Poll: Religion and you

[Alotak]

Spoiler: Quote

Who are you to shit on them for that?

I think a better question is, who am I not to shit on them for that.

If you treat people with respect, it shows you're a decent person.

If you treat them like crap, it shows you're a cock.

Which would you prefer?

That's the smartest thing I've heard in a while.

He just got served.
-----

Is it the in thing to mock religion or generally things you don't understand or care 'bout?

Quite alot of people just dont understand about religion, and no offence to anyone here, but I think that i do not need to respect people because of their religion, but i do not respect them any less because of it. I judge them by there actions and how the treat other people and me. Even if your a Teacher or somebody of higher authority.
My Christian friends told me that i should learn to respect God and his peons, but should dislike Muslims, Jews, Buddists ect, and telling me who i should and should not respect, i was peeved and had a huge rant about it.
If treat people with respect it shows your a Conformist, If they have done something to earn it fair enough.
But other wise i just can't see the point i doesnt mean im horrible to them but it does mean that i am clever. Trust and respect usualy come hand in hand for me (i think very different ly to most) so if you earned it its good. I see it as somthign which should be earned not given.

I would like to add that i have read most of the major 'holy books'. they make little sence

 

[mipegg]

I think that religion is brilliant if you can believe in it, if it gives your life purpose or something then good for you.

Where my problem with religion comes in is that you shouldn't try convert people, if they want to find out about religion then people will go to a church or a mosque etc. In the same way children shouldn't be brainwashed, like they are much of the time, from a young age to be told this is religion and this is whats right. Everyone should be able to choose rather than have it forced upon them, although this isn't true with all religions I must admit.

Still, if you believe it then no matter what anyone else tells you then thats what you believe, its only if theres a niggling doubt in your head then you need to be concerned I think.

For me its just too much. Too many huge holes and problems with it for me to believe in it.

 

[Razzle Bathbone]

It's against the jewish religion to try to convert someone so someone here is wrong.

In fact there's at least one Jewish sect where, if you want to convert to Judaism, the Rabbi has to try his sincere best to convince you not to do it on three separate occasions before they'll let you join.

 

[CrazyBerk]

I'm an Atheist.
I really like to think sometimes that they should be able to beleive in what they want, freedom o' speech and all that. And i think you know maybe they should but by jingo sometimes it really frustrates me when people can beleive in an invisible magic fairy in the sky which created everything.
I know that sounded really, really arseholey but thats how i feel sometimes. When i'm not being an arsehole i just don't bring up the topic of religion ever.

 

[mercurio]

"God is dead"
-An old dead German proto-fascist that lot's of people nowadays seem to worship even if he was a giant ****. He did say a few smart thing though...but is quoted waaayyy to much by people trying(and failing) to be edgy and deep.

 

[yourkie1921]

Religion, more than anything, is simply a way of understanding the universe. Sure, your average quantum scientist can explain the Universe in terms of quarks, lightyears and time-space continuums. But that means jack shit to your average working mum living in a council estate. People need to work out the meaning of life in the way that best suits them. Some people choose to believe there's a higher force at work. Who are you to shit on them for that? All it is is faith, a belief in a certain way of things, no different to believing that perhaps there is other life out there in the cosmos. And there's nothing wrong with faith. After all, it'll be hundreds if not thousands of years before science can say anything definitive on the nature of the afterlife/god/etc. What use is that to me if I'm dead by then. I'm not going to call out of my grave, "Oh, that's alright then."

Who cares if it's important to the average working mum that the universe is made out of X Y and Zed, it doesn't need to be something life changing. Also, life has no inherent meaning and faith is bullshit.

However, science doesn't come with unconditional love.

Science doesn't come with a morally questionable ruler

 

[vamp rocks]

I, for one, am agnostic, I am open to the concept of religion but I?m not convinced by it, if god created all, who created god? but before i say anything else that , might piss people off I would like to say that i have no problem with people believing in whatever they want. it helps them get through the day and that?s good for them. but i am sick and tired of these bible bashers who every day try to push their beliefs on everyone. and some people even take it to the extreme of killing because they say "god told them to".

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Why should anyone HAVE to believe in something?
If God exists, he put us on this world to be free to make our own choices.
If God doesn't exist, what's wrong with believing in something that's not real, like say...computer games?

If only the Atheists and the Theists could be convinced to see that both of them need to accept the other, then we'd perhaps be able to get on with our own lives.

 

[Higurashi]

Heh, guess a discussion like this could only survive and be kept at a civilised level at this here wondrous forum of The Escapist.

