i find the idea of Totem animals appealing, im technically Lutheran but i dont really go to church anymore

I be technically Baptist Christian, but I celebrate the solstices and such, as well as following the Wiccan rede.
I also find truth in certain bits of science, but I wouldn't really count that...

nothing

Raised in Catholic education.
While still rooted in Roman Catholic ways and have experienced many things that can not be explained. I still keep my mind open to all other religions, and respect them. The world is full of wonderful things and it is a shame they go unnoticed most the time. Open your eyes sometime and look around there is so much mankind takes for granted.

Was raised Roman Catholic, but that didn't work so well for me. Nothing tragic, mind you. The priest was cool (he was actually a childhood hero of mine), and my parents tell me that gay couples openly attend the church now. I just didn't feel comfortable with religion.

I'm an agnostic now. Totally hedging my bets.

We had a lot of stuffy priests in our parish when I was growing up. Our last parish priest, I just started to warm up to him when he was transfered. However the new priest is um more human, he is not out there to put you down, just makes you think.

He wears sandals all the time and has a few piercing. Yes I said piercings.

That's strange, I wouldn't think of a priest have piercings.

But I am a bit of a Anti-Christ, I don't like the idea of what religions have, With an Almighty God (One = Allah.) Who cam a long and created everything, It sound a little to simiple to me, Like he made it with magic, and everything was made, Plus I like to say that I found three loop-holes in the first book in the bible.

And I probably think all of this because, People and even my friend over here and his family keep poking me to turn to being a christian, Would I strongly disagree with what they say, Because the answer is a story or really a straight forward answer.

And also, I am failing my Religious Education too, Because I don't see why I should learn why the think it, As long as you don't upset what they do. Like I remember a religion goes to place called "Mecer" (I mispelt that.) And they walk around a large stone cube for Allah. and that they throw stones at a stone pillar to show that they are throwing their sins away.

Sorry, I am going on a rant again.

Atheist / Humanist

Raised Roman Catholic and still am. Im not religious, but I think the general 'be a good person' outline in the Bible is appealing. Those who take the Bible too far *coughWestboroBaptistscough* are just trying to make something good into something hatefull.

Roman Catholic here

And the whole universe was created from nothing...Sure will go with that, instead of god said let there be light.
You have to remember stories were past down before written down then translated into the bible.
and remember.
Science relies on facts and religion relies on faith.

That explains the loop holes, From people getting them in the time order, Like: God created the Heavens and the Earth, Then said "Let there be light." So he created it in the dark. What you said answers that.

As for the universe being created from nothing, That's very close to what I think, I think that Star dust from the two giant Rock smashing together, Had created energy like Protons, Neutrons and Electrons and they created Hydrogen and then different elements were made from the different abouts of Protons, Neutrons and Electrons, And then they chemically bonded to make compounds and then they got in the fomation to creat a living oganisium and you can guess they rest from that.

The Atheist position isn't that the Universe was created from nothing. Why not just go with the most honest answer... "I don't know"?

Sorry nothing means nothing "no dust". Which is hard to understand how something as big as the universe could come from nothing."shrugs"
BTW
To say you are Anti-Christ means are against everything that is good.
Maybe you mean your against ideas of the Christian Religion?

yes That is very fair comment, but you know them humans they think know everything

Good point, The creation of the universe by a god isn't like a "Yes Or No." Answer, Reason being that they only evidence we know of is the holy books.

And if I remember correctly, In the religion of Mormen, I remember a story that a man was given two gold tablets written in ancient egyptian writing, and he translated it and gave but the tablets.

So what he has done is, translated a language he has never seen, Give back evidence that proves he has been visited by an angel and there was no witnesses.

Just sounds far fetched to me. And I am not trying to some mean or say that I am right, I just pointing out that, This happened.

And I am wondering, Back in the old testerment, When they had the holy grale with all the ten commandments on them, Where is that now?

I just tell people that I'm a Pegan because its easier and then people stop bothering me about my religion. I don't really have a true faith because I don't beleve in it. Faith is for bull-headed people. I have an Idea. I beleve in reincarnation and I tend to observe the Wiccan holidays. I beleve in ghosts to some extent. The disagree in a higher power and beleve that I am a god.

theoretically, it's in the ark of the covenant, but alot of people claim to have that and say that no one can examine it because only priests are allowed to touch it.

