Religion, Philosophy and Morals

Sam here, looking to start a serious discussion.
This is a sensitive topic, keep it respectful.

I am interested in the religion(s) and morals of people around here.
What do you believe in as a faith, as a philosophy, or as morals, and why?

For me personally, I used to be atheist. This was because I found no concrete evidence to back up any religions I had researched at that time. Then I came across Buddhism, and after looking into it properly, I found that the teachings and morals behind it are ones I've had for a while, eg. the idea of rebirth(?), and the idea that there are no deities. I have found its guidelines to be useful, worthwhile and helpful. Meditation has helped me solve stress I've had, and given me a deeper understanding to life and being as a whole.

Now I would like to know about you. What are your personal experiences with religion and philosophy, and why?

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Never really believed in any religion, while I wouldn't mind if there was a God, I never felt the need to believe in one. To be honest I don't see the point in rebirth due to the fact that you wouldn't remember your past life, and in my mind, that just means you're not the same person, so therefore rebirth wouldn't really exist. While I do believe in the Big Bang theory I don't immediately dismiss the idea of a God, I just don't see enough reason to dedicate my life to worshipping him. Also if there truly is some deity then they probably don't care if you believed in them or not, just that you were a good person who did good deeds.

 

My parents are not religious, so I was not exposed to any ideologies as such.

In terms of Philosophy I side myself with the Empiricists such as John Locke. The viewpoint that the virtues of scepticism and spiritualism as in oneself aren't as prevelant or as applicable as empirical factors such as sensory information, the use of evidence that humans can use to communicate in the world, creating definitions and such that both parties can relate to, from an objective standpoint. My interests in human psychology do attract my attention to the mechanisms behind religion, and it's throughout society.
However I must add that I am rather against the principles of conservatism, which in terms of accepting certain minorities within our society such as the LGBT, has caused some considerable friction in the course of human history.
I am absolutely fine about the idea of a deity, but I honestly can't help but see humans as extremely arrogant, writing scriptures that put humans in the center of absolutely everything. Even establishing thousands of deities, assigning some of them human biological genders, and expecting that entities powerful to create a universe would actually care about this little spec in the vast universe. But then again, people can use these ideas to gain self comfort, and personal vitality.

 

Both my parents are muslims, i grew up as a muslim and i didn't really enjoy it that much.
Because i am muslim i got a circumcision when i was 4 which was really painful.
But i'm still Muslim. We do have a lot of rules such as:

- We're not allowed to eat Pig.
- Not allowed to kill
- Not allowed to insult people when they're not there.
- Not allowed to steal
- Not go to church
- Fast an entire month (Eat at sunrise, and eat at Noon.)
- Do not commit suicide
- Not allowed to curse at someone who is a lot older then you in public
- Pray 5 times day.
- Not allowed to cheat if you're married.

My dad broke the last rule 2 years ago, and i've never seen him since.
I'm totally fine with these terms but it's really hard to fast an entire month but i have to accept it.
Sometimes i'd wish our family would be christians because it's a lot easier there.

But when my father broke the last rule 2 years ago i became extremelly depressed and emotional and just wanted to commit suicide
and forget everything. But, i wasn't allowed to and really didn't have the guts . I had to take care of my Brothers alone with a single parent.
But i guess that's not the case, but my religion made my life a lot harder but a lot stronger.

 

Don't really feel the need to believe in any said religion since I'm god of my own little world inside my head.
I come from a non religious family.
I have grown up with all kinds of people/religions, I don't have problems with the religions I mostly have problems with the people who follow it.
I have been considered a racist since the age of 7 since I believe if you live in a country and you still can't speak the language after two years you don't belong here and your own people before other people.
my morals have been long lost.

 

Spoiler

all praise Lord GabeN

Okay in all seriousness here we go.

I live in a religious family. We used to not be *super* religious (I watched sciencey documentaries and stuff) but recently that changed. For a while I was religious too, and I loved it. But now I absolutely dislike it. I became an atheist at about 14-15 I can't watch sciency documenteries and do what I want, because "It is against our religion" - something I don't like. I can't do anything I want because of how religion obstructs any of my learning. Can't learn about the things I want. My brother is really annoying when it comes to it. He constantly says how "You can't predict the weather, only GOD can!!1111!!!" and it bothers me a lot, especially since he knows I want to be a meteorologist.

