The Positives of not being Religious

[Yelekiah]

Sure it is, religious means believing in a higher power or personal god.

When I say religious, I mean in relation to an organized religion.

religion: A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.

Sure, your definition works as well. But what I mean is that you can have a belief in a Higher Power and not have any ties to a church, for example. Hence, not being religious.

[gandalf2013]

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Edited December 2, 2005 by gandalf2013

[luckycanucky]

Brings up a thought.. Greek and Roman "mythology" -- what marks the progression from "true" belief to myth and folklore, storytelling? What makes Jesus et al any less mythical than Zeus and the other old boys? Where's the dividing line? Number of believers, or is time the deciding factor?

How true could the books of the bible (and other texts) actually be? Considering the tales would have passed down orally, the truth would get watered down with the telling because different people will tell the same story different ways, emphasising what they feel needs the emphasis. By the time all this stuff got written down, who knows how much time had really passed, if whole events were lost in the telling or moved around to make a story sound more exciting, or, frankly, just made up for kicks? We don't know. We don't know how accurate transcribers were. Entire sections could have been misinterpreted, or key words mispelled, and the mistakes would be copied the next time, and the next time and the next time... Believers have to believe the book, because the book is all there is.

What if, in some unforseeable future, the new society will base their beliefs on the only book they have that was written in our time, depicting our culture. What if that book is "Captain Underpants"?

Or "Mein Kampf"?

[ShaunZero]

only weak people need religion,

See, I was right. =D So predictable.

- because of that, you can live life more freely without having to worry about whether or not what you're doing is "right"

Yes you do, there are laws. Unless you beleive we should do away with those too. I mean, I don't see why you wouldn't think so, you don't care for God's rules. Don't steal, don't kill etc...

Edited November 6, 2005 by ZeroShadow

[artymoon]

When I say religious, I mean in relation to an organized religion.

religion: A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.

Sure, your definition works as well. But what I mean is that you can have a belief in a Higher Power and not have any ties to a church, for example. Hence, not being religious.

I understand your interpretation.

I'm not in any organized religion though I believe in a higher power.

Just look around, there is something greater than us. Look up at the stars, the galaxies, it is truly amazing. I take comfort in knowing that there is more than just us, although we are part of something spectacular and grand. What that might be is the ultimate question.

[Yelekiah]

where's the dividing line

Well the gospels are written by people who knew Jesus personally, as opposed to Zeus. Jesus also had several witnesses, and the writings have verifiable locations and coincides with history much better than Greek and Roman mythology.

[hyperactive]

I believe in a higher power.

...

Just look around, there is something greater than us.

what makes you think this?

Look up at the stars, the galaxies, it is truly amazing. I take comfort in knowing that there is more than just us, although we are part of something spectacular and grand.

why?

[Yelekiah]

What if that book is "Captain Underpants"?

Not if they are mentally competent.

Just look around, there is something greater than us.

I agree. But just because there are higher powers does not mean we have to worship them.

[hyperactive]

Well the gospels are written by people who knew Jesus personally, as opposed to Zeus. Jesus also had several witnesses, and the writings have verifiable locations and coincides with history much better than Greek and Roman mythology.

according to "the history according to the christians".

[Yelekiah]

according to "the history according to the christians".

If I'm not mistaken Israel is a real place. So is Egypt.

Edited November 6, 2005 by Yelekiah

[luckycanucky]

Lucky, Beleifs are choices!!!!! Part of maturity and responsibility are in choosing your beleifs wisely, because as we can see with Religion they become behaviors, A large issue with society is very little thought is put into a beleif structure, hence we have alot of dysfunction, Beleifs actually are something that can be shed, once the door of denial is opened. I don't beleive NEED is the essence of a mature adult. Namaste Sheri

I must write too slow, ponder too long. Man..Anyway... A guy we didn't like very much at school was fond of saying "You can believe what you want, but..." implying that he thought we were idiots for not believing what he did. Beliefs are choices but if you already believe that you believe the truth, nothing is gonna shake you from it. Religion is built from childhood to be The Only Truth until, even in maturity, you stand there wondering just how much of your belief system is built by you, yourself, and how much of it hangs on from years of Catholic school. Well, I do, anyway.

