What's Your Religion

[Roja]

 

It gives them an excuse to never really think about how their actions and words affect others. And It also is a reason to never take responisibility for their own actions.

Then whoever those people are have a bad religion or they don't follow their religion. I haven't heard of too many religions that say "do whatever the hell you want and dont' care about other people".

 

....

perhaps you should rephrase that

[Placid]

Religion is important, no matter whether your religious or not. It defines culture, social attitude, respect and gives a country its identity.

 

Suggesting religion makes people 'stupid' is a perfect example of a uneducated opinion.

 

Whether you like it or not, religion affects you.

[xavier1]

I am a Christian with a hint of Buddhist.

 

 

[Sadez]

Religion is important, no matter whether your religious or not. It defines culture, social attitude, respect and gives a country its identity.

That has no sense at all, I don't want to be labelled as a christian just because I'm spanish. Also the Inqusition just left us such a nice country identity

 

Suggesting religion makes people 'stupid' is a perfect example of a uneducated opinion.

Religion is the opium of the people.

 

Whether you like it or not, religion affects you.

I agree with you here, and it's quite sad it still happens.

[Lyanna]

I am a Christian with a hint of Buddhist.

 

 

How is that possible? Their systems of belief are fundamentally opposite. Would you care to explain further?

 

-Lyn-

[Yoshi]

I worship teh llama in mike's pants..so does the rest of my guild o.O

[Placid]

Religion is important, no matter whether your religious or not. It defines culture, social attitude, respect and gives a country its identity.

That has no sense at all, I don't want to be labelled as a christian just because I'm spanish. Also the Inqusition just left us such a nice country identity

 

I agree with you here, and it's quite sad it still happens.

Yes it does, i probably didnt right it as well as i meant to.

 

Religion is the opium of the people.

 

OUCH! who said that?

Edited November 18, 2004 by Placid

[Grum]

Religion is the opium of the people.

 

OUCH! who said that?

*smacks Placid*

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx

[KillerQween]

Do not believe in a "god", my religion is the belief in good and evil in womankind (and for those who won't get it...mankind). Wicca is a good religion cause it is a belief in Mother Earth and only used for good, but I've not practiced it for sometime.

[Hellinon]

lol my dad is a preacher

[Platyna]

I am a Christian with a hint of Buddhist.

 

 

How is that possible? Their systems of belief are fundamentally opposite. Would you care to explain further?

 

-Lyn-

You are wrong. Jesus came to the people and said: Live in peace, so Buddah did.

Now it is of course different because in modern world christian religion is religion of blood and

intolerance, especially catholicism. It is not flame or something, I am not going to insult these who really

believe in bibble and God. For example the John Wycliff who dared to translate Bibble to English was

burned on the stack because catholic brain manipulation engine knew that if people will know God's

Word then manipulation will be not possible, Spanish inquisition is a classic example, Giordano Bruno

was burned on stack because he dared to agree with "heretic" Copernicus who nota bene was real

catholic. During 1500 years humanity was suffering and standing stil in one place because of "religion of

love" Considering that since ancient Greek and Roman civilization almost nothing has changed in out

value system - it got only a little bit "updated" I can't imagine how great progress we could make if middle

ages would never happen. Sad.

 

Regards.

Edited November 19, 2004 by Platyna

[stasia]

yeah well, the romans were power-hungry idiots, and put too many fingers in the pie - and basically found themselves unable to control the power struggles in the furthest reaches of their holdings; some would say a parallel can be drawn with the american culture of today

 

we might have to live through a new fall of empire yet, who knows?

[Aira]

I'm Celtic-Baptist... meaning I'm a christian, but I do not beileve that Witchcraft is bad.. or 'of satan'.

 

I believe that the force of what people call 'magic' is another energy of the earth, that 'witches' have dedicated themselves to practice control over.

 

And from there, I just kinda go with what I want?

 

Lol.

 

Hey, if it works, and if it makes you happy, then I say go for it.

 

^_^

[stasia]

here's a cool article btw.

