Religion survey thread

[Anonymous]

ITT: You tell EP what religion you believe in, and why. (I tried to do this at /b/, but newfags spammed it to death.)

Personally, I'm a Deist. Probably not well known, so here's wikipedia's definition.

"Deism is a religious philosophy and movement that became prominent in Great Britain, France, and the United States in the 17th and 18th centuries and continues to this day. Deism differs from theism in that according to Deism God does not interfere with human life and the laws of the universe.

Deists typically reject supernatural events (prophecy, miracles) and divine revelation prominent in organized religion, along with holy books and revealed religions that assert the existence of such things. Instead, Deists hold that religious beliefs must be founded on human reason and observed features of the natural world, and that these sources reveal the existence of one God or supreme being."

Why am I a Deist?

First of all, the Big Bang theory is complete bullshit. Let me get this straight, first there was nothing, then there was an explosion? From the nothing? What blew up? And the fact that said explosion created a universe that just happened to contain at least one planet capable of sustaining life? Riiiight.

On the other hand, Creationism is a bunch of crap too. Okay, an all-powerful being created everything. That's believable. But there's scientific evidence of millions of species being created BEFORE humans existed on this planet. Besides which, hundreds (if not thousands) of species of animals have gone extinct in the history of the Earth. What kind of all-knowing, all-seeing, all-caring God would create something, only to kill it off (or allow it to be killed off) years down the line? I believe Epicurus said it best: "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

My personal theory? A god, any god at all, created the universe, and the first living creatures on the Earth. From there, evolution took over. This god does not interfere in the daily lives of humans, or any other species for that matter. He simply allows things to happen. This explains why natural disasters happen.

Anyway, it all adds up, for me. Pure science has holes, and so does pure religion. So, a balance. The best of both worlds, so to speak.

[b1gwi11]

FIRST REPLY!!

well.... me im not quite sure

my beliefs are as follows:

- i dont believe in any "god" as portrayed by any religion today
- i dont explicitly deny that there may very well be a higher power

one thing i do however is respect other ppls beliefs no matter what they may be

[Dr Mario]

Atheist, former Gnostic and originally a Christian (in that I was raised Christian, I left the religion almost as soon as I actually started to think about what was in the Bible). I went through the whole Gnostic thing after leaving Christianity mostly because I could no longer justify the idea of a benevolent deity, but at the same time I never really thought to entertain Atheism as an idea. Once I actually got down to details I realised I couldn't raise any evidence for Gnosticism or any other religion and fell into a general "non-religious until evidence is presented" paradigm. Not that there aren't elements of Gnosticism and Buddhism present in my moral outlook, just that I've disassociated what I see as the good advice from the mythology surrounding it.

And Cheezy, you might want to read up on the Big Bang theory and particularly it's relevance (or lack thereof) to Abiogenesis. Your understanding of it is, shall we say, significantly less than perfect. Coincidentally, it's also not the only Origin theory under consideration.

[Matias]

There is 1 God. God is all seeing all hearing and is smarter than you think. God is invisible to the eye of the flesh. Humans have a flesh body and a spirit body. What is alive, the flesh or the spirit? If your flesh is dead and your spirit is alive then you believe in God but if your flesh is alive and your spirit is dead then your as blind as a bat in this world!!!!!!!!! It all starts with Jesus. Jesus is the way and the life no man will go to God except through him. Jesus is like a lawyer on your side and he will tell it like it is. God believes what Jesus says and Jesus is coming soon. I have gone crazy trying to figure out many things and tonight i feel a bit better than before. Im trying to be myself the way God made me. I know the people in this forum didnt like what i said and did. I think God forgives me. I think people are mad at me and trying to offend me to go away. You know i think there is a few believers here on emuparadise. Some are afraid to stand out for God because they dont want to be slandered. Is it really ok to play around with worldly people? God says dont be like the world and become no part of it. I have made mistakes and seeked God while making them. When a person asks Jesus to be lord and savior also believes, That person is no longer condemned for his sin. This is wonderful news to me. I haven been called delutional i guess thats what its called. Bi-polar now. I feel like a gift of God. I looked up Peter's name the meaning is Rock and Peter was truly a Rock. Why? Cause God and Jesus said so. The bible is a lot to talk about it is a whole life experince to understand and much much more. You gotta give God all you got cause in the end is the crown of life. That means you will live forever. So go get it. Its a gift of God and its the best free gift anyone can recieve.

[Anonymous]

Matias: Why? What have you seen or heard that makes you feel like that?

[Lee]

Matias: Why? What have you seen or heard that makes you feel like that?

do you mean that the forum does not like what he has said or done?

or his religious views?

As for me, im a Christian, but you do not want to get into an arguement with me about my religious views because it will likely end up converting you.

I am anti religion.

figure it out.

[Evans]

I believe in nothing.

