Why do you believe what you do?

[glorybebe]

LOL thank you that made me laugh a lil LOL about jumping on the spider

For me to become a buddhist...I would have to leave Gary lol..cuz he drives me nuts, I would most likely get - gently told to leave their faith if I had gary with me..cuz i'd loose the rag and instead of jumping on a bug..id be jumping on HIM

Man I think I need anger managment thearapy - cause of anger - her partner lol...only difference between my partner and a pesky bug...I could get away with destroying the bug with pest spray...one swift spray and poof bug is no more and aaaahhh bliss...but there is no pest spray for bugging men aaaccccckkkkk!!!!!!! :angry2:

Yeah, I couldn't be a Buddist either, I am a mass murderer for killing so many ants and mice lately.

[TheKnight]

Not Sure if this is the appropriate place, but it seemed to fit.

After reading a few posts by different members here, I was struck with a question. What makes me/you believe in certain things, yet not others that are paranormal? We have people who believe in ghosts yet not in psychic abilities, people who believe in empathy and not in tarot cards....Why? Is it because of our own personal experiences or just a "feeling that some things are more real to us than others? I am trying to start a flaming thread here, but I am genuinely curious. And maybe if we delve a little into our differences, we can understand and respect each other a little more.

I myself used to be a Christian, now I am merely a follower of HaShem. You could call me a Jew but that would be inappropriate.

[swtp]

Yeah, I couldn't be a Buddist either, I am a mass murderer for killing so many ants and mice lately.

Well ladies, doesnt it just figure that it,s the MEN and BUGS keeping us from finding our inner nirvana!

[Stubbly_Dooright]

And great post Stubbly, you really explained well and answered my questions.

Thank you and you're welcome. I think my answers came to be, because of the wonderful and reflective question(s) you brought up when you started this fascinating thread.

[MissMelsWell]

There are warrior sects of Buddhism... it's not all peace and flowers... Samuri's and Ninja's were memebers of warrior Buddhist sects.

The concept of Buddhism is peaceful, however, it's not always peaceful and anti-violent nor equal among the sexes.

it's worth looking at a little bit deeper and make your own judgements.

[+Sherapy]

There are many different types of sugar: brown sugar, white sugar, rock sugar, syrup and icing sugar but it is all sugar and it all tastes sweet. It is produced in different forms so that it can be used in different ways. Buddhism is the same: there is Theravada Buddhism, Zen Buddhism, Pure Land Buddhism, Yogacara Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism but it is all Buddhism and it all has the same taste - the taste of freedom. Buddhism has evolved into different forms so that it can be relevant to the different cultures in which it exists. It has been reinterpreted over the centuries so that it can remain relevant to each new generation. Outwardly, the types of Buddhism may seem very different but at the centre of all of them is the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. All major religions, Buddhism included, have split into schools and sects.

But the different sects of Buddhism have never gone to war with each other and to this day, they go to each other's temples and worship together. Such tolerance and understanding is certainly rare. .....

http://www.buddhanet.net/ans11.htm

Although monks in the past have tried to condone "just war," none has ever been able to find any canonical source to support this claim.

"In all of Buddhist history, there has never been a holy war."

http://www.bodydharma.org/choices/violence/sivaraksa.html full article

Edited August 8, 2007 by Supra Sheri

[ArchVile68]

my own life-long traumatizing experiences, are why i believe what i believe...

...or rather disbelieve what i used to believe...

Edited August 8, 2007 by Shadow Dweller

[momentarylapseofreason]

I personally follow humanism/satanism. They're pretty much the same thing, so pick the word you like more.

The reason why is because I have never known God to do anything for me. And the way world is going, I don't see how any benevolent God can just stand aside and let it happen.

Not to mention, God pretty much disproves himself. If God can create a rock too heavy to lift, then he is not omnipotent because he cannot lift a certain rock. If God cannot create a rock too heavy to lift, then he is not omnipotent because he is unable to create a certain rock.

So I've chosen to look after myself and those I care about most in this world. That dosent mean I hate other people or ignore them. Im nice to others and respect their boundaries. I try not to step on people's toes because I really just don't like fighting with others. I'm still true to myself though. I don't act differently to just please people.

Sooo..yeah...does that explain?

