Questioning Religion

[fideles1986]

I am probably a little late for this thread, but i have always questioned religion. I was raised a baptist, but now i'm just me. In 2004 i took a mythology and philosophy course(Mr. Hatfield). This man is the most inteligent man i've ever met. anyways he taught us how the old religions become mythologies and how the "gods" of the past, become the devils of the future, and it just goes on and on. I remember not too long ago, dahlia lama gave an interview to Globo(like FOX or BBC) and he said "there are different types of people in this world, and that is why there are so many different religions" . I just think this universe or multiverse that we live in , is just a big mathematical equation and it all ends in 9, the number of the end of every cycle.

 

[Dave A]

But you see, that’s the exact point I’m trying to make – where does God draw the line? If everything can be considered an unnecessary risk, then how do you know what does or doesn’t piss God off?

The bible basically tells you to treat life as sacred, if you put yourself at unnessicary risk your devaluing life, ofcourse there's risk in everything right from crossing the road to eating a meal. But it's the way you treat your life, crossing a road sensibly is not a problem, running across a dual carriageway infront of oncoming traffic however isn't. It basically requires common sense and I think it's the attitude your taking that's the bigger factor here rather than the action. There's no written rules as to what an unnessicary risk is and what isn't, rather it's a principal to adhere to and for your own conscience to work with.

 

[Touring Mars]

The bible basically tells you to treat life as sacred, if you put yourself at unnessicary risk your devaluing life, ofcourse there's risk in everything right from crossing the road to eating a meal. But it's the way you treat your life, crossing a road sensibly is not a problem, running across a dual carriageway infront of oncoming traffic however isn't. It basically requires common sense and I think it's the attitude your taking that's the bigger factor here rather than the action. There's no written rules as to what an unnessicary risk is and what isn't, rather it's a principal to adhere to and for your own conscience to work with.

AKA The Darwin Awards? 💡

 

[mindwise]

Sorry to revive a closed poll and an ancient thread, (okay, that was a lie...)
i just could not resist
Swift says:

Would Jesus do it?

in response to Sage's

But you see, that’s the exact point I’m trying to make – where does God draw the line? If everything can be considered an unnecessary risk, then how do you know what does or doesn’t piss God off?

.
Especially since foolkiller mentions:

Um, there is a difference between doing that and throwing yourself off a cliff or picking up a rattlesnake to prove that God will protect you.

Well, let's hear what Jesus would find acceptable, according to Mark 16:17-18:

These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them

I just thought it is somehow relevant

 

[Vince_Fiero]

Just was looking for a thread like this:

1) I was raised Roman Catholic.
2) Seeing the limits of an organisation like "The chruch" I became athist.
3) More and more I came to a modern philosophy that I would call now leaning to Schopenhauer.
4) I read more and more about Buddhism and this together with my trips to Asia and discussion with local Lamas, made me put myself as "non practicising Buddhist"

So I mainly follow principles, that I find back in most religions, without prescription, without supporting organisation.

Questioning your principles and how you put them in practice is the religion for me!

It is a long path that you should try to walk without going into extremes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was most fascinated by a story I read some years ago about extreme Buddhists.

This is a group of people in the south of Sri Lanka (wikipedia):

Male Digambara monks do not wear any clothes and carry nothing with them except a soft broom made of shed peacock feathers (pinchi) and eat from their hands. They sleep on the floor without blankets and sit on special wooden platforms.

Every day is spent either in study of scriptures or meditation or teaching to lay people. They stand aloof from worldly matters. Many Jain ascetics take a final vow of Santhara or Sallekhana (i.e., a peaceful and detached death where medicines, food, and water are abandoned). This is done when death is imminent or when a monk feels that he is unable to adhere to his vows on account of advanced age or terminal disease.

So they have ultimate respect:
* clothing is vanity, so why waste resources on this
* the broom is to clear the path in front of them of animals they would otherwise kill by stepping on them
* when your useful life is over you stop wasting resources and starve yourself to death

It is not practical, but their respect of the world around them deserves respect for me.

I actually found their principles now:
Five Mahavratas
1. Ahimsa: Non-violence in thought, word and deed
2. Satya: Truth which is beneficial, succinct and pleasing
3. Acaurya: Not accepting anything that has not been given to them by the owner
4. Brahmacarya: Absolute purity of mind and body
5. Aparigraha: Non-attachment to non-self objects

Three Guptis
1. Managupti: Control of the mind
2. Vacanagupti: Control of speech
3. Kayagupti: Control of body

Five Samitis
1. Irya Samiti: Carefulness while walking
2. Bhasha Samiti: Carefulness while communicating
3. Eshana Samiti: Carefulness while eating
4. Adana Nikshepana Samiti: Carefulness while handling their fly-whisks, water gourds, etc.
5. Pratishthapana Samiti: Carefulness while disposing of bodily waste matter

 

[Touring Mars]

Three Guptis
1. Managupti: Control of the mind
2. Vacanagupti: Control of speech
3. Kayagupti: Control of body

You forgot Gupti-singh... the control of one's urge to make an arse of oneself at karaoke

 

[GT_Prologue5]

You forgot Gupti-singh... the control of one's urge to make an arse of oneself at karaoke

That's not something you can control. It just happens.

