Religion - What do you believe?

And He rewards those who seek Him earnestly because of His love not our works... faithful and just.

 

I second that amen!
God exists, How else can you explain everything? (without Evolution)

 

I haven't chosen a religion as of yet, but I do believe that God exists--you can believe in him and not worship him, right? If you can't, there's something wrong with the world.

 

Well, I've decided that I'm too young to properly choose a religion, so I don't think I'm agnostic--that means you believe that something exists up there, but you don't know what it is, right? At least, that's what my cousin said. She's agnostic.

 

actually twelve was often considered the time childhood ended... now days it seems to last to 32 or so {just being fecitious). It is about the time that we start to think for ourselves, tackling the bigger issues of life. worship doesn't necessarily have to happen within a dedicated building... but I think that belief is the beginning of worship.

 

WHAT IS AN AGNOSTIC?

Agnosticism is a concept, not a religion. It is a belief related to the existence or non-existence of God.
An agnostic is a person who feels that God's existence can neither be proved nor disproved, on the basis of current evidence. Agnostics note that some theologians and philosophers have tried to to prove, for millennia, that God exists. Others have attempted to prove that God does not exist. Agnostics feel that neither side has convincingly succeeded at their task.

An agnostic usually holds the question of the existence of God open, pending the arrival of more evidence. They are willing to change their belief if some solid evidence or logical proof is found in the future. However, some have taken the position that there is no logical way in which the existence or the non-existence of a deity can be proven.

 

And that is where the leap of faith comes in...

 

I believe in God, yes. I'm a Christian, yes. Have I gone to church lately? No... But does that make me a bad person? No. Sometimes it takes a while to find your niche, and you always have faith if you believe.

 

There's two religions I believe in:

Stergion's (did I spell that right?) Law, 90% of everything is crap. My second one is Gaming and Anime.

Oh my overlords, I shower you with gifts and my faith... I could be a Cristian, were it not that I have to leave my Sunday slumber... Buddism sounds good too. Not to offend anyone.

 

I'm not offended ... Buddhism has some good things to teach. Their rules are good ones to live by even if you don't embrace everything they have to say, and even if you practice a different religion as well. I think in some ways it's a more praticable religion than some brands of Christianity, because it doesn't ask you to deny your nature, just to try to improve upon it.

I can't say I'm actually agnostic, because I agree that you will never be able to prove or disprove that there's a god. So I'm not waiting for that. I believe that there is a force greater than ourselves, but I'm not sure that god really cares what religion you are ... there's a great song by Iris DeMent called "Let the Mystery Be" that pretty much sums up how I feel about the whole question. http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/dement-iris/let-the-mystery-be-11276.html. It may seem like a facetious song, but I think it's actually pretty heartfelt. We can't know for sure, despite what some people try to tell you.

I don't believe in sin, I don't think that god should come with a big bucket of guilt attached, and I don't agree with some Christians who feel that going to church every Sunday makes them a better person than I am, especially when those same people turn around and do things I would never do, like discriminate against others or cheat on their taxes. I think being a good person, Christian or otherwise, means living your life each day as you feel in your heart that you should.

I think, ultimately, that you need to live in a way that allows you to look at yourself in the mirror every day. I think faith plays a strong part in a lot of people's lives, and that it can be a good thing if practiced without hypocrisy. I have some very good friends who are Christian and Jewish, and I know some very nice Muslims as well. What makes me respect these people is that they practice what they preach. They are good people who try to live their lives honestly. Which is what I try to do as well.

We attend a Unitarian chuch because I feel my daughter needs some religious grounding in her life. I don't necessarily agree with everything they say, but I like that I am free to believe what I like with no guilty strings attached.

I think that being a good person who contributes positively to society is the most important thing.

 

Yes. I believe that there is a God.

 

That's so inspiring, SBW! You really made me think, which I don't do very often. One thing that I really hate is judging the people who worship different gods. Like if Israelians bombed USA, everyone would look at those from Israel as if they were murderers. They weren't the ones who bombed USA!

 

Don't sell yourself short, Sweetie. I've seen evidence of your gray cells rubbing together more than once.

And, I'm glad I made you think. I think I see where you were going with your analogy. I think a more immediate example is the crazy Muslim faction who bombed New York and London. They make some people hate all Muslims (I've encountered this myself) when really, hating all Muslims for a hateful act done by a rogue faction is like hating all Christians because the KKK calls themselves "Christian." We recognize that they do not practice anything like Christianity, and yet some people can't see that the same is true for Al Queda. (sp?)

Not saying that people on this site are guilty of that, mind you. I've just encountered more than my share of Minnesotans who are.

 

I am an Opptomistic Agnostic.

I believe that if God exists there are two possibilities.

1. God will reward me for being the best human being I can be. Therefore it behooves me to be good to people and do everything I can to improve myself and those around me.
2. God doesn't care what kind of person I am. In that case, it behooves me to be the best person I can be now, because anything after this created from such a God is gonna suck and this may be the best chance I get to be awesome.

If God does not exist, then I should be as good as I can, because this time is all I have. It's all anyone has, and knowing that the only correct way to act is in a manner that makes everyone happy (this is a fact made very clear by the morality of Simone Bouvier; if you haven't read her work, I recommend it).

I have seen too many people willing to make each other's lives miserable based on belief in God, or belief that God doesn't care, or belief that God isn't there. That is so small of them.

Lastly, I think pretending to know the mind of an infinite being based on a single finite text is an act of human hubris. The worst aspect of this singular hubris is the belief that an infinitely benevolent being has only enough love for people exactly like you (and by extension, no one else). If God created man in an act of love it seems a divine irony that ever since man has been finding excuses to limit that love.

 

There are more Muslims in Malasia, Indonesia, and the Phillopines than in the entire Middle East. Al Queda and their ilk are in the minority when it comes to the Muslim world.

 

I voted yes. I believe in a Supreme Being. I believe that this being is all powerful, and is a part of every single one of us and every other living thing on the planet. God is too awsome for us to understand. So, we try to get a grip on God by making religions and giving God names and being mad if someone else prays to a differnet God. I hate it when people of one religion (or one denomonation) believe that they are the only one's doing it "right", and they are the only ones going to Heaven. I'm really open minded about religions and different beliefsm within reason. I really enjoy reading the writings of Edgar Cayce and Sylvia Browne. Not sure if I believe it all or not, but I do beleive there's something there, something to spiritualism. I was raised Baptist, so I worship God.