Is Religion Lost On you?

1. 85

   CrazedNovelistposted 12 years ago

   Is Religion Lost On you?
   
   I want to know how you feel about religion as a way of life. This is for those who have not yet determined a religion or don't understand religion in general. Is there a reason you feel a certain way?

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2. 74

   NC4Life078posted 12 years ago

   I feel that if religion makes you better as a person, then I see nothing wrong with pursuing it. This means that you are not pushing your beliefs onto other people as well. There is such a thing as a "Happy Medium". Religion can be great, yet, can also be a terrible thing. I think it initially comes bad when people start thinking "my way is better". When people should allow others to believe what they wish. If it makes them a better person who cares what they believe in. The only thing that matters is what you believe in.
   
   Its hard for me to become "religious" because a lot of it has to do with life style. A lot of times, people are ____ religion because of their parents. They don't know why they believe in it, they just do.
   
   In todays world we are surrounded by information and beliefs, its hard to see "a truth", especially when you have so many contradicting and falsified information. It also irritates me that those that believe in a religion other than _____ religion should go to hell. This is unjust for those that grow up in different enviroments. What if they are an outstanding, kind hearted individual, who wants nothing more than to help people? He should burn in hell because he just happened to grow up where he had? I think thats the reason for people breaking off from religion, we speak religious tolerance, and all to often we find ourselves projecting our beliefs.
   
   From what I discovered, it all comes down to faith, either you have it or you don't. Regardless, we should all strive to become better people and shouldn't force our beliefs on anyone else.

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      MazioCreateposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I was going to answer this question, but after reading your comment I feel I would just be repeating what you said. NC4Life078 you have succinctly condensed the argument in your last paragraph. Thanks.

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3. 59

   DAWNEMARSposted 12 years ago

   Religion means : 'way of life'. Communities who come together through practiced religion benefit from the traditions and culture it can bring. This brings both a social identity and feeling of belonging.

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      DAWNEMARSposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Yet to answer the question, the values are not lost on me. Philosophy is not lost on me. I just don't believe in: "god".

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      Radical Rogposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Personally I don't believe god.

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4. 76

   jlparkposted 12 years ago

   It's not that I don't understand it, it's that I've not found one that works for me.  I don't believe that a religion gives you the right to judge others who's religion or beliefs differ from yours.  In fact, thats the biggest thing that put me off many religions - the need to preach and judge others who are different to you.  And funnily enough, it's not actually a tenet of the religion to do so, only a whim of the followers - people who make their religion looks worse by behaviour that is not (add-religion-here)-like.
   
   So, whilst I believe each is entitled to their own beliefs - it is also that they do not impinge on other people's rights to their beliefs.

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5. 81

   AlexK2009posted 12 years ago

   Organised religion is a tool of social control designed to prevent spiritual development.
   So for me the answer is yes. Anything with priests, power, and a dogma is no longer a valid spiritual path,

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      Faceless39posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You read my mind, almost verbatim.  Voted up.

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6. 40

   Fraser Wardposted 12 years ago

   I believe that certain aspects of religion can (and should, in my case) be taken from it and used in modern day life. I certainly take aspects of Buddhism and Christianity and use it in everyday life. I am not a follower of any religion, as I find some aspects of every religion non-believable. Hope this helps.
   By the way, I didn't mean to offend anyone if that was the case. This is my personal opinion and it obviously changes from person to person.

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7. 70

   Radical Rogposted 12 years ago

   Who's religion? What religion? I understand spirituality and the spiritual nature of creation including the concept of a higher power which, from what I can see, is something far beyond the dogma of religious theology.
   I've been in a religion, several in fact and studied the scriptures, enough to flummox a Jehovah's Witness who called and that takes some doing.
   Christ called the ministers of his time, Blind Guides and that's what they are today. They answer that it's a mystery, that mankind isn't meant to understand the deeper things of God, or at least of their God. Close your eyes, have faith and believe like the blind following the blind, or open your eyes and see and come to know.
   I don't know everything, in fact very little, but my eyes are open ready to see whatever the spirit reveals, which you can't do when following the dogma of some religion. Jesus said, by your works you will know them. You've got to open your eyes to see these works, only then can you begin to know.

