What is Your Religion?

[BabyPiglet]

Religion doesn't scare me. But I dislike what it does to people.

People go to war, kill each other, destroy things on the off chance that their god is real and the other guys god is false. When, if you look at it unbaisedly, every major world religion is almost the exact same as everything else. Islam and Judaism are almost the exact same, now a Muslim would shoot me for saying that, but its true.

I've studied religion, and the people who follow it. Throughout history, religion went from a way to explain things to a way to control people. Thats why theocracies lasted so long. And we're still a theocracy, even though every government official will tell you other wise. If we weren't a theocracy "god" wouldn't be in our pledge of allegiance, and religious texts wouldn't be in our schools, religious signs wouldn't be in our courthouses, and our laws wouldn't be frighteningly similar to laws of a certain religion. You can only scare people so much. The worst thign you could do is kill or torture them. So how do you scare people into following your rules? Tell them that even after death some big bad wolf is going to come get them. So they follow your rules. They're good little people. Government and church were one in teh same for hundreds of thousands of years. Now, in 2007, we're still fighting this battle.

100,000 years ago, lightning struck. how does a simple mind explain it? its anger, its big, its powerful, its a god. now we know that lightning is just an electric burst. So now we've got people who miraculously recover from cancer. Is it a work of god, like lightning? or in another few hundred years will we have figured it out? There are things I can't explain, but that doesn't mean magic is at work.

Religion has caused many many pointless deaths. Its caused fighting. And why? Because people are scared about what happens after we die. So we need some reassurance that it'll be some perfect paradise. Or becuase we don't like being alone, so we want someone helping us out through hard times. Well, I think its better to think about it like, you didn't need any help. You're strong, and you did it by your self, rather than thinking that some god helped you out.

Now, I really couldn't care less if anyone read any of this, or if anyone believes what I say. I don't care if you're Buddhist or Hindu or Islamic or Christian. I wouldn't bash you for it. So I expect that same respect in return. I hope this didn't offend any of you, but if it did, well thats on you. Its just simple facts backed up by history.

I agree with every word of that.

 

[Saxsoon]

I've studied religion, and the people who follow it. Throughout history, religion went from a way to explain things to a way to control people. Thats why theocracies lasted so long. And we're still a theocracy, even though every government official will tell you other wise. If we weren't a theocracy "god" wouldn't be in our pledge of allegiance, and religious texts wouldn't be in our schools, religious signs wouldn't be in our courthouses, and our laws wouldn't be frighteningly similar to laws of a certain religion. You can only scare people so much. The worst thign you could do is kill or torture them. So how do you scare people into following your rules? Tell them that even after death some big bad wolf is going to come get them. So they follow your rules. They're good little people. Government and church were one in teh same for hundreds of thousands of years. Now, in 2007, we're still fighting this battle.

May I ask what laws that are similar, because thou shalt not kill is kind of a basis for most societies throughout time.

This country is not a theocracy, because if it was, you wouldn't be allowed to speak against the "true religion". You wouldn't be allowed to speak what you just said, because it would be a dictatorship beyond most of our imaginations. If this was a true theocracy, a good 10-20 percent of our country would no longer be here, because they would running away in fear, or worse.

While Christians here are supposedly the persecutors, that is not true in other places throughout the world. In China, Christians must worship in the underground churches to hide from the state. Do I need to even mention the Middle East?

Agnostic means that one that believes in a higher power, but not sure which one exists in the religions of this world, or possibly one that hasn't revealed itself to this world. Of course others aren't sure. There are many brands of agnostics and athiests, just as there are sects in any other religion.

I am glad for you pigletgirl. It too had to do with the politics in our church. Also, my parents and sister were worried about her Sunday school class after a great woman moved away. The replacements just didn't do it for her. The new baptist church seems really nice, and we definetely want to go back.

 

[pacificnorthwester]

I'm LDS aka Mormon. In other words I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and Proud of it!

 

[pacificnorthwester]

I know this may be a touchy subject to some but my above means I am also a christian. I believe in the teachings of our savior and redeemer Jesus Christ and love and honor the Holy Bible (as well as the Book of Mormon) with all my heart. Got that? No "Mormon bible." none.

 

[BabyPiglet]

Let me clear my point up. My family, everyone of them is Russian Catholic, to my knowledge, they all worship God and follow the religion..well religiously...

Me, no that's not me, I just don't believe... I suppose that makes me an Athiest...

But I don't like labels.

 

[BandGeek911]

I'm catholic. But I don't go to church very much anymore. Only for like....Christmas and Easter.
lol

 

[chexie]

Im Lutheran. .since im lutheran my friends all call me Lexie the Lutheran Loser!

 

[Mad Cow Diseased Fro]

I am southern Baptist also but I don't think denomination matters that much as long as the base for the religion is the same(Jesus died on the cross for our sins, etc.)

Amen soccerfreak

As for myslef I'm Lutheric though I mostly Lutheran I was baptized in a Catholic church, and the rest of my family is Catholic

 

[Gone Disney]

Christian

 

[mooman71]

Atheist

In this world I only disagree with two things, one being religion in general and Scientology.

 

[Axel]

Well...don't I feel special. I was born and raised as Irish Catholic...but if I knew my parents wouldn't kick me out of the house for it (my entire family is uber strict Catholic, two of my cousins are priests) I'd be converting to Satanism before you could snap your fingers. And this is the part where everyone starts to assume I do ritual sacrifice and such. *slumps in chair*

 

[CheezDoodle]

Well...don't I feel special. I was born and raised as Irish Catholic...but if I knew my parents wouldn't kick me out of the house for it (my entire family is uber strict Catholic, two of my cousins are priests) I'd be converting to Satanism before you could snap your fingers. And this is the part where everyone starts to assume I do ritual sacrifice and such. *slumps in chair*

I am very very tolerant of religions, but I feel that satanism is just plain awful. Satanists deliberatly worship something evil, and I find that to be terrible.

 

[Axel]

actually, Satanism is the worshipping of one's self. It's the belief that we are our own gods and that we must place ourselves and our happiness in life before all else, but that we also must remain tolerant of others. There is no "evil" aspect of Satanism, unless the belief that stupidity (the number one sin in the Church of Satan) is a crime is evil.

 

[BabyPiglet]

Narcissism.

 

[CheezDoodle]

actually, Satanism is the worshipping of one's self. It's the belief that we are our own gods and that we must place ourselves and our happiness in life before all else, but that we also must remain tolerant of others. There is no "evil" aspect of Satanism, unless the belief that stupidity (the number one sin in the Church of Satan) is a crime is evil.

I did a bit more reading on it, and it seems that satanists who don't actually worship satan are just atheists who want to describe themselves in a controversial way. I'm atheist too, I think you should just tell your parents. If you said you were atheist I doubt they'd freak as much as they would if you said you were a satanist.

 

[lpe_bratz]

I'm just plain old catholic...my mom's side of the family is catholic and my dad's is methodist and baptist...but since I live with my mom, I guess you could say I'm catholic.

 

[pride4pride]

i'm Buddhist and proud of it.

 

[Columba]

Irish Catholic

 

[PurpleDucky]

I was baptised Lutheren

 

[eeyore.luver<3]

I'm buddhist