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What is your religion?

What is your religion?


  • Total voters
    132
I'm an Atheist. Religion has never shown me any proof of a god. All I've heard from religious leaders is "You are not suppose to ask questions, just believeeeee" :bringit
 
thanks, I didn't know that. I read some parts of the article about that on wikipedia, but unfortunately that doesn't convince me more than christianity:

"Theosophists believe that religion, philosophy, science, the arts, commerce, and philanthropy, among other "virtues," lead people ever closer to "the Absolute." Planets, solar systems, galaxies, and the cosmos itself are regarded as conscious entities, fulfilling their own evolutionary paths. The spiritual units of consciousness in the universe are the Monads, which may manifest as angels, human beings or in various other forms"
The theosophists are interesting and make some good arguments but I prefer the Perennialists/traditionalists. Sometimes the theosophists can have an ecumenicalism that is a little soft and come close to being their own religion and I find them sometimes too antagonistic to traditional religion.

To me, religion does not lead to "the absolute". Religion is a set of beliefs and traditions that is very ancient, it's the experience of our ancestors that has been transmitted during thousands of years and that has slowly evolved into something totally allegoric.
Well the perennialists would say these were similar often.
While these kinds of stories have been useful in the past, and have helped the human race to survive, it progressively lost all its usefulness and became a set of dogms, people started fighting about details, some people started applying it literally etc...while at the origin it was just a bunch of stories that have a very ancient origin.

It's exactly like that:
1) someone observes that it's better to work slower but regularly than fast but too late
2) he tells that to his children and to his friends
3) the story is transmitted to the newer generations, and becomes more allegoric (it becomes the story of "the turtle and the rabbit")
4) it becomes a dogm
5) people start fighting about stupid details like wether the rabbit was immortal or not, or want to impose their own version of the myth to other people






lol that sounds like lord of the rings
Yeah the theosophists have some very good arguments but some less so. I prefer the perennialists but the theosophists certainly have somethings to offer like the nature of the absolute and such.
 
Atheist. I believe in a higher power, just haven't found mine yet.
 
The theosophists are interesting and make some good arguments but I prefer the Perennialists/traditionalists. Sometimes the theosophists can have an ecumenicalism that is a little soft and come close to being their own religion and I find them sometimes too antagonistic to traditional religion.

Well the perennialists would say these were similar often.
Yeah the theosophists have some very good arguments but some less so. I prefer the perennialists but the theosophists certainly have somethings to offer like the nature of the absolute and such.

what do you call "absolute"? hapiness? the belief in an after life?
 
All I've heard from religious leaders is "You are not suppose to ask questions, just believeeeee" :bringit
Suuuuure you have. :roll:
 
so if you don't follow the dogma why do you call yourself and live like a Buddhist?

being a Buddhist that doesn't really practice makes you what, would that be very confused or uncommitted or a Christian wanna be that can't commit to that either? just what is a Buddhist wanna be called?

Lack of commitment to a religion is not a bad thing, in my opinion. My views on spirituality and the afterlife are not so easily confined to simplistic labels. Since I live my life as a Buddhist but do not subscribe to the dogma, you may call me whatever is most convenient to you.
 
I'm an Atheist. Religion has never shown me any proof of a god. All I've heard from religious leaders is "You are not suppose to ask questions, just believeeeee" :bringit
You should talk to more religious leaders. Go talk to a Buddhist monk; if he tells you not to ask questions, he's not a Buddhist.
 
Wow. That's a lot of atheist/agnostic. Not even close to the American average. Well, it's the internet.
 
I'm an Atheist. Religion has never shown me any proof of a god. All I've heard from religious leaders is "You are not suppose to ask questions, just believeeeee" :bringit


In my entire life, I've rarely heard those words uttered, or known any religious person (Christian or otherwise) to imply that no questions should ever be asked. Actually, the opposite has been true in my personal experience with the churches I've attended and the Christians I've known. The words I have always heard were "You wouldn't be normal if you didn't question your beliefs" and "Bring on the questions. If I can't answer them myself, I'll look them up or ask someone who does know". In addition, I've always been challenged to double check for myself the accuracy of anything taught to me as being from the Bible....by the pastor/minister/preacher. I have witnessed plenty of excellent thoughtful debate among Christians within and outside the walls of churches concerning various interpretations of Bible verses and personal opinions, all with great respect for each other. I must have been in the wrong churches all that time. :doh
 
This thread reminds me a funny hobby I have. When Mormon kids on their missions come a knockin', if I have time to chat, I let them come in and give them an opportunity to save my soul. Meanwhile, I do my best to convert them to Discordianism.