 

[Joel]

On the thread topic, I grew up in a catholic family. We went to church when I was younger, but stopped going eventually. I hated going to church. I went (and still attend) Catholic school. I never was a "hardcore" catholic, but I always did believe without a doubt that God existed. I got into Grade 9 of my Catholic high school, and slowly began down the path of Atheism. It started with my religion class, listening to the weak arguments that the teacher made. I have always had a logical, analytical mind, and it was really only a matter of time before I began to question and analyse my faith. By the beginning of Grade 10, I was Atheist, and it's stayed that way since.

Like I said, it was only a matter of time for me. I have always been very analytical, and it was only a question of when, not if, I would question my faith.

 

[Northstar]

When I was little I used to go to Sunday school(a bible thumping neighbor pressured my mom so I went with my friend(her son)). I went for a couple months before I(along with 4-5 other kids, including my friend) got pulled out after one "lesson". This lesson was basically the teacher trying to scare us into following god's ways by telling us that the devil was inside the church waiting for us to sin(mind you we were all like 5-6) so he could harvest our souls. Following this I realized that if they have to scare the crap out of a kindergartner to make them follow their religion it can't be all that it's cracked up to be.

I would have to say that after I can't really enter a church without that thought entering my head. Probably also is a reason I am an atheist.

 

[Joel]

One thing I notice, is that even though I don't believe in God/Jesus, I still say "thank God", "bless you" and use "Jesus Christ" as a swear word... I think the "thank God" is just leftover from it being drilled into my head in Elementary school "Bless us oh lord for these thy gifts.....".
"Jesus Christ" on the other hand, I think it's just that my dad says that a lot, and it rubbed off.

 

[Keef]

Sage, you're splitting hairs. I can understand where you're coming from, but honestly you can say that almost everything is an uneccassary risk. Outside of eating and sleeping. Is driving a race car more of a risk then driving a regular car? By statistics, nope. Racecars have a radical amount of safety features. What did the guy doing the balancing act have? The pavement?

Honestly, this is going to get stupid really quick if we have to look at every "risk" and see if it is needed or not.

Sage's point stands, possibly because of the terminology you used. Maybe if you had described better what consists of tempting God then he wouldn't be so curious, and I wouldn't either. If the definition is literally "Tempting God is when you knowingly put yourself in an unnecessary risk", then what is His definition of "unnecessary"? The definition of "tempt" as it stands is entirely too broad, broad enough to include human nature itself.

 

[DK]

Personally I don't agree with organised religion. I have a personal saying, which is "Priests shouldn't be politicians." I don't agree with religion having a large influence on politics. Humans, as I see them, have always questioned things. Religions, as I see them, have tried to remove that element from human thought, usually through the use of threats against your life if you disagree with them. I went to a Catholic primary school and back in those days every Tuesday morning we would go to church, which was just across the road. I thought, "Why do we have to go to church?" I never actually asked this question, but from 5th class (the Irish equivalent of 5th grade) onwards, I started questioning my belief. Personally, I'm agnostic, as I don't think there's any way to prove, nor disprove, the existence of a god or whole bunch of gods.

 

[Vince_Fiero]

You forgot Gupti-singh... the control of one's urge to make an arse of oneself at karaoke

This is actually a gift to be able to follow the flow
not "make an arse of oneself at karaoke" could be seen as:

• disrespect towards the others
• not taking the middle path and taking yourself to seriously
• rebellious behaviour that serves no purpose

No, I do not intend to adopt "Gupti-singh" just yet.

 

[Touring Mars]

Richard Dawkins responded angrily to the Pope's visit to the UK last week, especially regarding the Pope's blunt attacks on atheism and secular society, and particularly regarding the Pope's misguided and somewhat bizarre assertions that Hitler and the Nazis were motivated by atheism (presumably forgetting that Hitler was a Catholic). Dawkins delivers quite a broadside here, and it's worth a watch, but it is perhaps not for the easily offended... or fans of the Pope Link...

 

[Famine]

The Pope's speech: Venn-style

 

[Dotini]

Richard Dawkins responded angrily to the Pope's visit to the UK last week, especially regarding the Pope's blunt attacks on atheism and secular society, and particularly regarding the Pope's misguided and somewhat bizarre assertions that Hitler and the Nazis were motivated by atheism (presumably forgetting that Hitler was a Catholic). Dawkins delivers quite a broadside here, and it's worth a watch, but it is perhaps not for the easily offended... or fans of the Pope Link...

Highly amusing video of Dawkins denouncing the Pope as an enemy of humanity. But surely Hitler was completely heretical, employing as he did pagan, occult and esoteric themes in his campaign of evil.

But I do have to wonder why the 'same people' (?) who regularly used to hang or run-out-of-town their Popish kings now embrace so fervently such a damp squib as the current Pope? That's the imagery I get from American media and BBC.

Highest regards,
Dotini

 

[DK]

That last Venn diagram made me laugh for a few seconds, until I realised that this Emperor Palpatine-body double still holds influence over society.

The resemblance between the two scares me.