What do you believe?

I saw a thread asking about people's jobs the other day, and it seemed to get a pretty good response. But I'm curious about the spiritual makeup here at Antionline. What do you believe? Are you a Christian, Hindu, Jew, New Age, atheist, don't care, etc.? I'll start off. I am a Christian and a United Methodist. But what do you believe?

Nothing, its easier. ;)

I am not religious. This does not preclude a belief in God, I just don't susbscribe to anyone's ideas. I respect others choices as well, and do not force my belief (or lack of it ;) ) on anyone. So , yeah I believe in God, but stay as far as I can from religion.

I do not preclude to religeon or rather "organized" religeon. I believe in God and all that it entwines. We all believe a little differently in the practice of our worship. So I believe in live and let live as a state of being. I respect all beliefs and practices. As long as it does'nt become militant. In basic terms. I won't hold one's beliefs against them as long as they don't hold mine against me. As well, don't try to force it down my throat. I can agree to disagree, but an arguement is mute.

>- :D -<

I'm Muslim........ ;)

I'm gonna have to echo gold eagle and Apocalypse on this one. Organized religion hasn't gotten us any closer to God if you ask me.

Well, preacherman, I am going to have to go with you on this one, as I am also Christian, and United Methodist as well! :p
As for the seemingly general feeling of ill will towards organized religion, I have to say that you can only go with the pack for so long. You have to find a denomination, AND a particular church that satifies your needs. Just because I am Methodist does not mean that I am happy with any Methodist church that I walk into. The church I belong to is like an extended family. But then it is a very very small church, and it suits me...To each his own.
It makes me sad to hear people immediately reject God and all organized religion simply because they have had a bad experience with one church, or even worse, have heard bad things, and haven't even experienced it for themselves. It can bring a sense of happiness and fulfillment to your life, regardless of how happy or unhappy your life is otherwise. It can be a constant, in an everchanging world.

I have studied many, have found 'truth' with many, and have rejected many (often co-dependantly)...
In practice, I don't claim anything in particular, in arguements, I observe, with objectivity in mind...
There is much to be learned in this life by just looking around you and seeing how people, including yourself, act, think, and respond...sadly enough, most of us (including myself) are machined by our perspective and the content of our experiences...
That is a fragile glass... Do i presume that anyone is wrong in their beliefs? Certainly not. Do i presume that i am right in mine? Never.
Live to realize...suspicion and arrogance is the bane of all faith...if you have faith in something, so be it...if you have nothing to wonder about, you are already dead...
Even if your faith is only hope, live in it...you are better off than some...

Personally, my life is my hope, my faith...i strive to live up to my own expectations, and those of my children...after that, it's irrelevant...
There is a power in all of us, that we have been instructed/educated/sermoned to ignore...the power of OUR minds in particular...neither you nor I serve any 'greater good'...that prospect lives in us, not anything or anyone else...preachers, soothsayers, books, buildings...all irrelevant...

Take your life 'as is' and drive it onward to the next generation...and hope that you have some 'truth' or 'knowledge' to instill the generations to come...nevermind what others tell you to think...

Ouroboros

i believe in God and most of the bible (although some is miswriteen or mistranslated). but i do not suscribe to organized religion.

well "preacherman481" ...I am protestant and hmm well u know ...i actually dont belive in this thing called religion....i mean look around the world man .......people fight in the name of religion ....i hate to say it ....its bullshit man !!!!!! Hmm .......i belive in GOD ...but not in the way u say it....i mean following one religion ...i belive in the force or the energy or the love ....etc as GOD ........i know it seems stupid to u ....but what the heck man ....i dont care about anyone ....everyone has their freedom of beliefs and i dont like imposing my ideas on other ....I am least bothered about what u are and what u do .........leave like a human man ....thats the religion i believe in ........i do agree with "gold eagle"...like his ideas .......

Personally, I define myself as a Christian.

I was brought up as Roman Catholic, but I have major objections to the institution that is the Catholic Church.

I don't think we should blame religion for the acts of the institutions that represent this religion.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents

Cheers,

BrainStop

I really try to adopt a zen-buddhistic way of life even if it doesn't work.

I'm having a hard time beliving in fate or God as some sort of person or character even though I sometimes wich I was christian as it seems really nice to alway have God to lean upon.

Thanks for the responses people. I'm reading them. Keep 'em coming!

somewhat zen-like

... kinda like the jedi in starwars, but i dont think you can move things , and read thoughts and impose thoughts and so forth... just the generalistic teachings behind it. (it was based off of buddhism and zen i think)

everything origionates from one thing, that thing is called existence
everything is connected in some way because of this (kinda like the mother/child thing)

I do not believe in God, I believe in things that are more realistic to me.
Things I can see and touch. I am also opened minded enough to let
my children decide for themselves what they want to believe in
and if they want to go to church.

i used to belive in god but as most of the religions say "there is only one god", and you see people fighting over religion just makes me fell to be left out. also i dont judge other people on what religion they follow and i dont like to be judged either on wether i belive in god or not. i can think for myself, and dont need to be a part of the majority.

i am thinking of becoming an anarchist. is that even a religion??

Anarchy is a religion as much as it is a political philosophy (Alough one could argue that the concept of god is a little facist :) )

I don't really describe myself as having any religion, although I don't believe in god. I'm me, and that's enough.

I believe that every ones god is god, like the parable of three blind men describing an elephant...

god appears to every one in a way that they can comprehend and anyone who believes that only his/her version is the correct one then here I’ll have to disagree. If indeed, a deity created everything, then that deity has to be beyond our comprehension and any attempt at defining such a being cannot be correct for we are limited to that which we know. How can we possibly have knowledge of something beyond existence.

In ancient times the syllables YHVH, or ‘yod heh vah heh’ where used to represent god. Later this was interpreted to be ‘the secret name of god’ and pronounced Jehovah but these four syllables, which cannot be pronounced together, were used to show that god cannot be named. For to name something is to define it and we are not capable of defining god.

Jesus is god, Buddha is god, Allah is god and all teach the truth.

I used to be open minded but my brain started
leaking out through the holes.
:cool: