Am I "sinning" for not having a reason to beleive?

[MetalMermaid]

This is probably a horrible blog. Might not make sense but Im brainstorming at work haha..just wondering on what others thinks. Relgion is a very contriversal issue by me because of my cultures strong dependence on it and pretty much stereotyping me out of my heritage. That is very important to me bcause im quite nationalistic and believe that everyone should hold strong to their past. Anyways here it is..just my thoughts.

Religion is created by human society since man can communicate and spread its theories. Relgion has its influence and power mainly becuase it is about belief. It accepts you if you believe in what it states. Believing never necessarly has to be true or a fact. Therefore, it is very immauture when religious people(from any relgion) become sterotypical or harass others because of different viewpoints.

Secondly, I must admit I do not actually really believe in any religion. Although I do believe that every religion has its positive positions. I personally don't belive in the religions we have created beacuse it makes us bowed to a certain diety. I think however we are not entitled to a diety but it nature the univerise and what is that we do not actually have full knowledge of.

I love the idea of relgion because it sets people in order. Just how goverment is built to keep society in order, religion is created to keep not only human society in order but the human mind its self. We as people do not know answers to many many things in our surroundings, the universe and past the universe if that even exists itself! Therefore we have created these relgions to keep us peaceful without worrying about the idea that we dont know all the answers to life! Not having knowledge of somehting is very unsatisfying and horrifying, we try to stay away from it, we fear it. Not knowing about our whereabouts and creation and life itself and all that around us is very big. If we fear that, we eventually might as well lose all sense. I believe that is why religion is IDEAL FOR US (the human mind). Not for animals, or materials or the universe.

Depending on religion gives us at least one or more of the following: the idea we have something/diety to lean on or thank or help for our own souls, that we are not left alone, that we will be saved from the sins we commit that society does not accept --possible reason "because society does not understand my act was based on my situation." I'm not saying its a bad thing. It gives the human mind hope, "knowledge", caringness, comfort, support..

But for me personally, I don't need relgion to help me with this. I don't know why but I feel that I have the support, hope and comfort from myself. You may reason that I am very optomistic but I see reality as well and act for it the way I should to survive. Only to survive...not to survive and rule as well! Which is a strong nature of our minds. Very hard to control (again why religion helps us) but somehow I manage it.

I want to explain but I don't know how. I don't mind not knowing where we began, where the universe ends, how or why. I do not fear it. But that doesnt mean Im not curious. Instead living my life with a religion that has the answers already given, I live the journey of wonder. I think society needs religion as its last resort. It is our last resort that is in use beacuse everything else we can lean on...fails: goverment, communities...Society fails without the use of many forms of ORGANIZATION! Religion can't fail us if we believe it because it never gave a visiual or concrete structure to begin with.

We are wonderers and curious ones at it as well. We need to be satisfied and we never are. Whats the only/last thing that satisfies us? Religion..becuase its a deal or no deal game. Of all Religions though ive been able to connect best with buhdisim and hinduism most becuase it believe in renewing yourself without having to pay for it from anyone or anything or a diety. karma as well becuase what goes around comes around! i guess i rely a little bit of one type of relgion. we all do. No matter what kind...humans created all of them. To satisfy ourselves and those around us and our hearts.

 

[speed]

Im not sure I follow the logic of your argument. You state you dont believe in any deity, and dislike religion, but come back in the conclusion with the assertion that religion is all we have.

Am I to assume, you're confused, and afraid of nihilism?

Well, welcome to the board anyway.

 

[MetalMermaid]

im sorry i know. well i mean that religion isnt a true collection of facts and stories, i think it is created in order for humans to have comfort in their minds. but that me personally, if others as well, don't need that in order to live our lives. if that made sense..

 

[speed]

im sorry i know. well i mean that religion isnt a true collection of facts and stories, i think it is created in order for humans to have comfort in their minds. but that me personally, if others as well, don't need that in order to live our lives. if that made sense..