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   Antoine Van Hoveposted 12 years ago

   Religion vs religiosity...right?
   
   Religion is collective and mostly based on fear and fragmentation/division between "us" (the good, of faith) and "them" (all the rest).
   
   Religiosity is personal, and about connectivity with the rest of the universe.
   As far as I am concerned, I stopped projecting the concept "God" outside myself.
   We all and all we see and experience are "God" in motion.
   Once you start looking at the world in this way, all desire for faith or collective religion disappears by itself.
   
   Religion is a stage, the human conscious is just passing through. Out of ignorance of its own nature. Once awakened, it will go beyond. And feel a lot better. And thus the latter will reflect in what we call our world.
   With love.

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9. 75

   kittythedreamerposted 12 years ago

   I actually understand religion to the fullest; however, it is not for me. I tend to shy away from anything ritualistic...I do feel as though I am a very spiritual person though. And having a spiritual connection with a higher power and the power within us is something completely different than religion. Religion to me always spells out: war, hatred, prejudice, and greed. Spirituality spells out: understanding, acceptance, wisdom, and peace. Thanks for a wonderful question!

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   1. 85

      CrazedNovelistposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks a lot!!

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10. 83

    jadesmgposted 12 years ago

    Religion would seem to be generally good, a way of measuring behaviour and creating a social solidarity to a degree which seems important in any social group. The problem with me lie's in it's outright telling people what to do. stating so forthrightly what is wrong and what is right. Surely these are variable depending on situations and gernally your social surroundings and the reletaive importance of the act. I just can't understand these predetermined rules remaining unchanged and unalterable within an ever changing society. Make relgion more flexable, seek to understand it in it's basic forms of being kind and good and generous and I may get it, but telling people what they want is wrong to me just doesnt seem acceptable. It's not religion im against, it's societies misuse of it.

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    1. 85

       CrazedNovelistposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       "It's not religion I'm against, It's Society's misuse of it..."--- that was pretty provocative.

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    2. 70

       Radical Rogposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       But that's what religion is, a theology of inflexible rules based on an ideological dogma that forbids flexibility of thought. You are not meant to question, just believe and have faith.

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11. 68

    Morgarenposted 12 years ago

    It is not wrong to follow a religion, if it answers all the questions you have to your satisfactory. What is wrong is to assume that you have come to the correct conclusion, or to think that the questions someone else asked are incorrect, or worse to be angry because you don't like the answer you give yourself when you answer those questions that someone else asked because they go against what you believe.
    
    Religion is suppose to enable you to grow, in essense but inreality it will restrict you if you hold on too tightly.

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12. 66

    Ninasvoiceposted 12 years ago

    Religion for me is like law. It is a form of control that causes wars, destruction and chaos between opposing religions. All of this results in lives lost.

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    followthestrayposted 12 years ago

    When I was a little girl my grandpa said to me, "God is energy" and then suddenly everything made sense.
    
    Energy can neither be created nor destroyed.  It touches everything, we can break it down into little molecules, but we cannot explain what it is or how it works.
    
    I've had a complicated religious background, but because of this idea, "God is energy," I have always held on to spirituality and the belief that God exists.
    
    Spirituality does not have to be difficult.  You just need to stop analyzing everything and go with what you feel.
    
    As for religion--it can be complicated--very complicated!  But it doesn't have to be.  Religious texts have been used for some dark purposes, but that is not what they were meant for.  The were meant to document history and to offer guidance.
    
    When these texts were written there was no HubPages, no Google, no magazines, or blogs, or any place of the sort where people could just go and find advice.  That's where these texts came in.  When you think of it as the self-help book of the times it starts to make a bit more sense.
    
    That's what I think anyway.

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    annerivendellposted 12 years ago

    It's the dogma of religion that gets to me too. And the "We're right and everyone else is wrong" kinda thing. It causes so much hate and war. There are so many religions in the world, they can't all be wrong and it's unlikely they're all right. None of us knows with certainty what the truth is, we can only go with what we truly feel, and for me that's constantly evolving. I agree with  followthestray , "God" to me is energy, and we are all part of it.

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    1. 85

       CrazedNovelistposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Awesome response!!

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