The "All New" Let's Debate Religion Thread

In Buddhism, God plays no part at all…there’s nothing that says there is no God, and there is nothing that says there is a God.
Well, I believe there is a God, but I believe no one can prove it…so that’s kinda like agnosticism, but I also believe in Buddhist practices.
I have several books on Buddhism, and have done much research, so I think I have a pretty good grasp…as far as I know, Buddhism has nothing to do with God at all.

Some Buddhists believe in reincarnation, because you live as many lives as you need to before you reach enlightenment. When you reach enlightenment, that is your last life on Earth, and then you reach Nirvana.
…in a nutshell.

It makes me happy to see that you know what you’re talking about, Mr. Potter. There are quite a few people at school (and everywhere I go, it seems) that cling to something that they know nothing about (whether religion, music, etc…)

I wish you good luck with everything.

Metta
-Evan

That’s kind of how I am, with Christianity…I believe in a higher power, but I don’t know anything about it, and I know that I can never know…however, I think that the morals in Christianity/Islam/almost all the major religions are what everyone should live their life by.

That is exactly what you are supposed to do in my opinion. Religion means nothing; I’ve met good and bad people from several different religions. What matters is doing what is right and better for society, such as helping people in need, creating a positive aura about you, and not starting religious threads in nice forums.

Thats pretty intriguing stuff. I do know that there are several famous buddist in the mainstream, and I have always heard that they are very “peaceful” people!:slight_smile:

Not to pick on you Mr. Potter, but I don’t quite understand how a Westerner arrives at Buddhism. For me, Christianity is the dominant Western way to understand God. So, since I am undoubtedly a product of the Western way of thinking, trying to understand God or the metaphysical realm (or whatever you want to call It) via an Eastern religion such as Buddhism or Islam seems so foreign to the way I think that I see little point in trying (at least on a personal, practical level). In my mind, to do so would be akin to deciding to relocate to Siberia immediately in spite of my immense ignorance of the language and culture. Whether I like it or not, I am inseparable from the culture I am part of. So, without immersing myself in Eastern culture, I don’t think I’d even have a chance at grasping what it really means to be Buddhist or Muslim.

One step closer to the “there are no absolutes” trap eh?

If you just want to be spiritual without defining god, then be spiritual. You don’t need Buddhism to do it. Study Buddhist ideas and play along with the ones you agree with, but don’t call yourself a Buddhist.

Nah, there’s certainly absolutes…however, I believe that, while on Earth, it is impossible to truly know what these absolutes are.

Are you absolutely sure?

:slight_smile:

Nope. Maybe some people do know “the truth.” But several people have claimed this, including Jesus Christ, Moses, Muhammad, Buddha, Joseph Smith, etc.
So, which am I to believe?

I’ve noticed that a lot of atheists seem to have pent-up anti-religious feelings. Some are downright hostile. And their “button” has a hairpin trigger. I can understand and relate to that. It is at times frustrating to live in an “insane” world (a world where most people believe in something that so obviously isn’t true). In a world that shoves God in your face at every turn (it’s on money, it’s in the Pledge of Allegience, people assume you believe, people “bless you” when you sneeze, and on and on – without even getting into the long list of atrocities committed throughout history in the name of God).

I also feel that those feelings eventually run their course (and at least diminish, if not disappear). After a while, you get tired of feeling that way. And you become more accepting – the world just is the way it is. Maybe discussing it on these forums is theraputic. Let it out. But don’t lash out at individual people.

Do the believers ever think about what it’s like to be an atheist in a predominantly theist world? Like being a lefty in a world designed for righties.

Also, what do the believers believe and think about atheists? Are we going to hell? Are we without moral compass? How do you feel about us? Is there acceptance, hostility, tolerance, understanding, pity? Friendship? Avoidance?

I’ve noticed that too. It makes me wonder if they’re really just rebelling against theism in anger rather than honestly considering what it means to be an atheist. If the former, then I don’t think they’re any better off than the religious fundamentalists that don’t think about what they believe.

I believe atheists are wrong, but I like them anyway. I like that they balance out the overzealous religious fanatics. I like that they force me to clarify what I believe too.

They go away.

One thing I have discovered in my lifetime is that every Atheist I have ever personally known, or who was a “friend of a friend”, were pretty highly intelligent and articulate people. That being said, doesnt mean I think we should jump on the bandwagon and become atheists because of that observation. I have done quite a bit of psychology study, and one of the first things you learn in psychology is “critical thinking”. Which in a nut shell means, if you are going to be a good psycholoy student, you should never take anything on Faith. And of course we know that without faith, you will never believe in God. The intelligent factor may not be there with all atheists, it has just been my experience that this is the truth of the ones I have known.

Hi there everyone,

I was thinking the other night about why i was so against organised religion. Like UNI57 and Podzol i considered if it was just some sort of rebellion against my parents (both staunch catholics), or the fact that religion has been the basis of so much needless death and hatred. Or it could be that in a world full of “theists”, that partake in religions that at their core profess good things,…there is still so much needless death, hunger, greed etc.

After a while i came to the conclusion that organised religion was man made, and therefore had all the flaws of man. It is a reprocussion of our highly evolved scientific mind which deals in Cause/effect binaries. Lived experience is the effect…so there must have been a cause for it- UP SPRINGS RELIGION to explain this void in our knowledge.
I am not anti religion…but i am anti-hypocricy. I am all for people that find some kind of solace in religion, or use that as a way to get the best out of themselves.

As for me i feel like a kid that has found out that santa Clause does not exist…and from this point fowards, no matter how hard i try, forgetting what i know to believe in that nice comforting fantasy is simply foolish.

mark

I grew out of my anti-religion anger along time ago. It does tend to pop up, however, when douchebags try to base legislation on it or are hypocrytical about it.

For instance, no Christian can be for the death penalty and not be a hypocrite. Bush won’t give africa condoms, gays can’t marry, people are trying to make abortions illegal, etc - it’s all a Christian agenda and I hate that. People need to keep their religion out of laws that affect me. Until you can PROVE God, you should NOT be able to make laws that affect me based on him.

Nope. It comes from a down-deep inside feeling of superiority. Most of us won’t admit it, but I get the same feeling looking at people struggling with a mathematical calculation a 10 year old could do. I’m not proud of feeling that way, certainly not. It’s just the way I am. I can usually hide the feelings of utmost frustration, but it gets harder on the internet. I’m just an atheist because I’ve worked with science for too long (even at 19) to be able to believe in God. Take one quick look at the Maxwell equations, and you’ll know it too.

Isn’t that a bit like saying “I play the saxaphone and don’t currently know how to play guitar or drums. This means that I can never play guitar or drums without getting rid of my saxaphone.”

If God is music, my saxaphone is western religion and guitar/drums are eastern religions.

They don’t.