Hello, I'm a first time poster, long time reader of the D&D and I just wanted to say, I've been constantly struggling with religion over the span of 20 years. Currently I'm a non-believer, though not an Athiest. I just think all this happened just "because" some random thing happened. Have been since I was 10. Now that I'm 25, I look back and see why I use to hate religion as a whole. Many due to the fact, in my family/houshold, religion was forced upon me. Most of the time without any friends or family answering my questions about God or certain religions. It was a blind faith in something they had no answer for. My years growing up I pittied them because they couldnt come up with a profound answer in why the believe and why do people have to have a religious belief to make themselves whole. Personally I dont find religion to be all that useful. But I see why a person would need it. The same could be said for a higher-being or a God. Though, I would like it if people didnt use their beliefs to decide wether or not things like Gay Marriage or Abortion is legal or not legal. I am pro-choice above everything else. So I'm in favor of both of the following. I just dont understand how someone can tell me something is wrong just because they say its wrong according to something they read in a small black book that has no use in MY life.
That small black book influences your life in many ways. From the books you read or the tv shows you watch. To the laws written or even the norms that influence your behavior. It's not an American thing either. Western culture borrows heavily upon the Bible. By pretending it doesn't exist or is insignificant, you're losing valuable insight of the world around you. I guess there's some reason behind hating religion because it was forced upon you, yet it will always be a part of you whether you like it or hate it. Unlike some other people, your history affords you insight on the parts of Christianity that doesn't speak to you and the parts that do. In the very end, it might not just "click", but that ability to understand could help the people around you bridge gaps in what is normally a contentious topic.
i consider myself an agnostic...i really don't care if there is a god or not. if he does exist then he is unfair and unjust, if he doesn't exist then oh well, i guess we just die and that is it
I don't believe in the who, what, where or when of religion, but I agree with the why: moral and spiritual idealism, cultural and social traditions. I'm sure if I was ever a parent I'd go back to church, just for the kids' sake.
I'm not Christian but I just watched a little part of that video, he said that people who believe Jesus is Lord will go to Hell. I thought that was the entire concept of Christianity, what does he mean that he doesn't preach in America.
Well that 'story' is the reason that I am a believer too. As I was talking about earlier in this thread, it is one of the proofs that Jesus did rise from the dead. Jesus appeared to Paul risen from the dead. Paul was not a believer and has no reason to make up some story to support the jesus myth. Paul was a bad dude. Paul led a pretty happy good life but then Jesus appears to him and Paul throws away his good life to follow Jesus and lead a life of pain, beatings, and suffering. Yet paul always sticks by his story that Jesus rose from the dead.
I know it does. It influences so much in our lives even if the said person doesnt believe. It has influenced alot of things in the world, past and present, good or bad. I acknowledge it exists and some people need it in their lives. I just want to know, why is it seem sometimes, that a believers opinion is even more significant over my own, just because his or her religious outlook. Sometimes I wish we could all do business without getting religion or religious beliefs involved and get things accomplished like that. But please don't get me wrong, I am not a person who hates religion anymore. I guess alot of that Carlin/Maher stuff I got into a couple years back distorted my views a bit, and aided my hatred toward it. But the only reason I really hated it was because it was forced on me. I guess I should just be really upset with my parents really, because religion didnt exactly ask to be forced upon me, it was used as a tool to lure me into it. And now I see that.
