Are you of a religion or not and how do you use it towards others in life
- Thread starter Ruthanne
- Start date
Falcon
DV8
- Location
- So. California
Atheist. I believe it was Lenin who said that "God" didn't make "man" , Man made "God", and I tend to agree with that premise.
However, If a belief in "God" gives a person comfort then that is a good thing.
If you do, would you describe God to me.
However, If a belief in "God" gives a person comfort then that is a good thing.
If you do, would you describe God to me.
I believe I was born into Christianity. My parents weren’t the least bit religious but forced us to go to Sunday School.
I enjoyed the singing parts. Once I got older I realized that I outgrew my religion as it no longer fit into my current beliefs.
I had certain life experiences that proved otherwise. If I were to pick a religion I can relate to the most it would be Buddhism.
This might rub some the wrong way but I think that religion is the worst thing that ever happened to God.
To me, all religion seems to divide and conquer people and I think we are divided enough in our beliefs.
While I don’t faithfully practice any certain religion, my faith in the power of God or our creator is strong.
I am inspired by Wayne Dyer, Depak Chopra, Louise Hay, Marianne Williamson, etc.,
How do I use this to get along with others?
Since I’m not so strongly attached to one religion I find I am more open and respectful of others right to believe whatever they wish as long as it isn’t hurting others. It makes me more tolerant of others which I view as a STRENGTH not a weakness.
I enjoyed the singing parts. Once I got older I realized that I outgrew my religion as it no longer fit into my current beliefs.
I had certain life experiences that proved otherwise. If I were to pick a religion I can relate to the most it would be Buddhism.
This might rub some the wrong way but I think that religion is the worst thing that ever happened to God.
To me, all religion seems to divide and conquer people and I think we are divided enough in our beliefs.
While I don’t faithfully practice any certain religion, my faith in the power of God or our creator is strong.
I am inspired by Wayne Dyer, Depak Chopra, Louise Hay, Marianne Williamson, etc.,
How do I use this to get along with others?
Since I’m not so strongly attached to one religion I find I am more open and respectful of others right to believe whatever they wish as long as it isn’t hurting others. It makes me more tolerant of others which I view as a STRENGTH not a weakness.
Last edited:
Roadwarrior
Member
Atheist, raised 'mormon' broke away from the cult in my 50's, Read all I could came to disbelieve in any organized religion, I'm with Falcon, man made god.
Happyflowerlady
Vagabond Flowerchild
- Location
- Northern Alabama
[FONT="]I was raised in a Pentecostal church as a child, became a Mormon when I grew up, left that church when I found some of their teachings that I didn’t think were right.
Then, I went back to another Pentecostal church for many years, but I do not totally fit there either. After that, I have gone to several churches, but never actually became a member anywhere.
I believe the Bible to be the literal word of God , and believe in a divine creation, rather than in evolution .[/FONT]
[FONT="]I am now studying some of the writings and interesting theories on the webpage of Rob Skiba, a Christian author who specializes in End Times study, as well as the Genesis Creation .[/FONT]
[FONT="]His webpage is [/FONT]www.testingtheglobe.com[FONT="] .
I think that Keesha is probably right in her belief that organized religion has done a lot to harm people’s belief in God, and Christians (as a rule) are as judgemental as any other religion.
I believe that this earth was created , and that means there is a creator, or creators; but I think we really do not understand a lot of what is being told to us in the Bible or explained in churches.
As far as it relating to my life and relationship with other people; I think that I should do my best to be kind to each person, know that none of us is perfect, and the Bible tells me that I should be forgiving and not judgmental.
[/FONT]
Then, I went back to another Pentecostal church for many years, but I do not totally fit there either. After that, I have gone to several churches, but never actually became a member anywhere.
I believe the Bible to be the literal word of God , and believe in a divine creation, rather than in evolution .[/FONT]
[FONT="]I am now studying some of the writings and interesting theories on the webpage of Rob Skiba, a Christian author who specializes in End Times study, as well as the Genesis Creation .[/FONT]
[FONT="]His webpage is [/FONT]www.testingtheglobe.com[FONT="] .
