o/t What's your religion or fave religion? Thoughts brought about by james mclean sto

Possibly not the best time but I'm gunna throw my 2 pence in on a number of issues...

1) I don't have a religion, nor a favourite one. I was raised a Catholic but by the age of about 11/12 I started questioning things that until that point I took as gospel (ban dum chiii). I've seen the amazing work religion has done in communities all over the world, My school goes to France and Peru on Christian Aid based volunteering schemes and regularly raises money for charity. I've done loads of voluntary work since then, so its not a specifically religious thing, but if religion is the motivation for good work then **** it, that makes it great! Militant Atheists are equally as obnoxious and annoying as militant religious preachers, just let people believe what they want and **** up about it!

2) Buddhist do go to war....Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Laos, Vietnam - the religious morals of a religion can always be twisted when important people need less important people to kill!

3) Billy, everyone is free to have their beliefs, but my family are Catholics living in Ireland and most would vote Sinn Fein and consider themselves Republican. They've never fought in the IRA, they've never planted bombs or ran bullets or guns up from the south. They've been beaten up, spat at, and unfortuntely even killed during the troubles. I'm not overly sensitive about it, but I think you need to consider every side of the argument before labeling people mate. Equally, as many of you know, I go to Uni in Belfast and live with a lad who's Dad is in the PSNI (the police) he had to move home a few years back because of paramilitary squads trying to burn down his house...It wasn't the IRA it was the UVF - my point, every side has their scum!

 

So **** me off then.

And let Jacky **** face alone.

 

I will; never back down Syd.

 

xmg lad.

 

This completely!

I don't think I know of a single religion that doesn't suggest that servitude in this life will result in reward in the next:

Buddhism, Sikh (reincarnation dependent on your moral decisions), Christianity, Islam (he who is last on earth will be first in heaven/variations) Hinduism (Karma and Dharma)

What better way to promote subservient 'plebs' than telling them that!?!

 

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Do I bollocks, I hate Republican ****s.

**** them & you.

 

Making a tit of yourself mate, again, sorry but you are.

 

Maybe but I aint following any party line bonny lad.

 

just being nasty and abusive, don't see what party line and decent behaviour have to do with each other. Anyway I'm off now to meet my son and enjoy the football.

 

I'm pagan myself not part of any organised religion just a love and respect for mother earth and all things on her. I do believe that there is a higher being which has many facesand all beliefs lead to it. As for organised religion I believe that they were set up with the right ideas but eventually where and are used to control the populace like every thing else you put power in peoples hands it corrupts.

 

You have stepped way over the line on this one Billy. There's really no need and i feel embarrassed for you.

 

yep

 

Both Catholics and Protestants cause trouble in NI. Seeing the red hand of Ulster posted in that fashion tells me this thread should be stopped. PS I was born Protestant.

 

I'm a Christian but don't consider myself part of any denomination. As far as I'm concerned, Protestantism and Catholicism are two sides of the same coin anyway. I love my faith because it is founded on principles of charity and forgiveness, two aspects which are increasingly essential in today's troubled, and often egocentric world. However, I don't believe in trying to force people to join a particular religion or to abandon religion, I feel as human beings we each have the right to believe what we want. Another point is that I'd never judge anyone based on their faith or lack of faith. I know some complete tossers who claim to be religious and some brilliant people who are atheists, and vice versa. Can't stand people who simply lump others into categories without trying to understand them.

 

One of the funniest posts I've read on here for a while

 

No religion for me. I see it as something that was required to get some order in society at a time when we weren't evolved enough to behave in a manner that would allow us to progress as a civilisation. There are lots of great messages and points of wisdom in just about all religions. They're basically a roadmap to get order in society based on the wisdom gained in our years of existence. I believe the various religions took hold in such a widespread manner because we were more open to it due to not being as advanced in our understandings of the world and being moreorless pretty thick overall. Before any takes that the wrong, I'm not suggesting you are thick now if you believe in some god! I just think its a harder sell nowadays.

I just think our understanding of science has moved on and inevitably because of this, religion has suffered and been highjacked by predators. Hence I think it does as much harm as good now.

I find the whole idea of religion illogical but have no problem with those who have faith as long as its not pushed on others or used for disruptive means. Each to their own basically.

 

Religion is the most disgusting, immoral form of repression ever seen, it poisons humanity and makes normal, moral people do disgusting immoral things behind the guise of the divine, mutilating your children's genitals, sexual repression, blowing yourself up in the name of god, humanity would progress so much quicker if we left this immature fiction behind

 

[video=youtube;pmwBPsB0oaE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmwBPsB0oaE[/video]

In all seriousness though, I can see your point, but I think you're being a bit extreme. Religion does amazing things as well. Maybe its just an anchor, an excuse or a well packaged brand, but if religion helps to improve someone's life, then surely it can be a good thing? If religion helps people get on with their lives or deal with difficult situations, surely it can be a good thing?

 

100% agree, I have never looked at it as being immature but now you have mentioned it, yeah that is a perfect way to describe it.

 

The reason I say immature besides the obvious immaturity of believing in magic (which is what religion is) is because an argument I always hear is, "well even if it's not true, it's comforting and offers hope". It might offer hope but it doesn't make it true, I desperately hope Sunderland will win something, but the fact is that there are many better teams and no matter how much faith or hope I have that we will, it doesn't make it true.

Humans have (scientific fact) existed for at least 90,000 years, all the major religious doctrines say humans came around approx 2000 years ago, that means that for 97/98,000 years that God sat and watched as humans fought over land, women, territory, died at the age of 20 from diseases they didn't even know existed, lived in unimaginable pain from malnutrition, starvation, sickness, dirty water and lack of sanitation, spread devastating viruses like HIV which god himself must logically have created, causing untold pain and suffering, and then he decided, this has to change!

if you believe such lunacy, would you actually want to worship a god who stands and watches this for 97,000 years before acting? That is why religion is an immature and immoral fantasy, a divine north Korea from which you are trapped and have no say in, I would wish it upon no one