What do you believe? Options

[Badman]

I haven't seen one of these yet... and it always seems to generate a firestorm of conflict so...

What religion are you or what are your beliefs?

I looked up Live fans from facebook and found that most were christians. Although, most people are I just want to know what the real fans think.

[Grandpa Grizz]

This song from Rush's new album Snakes and Arrows says it better than i ever could.

Faithless

I've got my own moral compass to steer by
A guiding star beats a spirit in the sky
And all the preaching voices -
Empty vessels ring so loud
As they move among the crowd
Fools and thieves are well disguised
In the temple and market place

Like a stone in the river
Against the floods of spring
I will quietly resist

Like the willows in the wind
Or the cliffs along the ocean
I will quietly resist

I don't have faith in faith
I don't believe in belief
You can call me faithless
I still cling to hope
And I believe in love
And that's faith enough for me

I've got my own spirit level for balance
To tell if my choice is leaning up or down
And all the shouting voices
Try to throw me off my course
Some by sermons, some by force
Fools and thieves are dangerous
In the temple and marketplace

Like a forest bows to winter
Beneath the deep white silence
I will quietly resist

Like a flower in the desert
That only blooms at night
I will quietly resist

[gotigrz]

i believe that this world and everything natural in it is too amazingly beautiful and perfect to be here by chance. i believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. all of this i know. is this something that i was taught? sure. but, i was also taught trigonometry (sp) but, i don't know a lick of that. i read the bible and as old as it is... it all applies to our current world. i believe that God expects perfection because that's what He gives. and we are so far from perfect that not one of us would stand a chance of leaving this world and being with our Maker. that is unless we could offer a sacrafice that isn't marked by $ signs, and that isn't staind with our sins... that leaves only one option... the perfect sacrafice... Jesus Christ. He didn't have to die, but He didn't want every single person to burn in a lake of fire, so He gave everyone the option to believe in Him and avoid the heat and accept the glory and grace of God. that's what i believe.

[Senghe]

i believe that this world and everything natural in it is too amazingly beautiful and perfect to be here by chance. i believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. all of this i know. is this something that i was taught? sure. but, i was also taught trigonometry (sp) but, i don't know a lick of that. i read the bible and as old as it is... it all applies to our current world. i believe that God expects perfection because that's what He gives. and we are so far from perfect that not one of us would stand a chance of leaving this world and being with our Maker. that is unless we could offer a sacrafice that isn't marked by $ signs, and that isn't staind with our sins... that leaves only one option... the perfect sacrafice... Jesus Christ. He didn't have to die, but He didn't want every single person to burn in a lake of fire, so He gave everyone the option to believe in Him and avoid the heat and accept the glory and grace of God. that's what i believe.

Oookay - as I've got PMT and I'm in an argumentative mood, here's two replies, take your pick:

Nice Reply
I totally disagree. The natural world is magnificent and breathtaking in it's intricacy. Who can failed to moved by looking up on a clear night and seeing other stars, far away galaxies and who knows what other worlds out there in an unimaginably large universe. Meteor showers, lunar eclipses - it's as poetic and moving a spiritual experience as there is to be had. Or even looking at the wonder of spiders web glistening with morning due. You can understand the push for people to be able to explain these things - we like assurance and answers as a species.

I think it's all too perfect and amazingly beautiful to have been created by a being that couldn't even get right making a copy of himself for his own egotistical pleasure. The universe as we understand it is not really an accident or co-incidence as we'd relate to one, that's doing evolution a disservice, as would be trying to explain to you the concept on an internet forum, especially when you have no desire to listen as you're happy with your god and find no need to challenge yourself. When you say that the Bible is as relevant today as always, remember that just like scientific theory, it has been revised and updated many times. If it is indeed relevant, it's only because bits are added, subtracted and rewritten. The difference being that science will challenge itself by trying to find holes in theories where religion relies on the person with the most forceful personality to say believe what I say or you're going to hell.

Angry Rant Reply
What kind of sadistic, sick bastard is your god? He expect perfection, yet he's so imperfect, he couldn't correctly create humans, whom he made in his own image, so he started off with a failure that he tried to put right with Jesus. So he's also a hypocrite. And all this demanding blood sacrifices - that's barbaric and a thing christians jump on pagans for. Then we have the question of him sending Jesus down - believe in me or I'll let you torture and kill my son and then you'll all burn in agony for eternity unless you're in my gang. The words glory and grace don't exactly spring to mind. No wonder the worlds fucked up if we truly were created in that particular god's image.

It's all very odd. Not to mention the very concept of monotheism - needing a imaginary friend who nobody can see, but he's really, really powerful and on your side. If you're naughty and ask him to, he'll forgive you everything - even child molestation and murder. And when you die, you'll go and live with him in his big house in the sky for ever and ever, no matter what horrible crimes you've committed as long as you say you believe and/or get a bloke in a black dress to say a magic spell of absolution as you are dying. That's not a religion - that's a collective delusion cum mental illness.

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In closing I'll add that you are entitled to believe what you believe and as long as you don't force me to under pain of violence, I respect your beliefs totally and defend your right to do so.