What do you beleive in and why?

[Massacre]

No flaming here fellas. We all have our own beleifs and we should all respect one anothers. I thought this would be an interesting little discussion where we can all get to know each other a little more as far as our beliefs in religion are concerned.

I'll begin. I used to beleive in God. I grew up and I don't anymore. I beleive Jesus walked the earth... was he God's "SON." Arn't we all? What made Jesus so special? The truth is that there was more then one man(Jesus) claming to be the Messiah around that time.

Either way, I don't beleive in Heaven/Hell. I think people just need something to beleive in so that they feel comfortable within themselves. Sort of like a crutch.

Ever since I stopped depending on god my life has been better because I took total control. I could be right, I could be wrong but it is what I beleive.

Can't wait to here all of yours!

[DanSteelMan]

Massacre, I think almost the same way as you...but with some difference's, or these could be things you beleive as well:

1. Jesus was no messiah. In the origam testement, there was a man who went through the desert with 40 camels bearing cannabis. There was no burning bush, Dude was tripping.

2. Heaven/HELL is only what you make of your time here on earth, nothing more.

3. Religion/the bible is nothing more than a VERY strong, powerful, and effective method of controlling weak minded individiuals.

4. organized religion has turned in to the biggest "tax free" scam in the world

5. Religion is the cause of more deaths in history. People go to war in the name of "their" lord. Anytime a bunch of holy people want to get together and kill each other, IM A HAPPY GUY.

6. People are brainwashed from birth to beleive in some spooky charater in the sky, who created EVERYTHING....BUT, he always needs....MONEY! MORE MONEY!!

7. Religion is the most hypocritical organization do date.

8. Most people just go to church to make themselves like they are doing something good with their life. And to compare clothing.

9. The "10" commandments can be knocked down to about 3 and still be as effective. They make no sense and are not smart. Thou shall not covet thy neighbors goods....REALLY? I thought thats what kept the fuck economy rolling! Wanting what everyone else has

10. The bible doesnt answer any questions with facts, Just more questions.



This list will be updated as I think fo more things. Its 7:00 AM and I havent slept yet

[The Anonymizer]

I'm pretty much the opposite. I didn't grow up in a religious household at all. My parents weren't atheist by any means, they just never instilled religion in us kids. I went back and forth throughout my highschool years debating in my mind if there was a God or not. I considered myself a Christian at that age, mostly because it was trendy in a way. I spent a few years in college....then got mixed up in a really bad crowd. I got into the drug world pretty bad (no, not AAS) and did alot of things I wish I could take back, or at least forget. At this time in my life I told people I did not believe in God at all and that Jesus was just a man. However, one day I just woke up...sat up in bed...and realized I was wrong. All the bad things I did in my life that never bothered me before, all of a sudden really bothered me. Some people may say it was just guilt catching up to me...or that I grew a conscience, and maybe thats the case. But in my opinion having a conscience is the every day proof that we are created in the image of something much greater and much better that ourselves. As humans we indulge, we sin, we're selfish, we lie and deceive....but we also know deep down that those things are wrong and its like a constant reminder from our creator that there is a better way to live. Now I admit, i still do alot of these things, including using steroids. I know God does not approve of it and by me doing it anyway I'm saying "I don't need you to show me the way, I can find it on my own". But I also know that I do this because I was created to be a sinner like all people, and I have faith that my creator forgives me for my ignorance and will one day tell me that my faith in him is what has allowed me to see him. On the topic of faith....I like to have control over my life as well, but every now and then I come to a major decision or crossroad in my life and I don't know which way is the best way for me to go. So i just have faith, leave it completely to God's hands, and its a level of control like no other. Its like driving the curviest, most winding road and gripping the steering wheel real tight as the only way to keep control of the car....then the gas pedal sticks and you know that no matter how hard you grip that wheel you won't be able to control the car and you will most definitely crash. God says "take your hands off the wheel and let me steer?" even though you can't see him there in the car. So what do you do? Keep gripping the wheel tighter anyway??? Every time I chose to keep gripping the wheel I crashed....but when I decided to take my hands off, thats when the gas pedal came unstuck.

Just my analogy.

[The Anonymizer]

humans always try to relate to God in a human sense. organized religion is very hypocritical because most people cannot comprehend values greater than this earth. the problem is everyone wants a reward....even when doing the right thing people want to be praised, or noticed by God for doing the right thing, or even have a feeling of pride because they did something good.

heres something to make your brain hurt:

imagine living your life as good as possible only to one day find yourself sitting infront of God, and on one side of you is a murderer and on the other side of you is an adulterer....and God treats you all as equals. self sacrifice with no possible reward may be the true test of faith. Jesus was the only person in history to ever fit this description. to actually write a fictional story that complex is beyond the comprehension of even some of the most intelligent writers of today....with the evolution of intelligence in the past 2,000 years it seems almost absurd to think a person back in the year 180 AD could have written something purely fictional like that.

[The Anonymizer]

however, i do not believe everything that supposedly happened in the Catholic Bible.