"It sound a little to simple to me, Like he made it with magic"

that is why i take a specific stance on the creation of the universe: i beleive that God is a mathematician, he set down rules and functions and algorithms and "coded" them into the universe in the form of atoms and molecules and quantum strings. we can never hope to wrap our minds around exactly what he was doing before and during the creation of the universe, or even after.

Then? Why can't we have a picture to show that it exists?

And why only priest? It because of Holy hands?

cuz the guys who allegedly have it are bums who think technology is evil or something.

i dunno. i think it had something to do with the time the Israelites were rollin' around looking for somewhere to be and the ark almost fell off it's carrying thingy, and then a guy ran up and tried to put back on the pedestal and died when he touched it.

The ark of the covenant is supposedly electrified. The Egyptians did have some tech like that, myth-busters did try it out.

Yea, They first Battery, Made from a pot, Iron and Copper, And something else. They ended up using a electric fence meter to shock Adam with two gold angels.

Amazing how a topic that specifically said no religious debate instantly became a thread full of religious debate.

yes, interesting how that just automagically happened... wink wink nudge nudge cough cough...

Happy quaker pagan, here.

Quakers are pagans?

Not all of them; just the pagan ones.

Seriously, unProgrammed quakerism - the sort i am - has its roots in protestant theology, but has evolved to include quakers of lots of different theological viewpoints. We agree that there is something of the Divine in everyone, but we don't have any one unified creed that indicates what form that divine force may take (one god, one goddess, one sexless diety, many dieties...). Pagans are somewhat rare among quakers, but by no means unheard of.

I saw this movie. This guy was hunting a demon or something a it went to a quaker farm and the milk from the cows curdling right away. The old quaker framer painted the star of David on the barn. The demon slayer saw it as he drove by.

So I was wondering if it is paganism or very old testament stuff. I should look it up I am get curious now.

Atheist.

I go to the Unitarian Universalist church. I'm so glad I found it, as I missed the community of belonging to a church but could not bring myself to pretend to believe in something just for the sake of being able to hang out with people. The UU church is so cool. It's the church where you "bring your own god" and actually any god at all is totally optional. There is no doctrine, no creed. Just the seven principles, basically about trying to be a good person, take care of the earth, and keep up a search for truth and meaning.

As for the universe just popping out of nothing,well why not? After all, if you believe god created the universe, then you obviously believe that god was already there. Where did he come from? Just popped out of nothing, apparently. Or, he is eternal so was there all along. I just "skip the middleman" and believe the universe itself is eternal. Divinity and depravity are within each of us. Heaven can be right here, as can Hell. I see no need to look outside of the world we are in to find awe and spirit. It's right here, in us, in nature. No need to add some guy in the sky that made it all. It just is, and it's awe-inspiring. I love the pagan rituals because they can keep us connected to the spirituality of nature and the changing seasons.
I'm also attracted to Pastafarianism...
I am into respecting that other people have other beliefs, but I do not get religions that require or condone performing body modifications or other injury on non-consenting minors. Do what you want to yourself, but hurting a child? Because God told you to? What kind of god would do that?

Well that is my point but reversed. You believe the universe came from nothing, but not the possibility that it was created.

Which Religions make you hurt your self?

Well, if you're going to take a very strict view of that, judaism; circumcision is body modification, after all, and it is generally done to infants.

There are also some cultures in africa that believe in doing some pretty awful things to a girl's lady parts when she comes of age. And some groups in east asia and the south american rainforests who stretch out different parts of the body, like the lower lip or neck, beginning in adolescence. And chinese culture used to demand some pretty extensive foot binding in women. But i think that's mostly for expectations of propriety or to live up to ideals of beauty, not for spiritual reasons.

Yes, that was my point, Wolffort, that one way makes just as much sense as the other. In that everyone believes that at some point, something or someone came out of nothing. It shouldn't be something to argue about just because you think god sprang into being and later created the universe, or someone else thinks one god sprang into being, then created another pantheon of gods, then they created the universe, or if I just happen to think it was the universe itself that sprang into being. No need for bad feelings because we happen to have different opinions of things that we cannot prove anyway.

