God and Religion, What do you think?

[Dehcbad25]

I wanted to see if we could use this space to reflect a little the ideas. I think it is great to converse and listen other's people opinion and one self can grow immensely.
I am usually one that cannot say something serious (and I still cannot), but I do like to converse. So I will start with some thoughts.
I am not very religious myself, and I am not completely sure if I should believe in God, thought I do believe that if there is a God, it is the same regardless of the religion.
I particularly don't like churches, and a lot less when they are "gorgeous"
I don't feel very good against the Vatican for example. There is a lot of richest and treasure accumulated there, and I don't think Jesus would have like that, so If I have to go to a church a like a simple one. I think a church should be a place where people gather to share religious moments, talk with other people and talk with God. It might sound weird, but it should be similar to when friends get together to watch a sport, or just to hung together, just the topic is different. I believe that God is everywhere and not in a Church. He is in people, animals, insects, plants, stones, etc.
I think I am more of a moral person more than anything. I try to avoid to make trash, I don't like to make other people unhappy, and even thought I hate spiders, I don't kill them (well, 99% of the time:p)
I think we should try to be moderate in life. With this I mean, love God, but do not obsess. Love life, but don't forget about after it.
Well, you will also find that my thoughts wonder a lot, because I think that everything is relative.
Well, I will keep a couple of things otherwise I won't have any more material :p

[tarun]

These aren't my personal opinion, but they are related -

The Bible: A Godly Book? (http://web.archive.org/web/19970712142138/http://www.berkshire.net/~ifas/wa/godly.html)

Your god is not one whom I am familiar with (http://bristol.craigslist.org/about/best/nsh/96465878.html)

Dan Barker on religion (athiestic) (http://atheism.about.com/library/quotes/bl_q_DBarker.htm)

If You're a Christian, Muslim or Jew - You are Wrong (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/if-youre-a-christian-mu_b_9349.html)

PS: Don't mean to offend anyone.

There's also an excellent book called 'Mr. God, this is Anna (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345327225?v=glance)' which is pretty interesting.

[PIPER]

Politics and Religion.....two difficult subjects, to say the least....(reflecting for a moment here)....I think this is one can of worms I will opt to leave unopened...lol....not that I would not love to get involved in this topic but.....think I will save these worms for fishing....lol....:D

[zipp51]

I think that anyone that constructively gives their thoughts to this thread will learn much from reading the thoughts of all the other's.One simple thought I have is that there is a God and I am not Him. Hinduism - Buddhism - Confucianism - Taoism - Islam - Judaism - Christianity all have moral wisdoms that we can follow to keep us in line with living a spiritual life.All of us have heard some of them."Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."(Christian)"At first my way of dealing with others was to listen to their words and to take their actions upon trust. Now my way is to listen to what they say and then watch to see what they do."(Confuscius)"Look to this day, for it is Life. For Yesterday is already a Dream, and Tomorrow is only a Vision. But, Today, Well lived, makes every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness, and every Tomorrow, a Vision of Hope."(Hindu Sansrit Poem)"See that line on the ground between your legs?Well you have one leg in yesterday and one leg in tommorow and your pissing :piss: on today."(A friend of mine helping me through a tough time):D

[Dehcbad25]

Words full of wisdom the last ones :D
Piper, I agree, religion and politics could be a can of worms. I don't know anything about religion or politics, but I know this comparing religion and politics:
Religion and politics are similar in that they have been in humankind history the same lengh. And that is about it for the similarities
IMHO 99% of the politics are crooked, and the other 1% is learning fast. Religion I hope if the other way around.
Politics have changed from the art of governing, to the art of manipulating. Religion's definition have stayed firm over the ages. And lastly, politics seem to be in your life to messed it up, religion is there to straight it up.
Anyhow, I preffer to talk about religion at any time than of politics (and I don't know much of sports either :p)

[bionicblond]

