Had an intersting discussion on religion at work today.

[YoungJRNY]

I agree with John from the few pages I have read regarding this religion thing. I do not want to offend anyone and know this is a touchy subject to some people and it can lead to flame wars.

My girlfriend goes to a school that requires religion. I simply disagree with most of the things that goes on..esp. in a schooling environment. I was never pushed to go to church nor did I grow up in a household that required it.

From what I have learned.. and from personal experience.. (had many talks with the girl)...is that my opinion on religious people is simple. Most of them are close minded. They get easily offended when you don't believe what they believe and sometimes judge you and look at you in a different light because of it. Little do they know that they are naive and are close minded bunch and don't understand that certain other people have beliefs of their own and therefore are judged by it because one is not religious like themselves. Hypocrites if you ask me.

If you really want to break it down...just listen to the late George Carlin's take on this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o (Religion is bullshit) He makes sense...perfect sense. And I agree. Religion is nothing but a fairytale..a fairytale to calm the uneasy people in life who are afraid of such evil in the air and to make it sound like "God has a plan and is sticking to it and everything will be okay and we shall except it."

Bullshit. Human beings are the ones who decide their own fate and decide what happens each day with their lives giving' their own responsibilities and decisions that set up a certain fate in ones life. PERIOD.

[RedWingFan]

I agree with John from the few pages I have read regarding this religion thing. I do not want to offend anyone and know this is a touchy subject to some people and it can lead to flame wars.

My girlfriend goes to a school that requires religion. I simply disagree with most of the things that goes on..esp. in a schooling environment. I was never pushed to go to church nor did I grow up in a household that required it.

From what I have learned.. and from personal experience.. (had many talks with the girl)...is that my opinion on religious people is simple. Most of them are close minded. They get easily offended when you don't believe what they believe and sometimes judge you and look at you in a different light because of it. Little do they know that they are naive and are close minded bunch and don't understand that certain other people have beliefs of their own and therefore are judged by it because one is not religious like themselves. Hypocrites if you ask me.

Shouldn't you wait for the "religious, closed-minded, hypocrite, judgemental" people on this board call you names before you start with calling them names?

[bluejeangirl76]

I agree with John from the few pages I have read regarding this religion thing. I do not want to offend anyone and know this is a touchy subject to some people and it can lead to flame wars.

My girlfriend goes to a school that requires religion. I simply disagree with most of the things that goes on..esp. in a schooling environment. I was never pushed to go to church nor did I grow up in a household that required it.

From what I have learned.. and from personal experience.. (had many talks with the girl)...is that my opinion on religious people is simple. Most of them are close minded. They get easily offended when you don't believe what they believe and sometimes judge you and look at you in a different light because of it. Little do they know that they are naive and are close minded bunch and don't understand that certain other people have beliefs of their own and therefore are judged by it because one is not religious like themselves. Hypocrites if you ask me.

Shouldn't you wait for the "religious, closed-minded, hypocrite, judgemental" people on this board call you names before you start with calling them name?

To be fair, he said "from personal experience" - he did not aim it at any one person or people on this board or in this discussion. If those are the experiences he had, he has a right to form an opinion.

[Voyager]

I don't base my beliefs on the religious traditions of men. For me, it all starts and ends with Jesus. Is Jesus who the Bible claims he is?

That seems like an oxymoron to me. Jesus is the traditonally accepted American version of a god. If you would have said, "I don't base my beliefs on traditions - I worship Bozo The Clown" that would have definitely been a non-traditional approach to religion. But the same way Arabs follow the traditions of Allah and the Qu'ran, Americans follow the traditions of the Bible. People do it because their parents did it, and their parents' parents did it. It's all we know. It's like, okay I need religion. Christianity is at the top of the religion charts in America, so I'll choose that one. In the Middle East, Islam is at the top of the charts, so they choose it. It's all based on tradition and peer pressure.

Can also be a result of believing and faith, which was what this thread originally asked," What do you believe". Not O.K. now prepare to be insulted, put down, and treated like an idiot if you do believe in God. Not that you have, but some cannot tollerate anyone believing in a God.

I think believing in god is totally cool. Like I said, it's not that I don't believe in a god.... I just have had too much religion that was nothing but manipulation and shaming. I grew up in a Catholic church and school until I was 11 and then moved to another state. Later on I got hooked up in a pentcostal church when I met my wife and that shit went off the deep end. People propesying to people who they were supposed to marry and all that shit.

I think religion is cool. It's just when people who are religious look down on people who reject religion... that is not cool. Nor is it cool to tell people they are going to be burned by a god if they won't do what their religion says they should do. There is no way a loving god would burn their own creation. He would get the death penalty for that. It's cruel and barbaric... which is exactly what the guys who wrote it were. They developed a hell to scare followers into submission... just like all the other stories that were made up by men.