I think that Keesha is probably right in her belief that organized religion has done a lot to harm people’s belief in God, and Christians (as a rule) are as judgemental as any other religion.
I believe that this earth was created , and that means there is a creator, or creators; but I think we really do not understand a lot of what is being told to us in the Bible or explained in churches.
As far as it relating to my life and relationship with other people; I think that I should do my best to be kind to each person, know that none of us is perfect, and the Bible tells me that I should be forgiving and not judgmental.
[/FONT]
Dragonlady
Member
- Location
- Vancouver, Wa.
and man. Too often religion has proved to be the ultimate evil in many cultures. My mantra is "live and let live"
jujube
SF VIP
I consider myself a "Christian at Large". Raised in a very Protestant Christian, but not repressive, household, I stopped going to church when I left home. I married a lapsed Catholic who had spent eight years with the Benedictines, but left the church after he left the seminary before his final vows.
I go to church when I visit my mother. It makes her happy and I like to make my mother happy.
I guess my "religion" is The Golden Rule: "do under others as you would have them do unto you". I can't say I'm 100% faithful to that, but I try, I really try.
When I do set foot in a house of faith, I try to be respectful and reverent. I'm comfortable in a Protestant church, a Catholic cathedral, a Hindu temple, a Buddhist shrine, a synagogue or a mosque.
Do I believe in a Higher Power? I don't know..... But I don't not believe, either.
I go to church when I visit my mother. It makes her happy and I like to make my mother happy.
I guess my "religion" is The Golden Rule: "do under others as you would have them do unto you". I can't say I'm 100% faithful to that, but I try, I really try.
When I do set foot in a house of faith, I try to be respectful and reverent. I'm comfortable in a Protestant church, a Catholic cathedral, a Hindu temple, a Buddhist shrine, a synagogue or a mosque.
Do I believe in a Higher Power? I don't know..... But I don't not believe, either.
C'est Moi
Dishin' it out.
- Location
- Houston Y'all
Agnostic here. I have spent my life searching for answers; organized religion "ain't it." Sadly, many of the professed Christians I know are the biggest hypocrites.
Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
I was born into a nominally Christian monoculture - Australia in the 1940s. Like most children I was sent to Sunday School, even though our household did not attend church, say grace, pray or read the bible. At school I attended weekly Scripture classes conducted by visiting clergy. I picked up a smattering of various denominations - Baptist Sunday School, Methodist and Anglican scripture lessons. I also belonged to a Physical Culture class run by the Baptists and attended an annual church parade. I was baptised Methodist but was not connected to a congregation.
In my teens I became besotted with science, in particular astronomy and chemistry. I also started to skip scripture for extra time in the lab conducting chemistry experiments and for the preparation of various compounds. By the time I left school and started university, I, like Lenin, had decided that God was a human construct. I became an atheist but suffered no moral decline as a result.
We married in a chapel for the sake of our parents and I had both children baptised in a Methodist church for the same reason. Then life threw a few curve balls in my direction and caught me unawares.
My father died suddenly one night when I was 25 years old. I had never attended a funeral before and I was shattered. My grief was intense and long lasting. Next my younger sister lost her first baby as a still birth at 30 weeks. I discovered that I had no words of comfort that I could offer her. I was both numb and dumb. She fell pregnant again and at 28 weeks she again went into labour and gave birth to a very tiny little girl, who had only a slim chance of survival. A priest came to the hospital and baptised her in the humicrib. I heard that the students at a local catholic girls school were praying for the baby and I was warmed and comforted because I was unable to pray to a god I didn't believe in. My niece survived although she stopped breathing and had to be revived three times.
Several years later, I was in the bad books of the headmistress at the school where I was teaching. I resigned and applied for a position at the same local catholic girls school. I should never have gotten the job but they took me on. For the first year I was there I kept silent about the secret knowledge that I carried - that God didn't exist and that everyone at the school was deluded. However, something within me was stirring. When the school came together for mass or some other liturgy the hymn singing always brought a lump in my throat and I had to fight off tears. In part it was the beauty of the music but it was also a longing to belong.
