mega thread Everypony's Religion And Why?

[RAGESTAR 479]

For what it's worth, I'm a proud heathen. I worship all of the Norse gods, but my patron is Thor.

 

Ever since becoming a heathen, I've gained an infinitely better view on things, including my understanding and respect for other religions.

[StabbedByANarwhal 75]

Honestly, I was at one point deciding whether to believe in evolution or creationism.

I picked creationism because in my mind even though it wasn't scientifically possible it was more possible than evolution do to the research I've done on it. I rather have a belief that has a clear beginning than one that is not clear at all. Richard Dawkins said in the documentary "Expelled" that possibly the Big Bang was started by another intelligent life that came from an evolutionary basis. I immediately burst out laughing and so did everyone else.

I will never believe something that I view as ridiculous and immpossible. I'll stick to my Bible, thank you very much.

Edited March 21, 2014 by StabbedByANarwhal

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

Well, from my extensive research, I have my doubts that Christian Hell exists. It takes the name Hel from Norse legend, a frozen and quite place of rest, and the appearance of the Greek underworld. Fuse them together and what do you get? Hell. 

 

Well the idea of a "Christian Hell" didn't originate with Christianity. It originated with Judaism, although according to Jewish history (which is also Christian history before Christ), the idea was around long before the Lord's people, Israel, were called Jews. Christianity didn't just come to be with Jesus' life and death; rather, it branched off from Judaism when the Jews refused (heh, that rhymed) to believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Just like how the USA's history didn't begin with the Declaration of Independence, Christian history is intertwined with Jewish history.

..... I feel like we just don't know enough to really know for sure.

 

I agree with you on that. But belief, even belief in science, isn't about knowing for sure. It's about choosing to believe something even when you can't know for sure!

[RAGESTAR 479]

Well the idea of a "Christian Hell" didn't originate with Christianity. It originated with Judaism, although according to Jewish history (which is also Christian history before Christ), the idea was around long before the Lord's people, Israel, were called Jews. Christianity didn't just come to be with Jesus' life and death; rather, it branched off from Judaism when the Jews refused (heh, that rhymed) to believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Just like how the USA's history didn't begin with the Declaration of Independence, Christian history is intertwined with Jewish history.

 

I agree with you on that. But belief, even belief in science, isn't about knowing for sure. It's about choosing to believe something even when you can't know for sure!

 

Oh, I know that. I was just being quite blunt about it. The Jews came way before Christ ever preached, and the stories of hell and the like were too, but that still doesn't change the fact that Abrahamic "hell" was less of an actual place, and more of a made up threat to scare the more stubborn nonbelievers into converting. However, that's not to say that heaven doesn't exist. I believe in heaven because it's been around and mentioned throughout history and legends, long before "hell". But that doesn't mean other afterlife's don't exist.

[BastementSparkle 20,326]

I agree with you on that. But belief, even belief in science, isn't about knowing for sure. It's about choosing to believe something even when you can't know for sure!

I have to disagree with you there. This may work for you and it may work for many others. But I myself have a hard time believing in something unless I have some sort of evidence to back it up. Science is based on evidence. It has things to back it up. Most religions only have a book of some sort, telling you stories about things that happened hundreds or thousands of years ago, with no records to prove it. I can see why others would believe it, but my mind just doesn't work that way.

[StabbedByANarwhal 75]

Wow, is it really all Christians and agnostics/atheists here? I think someone ought to throw in some variety, and I happen to be just the mare for the job

 

I was raised Christian, but after a truly enormous amount of thought and questioning I decided that paganism is more my speed. It's very free-form, so I can believe in what strikes me as logical, and what strikes me as logical is to believe that every deity has the potential to exist, and that a number of them do, but the exact quantity and nature of these spirits is something that we as an earthly species simply cannot know. 

 

Despite this, I find I can still firmly believe in and worship certain spirits, gods if you will, the most important of which just happens to be one I call Luna.

It's about time someone had a different belief than the usual on this thread.

Thank you for sharing your opinion.

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

I have to disagree with you there. This may work for you and it may work for many others. But I myself have a hard time believing in something unless I have some sort of evidence to back it up. Science is based on evidence. It has things to back it up. Most religions only have a book of some sort, telling you stories about things that happened hundreds or thousands of years ago, with no records to prove it. I can see why others would believe it, but my mind just doesn't work that way.