[Lyanna]

Um... it seems as if a lot of people are confused about what Christianity really is, or what its core beliefs are. It's something I find quite common in Western countries, where people have mixed up the doctrines of Christianity with the practices of politics, humanity, and "being a good person". Perhaps I'd better explain further then and set the record straight. (Warning... very very long post ahead). But first, a short summary of some of the differences between Buddhism and Christianity:

 

Some Basic Differences Between Buddhism and Christianity

 

1) The Concept of the Higher Power. Christians believe in an Almighty, Personal Creator of the Universe. Buddhists do not believe in a Personal Creator, but rather in an impersonal Force, or Order to the Universe. (By this, I mean that "God" is a Person to Christians, and a Universal Law to Buddhists)

2) Eternity. Buddhists believe in the karmic debt - meaning that you are reincarnated into your present form, based on your actions in your previous life. Eternity is spent in this world, unless you have achieved Nirvana. Christians, on the other hand, believe in only one life on this earth, and Eternity spent with God in Heaven and the New Earth. There is no concept of reincarnation at all.

3) The Purpose of Life. According to the 4 Noble Truths of Buddhism, life is full of suffering, that is caused by desire. The ultimate purpose in life is to cease the suffering, by ceasing to desire. To reach this state of Nirvana (the cessation of desire), a person should follow the Eightfold Path, and hence become a Buddha. To Christians, the purpose of life is a restored relationship with God, and willing obedience to His commands. The emphasis is not on the Law, but on the relationship.

 

There are more differences than these, of course, but I won't have time to cover them all. Now, let me explain Christianity in greater detail, according to how I understand it. (Please note that I might end up using rather dramatic and emotive language - not because I'm preaching, ranting or flaming, but because I'm trying to depict accurately the significance of certain things in Christian belief.)

 

 

The Core of Christian Belief

 

Man was created in God's image, for the primary purpose of enjoying a meaningful and joyful relationship with our Creator, worshipping Him freely. God created Man out of His vast love and gave us free will, that we may choose to love Him, and appreciate His marvelous works of Creation. Love is not real love if it is forced... that is primarily why God gave us free will to choose whether to believe in Him and love Him or not.

 

Mankind, in the form of Adam and Eve, sinned against God, by deliberately disobeying His commandments. This is the true nature of Sin - it is NOT merely the "doing of bad things", but rather the choice to disobey God's will for our lives, and seeking to run our lives without interference from Him. All people have inherited this "sin nature" - all have chosen, at one point in time or another, to decide for themselves what is best for them and how THEY want to live their lives, free from God. We royally messed up. And because of our tendency to avoid blaming ourselves, and in our pride, we started to change the concepts of sin and salvation to suit ourselves. But sin is not doing bad things - sin is seeking to run your own life without heed to God, and not acknowledging Him as our Creator and Lord

 

Because of His commitment to the freedom of our choice, God let us depart from his Presence, and forfeit our rights to His protection. If you want to rebel against your Divine Father, and leave his house to get your own way in life, He will let you - because He respects your freedom of choice, and He wants you to love Him for His own sake. But then, YOU must protect yourself against the Evil One. (And that explains the evils in the world today - people have rebelled against God, have forfeited the right to His Protection and Guidance, and have suffered for it.) Hell is not a punishment for sin - it is the natural consequence of it. If you want to live life away from God forever, God will let you do so, even though it breaks His heart. (But what would an Eternity away from the source of all Goodness and Love be like?)

 

God, in His mercy and love, wanted to save mankind from their own destruction, and restore them back to His arms, so He was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. He first gave the Law to Moses and the Israelites (the Ten Commandments, among others) to help them understand how far they have fallen, and how powerless they are to redeem themselves. He then sent His only Son (which was also Himself - look into the concept of the Trinity if you're interested) to redeem us, by paying the price of our sins Himself. God literally died and went to Hell for us, because He loved us and wanted us back safe. By doing so, Jesus has fulfilled the requirements needed by justice, and God is able to overlook our sins and forgive us, because we are covered with the innocent blood of His Son.

