For Those Who Don't Believe....in Religion

[Guyver]

What do you believe if anything?

Do you believe in the existence of soul or spirit?  Do you have a problem with those who do believe?  So you believe in spirituality?  

Are there people out there who don't believe in religion but do believe in God?

[Guyver]

Shameless rip-off.....I know.  But, before I saw the rest of the other thread; I liked the idea.

Personally, I do not believe in religion; but there are plenty of things I do believe in.  I even believe in things I don't understand; and I believe that things exist which I don't even know.  

[Piney]

I believe that people should discuss their beliefs but not push them or preach them on anybody else. To each his own but I might not want to own it.

[Guyver]

I believe in God, and I believe in AA.  I believe in the existence of soul and spirit.  I believe in spirituality which I consider a certain "oneness" with that which is.  In many ways, I guess you could say that I favor Buddhist philosophy and principles.....I acknowledge that which is real, that which is....and see the benefit in coming to terms with that. 

I believe in love, not just the physical kind (which I also believe in as a good thing) but the non-physical power of human kindness, good intention and caring practice.  I'm not always very good at this because I'm not religious.....lol.

I believe in logic, reason, and the scientific method.....

I believe that golf is a very difficult thing to get good at if one starts later in life.  I believe in fitness, excercise diet and moderation in things.  I've heard it put this way.  Moderation in all things, but by all means all things. 

I believe that life is hard and then we die.  Yet, I see a duality in things because life can be very enjoyable as well.  From the simple pleasures, to complex pursuits.....I do think life is worth living and I try to live it well.  I find beauty in music, art and philosophy.  I like cars.  

Well, that's about all I have on the opener.  Peace be with all readers.

 

[XenoFish]

12 minutes ago, Guyver said:

What do you believe if anything?

I am under the assumption that life is inherently meaningless, without a true purpose or even a point to it.

Do you believe in the existence of soul or spirit? 

Its a nice idea, but no I don't.

Do you have a problem with those who do believe? 

That depends. Sometimes religion affects a person adversely, they tend to get....strange.

So you believe in spirituality?  

once upon a time, but now. Not really.

Are there people out there who don't believe in religion but do believe in God?

Those would be spiritual people.

 

Edited January 24, 2018 by XenoFish

[Orphalesion]

It's quite difficult to put one's whole philosophy into a forum message, so I'm not gonna try it.

I believe in a lot of things, but I also believe that I am most likely wrong about most/all of them (and so is probably everybody else) but I also believe that the "truth" is perhaps neither as bleak and hopeless as some say or as nice and fluffy as others say, because in my experience a lot of things in life tend to end up less horrible than feared and less nice than hoped (sometimes of course, things do turn out to be horrible/nice)

And I believe that everybody should believe in what makes them happy and/or works for them, as long as it doesn't harm anybody else or themselves. Since we are all most likely wrong about the whole thing anyway, and in any case can't do anything about how the universe works, it's pointless to fight about it.

[Guyver]

45 minutes ago, Scudbuster said:

Here's one reason....the bible is full of stuff like this, so its far from being that "good book" that I've heard pastors/minsters refer to it as:

 

Scudbuster, Christians don't deny that those verses are part of the bible.  But they explain it away as being part of a time and culture that passed away.  The Old Testament is considered distinct from the New Testament.  I know that this doens't make much sense since slavery is part of the New Testament as well, but they just kind of ignore that and don't put much stock in it.  It's kind of considered a social program as it were.  

[Guyver]

1 hour ago, Orphalesion said:

And I believe that everybody should believe in what makes them happy and/or works for them, as long as it doesn't harm anybody else or themselves. Since we are all most likely wrong about the whole thing anyway, and in any case can't do anything about how the universe works, it's pointless to fight about it.

I agree with you.  And also, in this section of the forum, we're not really fighting about it - rather, we are discussing our beliefs (and hopefully) why we believe them.  

[Klownzilla]

For those who doesn't believe in religion. To that i will say: Congratulations for not letting something completely made up consume your whole life. You think for yourself and don't blame satan or god for every bad or good thing that happens.

[Orphalesion]

38 minutes ago, Guyver said:

.  And also, in this section of the forum, we're not really fighting about it - rather, we are discussing our beliefs (and hopefully) why we believe them.  

