What's your religion?

[Levitat0r]

If the competition is only inside of me, then I've won. I don't kill, don't rape, don't start wars, don't steal, don't destroy things like a heathen, etc. etc. Game over. I did it on my own. I have long done so with ease, too. I required no fearmongering or harsh discipline and still don't. I also don't require your praise, worship, money, sacrifice or love. I require no reward at all, and I'm smart enough to know that due to free will, if I did ask for it....you'd decline.

I don't share faith for me, I do it for God. It's very seldom rewarding to suggest to others what is good for them; and I say it at the risk of wearing out both Socrates and Jesus. If you are happy where you are, that is where you are right now. When you require things that the world can't or won't provide, then I hope you will contemplate to appeal outside that world.

 

[Dagan]

Well, the world I live on is Earth. I'm at its every physical requirement, and I handle such things daily. As a society, it's exactly what we all do. I would love to exist elsewhere and/or have supernatural powers, but that isn't happening.

I haven't said this here before, but I feel like most religions and more of the zealous, religious types come across as ableist / ableism in many cases (not saying you are this way - I'm talking the extremes). There's a lot of oppressive conditioning to make believers think that they have to have grace or beg for strength or pray for salvation of any kind....and just the same, making believers into people who thank their god for every single good thing ever achieved or accomplished....like no one were ever capable of such things without some divine intervention. I mean, just the whole requirement of making people feel having to be fixed, needing spiritual guidance and then just the way some will treat everyone that isn't them (because those others don't have their supposedly great gifts, abilities or god given lives). It does often result into making them think they need to try and "save" others, but they haven't learned to best way of things, and so it's going to repeat and just get worse. I don't like anything about this.

 

[Levitat0r]

Well, the world I live on is Earth. I'm at its every physical requirement, and I handle such things daily. As a society, it's exactly what we all do. I would love to exist elsewhere and/or have supernatural powers, but that isn't happening.

I haven't said this here before, but I feel like most religions and more of the zealous, religious types come across as ableist / ableism in many cases (not saying you are this way - I'm talking the extremes). There's a lot of oppressive conditioning to make believers think that they have to have grace or beg for strength or pray for salvation of any kind....and just the same, making believers into people who thank their god for every single good thing ever achieved or accomplished....like no one were ever capable of such things without some divine intervention. I mean, just the whole requirement of making people feel having to be fixed, needing spiritual guidance and then just the way some will treat everyone that isn't them (because those others don't have their supposedly great gifts, abilities or god given lives). It does often result into making them think they need to try and "save" others, but they haven't learned to best way of things, and so it's going to repeat and just get worse. I don't like anything about this.

Jesus said that he could do nothing unless it was of the father, so he didn't even really think of himself as being powerful. He described it more like borrowing power, or participating in it, or even just narrating it. That's also basically how Moses was throughout Exodus.

I think earth is a pit of suffering, and if God is inviting me to put a foot in the door of someplace better, then I will put my pinkie toe in first, if that's all I can manage, and then work on the rest from there. It's a journey, it's not black and white, and it's not something that happens overnight. You live with one foot in both worlds, and work to keep going with persistence.

 

[Rachie]

I’m a Christian. Growing up I went to Catholic schools but identified as just Christian. We prayed at night as a family but we didn’t go to church as a family. Of course there was mass in school. I was baptised in primary school.

The subject of religion interested me in school, but I really sought my faith out at 16 by myself. I went to a spirit filled church at 17 with my mum in the quest of a miracle pretty much. It didn’t happen. I was though told that I would be given one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and I served using it in the church briefly. They told me it was done as things would be at times quite difficult for me. I have walked with it since, it's been over 30 years. There has been some difficult times for me with my conditions, but God has upheld his word to me and I don’t think that I would have got this far without it,

Today I am non denominational. I think for me that means I can worship in any church that aligns itself with what I believe. I have found a church that really works for me now at this point of my life. I attend an Anglican service and like getting the Sacraments and it is a short service. I have had some health conditions improve after taking the Sacraments.

I am dipping in and out of an interesting book called God’s Wildflowers, 141 Saints with disabilities. The disabilities they endured ranged from physical to mental health. These people were quite exceptional but is good to read people serving their life like that and their destinations despite their conditions. I have found it quite helpful at times.

 

[NoKipAr on the run]

I believe there is a balance between religion and science.

if they can find Centaurs preserved in honey then there must be a god.

 

[Tom]

Well, the world I live on is Earth. I'm at its every physical requirement, and I handle such things daily. As a society, it's exactly what we all do. I would love to exist elsewhere and/or have supernatural powers, but that isn't happening.