 

And today, God still offers everyone that freedom of choice - would you accept his gift? Are you willing to acknowledge that you are fallen and incapable of saving yourself from destruction? Are you willing to accept that God had to come down, and die, so that His original purpose for your life - a joyful and meaningful love relationship with Him - may be restored? Are you willing to admit that the only goodness you have in your life comes from God, working in you to change you into the image of His Son - the perfect Man? That is what is meant by the Christian concept of salvation. It is free, but it was costly. God is not laying down a set of rules for us to follow, and punishing or rewarding us according to how well we do. God is trying His best to save us from the consequences of our own foolish rebellion against Him, without compromising our ability to choose freely.

 

Therefore, Christians today are to realise that they were once sinners and rebels, saved and forgiven only through the grace of God. That's why we reach out - to bring the Good News of redemption and restoration back to a suffering humanity lost in its pride. None of us are perfect, and we all have the temptation to fall back into our old ways at times - but God is patiently working in us to change us to be more like Him.

 

 

Note from myself: This may seem like preaching from a soapbox, and condemning others. I truly don't mean it as such. I'll straightaway admit that I sin as much as any of you. I have rebelled against God myself. I am not clean, nor holy, nor pure. But I don't have to be, in order to be saved. I accepted that Jesus was my Savior, and that it was His innocence, not mine, that saved me from the consequences of my sins. And now, I try to listen and obey to God's voice, guiding me to become the person He wants me to be. Any goodness that you have seen in me, any kindness or love - they don't come from me, but from the reflection of God's nature shining in me.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

Christianity seems like a religion for the weak and powerless. Why should I believe in it?

 

I make no apologies for that. To Christians, all of humanity is weak and powerless - without God. We delude ourselves into thinking that we can control our destinies - that God is just a matter of choice with us. And in a sense, we are right - God does give us freedom of choice. But that doesn't mean that all choices are equally good or equally right. I truly believe that there IS such a thing as absolute Truth, and absolute Goodness. The trouble is, we can't see it, because we do not want to admit that we are wrong and bad.

 

What about people who have never heard of Christianity or Christ? Does that mean that they are condemned/lost forever?

 

To say that we are fallen does not mean that we are totally depraved (well, not all of us, at least). We do still have remnants of what was once perfect in us. A conscience, ideas of morality, ideas of beauty - these things still exist, although I personally believe that they may have been weakened or greatly marred. God reveals Himself in the world to those who are truly seeking to know Him. (Romans 1: 18-25) There is still hope for those that may not have heard of Christ's message, because God's plan of salvation is open to all who are willing to listen to Him speak in their hearts and minds, and in the world around them. But the message is hard to swallow. And people would rather follow their own desires and proud natures, rather than come humbly to God in repentance. (I have experienced this myself, so don't take it as condemnatory - I'm just stating an oobservation). We humans, knowing the truth, hide it in order to make ourselves feel better.

 

That sounds very noble and everything, but the actions of Christians don't bear out what they preach. What about the Crusades? What about the Inquisition and the religious wars of the Dark Ages? What about the Salem witch trials and modern-day Christian hypocrites?

 

I personally feel that "religion" has been a source of a lot of grief to people. It has been a recurring trend throughout history, especially Western history, and it is sad to see. May I suggest that the people responsible for those blemishes on Christian history were fully to blame for their actions - but also, that they were not truly the followers of Jesus? A lot of power-hungry people have infiltrated the Church and used it for their own purposes throughout history, especially at those times where power in the Church meant power in politics. It is sad that the church is now struggling under the burden of these past recriminations. I do believe that the Catholic Church has issued a formal apology, though, for the Crusades and other crimes committed against humanity in the name of Christ. But I'm sad to see that people have become so blinded by these that they have failed to see the other side of things. (Or perhaps, it's because they don't WANT to... )

 

What inspired Mother Teresa to spend most of her life in service to the poor and needy in India? Which God did the idiots who founded Oxford and Cambridge, who founded Princeton and Harvard and Yale, believe in? Is religion - particularly Christianity - truly the opium of the people? Is that why thousands of Christians die under torture every day in the world, particularly in atheistic countries? Is that what pushes weak-minded missionaries to climb the Himalayas, to go through the jungles of Southeast Asia, the savannahs of Africa, the deserts of the Middle East and the rainforests of South America to reach long-lost tribes? Christianity has had a proud tradition of service and martyrdom to the people of this world. Why is it that this is hidden, while the martyrs of the world to the name of Christianity are publicly brought up time and time again?