I wasn't saying that you were, I was speaking about the world in general. No point to quarrel over religion/belief, or even fight wars over it, since, probably, none of us got right anyway.

[Only_]

1 hour ago, Scudbuster said:

Here's one reason....the bible is full of stuff like this, so its far from being that "good book" that I've heard pastors/minsters refer to it as:

 

These texts have been written at a time when slavery was a fact of life.

But what you don't mention is that in more recent times, Christians did a lot to free slaves and have been at the forefront of abolition movements. The moral teaching of Christ regarding this has always been to support the poor and keep them out of slavery, ensure fair and generous treatment of slaves, and proclaim liberty for the captives and freedom to prisoners.

Edited January 24, 2018 by TruthSeeker_

[eight bits]

Guyver

Quote

Christians don't deny that those verses are part of the bible.  But they explain it away as being part of a time and culture that passed away.  The Old Testament is considered distinct from the New Testament.  I know that this doens't make much sense since slavery is part of the New Testament as well, but they just kind of ignore that and don't put much stock in it.  It's kind of considered a social program as it were. 

The problem isn't peculiar to some perspectives within Christianity or Judaism, but also affects Islam and newer revelations like Mormonism. Mohammed's choice of wives and his god's granting him his cut of the proceeds of bandit raids are also paved over with "that was how it was at the time and place." Mormon polygamy, too, is treated as a "that was then, this is now" thing.

The problem is that these books are passed off as the repository of timeless moral advice, straight from an unchanging eternally perfect God. "That was then..." is the opposite of timelessness; improvement is the realization of (and correct response to) earlier imperfection.

There would be no problem, in my view, if the sales pitch were "we've been wrestling with the Big Questions of human existence and social organization for centuries now - look where we started and look how far we've come since then."

Yeah, so now we've worked out that slavery isn't OK, period. We hardly ever burn people alive anymore over whether God is one, three or both and we NEVER stone anybody for picking up sticks, ever. The trend is up, and the sky's the limit. It's a process, please join us in our quest.

Oh, OK. So what are your thoughts about baking a cake for a gay couple's wedding? "Well, that's a tangle ..."

At least the revealed-religious would be being honest with themselves and with their audience. There's no shame in wrestling with big questions. It is a task worthy of a god. Claiming you've had it all figured out long ago, when the words on the page are an embarrassment to a skinhead is pathetic.

[+Liquid Gardens]

8 hours ago, TruthSeeker_ said:

These texts have been written at a time when slavery was a fact of life.

But what you don't mention is that in more recent times, Christians did a lot to free slaves and have been at the forefront of abolition movements. The moral teaching of Christ regarding this has always been to support the poor and keep them out of slavery, ensure fair and generous treatment of slaves, and proclaim liberty for the captives and freedom to prisoners.

Sure, but what you don't mention is that Christians were also at the forefront of pro-slavery efforts.  To the point of attempting to justify it from the bible, a la the 'curse of Ham':

from wiki:

"The explanation that black Africans, as the "sons of Ham", were cursed, possibly "blackened" by their sins, was advanced only sporadically during the Middle Ages, but it became increasingly common during the slave trade of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.^[59][60] The justification of slavery itself through the sins of Ham was well suited to the ideological interests of the elite; with the emergence of the slave trade, its racialized version justified the exploitation of African labour."

 

[Essan]

Do I believe in religions?  Yes.  I have no doubt whatsoever that they most definitely do exist  

And I even understand why they exist.   I just have no need of them myself.   A bit like slaves    

 

[SHaYap]

I believe in Music ...

~

 

[00.04:10]

~

One of Paul's shining moment ...

 

[Piney]

11 hours ago, TruthSeeker_ said:

Christians did a lot to free slaves and have been at the forefront of abolition movements.

Hicksite Quakers were at the forefront of the abolition movement and since they didn't believe in the Trinity or Christ's divinity or that the Bible is even fact. We are not technically Christians.

[Will Due]

3 minutes ago, Piney said:

Hicksite Quakers were at the forefront of the abolition movement and since they didn't believe in the Trinity or Christ's divinity or that the Bible is even fact. We are not technically Christians.