I haven't said this here before, but I feel like most religions and more of the zealous, religious types come across as ableist / ableism in many cases (not saying you are this way - I'm talking the extremes). There's a lot of oppressive conditioning to make believers think that they have to have grace or beg for strength or pray for salvation of any kind....and just the same, making believers into people who thank their god for every single good thing ever achieved or accomplished....like no one were ever capable of such things without some divine intervention. I mean, just the whole requirement of making people feel having to be fixed, needing spiritual guidance and then just the way some will treat everyone that isn't them (because those others don't have their supposedly great gifts, abilities or god given lives). It does often result into making them think they need to try and "save" others, but they haven't learned to best way of things, and so it's going to repeat and just get worse. I don't like anything about this.

"This forum area is for anyone who wants to discuss religion.
This forum is not for debating religion, preaching to others or
talking down to others based on their religious beliefs.
Hello and welcome to the Religion Forum"

The above is quoted from moderatator post just a few posts back and hopefully not inappropriately repeated. The topic is 'What is your religion?'. Not 'Why I don't believe, or what I don't like about religion or problems with people who follow a religion' etc, etc.

 

[Dagan]

<---- The look on my face, as I wait for everyone else to be made example of, as well.

 

[lovely_darlingprettybaby]

Honest??
I always thought I was Christian
But sometimes I think just being a spiritual being would have suited me better because I often find Christian views too rigid and obedience too hard.
I do not think I am not enough in the eyes of God or not worthy of His love or goodness.
I will always think I am enough and worthy.
I kind of think i am worthy of goodness every single day whether I receive it or not. If I do not yes it does hurt but life is challenging and it is ok to suffer at times too
It has been really challenging because Christian views have been a bit harsh for me.
I think in being spiritual you can experience life the way you need without feeling barriers or limitations.
If you are rebellious and make mistakes you do
And you have no one to judge or lock you out of heaven.
Just yourself to pick yourself up each day or crawl under the sheets and cry alone
And know life goes on.

 

[jsilver256]

I believe there is a balance between religion and science.

if they can find Centaurs preserved in honey then there must be a god.

But "Centaurs preserved in honey" presumes that religion is the "exception" and science is the "norm," doesn't it?

If God made the universe, then everything in the universe comes from God.

If God did not make the universe, then nothing in the universe comes from God.

In short, if God exists, then there is no distinction between God and science because science then turns into a study of God's methodology. Point being, observing extreme anomalies that have no natural explanation such as "centaurs preserved in honey" isn't a logical element of either theism or atheism. There is no "balance." Either science reflects God or God doesn't exist.

I know that religious people will and do reject anything that does not fit within a neat box of theology, just like non-theists will reject any anything that does not fit within their neat box of deterministic cause and effect. We are all impacted by selection bias in that way.

 

[TBRS1]

I'm a changeling.

My whole "religion" is about trying to figure out:

1. How I got here
2. Why I'm here
3. What to do while here
4. Where home really is
(5. Which plants and rocks are friendly. I set this one in parens because it's more of a hobby)

 

[Cryptid]

 

[Rachie]

I have been observing online a bit in religious forums. It seems the greatest amounts of posts is Christian. On a mixed board the most activity is 5 times compared with Christian to other faiths on some. The greatest evidence as well for spirituality is Christian/Catholic. Christian with Jewish roots is evidence as well. I wonder why other faiths don't post online as much. The forum had an agnostic forum, buddist, Christian, Judaism and Paganism. Surely that may reduce some disputes.
I don't think it is end time yet and i'm not getting into it. But Joel said the spirit will be poured again on the earth. We have had a few hard years for certain.
I have one page on my faith. I have never actually posted the link. I didn't as the rules say don't post to your own website. It's not mine. But I have now seen other people post to their blogs. I have other gifts and fruits of the spirit but on this one I am just concentrating on one that is confirmed. I will link to it now.
https://racheltestimony.blogspot.com/

 

[All-Rounder]

The Satanic Temple. Satanism is not the belief in Satan, we do not eat children or sacrifice animals. It is a secular religion where people are very free to leave, the means of entrapment are inexistent.

Such things have long been pinned by some well known psychology malpraxis authors (which used hypnosis to affect their clients to propagate their books) on satanists and some have gotten away with it due to the support and lack of care of the psychology committees regardless of the victims coming out and talking about their experiences.

The Satanic Panic which was a mass hysteria also dealt real damage to members of satanism which were imprisoned on no evidence but on compelling means they used on children to make them confess to false pledges about the satanist teachers in schools, members of the community had their families ripped apart due to the false accusations.

TST has 7 tenets:
I
One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
II
The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
III
One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
IV
The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own.
V
Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs.
VI
People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.
VII
Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

TST uses its funds to support the fight pro abortion and they have free abortion centers. Regardless of the illegal status in some states, being a satanist allows members essential healthcare as their religious right. They deliver period pads and essentials.

TST has been to schools and spread awareness against corporal punishment of children such as paddling and not allowing children to go to the restroom, it is against satanists' religious rights to do so and legal action will be taken.