Is there a god? Maybe... but I doubt that any of the religious books we have from 5,000 years ago are reliable at all. I think they are just what a bunch of men wrote about beliefs that were passed down from generation to generation.

Okay, I'll get off my pulpit. This is all I can remember about my religious experience:

Last thing I remember, I was
Running for the door
I had to find the passage back
To the place I was before
’relax,’ said the night man,
We are programmed to receive.
You can checkout any time you like,
But you can never leave!

That's the way most religions work. Once you check in, you having to leave "God's will" to ever get out of the place.

[RedWingFan]

I agree with John from the few pages I have read regarding this religion thing. I do not want to offend anyone and know this is a touchy subject to some people and it can lead to flame wars.

My girlfriend goes to a school that requires religion. I simply disagree with most of the things that goes on..esp. in a schooling environment. I was never pushed to go to church nor did I grow up in a household that required it.

From what I have learned.. and from personal experience.. (had many talks with the girl)...is that my opinion on religious people is simple. Most of them are close minded. They get easily offended when you don't believe what they believe and sometimes judge you and look at you in a different light because of it. Little do they know that they are naive and are close minded bunch and don't understand that certain other people have beliefs of their own and therefore are judged by it because one is not religious like themselves. Hypocrites if you ask me.

Shouldn't you wait for the "religious, closed-minded, hypocrite, judgemental" people on this board call you names before you start with calling them name?

To be fair, he said "from personal experience" - he did not aim it at any one person or people on this board or in this discussion. If those are the experiences he had, he has a right to form an opinion.

As "closed-minded, hypocritical and judgemental" as it may be. You are right!

[YoungJRNY]

I agree with John from the few pages I have read regarding this religion thing. I do not want to offend anyone and know this is a touchy subject to some people and it can lead to flame wars.

My girlfriend goes to a school that requires religion. I simply disagree with most of the things that goes on..esp. in a schooling environment. I was never pushed to go to church nor did I grow up in a household that required it.

From what I have learned.. and from personal experience.. (had many talks with the girl)...is that my opinion on religious people is simple. Most of them are close minded. They get easily offended when you don't believe what they believe and sometimes judge you and look at you in a different light because of it. Little do they know that they are naive and are close minded bunch and don't understand that certain other people have beliefs of their own and therefore are judged by it because one is not religious like themselves. Hypocrites if you ask me.

Shouldn't you wait for the "religious, closed-minded, hypocrite, judgemental" people on this board call you names before you start with calling them name?

To be fair, he said "from personal experience" - he did not aim it at any one person or people on this board or in this discussion. If those are the experiences he had, he has a right to form an opinion.

Perfectly said BJG. I am in no hurry to throw anyone under the bus and I respect ones belief as a human being whatever that may be. If some people don't like what's said then this thread isn't yours to be in.

[donnaplease]

I agree with John from the few pages I have read regarding this religion thing. I do not want to offend anyone and know this is a touchy subject to some people and it can lead to flame wars.

My girlfriend goes to a school that requires religion. I simply disagree with most of the things that goes on..esp. in a schooling environment. I was never pushed to go to church nor did I grow up in a household that required it.

From what I have learned.. and from personal experience.. (had many talks with the girl)...is that my opinion on religious people is simple. Most of them are close minded. They get easily offended when you don't believe what they believe and sometimes judge you and look at you in a different light because of it. Little do they know that they are naive and are close minded bunch and don't understand that certain other people have beliefs of their own and therefore are judged by it because one is not religious like themselves. Hypocrites if you ask me.

If you really want to break it down...just listen to the late George Carlin's take on this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o (Religion is bullshit) He makes sense...perfect sense. And I agree. Religion is nothing but a fairytale..a fairytale to calm the uneasy people in life who are afraid of such evil in the air and to make it sound like "God has a plan and is sticking to it and everything will be okay and we shall except it."

Bullshit. Human beings are the ones who decide their own fate and decide what happens each day with their lives giving' their own responsibilities and decisions that set up a certain fate in ones life. PERIOD.

DAMN! There's something I want to say here, but I don't know how to express it in the way I want. I hope this makes sense...

