I'm just wondering, what's gurochan's religious beliefs?
Agnostic with a slight mistrust of religion here. What about everyone else?
...Please, no trolls or drama.
>religious beliefs
>no trolls or drama
Thanks, I got a good laugh out of that.
I'm a borderline Traditionalist - borderline, since I'm quite an illiterate at ancient wisdom and I walk my own ways and find logical fragments fitting into this religion's certain aspects. I would say that I'm a pioneer (and not follower) of the way of the Left Hand.
Atheist, except for Christmas and Easter - Im a very good catholic whenever presents are involved
Atheist, apathetic about religion and I don't give a shit about anyone else's beliefs.
Not even gonna bother.
>>5
That is simply the most honest answer we could ever hope for!
Thanks!
Explosionist. At least, that's what I put on my census.
>>9 I think that's from a song. Or at least it was the first thing that came up in Google.
I'm more of a old school Taoist.
Agnostic. I believe there's something out there, but I don't feel compelled to practice any specific religion and "praise" it.
And Christianity deeply infuriates me.
>>9
As far as I was informed on this matter, the Right Hand is the one that takes and the Left hand is the other that rejects. The way of the Left Hand is when you reap (take) the fruits of Hell - When you use what is given by the natural degradation of reality, descending or rather crumbling from the "upper" astral realm to the "lower" material realm. Traditionalists believe that the vision of evolution and the disappearance of arcane knowledge such as magic are symptoms of this happening. The aim of a traditionalist is to ascend or at least keep his or her altitude, basically gain redemption from the oblivion that would await him after death. Actually, this part isn't clear to me, since I'm not that into it, it's just matching my philosophy at certain key points so I became a little interested - but not as obsessed as to do research aside from asking around at my buddy who's more interested.
agnostic, but i have my own views about how everything works,
used to go to a christian church but i pretty much got bullied out for asking to many questions
Atheist.
There are times in life when it is helpful to at least pretend you have a religion. At those times I'm catholic.
atheist
I don't even pretend I have a religion
>>16
Atheist.
There are times in life when it is helpful to at least pretend you have a religion. At those times I'm a good Jew like my parents want me to be when they visit on holidays.
I'm atheist yet spiritual. I may not believe in divinity, yet I still believe that people have worth, that suffering is bad, and so forth.
The closest religion to what I believe is probably Wicca (the real sort, not what the whiny "non-conformist" emo adolescents all do). I like the morals associated with it, but don't believe in magic.
My upbringing is Jewish, though, and I still participate in the associated holidays, since I feel that family is important.
atheist yo, it's the most reasonable way to go
Atheist reporting.
>>19
I thought that those ideas(that a human is worth of something, suffering is bad etc) is merely humanism. Not based on a spiritual values, but on conscience.(Unless you base those values on some concept of soul or spirit and I'm just being stupid over here)
>>21
As far as I can see, you're right Anon. Using the argument of 'at least the Bible gives us some good lessons' has always irked me because most of the lessons are common sense if you want a society to continue functioning smoothly.
>>>21 I thought that those ideas [..] is merely humanism.
And here I was about to say the same thing.
Religion did not invent empathy and good will towards your fellow man, they are not solely theist concepts.
Atheist.
Pantheist. I view God and the universe interchangeably. However, I'll usually just say I'm an atheist cause it's easier to explain that "I don't pray or worship in god because I don't think god exists due to the evidence" than it is to say "I don't pray or worship in god because god doesn't care about me or any one for that matter."
Apatheist. I don't know if god/gods/spirits/magic/whatever might exist, and I don't think it would matter if they did. I try to be 'good' as much as I can, not because of some silly belief, but because it is the smart thing to do. Avoiding hurting or stealing, tolerating or accepting differences, and helping others when I am able to encourages people to work together.
Intelligent cooperation is how we've built our civilization so far. Despite its flaws, which are just a reflection of our own, more people are living better lives than ever before in history. Further cooperation, learning, and experience could enable us to eventually create a world without the need for violence, theft, or hate. It may even allow us to reach the planets and stars around us, and bring true immortality within our reach.
>Intelligent cooperation is how we've built our civilization so far.
Despite the fact that I'm thinking very much alike, the above quote is not true. It COULD work out that way, but today's people are dumb, narrow-minded and selfish, and only tyranny and war induced major developments in our last 1000 years of history - cozy asphalt roads and nuclear energy, and even this very internet we use are based on military projects. Of course it's bad, but you can't change the past, only try and make the future brighter.
The worst part is that people are growing up in a hostile world of humans, where many people tend to hurt, or virtually cripple each other just to become king of the hill. "I will win, no matter the cost!" means that you would even lose more than you invested just to make others lose even more... Isn't that a typically 21st century way of thinking?
>>>26 Intelligent cooperation is how we've built our civilization so far.