:lol:
 
Suuuuure you have. :roll:

Yes, I have... Maybe my pastors just didn't feel like answering the questions at the time I asked them? I guess I could look at it that way.
 
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This thread reminds me a funny hobby I have. When Mormon kids on their missions come a knockin', if I have time to chat, I let them come in and give them an opportunity to save my soul. Meanwhile, I do my best to convert them to Discordianism.

I live in the middle of religion central, there are churches on just about every street corner, I have three churches within a mile of me on my street, yet nobody ever comes to my door. Why? Because I got on everyone's black list by actually knowing more about their religions than their representatives did. They don't want to talk to anyone who knows anything, they only want to deal with the gullible and the ignorant. As soon as you prove that you know more than they do, and can show why what they believe is ridiculous, they stop sending "missionaries" to save your soul. The last thing they want is you showing their members how silly their beliefs are.

Now, I get to sleep in on weekends, I haven't been bothered in about a decade.
 
Wow. That's a lot of atheist/agnostic. Not even close to the American average. Well, it's the internet.

Actually, it probably is more or less accurate. Many, and perhaps even most Christians in public life only claim to be Christian because they think it makes them look good to others, they don't understand the beliefs they profess to have, nor do they actively practice them. Online, you're anonymous and more likely to be honest about it.

Religion is experiencing a long, slow slide into irrelevancy.
 
I don't like to call myself an atheist, because it makes it seem like I'm "conforming to nonconformism." I just tell people I'm non-religious, I have no view either way, however I am spiritual.

Religion has become too big of a deal now, it brings out the worst in people and it starts wars, I don't like that.
 
The pole is not accurate as someone was cheating.

If you look at atheist/agnostic it has around 62 total votes. Only 47 of them are by forum users. 14 votes by anonymous.

All the other category's are off by 2 to 3 anonymous votes at most. What does that tell you?

So in reality it looks more like...

Religious/spiritual 84 -63%
Atheist/Agnostic 49 - 36%

A much more realistic make up of this site.
 
The pole is not accurate as someone was cheating.

If you look at atheist/agnostic it has around 62 total votes. Only 47 of them are by forum users. 14 votes by anonymous.

All the other category's are off by 2 to 3 anonymous votes at most. What does that tell you?

So in reality it looks more like...

Religious/spiritual 84 -63%
Atheist/Agnostic 49 - 36%

A much more realistic make up of this site.
Actually no.
It's 42 Religious, 48 Atheist/agnostic and 33 Other
If you want to combine between religious and other, it would be:
75 Religious/Other - 61%
48 Atheist/Agnostic - 39%

Also, it's not cheating.
Read this thread:
http://www.debatepolitics.com/feedback-suggestions/57421-polish-problem.html
 
Actually, it probably is more or less accurate.

Was not even close.

Many, and perhaps even most Christians in public life only claim to be Christian because they think it makes them look good to others, they don't understand the beliefs they profess to have, nor do they actively practice them.

Got any evidence to back this up? Or are you just stating unfounded opinion?

Online, you're anonymous and more likely to be honest about it.

People tend to be more dishonest about themselfs online...

"All people lie. It's simply one of the odd things about being human. An interesting study about lying in e-mail was performed in 2008 by Rutgers, Lehigh and DePaul Universities. They gave 48 full-time MBA students $89 each and told them they had to divide the money between themselves and a fictional party, in whatever amount they wanted to. Some were instructed to send an e-mail to the unknown recipient and others were to write handwritten letters, detailing the amount of money they were given and how much they would dole out. They found that 92 percent of the e-mailers lied about the amount of money they received, compared to just 64 percent who had written letters [source: eurekalert.org]. Not only does it indicate that lying is part of human nature, but that there's something about e-mail that makes it easier to be untruthful. The same could be true of social networks." - Howstuffworks "Are people more honest or dishonest on social networks?"

Religion is experiencing a long, slow slide into irrelevancy.