Christians are taught to 'judge not lest ye be judged'. But we are also taught that there are certain things that are considered sinful and we should be against. Homosexuality is one, worshipping an entity other than God/Jesus is another. I'm sure there are lots of things. So, how do we reconcile these things? I mentioned a few days ago about my friend who is a Bahai and how she quoted Jesus saying "in my father's house are many mansions" to explain her religion. For me to accept that that is a possibility, then that means I have to discredit something else that Jesus said, which is "the only way to the father is through me". For me to "love my neighbor" who happens to be homosexual, by accepting that person and their sexual orientation, is that kinda like 'guilt by association'? Oye! I have found that for every answer, there is yet another question.

The funny thing is that I enjoy these conversations. I would be arguing with an adventist co-worker who said that people who worship on Sunday are breaking the Sabbath, which irritated me, and then turn around and 'judge' my Bahai friend for believing in something beyond traditional christianity. It's kinda wacky.

It makes me sad though that some people either have never known religion or have been turned away from it by some past experience. Great comfort can be found in religion, but I guess for some there is great pain too.

[Enigma869]

I agree with John

If you really want to break it down...just listen to the late George Carlin's take on this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o (Religion is bullshit) He makes sense...perfect sense.

Well, anyone who knows me will tell you just how brilliant I always thought Carlin was. His take on religion always made me piss myself laughing. To Carlin's credit, he remained a man of conviction about this topic, even in death. He stated in his will that he wanted "no religious service of any kind". The guy always despised religion and always had a compelling argument for everything that was wrong with religion. This is why most "good Christians", or those of any religious persuasion weren't big fans of the great George Carlin!


John from Boston

[bluejeangirl76]

Christians are taught to 'judge not lest ye be judged'. But we are also taught that there are certain things that are considered sinful and we should be against. Homosexuality is one, worshipping an entity other than God/Jesus is another.

Right. You're allowed to be judgemental on the things that Christianity tells you are alright to judge. Never made any sense to me. A big part of my whole problem with organized religion. I don't discuss what I do or don't believe with most people, unless I'm very close to them, but I don't have a problem sharing my feelings on religion, because religion and beliefs, to me, are separate ideas. I don't need to be told what to believe in or how to live, especially by a bunch of people who can't do it themselves.

I believe what I believe and I shut up about it. It's MINE. Its not for anyone to judge me for or categorize me and it's certainly no one's business. But that's what people in the "I AM RIGHT" corner do, so I take the high road, I leave people to their beliefs and I stick to what I've believed since I was a child, and I certainly don't have the disrespect to talk down to people about it.

[Moon Beam]

Long Live The Lord.......my 2 coppers worth.

[Enigma869]

Long Live The Lord

He's alive??? Hmmmm...that's not how I remember it from Sunday School


John from Boston

[Moon Beam]

Long Live The Lord

He's alive??? Hmmmm...that's not how I remember it from Sunday School


John from Boston

Maybe you weren't paying attention.

[Enigma869]

Maybe you weren't paying attention.

I would say that it is HIGHLY probable that I wasn't paying attention. Believe it or not, I looked forward to going to my dentist more than I ever looked forward to going to church! The dentist was less painful! I wouldn't wish weekly church services on my worst enemy


John from Boston

[Rhiannon]

My idea on religion and where it concerns others: Live and let be.

[Shadowsong]

What we know so far is it all started with the big bang. Thanks to the CERN project we will soon know more about this.
http://public.web.cern.ch/public/
If you are really interested in this subject, studying quantum physics will get you as close to the answer as possible.
Not knowing everything is OK, leave it open, sooner or later we'll find out.

But in order for the big bang to occur, there had to be matter for the explosion to happen. The CERN project might be a cool experiement but it's not going to answer the question of how the first matter appeared out of nothingness.

You should really talk to somebody who knows all about quantum physics. How matter can exist out of nothing is explained to me before but I'm too stupid to repeat this in a sensible way.
I should ask this for my birthday...

They really have Quantum Physics for Dummies

Cool
When I took it in the 80's there was no such thing!

QM is mostly math & probablility at subatomic level.

Fundemental theory of physics is

:Matter can not be created or distroyed:
It only changes state...

So that sounds alot like forever to me
Still if that's forever when or what put it into motion
We can't concieve of something that always was & will always be.

They werre trying to create the big bang in a huge particle accelerator in Europe.
Don;t know the results of the experiment.

Water H20 can be solid. liquid, or gas depending on temperature.
Temperature controls the motion of the molecules.

Man is just man as far as we know.
You freeze man he dies
You burn man he dies
We exist at a very fragile temperature range.

Our body can't chanh=ge state as far as we know
but we don;t know what happens when we die....

The body returns to the earth
Then there is the question of a spirit
An energy apart from the body that retains an identity

We just don;t know

[Pstburp]

I am Pastafarian

[Moon Beam]

Maybe you weren't paying attention.

