Religion

[Gavin]

Despite Moopy being just about the most un-Godly place on the net, i am curious as to where all of you stand on religious matters. Do you believe in God? Do you subscribe to one particular scriptural theology?

Christian? Muslim? Jew? Atheist? Agnostic? Bollocks to it all?

And i know this is quite a crass question to pose but, for those of you who do follow a particular religion AND are gay, how do you personally reconcile the two? Just out of interest.

[Agnetha]

Like possibly 95% of my generation religion is pretty meaningless to me. I'm Christened C of E, and I have Catholic and Jewish relatives, but really there's much more important things than organised faith. My faith doesn't need to be dictated by a bunch of moralistic imbeciles!

[Sild]

I am (or was) C of E, and went to a church school, but I'd stopped believing by the time I was 12/13. I don't think God as he has been portrayed exists, but neither does the idea of a 'big bang' convince me either.

[abnormal]

I'm christened Roman Catholic, stopped going to church when I was 13, despite my parents' emotional pleas. EURGH. If I had the chance, though, I would change to C of E. The Queen is FAR more delighful than the current Pope. Shame my tropical city doesn't have any C of E representatives :evil:

[Agnetha]

Tropical city?

[abnormal]

In Brazil. SIGH.

[Agnetha]

Oh yeah... POOR YOU.... BRAZIL

[Toyah]

I come from a Protestant family. Quite of few of my family are in the Masonic lodge, my father being a past master. Myself particulary, I'm not religious at all though I'd like to think I'm a bit spiritual.

[Sebastian Flyte]

Agnostic. I find religion fascinating and Christ. However organised religion doesn't appeal.

[Mo]

I have been brought up PAGAN

[Madison]

Religion sucks.

[VoR]

Born Catholic. Now i'd consider myself Agnostic.

My opinion is that, for all the bad things people do under the banner of Religion, at heart it's a wonderful message of hope and (usually) doing good things in this world. Many religions may be corrupt, and they're all abused and manipulated by certain people to justify their own actions and bigotry, but there's also a hell of a lot of good, charitable stuff that comes from Religion. I could never say that just because most religions would condemn me for my lifestyle, they should be brought down and destroyed altogether.

As for myself, I try to be a good person, at the end of it all if there is a higher power i'll answer to it and be responsible for the way I lived my life, for better or worse. I'm not going to follow any particular scripture that may or may not be accurate though, cos a) I'm not devout enough and b) If there's only one true faith then it's like a game of chance, which is just silly.

I'm confident that if there is an all-powerful, all loving God, he'll recognise that i'm not an evil or malicious person.

[Suedehead]

Born Muslim. Rejected it. Explored Christianity. Rejected it even fiercely. Now atheist.

[Karvel]

It's the opium of the masses...

[Dark Carnival]

Muslim

What I believe is that all religions sre supposed to preach for the same thing. Humans fucked that. So don't blame religion or God blame humand beings..

[Karvel]

I do quite like Sikhism though

I might join the KHALSA :smoke:

[RaspberrySwirl]

I come from a Christian Orthodox family, and I have always considered myself religious, but I have my own interpretation of Christianity. For instance, I don't believe in the power of the church and such, and I think a lot of the things written in the Bible are only symbols and metaphores.

I can't say it's easy to be gay and Christian at the same time, it's like a constant conflict inside of me, but I have accepted my sexuality and I can't really see why it's 'evil'..and then again all traditional religions are against homosexuality.

[Madison]

..and then again all traditional religions are against homosexuality.
I doubt Buddhism is.

[Homes Place]

I can't say it's easy to be gay and Christian at the same time, it's like a constant conflict inside of me, but I have accepted my sexuality and I can't really see why it's 'evil'..and then again all traditional religions are against homosexuality.

I came to the conclusion that being gay and Christian is perfectly fine and keeping in with Jesus' message and there are several churches and movements which are accepting of gay people.

However, I have recently strayed far from Christianity - I do have a huge problem with Biblical authenticity, so much so that I would class myself as a spiritual agnostic.

[Dark Carnival]

Born Muslim. Rejected it. Explored Christianity. Rejected it even fiercely. Now atheist.
So you rejected Islam and Christianity, why reject the idea of God all together?

[Gavin]

However, I have recently strayed far from Christianity - I do have a huge problem with Biblical authenticity, so much so that I would class myself as a spiritual agnostic.

Yeah, thats a big part of my problem with it too. The Bible was clearly created to politically galvanise the Roman Empire under - one God, one Religion. All the supposidly divinely original tales of Christ can be traced back to earlier pagan rituals, myths and scientology. The Bible is merely a selective elaboration on ancient myths. The fact that both the Pagans and the Gnostic Christians were annihilated during the formative years of early Christianity hardly paints the picture of a steadfast, divine historical religion.

On a personal level i've tried to seperate belief in God and scriptural theism. I reject the Bible to a large extent, and i reject the belief systems, teachings and practices of organised religion. I'd like to think you can have a personal relationship with God. I'm leaning more towards atheism at the moment but i'm still seeking resolution on that. Dunno. I can accept there may be a God - but i can't accept all the myths that have been packaged to go hand in hand with belief.

[Homes Place]

I belive it is entirely possible - in fact I would go as far to say that many people who profess to be religious do not have a personal relationship with God, it's more belonging to a clique/political movement/fellowship. They accept their church leaders words so blindly that they have very little time to self reflect.

