Are you religious yes? No?

[jezr74]

Secrets, they are just a fanciful ambition or just somewhere to retreat to. I am talking about the inner being. The foundation of the one.

Isn't the whole philosophy to share that inner well being? Are only parts of a religion\faith meant to be shared and some is kept for yourself? Or does it depend on the ideology?

I think I understand what your saying, but it seems to go against the grain?

 

[Transk53]

Isn't the whole philosophy to share that inner well being? Are only parts of a religion\faith meant to be shared and some is kept for yourself? Or does it depend on the ideology?

I think I understand what your saying, but it seems to go against the grain?

Yes it probably does, but to me that goes against the grain. Perhaps the answers could be sought via PM. No disrespect to yourself, but I think the thread could go South!

 

[Transk53]

Unless admin and the mods would allow us to have a friendly convo on this. All views have a voice

 

[Steve]

Provided the thread doesn't get political or stray into personal insults and such. We've lost a few great posters over religious differences of opinion.

Personally, I'm not religious in the slightest, but I enjoy hearing about peoples' beliefs and such. I think religions are fascinating for a number of reasons, and generally they provide some solid structure and guidance to peoples' lives. That is, until they don't.

 

[jezr74]

Was hoping for other peoples input as well, I had thought it was a friendly conversation, I'm just not one to use the smiley face. I find it all interesting.

 

[Transk53]

Was hoping for other peoples input as well, I had thought it was a friendly conversation, I'm just not one to use the smiley face. I find it all interesting.

Good then.

 

[Blindside]

I am agnostic tending toward atheism. My mom grew up as a Shinto-Buddhist and my father's family was Jewish, but it sounds like he apparently played pool instead of going to Hebrew school so he never really did the faith thing. And actually in speaking with my grandmother, her knowledge of the Jewish holidays is somewhat... lacking, so I suspect that whole side of the family was more part of the Jewish community rather than the religon being an important element in the family.

I can't remember ever believing in a god, or for that matter in Santa Claus, and we really didn't observe anything with regard to faith. My parents sent me with some family friends to go to a Christian church and Sunday school, but apparently it didn't make much of an impression. My wife grew up as an Episcopalian and we have retained her families traditions, the kids were baptized, but we really only go to Church on Christmas Eve. My oldest son when he was 6 said "God isn't real because he has powers like a superhero, and superheros aren't real." That sort of summed it up for me. I will say that I try very hard not to influence him (or his brother) in any way with regard matters of faith.

Given that I grew up in a Judeo-Christian society my morality is certainly heavily influenced by cultural norms, but in search of justifying that morality I use a combination of the Golden Rule, as written as several versions in the Bible (and most other religions); "do unto others as they would have you do unto you" and the Wiccan Rede of "And it harm none, do what ye will." I don't think that makes me either religious or spiritual, it is just common sense.

 

[Buka]

I can honestly tell my wife "I love you". Someone in France can say the same to their wife in French. As can someone else in whatever country and language you wish to name. It all sounds different, but it's all the very same.

Various groups of people worship whatever deity they worship. They're all worshiping the same thing. But because they call HIM/HER different things - the other guy is a damned fool (in the most literal sense) and an infidel.

I could always say to a Frenchman, "That's not how you say it! You're wrong!" Like that would make any sense.

That's pretty much my view on religion. Not that anyone should give a rat's ****. I sure as heck don't.

 

[Instructor]

I pretty much left one of the other forums because a few atheists kept insulting me based on my faith. I pop in there now and again but nowadays I am mostly a martial talk man. Folks here just seem a bit more tolerant of diffeences between people.

 

[Tez3]

I pretty much left one of the other forums because a few atheists kept insulting me based on my faith. I pop in there now and again but nowadays I am mostly a martial talk man. Folks here just seem a bit more tolerant of diffeences between people.