I would say that it is HIGHLY probable that I wasn't paying attention. Believe it or not, I looked forward to going to my dentist more than I ever looked forward to going to church! The dentist was less painful! I wouldn't wish weekly church services on my worst enemy


John from Boston

Understandable Sir, I didn't much enjoy it back then either.
As an adult I find that I enjoy more of it with less guilt and some tangible understanding of it all.
By the way, I was being half humorous back there in posts.
Religion is not something I ever dig in deep to online, I was trying to belly it up a bit.
Political and Religious threads have me reading post after post of Blah, Blah, Blah-Blah, Blah Bitch, Bastard, Blah, Blah.....

[YoungJRNY]

I agree with John

If you really want to break it down...just listen to the late George Carlin's take on this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o (Religion is bullshit) He makes sense...perfect sense.

Well, anyone who knows me will tell you just how brilliant I always thought Carlin was. His take on religion always made me piss myself laughing. To Carlin's credit, he remained a man of conviction about this topic, even in death. He stated in his will that he wanted "no religious service of any kind". The guy always despised religion and always had a compelling argument for everything that was wrong with religion. This is why most "good Christians", or those of any religious persuasion weren't big fans of the great George Carlin!


John from Boston

It's really amazing how one can be such a genius and at the same time..incorporate it into a comedic performance. My brother and I idolized this fucker and his death really put a damper on our lives for weeks. We had a chance to see him in Pitt last year but unfortunately we were out of town. What I would give to see his performance live. Unbearable laughter mixed in with pure genius. GOD rest his soul...or Joe Pesshi(hehe)

[Enigma869]

It's really amazing how one can be such a genius and at the same time..incorporate it into a comedic performance. My brother and I idolized this fucker and his death really put a damper on our lives for weeks. We had a chance to see him in Pitt last year but unfortunately we were out of town. What I would give to see his performance live. Unbearable laughter mixed in with pure genius. GOD rest his soul...or Joe Pesshi(hehe)

I had the pleasure of seeing Carlin many times, over the years, and I'm telling you that this country has NEVER seen a funnier comedian than he was! His observational humor was the most brilliant I've ever listened to. Hell, the guy was a native New Yorker, and I still loved him! This world is a much less funny place with Carlin removed from it! As for "GOD" resting his soul...Carlin would want NO part of that!


John from Boston

[bluejeangirl76]

It's really amazing how one can be such a genius and at the same time..incorporate it into a comedic performance. My brother and I idolized this fucker and his death really put a damper on our lives for weeks. We had a chance to see him in Pitt last year but unfortunately we were out of town. What I would give to see his performance live. Unbearable laughter mixed in with pure genius. GOD rest his soul...or Joe Pesshi(hehe)

I had the pleasure of seeing Carlin many times, over the years, and I'm telling you that this country has NEVER seen a funnier comedian than he was! His observational humor was the most brilliant I've ever listened to. Hell, the guy was a native New Yorker, and I still loved him! This world is a much less funny place with Carlin removed from it! As for "GOD" resting his soul...Carlin would want NO part of that!

I got to see him twice, thank... Joe Pesci... and what an experience. He was a brillant comendian and so much more. Apart from the comedy he was a very very intelligent man. For those who don't know it, he wasn't all cursing and jokes.

[Sarah]

I believe someone or something has to have created it. What I don't believe is that we have been talked to by that someone and he told 20 different people 20 different ways to interpret his word.

I have no earthly idea what you mean here. Please explain.

Gunbot, if I'm reading you wrong I apologize:
I don't see why it's confusing. He's clearly saying that a god or being could have created the matter but it's not actually paying much attention to Earth specifically, much less having the time to mess around with the petty needs of mankind.

I would be open to that possibility, by the way. I probably wouldn't call it a god, but I'm willing to accept that there are creatures much more powerful and more vast than the universe, perhaps with some way of manipulating it. Like when you grow a little colony of bacteria in a petrie dish in biology class, that is probably what our universe would be like that that creature.

If there IS a god on any level I would really doubt that it actually pays any sort of attention to humans other than perhaps in passing. We're so small and insignificant in the universe, there is no way we are the most interesting thing out there. That's why I'm somewhat open only to the idea that there's something out there just kind of watching the universe as a whole.

(if you can't tell, I think there is most certainly life on other planets)

[Arianddu]

I am Pastafarian

Touched by His Noodly Appendage! Welcome and ARRRrrrggh!

[Since 78]

I believe someone or something has to have created it. What I don't believe is that we have been talked to by that someone and he told 20 different people 20 different ways to interpret his word.

I have no earthly idea what you mean here. Please explain.

