim for achievement instead of monetary rewards, to interact harmoniously within your community, to take responsibility for everything you do and most importantly, to know yourself. So many people confuse religion with indoctrination, but when you actually read The Bible, The Torah- even The Quran, you're urged to find every answer within yourself first, within your pastor or rabbi or what have you second. Even Buddhism has it's own way of conveying this in-

A monk asked Seon Master Un-mun, "What is Buddha?"

The master replied, "Dried s**t on a stick."

-implying that these teachings only direct your understandings, not create them.

I don't think these are values worth hating, and even as a non-religious person myself, I can take every one of them to heart and say they are virtues worth striving for. It took a horrible personal tragedy to find those answers, but if you can get ahead of yourself you might at least be able to see what you're missing out on other than the needy wizard living in the clouds.

 

 

Today on, 'Rosie makes a mountain out of a molehill'...

[SoberStarlight 906]

8 hours ago, Crystal Peppermint said:

Not really, religion is like a guidebook to life. Some people need it and others don't.

To find your own path is more exciting, than follow the rules of old men who already died for centuries.

Agree with your first statement. Religion is somewhat similar to a guide to life, but it is truly more complicated than that.

William James, one of the most respected surveyors of religion, argued in 1901-2 that "the very fact that they are so many and so different from one another is enough to prove that the word 'religion' cannot stand for any single principle or essence, but is rather a collective name"

Religion is a very subjective term, with a blurry definition. Many people want a one to two sentence answer for what religion is, when there simply isn't. Religion can be compared to games. Baseball and Chess have very little similarities, but they do have parent factors that they share that make them fall under the category of games. They both: Have opponents, are played for fun, and require strategy. As for religion, the parent qualities are: Belief in supernatural beings/ideas, distinction between the sacred and profane, ritual acts, focused on said objects, moral community/following, religious feelings of awe, etc. There are always exceptions.

Instead, religion can be thought as an analytical category of our own design. 

To say that one religion is better than the other, or one is boring, is subjective, and a contested opinion. It really just depends on who you are talking to. I myself am Catholic, but not a very serious one. Christianity is much more than just rules old men came up with. It is faith in God, and our lord and savior Jesus Christ. I won't go into much detail on this though...

 

 

[Celli 4,332]

@Sunset Rose I don't hate those virtues as I feel they can apply to both religious and non-religious people. What I mean is, okay, I'm bisexual, and I don't like that the Bible says I can't practice homosexuality. I believe in love regardless of sex.

Also, I'm a skeptic who believes in science and that anything and everything can be explained with research and time. I tried to be religious but I feel freer as an atheist. I'm not an anti-theist, mind you.

I'm sorry but I don't think I'll ever be a religious person.

[CheeryFox 23,811]

The thing that makes religion toxic is when people use political agendas and personal dogmas. Christians now are more understanding than they ever were before. I've been to sects that had a multitude of views and had no real issues. 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Celli said:

@Sunset Rose I don't hate those virtues as I feel they can apply to both religious and non-religious people. What I mean is, okay, I'm bisexual, and I don't like that the Bible says I can't practice homosexuality. I believe in love regardless of sex.

Also, I'm a skeptic who believes in science and that anything and everything can be explained with research and time. I tried to be religious but I feel freer as an atheist. I'm not an anti-theist, mind you.

I'm sorry but I don't think I'll ever be a religious person.

One of the very first things Dr. Peterson says is that you cannot conflate religious truth with scientific truth. One is founded in the understanding of how and what things are, the other is founded in belief. That was my own barrier of understanding as well.

[Celli 4,332]

1 minute ago, Sunset Rose said:

One of the very first things Dr. Peterson says is that you cannot conflate religious truth with scientific truth. One is founded in the understanding of how and what things are, the other is founded in belief. That was my own barrier of understanding as well.

I just feel religion is a bit controlling. Call me petty but I don't like being told I'm going to hell for sleeping with another man.

[BlackShardNixium 277]

I am broadly pagan and a regularly practicing witch! 

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Celli said:

I just feel religion is a bit controlling. Call me petty but I don't like being told I'm going to hell for sleeping with another man.