I've noticed on Facebook more and more 'atheist' attacks on people's religions, all religions not just one. It does seem like there is such a lot of hatred for anyone who has a faith, which to be honest does surprise me. I have my faith, what other peoples faiths are worries me not a bit unless they directly threaten me but the language used by some of these so called atheists is nasty, bigoted and in some cases quite threatening, they have taken having no religion as their religion. It worries me, because we need to get on with each other not make more divisions.

 

[Xue Sheng]

My answer is still the same as it was in post #16 but I came accorss this the other day and found it interesting that applies to a belief in God.

Blaise Pascal's Wager

“Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists.”

There are a lot of arguments for and against his wager, and I am not making any statement with this, I just found it interesting and somewhat applicable to this thread

 

[Instructor]

The implication was that I wasn't very intelligent because of my beliefs and that only science has the answers. It stung doubly bad because I actually love science. It shouldn't be used as a hammer to squash individual beliefs.

 

[Steve]

Atheism can be as dogmatic as any religion. I would recommend, however, just being mindful that atheists are no more or less likely to judge the beliefs of others than anyone else. Just like southern baptists, Mormons, Muslims or anyone else, religion tends to be inherently judgy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jezr74]

While I'm an atheist, I don't really think or practice anything. But bring it up only when asked. I'm happy for people with faith, and if they are a good person and happy, I just think it must work for them. The same way I feel good about myself and smile for days after a good MA session.

I only get into animated conversation when evidence based claims are made and I disagree. But I will back off fast if it's someone that I don't know well and doesn't know me, I'm not in the business of hurting peoples beliefs or feelings just because mine are different. Everyone has their own moral compass.

But I have genuine curiosity with many aspects of other peoples experiences and take on life and faith.

 

[Cirdan]

The implication was that I wasn't very intelligent because of my beliefs and that only science has the answers. It stung doubly bad because I actually love science. It shouldn't be used as a hammer to squash individual beliefs.

Yeah, speaking og hammers some people actually laugh at me when I tell them Thor controls the weather. He rides across the sky in his goat drawn carriage, blesses us with rain and swings mighty Mjølnir to make booming thunder and bolts of lightning. Some people, humph!

 

[Transk53]

The implication was that I wasn't very intelligent because of my beliefs and that only science has the answers. It stung doubly bad because I actually love science. It shouldn't be used as a hammer to squash individual beliefs.

You are right it should not. I too have a love of science, but I don't ever think of telling someone that their god does not exist. Science cannot prove one way or another, but then the human mind can be very closeted to a lot of things. The bizarre thing is that what people view as miracles, could have simply been a old world magician doing his or her thing. In the modern day world, I think peoples view of a miracle, is getting home safely on the subway for example. I got barracked on another site for merely stating that a certain religious figure may not have been human.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I got barracked on another site for merely stating that a certain religious figure may not have been human.

That might make for an interesting conversation/discussion in a different thread. There seem to be different sides to what god(s) actually may be.

In this thread I would like to ask what the difference is between a person who is religious and one who is spiritual? Can a person be one and not the other?

 

[Cirdan]

That might make for an interesting conversation/discussion in a different thread. There seem to be different sides to what god(s) actually may be.

In this thread I would like to ask what the difference is between a person who is religious and one who is spiritual? Can a person be one and not the other?

Indeed it would be quite interesting just to hear what people think being spiritual means..

 

[Transk53]

That might make for an interesting conversation/discussion in a different thread. There seem to be different sides to what god(s) actually may be.

In this thread I would like to ask what the difference is between a person who is religious and one who is spiritual? Can a person be one and not the other?

Personally I probably would have a clue what being spiritual actually is. Frankly I do not care to be blunt about it I believe what I believe. It has no less merit than than believing in the gods, or whatever. Generic opposite divinity as far as I am concerned.

 

[Instructor]

spir·it·u·al


/ˈspiriCH(əw)əl/


adjective

adjective: spiritual



1.



of, relating to, or affecting the human spirit or soul as opposed to material or physical things.

"I'm responsible for his spiritual welfare"




synonyms:

nonmaterial, incorporeal, intangible; More