What does religion mean to you?

[Horus]

I don't think I could get more personal with this, so please feel free to not post if you don't want to. I think that if we encourage open-mindedness and a willingness to post whatever is on said minds, we can get to know each other pretty well.

What does religion mean to me?

I'm an agnostic, defined by society as the current non-belief in a higher power but with a willingness to believe that I could be completely wrong. Agnostic sounds to me like it may be a representation of a confusion; an agony if you will. That's based on my current uncertainty around what exactly lies beyond the conventional life-cycle and a half-acceptance that there is nothing. No chance to see the ones you love ever again; a feeling of being temporary, transient.

I am willing to accept my mistake if I am making one. I see evidence of more than just a set of circumstances working together, even though evolution continues to work on Earth to this day. An example of this is various weather strains, and the population around them who have built a resistance to it. An eskimo / inuit could outlive a temperate dweller in sub-zero conditions, because they have had to demand a stronger defence of it to survive. This can be said for historical documentation of complete metamorphosis, from water-inhabitants to flourishing on land, and vice versa. But why do we rule out the work of God for this event happening? Because we fear things that we do not understand.

Take the idea of the thyroid gland. A very small amount of liquid (microscopic) resides here, and has to be pretty much a perfect amount. If this does not happen, we will either grow eight feet tall, or be considerably midget-sized. The body is like a clock, and has to have flawless equilibrium to work. It seems a poor excuse to blame it on a messy hybrid of "The Big Bang" and evolutionary spates over time. There was a saying once (too lazy to look up the philosopher behind it) but it was likened to a 'whirlwind in a junk-yard'; the facts are clear that it wouldn't whip up a car or a washing machine, it would just cause an almighty mess. Isaac Newton was the developer of the clock theory, and it makes a lot of sense.

Why don't I believe that there is a God after all that I just said?

Answer: because I've never seen him.

Plain and simple, I've never seen him. I am a firm believer of knowledge based on fact and visual evidence. I never believed in Santa Claus, I am still on the fence as to whether or not the idea of a 'soul' exists, and I certainly don't believe in the existence of a higher power that just looks out over His creation and watches the few with real power slowly tear Earth apart. Why do I believe in a God when His teachings could drive us to an apocalyptic war? I don't know; confusion sets in here. I'd be an atheist but for the fact that I don't know what made this planet we sit on; it certainly wasn't that crock of crap known as The Big Bang.

What about you?

[Mitch]

Me, I am Christian and go to a United Church (http://www.unitedchurch.ca), the most liberal of churches in Canada (there are some united churches that are conservative, but they don't count :p).
I question if there is a god or not, there is not any physical evidence for or against the theory of a higher being. I believe in science, but there is room for both, a god could have created science for all we know, but we don't know. I mainly go to my church for the community, the people there are friendly and I get along with them just great! I participate as much as I can in improving the community and going to the wonderful activities they have each year.

[Horus]

My question to you is this:

If you were a higher power, and you were aware of the mass confusion in both the texts representing you and the people that you created, wouldn't you want to make yourself more known?

Given a sign of some definite clarity, I'm quite sure there would be many converts.

[Mitch]

Like I said, I question. It's nice to believe in something higher though. There are still some things unsolved by science that can be somewhat explained by The Bible, even though that still hasn't been proven.
Personally, I agree with many aspects of Islam, the fact that they portray Jesus as a prophet rather than "Christ" or the "Son of God". Also, how do you explain some of prophet's predictions being true, it my being some gene in their brain, but that has yet to be proven by science; when it is, slap me across the face.

[Cattraknoff]

My question to you is this:

If you were a higher power, and you were aware of the mass confusion in both the texts representing you and the people that you created, wouldn't you want to make yourself more known?

Given a sign of some definite clarity, I'm quite sure there would be many converts.

God isn't there to hold our hands. We have to learn on our own, or fail as a species. Do not expect a savior figure like Christ to come forth. There will be no direct son of god (immaculate) nor a prophet to herald the apocalypse. Humanity will survive or fail based on what we choose to do, as a whole. We will get the fate we deserve; We must earn our existence in the future.

It isn't about converting because a book tells you to, it's about coming to the truth on your own, actually learning for yourself. What's the point of life if you can learn everything about it from a book? What's the point if we're given all the answers?

[Ahadistan]

I don't anyone to teach about religion about anymore. i am in an environment and position where i can decide for myself. i choose to keep a belief on a religion because it gives me the only comprehension of life. Everything else, gives me no answers, provides my mind no peace.

[Cattraknoff]

I don't anyone to teach about religion about anymore. i am in an environment and position where i can decide for myself. i choose to keep a belief on a religion because it gives me the only comprehension of life. Everything else, gives me no answers, provides my mind no peace.

You might try science, combined with the perusing of every possible explanation, be it religious or otherwise. Dismiss none, unless it can be proven beyond any doubt, and accept none beyond any doubt, because none can be proven, and all certainly have their flaws.

