A thread like this may already have been made...but I don't see it so I thought I'd make one. Just a simple question...what is your religion? And why so?
Also..please try to keep arguments very limited. I'm not looking to start flame wars here..I am just interested in hearing about why people believe in what they do.
My religion is Agnostic Theism...which means I believe there is a Superior being...I just admit that I do not know what it is.
My reason for being Agnostic Theistic is because I do believe there is something larger than us basically running things (whether it be Karma, Iahova, Multiple gods, etc), but I really can't bring myself to declare that a certain being is "The One".
Also, I believe that whatever it is watching over things really, in the grand scheme of things, wants us to just be good people, instead of follow specific guidelines (Like the Bible, Quran, etc). I like to believe that as long as you are a generally good person then you will have a good afterlife (no matter what religion you believe in or what god you pray to), unlike believing you HAVE to be this good or you HAVE to only listen to us.
I like to believe that as long as you are a generally good person then you will have a good afterlife (no matter what religion you believe in or what god you pray to), unlike believing you HAVE to be this good or you HAVE to only listen to us.
No guidelines, ok. But you still think there's a conditional 'good' and 'bad' which will separate people in 'good' and 'bad' afterlives on the whim of said entity.
Why not an entity that wants people to be good, but still reserves the same afterlife to everyone, if it reserves an afterlife at all? Or an entity that doesn't really care?
Why not an entity that wants people to be good, but still reserves the same afterlife to everyone, if it reserves an afterlife at all? Or an entity that doesn't really care?
For me...I prefer to keep the belief of a good afterlife for the good and a bad afterlife for the bad, to keep people from just being general ******** and then getting rewarded.
Now I believe I should explain a bit more on the details of what I believe, as so I can pre-answer any questions that may arise. I personally prefer to believe that there is a good afterlife (for the good) and a bad afterlife (for the bad), for the same reasons as other religions (so that people have more of a reason to be a better person). I also believe, however, that time spent in the "bad" afterlife is not permanent. What I mean by this is that I personally believe that the time a person spends in the bad afterlife reflects what they did to go there in the first place. So doing one thing makes you spend so many years in it...while another could make you spend more or less
What I meant was, why should the afterlife be good or bad, when you can have a single afterlife that, well, just is. That way the 'bad' don't get rewarded and the 'good' don't appear hypocritic. Something like what the ancient Greeks called Hades, not unlike the modern popular notion of limbo I guess. Sure they had Tartarus but that is reserved for those who offended the gods^^...
Personally I don't possess a belief in any deity, afterlife or souls. That doesn't hinder me from being what I consider reasonably 'good', and it seems to me that feeling of good and bad is what you personalize into an entity, although it comes from you (just a remark, no attack or offense meant).
But it's always nice to see people who don't discriminate others only because their prayers sounds different
For me...I prefer to keep the belief of a good afterlife for the good and a bad afterlife for the bad, to keep people from just being general ******** and then getting rewarded.
Now I believe I should explain a bit more on the details of what I believe, as so I can pre-answer any questions that may arise. I personally prefer to believe that there is a good afterlife (for the good) and a bad afterlife (for the bad), for the same reasons as other religions (so that people have more of a reason to be a better person). I also believe, however, that time spent in the "bad" afterlife is not permanent. What I mean by this is that I personally believe that the time a person spends in the bad afterlife reflects what they did to go there in the first place. So doing one thing makes you spend so many years in it...while another could make you spend more or less
And you base that on what exactly? Did you just make it up because you want a carrot and stick? What makes you think that is correct?
Agnostic-theist, I suppose. I don't follow any religion, but I believe that there may be a higher power. I don't agree with most religions - their traditions and such, but I won't condemn them for what they do. I just don't perceive god how they do.
And you base that on what exactly? Did you just make it up because you want a carrot and stick? What makes you think that is correct?
I'm not claiming what I believe is correct. It is just what I prefer to believe. I'm not claiming that what I believe should be believed by others, it is just something I personally prefer to believe.
Also, I believe that whatever it is watching over things really, in the grand scheme of things, wants us to just be good people, instead of follow specific guidelines (Like the Bible, Quran, etc).
First off how is good and bad being determined?
Secondly let's put this into perspective. There is a estimated 500 billion galaxies out there in the universe (that's 500,000,000,000). There is an estimated 200-400 billion stars in our galaxy alone. Just for estimates sake let's say on average we have 300 billion per galaxy. That gives us an estimated 1.500000E+23 stars. Now let's say our 8 planet system is prototypical, a good estimate for the number of planets per star. This gives us 1.200000E+24 planets in the universe. These numbers become even more insignificant when taking into account that all of this matter/energy making up these galaxies and interstellar gases constitutes about 4% of the universe. To look at it another way there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on this entire planet. What you are believing is that the whatever that made all this cares about how one of millions of organisms living on a speck of a speck of material that makes of a fraction of everything in all behaves.
I'm not claiming what I believe is correct. It is just what I prefer to believe.
Catholic: I believe that God is real and that sinners go to hell. But I do not believe that you can go to Heaven by just saying "Jesus, I accept you as my lord and savior" and no matter what I will go to Heaven, even if I am a serial killer who isn't sorry. But that is what the Protestants believe. I believe that you have to be sorry for the sins you committed and try to make up for them.
p.s. I am glad that there are more people speaking there religion than just atheists and Christians.