At the end of my first year at the school I was asked to head the Maths department and part way through the second year I was appointed Deputy Principal. I should never have even been employed at the school, let alone made 2IC. Talk about God working in mysterious ways.
It was in this second year that I had a very strange experience while attending an inservice course on the subject of pastoral care. It was not faith based and was intended for school counsellors, all of whom were university trained in psychology. I was the sole ingénue who knew nothing and we were sequestered for 5 days in small groups in motel rooms with periodic plenary sessions where we took part in various activities that could be used in the school situation. It was during one of these sessions that something very strange happened and made me question whether the God that I was denying was perhaps a lot more real than I had imagined. I won't go into details because it takes too long to explain all that happened, but basically I received an invitation that I was 100% free to reject.
I accepted the offer and that was the day I entered into relationship with my Creator.
I did not join a church. I wanted no part of the Catholic church because it was much too authoritarian for my liking. Priests in those days wielded all of the power and a proud feminist like me wasn't having any of that, thank you very much. It took a full two years before I ventured inside a local church near our house. It had age care units and a child care centre on its block of land and seemed to be community minded. The church building was a modest multi purpose hall and one of the ministers was a woman, the first to be ordained in that denomination. She was rather crippled and unmarried but she had the most beautiful speaking and singing voice. For the first time in my life I listened to every word of the sermons and gradually settled in and became part of the community. I grew in service and understanding of the message of Christ and became an elder serving on the church council. I have been part of this community now for 40 years and have known many beautiful souls as my friends. Sadly, many of them have now passed, and tomorrow we will be celebrating the life of another wonderful woman who died just last week. When my time comes, I want my funeral service to be held in this church building with all of the familiar songs and ritual that I have come to love.
The denomination is the Uniting Church in Australia and it is a union of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregation traditions that was finalised in 1977. It is a non conformist Christian church where social justice is as important as charity and women are as important and as powerful as men. Lay and ordained members together form the various councils that govern church life and organisations and all office bearers are elected for fixed terms.
I am a new creation, beginning on the day I said yes to the god I had no idea existed and since that day I have never felt despair, loneliness or fear. If I am deluded and it has all been a dream, may I never wake up. I don't care whether there is a heaven or hell, or whether Jesus was human and not divine. I do believe that the path I have been following is the key to experiencing life in all its fullness because I have found it so. I will never recant my faith.
In my teens I became besotted with science, in particular astronomy and chemistry. I also started to skip scripture for extra time in the lab conducting chemistry experiments and for the preparation of various compounds. By the time I left school and started university, I, like Lenin, had decided that God was a human construct. I became an atheist but suffered no moral decline as a result.
We married in a chapel for the sake of our parents and I had both children baptised in a Methodist church for the same reason. Then life threw a few curve balls in my direction and caught me unawares.
My father died suddenly one night when I was 25 years old. I had never attended a funeral before and I was shattered. My grief was intense and long lasting. Next my younger sister lost her first baby as a still birth at 30 weeks. I discovered that I had no words of comfort that I could offer her. I was both numb and dumb. She fell pregnant again and at 28 weeks she again went into labour and gave birth to a very tiny little girl, who had only a slim chance of survival. A priest came to the hospital and baptised her in the humicrib. I heard that the students at a local catholic girls school were praying for the baby and I was warmed and comforted because I was unable to pray to a god I didn't believe in. My niece survived although she stopped breathing and had to be revived three times.
Several years later, I was in the bad books of the headmistress at the school where I was teaching. I resigned and applied for a position at the same local catholic girls school. I should never have gotten the job but they took me on. For the first year I was there I kept silent about the secret knowledge that I carried - that God didn't exist and that everyone at the school was deluded. However, something within me was stirring. When the school came together for mass or some other liturgy the hymn singing always brought a lump in my throat and I had to fight off tears. In part it was the beauty of the music but it was also a longing to belong.
