Poll: What's your religion?

[LivemeLifefree]

A mix of them here and there, but mostly Buddhist.

 

[Novan Leon]

To be an extremist/fundamentalist in your incorrect beliefs is no different than being a moderate in your incorrect beliefs, both are equally incorrect. On the other hand, being an extremist/fundamentalist in your correct beliefs cannot possibly make you wrong. Besides, if you're right, what kind of sense does it make to doubt you're right?

"The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity"
-Yeats

If your belief system is perfect, then you cannot possibly be wrong in imposing it upon others. You can kill, rape, torture, terrorize... it's all to the good, after all, because your beliefs are correct. For example, if your victims are condemned to eternal torture in the afterlife, then any pain you might inflict upon them pales in comparison to what awaits them after death. If you force them to convert to your correct belief, they will be saved.

This is where extremism leads. Why should you doubt yourself? Becase there is always the possibility that you could be wrong. If you refuse to accept that you might be wrong, then there is no horror you cannot inflict upon the world. Doubt is your mind's immune system. Cultivate it, and keep it strong.

I think your premise is false. Your premise is that refusal to doubt your beliefs ultimately leads to the distortion of your beliefs. I do realize that refusal to doubt beliefs that are wrong or incorrect will result in bad consequences, but the refusal to doubt beliefs that are right or correct cannot result in bad consequences.

I think you mistake doubt for the constant pursuit of the truth. We should constantly be searching and testing ourselves so that we never become content with falsehood. This is very different from doubting yourself. Doubt is the deconstruction of something that already exists, the pursuit of the truth is a constant search for perfection.

 

[NeedAUserName]

I might be a little wrong here but, aren't all the religions listed either a variation on Christianity, Very under practiced religions, and Atheists?

 

[Novan Leon]

I feel bad for rubbing this in your faces, but I'm an atheist and therefore like other athiests I have gained access to this cake.

[http://imageshack.us]

Cake is also open to people of all other religions, as long as you accept evolution and the theory of natural selection (the latter one doesn't directly correlate to the cake, but I'm feeling picky). Atheists, Theists, Everyone! Come have a slice!

But no Scientologists, no cake for you.

The cake is a lie...
The cake is a lie...
The cake is a lie...

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[Razzle Bathbone]

I think your premise is false. Your premise is that refusal to doubt your beliefs ultimately leads to the distortion of your beliefs. I do realize that refusal to doubt beliefs that are wrong or incorrect will result in bad consequences, but the refusal to doubt beliefs that are right or correct cannot result in bad consequences.

Here's the problem: how can you be sure your beliefs are right? You might be completely convinced that your beliefs are absolutely correct, but how would you know if you were wrong? How would it feel any different?

I believe you would not be able to tell, and neither would anyone else. It would still feel like The Truth to you, and you would never be able to see that it was actually false. Not unless you were prepared to challenge your beliefs. Not unless you were prepared to doubt.

I think you mistake doubt for the constant pursuit of the truth. We should constantly be searching and testing ourselves so that we never become content with falsehood. This is very different from doubting yourself. Doubt is the deconstruction of something that already exists, the pursuit of the truth is a constant search for perfection.

I sincerely hope we're talking about the same thing in two different ways. The distinction between truth and falsehood is far trickier than most of us realize. So much horror has come from people acting under the absolute certainty that their beliefs were correct, and that the correctness of those beliefs could justify absolutely anything. Please be careful.

 

[AntiAntagonist]

I might be a little wrong here but, aren't all the religions listed either a variation on Christianity, Very under practiced religions, and Atheists?

Depends on how wide the net is cast with "variation" (I once had a catholic say I should just join since most of values were similar back when I was atheist). I also don't understand "very under practiced religions".

Someone mentioned they were Muslim IIRC. Some mentioned they were Deists.

 

[Razzle Bathbone]

I might be a little wrong here but, aren't all the religions listed either a variation on Christianity, Very under practiced religions, and Atheists?

Let's see...