I thought civilization so far was built on slavery, conquest and a rigid caste system.
Agnostic. I don't actually think any supreme being exists, but I'll acknowledge that one COULD be out there, hiding or something.
When I'm in a bit more spiritual of a mood, I'm almost maltheist. Which is to say I believe that God exists and he is an evil being that I want nothing to do with.
Asatruar/Heathen here. Don't have much to say for myself, just wanted to break the atheist combo.
Quite right, Envy. Only in the mid-late 20th Century have 'the people' gained the power to properly organise/represent on many causes. Maybe a little extreme of me to overlook the early 20th Century trade movements, etc, but even those tended to be exclusive and male.
The maltheist idea sounds about right. A being cannot be both omnipotent and benevolent if there is suffering in the world (which there certainly is). If any being is omnipotent and allows suffering then we may conclude that said being is an asshole.
I belive in "the paradox" in which each person's view of the world changes their own personal 'world'.
A kid who believes he has his own 'lucky' socks for his baseball game, the socks are actually 'lucky' for him while he still believes it. if someone switches the socks without telling him, he still thinks they are his lucky socks and they still give him luck. on the other hand the guy who believes that god is cursing him and putting him down will always give himself bad luck.
...yeah, it sounds really dumb, but it's my view...
>>33
My theory is similar:
First, there was magic - power humans wielded to keep things under control on Earth. They somehow degenerated and let these powers run lose, so magic became gods that required sacrifice to do what they were told... and today... "Where's your precious God now, huh?"
The answer: people had 'em, then threw 'em away.
not really, I think that if this is true, science became the new magic, since magic could only be understood by a few people who devoted their life to it, but then science came and made everything easy to understand, so it became the 'dominant' world.
Very proud LaVeyan Satanist!
Agnostic Absurdist - I think there may be a god, and if there is he's pretty much there just to fuck with us.
I'm a Deist, and am the only one that I personally know of.
There is a God, he/it is just above and beyond humanity; God will be forever unknowable.
Takamachist Nanohist
I believe when you love someone the best way to show it is to beat them up until they submit
Wait... WUT???
Dadaist - wait, that's no religion, right. So I guess atheist.
In all seriousness, Yukiism/Reiism aside, I'm atheist. Religion is simply incorrect. It's like saying that the sky is green because of the way unicorns eat the edges.
>>36
Most people are Laveyan Satanist's. They live by the code, yet they have never heard about it.
Its pretty funny to look at Christian zealots with that in mind.
Sounds interesting. Any relevant links on the topic? I've certainly never heard of it.
If Laveyan Satanism is the branch of Satanism that takes ignorance and stupidity as its cardinal sin, that may well be most people's unknown religion.
Agnostic.
If there is indeed a god, it must spend all day cutting and crying about that huge failure called mankind.
>>42
Since when is rehashing old texts and generally just being obstinate something that merits your name to be associated with any idea?
Pathetic liberal hedonistic vermin is always pathetic liberal hedonistic vermin, whether they call themselves "LaVeyan Satanists" or something else pretentious, or call themselves nothing at all.
Nihilist atheist. While I dislike religion, I accept everyone's right to believe whatever religion they want, even if I don't like it. However, I demand 4 things from religion:
1) Teach REAL science in public classrooms, not creationism. They can teach religious education in private schools if they want.
2) Stop denying gay couples their right to marry because you think it's 'sinful'. It's none of your business.
3) Don't circumcise your children, it's not your right to choose. If your children really want to get circumcised they can have it done when they're mature enough to make that decision.
(I am against this, not only because I see it as unfairly coercive, but because it's one of the most sensetive parts of the penis and taking it away reduces sexual pleasure.)
4) Churches above a certain income bracket must pay tax just like secular businesses and organizations.
>taking it away reduces sexual pleasure
Actually studies on this are constantly conflicting. Religious circumcision I think is rather stupid, but tbh I'm all for it cleanliness-wise.
>>47
This is not a judgement by any means, but I have some thoughts on your thoughts.
To be specific, I feel your thoughts on parent's rights are a tad erroneous. By the virtue of the fact that children are minors, parents do in fact have the right to choose. To use an analogy, one may insist that parents have no right to make their kids visit the dentist. After all, the children may choose to take care of their teeth as adults, but there is a distinct advantage to not waiting 18 years for one's first dental cleaning.
To use another analogy, it could be said that parents have no right to have their kids vaccinated, for the reasons stated above. Anybody who's ever seen (or had) measles, rubella, or whooping cough (to name a few preventable diseases) knows that the disease is far worse than the vaccine, and any of those individuals with children would certainly want to protect them. Right?
(And yes, I know that vaccine reactions occur occasionally, but the probability is very slim.)
Again, I stress that this is not a judgement, or an attempt at trolling. I simply wish to present a different viewpoint on the issue.
