Whatchoo believe in, Willis?

Oh man, today is going to be good. A rerun and a religion thread already.

ALT ALT ALT FOCUS: Over/under on how many posts this thread goes before it has to be locked.

 

I'm spiritual but not religious. I come from a unique background. My mother is a Baptist and my father is officially an agnostic at the moment. However, when he was converted to Catholicism when the French started showing up in Vietnam. Prior to that, he was Buddhist. I didn't grow up in the church and as far as I know, I was never baptized. My mother tried to get me to go to church when I was in elementary school but it made me miserable. I've visited several different houses of faith throughout my life but I have never felt comfortable in any of the places of worship. I claim I am spiritual for simplicity's sake. I am an amalgamation of Taoism, Buddhism, and to some extent Christianity. This perspective has shaped my views on the world in the sense that I believe that everything is interconnected, balance always exists in some form of the world, and that death is only the end of our physical experience. Death is more of a transformative experience as opposed to a permanent end or an end of existence.

 

ALT ALT ALT Focus: 38 in total.

 

It would be fair to say I don't support the teachings or belief system of a 2000 year dead, bronze age, Jewish, Arab. I'm strange that way.

Atheist with deep contempt for religion/spiritualism here.

 

As I'm a hippie-communist European, it goes without saying that religion was banned growing up and...

No.

But, my dad coming from a Jewish family and my mum being protestant, they left the decision up to me at a very early age. Basically they read a kid's bible to me for general education purposes, explained what gives and left me to decide.

It was good, because while being educational and interesting stories, they never really spoke to me. I respect (and kind of envy) people who can draw strength from religion and think people who are religious while remaining tolerant of others are really important. It's funny, agnostics can really piss off religious people to the point where they feel threatened. These debates work two ways though: the thought of not being in control of my own fate scares the living shit out of me and gets me thinking. But, I figure I'll try my best to just not be a cunt while going through life and hope for the best when it comes down the eternal damnation of boredom in heaven.

Also:

 

I have no belief in a greater being who we do not see, yet made us in his image, yet we do not know what he looks like. It's just too easy, and there's too many gigantic holes for it to save face. I was lucky enough never to have religion pushed on me as a kid and I've always took a scientific viewpoint on "The Beyond". I'm all for religion if it can get people through life's everyday shit storms, but the minute you try to push it on me there will be frank discussion.

 

Spoiler

 

Frank's plans on religion:

1.) Don't attend church of any kind.
2.) Repent to any and all known deities when about to die.
3.) Enjoy afterlife if it exists, rot in ground with everyone else if not.

 

I am agnostic, uncertain about whether or not there is a God. I am, however, deeply envious of people who *do* believe as they have a source of vast comfort about the afterlife that I really wish I had. I also can't stand the knee-jerk bashing of religion and God that goes on in my neck of the woods (Boston-area). There's no need to be a dick and trample on people's deeply held and fundamental beliefs and it's really obnoxious to assume that a roomful of people are as arrogantly intolerant as you.

 

Religion fascinates me. Especially Christianity. I looked into finishing my history degree with a focus in religion (college didn't offer it anymore). I've read in the neighborhood of 20 Christian history books and you're barely scratching the surface of it's part in Western History. Hell, barely scratch the surface of its own origins. Incredibly complicated, nuanced belief system. It goes beyond belief system really; it is completely endemic in our culture. It is its own living, breathing organism with its own impetus. That's impressive.

Is it really so bad though? At its core Christianity is a message of peace, kindness, and hope. How the fuck is that so wrong? It is a pacifist religion. What Jesus taught and what the rest of the New Testament teaches aren't even compatible (love vs. fire and brimstone). Same goes for Old Testament and New Testament. Let's not even get into that mess of worms. So why can't someone take comfort in being a decent person, take comfort that there is something more out there than their own fractured lives? Yeah, they'll use it as a crutch to ignore their problems, or make more problems, but they'd probably do that anyway.

I'm agnostic. Did religious schooling from first to ninth grade. Particularly in junior high they scared the living shit out of me with the damnation thing. To me, and to a growing number of faithful and preachers, that isn't God. That is the farthest cry from God and Jesus' teachings as you can get. How stupid that a book of optimism and peace turns violent and blood thirsty. How human is that? All the plot holes, contradictions, and like in scripture totally take away from the hope of the message. That is a fucking shame. So, I like looking at religion from a historical vantage because it's just rude to qualify faith. Unless faith becomes malignant.

Bart D. Ehrman writes a lot about contradictions in scriptures. He has read the original Greek and Hebrew texts, his stuff is all academic, no agenda. I highly suggest taking a look at his work. Misquoting Jesus and Lost Christianities in particular.

Forge of Christendom by Tom Holland is another great historical book. Pretty in-depth look at how Christianity sprung from Israel to Rome and then ingrained itself in the Western World.

 

Wait a second... I thought the the rules for the "game of threads," still said no politics and no religion. Am I wrong? Terrible thread Thursday...

 

That's more like it.