 

Well there's a difference between something based on your understanding—or the popular understanding—of evidence, and actually knowing with absolute certainty. To know X with absolute certainty, you'd have to prove beyond the possibility of doubt that there's nothing in all the universe that disproves X, which means you'd have to possess absolute knowledge of everything, which is impossible.

 

Because of that, it's logically impossible to believe anything without some measure of blind faith.

[Bojo 1,172]

Oh my God! Didn't know God was a brony too! 

 

I'm catholic and I'm fine with being so. I don't go to church every Sunday and I think the church has some internal problems so that's why I don't believe in the church that much anymore but I still believe in God and identify myself as a catholic.

[StabbedByANarwhal 75]

Oh my God! Didn't know God was a brony too! 

 

I'm catholic and I'm fine with being so. I don't go to church every Sunday and I think the church has some internal problems so that's why I don't believe in the church that much anymore but I still believe in God and identify myself as a catholic.

Martin Luther had problems with the church too.

[BastementSparkle 20,326]

Well there's a difference between something based on your understanding—or the popular understanding—of evidence, and actually knowing with absolute certainty. To know X with absolute certainty, you'd have to prove beyond the possibility of doubt that there's nothing in all the universe that disproves X, which means you'd have to possess absolute knowledge of everything, which is impossible.

 

Because of that, it's logically impossible to believe anything without some measure of blind faith.

 You are correct in that. Everything does take some measure of blind faith. The difference is that science has some credible evidence going for it. Does that mean that everything in a science text book is true? Possibly not. Science constantly changes as we learn and discover more about the universe. Scientists form a hypothesis and do test after test to see how it holds up. If something is pegged as a scientific law it's because most of the evidence points to it being true. I simply am the type of person who likes to have some kind of proof backing up my beliefs.

 

 But I'm always open to revaluating what I believe. If someone can come up with something that disproves something I believed, I wouldn't have a problem with that. I just have to look at all the information I can find and form a new opinion.

Edited March 21, 2014 by BasementPony

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

 But I'm always open to revaluating what I believe. If someone can come up with something that disproves something I believed, I wouldn't have a problem with that. I just have to look at all the information I can find and form a new opinion.

 

I feel the same way. If someone were to present me with proof that I was wrong on anything I believe, I would certainly rethink my beliefs, but no one has ever been able to do so. Of all the evidence people have shown me, nothing has even been incompatible with Scripture.

..... but that still doesn't change the fact that Abrahamic "hell" was less of an actual place, and more of a made up threat to scare the more stubborn nonbelievers into converting.

 

That's a pretty serious claim—that part of what millions of people believe in today was simply "made up"—and whether it's true or not, I think it's a bit of a stretch to claim it as "fact".

[Adorkable 2,737]

Christian all the way home! ^^

 

† <3

Edited March 21, 2014 by Adorkable

[RAGESTAR 479]

I feel the same way. If someone were to present me with proof that I was wrong on anything I believe, I would certainly rethink my beliefs, but no one has ever been able to do so. Of all the evidence people have shown me, nothing has even been incompatible with Scripture.

 

That's a pretty serious claim—that part of what millions of people believe in today was simply "made up"—and whether it's true or not, I think it's a bit of a stretch to claim it as "fact".

 

Well, I'm not saying that everyone has to believe me, this is just my take on it. After all, if you compare it to many other punishment after lives from different religions, then you can clearly piece together the evidence of a "mix here" and an "add here" job. Imo, Christian hell is just a mix of different after lives, made by the church to scare people. But again, this is just my own personal opinion, I'm not saying that it's absolute fact and that I am 100% sure it doesn't exist, but I have my doubts. Thanks for listening.

[Midnight Seeker 302]

Wow, is it really all Christians and agnostics/atheists here?

 

I don't get why people always lump agnostics and atheists together. Both systems are utterly different.

[StabbedByANarwhal 75]

I don't get why people always lump agnostics and atheists together. Both systems are utterly different.

I looked it up on my iPod 5 and I can say there is a vast difference between the two.

[Midnight Seeker 302]

Aye, my short time as an Atheist was one of the worst nights of my life! That and religious tend to see me as a pleasant challenge. Some Atheists on the other hand (the militant ones) really hate agnostics.

[Eloquence 2,076]

I don't get why people always lump agnostics and atheists together. Both systems are utterly different.