Politics and Religion.....two difficult subjects, to say the least....(reflecting for a moment here)....I think this is one can of worms I will opt to leave unopened...lol....not that I would not love to get involved in this topic but.....think I will save these worms for fishing....lol....:D
Like Piper I usually avoid discussing my views on race, religion etc on the net where it can be posted for all others to view. People can decide they like or dislike what you say and eventhough the others in this forum are open to constructive critiscism, there are those who would use such against you at a later date or for employment purposes etc. I would recommend something none conventional such as one of David Eddings series. I have read both of his series and the philosophies that he discusses in them are interesting. You have to first read the books and then look at the big picture of it all. The different gods/followers tend to mirror people in real life. For instance most people would not admit to worshiping money, but we have to have it to make our lives what we want. We all know that there are those that obsess (I cant spell anymore!) about it, ie. The Tolnedrans (from the Belgeriad Series). Oh by the way Eddings is scifiction fantasy......I love to read but really dont have much time anymore with college online courses that I am taking, they own me for the next 6 months or so.:(

[FastGame]

Oh sorry, please excuse me, I've lost the TZ forum rule book :confused: has anyone seen it laying around anywhere ?

If someone finds it, please let me know, I need to put it back in the Library before Reverend finds out its missing.

Thanks ;)

[bionicblond]

Oh sorry, please excuse me, I've lost the TZ forum rule book :confused: has anyone seen it laying around anywhere ?

If someone finds it, please let me know, I need to put it back in the Library before Reverend finds out its missing.

Thanks ;)
Sorry.....but has anyone seen the Ant and the Grasshopper thread, I thought that violated the rules too, or was that just my point of view?:eek:

[Big Booger]

God... can't prove nor disprove therefore the jury is still out.

http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/3831/n04060ha.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Dehcbad25]

You know. there is one thruth I can't understand. Why do politics and religion be roads for discussion :p
Politics should be easy. It should be for the benefit of the people, but we know now that most politicians are crooked, so there is nothign to argue about :p
Religion, well, we all believe in something, even if we don't believe in a god, we believe in something. Don't deny it :p
Beyond that, I think in part religion and this are related. Human nature. Why we have wars if we know they are useless? We just do.
Anyhow, the reason I started the thread was more like to think, and reason, things that don't have reason or are contradictory

[bionicblond]

Well, I could be wrong but the interpretation that I got from the book I mentioned in another thread called Monkey, Journey to the west was interesting. It was a Japanese take on religion and politics at the same time. It was like the religious god, etc were in heaven and the hiearchy and behavior mirrored the (current at the time) bueracracy...forgive me I am so tired cant spell a thing. Speaking of which I will come back after I get out of work tomorro, talk some more. Almost all religions have some type of conflict with some governmental party or either they are the party.

[hotmale]

To be honest, I skipped through the thread because I'm in a hurry (got to go study for my Physics mock).
Simply put: I do believe that something really great created everything. But I don't believe in any of the religions in their current forms; I think they have been distorted or weren't true in the first place.

[rohitk89]

Simply put: I do believe that something really great created everything. But I don't believe in any of the religions in their current forms; I think they have been distorted or weren't true in the first place.Which means that (like me) you are spiritual but not religious :D

[Dehcbad25]

rohit, that is a good point.
It is funny, I created the thread and I kind of disappeared myself.
I think I have found out that many people feel uncomfortable talking about religion, and at the same time I find that contradicting. Like a person that is too religious, he gets to the point where he/she is not so understanding anymore, and thus maybe going against one of the main parts of the religion (most practice equality on some kind). I have a friend. He is a great kid, but he gets so passionate when talking about God, that it wears you out, and you get the feeling that he only sees what he wants.
Me, I think I am somewhat religious, but don't know which religion :p. But I do know that I disagree with most "religious institutions"7 I call a religious institution for example the man part of a religion. The church for example in Catholicism. Priests are human, and as such make many mistakes, and I think it is wrong to show a perfect face because it is similar to lying. Examples, crusades, in my opinion was just an excuse for war, which is manslaughter. Also Vatican, I feel goes against the dogma of Catholicism. The Vatican is luxurious, and Christ was humble. Mother Theresa....there is a role model.