And that's okay! It isn't for everyone- it isn't for me either. It's just that the science vs religion thing is an unfair comparison that got a little out of hand for too long in my opinion. Harmony is a lofty goal we all have to be on the same page for, but I'm pretty sure we all want it in one way or another.

[luftschloss 831]

I'm an atheist and really not involved in religion in any way; I was raised an atheist and am not spiritual either. However, I do like to keep an open mind. If someone came up to me and told me there was a God or gods and they could prove it, my reaction would probably be: "Okay. Cool."

I'm totally fine with religious people and really don't care what you believe as long as you don't try to force your beliefs on me. I rarely come across people like that, though, so it doesn't really matter.

However, I have always been really fond of the idea of believing in a pantheon of gods. That's a big part of why I'm so into mythology- but I just can't get myself to actually believe in their existence.

 

Edited December 6, 2017 by luftschloss

[Vocal Analyst 665]

I was brought up in a household that held Christian values, but was in no way strict or encroaching on me, with no use for Church outside of weddings, funerals or annual Remembrance Day services (which I now only attend the non-religious part). I've grown up to be agnostic, keeping an open mind to others beliefs but standing firm by my understanding that the existence of a higher power is most likely not possible.

My rule of thumb is, as long as you're not shoving your beliefs on me, we're good. I prefer to discuss a persons beliefs with someone by coming to a mutual understanding regarding what (a persons) religion teaches so I can to understand their perception of the world to broaden my horizons. An example of this comes from a good friend of mine, who is a Christian Minister. We occasionally debate and analyse the various meanings and perceptions of religious texts (much like I'd do writing criticism about a media text as the methods are easily transferable). It was quite interesting to cross-reference both of our opinions and those of the text itself and expanded my perception of the wider faith as a whole, for better or for worse, all while keeping myself grounded.

[MilkTea 283]

My family is buddhist, but my parents don't actually believe in any of it (they only practice it because of tradition), so I was never really forced to assimilate to any faith. As for me personally, I don't believe in a God, but I'd like to think there's some sort of afterlife (whether it be a land in the clouds or wandering space as a ghost). 

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,151]

INITIATING MODERATOR MODE:

I'll keep this simple; you may not like or care for a religion or deity, but you can express that in ways that are respectful. Failure to do so will result in your post being removed. Period. A couple of posts already had to be hidden or edited as a result.

DISENGAGING MODERATOR MODE.

As for my thoughts; I'm not a religious person, but I also still go to church and am a member of the administrative committee of one. It's...complicated. I mainly do a lot of this so my parents have comfort and not worry. Personally, I'm on the fence regarding beliefs in a deity. One one hand I don't want to fully discount the existence of one, but at the same time I have personal conflicts regarding that.

It's...complicated. I'm NOT religious, but that doesn't mean I discount the existence of God.

[Jeric 46,834]

15 minutes ago, PathfinderCS said:

It's...complicated.

For me, this is also the case. I often wonder if a journey that is centered on internal beliefs should is best served with the complications and constant reconciliations that it seemingly requires. I look at my own journey and where I am. I don't seem an end game with it, and I suspect it will be a constant amount of evaluation and re-evaluation. 

It's complicated indeed. And I think that is how it should be. 

1 hour ago, Sunset Rose said:

And that's okay! It isn't for everyone- it isn't for me either. It's just that the science vs religion thing is an unfair comparison that got a little out of hand for too long in my opinion. Harmony is a lofty goal we all have to be on the same page for, but I'm pretty sure we all want it in one way or another.

I have a lot to say on this specifically. For me, religion and science, at their core, are really focused on the attempt to answer the greater questions of existence and truth. Our species are really explorers and questioners. We search for the answer to why as we look out around our world in curiosity. 

For me, it's always been fairly easy to reconcile faith with my fondness for biology, chemistry, medicine, and cosmology. 

1 hour ago, BlackShardNixium said:

I am broadly pagan and a regularly practicing witch! 