[brookes]

What does religion mean to me?

What about you?

I am a believer in GOD. To me religion is just a path to reach GOD. Just like how rivers follow different paths to reach ocean. For me all religions are like different paths, some short, some long, but all will lead us to GOD.

[Coll]

I am a believer in GOD. To me religion is just a path to reach GOD. Just like how rivers follow different paths to reach ocean. For me all religions are like different paths, some short, some long, but all will lead us to GOD.

I take a similar stance on the religions of others, though not necessarily to reach "GOD". I believe everyone can reach their own salvation in whatever way they wish, be it through some false dogma manufactured by man, or through principles people set for themselves.

A hero of mine, Frederick II of Prussia said, “Superstition is the weakness of the human mind; it is inherent in that mind; it has always been, and always will be.”

While I believe people may reach salvation their own way, most organized religions are detrimental to reason and thought and only serve as negative bastions on the frontier of enlightenment. When people start living according to their own values and principles as opposed to those of some novelists from two thousand years ago they will start living richer, more rewarding lives.

[Ahadistan]

You might try science, combined with the perusing of every possible explanation, be it religious or otherwise. Dismiss none, unless it can be proven beyond any doubt, and accept none beyond any doubt, because none can be proven, and all certainly have their flaws.
very well said. however one premise surrounding ur point is from my religion, i.e. Islam. Islam has told not to ponder about some questions because us humans need not to worry about that. events in history have showed how God destroyed civilizations who had gotten too "advanced". i have that word in quotes cuz im not sure how that's a bad thing, but nevertheless it's a religious context so i believe it.

another important aspect for Islam is astronomy vs. astrology. the reason i say this is cuz both fields were treated as one until Prophet Mohammed (SAW) said that the one who does astrology is doing magic or something along those lines. meaning stars have the po9wer of telling peoples' fate and stuff and it should not be meddled with. im not sure if im brining my point out properly, we shall c after ur reply

[Cattraknoff]

very well said. however one premise surrounding ur point is from my religion, i.e. Islam. Islam has told not to ponder about some questions because us humans need not to worry about that. events in history have showed how God destroyed civilizations who had gotten too "advanced". i have that word in quotes cuz im not sure how that's a bad thing, but nevertheless it's a religious context so i believe it.

another important aspect for Islam is astronomy vs. astrology. the reason i say this is cuz both fields were treated as one until Prophet Mohammed (SAW) said that the one who does astrology is doing magic or something along those lines. meaning stars have the po9wer of telling peoples' fate and stuff and it should not be meddled with. im not sure if im brining my point out properly, we shall c after ur reply

Following any idea, be it religious or otherwise without question never leads to good. It was the cause of the crusades, the inquisition, and foolish suicide bombings more recently. As well as the many, many injustices committed in several Islamic countries today. Many religious leaders have in the past, and still do encourage people to simply accept things as they are without question. This is a means to pacify the people, to make them more subservient, more willing to obey their will, not God's.

[Ahadistan]

Following any idea, be it religious or otherwise without question never leads to good. It was the cause of the crusades, the inquisition, and foolish suicide bombings more recently. As well as the many, many injustices committed in several Islamic countries today. Many religious leaders have in the past, and still do encourage people to simply accept things as they are without question. This is a means to pacify the people, to make them more subservient, more willing to obey their will, not God's.
i must disagree upon the statement you have made. and the reason behind is that religion (well mine) requires a person to be educated. Education not just in religious terms but knowledge of the world, i.e science, math, etc...

knowledge helps us gain wisdom, hence allows us to make wise decisions. examples that you gave, and i pick one as the case study: of suicide bombings. (Oh and im not assuming anything about your span of knowledge about Islam or anything). Just the fact is that Islam doesn't instigate nor promotes any violence as im sure almost every other religion. it is the people (leaders) who brainwash people to do such acts. this is where education comes. Education does give us wisdom because if som1 tells me to blow myself up so i can go to heaven, i'll get an urge to slap them pretty hard. it's pure lunacy and i can never buy such thing because i think im slightly wise enough to know the difference b/w good and bad.

Therefore my point is that if God has said that i wil lnot find answers for somethings, or that i shouldn't study about something, then why must i do it. there ought to be a reason, and my blind faith is good enough for me to just believe it. now for people who don't really believe in God or religion, this idea might be stupid. but then again, im not one of them, for i have a faith....

[Coll]

He wasn't suggesting that it explicitly states anywhere in the Quran that people should blow themselves up to kill infidels. Catt was suggesting exactly what you said, leaders brainwash people using religion to take advantage of this blind faith and make them do anything. The Ayatollahs have immense power because of this blind faith.

[Cattraknoff]

Quite frankly humanity as a whole wasn't prepared to have any sort of religion. They were uneducated and foolish when it was introduced, they are uneducated and foolish now. Perhaps if people were able to grow and use brains, religion wouldn't have been causing the problems it has. However it would not be nearly as bad if religions were not organized in any sense of the word.