Yes, it is circumcision I was talking about. If yahweh himself came out of the sky, and I at that point HAD to believe he was real, and he told me to take a knife to my son, I would still (even with him standing before me in all his power) tell him to take a hike. Other harmful things people do to children include, as dester'edra pointed out, female genital cutting (I don't know of any religion that official requires it but some feel that it is better if not actually required; other groups merely don't oppose it, just as christian religions do not oppose male genital cutting of minors.) Then there are the religions that have very young girls being forced to marry. So, my take on all it is, we are all free to have our own religious beliefs, but that should not excuse doing harm to another human being.
I don't know of any religion that asks you to hurt *yourself*. Only ones that ask you to hurt the defenseless. I was just saying, it would be *better* if you were supposed to do something to yourself.

I don't think Thomas meant he is the Antichrist. You know he misspells and gets the wrong word a lot. I think he just meant he doesn't believe in Christianity.

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It's true I sometimes use the wrong words, That's thanks to Autism.

And I am strongly againist the ides of a God creating everything, And I like the bad Dark look, Like the Gothic look, But I do believe in doing good things over evil ones. But I don't know of a name that would class that way of thinking.

That is some radical stuff though, and do not forget that not long ago we practice arranged marriages in the US. Now a days with the high divorce percentage that might be a good idea to fall back on.

A lot of people who do criticize religion and worship of god do not look at the bigger picture. Most religions teach positive morels/laws that coincide every day laws.

The scary thing is everyone has a braking point/snapping point it may be their religious up bring that keeps them from going postal.

which is some radical stuff?

Well, from what you said about your beliefs, sounds like what would be called agnostic or perhaps atheist or humanist.
As far as liking the bad, dark look, or looking goth, that would be a style or fashion and nothing to do with your religious beliefs!!

"female genital cutting"

Most probably, And I could just be going though a phase with wanting to look evil, And wanting to be with Gothic people, Sadly I only have seen three people, And they are the year below me, And I never see them, So it might look weird talking to them.

oh noz Det Satan Club.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Well yeah, that was my point. To say, I guess I am a "humanist" because I would not violate someone's human rights, even if I was told it would be pleasing to a diety. I'll take the side of the human any day.

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A lot of people who do criticize religion and worship of god do not look at the bigger picture. Most religions teach positive morels/laws that coincide every day laws.

Hrmmm...they coincide in some ways - laws in many states were written as a reflection of the religious beliefs of the lawmakers. But in other ways, they don't coincide at all, which can sometimes lead to a reinterpretation, sometimes a drastic reinterpretation, of religious teachings to fit the needs of the state.

Did you know that before it became a state religion, christianity used to be vehemently pacifist? One of the reasons why early christians got into so much trouble with the authorities was that they refused to serve in the military; what was worse (for the government), they kept trying to convert the local militias so that the newly converted soldiers wouldn't fight, either. States tend to take a dim view of anything that obstructs their efforts to maintain a militia.

No, i'm not anti-religion or anti-christianity; i'm just a history geek.

Separation of church and state.

yeah thinking about it i do more stuff related to spirit animals / totem animals than i do practicing Christianity... the only time i step foot in a church is Christmas and ester

i absolutley love that answer. here we have two accounts of the same fantastic events, and we have the world pointing a gun at our head and shouting "pick one." but we can't we pick both, or neither? the universe is big and fast and complicated and small and slow and simple and wonderful, why can't we just enjoy it? the universe was either created in 7 days or 4.6 billion years, but why can't it be both? whatever you believe, you have to admit that you can't teach an ant quantum mechanics.

personally, i could choose any side...but i've never seen atheists rock this hard.

7 days vs. 4 billion years:

My thoughts exactly, Prokadae. I mean, we are talking about a deity, and talking about time before humans appeared. Why couldn't "seven days" to a creature of eternity be the same as 4.6 billion years seems to us puny humans?
I totally agree with you, you don't have to pick one or the other. It's equally valid to pick both, or neither.

Try to explain to a human 4000 years ago what a billion years was.

BTW the universe is 12 to 14 billion years old.