Religious Discussion Thread

[harley 3 1185 0]

Sorry Mods, if i'm jumping the gun here, but I'd rather not see questions about Creationism and Darwinism in a thread of U.S. Politics. Close it if you think it's necessary!

I'll start; with the question to everyone here;

How important is religion to you?

I've noticed that there seem to be a few who don't seem to be too affected by matters of religion, but I can't say I've seen anyone come out and say "Don't say that, that's against my faith!" So who out there has faith?

[miles teg 1]

Um... the stuff about creationism is a part of US politics.

So personally I think it belongs on that thread. Its like seperating Middle East politics from Islam. You can't seperate US politics from American Christian beliefs.

Chris G.

aka-Miles Teg<GD>

[gandalf the white 0]

Religion is very important to me.

I think it should be abbandoned, because so many people believe hide behind it, and make others believe what they do is good.

The bad thing is that allot of people are also inspired by it. but personally, I dont want any "lord" to give me a winning lottery ticket, or good grades. i'll do that myself.

[SFWanabe 0]

Oh great,I see the flame wars to end all flame wars just around the corner....

[Bordoy 0]

I am a Roman Catholic but non praticising. I ain't made my mind up about God etc.

[Bordoy 0]

Oh great,I see the flame wars to end all flame wars just around the corner....    

Well if people act like mature adults and not little kids then we would be alright. But most of this forum are immature, and behave stupidily

[Akira 0]

Not very religious as you probably guessed, but I don't have a problem with people believing unlike some here. It's a matter of "whatever helps you sleep at night."

I do however, have a big problem with their trying to legislate their beliefs on me.

[harley 3 1185 0]

Hmm, how about, SFWanabe, we keep the comments at the moment to your religious beliefs, unless you have something to add on "Religion". Chris G., comment duly noted (it's just that talk of all these born again politicians is so depressing sometime).

For my part, I'm Church of England-non practising, but I do have some faith in a "God". Not sure what yet though...

[SFWanabe 0]

I beileve in God and the 10 commandments. I dont beileve that gay people should burn in hell or that muslims are demons in human form.

[Akira 0]

Without degenerating into a flame war...

Do you think gays should be allowed to be "married"...whatever form of the word you choose to take. Should gay couples be afforded the same rights and "benefits" as heterosexual couples?

[Daniel 0]

I'm a practicing Roman Catholic, proud of it, and still making my mind up about some things.

[EiZei 0]

Do you think gays should be allowed to be "married"...whatever form of the word you choose to take. Should gay couples be afforded the same rights and "benefits" as heterosexual couples?

Abso-fucking-lutely yes, even adoption.

That's dem fighting words.

[Akira 0]

Well so do I. But I was more interested in hearing the religious views on the matter.

Here in Texas denial of gay marriage passed the legislature and is set for a state-wide referendum for an addition to the state constitution.

I find it ridiculous we can call ourselves the land of the free, and legislate discrimination at the same time.

[harley 3 1185 0]

Marrying who you want is a right. You are we or our governments to rule against it? To anyone who opposes it because it "violates the sanctity of marriage"; if the Church can adapt, why can't certain values?

So yes, I'm fully in favour of Marriage and full rights accorded to gay couples. Adoption should be allowed under the usual rules.

[Ares1978 0]

How important is religion to you?

Absence of religion is.

[llauma 0]

If God really opposes gay people getting married in the church then he'd better do something about it and if he doesn't then the right wing people should take that as if he approves it.

Some people also thinks that AIDS/HIV is Gods punishment against the homosexual but that arguement doesn't work as lesbians are less infected by it than the general American.

If a man wants to marry a horse then let him, but as both has to approve it and a horse can't do that, it would never be legimate.

[Scorpio 0]

I'm became a muslim a few years ago but have only realised the importance of my faith about a year ago; ever since, I've been practising fully. I could tell a lot about my faith but obviously most people here don't really give a crap or just see religion as an psychological "idea".

[Victor_S. 0]

I dont think that gays should be allowed to marry as it is a religious union, but I do think they should be allow to have a legal union with the same benifits as married people. Though there are many strait couples who get married and are not religous either so...

As for myself I believe in god, though i dont go to church. I also live in texas and there are a lot of people here that hide behind their faith. I live in the "bible belt" and there are a lot of people who are assholes and just use their faith to put up a nice front. I also am worried about religion being worked into our laws here in texas and the US in general. I dont think the bible should be taken as law, or the koran or what ever for that matter. They were all written by people so they are all flawed. Yes, they are good books to help you live your life by and they are intended to make you better, but using them as a basis of law is just stupid.

