Religion, Why do you believe what you believe? Options

[Spectatrix]

Some discussion about Christianity has popped up in a few threads lately, so I thought I'd start this one. This is NOT a thread for bashing another person's beliefs.

Basically, I'm curious as to what people believe in terms of religion/spirituality and why. Looking at religions from an outside perspective, it seems to me that most would seem inspiring in some ways, but not necessarily true. What has led you to believe that your religion is true and that the stories (in the Bible, Koran, Torah, Baghavad Gita, etc. etc.) aren't just inspirational fiction?

What have you experienced or what research have you done that has convinced you one way or the other?

[Spectatrix]

That's simply called being uncertain.

Agnostics believe either that both the existence and non-existence of god is unprovable (strong agnostic) or that they currently have not been convinced one way or the other, but that it might be proveable one way or the other (weak agnostic).

[blaarg]

Atheist

Was indoctrinated by my parents since I was born to go to church, love god, Jesus died for me, etc... Came to college and made the realization that everything in my life makes some sort of logical sense except this concept of faith which seems to be the say-all-end-all reason for god's existence. Then I realized that the only real reason why I believed in god was because I would want something and praying was an avenue, albeit not a reliable one, to getting it and also I wanted reassurance for life after death.

When I came to grips that if I want something and I tried hard enough I can get it without any divine entity coupled with the acceptance that death isn't that big of a deal (after all we were sort-of dead before we were born for a long ass time) then I became an atheist.

[Mommy]

Neither way is provable, but I believe in God and Creationism and all that fun jazz. Sometimes I believe it cuz I think that makes the most sense, but other times its because it pisses people off for me to believe like that.

[cmac]

did anyone watch the Kirk Cameron vs. The Atheists debate on Nightline a few weeks ago. It was a very good debate. Cameron tried to prove that god existed without the use of the bible. It's available here: http://abcnews.go.com/nightline but like an hour long.

This post has been edited by cmac: Jun 8 2007, 03:13 PM

[blaarg]

See I used to believe it was an unprovable issue, but then think of everything people used to attribute to God that there are now scientific explanations for (weather, planetary motion, geological events, illness).

I think eventually the number of unexplainable events will get whittled down to zero.

[Mommy]

See I used to believe it was an unprovable issue, but then think of everything people used to attribute to God that there are now scientific explanations for (weather, planetary motion, geological events, illness).

I think eventually the number of unexplainable events will get whittled down to zero.

Just because there is a scientific explanation, doesnt mean God is nonexistent...

[impala454]

and made the realization that everything in my life makes some sort of logical sense except this concept of faith

by it's own very definition:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/faith

faith - belief that is not based on proof

so did you stop believing because you suddenly learned the definition of faith, or that you no longer had faith that God exists?


oh and just a lil tidbit i thought i'd throw in, this is a great history channel show about all the biblical events everyone always debates: http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=det...pisodeId=191958 should show the next time it comes on.

[FORSAKENR320]

spiritual rather than religious. i find that living by the morals the bible teaches is much more productive than believing a virgin could have a baby and a man with a stick could part a sea in half so that people could walk through it.

being what i define a good person should be the real goal to me, not fighting over what color cloak jesus wore or the other little details.

[TetraGrammaton C...]

Liz: Why don't you try the church of practicology? They love movie stars and stuff.

Tracy: They already turned me down. I'm still not sure what happened.

*flashback*
I believe the moon doesn't exist.
I believe that vampires are the world's greatest golfers,
but their curse is that they'll never get to prove it.
I believe there are 31 letters in the right alphabet.
What was the question again?

Tracy: So, what's your religion, liz lemmon?
Liz: I pretty much just do whatever Oprah tells me to.