[Muay]

I'm Christian.
Why?Cuz all that stuff in the Bible really does make sense and I have faith in the Lord.

[Matias]

do you mean that the forum does not like what he has said or done?

or his religious views?

As for me, im a Christian, but you do not want to get into an arguement with me about my religious views because it will likely end up converting you.

I am anti religion.

figure it out.

I agree with you.

[potato]

I'm Christian cause it's the "in" thing to do. I'm not being sarcastic.

[Muay]

I'm Christian cause it's the "in" thing to do. I'm not being sarcastic.

Just go with the flow, huh.

[Paladin_Hammer]

ITT: You tell EP what religion you believe in, and why. (I tried to do this at /b/, but newfags spammed it to death.)

Personally, I'm a Deist. Probably not well known, so here's wikipedia's definition.

"Deism is a religious philosophy and movement that became prominent in Great Britain, France, and the United States in the 17th and 18th centuries and continues to this day. Deism differs from theism in that according to Deism God does not interfere with human life and the laws of the universe.

Deists typically reject supernatural events (prophecy, miracles) and divine revelation prominent in organized religion, along with holy books and revealed religions that assert the existence of such things. Instead, Deists hold that religious beliefs must be founded on human reason and observed features of the natural world, and that these sources reveal the existence of one God or supreme being."

Why am I a Deist?

First of all, the Big Bang theory is complete bullshit. Let me get this straight, first there was nothing, then there was an explosion? From the nothing? What blew up? And the fact that said explosion created a universe that just happened to contain at least one planet capable of sustaining life? Riiiight.

On the other hand, Creationism is a bunch of crap too. Okay, an all-powerful being created everything. That's believable. But there's scientific evidence of millions of species being created BEFORE humans existed on this planet. Besides which, hundreds (if not thousands) of species of animals have gone extinct in the history of the Earth. What kind of all-knowing, all-seeing, all-caring God would create something, only to kill it off (or allow it to be killed off) years down the line? I believe Epicurus said it best: "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

My personal theory? A god, any god at all, created the universe, and the first living creatures on the Earth. From there, evolution took over. This god does not interfere in the daily lives of humans, or any other species for that matter. He simply allows things to happen. This explains why natural disasters happen.

Anyway, it all adds up, for me. Pure science has holes, and so does pure religion. So, a balance. The best of both worlds, so to speak.

I couldn't agree more. I only differ in that I think that any theory regarding the creation of the universe is bullshit. Think about it, how could everything come from nothing? Its not possible. My theory, the universe was always here. It never DIDN'T exist. While I type this something in the back of my brain is screaming "thats not possible!", and I'm sure some of you are thinking the same thing. But then tell me, how could soemthing come from nothing? It can't, thus the universe must have always been here. If the big bang really did happen, where did the extremely dense particle that exploded come from? If god created the universe, where did god come from?

EDIT: Another thing that I've been told I'm religious about is the afterlife question. Christians tell me I'll go to heaven or hell. I'd believe that if there was proof that the soul was real (currently there isn't, most likely there won't be, but its still in the "possible" catergory for me). Atheist tell me that I'll become nothing, that there is nothing after death. Usually they try to elaborate on it by saying that oblivion looks like an endless expanse of darkness.

PROBLEM! Darkness is the absence of light, which is something the brain uses the color "black" to explain that their isn't any light. So in order to see absoulte darkness, I'd need a functioning brain. And I don't have one after death. Okay, but then they say "Well, thats because there is NOTHING there, there is nothing after death". So in this idea, I'll experience nothingness? "No, you can't experince nothingness" is the reponse I usually get. So I can't experience it, this "niothingness". So if it can't be experienced, like Atheist say about god, then it isn't real. If it can't be experienced the athiestic mind claims it isn't real, so then by this deduction, "nothingness" or the loss of all experience (or more commonly refered to as oblivion), isn't real.

So in my deduction, I believe in the buddhist ideal of rebirth, only minus the karma. (Here's the wiki on this idea). I've elaborated on my theory regarding consciousness and death many times, and right now my WoW addiction is crawling into me. MUST... RESIST... LAUNCHER. ARRRG!

(67 Shaman on Skywall if anyone else plays there!)

[Mikey]

I'm Catholic but I don't practice nor believe in any religion. I don't, really know why. I just don't believe in anything, or any fairy tales.

[Lee]

I'm Catholic but I don't practice nor believe in any religion. I don't, really know why. I just don't believe in anything, or any fairy tales.

not believe as in, not practice the catholic faith, as in being an atheist?

or not believe in religion as not believe in the practices of the catholic church?

[Mikey]

not believe as in, not practice the catholic faith, as in being an atheist?

or not believe in religion as not believe in the practices of the catholic church?

As in, I don't believe in any religions, not practicing what I am, not believing nor praising any God, etc.