That's why I despise of religion being used in politics like it is in the USA and to varying degrees in our politics - see Tony Blair. And appartently there's a gang of Tory MPs including failed leader Iain Duncan Smith who are all fierce Christians and want to bring abortion firmly on the UK political stage. Ugh! :sour:

[Madison]

So you rejected Islam and Christianity, why reject the idea of God all together?

Because there's no logical reason to believe in him?

[Gavin]

A problem with all this of course is that in hoping to forge a 'personal relationship with god' we are trying to rationalise and humanise what is presented to us as highly irrational and divine. Fine. That may be good for us, but what if we are wrong. What if we ARE on this Earth to serve God and obey his teachings? I highly doubt it but NOONE knows either way.

Say there is a scriptural God. Whether Christianity is correct, Islam is correct or whatever - there is ALOT of good, decent people on the fast track to Hell simply because they believe in the wrong religion.

I think that hypothetical scenario is nonesene cos i think religion is largely nonesense but the fact is none of us know for sure. Thats why i think these 'strands' of Christianity which interpret the Bible to their own ends (those permissive of homosexuality, for example) are crap artists. At least the Evangelicals aren't kidding themselves. Either you buy it, or you dont. This 'interpretation' lark seems a bit of a weak ploy if you ask me.

[Crash]

I grew up on such a christain founded island..I mean only a year or two ago we had our first flights on a Sunday. You could really split the island into two groups..the christains and the drinkers. Over time, Ive come to almost despise organised religion because it was so heavily thrown down my throat by the people on the island. Thankfully, my family are quite against the grain with only my grandmother being religious.

But do I believe theres a God? I kinda have the standing off if you believe there is a God then there is one, its kinda a comfort blanket for the adults..something to make sense of their lives and something to help them through hard times

[RaspberrySwirl]

I don't think I even believe in 'Hell', it must be now when we live on earth.

[Crash]

I dont believe in Hell either...I kinda believe in energies and stuff like that tho

[Dark Carnival]

Because there's no logical reason to believe in him?
That's what YOU believe..

[Gavin]

That's what YOU believe..

In fairness, whilst i'm sure you have reason to believe in God, i'd bet it sure aint logical.

Am i wrong?

[Dark Carnival]

In fairness, whilst i'm sure you have reason to believe in God, i'd bet it sure aint logical.

Am i wrong?
Isn't it all relative? I mean to me liking Madonna is utter madness whereas to most people here it's the ultimate logic..

And if you're talking scientifically then you're not wrong.

[Gavin]

Isn't it all relative? I mean to me liking Madonna is utter madness whereas to most people here it's the ultimate logic..

Hmm. Not sure 'logic' would be the correct terminology there. I don't think there is anything logical about liking/disliking Madonna.

My point was that Faith requires a certain suppression of logic. Scientifically, believers barely have a leg to stand on; logically, believers are required to make many leaps of faith.

I'm not trying to dismiss your belief. It just strikes me that atheists at least have logical reason to disbelieve - by mere virtue of applying logic to the question. Logic is often the passage to disbelief.

[Dr Lecter]

Roman Catholid (lapsed) , farther was from a Muslim family but they have all since denounced it apparently

Im not particularly religious, i dont believe the Bible is anything more than a shit moral code, and people take it way too far.

I do however like Crucifixes and rosaries

[Loufoque]

I was born to an ethnically Jewish mother, but was raised Catholic. I have rejected religion, although do believe in some kind of God.

Like Dr Lecter, I'm also a big fan of religious chic.

[Dark Carnival]

I agree with everything you said. But once you're a believer you don't need logic to justify anything.

[Gavin]

This thread is beginning to resemble a dating agency.

Dear me. :D

[Dr Lecter]

I did used to go to church every sunday with grandad, he was Irish and very religious, but not a loon...he once brought a Virgin Mary Holy Water dispenser that my cousin emptied out so he just used to fill it up from the tap

he also made me steal all the envelopes that you put money is (empty one), i dont know why, and i also used to get made to steal candles, and he never put 10p in the box when he lit a candle

I think as i got older, i sort of cant believe in it, its all too outlandish

[Dark Carnival]

I agree with everything you said. But once you're a believer you don't need logic to justify anything.
Aimed at Gavin

[Crash]

I did used to go to church every sunday with grandad, he was Irish and very religious, but not a loon...he once brought a Virgin Mary Holy Water dispenser that my cousin emptied out so he just used to fill it up from the tap

he also made me steal all the envelopes that you put money is (empty one), i dont know why, and i also used to get made to steal candles, and he never put 10p in the box when he lit a candle

I think as i got older, i sort of cant believe in it, its all too outlandish

http://www.planet-familyguy.com/pfg/images/characters/francis_tn.jpg

[Gavin]

I agree with everything you said. But once you're a believer you don't need logic to justify anything.

Absolutely. I appreciate that.

However, this raises a fundamental point. Indoctrination. It amazes me how many believers were never given then chance to look at the evidence and decide for themselves. Thats what i think is criminal about religion. You shouldn't be born into belief. Cos then its not really belief, is it? Its just brainwashing.

What interests me more than belief itself is the passage to belief. Isn't every child at least entitled to that?

[Strebor]

In a way I wish I had the ability to ovrriode my logical thoughts and believe in something thats out there. As it is I believe in SOMETHING being out there as a higer power or force but i have no idea what it is. The point is i don;t think anyone knows what it is either... you choose your religion and follow it but if one is right it means aspects of all of the others are wrong or at least badly interpreted.
I have a huge issue with organised religion, its caused so many problems over the years and to what end? i suppose in some ways its a crutch, people often find religion at a time when they are in need, it gives them sonething to believe in.