All-Purpose Religion Thread

[blandy]

2 minutes ago, Follyfoot said:

have your views wavered now at all

Not to answer for Mike, but has any evidence changed or arisen to indicate that this God person exists?

[bobzy]

4 minutes ago, Follyfoot said:

At the time of this thread, you were a man and his late 50s, (so I’m led to believe).
 

Now it is 11 years later and you are older and closer to the Pearly Gates, as happens to us all, have your views wavered now at all Mike?

Maybe hoping there may be something about it, and maybe a longing for the concept to be real. I know several people who have now they have aged coming from a pretty similar position to yours initially.
 

Genuinely interested.

It would make sense as, to me, the only "point" of religion is having that faith that you'll be OK after death.  That you're not just gone forever; there's something else.

[Follyfoot]

14 minutes ago, blandy said:

Not to answer for Mike, but has any evidence changed or arisen to indicate that this God person exists?

Not at all, but that would not be the driver in this instance would it. More the human psyche for self preservation 

[mjmooney]

52 minutes ago, Follyfoot said:

At the time of this thread, you were a man and his late 50s, (so I’m led to believe).
 

Now it is 11 years later and you are older and closer to the Pearly Gates, as happens to us all, have your views wavered now at all Mike?

Maybe hoping there may be something about it, and maybe a longing for the concept to be real. I know several people who have now they have aged coming from a pretty similar position to yours initially.
 

Genuinely interested.

Not. A. **** ing. Chance. 

[fruitvilla]

1 hour ago, bobzy said:

faith that you'll be OK after death.  That you're not just gone forever

Being gone forever is OK too. Some people, in my case, might argue it is better than OK.

[limpid]

3 hours ago, fruitvilla said:

Being gone forever is OK too. Some people, in my case, might argue it is better than OK.

Live forever in heaven where you can do nothing but worship the evil one running it, or live forever in torture. I'll choose not living forever. Infinity is much scarier than the alternative.

It amazes me that there are people who think that the one that created hell is the good guy, but they haven't usually read their own book.

[fruitvilla]

9 minutes ago, limpid said:

Live forever in heaven where you can do nothing but worship the evil one running it, or live forever in torture. I'll choose not living forever. Infinity is much scarier than the alternative.

It amazes me that there are people who think that the one that created hell is the good guy, but they haven't usually read their own book.

I must admit I struggle to argue whether something is good or bad when I don't believe that something is a coherent possibility. Having said that people can believe strange things. Take 74 million people who thought Trump was worth a second go as president. All the conspiracy theorists, flat earthers, etc. People are gullible, and I wonder what trap I may have fallen into.

[limpid]

5 minutes ago, fruitvilla said:

I must admit I struggle to argue whether something is good or bad when I don't believe that something is a coherent possibility. Having said that people can believe strange things. Take 74 million people who thought Trump was worth a second go as president. All the conspiracy theorists, flat earthers, etc. People are gullible, and I wonder what trap I may have fallen into.

Agreed. But people who have been indoctrinated since birth to believe anything an authority figure says are far easier to manipulate than those taught how to think.

If you think that there might be a trap around an after life, start by considering the evidence for an after life.

[chrisp65]

Quakerism is cool though.

I like the Quakers.

[Xann]

[MakemineVanilla]

37 minutes ago, chrisp65 said:

Quakerism is cool though.

I like the Quakers.

It was a Japanese Quaker who started Sony, who invented the Walkman - so you might be prejudiced!

[fruitvilla]

2 hours ago, limpid said:

If you think that there might be a trap around an after life, start by considering the evidence for an after life.

Like many people, I don't think I am in any trap.

[il_serpente]

I continue to be amazed by people who seem intelligent, thoughtful, composed and generally tuned in to the world in my dealings with them who I later find out are heavily invested in organized religion.   It’s like they flip a switch in their brain when they move between the mundane and the spiritual.  Otherwise, I don’t see how they reconcile their embracing of evidence, science and reason with their belief in sky fairies and officially sanctioned fables pushed by their brand of religion.

[luckyeddie]

I don't see the point of worrying about the after life. If there is one, it's another chance. If there's not, well I'll not be aware. The point that gets me emotional, is the period when you are alive and you know you or your loved ones are dying (not just getting closer to death). When I see people with a terminal illness, I admire their strength and hope I can summon some if I am ever in their position.

[blandy]

10 hours ago, chrisp65 said:

I like the Quakers.

Lovely porridge. Winter’s morning, nip in the air, taken the dog for a walk, frost on the ground, clear blue sky, cobwebs frozen and glistening along the school railings. No wind, a buzzard’s call over past the woods as you walked. You come inside and get your oats. Salty, or maybe with some sticky golden syrup? There must be a God, surely?

[chrisp65]

1 minute ago, blandy said:

Lovely porridge. Winter’s morning, nip in the air, taken the dog for a walk, frost on the ground, clear blue sky, cobwebs frozen and glistening along the school railings. No wind, a buzzard’s call over past the woods as you walked. You come inside and get your oats. Salty, or maybe with some sticky golden syrup? There must be a God, surely?

And chocolate, don’t forget chocolate. All whilst listening to Bonnie Raitt, proof if ever you needed it.

But of course, you don’t need proof. We all have different ways of setting our minds free, it’s all about making sure your method genuinely works for you. I think that’s the bit that I admire with Quakerism, sort your own head out, your way. Don’t rely on being opposed to something else to define yourself.

 

[limpid]

45 minutes ago, luckyeddie said:

When I see people with a terminal illness, I admire their strength and hope I can summon some if I am ever in their position.

This is why I contribute to organisations campaigning for "right to die". It's inhumane to force someone to live with a terminal condition if they don't want to.

[bickster]

15 hours ago, Xann said:

Some truth in that, I'd absolutely be in favour of them changing their model to exactly that

[limpid]

16 hours ago, Xann said:

An atheist is someone who has answered "I'm not convinced" to one question.

This looks more like a religious fever dream.

[PussEKatt]

On 07/09/2023 at 14:35, luckyeddie said:

When I see people with a terminal illness, I admire their strength and hope I can summon some if I am ever in their position.

I know 3 people that were told to get their affairs in order because they only had a certain amount of time left ( one of them was my brother ) and in all 3 cases they all accepted it after an initial period of worry ( thats not exactly the right word )