I had to vote for the fairy tale option, though that isn't really what I think. People should naturally be allowed to believe in what their spiritual side needs. It gives a lot to lean on in order to endure adversity or just give strength to the person. But religion? Don't get me started at how it has affected the views and behaviour of us humans, or how it has been used as a tool for obtaining power and manipulating the people, or how many that have been killed or made to suffer in its name.
It's great to have a belief to hold on to, but when one holds that belief over everything else, everyone else, it sends things bound for violence and selfish acts. I am, for instance, an atheist, but I would still call myself rather spiritual. I have a lot of beliefs in eternal principles and forces that exist in our world, and without them, I would not have much motivation. But I do not hold them over other people. Beliefs are strengthening. Religion is a power tool.

Thankfully it is only certain types in certain religions that do that!!

Say whaa? I have to ask you to think about what you said there.

 

[BlueMage]

Where another's beliefs does not infringe on me or mine, or said's ability to live as they wish under law, then there is no reason to mock or prevent their following of such a belief.

Where another's belief DOES interfere (CoS I'm looking at you) then it becomes fair game (oh the irony) suited for mocking and erasure from the collective memory. But if that is not the case, to do so is unjust.

 

[Copter400]

Short Answer: I'm an agnostic/atheist. Believe what you want.

Long Answer: So many religions, so much in common. They must all exist somewhere - it's probably like Discworld, where believing in it causes it to exist. I refuse to believe in this 'only my religion is right' bullshit. Either they all exist, or none of them exist.

Naturally, I want to go to Heaven, whatever the Hell that might be.

I think people should be allowed to believe in whatever they want, as long as they don't try to force their beliefs upon others or use their beliefs to justify harming innocent people. Anyone who violates those rules deserves a quick death and a shallow grave.

 

[Alotak]

Short Answer: I'm an agnostic/atheist. Believe what you want.

Long Answer: So many religions, so much in common. They must all exist somewhere - it's probably like Discworld, where believing in it causes it to exist. I refuse to believe in this 'only my religion is right' bullshit. Either they all exist, or none of them exist.

Naturally, I want to go to Heaven, whatever the Hell that might be.

I think people should be allowed to believe in whatever they want, as long as they don't try to force their beliefs upon others or use their beliefs to justify harming innocent people. Anyone who violates those rules deserves a quick death and a shallow grave.

I disagree they need a long death (painfully).

Also 'Missionarys should be shot on sight'.

'If God is All-Knowing and All-Powerfull, Then he knows of and can remove evil.
Yet he does not, So he is Evil. God cannot be Evil, so there for he is neither
All-Knowing or All-Powerfull. So why call him a God?'

 

[Anarchemitis]

I'm a and I accept other people's beliefs, in fact it insults me as a Christian that some people don't. [sic]

Apologies Abound.

Aye.

 

[LewsTherin]

Science doesn't come with a morally questionable ruler

Science doesn't come with morals at all. Those are imposed by the people who implement it, and if you argue the value of morals my good man, that is worrisome to me.

How many thiests make their own choices? They're almost always ideologically abused as children by their family and their society.

Discipline is good, abuse is not. No-one has a knife at your throat to keep you in the faith, it is your own choice to do what you want and to believe what you want.

Spoiler: a bit off topic

In this regard the Muslims have a better idea of this than the Roman Catholics, IMHO, as the Muslims can interpret their faith for themselves, while the Catholic church takes the word of the pope as law, which is interesting because passages in The Bible state (forgive me for being too lazy to specify; they're in there, trust me) that when you accept God into your life, he resides in you, which would (word missing from brain, de-validate, i guess) the need for someone to speak to God on your behalf, which is generally what priests used to do. Just my thought, no offence meant.

 

[Alotak]

'If God is All-Knowing and All-Powerfull, Then he knows of and can remove evil.
Yet he does not, So he is Evil. God cannot be Evil, so there for he is neither
All-Knowing or All-Powerfull. So why call him a God?'

Of course, that's assuming that God follows the same psychology and trains of thought as us mere mortals. For my money, if there is an all-encompassing, all-knowing force of creation, its way of thinking is going to be on such a higher level that writing it off with such a cheap morality trick is just silly and short-sighted. I mean, you don't see barnacles assuming that the whale they've attached themselves to thinks like a barnacle.

Of course, I don't believe in God, but that's neither here nor there...

So... your sugesting that there is something which loves us, (a human feeling), and yet it hurts us constantly, and the reason it does it is because it doesnt have the same morals and You see this as Ok...?

 

[maximilian]

First of all, your poll is a tiny bit patronising in it's options.

For all the Christians who hate intolerance etc etc. "Christian because I believe in God" that is WRONG. You are a theist, not a Christian. CHRISTian implies CHRIST. Read the Bible and you'll find that God is a God of holy justice and is perfect, and as such, how can he coexist with sin if sin is unjust and perfect? He cannot, and so he punishes sin with hell. So if you're happy to watch as others follow what you as a Christian know to be the road to hell, I'd say you're missing the main point of the faith and aren't a Christian, or you are incredibly selfish.