Another religion thread

All religion is metaphorical, and should be understood as so. I love greek mythology, and would enjoy other religions as works of fiction if they were not taken so literally.
I don't believe in any form of deity.

 

I'm not religious anymore, but I used to be. I liked the story in which Jesus couldn't decide how to deal with an adulterous wife, and he simply turned to the crowd and said "He who is without sin, cast the first stone." (Or something along those lines)

 

I will shove my beliefs in your face and you will like it. :3

 

a sense of community.

 

This.
Also, strength to move forward even when the future seems dark.

 

Never having been into religion, I've never really absorbed any of the information from the bible, or it's teachings. However, a priest once taught me a magic trick. So. There you go. I consider that a wise ability.

From what I've read on other controversial religion threads, the mutual concepts between religions seem to be treating people as you want to be treated, being a do-hooded, and not littering. All, of which I think are great. Of course, these values don't have to be taught via religion, but I do think it's a decent medium for it.

 

i am not very religious either, but the ideal of most religions is the fair, helpful and confident person, who is able to axhieve alot alone by will. Impersonally have used those characteristics as guidelines a few times.

 

I felt this as well when I was a more "practicing" member of my parents' religion.

However, I sort of lost it when I felt that the community would reject me if they discovered my sexuality, especially when our deacon would rail against homosexuality in his sermons. -_- He was the only one who did, but it didn't exactly make me feel welcome.

 

Religion is what you believe in not what people tell you. You don't have to visit the church to be a religious person. Religion was used and is still being use as a excuse to start wars.

 

It's true, you don't, but it was that sense of community that I wanted from visiting the church. I stopped going because too often church was tied with politics and such. I don't want to sit there and hear the priest endorse Republican politics or complain about homosexuality. We had one excellent priest who would do nothing more than interpret the Biblical readings and how they applied to our lives--I guess that's asking too much.

 

Whether you believe it or not, Judaism taught me that there is someone, God, out there who created me and everyone, and that if he created me gay that is who I am and to change that would be unthinkable. I find some comfort in that, even though I'm not very religious.

 

I tend to adopt certain points of view. I went to a meeting for Hinduistic people, and the topic was about the fact that everything is for your own ego. It was very interesting. (Yeah I've been to meetings of religions out of curiosity )

I'm not religious at all (atheist: secular humanist), but I like to hear different points of view, and understand them. I'm curious how people think, what kind of reasons they have for their believes. It's usually not illogical at all. I want to know why they think that way, and in what way it effects their lifestyle. Rather than trying to argue with them, I try to listen, understand, and explain my own points of view. =) These types of conversations can become very philosophical.

I find religions highly fascinating and I think we can learn a lot from the psychology that goes behind it.

 

The live and let live and nature loving mentalities of some religions.

 

I take Jesus' teachings to heart. No, he didn't say anything about homosexuality. He did say a lot about helping the poor, sick, and hungry. He's very inspirational.

I can't say I'm a "Christian", but on a scale of 1-10, 1 being atheist and 10 being theistic, I'd say 6 or 7.

 

Skaros, I agree that it's indeed very inspirational. Unfortunately (to me) he did say that we should not neglect the Old Testament, and unfortunately that one is filled with quite some hatred. =\

 

The only thing I take from religion is how easy it is to convince people of literally anything if it includes surviving your own death and burning people you don't like forever.