I think a lot of thought is put into belief structure and that's what makes it so powerful. Think of the power of a cult. They break down your old programming and give you a new one that fits with their regime until there is little of your old self left. Religion is built on the power of beliefs, regardless of how weird they seem when seen from the outside, because they were never built with the belief that there could ever BE an outside. Religion worked while the world was small, flat, and 40 miles in diameter. When all your neighbours went to your church because it was the only game in town. Couldn't conceive of a world being anything other than what your minister/preacher/pastor said it was. They were the learned in town, and trusted to be the voice of reason, and the voice of God at the same time.

The world is bigger than that now and I don't really feel like organized religion has a place in it anymore. It's an outmoded belief system, held tight in the grasp of people who can't abide change, who fight against new ideas and philosophies, who try to build laws to bar the gates and lock us in the olden days when the world is charging forth like a wild stallion, longing to be free of all restraints. I say, let it run.

[artymoon]

what makes you think this?

Because I feel it. I don't let my ego get in the way. What makes you think otherwise?

why?

Because it makes me feel good. I have no proof, neither do you.

^

Edited November 6, 2005 by artymoon

[hyperactive]

If I'm not mistaken Bethlehem is a real place. So is Egypt.

yes, the those are real places. A good hoax is built on something true to give it credibility.

[hyperactive]

Because it makes me feel good. I have no proof, neither do you.

now now, no editing the quotes.....

as for proof, you have no idea what i do or do not have....

why get so defensive, i only asked 'why'.

[Yelekiah]

A good hoax is built on something true to give it credibility.

I agree. You're saying that Jesus is a hoax, right?

I'm just stating the dividing line. And this isn't just Christian History like you said. Those are real places, so that is partially world history.

[hyperactive]

I think a lot of thought is put into belief structure and that's what makes it so powerful.

if you look closely you may find quite the opposite is true for a great deal of people. Many have put no, or next to no, thought into what they beleive at all. It is a product of social conditioning that they have never questioned. When somebody asks you on the street 'how are you?', do you automatically reply with something like 'fine', or do you think about what you are going to say? Similar effect of social conditioning.

edit:

is jesus a hoax? that depends on what version of jesus you are talking about. certianly the writings of the NT are one of the greatest hoaxes ever pulled off.

Edited November 6, 2005 by hyperactive

[artymoon]

now now, no editing the quotes.....

as for proof, you have no idea what i do or do not have....

why get so defensive, i only asked 'why'.

My bad on the quotes.

Sorry if I came off defensive, but what proof do you have?

[+Sherapy]

If I'm not mistaken Israel is a real place. So is Egypt.

Yele the writers of the bible were great historians or at least tryed to be but , the writings of Jesus came way after those who wrote of him, if he is actually a real person there is great debate on that, so the point is those that wrote of jesus were writng from oral lineage,they did not know Jesus. Namaste Sheri

[hyperactive]

My bad on the quotes.

Sorry if I came off defensive, but what proof do you have?

proof for which questions 'higher powers', 'gods', 'religions'?

[artymoon]

I agree. But just because there are higher powers does not mean we have to worship them.

This is true. But I mean more of respect than worship

proof for which questions 'higher powers', 'gods', 'religions'?

you choose

[hyperactive]

ok, for 'higher powers' i turn you to what we understand and theorize about the structure of the universe. The 'powers' are the foundation of our universe and as such are not 'higher'.

[artymoon]

ok, for 'higher powers' i turn you to what we understand and theorize about the structure of the universe. The 'powers' are the foundation of our universe and as such are not 'higher'.

What about something other than our universe, on the outside so to speak.

[Yelekiah]

Yele the writers of the bible were great historians or at least tryed to be

True, it could be like playing telephone. But think about why they weren't written.

Oral tradition was commonplace. Nothing unusual there. And writing material was quite rare. It was written from the oral tradition based on people that knew Jesus.

[+Sherapy]

Lucky great posts, I would like to ask you have you outgrown the Catholic construct or are you transcending it< Catholism was decided for me by my parents, when i relizesd i had a choice i rejected it. very early I was fortunate to have a mother that harboured dreams of being a feminist she nurtured those aspirations by allowing me to transfer to public school. And you at what point did it become nonsense?? Namaste Sheri

[+Sherapy]

True, it could be like playing telephone. But think about why they weren't written.

Oral tradition was commonplace. Nothing unusual there. And writing material was quite rare. It was written from the oral tradition based on people that knew Jesus.

Yele i personally put little if any stock into the authenticity of the bible i have only read sources that strongly suggest those that twrote of jesus didn't know him,I also am leaning very heavily towards ther was no Jesus. I think whatever works for the person, namaste Sheri