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What are your religious views?

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by dyl pickle, Feb 16, 2017.

  1. Mysteria

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    I very much believe in God and Goddess, the afterlife, spirits of various types, etc. Until very recently, I was traditional Catholic. Now I'm tentatively practicing Wicca.
     
  2. Hunter8

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    I'm a Christian who still has much to learn, but Jesus is always there to teach me new lessons on a daily basis. I recognize I'm a sinner and need grace every day, but I try my best to live a life submitted to God's will. It is my deepest hope that by developing a stronger relationship with Him that I will be able to better love others.
     
  3. CrossTheField

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    Am a fanatic non-believer of and in any god and godliness, and, a fanatic non-believer of all and any that is supernatural, trans-sensual, and xtra-material. We come from blood and go to our end with worms (or, as dust, ha ha). LOVE gods, angels, churches, and LOVE any worship of god, the heavens, the ethereal, and any worship of any other-worldliness. DO NOT BELIEVE ANY OF IT. As Madalyn Murray O'Hair says, believe what you do and leave me alone. There must be the freedom to doubt it all as well as the freedom to doubt anything else. Plus, there must be the freedom to work against the doctrinal. That includes all doctrine, be it spiritual, medical, or so-call it scientific. [not actual quote, please note.]
     
    #103 CrossTheField, May 23, 2017
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  4. Nachtmahr

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    I don’t hold any religious views at all. I am an antitheist/antireligious atheist.
     
  5. silverdeer

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    I used to be a Christian for the exact reason you mentioned.. a coping mechanism. I also every now and then have a breakdown because I will think about death too much.
    As for my mom.. she has always kind of been Christian but she became more of a Christian to help her deal with her life and it kind of tied her in for good.

    Anyways I finally told myself that I need to choose what I believe based on what I think and not what comforts me. Not only that but after reading more of the Bible I realized I didn't believe it so there's that too.
     
  6. Unlovedbi

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    I grew up Pentecostal, my parents are pastors and I do believe in Christ. I believe that God loved us so much he gave us his son, so who ever believes in him will have everlasting life. I do, but I'm going through a hard time at the moment with everything... as I feel very, very, guilty with this whole internal turmoil. So I still believe in God, I ask Jesus to forgive me every single day for being this way. I still believe in God. I still believe in his Grace and his love for me. Even if I'm all over the place at the moment.
     
  7. Hunter8

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    Unlovedbi, your username on here is ironic because you ARE indeed very much loved. Just know that when you feel like your whole world is collapsing around you, that is when God draws nearest. I can tell that your heart belongs to Jesus, and nothing can separate you from that precious love. I believe with all of my heart that He is especially fond of you, and He is doing and will do great things in your life. Our beliefs are very similar, so if you ever wish to talk more, I am here! :slight_smile:
     
    #107 Hunter8, May 25, 2017
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  8. AJ56

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    I don't know, really. I used to tell others I'm Christian but there's just too many things that doesn't make sense. I have started to question certain things over time:

    Why are some children born with serious health problems? That's not fair. They got handed a bad deal

    Why would a loving god punish LGBT people for being who they are? It's completely contradictory to what the faith teaches, which is love and acceptance.

    If a young person dies, people say "It must have been their time." Their time? No, it isn't. They should not have died. Everyone should be able to live a long life. Once again, not fair.

    It's questions like these which have made me skeptical about God. I identify as agnostic at the moment.
     
  9. Hunter8

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    AJ56, I highly recommend that you watch The Shack (or read the book), which is out in stores on Tuesday of next week. It does an incredible job of explaining why suffering exists in this world and why things happen that are unfair. Plus, it's also just one heck of a story.

    You're right about children getting sick and dying young not being fair. It wasn't fair that so many innocent people died Monday when all they wanted to do was go to an Ariana Grande concert. But they did die. Kids do get sick and die young. We want a world with no suffering in it, but that world right now doesn't exist. Ever since Sin entered into the perfect world that God had initially created, that world and everyone encompassed in it became contaminated and compromised. Death was not initially a part of the plan at all, but Sin brought that terrible curse among us. No one is immune from it--not even children.

    The hope of Christ is that one day this world will be renewed. Creation itself will be healed, diseases will be eradicated, and the dead will live again. All that is wrong will be made right, and God himself will dwell among us. The way this divine rescue mission is accomplished is through what Jesus suffered on the cross. So suffering played an integral role in bringing this absolute healing about. So while suffering is painful in this life, good things can come of it. Great things even.
     
  10. Unlovedbi

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    Thank you. :slight_smile:
     
  11. Kenaz

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    I think exploring deeply metaphysical and existential philosophical questions as well as religious exploration is wonderful. I sometimes struggle with the human faults and where we fall short as human institutions.

    However, I always love ideas, actions, or people who promote Love. The God is Love approach, seen in many different cultures and traditions, has always been my favorite. It always makes my full being feel 'right.' Logically and emotionally, as well as in practice, it appears Good.

    In the realm of Christianity, even Catholicism, there are priests and monks such as James Martin and Richard Rohr that come to mind, even though some Catholics do not like it. Many do not even like the current Pope. However, I think they make some good points. If you have time, and care to, consider reading or listening to some of their publications.
     
    #111 Kenaz, May 26, 2017
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  12. angeluscrzy

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    I'm an atheist, plain and simple.
     
  13. BothWaysSecret

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    I was raised as a Roman Catholic, and still consider myself to be one to this day.

    My family was never super-religious, but we do go to church and observe some practices such as abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, etc. There are some beliefs we follow and others we chose to take our own way. For example, while our church is notorious for being anti-LGBT, we've always felt if God didn't want people to be gay, He wouldn't have made them that way, so my family has always been very supportive of LGBT individuals.

    I was closer to God growing up, since I went to Catholic school from first to twelfth grade. However, in more recent years, my faith and closeness have diminished, but have not disappeared, and I wouldn't want them to ever go away completely.
     
    #113 BothWaysSecret, May 29, 2017
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  14. Winter Maiden

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    I'm an anti-theist atheist. I think religions are pointless and even despise some like the Abrahamic religions for example.
     
  15. Shoei Loei

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    This ^
    I was baptized Christian as a baby, and most of my family would say they are Christian/believers in God (not avid Christians though). However, I was never brought up with religion...I've been to church about 5 times, and I've just never aligned myself with any religion or religious beliefs. My family is pretty accepting of who I am though, as far as my atheism goes, and they don't push anything on me. As long as I'm a good person, they don't mind, and I'm the same way with them. :thumbsup:
     
  16. Agnostic atheist. I acknowledge that I could be wrong, but I don't believe in a god or the supernatural or anything like that.
     
  17. Winter Maiden

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    *high five*