At the end of my first year at the school I was asked to head the Maths department and part way through the second year I was appointed Deputy Principal. I should never have even been employed at the school, let alone made 2IC. Talk about God working in mysterious ways.
It was in this second year that I had a very strange experience while attending an inservice course on the subject of pastoral care. It was not faith based and was intended for school counsellors, all of whom were university trained in psychology. I was the sole ingénue who knew nothing and we were sequestered for 5 days in small groups in motel rooms with periodic plenary sessions where we took part in various activities that could be used in the school situation. It was during one of these sessions that something very strange happened and made me question whether the God that I was denying was perhaps a lot more real than I had imagined. I won't go into details because it takes too long to explain all that happened, but basically I received an invitation that I was 100% free to reject.
I accepted the offer and that was the day I entered into relationship with my Creator.
I did not join a church. I wanted no part of the Catholic church because it was much too authoritarian for my liking. Priests in those days wielded all of the power and a proud feminist like me wasn't having any of that, thank you very much. It took a full two years before I ventured inside a local church near our house. It had age care units and a child care centre on its block of land and seemed to be community minded. The church building was a modest multi purpose hall and one of the ministers was a woman, the first to be ordained in that denomination. She was rather crippled and unmarried but she had the most beautiful speaking and singing voice. For the first time in my life I listened to every word of the sermons and gradually settled in and became part of the community. I grew in service and understanding of the message of Christ and became an elder serving on the church council. I have been part of this community now for 40 years and have known many beautiful souls as my friends. Sadly, many of them have now passed, and tomorrow we will be celebrating the life of another wonderful woman who died just last week. When my time comes, I want my funeral service to be held in this church building with all of the familiar songs and ritual that I have come to love.
The denomination is the Uniting Church in Australia and it is a union of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregation traditions that was finalised in 1977. It is a non conformist Christian church where social justice is as important as charity and women are as important and as powerful as men. Lay and ordained members together form the various councils that govern church life and organisations and all office bearers are elected for fixed terms.
I am a new creation, beginning on the day I said yes to the god I had no idea existed and since that day I have never felt despair, loneliness or fear. If I am deluded and it has all been a dream, may I never wake up. I don't care whether there is a heaven or hell, or whether Jesus was human and not divine. I do believe that the path I have been following is the key to experiencing life in all its fullness because I have found it so. I will never recant my faith.
This is an understatement if there ever was one. :darth:
Linda
Senior Member
- Location
- Central California foothills
I stay away from churches and any overly religious folk I might happen upon. I did spend about 32 years caught up in a domineering church which I later realized was nothing but a crazy cult.
rgp
Well-known Member
- Location
- Milford,OH
Well...
I'll have to disagree with some of you. Yes, there are hypocrites, but there are also hypocritical non-believers. (who know the truth but won't admit it)
Yes, some are in our churches, but most are not, at least the ones I know. They are sincere, down to earth, and seeking humbly to walk with God.
We make mistakes, yet the difference is that we are forgiven. We sin, we fall astray at time, but the Bible says that we can repent, keep a penitent and contrite heart and the blood of Christ can purify us from all unrighteousness. That's good to know and to exercise.
I'm thankful that I can sing this song. (praise God!).....
Long ago (down on my knees).... Long ago (I settled it all).... Yes the old account was settled long ago (hallelujah)....
And the record’s clear today.... For He washed my sins away.... When the old account was settled long ago.
Amen
(if you haven't settled the debt, you can do it and lift the burden from your soul)
I'll have to disagree with some of you. Yes, there are hypocrites, but there are also hypocritical non-believers. (who know the truth but won't admit it)
Yes, some are in our churches, but most are not, at least the ones I know. They are sincere, down to earth, and seeking humbly to walk with God.
We make mistakes, yet the difference is that we are forgiven. We sin, we fall astray at time, but the Bible says that we can repent, keep a penitent and contrite heart and the blood of Christ can purify us from all unrighteousness. That's good to know and to exercise.