 

 

Science has proven what the Bible says to be false. Or, the Bible was compiled/written by uneducated men in the past, who were superstitious. Or, the Bible was compiled and written by humans, not by God. Why should I believe in it?

 

About science: I find that most people who bring this up are laymen, or non-scientists. People who are trained scientifically have a certain care with how they use and define technical terms ("Evolution" is a prime example - people just throw that around, without realising that the real argument is about the concept and extent of Natural Selection instead). But in any case, if you're truly asking this question, I encourage you to dive into the world of science, and really understand the facts and research before making a claim in either direction. Be open, and test all evidence for both veracity (truthfulness) and consistency. If you want to use science in your argument, make sure you understand both its scope as well as its limits. (Try to explain the concepts of beauty or love, through science, to get an idea of what I'm talking about... which is the correct version - the lover's or the psychologist's?)

 

The truth and historicity of the Bible is a very very long debate that has been going on for generations. I won't get into all the details, but I can deal with some basic misconceptions at least. There are different "versions" of the Bible, not because it is the result of human writings only, but because of a combination of changes in language, and small copying errors in the past. However, these differences are slight (something like changes of a minor word or phrasing in a relatively unimportant verse). The main message still stays intact, and is threaded throughout the course of 4,000 years of history - from Moses' time, until the days of the early Christian Church. Over 20 different authors are identified in the Bible, and yet, the message is strangely uniform. Is this truly the work of diverse men, or a Spirit behind them, guiding them in what to write and what to choose. If you believe that there is no such Spirit, then obviously, these writers have compiled a meaningless book, and the message is coincidental. If there is such a Spirit behind the writers and compilers of the Bible who has been guiding its development throughout history, then the message is of great importance. I suggest you read up more on the subject, if you are truly interested.

 

Basically, do some more research. We (Christians) are not afraid of the truth, if that is really what you are seeking.

 

 

At the end of this, I realise that I may not have answered everything, or that this may sound like a sermon or a rant. It's not. It's truly not. It is simply what I believe in, and have studied and lived out throughout my life. It is my personal experience of God. I don't seek to push people towards Christ - I believe each one must make their own decision. I just reveal the truth, as far as I can see it.

 

-Lyn-

[honeybee]

I follow the ancient Chinese philosophy of Daoism.

 

It is a simple philosphy not about gods or beliefs but about believing in your own self worth and leading a life in balance and harmony with the universe.

 

The Dao-De-Jing is a 81 chapter book and has been translated into more languages and versions than any other book ever written (except the christian bible). It doesnt preach at you and doesnt have rules or punishments as right and wrong are entwinned with each other as one cannot exist without the other.

 

Chapter 44 from the Dao-De-Jing

 

Fame or Integrity: Which is more important?

Money or Happiness: Which is more valuable?

Success or failure: which is more destructive?

 

If you look for others for fulfillment

You will never truly be fulfulled.

If your happiness depends on money

You will never be happy with yourself.

 

Be content with what you have

rejoice in the way things are.

When you relize there is nothing lacking

the whole world belongs to you.

 

We try to practice this philosphy in the Guild Dao and you can find more quotes from the Dao-De-Jing and others at our website Webpage

[Placid]

Religion is the opium of the people.

 

OUCH! who said that?

*smacks Placid*

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx

*Shakes head in disgust*

 

Im going to a far away place full of dark corners....

[lobonar]

hmmz... does selfbelieve count for this to.

 

I just think you should let everyone have a religion what he believes in but you should just respect someones choise of their religion or non-religion.

[freeone3000]

I worship teh llama in mike's pants..so does the rest of my guild o.O

Stupid question: Why is there a 114|\/|4 in mike's pants?

