Controversial topic!!! - What is god?

Maynard · 07-09-2002, 04:39 PM

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I was having this discussion with a friend the other night, and we kept going round and round because she's a bit of a religious nut.

What do you believe in? I was raised in an extremely lax Christian home, we never went to church except on big holidays, and then even that stopped after awhile. I was told that I should find the path that best suits me.

Being the kind of thinker I am, and the beliefs that I have, I have chosen to be Agnostic. I truly do believe in a higher power, a God of SOME sort. But what exactly it is, I havent got the foggiest. I've weighed all the pros and cons of the major religions, and really, none of them do it for me. I have my spirituality inside me, and I don't need other people pushing it down my throat. Nor do I need anyone to tell me to live my life according to a fictional book loosely based on truth that was written for inspiration more than anything else.

I can't stand the religious nuts who try and push THEIR religion down my throat. What works for you doesn't always work for everyone else ya know.

So what is your religion? What do you believe we should all be doing? Do we need to walk the way of the Lord, or can we just live our lives and hope that there is no hell?

Ken'sPen · 07-09-2002, 04:45 PM

I too am agnostic.
The universe is one of science, not of a divine being snapping his fingers.

I believe in "do unto others"
I figure everything else will work itself out.

The Sleeper · 07-09-2002, 04:47 PM

I am agnostic and I hate discussing religion.

Maynard · 07-09-2002, 04:50 PM

Just because you're Agnostic doesn't mean you can't discuss it. If you were Athiest you would bitch that there is no God, so why not discuss it?

I actually love talking about Religion with people because it's so easy to get them riled up. I always like to hear what other people's views are on a topic, so I'll listen to their argument, then pose mine. Usually they don't have answers for 90% of the questions, and they just keep referring to the "Book".

Spitfire · 07-09-2002, 04:51 PM

Anyone ever look at that selectsmart website and do any of the religious selectors? you can find some interesting results

I think that the essence of "God" is within everyone...
everything and everyone are connected...

a "Creator" is an unknowable, unseeable variable, so I'm not going to waste my time (unless I'm :fuggin Smile

to make a guess as to what that will be

Arpikarhu · 07-09-2002, 04:51 PM

i do not believe in a higher power in the accepted sense. i think that each and every one of us is god and that all spirituality should come from within. i think that organized religion is for those who feel they lack a certain control in their lives and rather than take responsibility for it look outside themselves for help and answers.

Ken'sPen · 07-09-2002, 04:52 PM

I was hoping Arpi was going to give us the "one true answer" and spoil it for everyone.

Luna · 07-09-2002, 04:53 PM

Quote:I truly do believe in a higher power, a God of SOME sort. But what exactly it is, I havent got the foggiest.

I believe in a higher power, too. Not the traditional "God" that most of the world speaks of. I do lean more towards earth religions such as Wiccan and Paganism. :-o

PollyannaFlower46 · 07-09-2002, 04:53 PM

I was raised Jewish. My parents sent me to Sunday and Hebrew School, and forced me to be Bats Mitzvahed, even though I had told them I did not believe in God and didn't want to go through with it.

I've known from a very young age that I didn't believe in God, although I do admit that in the past year I've tried to find God again because the idea of God seems to bring such comfort to people. I remember after September 11 especially people finding comfort in their religions and wishing that I could find some comfort in mine, but even though I wanted to, I couldn't believe in something that just made no sense to me.

I think God is an idea that was created during a time of crisis and anarchy that was used as a way to control the masses. Now that we have laws and a fear of punishment by our peers, rather than a spiritual punishment, God has all but out stayed "his" welcome. People who know I don't believe in God always ask me to explain to them how things got here, but I know I can't do that....but I do know that God and organized religion have perverted the world in too many ways for them to be good things.

I don't believe there can be a God when there is all this destruction, etc. around us. Someone who is supposed to be so good, would not allow "his people" to live in a world like this.

Arpikarhu · 07-09-2002, 04:53 PM

ROFLMAO!! Holy fuck, i hate it when i find ken funny

Sluggo · 07-09-2002, 04:54 PM

Crutch

Maynard · 07-09-2002, 04:54 PM

Wait a minute!!!

Is there ANYONE on this board that believes in God in the traditional sense??

This is a sucky argument!!!

Arpikarhu · 07-09-2002, 04:55 PM

Quote:Is there ANYONE on this board that believes in God in the traditional sense??

iwish i did so i could seek forgiveness for fucking up dents book club. on the other hand i do believe that maymay has a sweet ass. :-D

Spitfire · 07-09-2002, 04:57 PM

Quote:I don't believe there can be a God when there is all this destruction, etc. around us. Someone who is supposed to be so good, would not allow "his people" to live in a world like this.

Even in the traditional religions, if there is good there must be the opposite, evil.
Ying & yang, god & the devil...for every action there must be an equal or opposite reaction, etc.

I don't get why people must humanize "God"...
If it had to listen to people's constant whining and complaining, all of the stupid selfish prayers and dumbass black rappers praising god for their talents..."God" would have keeled over long ago from boredom.

Skitchr4u · 07-09-2002, 04:57 PM

i was wondering what the controversy in this topic really is...we all have ideas and opinions, that is what makes us people...its only a controversy if someone thinks you are wrong (ie not entitled to an opinion because it differs from them).

Personally I feel that there is some kind of higher power, but not one that is controlling fate...I feel that the universe as a whole is the "higher power" and we are but one small speck in its vast existence.

PollyannaFlower46 · 07-09-2002, 05:01 PM

Quote:Even in the traditional religions, if there is good there must be the opposite, evil.
Ying & yang, god & the devil...for every action there must be an equal or opposite reaction, etc.

In Judiaism (from what I was taught) there is really no idea of the Devil..or even evil, just God's will. On Yom Kippur, you're supposed to practically beg God to put in "his book" that you will have a good year.

I know there is evil in the world, and it is a balancing act, but some of the stuff that happens just makes you wonder.

I read a book a few years ago in a lit class called The Gnostics...it was very very good and not very long...their version of God is perhaps the only one that I've ever even slightly been able to identify with.

Maynard · 07-09-2002, 05:05 PM

The "controversy" is that when you bring up religion, there are usually some nuts that will flip over it and shove their beliefs down your throat.

So I guess that there is none of that here. Thank God(?)

Ken'sPen · 07-09-2002, 05:07 PM

jews are all going to hell.
aside from that I have no problems

Hey Ladi · 07-09-2002, 05:13 PM

Quote:Is there ANYONE on this board that believes in God in the traditional sense??

I'm not religious in the traditional sense, or anything

But I guess I believe in the traditional sense of God. After 13 yrs of Catholic School, it's hard to shake.

Skitchr4u · 07-09-2002, 05:18 PM

i know that maynard, but what i was trying to get across (poorly i must add) is that people who usually find the "controversy" are the ones who do the shoving down your throat of their ideas...the ones who think you are satan reincarnate if you don't believe what they do...do you expect them to step forward on the board (if they are here that is?)