Thanks for sharing that. I'm curious. I know you mentioned you are broadly practicing, but is there a specific Wiccan or Neo-Pagan Tradition that you gravitate to? 

[DuskSong 742]

I'm an agnostic atheist, I don't believe in a God/higher power, but I'm not going to say I'm right, because I may not be. I'm fine with religious people so long as they don't push their beliefs on me and don't use religion as a tool of hate.

 

I was religious up until 8th grade, life experiences and things that happened led me to abandon religion as a whole. My mother still doesn't understand why I don't believe, which does get tiring trying to explain- so I've stopped trying to tell her why.

Edited December 6, 2017 by DuskSong

[King of Canterlot 9,588]

Yeah I'm Catholic and try to get to church every weekend, though sometimes I work both Saturdays and Sundays, so I'm unable to attend some times. When I spend my summers at my grandparents house in rural southern Minnesota we attend church every weekend and I also read out of the bible to my grandpa who can't read it because he is blind. It's also during the summer I go to confession if they are offering it.      

[Will Guide 21,325]

I'm just going to say that I believe in reincarnation at least.

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, ILikeNightmares said:

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[Redacted]

 

12 hours ago, Jeric said:

I have a lot to say on this specifically. For me, religion and science, at their core, are really focused on the attempt to answer the greater questions of existence and truth. Our species are really explorers and questioners. We search for the answer to why as we look out around our world in curiosity. 

For me, it's always been fairly easy to reconcile faith with my fondness for biology, chemistry, medicine, and cosmology. 

For me it's just about recognizing that spiritual truth and scientific truth have divergent goals and methodologies. If you ask a man to explain step-by-step how ocean currents work, you will likely have an easier time with the scientific answer than the spiritual one. But ask that man how he feels about the love of his family and you have a much more relatable answer from God than science and that's why it matters to me. 

Frankly there isn't much that keeps me from being religious myself. It's just that I take way too long to decide whether or not I want to dedicate myself to things. 

[CheeryFox 23,811]

I'm putting this out there because it needs to be said... Don't think you can't join a religion just because people have personal belief systems. You can read the words and what surrounds the context how you want. It's important that we understand what things really mean and the interpretation of what we don't.  

[ZethaPonderer 2,196]

@Midnight Blaze 98, Yes I am religiously devout though in a different light. I have mad respect for the Abrahamic Religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. And of course worshipping The God of Abraham (Ellah/YHWH/Allah).

[Celli 4,332]

4 hours ago, Snowflurry said:

I'm putting this out there because it needs to be said... Don't think you can't join a religion just because people have personal belief systems. You can read the words and what surrounds the context how you want. It's important that we understand what things really mean and the interpretation of what we don't.  

So you're saying I should be able to join Christianity even if I think it's bogus they forbid homosexuality?

[CheeryFox 23,811]

20 minutes ago, Celli said:

So you're saying I should be able to join Christianity even if I think it's bogus they forbid homosexuality?

Yes. And what's really stopping you? I have a lot of insight on this because I've been to more than enough ceremonies and social gatherings. 

[Celli 4,332]

2 minutes ago, Snowflurry said:

Yes. And what's really stopping you? I have a lot of insight on this because I've been to more than enough ceremonies and social gatherings. 

I dunno, as I stated before, I'm a skeptic, and I'm not fond of the idea of faith honestly.

[Jeric 46,834]

1 hour ago, Celli said:

So you're saying I should be able to join Christianity even if I think it's bogus they forbid homosexuality?

This is actually a decent point. It's completely and totally understandable to say you can't subscribe to or support a belief system (religious or otherwise) that says you would have to alter something that is such a fundamental aspect of who you are. 

My overall perspective on whether or not I agree with the traditional view of homosexuality in Christianity can be summed up with one statement: I am a Catholic who is also a parent of two LGBT teens, and I take a more accepting view than the Church does on this issue. I also (as I've said before) married a Wiccan who blended Christianity into her overall beliefs as well. We were a bizarre lot that didn't blindly follow every element of the Catechism either.

All that said, it can be a religion that isn't always kind to gay individuals, so for that reason alone I don't blame you at all.