I'm thankful that I can sing this song. (praise God!).....
Long ago (down on my knees).... Long ago (I settled it all).... Yes the old account was settled long ago (hallelujah)....
And the record’s clear today.... For He washed my sins away.... When the old account was settled long ago.
Amen
(if you haven't settled the debt, you can do it and lift the burden from your soul)
rgp
Well-known Member
- Location
- Milford,OH
In response to your first sentence........
"but there are also hypocritical non-believers. (who know the truth but won't admit it)"
If they do not believe ? then there is only one 'truth' to admit too...that being that they do not believe.
"but there are also hypocritical non-believers. (who know the truth but won't admit it)"
If they do not believe ? then there is only one 'truth' to admit too...that being that they do not believe.
ClassicRockr
Well-known Member
We are both Christians and really try to honor our God. Wife has her Bible and I have a Men's Bible. We don't go to church on Sunday like we use to, because we never found a church here that we really liked. On wife watches John Hagee, televised church, on Sunday morning on her laptop. Him and his son, can be really "hard nosed" about what is suppose to be and not suppose to be accepted in the Christian religion. We both like them. I also like watching Joyce Meyers on tv.
We say a prayer each night before eating, unless we are at a restaurant. We just don't feel comfortable saying a prayer there.
I was a Christian when I met my wife, but she helped me a lot to become a better Christian. And, we are both proud of that.
We say a prayer each night before eating, unless we are at a restaurant. We just don't feel comfortable saying a prayer there.
I was a Christian when I met my wife, but she helped me a lot to become a better Christian. And, we are both proud of that.
That is great Rocker, I'm happy for you, and hope that continues. I have watched Rev. Hagee and Joyce Meyers, and others such as Dr. Youssef out of Atlanta. They have wonderful ministries, and I also love Dr. Stanley (a great Baptist church where I have visited before)
I'm just living my life and don't care to attend any religious institution. These days some clueless people think that leaves an opening for them to "convert" me. But it doesn't work like that. The only person who can make such a decision is me, and I resent those who try to force me into something. What I see of the "religious" people I know now doesn't exactly inspire any confidence in any "religion". It's getting kind of radical out there. I remember my parents. They had their beliefs and didn't get all weird like I see in people nowadays. I'm so tired of the weirdness...no thanks.
Lon
Well-known Member
- Location
- Central California
I am a NON MILITANT ATHEIST and have no problem getting along with others.
Capt Lightning
Well-known Member
- Location
- Historic Buchan, Scotland
I was brought up in a strictly Presbyterian household. My parents dragged me to church every Sunday, made me go to Bible class etc.. , but could never answer simple questions that I would ask about religion, God etc.. Why does this happen ? - oh, that's just God's way. But why does this 'God' allow these things to happen - on that's just God's way... The less answers I got, the more questions I asked, and in the end, came to the conclusion that nobody knew the answers. This 'God' was just the default answer for things that you didn't (or couldn't) know. So, I'm an Atheist. I still don't know the answer to life, the universe and everything (unless it's 42), but I'm happy to live the best life I can, confident that death is the END.
C'est Moi
Dishin' it out.
- Location
- Houston Y'all
OK, I have to ask... exactly what is a "men's bible?"
ClassicRockr
Well-known Member
The title on the front is Men's Devotional Bible......Classic Edition
Basically, it's about men and Christianity. How to handle family the Christian way. The Devotionals are highly interesting. My wife bought this for me for my birthday in 2012 at a Christian Book Store.
I'm sure someone, male or female Christian, can give a better description of this Bible.
CeeCee
Well-known Member
- Location
- Monterey Peninsula California
This is how I am exactly!
ClassicRockr
Well-known Member
Wife and I both believe that when we die, we will meet Jesus and be accepted into Heaven with God.
It's just a movie, but Left Behind with Nicolas Cage can give an idea what will happen when Armageddon happens and Christians are saved from the disaster.
It's just a movie, but Left Behind with Nicolas Cage can give an idea what will happen when Armageddon happens and Christians are saved from the disaster.