You are ill informed about humanism then. Satanism and humanism are quite different. Satanism is hedonistic-self-serving while humanism is the exact opposite !

Here from wiki: (I am lazy)

Humanism clearly rejects deference to supernatural beliefs in resolving human affairs but not necessarily the beliefs themselves; indeed some strains of humanism are compatible with some religions. It is generally compatible with atheism and agnosticism but doesn't require either of these. Agnosticism or atheism on their own do not necessarily entail humanism; many different and sometimes incompatible philosophies happen to be atheistic in nature. There is no one ideology or set of behaviors to which all atheists adhere, and not all are humanistic.[4][5]

As humanism encompasses intellectual currents running through a wide variety of philosophical and religious thought, several strains of humanism allow it to fulfill, supplement or supplant the role of religions, and in particular, to be embraced as a complete life stance. For more on this, see Humanism (life stance). In a number of countries, for the purpose of laws that give rights to "religions", the secular life stance has become legally recognized as equivalent to a "religion" for this purpose.[6] In the United States, the Supreme Court recognized that Humanism is equivalent to a religion in the limited sense of authorizing Humanists to conduct ceremonies commonly carried out by officers of religious bodies. The relevant passage is in a footnote to Torcaso v. Watkins (1961). It is often alleged by fundamentalist critics of Humanism that the Supreme Court "declared Humanism to be a religion," however the Court's statement, a mere footnote in any case, clearly does not in fact do so; it simply asserts an equivalency of rights to act in ways usual to a religion, such as ceremonial recognition of life's landmarks.

Renaissance humanism, and its emphasis on returning to the sources, contributed to the Protestant reformation by helping to gain what they believe was a more accurate translation of Biblical texts.

Knowledge

According to humanism, it is up to humans to find the truth, as opposed to seeking it through revelation, mysticism, tradition, or anything else that is incompatible with the application of logic to the evidence. In demanding that humans avoid blindly accepting unsupported beliefs, it supports scientific skepticism and the scientific method, rejecting authoritarianism and extreme skepticism, and rendering faith an unacceptable basis for action. Likewise, humanism asserts that knowledge of right and wrong is based on one's best understanding of one's individual and joint interests, rather than stemming from a transcendental truth or an arbitrarily local sources.

Optimism

Humanism features an optimistic attitude about the capacity of people, but it does not involve believing that human nature is purely good or that each and every person is capable of living up to the humanist ideals of rationality and morality. If anything, there is the recognition that living up to one's potential is hard work and requires the help of others. The ultimate goal is human flourishing; making life better for all humans. The focus is on doing good and living well in the here and now, and leaving the world better for those who come after, not on suffering through life to be rewarded afterward.

Satanism

Satanism" is a term which has been used since the end of the Middle Ages to describe a number of different belief systems in a number of contexts. People claiming to be Satanists, or outsiders claiming to describe Satanism, ascribe a wide variety of beliefs to Satanism. At the same time there is no established, common sense of this word. These range from the obviously fanatiс sects to the groups of people in search of themselves; from the literal deistic worship of a spiritual being (Theistic Satanism) to the monography of the atheistic philosopher; from a subversive ritual performance stressing the mockery of Christian symbols (most notably the Black Mass) to denying all rituals; from the claimed rediscovery of an ancient but misunderstood religion (e.g. Setianism, associated with the Egyptian god Set who is conflated by some with the biblical Satan) to the exaltation of hedonistic recreation and the celebration of selfishness and pleasure.

So the only similarity is that they "can be" atheistic and there it ends. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Edited August 8, 2007 by momentarylapseofreason

[momentarylapseofreason]

I label myself an agnostic/freethinking humanist /am "major critical" of the bible and organized religions. (for endless reasons-which I am sharing on this forum)/am a former christian but was already getting sceptical with age 11./considered satanism but find it too self-serving./ I have respect for Atheism/Buddism and Taoism,Deism, Paganism although I don't practice nor agree with everything.

I research endlessly/look at "all sides" of the story/and this is where I am now.

I believe in ESP/precognition/other subtle energy forces -but science will explain these eventually(still not 100% sure )/ U.F.O. s although cant say what's up with that-something strange is definitely going on up there.

A book would be required to explain why I believe what I do (which isn't much by the way). And it would be called " I don't know much................and neither do you".