After School Satan Clubs allow a safe environment for kids after school without the effects of religious indoctrination on their undeveloped minds before a time they are able to make their own decisions. They learn about nature, animals and do creative games.

Legally and morally the fight for equal rights has been a long road, as the statue of satanism has recently been vandalized, and when satanists want to put up a display they take down all religious displays just to make it impossible to have equal rights. Or they allow some religions the rights that satanists get rejected. There have been numerous threats to the constitution and legal battles, but the success is encouraging in the battle for a more fair and more inclusive society.

And a song I really like by TST although TST has its church music as well

Satan loves me as I am.

 

[Rachie]

I have one page on my faith. I have never actually posted the link. I didn't as the rules say don't post to your own website. It's not mine. But I have now seen other people post to their blogs. I have other gifts and fruits of the spirit but on this one I am just concentrating on one that is confirmed. I will link to it now.
https://racheltestimony.blogspot.com/

Hi all, I am just posting to say that I have made quite a bit of an update to my Christian Testimony. I have added some more information and research. I have also added a new video and some links also. I also added a photo of my ADOS hypersensitivity scores for Autism at the bottom of my testimony. Since these tests some aspects of my Autism has worsened. My stimming has worsened since I did the test and I seem to be more hypersensitive as well. There could be other areas as well where things have worsened.
https://racheltestimony.blogspot.com/

 

[vergil96]

No religion. If any, I would consider myself Catholic, because I was raised as such and don't intend to change faith, because it connects me to my tradition and family - something that is becoming increasingly deficient. And after all, every religion worships the same God, just in different ways, so no need to change traditions to essentially do the same thing. Every one of these traditions has its faults too, often similar ones, coming from appealing to the masses through making understanding of spirituality too shallow and being influenced selfish interests of religious leaders and governments, especially pre-modern.

 

[c flat]

I consider myself a Christian. I don't adhere to any church or denomination, and my beliefs largely derive from my own interpretations and spiritual experiences. It seems my beliefs are most similar to those of Mennonites and Quakers.

I believe a lot of the Bible is metaphorical and allegorical, and I don't believe that non-Christians all go to hell; I think it's possible to find God and salvation outside of the Christian religion. There are a few other things I don't agree with a lot of other Christians about but I don't recall them right now.

 

[FayetheAspie]

I am a follower of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah who was predicted to come in the 53rd chapter of the prophet Isaiah and was also spoken of in in 22nd Psalm.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Agnostic, stuff that happened after the stroke had me shift a bit towards theism, still require scientific basis.

 

[Joshua the Writer]

The Satanic Temple. Satanism is not the belief in Satan, we do not eat children or sacrifice animals. It is a secular religion where people are very free to leave, the means of entrapment are inexistent.

Such things have long been pinned by some well known psychology malpraxis authors (which used hypnosis to affect their clients to propagate their books) on satanists and some have gotten away with it due to the support and lack of care of the psychology committees regardless of the victims coming out and talking about their experiences.

The Satanic Panic which was a mass hysteria also dealt real damage to members of satanism which were imprisoned on no evidence but on compelling means they used on children to make them confess to false pledges about the satanist teachers in schools, members of the community had their families ripped apart due to the false accusations.

TST has 7 tenets:
I
One should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason.
II
The struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions.
III
One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.
IV
The freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend. To willfully and unjustly encroach upon the freedoms of another is to forgo one's own.
V
Beliefs should conform to one's best scientific understanding of the world. One should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit one's beliefs.
VI
People are fallible. If one makes a mistake, one should do one's best to rectify it and resolve any harm that might have been caused.
VII
Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

TST uses its funds to support the fight pro abortion and they have free abortion centers. Regardless of the illegal status in some states, being a satanist allows members essential healthcare as their religious right. They deliver period pads and essentials.

TST has been to schools and spread awareness against corporal punishment of children such as paddling and not allowing children to go to the restroom, it is against satanists' religious rights to do so and legal action will be taken.

After School Satan Clubs allow a safe environment for kids after school without the effects of religious indoctrination on their undeveloped minds before a time they are able to make their own decisions. They learn about nature, animals and do creative games.

Legally and morally the fight for equal rights has been a long road, as the statue of satanism has recently been vandalized, and when satanists want to put up a display they take down all religious displays just to make it impossible to have equal rights. Or they allow some religions the rights that satanists get rejected. There have been numerous threats to the constitution and legal battles, but the success is encouraging in the battle for a more fair and more inclusive society.

And a song I really like by TST although TST has its church music as well

Satan loves me as I am.

This is pretty cool, not gonna lie. If somebody claims these tenets are evil, then they are the real villain.

 

[NoKipAr on the run]

I feel as though the only proof I need For there to be a god is to see Mythology being
proven to exist; a Centaur skeleton preserved in honey for example