[Dan_]

I'm agnostic.

There was a time, a while back when things were pretty crap in my life that I was atheist and just felt that whole concept was just a load of rubbish, mainly due to all the bad that goes on in the world.I was only young and didn't have much of a grasp on different beliefs.

As I've grown older, I've veered towards the view of agnosticism.I come from the standpoint of being an open agonstic.This basically means that I don't currently believe in any God(s) but I'm still not totally discounting the existence of God.I'm not going to believe unless I've got factual proof/experience of God.

[Scarlett.]

Originally posted by Stu

Well bye god it must be true then!

Its a well known fact that Catholics made it up to scare people into joining their religeon

[XxShortyxX]

Actually I do believe in something. I believe that when you like die, you come back as something else.

So what's one of them called?

[supernoodles!]

re-incarnation?
sorry i cant spell plus ive had a few lol

[XxShortyxX]

Originally posted by supernoodles!
re-incarnation?
sorry i cant spell plus ive had a few lol

Re-incarnation, yeah that's it I think that's how you spell it, oh I don't know, yeah that and all

[supernoodles!]

i hope i dont come back as a moth....ewww.

[XxShortyxX]

Ewww, knowing my luck I will come back as a tree, or a bench or something.

[supernoodles!]

a bench lol

[XxShortyxX]

I want to come back as erm, I don't know really, what is there? I could come back as a bird, and then cr*p on people I don't like, now that would be good

[Shaun]

Originally posted by Dan_
I'm agnostic.

There was a time, a while back when things were pretty c**p in my life that I was atheist and just felt that whole concept was just a load of rubbish, mainly due to all the bad that goes on in the world.I was only young and didn't have much of a grasp on different beliefs.

As I've grown older, I've veered towards the view of agnosticism.I come from the standpoint of being an open agonstic.This basically means that I don't currently believe in any God(s) but I'm still not totally discounting the existence of God.I'm not going to believe unless I've got factual proof/experience of God.

Pretty much ditto.

[supernoodles!]

I dont really want to come back as anyone or anything,i just want to be me

[XxShortyxX]

Yeah, jsut come back as yourself innit.

[supernoodles!]

so do yuo beleive that we`ve all been here before in a past life?

[XxShortyxX]

Yeah, and I don't believe you just die and that's it.

[supernoodles!]

i hope not,its a sad thought

[XxShortyxX]

Lol, well your dead, so it don't matter lol. Besides you have yearssssssss to go before that happens, unless you get by a bus tomorrow or something lol.

[supernoodles!]

ya never no do ya lol

[XxShortyxX]

Lol yep, not that I am wishing it on you or anything lol

[Dr43%er]

"YOU SHALL NOT WORSHIP ANY OTHER GOD BUT ME!"

So if they are God's words he is confirming there are other gods. Now if God made everything, why did he make other gods and then decide you can not worship them?

I think I have posted it here before but this song sums it up perfectly for me. I think it got banned for blasphemy reasons. That fact alone I find offensive. How can it be right that I can't hear something because of a faith I don't believe in?

XTC: Dear God.

Youtube video

[supernoodles!]

I dont understand why it had to banned,I mean if you agree with the lyrics of the song what is so wrong with that that and If you disagree,well so what theres alot of things i disagree with in the world but their still said and they still happen

[Stu]

Originally posted by Chewy

Its a well known fact that Catholics made it up to scare people into joining their religeon

No it is not.

You are aware that Catholicism is a mere branch of Christianity? That religion with the bible with the devil in it?

With Religion , nothing is fact , except the unknown. I am personaly open to learning about all Religions and have not yet picked a side in this great big battle of misguided stupidity but you can not say with confidence that the devil is 'made up'.

Besides , Hades , Satan , Lucifer , Big Red , whatever you like to call him , he does not exist JUST in Christianity.

[GiRTh]

I believe in God. I was bought up to be a Christian. In fact, I went to Sunday School till I was sixteen. I've kind of lost the faith since then but my family are still deeply religious. I'm not a christian anymore as I don't really like religion or people who are deeply religious. I believe in God but I don't believe in religion.

[Captain.Remy]

Message original : Stu
No it is not.

You are aware that Catholicism is a mere branch of Christianity? That religion with the bible with the devil in it?

With Religion , nothing is fact , except the unknown. I am personaly open to learning about all Religions and have not yet picked a side in this great big battle of misguided stupidity but you can not say with confidence that the devil is 'made up'.

Besides , Hades , Satan , Lucifer , Big Red , whatever you like to call him , he does not exist JUST in Christianity.

Thank you for defending what I'm trusting about. I really can't stand those accusations about a religion. This is not nice to hear and more, this is very wrong !

[Retroman]

It really frustrates me as to a lack of points when arguing gods existance sometimes...

It's almost as though people just choose to randomly believe something on a whim.