It makes sense, your ideas about why we humans need religion. I'm just confused as to your own beliefs on the subject. You see, it seems you inderstand the "myth" of religion, and yet despite disbelieving, you accept religion, and even seek eastern religions out for your own comfort. This is what I'd like you to explain.

Many people I think share your views.

 

[MetalMermaid]

I think that just because I am human I end up relying on it to some extent because religion not only expects you to honor a certain power but that it teaches us to be optomistic not to give up and live with punishments and rewards to become better indivduals. that is why i like the concept of religion. i dont think many people would do all that if it didnt involve a certain power that can decide what happens with your soul. for example if you set rules for a child he might not follow but if he sees the consequences the adult can bring to him he will listen and follow as told to do so.

 

[Blowtus]

Religion seems a useful method of getting people / society to act in certain ways. Whether it is 'good' or not seems a case of deciding whether the actions it stimulates in people are 'good'. I think Buddhism is a 'good' religion, but it still seems to have the capacity to dull peoples ability / desire to think things through for themselves. Maybe that is a useful thing? Given enough education and understanding I would think religion entirely useless, but I don't think we've ever come close to enough as yet.

 

[MetalMermaid]

Religion seems a useful method of getting people / society to act in certain ways. Whether it is 'good' or not seems a case of deciding whether the actions it stimulates in people are 'good'. I think Buddhism is a 'good' religion, but it still seems to have the capacity to dull peoples ability / desire to think things through for themselves. Maybe that is a useful thing? Given enough education and understanding I would think religion entirely useless, but I don't think we've ever come close to enough as yet.

pretty much took the words out of my mouth =]

 

[Omnis_Sathanas]

I think that just because I am human I end up relying on it to some extent because religion not only expects you to honor a certain power but that it teaches us to be optomistic not to give up and live with punishments and rewards to become better indivduals. that is why i like the concept of religion. i dont think many people would do all that if it didnt involve a certain power that can decide what happens with your soul. for example if you set rules for a child he might not follow but if he sees the consequences the adult can bring to him he will listen and follow as told to do so.

You could also call this idealism, which teaches individuals to appeal to a higher order outside of themselves; rather than "religion".

 

[Arthyron]

I'm not a fan of religion myself, which might sound odd, coming from someone who professes to be a follower of Christ. It's because I see my beliefs as a relationship more than a religion. Christ is not simply some esoteric figure in a book to me, he's a reservoire of strength, the source of all goodness and virtue in my being, a paradigm to be aspired to, and the closest most trusted friend a person can have. That's why I denounce the dogma of the church and the teachings of men. I rely on Christ and his word utmost. That's a bit of insight into how and why I practice what I practice.

 

[Seditious]

even seek eastern religions out for your own comfort.

I don't know how relevant it is, but I thought I may as well say you don't need to support Mc'Donalds just because you have a human need for food. you don't have to embrace any whole religion just because one factor is useful to you, just take the one thing as you take secular ideas that work for you and discard the rest.

When I talk about Atheism I'm always keen to assert we aren't saying 'there is no heaven/reincarnation,' and why?---because we can't say that. To be without religion is not to be without spiritual hopes, they're your own business. Cognitive science may be bearing down upon those hopes, but a lack of religion alone is not a lack of the metaphysics that provide comfort to so many people. To me, keeping religion because you want comfort is like keeping the dirty bathwater because you haven't yet realized that the baby is safe, that it won't disappear down the drain with the water when you pull the plug on it.

 

[Blowtus]

You don't think some peoples baths have drains big enough for the baby too Seditious?

 

[MetalMermaid]

You could also call this idealism, which teaches individuals to appeal to a higher order outside of themselves; rather than "religion".

That's actually very true. I tend to lean towards idealism.