That would depend on where you live...

"Religon growing triple what was thought in China" - Blog : Religon growing triple what was thought in China
 
Actually no.
It's 42 Religious, 48 Atheist/agnostic and 33 Other
If you want to combine between religious and other, it would be:
75 Religious/Other - 61%
48 Atheist/Agnostic - 39%

You have got to be kidding. You are talking about a 3% difference. :roll:

Your religious numbers are off by about 9 votes.


We all know the majority of anonymous voters above say 4 or 5 at most are people logging out and clearing cookies to vote numerous times.
 
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You have got to be kidding. You are talking about a 3% difference. :roll:
I simply gave you the real numbers.
We all know the majority of anonymous voters above say 4 or 5 at most are people logging out and clearing cookies to vote numerous times.
'We all' is a generalization.
I myself used to vote in polls when I was a guest in the forum.
It is quite possible that there are some users who do this on purpose, but most are probably innocent guests who simply give their votes.
And I don't see how it matters seeing that we can simply count the number of users shown on the poll results.
 
I simply gave you the real numbers.
'We all' is a generalization.

OK the smart ones know. :doh

I myself used to vote in polls when I was a guest in the forum.
It is quite possible that there are some users who do this on purpose, but most are probably innocent guests who simply give their votes.

Looking at the numbers and the odds, that is utter bull****.

And I don't see how it matters seeing that we can simply count the number of users shown on the poll results.

Exactly what I did and it gives a much more accurate view of the make up of this site than the actual pole on it's own.

So why did you say it was accurate when you knew on it's own it was not?
 
I believe in a higher power and life after death, but do not subscribe to any particular religion. I have no idea what happens when I or anyone else dies. And it really doesn't matter. I have hope that part of me will live on outside of those that I leave behind because, for me, it gives me an answer to why we are here. If someone doesn't like that answer, well, oh well. I try not to delve too much into what I fully believe to people outside my family and close friends because I hate getting lectured by either religious people trying to save my soul or atheists that want to show me logic. Neither group is likely to change my beliefs, so why put myself through the uncomfortable politeness involved in listening to their side. Now this would mainly apply to those that I talk to in person. Online, I can passively read the arguments and comment only on what I want.

However, I also do not fault most anyone for believing their own religious beliefs as long as those beliefs do not become too extreme and/or prevent others from being treated equally. I don't think it is right to belittle anyone for their beliefs either.

I try not to fault most religions as a whole for what some people in that religion may do in the name of that religion. There are some teachings of certain religions though that I consider wrong. Jihad and crusades, honor killings and intolerance of other people's beliefs are some examples of bad teachings. Community relations, charity and kindness are some good teachings that may not have reached so many without organized religion.
 
Atheist/Agnostic. I am Atheist in that I do not believe in a loving god. I do believe there is the possibility of some unknown creator(s) so ultimately I am Agnostic.
 
OK the smart ones know. :doh
What makes you think so?
Did you make a poll?
Looking at the numbers and the odds, that is utter bull****.
You can't tell that by looking at the numbers and the odds.
Exactly what I did and it gives a much more accurate view of the make up of this site than the actual pole on it's own.

So why did you say it was accurate when you knew on it's own it was not?
I never said it was accurate, I merely corrected you about the 'cheating' part, as a guest voting in a poll is really not cheating.
 
What makes you think so?
Did you make a poll?

And this has something to do with anything I said?

You can't tell that by looking at the numbers and the odds.

Yes you can and I did, and our numbers were only different by 3%.

I never said it was accurate, I merely corrected you about the 'cheating' part, as a guest voting in a poll is really not cheating.

That was Cephus who ran off into the sunset, lol.

I mean cheating as in voting more than one time. I don't know how you missed that?
 
And this has something to do with anything I said?
It has everything to do with what you said.
Yes you can and I did, and our numbers were only different by 3%.
My claim was that you cannot tell whether somebody has cheated or whether it's a mere forum-guest voting in a poll by looking at the numbers of votes and the numbers of the shown users.
What makes you declare it as 'cheating' and not as 'guest-voting', since both values carry the same results?
That was Cephus who ran off into the sunset, lol.

I mean cheating as in voting more than one time. I don't know how you missed that?
What is it that I've missed which makes you so certain that someone has been cheating in the poll?
 
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