[d000hg]

Well I'm a Christian in an English charismatic church (which means we believe spiritual gifts exist to be used, like healing, prophecy and so on).
Bizarrely I agree quite a lot with the original poster despite being on the other side of the fence. The 'church' is the people who are christians, a church is nothing special but simply where you meet to worship God and to meet friends.
We try hard to resist traditions and religion - we believe we have a personal relationship with God and that's why we do the stuff, not to follow some list of rules; I don't know a single christian who would be pleased to be called 'religious'.
Institutionalised churches (basically the way they're shown on TV) don't really describe how the church should be acting - people should be drawn in to a place they'll find those ready to listen, not put off by the idea of being 'judged'.
If anyone's read the book of Acts, that decribes the way we would like church to work - people putting God first and coming together in joy simply because they want to, doing practical things to help the needy, and living in a way which makes others want to have what they do.

[jan]

Im with ya d000hg for the most part. It always facinates me how the world in general mischaracterizes "religious" and "religion" to suit their own desires and then turns right around and believes those mischaracterazations to be commonly accepted fact. Which to top it off they naturally confuse with truth. :p

[d000hg]

And so people are put off Christianity because it is seen as boring, dead rituals with no modern-day relevance.
There is the occasional film or TV show where a vicar/priest is portrayed as doing more than just christening babies or marrying people who 'want a pretty church wedding', but I can't think of one off-hand...

[Nicon]

I love my choice of religion, I love that it is my choice to choose witch religion I want to believe in witch God I want to worship. That is the one thing that is great about religion and that is that every thing is your choice and I will never belong to a religion where the people in control of the religion makes you do things because then they take away my freedom of speace and my choice. Can't stand it if I don't have a say in where my live is heading.

[jan]

And so people are put off Christianity because it is seen as boring, dead rituals with no modern-day relevance.
There is the occasional film or TV show where a vicar/priest is portrayed as doing more than just christening babies or marrying people who 'want a pretty church wedding', but I can't think of one off-hand...

The god of this world loves the lies, half truths and confusion as he is the father of lies. It keeps peep from being converted and works astonishingly well. Always has and always will. Even this fact confuses most peep.

[d000hg]

I love my choice of religion, I love that it is my choice to choose witch religion I want to believe in witch God I want to worship. That is the one thing that is great about religion and that is that every thing is your choice and I will never belong to a religion where the people in control of the religion makes you do things because then they take away my freedom of speace and my choice. Can't stand it if I don't have a say in where my live is heading.
So you accept that any god you believe in is probably in your head? Unless you have the ability to define god(!) then choosing what you want to believe seems wierd - how can even you take seriously a god which you created?

(This is a real question not a flame)

[Nicon]

NO, I believe in choosing for myself and no one else can make the decision for me, and I can't create something that existed long before me, as I understand from what your saying is that I create my own religion and god, that’s not the case I believe in the God of the Christians but I will never do what any of their priests tell me because even God give you a choice between good and evil, wrong and Wright. I like to have a choice and not have every thing decided for me like I'm a puppet.

[Dehcbad25]

That would be free choice. You are the owner of your destiny and such words. What I mean, is putting together the d00hg and Nicon post, is that you have free choice because you chose what you believe. So how can you take seriously a god which you created? well, easy, the same way that you chose to take seriously a god that someone else created.
Confusing?There are so many gods out there, so someone should have come up with the definition before, regardless of what you believe, it is your belief. So, should it mater what is your definition of god? well, mostly not. That is what can allow cohesistance between religions. For more differences that religions have they are centered around the view of a god.
I think that god did not intended the creation of a religion. I think that is more the human view, trying to group something so we can feel identified (as we do with everything else in life) and that each is just a different way to express your love, devotion to god.