Judaism: monotheist.
Islam: monotheist.
Hinduism: monotheist / polytheist / pantheist.
Buddhism: pantheist / non-religious.
Taoism: pantheist / non-religious.
Confucianism: non-religious.
Vodoun: polytheist / pantheist.
Agnostic: non-religious.

Looks like the other biggies are covered too.

 

[Novan Leon]

Here's the problem: how can you be sure your beliefs are right? You might be completely convinced that your beliefs are absolutely correct, but how would you know if you were wrong? How would it feel any different?

I believe you would not be able to tell, and neither would anyone else. It would still feel like The Truth to you, and you would never be able to see that it was actually false. Not unless you were prepared to challenge your beliefs. Not unless you were prepared to doubt.

It sounds like you're advocating skepticism. Skepticism is pointless and ultimately ends up destroying it's own position.

How do you know you're actually reading this? How do you know the keyboard in front of you actually exists? How do you know I'm not a figment of your imagination. This kind of reasoning quickly becomes pointless.

I sincerely hope we're talking about the same thing in two different ways. The distinction between truth and falsehood is far trickier than most of us realize. So much horror has come from people acting under the absolute certainty that their beliefs were correct, and that the correctness of those beliefs could justify absolutely anything. Please be careful.

The cause of horror are the false beliefs of the people acting under absolute certainty, not the absolute certainty itself. A healthy desire for truth is always necessary in order to keep yourself on track, but doubt itself is unnecessary unless your own desire for the truth compels you to doubt your beliefs based on some reason of your own.

 

[sidhe3141]

The cause of horror are the false beliefs of the people acting under absolute certainty, not the absolute certainty itself. A healthy desire for truth is always necessary in order to keep yourself on track, but doubt itself is unnecessary unless your own desire for the truth compels you to doubt your beliefs based on some reason of your own.

How do you know that? Nobody seems to have found a belief that, when acted upon with absolute certainty, does not cause horrors; so wouldn't that mean that either absolute certainty causes the horrors or that nobody has found a true belief?

 

[new_age_reject]

I don't know what its called but I basically believe in reincarnation and karma and whatnot, so I basically I don't have to worship a false hope and if your a douche then you come back as a slug =]

 

[Mr.Banaynay]

Norse all the way.When i die in glorious battle i shall asend to Asgard,face the greatest warriors this world has ever known and feast in the halls of Valhalla.
Then do it all over again the next day =]
Hail gods of war!
although if i die in some freak accident im screwed >_<

 

[Trivun]

I'm kind of a cross between Christian and Spiritualist, but I also have a strong faith in science (i.e. things like the miracles of Jesus were him performing feats that may be possible eventually, but that he had a greater scientific understanding than Mankind in general, and that the Old Testament mainly lists a series of metaphors for things, such as the book of Genesis describing the Big Bang from a metaphorical perspective.).

 

[Bored Tomatoe]

Taoist and Buddhist philosophy.

 

[hem dazon 90]

officialy cathlic but i do say that it is impossible to understand god

 

[I Stomp on Kittens]

non religous has the highest!?!?!? That shocks me 'cause im a non religous person 2!

 

[hem dazon 90]

I'm kind of a cross between Christian and Spiritualist, but I also have a strong faith in science (i.e. things like the miracles of Jesus were him performing feats that may be possible eventually, but that he had a greater scientific understanding than Mankind in general, and that the Old Testament mainly lists a series of metaphors for things, such as the book of Genesis describing the Big Bang from a metaphorical perspective.).

I cant put a quote in edit but this is quote basicly sums it up add a few ideas here and there

 

[ThePoodonkis]

Not really sure.
I believe God is a kind of clockmaker: Makes the clock (universe) and just lets it go, popping in every now and then for minor repairs.
I think the allowance into Heaven is based on actions instead of beliefs. So you get into heaven if you're good, not if you believe one certain thing or another.

 

[Bachanomon92]

I'm agnostic.

I believe that it is impossible to know what religion is right or if there is a true religion. The founders of most religions were either starving for attention or high off their ass.

But that's just me.....

 

[ace_of_something]

jedi; although, I think that falls under Pantheist