>studies on this are constantly conflicting
It's proven to be the most sensetive part because it has the most nerve endings. For me, the fact that people disregard this seems to me like sexual repression, which is probably why this issue offends me so personally... especially considering the hygienic advantages are minimal and can be achieved simply by more thorough cleaning.
>it could be said that parents have no right to have their kids vaccinated, for the reasons stated above
You're applying an extreme circumstance to a much less serious issue. Lack of vaccination kills tens of thousands of people worldwide. Lack of circumcision does not, and I feel the very minor health benefits provided by it are outweighed by the violation of choice. Although it does have a small role in preventing STDs, there are much, MUCH more efficient methods we can implement to prevent the spread of sexual diseases that don't reduce sexual pleasure in the long term.
Parents should not be allowed to decide something that can positively ruin their children' sexual life because of religion. Several religions enjoy forcing things upon young followers just because they are not old enough to pick their own way. This is nothing but a form of coercion to me.
Not getting vaccinated or your teeth checked can lead to major troubles - and in some cases, death, though this is rather rare for dental problems. Keeping your genitals the way they came in the first place can't : at least, I don't think anyone managed to prove it to be dangerous in a non-bigot, purely scientific way so far.
Again, just opinion from a former christian catholic.
You guys ever heard of George Carlin?
Grew up fundamentalist christian. Currently agnostic, and researching older religions.
Well in that case when it comes to things like vaccination and dental care I agree the parents should have the right to force it on their children. However the reason I make an exception for circumcision is because it's a much less urgent situation, and it has advantages and disadvantages that I want the individual to consider when they're old enough. Waiting until you're an adult to get circumcised has an ridiculously small chance of doing any harm to you, whereas not being vaccinated is a serious threat.
If satanists believe in Satan and nihilists believe in nihil... what do colonists believe in?
I find my self extremely agnostic religious, I attempt to connect with god through the use of my head, cause its all I got.
>>55
What about religion itself? Do parents have the right to raise their kids according to a specific religion (and therefore to have their kids undergo religious circumcision)? The two will be part and parcel, after all.
>>60
Whether parents have the right to isn't the issue, it's about responsibility. Parents have the responsibility to not indoctrinate their children with biased opinions and beliefs that a child is likely to latch on to because, well, they're gullible and will believe just about anything their parents tell them. Rather parents should educate their offspring as to the arguments for and against any one matter and let them come to their own decision.
>>61
That, unfortunately, entails the parents to have some form of intelligence themselves, which is not the case IRL. Not only are the children gullible, the adults are just as naive. Rather that exercising their own free will, they will follow the herd and are brainwashed into rabidly believing complete garbage that, sadly, it the cause of most of the world's problems.
That is one of the reasons I gave up on Biblical retoric. I got tired of hearing biblebeater after biblebeater proclaim THEIR version was the right one and everyone else's was wrong. Religious adults need to grow up more than their kids.
Correct Parenting (4)(U)(U)
Enchantment
(U): Educate for and against target argument. You own the next decision played this turn.
"I realized my parents were the best ever. Never tasted such delicious meat in my life!"
>>62
This is why I love you people. Also, I urge you anti-clericals to listen to George Carlin (R.I.P) on YouTube or LiveLeak. He was a really smart guy and an awfully open-minded old fuck.
"As Sheila Collins writes, 'Theology is ultimately political. The way human communities deify the transcendent and determine the categories of good and evil have more to do with the power dynamics of the social systems which create the theologies than with the spontaneous revelation of truth from another quarter.'"
Quoted from the book, When God Was A Woman by Merlin Stone
I'm just boring old atheist. I have no belief in afterlife or a greater power. I think it is up to us, being the smartest beings we know, to create Heaven.
I think religion ion general is just silly. The existence of any higher entity is irrelevant to our lives, so I don't take it into account while I live my life. maybe I'll go to hell, maybe not, but at least I had fun for my life.
>Not only are the children gullible, the adults are just as naive.
this is a concept lost on a lot of people. like any child dying is completely tragic and the saddest thing ever. yet adults dying is just another one to chalk up and yell out "next!".
I believe in a creator.I hate how people try to humanize the Being.Man kills man of his own accord.we were born with intellect and free will.With out someone to shape it we'd be creatures of instinct.I.e. do what's necesscary for survial.We still do this but I like monks because they take time out of their day to devote to themselvs.unlike us who run around stressed all the time and forget to take of ourselves phyically and mentally.I feel religon shouldn't be followed for the whole good and evil thing.I feel it should be a way of life for instance fasting meditation and doing good things can be good for your mental health which should reflect on the phyiscal.also people should quit believing magical miracles of the holy books.They could all be allergorical.Its up to us as a race to find the path to enlightment.However too many greedy and close minded people stand in everyones way.