Eg. Someone believes in reincarnation, then you ask them why? and it seems to be a case of "I just do"

I don't see how people can conform their beliefs to something so specific without decent reasons to back it up.

And when they do try to explain things further, it's usually something along the lines of "it makes me a better person, it makes me happier, it does this or that for me, it adds a greater sense of meaning to life and stops me feeling insignificant" which backs up my previous point in my last post.

Originally posted by Ash
According to other religious documents, God stated that He would send the last messenger to Earth around 1,500 years back, which is a plausible explanation if you choose to believe it.

That just creates even further doubt in my mind, that a god would confirm times/dates/years that he will allow his own personal messengers to grace the earth and then announce a time he'll make it all stop and not allow any messenger to visit the planet for all eternity.

Where's the logic in that? From a practical point of view, a messenger every 500 years would be worthwhile? someone to restore faith, solve problems and help the world for some time.

Actually, why even make it every 500 years? if he has the power to put people on this planet who can help, why not make it permanent? Why restrict something so beneficial?

And before you say he's leaving us to find our own way, then why go against that all those years ago? He's obviously willing to help us out, but chose not to bother anymore.

Or rather "help in ways not visible" which is again, very conveniant how god transferred his methods from full on noticable, to not remotely recognisable.

Not to mention that announcing an end to his messengers visiting earth doesn't explain his lack of direct activity/display of power etc.

Originally posted by Ash
To be honest, whilst some people in this thread will probably find it shocking how someone can believe in God, I find it equally if not more shocking how someone cannot.

Unless you can provide substantial reasons as to why it should be so easy to believe in god, then I can't see why you're so shocked.

Im not asking you to "preach" or tell everyone why they should be religious, but I think it's too appropriate that pretty much every religious person decides not to "force their beliefs" on people when it comes to explaining themselves properly.

Originally posted by Ash
Going back to believing in God, I think it’s a bit of a generalisation for anyone to think or suggest that people who believe in God fear death, are insecure or lacking something. There is no need to fear death if you are comfortable within yourself and how you live your life. Furthermore, many happy families as well as happy people in general choose to believe in God, perhaps simply because they think it makes sense, or makes them better people.

Well my point is for the fact that I personally think that all those "happy" families are suffering from some kind of issue not apparent to the rest of us. And those secure with the fact they will die, have one of the other reasons I listed to believe in god.

Of course this point can be argued again and again, since i'll never know the inner thoughts, feelings, past occurances and so on...of every single religious person on the planet.

But I still believe they all have some self benefitting reason to believe.

As for them thinking it'll make them better people, that backs up what ive been saying.

And I don't see how people can choose to believe religion based on it "making sense" as I don't see how anyone can be told "A being with unfathomable power created everything" to which they'd think "Oh yes! that makes perfect sense...completely understandable. No arguing against that."

There's no sense in religion, none what so ever.
If there was any sense in religion, anything that made anyone think "ah ok, that must be true." then religion would be leaning far more towards fact, than belief.

Originally posted by Ash
We could question why in fact there is right and wrong, because science alone cannot explain it. Humans have been given the chance to have free will, in which they can accept good/bad ways of life, unlike any other creature; evolution does not explain why it has come about. Going back to Heaven/Hell, if there is good and bad/right and wrong, then it would make sense for there to be an ultimate right and an ultimate wrong.

Everything has free will, but it's only humankind who has the brain power to make rules and judgements on what is right, and what is wrong.

That's the reason religion exists only for us, and no other lifeforms.

But who's to decide what is right and wrong?

If we take away the laws, and what we're told to think...
Is murder wrong? is stealing wrong? or is it just the law, society, and passed down morals from family/friends that make us think that way?

We murder other lifeforms every single day.
Im sure 100% of people reading this are guilty of killing something themselves, whether it be an insect/animal/pet or consuming something that was killed.

Yet it's all fine, legal and accepted, because it's for the benefit of humankind.

Humans are just selfish and decide that anything that could possibly harm them, is wrong...everything that can benefit them is right.

Eg. Murder/stealing is wrong because it can cause us problems.

Baking your nextdoor neighbours cookies and donating to charity is right, because it helps them, as well as help you feel better about yourself for performing good deeds.

It's nothing to do with the ability to distinguish what is right/wrong being bestowed upon us by a higher being.

It's just plain selfishness.
Just my opinion of course.

P.S Im glad you agree Dupin. And I never thought of that strangely enough Dr43%er , but a well made point.

[Bells]

Well, for me personally, I've already stated I don't agree with religion. I just believe that there is a God. Otherwise, your points are well argued against some of mine (because I did make a pretty long post), but it's one of those issues where I can't change or respond to what I've said without repeating myself. It's all based on perception: whether you think there is enough evidence out there to allow you to believe in a God (as I described): I do, whereas others don't... but that's up to them entirely.