--30 rock

[Testm0nkey]

i believe i am somewhat spiritual and non religious. im not expert on buddhism but i have visited a few temples, teachings, read up and studied and have had a trip to Nepal with a buddhist teacher set up for awhile.
i dont believe or take anything out of the christian religion. i believe its a great way to learn some morals and social principals but why does it have to be wrapped up in a creation story. no way can i believe that so its pointless to me
i believe the buddhist religion is a more modern relgion despite being much older. i believe its more philosophical and teaches stronger and better morals and social/individual teachings
and its just a great religion with an amazing history and art

[TetraGrammaton C...]

aside from quoting kahlil gibran or something like that, i have always preferred the NPR broadcasts of "This I Believe..." which have been around since the 1950's. i think these things do more than inform you of someone else's beliefs. these broadcasts allow you to compare your beliefs to other's in a very transparent way.

This I believe at NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138


This is the general website:
http://thisibelieve.org/index.php


This is one by Penn Jillette that I think is neat. (listen or read)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5015557


Here is the one that I like the most
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9436371
(Here is a link to the audio version of what is below).

ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Aside from being a commentator for this program, Brian McConnachie is also a loyal listener. And he's been listening carefully to one of our long-running series. It's the one entitled This I Believe. He wants to be part of it, but he has encountered a stumbling block.

BRIAN MCCONNACHIE: Before I begin with what I believe, I feel compelled to say I believe that the "this" should probably go after the "I believe" and not precede it. It makes it sound a bit arcane in origin. It makes it sound a bit 1950's biblical rewrite or we could lose the "this" entirely no one is going to be wondering what is believed here. It is redundant. It is pretentious. It is cleaner without it. I also believe that if I keep going on about this, some of the more strident and doctrinaire staff members from NPR will start plotting to drag me off into some soundproof room in the middle of the night and bring me to my senses. But, enough about the "this."

What I believe, what I really know is that if you are ever waiting in a closet to jump out and scare someone, that day for some reason that person is never going to open that closet door and you're just going to be stuck in there with the all the wool coats wondering why, in heavens name, you believed this was a good idea to begin with. However, I also believe, that if you stay in that closet long enough, beyond any reasonable amount of time, when that person eventually does open the closet, he or she will get the scare of their life. Major fright, hysterical screaming, so loud, in fact, that you really might want to rethink this whole jumping out of closets at people. And that is what I believe . . . most of the time . . . usually . . . and then a day will come along and WHAM, I won't believe a word of it. I find life is like that and unless your beliefs are limited to universals, like where North is, and even that gets relative, you had better prepare yourself, if you are even vaguely open-minded, for radical confusion where, in time, every notion you've ever believed will be legitimately stood on its head.

So, if you're still serious about hiding in the closet to scare people, that's fine. I am not here to judge you. What can I tell you? Be patient. Stay quiet. Bring something to read, a little flashlight. Bring a sandwich. And don't forget to listen, you want to be ready with your special scary face when that door finally opens. What you might want to do to give this act some meaning is imagine the person who is about to open the door represents reality coming to the closet of - well, we will call the closet what closets have always been - our triumph over chaos. And reality has come to our triumph over chaos to put on the overcoat of common belief and the very last thing reality expects is you. (and this is you as you, you get to play you, the everyman, the little guy) leaping out and scaring the living daylights out of them, but that's exactly what it needs. Reality has been playing pretty fast and loose with us over the years and it has never once been held accountable. So, pleasantly, I like what you are doing here, I think you're really on to something. I hope that this has been a part of the puzzle that you have been looking for and that we eventually rename this segment "That for which in vain we have so plaintively been looking for" or something equally as catchy.

[THECHICKEN]

Dislike religion (people saying they are absolutely right when they are going off faith which by definition has no proof...) but i think theres a good chance of a god existing. Shit seems to always happen in a way that seems .... well a little planned but not logically.

Anyway, i like to make my ideas of god based on a sample of good common sense from all the religions. Like islam for example, their view on the after life seems more logical than christian (slow redemption from learning your mistakes vs. endless hell). Would a "loving" god punish for all eternity something it truely loves? I would think redemption would be possible.

If god is all knowing, then everything would seem to just be a test. Then again god could have made "free will" so that he trully would allow us to make decisions. OR the third possibility being a mix of preordaining an end, just not the certain path. Or god is just a more powerful natural being who created us... not a "mystical" thing.

Or no god...


Screw it, ill make it simple: Undecided