[007]

I'm a Catholic

I believe there is a God, there is an afterlife, and that the church has tons of corruption..

I've learned a lot about the Catholic church, and that's been enough learning to make me realize one thing: The church cares more about money than morals and living correctly. This, though, does not turn me against Catholicism, or against religion whatsoever. I believe in Jesus, and I believe that when He came to earth his message was simple: love. The church over the years has mingled Jesus' true message with past traditions and such and made things way bigger than they need to be.

To me, i believe that to lead a "Holy" life, one needs to show love to everyone, and confess to God when you do wrong. This does NOT mean going weekly to your local church to talk to another person (priest) who will "convey" your confession to God. This kind of thing clearly puts priests over all other men and women, because it means that you can only confess to priests. The Bible teaches that everyone is equal, so why should we have to go to another human to prove our sorrow for what we have done?

If I had my choice, I would probably not belong to any specific religion, because there is not one that I know of as of yet that fits the message that I believe God tries to get us to show.

[Platyna]

Lyanna: Honestly I didn't even read that all stuff. Some things are that obvious that they not require

any additional synthesis or research. I know what is christian religion, I know what is buddhism and what

are differences between them (anyway if God in christian religion is a person how you will explain that

he is ambigious and existence of such thing like Saind Spirit which is part of Saint Third?). All what I told

was that being a christian not removed possibility to be a buddhist because main directives of both

religions are simmilar. Similar != the same.

 

Regards.

[Lyanna]

007, your opinions and beliefs were the same (or at least, very similar) to the early founders of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther (note: this was a German priest - not to be confused with Martin Luther King, the human-rights activist) objected to the Catholic church on the very same grounds that you find fault with. You might want to look up the early roots of Protestantism, and see where that leads you.

 

Plat, does "all that stuff" refer to my post, or to research in Buddhism and Christianity? Because, the point I was trying to make was that the main directives of Buddhism are not even similar to Christianity at all - they are completely different! Almost opposite, in fact. If you believe that they are similar, then I respectfully suggest you do some more research into both. It's not as obvious as you might think. (Btw, I don't get the Saint Spirit and Saint Third part...what's that?)

 

-Lyn-

Edited November 21, 2004 by Lyanna

[teranoz]

I know what is christian religion

Christianity is NOT a religion, its a relationship.

 

Islam, Budism, Whatever-ism ask you to work very hard to restore your position in the hereafter, where in Christianity its God Himself who worked his ass off to save you while knowing millions of those people whose sins, pains and sicknesses He paid the price for would refuse His offer.

The only thing you need in Christianity to get saved is believe Jesus died for you and accept His sacrifice.

What you do after that is because of gratitude, not because you must.

We see God as our Father and those that are also His children as brothers and sisters and we talk to God about lots of things that keep us busy or bothers us.

 

 

Lyanna : I think Plat means the Holy Spirit

Edited November 21, 2004 by teranoz

[Platyna]

Okay I know nothing I am an idiot. Polish is islam country we have no idea what the heck christian

religion is and USA people knows better. :-]

Lyanna: You can say our t-shirt and ancient Roman tunica were something different because they are

named different and you rather don't care that they look the same. It only shows how synthetic, shallow

and flat your research is. I see they look the same so I say they are the same.

I know alot of people who are catholic but they respect and practice buddhism because main idea of

these both religions are precluding each other. Buddhism is not only religion, it a philosophy of life,

specific ethic and main difference between christianity and buddhism is that christians believe that they

are toys in hands of fate and buddhists believe they can decide about themselves and free their immortal

soul from neverending wheel of life.

And about Saint - I wasn't sure how to translate "Swiety" and yes, it is Holy Spirit.

#beam me up

 

Regards.

Edited November 21, 2004 by Platyna

[teranoz]

christians believe that they are toys in hands of fate

No, we have a free will, and can do what ever we want to (but some actions have consequences).

 

If God wants someone to do something, in the fate theory there would not be any escape for it, but if that person does not want to do that, it just does not happen.