 

Duh.
I was raised in a very catholic family, and I've always hated it. Church was boring, and still is, pretty much. All those traditions like Christmas and Fast didn't matter to me. Tbh even my own birthday doesn't matter to me, just another day closer to death. My mum used to be pretty religious, church every day, etc. My dad, not really since he was (and is) alcoholic, that was the reason why they divorced (aaaand many other ones that is a separate/delicate subject I don't want to speak of in public). I literally crawled down the floor every Sunday morning and cried and begged my mum not to go to the church, I just never felt comfortable in there, all the golden plating and all the priests fooling people out so they pay more money for the temple was just hopeless for me and I knew it even as a child.
As we moved to Ireland, my mum started to be less and less religious. Unfortunately we lived with a guy that went to the church every day and he saw the changes in my mum and he went completely mental, started to bring a priest over to our house to see if she isn't "becoming demonic" or something. Argued with him several times about harassing us in various ways and we started serious fights about it (since I'm pretty aggressive when someone that I don't know thinks can give me orders on what I shouldn't and should do), sometimes neighbours were close to call the police..
We moved out. My mum completely lost interest in Christian faith (which made me ultra happy), and so far I still don't know what I believe in. I know that there is SOMETHING that propels us in some way, spiritually, that obviously isn't a physical matter. There definitely IS something else for me out there, but I like to call it the Energy ^^ Simply. I think my beliefs are slowly coming under Deist lately, though. How I like to interpret it, is, that basically every thousand or millions of years a Creator (or the Keeper) arrives on Earth to see if both energies - yin & yang (or good and evil if you prefer) - are balanced. If they aren't, the Keeper simply nukes it all. You know the story of Mayans, Aztecs, the fall of Atlantis, and stuff like that? Well I believe that's just what's left after this "nuke" I spoke about. Have you ever felt this weird feeling that God's gone? Well maybe that's because the Keeper's only visiting us every once a while. That's why I don't pray, but if I do it's mainly sent into Space. Oh I also believe in Karma (aka the Mirror), and I believe that there's (obviously!!!) other life outside of Earth and Solar System. (how can some people not believe in this? do you think that Space actually HAS borders? lol. xd Well I'm gonna respect everyone in this area even though they won't agree.) I totally believe in Angels and all the magical/mythical stuff that people think exists only in fairy tales (yes I believe in unicorns and fairies >:|). The reason why I stopped to really think about that lately was, it was getting too... Tense. I couldn't sleep at night because of midnight visitors in my room whispering stuff to me bleh. I'm so glad it's over.
*Insert Here I am by Bryan Adams here \o/*

 

I am the sort of guy who was raised in a relaxed environment, we were never pressured to be religious but we went to church, and so I believe in the same morals as the Church of England, however I am an agnostic. I still believe that the idea of it is great I am just unsure if it is all true. So for me, I still go around and believe in the morals of Christianity and how you should be nice to anyone one you meet and do not judge them and all of that.

 

Never been religious, most of my friends were Christian's in my childhood. One of them moved on and the rest is still a Christian. I honestly don't mind if anyone believes in a God. I just don't believe in it myself .

 

Was never exposed to any sort of religion so, yeah, no god here.

 

I've been always been an atheist.
Even though I don't believe in God, I never excluded the idea of there being a ''higher entity''.

I also think the idea of dying and staying dead is strange.
So yes, rebirth is also something I consider possible.

 

I am mostly rather Liberal, however I honestly get worried when I can statistically expect members of certain faiths to believe that men and women are not equal in the eyes of their deity, and that homosexuality is immoral. Too many who are living 600 years in the past.

 

I have been raised as a Christian, but I've found myself thinking that Lutherian Christianity is a load of bollocks, no offence. I like to think that our life and soul is energy of the universe that we're borrowing for a while, returning it back to the cycle of lifeehen we pass away, ensuring us a new form as something in somewhere very far away or close.

 

I'm fine with others having their religion and since my family is muslim I don't eat pork. But that's all that connects me with this religion. I don't think there is any kind of god or "true" religion. IF there is a heaven(and/or hell) I doubt that you have to believe in a certain religion to be allowed to enter but instead it's kind of a karma like systhem: depending on how you've been acting in your lifetime you will land in the place that fits most to your behavior.
on the other hand religion(in terms of churches and tings like that) is something awkward: created by humanity to use the fear of death(and what happens afterwards) to make people live with each other in peace most religions have (at least once)forgotten what they where supposed to be and instead got used as a excuse to attack, rob and exploit those who don't have the same religion or just don't take it as serious as they do.
It might be easyer if humanity only believes in what the religions have in common: there is a god. be good to others and he will be good to you. That's the most importent thing a religion teaches. And sometimes it feels like the most forgotten aswell.

 

Sorry to say but you have posted on a thread that is 1 ½ years old. This is considered a "necropost". It is against the forum rules to do that. Dont worry though, this was your first time. Nothing will happen.
Make sure to read the rules and take a closer look at the the time the last post was made to avoid this from happening again

 

Should seriously start banning necro posting, too many retards not being able to read.