[DanSteelMan]

I was in a severe bike wreck...After which, I became VERY spiritual and KNEW there was "higher" power...I honestly believe that IT WAS RELIGION that misinterpreted the bible...have you heard of Galileo? http://www.novan.com/galileo.htm Read that...True story...I have ALWAYS been against Catholisism...My Ansestor's from Ireland moved to the USA to get away from the Roman Cathlics in Southern Ireland,,,

Here are reasons why I THINK/KNOW that there is a higher calling and power, just not the bible

1. 13 days before my wreck, I met my wife for the first time. 6 days after she arrived, she started having seizures VERY badly. I went to work and came back...she was like a zombie. Doing stupid shit like hitting on my twin brother, crashing to sleep all over the house, taking her clothes off, and pissing in the shower. I was freaked to say the least. My twin told me to get her out of the house because she was a freak and started throwing her shit out the front door. I then decided to take her to the hospital. The hospital did scans on her and found a cyst in ehr brain the size of a grapefruit. If she hadnt gotten to the hospital within 45 mins of the time she got there, she would be dead from seizing to death. I saved her life, which made me a god in the eyes of my in laws. THE REAL KICKER is that if she hadnt come to meet me, she would have been home for 2 days as her son went to stay with other family members. She would have been alone, and died alone.

2. around 6 days after she came out of hospital, I had my severe bike wreck on my way home from the gym at 12:00 AM. 70 MPH, No helmet....crushed my ribs, and my spine. Didnt fracture my skull except a hirline fracture. weird huh? It gets better: I had a DNR on file with hospital (Do Not ressisitate) and they did NOT abide by it. They thought I would be a vegetable or be like a 6 year old for the rest of my life. I even had the DNR in my medical records when I get my records (I wrecked when I was 21, put the DNR on file when my grandfather was placed in hostial with luekemia and a stroke) I died THREE times while I was in hospital over the course of 2 weeks. My lungs were both collapsed. I was being fed through a tube in my nose and lost TONS of weight. I was 207 when I went in, 143 when I came out of ICU.

3. My wife was the only one who could ever understand my injury as she was retarded from her own injury and seizures. I would have killed myself if I didnt know her. My own family (twin brother, girlfriend, and my own mother) told me they wished I had died and all of that. My wife is the most understanding person I have ever met.

Those are just 3 main reasons, There are many more.

[hitch]

ok im irish so ofcourse as most people know ireland is a mainly cathoilc country.
Religion was highly built into me as a child,, from sunday school to my high school , it was all about jesus and the 3 trinities, father son and holy spirit.

i never felt compelled to believe what i was hearing , and i dont believe in organized religions.
re;igion is what has destroyed my country, i grew up around all the bombs and all the shootings and murders every damn day in northen ireland.
For some who dont know about ireland i will give a quick explination.

the british came into ireland to steal their land from them , they murdered and rape the irish people and during the irish famine lots left from donegal to go to america for a new life. so a civil war started in 1916 easter uprising where the IRA destroyed the british in dublin, and now the brits only own northen ireland which is 6 counties. so anyway the protestant murder gangs started killing catholics and the catholic IRA fought back and its been this way since 1969 now.
im moving to america in january as i dont want to raise my kids around all this hatred.
religion is what is behind alot off the troubles in ireland , so im not to fancy on the idea off religion.

We do have a few tabernacle church"s here and IMO its all about the money,
i ve seen these pastors stand on stage and tell the church go"ers that if they dont believe what there being told then they will burn in hell.
ive seen people come up onto stage and pass out from the holy spirit and people who claimed that god healed there cancer.
lots who go to that church are poor and yet the pastors will say that god will provide if they believe and let god in there hearts , but the same pastors are going home to there middle class homes in there nice brand new cars after making around $10,000 on that sunday service.
i hate that sort off religion and i dont believe that the money IS going to what they say it goes too.

i dont belive in the catholic church.
its full off nasty people ,, child rapers who simply get moved out off the way.
pay the priest so you dont go to hell.

plain and simple i believe religion is what has destroyed alot off the world.

[DanSteelMan]

Hitch...I know all about it....My family left from Killkenny (spelling) county in southern ireland....Got a relious joke; GUYS, REMEMBER, ITS JUST A JOKE, DONT TAKE IT TOO SERIOUSLY, LOL

A Catholic Preist, a Rapest, and a pedophile walks in to a bar..........That was just the first guy!!

LMAO Good shit!

[longhorn71]

I grew up Roman Catholic but I am now pretty much Buddhist. I believe in Karma and scientific rebirth (meaning the chemicals we are made up of are recycled when we're dead).

I do believe that Jesus Christ walked the Earth but I have a feeling the teachings he tought (which were most likely peace and tolerance of others) were later distorted for someone else's gains.

Besides infectious diseases, religion is the number one cause of death of humans over the course of history. Pretty sad.

[hitch]

when you mention buddhist beliefs off the human body particles being " reborn " may i ask for a bit more info on it as it seems very interesting and id like to learn exactly how that came to be there faith