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Looking for a religion

Discussion in 'General Support and Advice' started by nichison, Jan 13, 2014.

  1. nichison

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    So recently I have been looking for a religion, I have been an atheist for the last four years and a christian before that and something has felt missing. I'm not very educated in religion and I don't know if there is one I should/can follow.

    The religion has to be accepting of lgbt people (obviously), encourage free thinking and just freedom and liberation in general, and rather then have punishment for sin, have learning from mistakes.

    Anyone know of a god/religion that meets these?
     
  2. Argentwing

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    Does it have to be a shopping trip for an established religion? I've found it's best to develop your beliefs from all information that comes to you, then if you need the fellowship that comes from being with others who share it, find a religion that has the most in common.

    But from a total shot in the dark, Buddhism* is always a good bet. :slight_smile:

    Not really a religion with worship of a god, per se, but it is a path to oneness with the universe.
     
  3. SemiCharmedLife

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    I come from a relatively progressive denomination of Judaism, and a lot of what you're saying sounds familiar. There's no emphasis on sin and hell and damnation--there's almost no mention of the afterlife at all. Instead, the way to atone for mistakes is to make amends with the people you wronged and focus on how you can help yourself act more ethically in the future.

    Unlike some other religions, the words of the Torah aren't taken literally, and a lot of our customs come from scholars and commentators over the years who have written explanations and interpretations of the words in the Torah. You're not going to see a whole lot of Jewish scholars using the line from Leviticus as the final word on homosexuality, other than the most fervently Orthodox, which I'm not.

    Speaking of the Jewish stance on LGBT issues, the more progressive the denomination and the congregation, the more welcoming. I think there are several temples in the US that cater to an LGBT population, though I have not been to one myself. Most non-Orthodox clergy will officiate same-sex weddings.

    I'm happy to talk more about this if you like. Feel free to post on my wall or reply here.
     
  4. BookDragon

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    I've got to ask, and please don't take this the wrong way, but what makes you think taking on an actual organised religion is the thing to do as opposed to anything else in the world?

    Don't get me wrong, if you feel that's something you want for whatever reason you go for it, I'm just curious as to what would draw you towards it since I've only ever felt the need to get away from it! :slight_smile:
     
  5. Mogget

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    A lot of religious organizations offer introductory-type classes for seekers, check those out. In general a religion's official beliefs will matter less than how a particular religious organization embodies those beliefs.
     
  6. nichison

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    It just feels like something is missing from my life that would give it a purpose. I can't really explain it.
     
  7. BookDragon

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    Fair enough, but if you DO happen to find the words to explain it please share them :slight_smile:
     
  8. apostrophied

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    Well, there are 1000 flavors of Christianity, including gay-friendly ones. And Jesus paid for our sins, so there's no punishment there. As for free-thought, my understanding is that it shares a positive correlation with the level of liberalism of the particular denomination you choose.
     
  9. dano218

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    Hi. I am glad you decided to look into Religion. I am a believer in Christ and I don't believe in Religion. I don't believe in it because I personally think it draws people away from God and Christianity. Religion was created by the people and Jesus abhorred the religious calling them hypocrites and bigots. The bible was written by man and translated to fit the needs of certain people and the real text says nothing about condemning homosexuality. Believing in God has nothing to do with religion and God does not want us to be a part of religion because all churches do is brainwash and turn the truth around to fit their needs. It is corrupt. What I personally believe is that all you need to do is believe in Jesus and God with all your heart and you will be saved from your sins and go to heaven when you die. You don't have to attend any church in order to do that. God Bless you.
     
  10. nichison

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    Ok, I should mention this. Christianity is a massive no for me. I tried believing in it and I just can't.
     
  11. BookDragon

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    When you say you tried believing in it, and couldn't...what couldn't you do...believe in the christian god, couldn't get behind the philosophy...?
     
  12. dano218

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    Okay I understand. Why is christianity a massive no for you? What religions are of interest to you. I don't mean to pry and I am not trying to force my beliefs on you I am just wondering.
     
  13. ember

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    I would say if no organized religion suits your beliefs... just don't go with one. Just believe what you want to believe and go with it.
     
  14. nichison

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    To reply to both Otaku and dano, I can't do Christianity for two reasons

    1. I have an extremely hard time beleiving in the Christian god and the things said in the bible. Not to offend anyone here, but they are abhorrent to me and I don't understand them.

    2. I have seen firsthand the hatred of the non religious that some Christians (not all, but some) have. It seems like every time I hear about someone hating on the lgbt community, it's Christians.
     
  15. BookDragon

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    1. Sorry if this sounds condescending, but I have to ask, have you read the bible, like, all the way through, or are you basing this off things you've heard. I ask, because while I agree that the old testament is a bit grim, sizeable amounts of the new testament are perfectly fine. Jesus was, (if he was anything) pretty on the ball when it came to being a nice guy, and I say that as an anti-theist. Just curious what you found to be so disagreeable towards the end.

    2. I think if you are ruling out christianity based on the actions of some christians, your chances of finding a religion are precisely zero. In fact, your chances of finding ANYTHING is zero, religious people don't hold a monopoly on being dicks. You can go through every religion on the planet essentially and find a selection of people who think you are wrong just for being you. Just the same as you could walk into any non-religious group and do the same.
     
    #15 BookDragon, Jan 14, 2014
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2014
  16. nichison

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    Im not ruling out Christianity because of the people, thats just a big issue I have with it. As I said in my original post, I've already tried beleiving Christianity, it just wasn't for me.

    As for your first question, I have not read the bible in it's entirety, but I have read various passages, both good and bad. Some of the things said just seem hateful to me, mostly old testament.
     
  17. BookDragon

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    Then you're not going to enjoy any of the other mainstream religions, because they contain just as much hateful and nice stuff as the bible.
     
  18. nichison

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    Okay, I didn't know if there was a religion that wasn't like that, I'll do some thinking and maybe I'll find a religion that I'm happy with. If not, I'll just stick with my beleifs and not really follow a certian religion.
     
  19. BookDragon

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    Well the thing is for the most part, even if you found one that made SOME sense, most of it won't. I mean I can tell you lots of nice things about various Indic religions which might suit you philosophically but are you really going to go and adopt the cultural aspects as well?

    You're far better off figuring it out for yourself and if you feel there's a deity of some description, dealing with it however seems right to you rather than trying to apply standards of practice that will never make perfect sense to you anyway!
     
  20. dano218

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    It is important to note that the bible was written by man not by God. It has been mistranslated and misused so therefore most bibles are not accurate. I understand your problem with "homophobic" christians and believe me I dislike as much as you and you should know that there are different kinds of christians not just hateful ones.