 

So you're the reason for all those recent earthquakes!

 

 

[Piney]

Just now, Will Due said:

 

So you're the reason for all those recent earthquakes!

 

 

We don't quake anymore. We went dormant after the Civil War.

[Guyver]

11 hours ago, eight bits said:

The problem is that these books are passed off as the repository of timeless moral advice, straight from an unchanging eternally perfect God. "That was then..." is the opposite of timelessness; improvement is the realization of (and correct response to) earlier imperfection.

Excellently thought and said.  

[Podo]

19 hours ago, Guyver said:

What do you believe if anything?

Do you believe in the existence of soul or spirit?  Do you have a problem with those who do believe?  So you believe in spirituality?  

Are there people out there who don't believe in religion but do believe in God?

I do not believe in any sort of creator deity. I do, however, believe in various deities in the context of Jungian archetypes. I think that these concepts do, in fact, exist, but only as psychological constructs within the human mind. Due to their universal nature, however, they continuously manifest in various cultures, in various forms. Every culture has a war god, every culture has a fertility god, etc. While I do not believe that these concepts are conscious or physical entities, I think they fulfill a psychological need in humanity. 

I do not believe in anything resembling a soul or a spirit. The idea is preposterous to me, and there's no evidence supporting our consciousness being anything other than a side-effect of the fatty meatsacks that are our brains. I don't normally have issue with people who believe in such things, unless they start talking as though their baseless beliefs are somehow facts, or ****ting on those who don't share them. 

I think it is fairly common, even on these boards, to find people who abandon organised religion but maintain belief in deities. Most modern pagans, asatruar, wiccans, druids, and similar things disavow organised religions in favour of their own personal devotions. 

[+Sherapy]

15 minutes ago, Podo said:

I do not believe in any sort of creator deity. I do, however, believe in various deities in the context of Jungian archetypes. I think that these concepts do, in fact, exist, but only as psychological constructs within the human mind. Due to their universal nature, however, they continuously manifest in various cultures, in various forms. Every culture has a war god, every culture has a fertility god, etc. While I do not believe that these concepts are conscious or physical entities, I think they fulfill a psychological need in humanity. 

I do not believe in anything resembling a soul or a spirit. The idea is preposterous to me, and there's no evidence supporting our consciousness being anything other than a side-effect of the fatty meatsacks that are our brains. I don't normally have issue with people who believe in such things, unless they start talking as though their baseless beliefs are somehow facts, or ****ting on those who don't share them. 

I think it is fairly common, even on these boards, to find people who abandon organised religion but maintain belief in deities. Most modern pagans, asatruar, wiccans, druids, and similar things disavow organised religions in favour of their own personal devotions. 

Great post! 

[Podo]

2 minutes ago, Sherapy said:

Great post! 

Aw thanks Sheri 

[Guyver]

4 hours ago, Podo said:

 

I do not believe in anything resembling a soul or a spirit. The idea is preposterous to me, and there's no evidence supporting our consciousness being anything other than a side-effect of the fatty meatsacks that are our brains. I don't normally have issue with people who believe in such things, unless they start talking as though their baseless beliefs are somehow facts, or ****ting on those who don't share them. 

I think it is fairly common, even on these boards, to find people who abandon organised religion but maintain belief in deities. Most modern pagans, asatruar, wiccans, druids, and similar things disavow organised religions in favour of their own personal devotions. 

There’s something so right about brutal honesty.  You have my respect.

[Guyver]

So what do I believe?  I believe that life is right now.  Now is the only moment we ever have.  God, soemetimes life sucks.  But then it’s so great.  I had the most beautiful day today and it was the result of the beauty of love, kindness and caring, and because I played really well on the golf course.  hahaah

no, I mean that for real.  I’m not even playing.

[GlitterRose]

I try not to get too caught up in belief.

I hope instead of believing.

I'm spiritual instead of being dogmatic.

I feel that if there is a God...a truly loving and benevolent God...that it isn't responsible for this mess. 

I also feel that if there is some entity responsible for this mess, then that entity isn't good.

I feel that the Golden Rule is a good thing, and possibly even divinely inspired, but that it's floating in a sea of muck that I don't find spiritually advanced.