 

Sorry, I hope I didn't offend. I just tend to put them together because they're the two beliefs that fall under "not religion" is all, unless there are more that I'm not aware of. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I tend to see them as the two ends of the No Religion Spectrum, where you can be either fully agnostic and think it's definitely possible that there's something more out there or fully atheist and think that it's definitely not possible, or somewhere in between :3

[The Dandy 73]

Jedi (the 16th largest relegion in Australia).

You may think I'm joking, but if the bible is proof god exists, then the many fanfictions and movies proof Jedi exists. Plus we're not prejudice, so long a you're not sith, we don't like them too much.

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

Well, I'm not saying that everyone has to believe me, this is just my take on it. After all, if you compare it to many other punishment after lives from different religions, then you can clearly piece together the evidence of a "mix here" and an "add here" job. Imo, Christian hell is just a mix of different after lives, made by the church to scare people. But again, this is just my own personal opinion, I'm not saying that it's absolute fact and that I am 100% sure it doesn't exist, but I have my doubts. Thanks for listening.

 

I can respect that as your opinion.

 

Nonetheless, consider for a moment that, hypothetically, Christianity is the "correct" religion, that the Bible really is truth. If that's the case, then it's been true since the beginning. And throughout the Old Testament, the nation of Israel and its people intermarried with nations who worshiped false gods, and their beliefs were mixed together. So if Christianity is the truth, then it would only make sense for other religious beliefs to have aspects of Christianity woven into them.

 

Again, I'm just putting that forth hypothetically. I'm not trying to shove it down your throat as the absolute truth, just bringing up an idea you may not have considered before. Or you may have, I don't know.

[StabbedByANarwhal 75]

Jedi (the 16th largest relegion in Australia).

You may think I'm joking, but if the bible is proof god exists, then the many fanfictions and movies proof Jedi exists. Plus we're not prejudice, so long a you're not sith, we don't like them too much.

Hey that's totally cool with me.

[RAGESTAR 479]

I can respect that as your opinion.

 

Nonetheless, consider for a moment that, hypothetically, Christianity is the "correct" religion, that the Bible really is truth. If that's the case, then it's been true since the beginning. And throughout the Old Testament, the nation of Israel and its people intermarried with nations who worshiped false gods, and their beliefs were mixed together. So if Christianity is the truth, then it would only make sense for other religious beliefs to have aspects of Christianity woven into them.

 

Again, I'm just putting that forth hypothetically. I'm not trying to shove it down your throat as the absolute truth, just bringing up an idea you may not have considered before. Or you may have, I don't know.

 

Well...I believe that Norse religion existed far before Abrahamic religion, but if what your saying we're true, then I would still not follow the bible, or god's word. Because even if my gods didn't exist (though I believe they do) I would still follow my own desires and code of honor, and not bow to anyone. Thor may be my god, but I'm my lord.

[An Old Head 4,816]

@@StabbedByANarwhal - looks like a larger thread about people's religion already exists, so I've merged your thread with it. In the future, please use our search feature to check for existing threads - thanks ^^ 

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

Well...I believe that Norse religion existed far before Abrahamic religion, but if what your saying we're true, then I would still not follow the bible, or god's word. Because even if my gods didn't exist (though I believe they do) I would still follow my own desires and code of honor, and not bow to anyone. Thor may be my god, but I'm my lord.

 

Well then, in that hypothetical scenario, I certainly wouldn't envy you the ultimate result of that decision. But you do you.

[RAGESTAR 479]

Well then, in that hypothetical scenario, I certainly wouldn't envy you the ultimate result of that decision. But you do you.

 

If your referring to me being hypothetically punished by being sent to hell and tortured by Satan, then I would like to add that the concept of hell, nor the concept of the devil, scare me at all whatsoever.

 

Oh, and hypothetically speaking, what if that theory of yours was reversed and my gods and after life we're the ones that truly existed, what would you think? Remember, hypothetically speaking.

[Henny Penny Benny 936]

If your referring to me being hypothetically punished by being sent to hell and tortured by Satan, then I would like to add that the concept of hell, nor the concept of the devil, scare me at all whatsoever.

 

Oh, and hypothetically speaking, what if that theory of yours was reversed and my gods and after life we're the ones that truly existed, what would you think? Remember, hypothetically speaking.

 

Yes, that is what I was referring to. Well, sort of. I don't believe Satan rules Hell. The Bible describes Hell as a place prepared for the punishment of Satan and his angles, not for them to rule over. Common misconception.

 

And if, hypothetically, it turned out your beliefs are true and I became aware of this truth, then I would certainly abandon my beliefs and live according to your gods!