Gunbot, if I'm reading you wrong I apologize:
I don't see why it's confusing. He's clearly saying that a god or being could have created the matter but it's not actually paying much attention to Earth specifically, much less having the time to mess around with the petty needs of mankind.

I would be open to that possibility, by the way. I probably wouldn't call it a god, but I'm willing to accept that there are creatures much more powerful and more vast than the universe, perhaps with some way of manipulating it. Like when you grow a little colony of bacteria in a petrie dish in biology class, that is probably what our universe would be like that that creature.

If there IS a god on any level I would really doubt that it actually pays any sort of attention to humans other than perhaps in passing. We're so small and insignificant in the universe, there is no way we are the most interesting thing out there. That's why I'm somewhat open only to the idea that there's something out there just kind of watching the universe as a whole.

(if you can't tell, I think there is most certainly life on other planets)

I believe that God cares passionately about each and every person. The thing that you have to understand is that he wants the same in return. He will not force himself on you or society. It has to be your choice. Look at the crime statistics since 1962 when prayer was removed from schools. Everyone asks why God allows this or that but its my opinion that We have allowed a lot of things by telling God we don't want his involvement. Also, a relationship with God has nothing to do with religion, if you base your ideas on that you are going to be disappointed. Religion is man made and not something Jesus was always in agreement with.

[walkslikealady]

Does anyone think there's been some genetic engineering done long ago on humans and that's why the missing link hasn't been found?

"God"...I'm not so sure about this creature...might not like that being...very violent and vengeful. Never could understand those that said "God is love".

Jesus has always seemed like a very nice, decent man to me and worth following.

My fancy this month is about alien astronauts visiting the Earth.

[iLex]

Does anyone think there's been some genetic engineering done long ago on humans and that's why the missing link hasn't been found?

Erich Von Daniken's theory isn't it? I don't think so...
http://www.newsweek.com/id/96399
... I must say it's possible that god put it there to test your faith.

[iLex]

Actually 10 questions...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDHJ4ztnldQ&fmt=18
If you don't know the answers, please ask your priest, pastor or whoever you listen to in church, I'm really interested in your answers.

[Enigma869]

Look at the crime statistics since 1962 when prayer was removed from schools.

Sorry, but prayer of ANY kind doesn't belong in school! I would personally pull my child out of school if prayer was allowed. Anyone suggesting prayer belongs in school simply doesn't get it! What are those who don't pray supposed to do while you're praying to your God? Even though I think religion is the biggest farce man has ever concocted, I think people have the right to practice their religion...just not in school! My wife happens to be a teacher, and she'd be the first to tell you that there is no possible way to implement prayer in school without pissing off more than half the population! I also don't believe for a second that there is any correlation between the rate of crime and prayer being removed from schools! People who choose to live their lives as decent human beings don't need prayer in school to steer them away from crime. I've never committed a crime in my life, and never said a single prayer in school!


John from Boston

[bluejeangirl76]

I also don't believe for a second that there is any correlation between the rate of crime and prayer being removed from schools! People who choose to live their lives as decent human beings don't need prayer in school to steer them away from crime. I've never committed a crime in my life, and never said a single prayer in school!

And would you like to hear about the girl who went to the same 2 catholic schools I did who got involved in more criminal activity than Al frickin' Capone? She had all kinds of prayer in school, church one morning a week with her class (we all had to do that), and the required religion class every day, and she grew up to be one of the most drugged out, fucked out burnouts you'd ever want to know about. Plenty more examples just like her too. And conversely, plenty of kids I know who came out totally fine who got their religious education where it belonged, at home, and not in school.

[(Crazy)Dulce Lady]

I agree with John

If you really want to break it down...just listen to the late George Carlin's take on this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o (Religion is bullshit) He makes sense...perfect sense.

Well, anyone who knows me will tell you just how brilliant I always thought Carlin was. His take on religion always made me piss myself laughing. To Carlin's credit, he remained a man of conviction about this topic, even in death. He stated in his will that he wanted "no religious service of any kind". The guy always despised religion and always had a compelling argument for everything that was wrong with religion. This is why most "good Christians", or those of any religious persuasion weren't big fans of the great George Carlin!




John from Boston

untrue. I think he was a comedic genious and he is one of my favs. we just happen to disagree on a one point.

[conversationpc]

Right. You're allowed to be judgemental on the things that Christianity tells you are alright to judge. Never made any sense to me.

That's not what the Bible teaches, though. Yes, it says "Judge not lest ye be judged" but you have to take it in context. That often quoted passage goes on to say to "take the beam out of your own eye so you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye". In other words, how can you judge hypocritically? And even when you do judge, do so out of love, not in a judgemental way or attitude.