[Bordoy 0]

Gay couples shouldn't be allowed to adopt imo. In todays society, a child would get called alot of names under the sun if he/she were a child of a gay couple.

I am not really to fussed what religion people are, but i am weary about one particular religion, namely Islam.

[Supah 0]

"Believing" has no place in science.

[Bordoy 0]

"Believing" has no place in science.

There's some people coming into my college who are going to discuss the relationships between science and religion.

[Colossus 2]

"Believing" has no place in science.

Hehe, well somebody said to me that science was a belief.

I would agree on that really since we (including me) believe so hard on science that science is the only true path to knowlage and understanding.

Science might not lead to every question in the universe but it has so far done pretty well compare to "other" religions.

Now, I'm not here to insult anyone here but thats what I believe

PS: This thread could be turning in to a BBQ so watch your fingers

[Supah 0]

"Believing" has no place in science.

Hehe, well somebody said to me that science was a belief.

I would agree on that really since we (including me) believe so hard on science that science is the only true path to knowlage and understanding.

Science might not lead to every question in the universe but it has so far done pretty well compare to "other" religions.

Now, I'm not here to insult anyone here but thats what I believe

PS: This thread could be turning in to a BBQ so watch your fingers

Yes religious people like to say that. Mainly science scares the shit out of them. Science is based on factual evidence. Believing isnt. Science is the only true path to knowledge and understanding because it does not rely on making things up, unlike religion. It searches for explanation for occurances and phenomenons based on fact and understanding the processes at work. People put faith in science to solve their problems. That doesnt make them "believers" or their actions any kind of religion. Again, there is no place for believing in science. If people want to replace the word god with the word "science" in their bible its up to them but high unscientific of them. Science will in the end answer all questions once we know enough facts. Wether we as a species will still be around then is another thing.

[Grim_Fandango 0]

Gay couples shouldn't be allowed to adopt imo. In todays society, a child would get called alot of names under the sun if he/she were a child of a gay couple.

I am not really to fussed what religion people are, but i am weary about one particular religion, namely Islam.

What if a kid's dad looks silly? What if the parents let the kid grow fat? What if the kid's parents have the "wrong" political conviction?

My point is just that once you start the discrimination train rolling, it's hard to know at which station it stops. Either way, I think history has shown that no matter what you do to stop "new" ideas like for example gay marriage, abortion, science, human rights, freedom (from the oppressive kings, priests/papacy), it will prevail in the end anyway, so why waste your breath?

Personally I think it's disgusting that we'd even think of discriminating a group in our population based on their sexuality. No more than 50 years ago it was "A-OK" to beat a person to death as long as he was black.

Anyway,

Personally I'm a devoted heathen or asetro as we call it. It's the fastest growing religion in Denmark (don't know about the rest of scandinavia) as I think many people find that it actually fits us a lot better as a people. I'm not gonna get into religion-bashing, but in all fairness the Bible originates from the middle-east, and in my oppinion fits very well with the principles people have always lived by down there, but it has no relevance for a people like the scandinavians.

The Edda basicly describes a way of life that isn't built on dogmatic principles or (in my oppinion) a bit pretentious moral concepts. Instead all it "preaches", if anything, is that you are 100% responsible for yourself and your surroundings. But the thing I like the best about it is that it's based on scandinavians as a people. We like to have fun, we like to do as we please (c'mon, you've seen the movies), and we can do a lot of stupid things, and that's okay according to the Edda.

Now, I know a lot of scandinavian heathens have a lot of different ideas, and just so as to not lock horns with any of them, my view of the Edda is not as a directly religious text, but more of a record of how our ancestors lived. The harmony with nature is pictured in the animal Gods and the way that the animals help the Gods and heroes described in the book. The humor is everywhere (does the bible have any jokes in it?), and I really like that everybody is free to do as they want, as long as they take responsibility for it. Also women are very esteemed in the Edda; they have their own representative Gods and important roles, which corresponds well with early scandinavian societies also having a lot of women in power as chieftains etc., and that sort of respect for people as individuals, for nature and for freedom is something I find very appealing, and havent been able to find in the Bible or any other socalled belief.

Glossary:

Asetro - The ancient Scandinavian heathen religion.

The Edda - Old icelandic texts written down from the songs of our bards as they were sung all over scandinavia untill Christianity arrived. (there are 2 different Eddas btw)

[breaker44 0]

I'm a Christian, and I am often and regularly offended by some of the stupendous comments made about my faith, through degenerative comments, avatars, sigs, and made-up "facts". But, since I don't change anybody's mind on anything else, I try to avoid the subject, because people just think me stupid for believing that I don't know everything.

-Breaker Out