All Encompassing Are You Religious and Why Thread

Originally Posted by Kymmy

Begs the question are there religions without a deity?

Buddhism.

imho, some contributors to this thread are antitheist, rather than atheist.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Hugh

Buddhism.
.

Bhuddhism is more a philosophy ,

Bhuddism does not require the follower to have blind faith or worship a deity.

Bhuddism is search for inner sprituality and self discovery, rather than being dictated to by an all powerful god.

http://www.buddhanet.net/nutshell03.htm

[Anonymouse]

I'm atheist - I always have been and have never seen any reason whatsoever to alter my position. Certain religions do get my goat, JW especially after that business where a 15-year-old girl was allowed to die by her parents because a routine operation she needed would have necessitated a transfusion. Sheer barbarism. Why didn't anyone ask her what she wanted? Had I been the doctor in charge of her case, I'd have treated her anyway and risked being struck off; I can't see how s/he could live with the knowledge that that poor girl died needlessly, for nothing, when they had everything they needed to save her...except for a society that wouldn't permit such crimes to occur. There was no excuse, none at all.

Right, that's enough of the rant; back O/T.

All these prophets claiming to know the will of the Almighty who created the entire Universe - no, I'm sorry but that's just unbridled arrogance. Who did they think they were?! As Bill Hicks said re the people reinterpreting the Bible to say what they reckon God meant, "I've never been that confident."

"Oh, my Me! I've left pot growing everywhere! If the humans see that, they'll think they're supposed to use it!"

Originally Posted by Hugh

tbf, we are counting the angels on the head of a pin here..

I always thought that Atheism was disbelief in the existence of God(s), rather than a lack of faith in them (whatever that means....).

That's my understanding of the meaning of the term atheist. I say there are no gods. However I believe in everything else including intangibles such as love and hatred.

Originally Posted by Pierre

I see nothing in the world or universe that says to me that this was all created by a supernatural being, that isn't a belief, it's an observation.

but it's an observation you believe

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by Russ

As I said, the poll is very flawed and too restrictive.

It also perhaps should have been multiple choice?

I can't honestly put myself into a single category.. I have doubts as to a god but believe that any religion is as real as those who believe in it.. Also I'm open to religion as such being explained away (or proven) by either explanations that we can't understand or haven't yet discovered or the possibility that science will dismiss all religion with irrefutable proof in the future.

I've had enough labels put on me in my 42 (nearly 43) years of existence that these days I don't worry too much about labels (that is if I exist at all as I could simple be a figment of some aliens imagination in another dimension????)

[papa smurf]

is pedantry a religion ?

Originally Posted by martyh

but it's an observation you believe

That's where I got confused after Chris' post. I think the difference is what is underpinning that belief, faith or a lack thereof.

---------- Post added at 17:15 ---------- Previous post was at 17:09 ----------

Originally Posted by Kymmy

I can't honestly put myself into a single category.. I have doubts as to a god but believe that any religion is as real as those who believe in it.. Also I'm open to religion as such being explained away (or proven) by either explanations that we can't understand or haven't yet discovered or the possibility that science will dismiss all religion with irrefutable proof in the future.

That, to me, would be classed as agnosticism. I am not sure what you mean by 'I believe that any religion is as real as those who believe in it', the religion is real but the belief in a deity doesn't become and more or less real dependent on the number of people who believe it.

Also, it's very very unlikely science will ever dismiss religion with irrefutable proof. As I said, science can only act on the material world and even then it can't really prove everything because there is always the possibility that something new will come along and blow everything out of the water.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by martyh

but it's an observation you believe

It's a lot like where some people say there are monsters.
those that don't believe are making an observation that they believe otherwise.

it's the same with fairies.

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

is pedantry a religion ?

If it is then I think we have some of it's biggest acolytes here amongst us.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by Kymmy

It also perhaps should have been multiple choice?

I gave my suggestions for more appropriate multiple choices at http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/35329619-post38.html

Originally Posted by Kymmy

I can't honestly put myself into a single category.. I have doubts as to a god but believe that any religion is as real as those who believe in it.. Also I'm open to religion as such being explained away (or proven) by either explanations that we can't understand or haven't yet discovered or the possibility that science will dismiss all religion with irrefutable proof in the future.

I think a far more agreeable way to look at things is that science explains the 'how', a belief system/faith/whatever explains the 'why'.

[Kymmy]

Originally Posted by Damien

That, to me, would be classed as agnosticism. I am not sure what you mean by 'I believe that any religion is as real as those who believe in it', the religion is real but the belief in a deity doesn't become and more or less real dependent on the number of people who believe it.

Also, it's very very unlikely science will ever dismiss religion with irrefutable proof. As I said, science can only act on the material world and even then it can't really prove everything because there is always the possibility that something new will come along and blow everything out of the water.

If someone believes something is real who am I to doubt their belief, but I have my own viewpoint and although a lot of science is theoretical the scientists believe in the theory yet it doesn't make me a scientist nor do I know that the theory is correct

As for science proving religion is right or wrong well we might as well believe the earth is the centre of the universe because that's the way god made it..

In simple terms what we believe and what we know can change as time goes by and that change is sometimes beyond our control.. My viewpoint is that change is inevitable so it's best to have an open mind. That's not agnostic especially as I accept other peoples beliefs as well as my own even if they conflict

---------- Post added at 19:48 ---------- Previous post was at 19:35 ----------

So my final word is that if it was a multiple choice vote then I simple would have ticked all three choices

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by martyh

but it's an observation you believe

FFS, any chance of an intelligent discussion here. Just what is the point you are trying to make?

I don't need to believe it, I know it.

Again, during these type of discussions about religion people need to separate the religious meaning of faith, belief etc from the normal one.

Originally Posted by Pierre

FFS, any chance of an intelligent discussion here. Just what is the point you are trying to make?

I don't need to believe it, I know it.

Again, during these type of discussions about religion people need to separate the religious meaning of faith, belief etc from the normal one.

aside from being a little bit civil to other members if it's not too much trouble i would ask how the hell can you possibly know something that has not been proven one way or the other in about 4,000 yrs ,some people believe that a deity exists and some people believe that one does not absolutely no-one including you knows that one does or does not

Originally Posted by Kymmy

If someone believes something is real who am I to doubt their belief, but I have my own viewpoint and although a lot of science is theoretical the scientists believe in the theory yet it doesn't make me a scientist nor do I know that the theory is correct [/reply]

You don't have to doubt their belief. I don't. It's just we're discussing what we individually think.

As for science, their theories are tested and retested. You can see it in action every day. The theory of relativity helps your SatNav work while evolution can been seen on a small scale in viruses and bacteria whilst having a ample amount of evidence to back it up in the long term. None of this has to conflict with religion but it's a reason why I don't believe science requires any sort of faith.

[reply]In simple terms what we believe and what we know can change as time goes by and that change is sometimes beyond our control.. My viewpoint is that change is inevitable so it's best to have an open mind. That's not agnostic especially as I accept other peoples beliefs as well as my own even if they conflict

I accept peoples' beliefs, I just don't share their belief. You can keep an open mind whilst maintaining a belief in something. I am an atheist but if there was evidence of a god then I would change that (admittedly I am pretty convinced that will never happen). If your more open to the existence of a god but you have doubts then that is a textbox definition of a agnostic.

You can't be all three however, you can't be a theist and a atheist, they are mutually exclusive.