 

[Frank the tank]

this is a little off topic here, but uh mermaid , youre kinda hot. just thought i should , y'know tell you that.

but on the real subject, ive heard this argument before. and ive come to the conclusion of - who cares? you feel the way you do for a reason and even if you wanted to be super smart and know everyhting, kinda makes you wonder how much there really is to know. ?

 

[MetalMermaid]

heh thanks. well um im glad everyone was able to let me in on their thoughts

 

[Seditious]

You don't think some peoples baths have drains big enough for the baby too Seditious?

sure, one day science may have the bath collapse into the ground having dug out everything on which they built a home, but right now, the bath is on solid ground and the drain has a grating in it which is barely even worn by rust. Perhaps some people fanatically sawed out the floor around their bath upstairs in trying dispose of the bath and catch the falling baby... but no sensible persons can yet lose the baby

 

[Seditious]

this is a little off topic here, but uh mermaid , youre kinda hot.

lol I was wondering where her av was from. where the full/large pic is at

can't view her myspace pics cos I'm not a member but I must add, I love the valley accent.

 

[MetalMermaid]

sorry myspace is private but you know what they say stalkers and perverts are out ot get you hah.

 

[Silver Incubus]

I'm not a fan of religion myself, which might sound odd, coming from someone who professes to be a follower of Christ. It's because I see my beliefs as a relationship more than a religion. Christ is not simply some esoteric figure in a book to me, he's a reservoir of strength, the source of all goodness and virtue in my being, a paradigm to be aspired to, and the closest most trusted friend a person can have. That's why I denounce the dogma of the church and the teachings of men. I rely on Christ and his word utmost. That's a bit of insight into how and why I practice what I practice.

I remember hearing a term called Red Letter Christians, essentially only following what Christ says (aka the red words in the bible) then what is told in the many contradicting parables and such from other perspectives of the apostles. Even still, you have to wonder who wrote that bible and for what purposes it ultimately was fashioned for, do you not?

 

[Tabubua]

Religion seems a useful method of getting people / society to act in certain ways. Whether it is 'good' or not seems a case of deciding whether the actions it stimulates in people are 'good'. I think Buddhism is a 'good' religion, but it still seems to have the capacity to dull peoples ability / desire to think things through for themselves. Maybe that is a useful thing? Given enough education and understanding I would think religion entirely useless, but I don't think we've ever come close to enough as yet.

Excellent point.

I think religion and the age long suppression/ unavailability of education go hand in hand. When we are ignorant of the ways our world works, with all the 'miraculous' incedents that appear in nature, some distant fantastical all-powerful creator/ ruler can seem quite conceivable.

Early man created early religion to fill in all the gaps in our knowledge, to assure us that there is a viable reason for our lives to be out of our control. First of all we worshipped the sun and the moon, the wind and the waves, because we had no explanation of these natural occurences and how they came about. It must be gods, we said, how else could this occur?

As science gradually explained our world for us, the mystery behind nature was dissolved, so moved on to the one thing we still cannot understand - ourselves. So we created a God in our image, imagining him as a perfect, higher versions of ourselves - everything we would wish we could be, everything we think we should be. And I think I've gone completely off track now so I'm going to shut up...

Erm...

We (as a species) rely on religion because we cannot face the fact that we are thrust into this cruel world without guidance. We turn to the ideal of god as a reassurance that there is some purpose to our lives, some reasoning behind the hostile randomness(?) of the universe.

Oh, and religion has evolved to be a form of social control - if the populous believe that when they misbehave they will be cast into pits of firey torture and doom - they're likely not to misbehave. This is ok when religion is dictating the rules that are necessary for society not to fall apart - don't kill, don't steal etc, but ruling authorities (ie the vatican) tend to er... add their own laws, which very conveniently make life easier for themselves...

I really am going to shut up now. I'm babbling

 

[WMSheep]

Personally speaking, before you can go on any further in this process you have to be able to separate your ideas of Religion, Belief, and Spirituality, and then figure out why you have each of these in your life and could you cope without them.


WMS