Why so Many beliefs?

[sHaRp12]

Ever since we came to be we had religion. The first River Valley Civilizations had belief in natural elements, like wind, sun, rain ect. often often sacrificing human lives in result. The Greeks and Romans once believed in the Gods Zeus, Athena, Poseidon and so on. It may seem silly to us now but back in that day questioning of religion was penalized with death. The Aztec and Inca empires had Animistic beliefs and so did African tribes hundreds of years ago before they were converted to Islam and Christianity. Present day we have a number of beliefs Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism just to name a few. And every single one belived they're right and the others are wrong.

With this information provided. Why? Why is there such abundance and diversity in Providence. Which leads to my next question if there is such a thing as a God then one of those religions is right and the rest of them are wrong. Christians believe that unless you give your life to christ you shall go to hell. What about the millions, and millions of people in past generations that were good people but simply made the mistake of chosing the wrong religion, so therefore these genuinely good people go to hell to suffer for eternity. What kind of loving passionate God allows this to happen. It does not make any sense WHATSO EVER. However these people choose to stay blind to these holes in religion and continue to kill themselves of the all-mighty all omnibenevolent god. It appears to me with the evidence provided by history that religion is a man-made product that we use to ease our fears and insecurities.

Do not take me wrong. I am completely tolerant of people who choose to belive. I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone. You have every right to belive what you want to belive. Nobody can tell you otherwise. This is just my opinion which I wish to share with you. I simply choose to question.

Please let me know your opinions.

[bazarov]

I'm catholic and I don't think that my religion is better then others, and I don't think that some Hindu from India( just an example, no offence), will go to my hell for not being catholic. They have their own religion, their own Gods, their paradise and their hell, so if he is a good Hindu, he will go to their paradise, and not in my hell; and if he is a bad Hindu he will go to their hell. Why would he go to any hell if he is a good men, good Hindus are better than bad catholics. I don't think that religions are so much against each other,and nobody teaches that other religion believers will be punished and go to hell for eternity. I haven't read Kuran but I think that it is impossible that Kuran is calling for revenge and destroying every other religion assuming that they all are enemies, I think it's just ''wrong reading und understanding''. Like I said, I haven't read it so please correct me if I'm wrong, I don't want to offence anybody.

[Shield&Sword]

BAzarov what you said is not logic. If things go according what you said then were athiests will go, they even doesnt believe in God, paradise and hell. Now if i invent a new religioun and write that you can what ever you want and dont worry paradise is yours, will i go there?
Some people believe that earth will be paradise, while others believe that earth will be vanished and paradise is another place, so were every one will go to the other paradise or on earth that for some will be detroyed?

About this subject i will talk from islamic point of view.
Surah 17 verse 15: "Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent a Messenger (to give warning)."
Surah 28 verse 59: "Nor was thy Lord the one to destroy a population until He had sent to its centre a Messenger, rehearsing to them Our Signs: nor are We going to destroy a population except when its members practise iniquity."

As you see verses say that God is not going to punish those who didnt know the prophet of thier time, didnt hear him. What will happen to them is in God's hand, for sure he wont punish them because they didnt hear the prophet.
At time of Abraham pbuh people should believe that Abraham is the prophet and believe in things he said, who did that is saved.
At time of Moses pbuh people should believe in what he said and follow, who refuse will be punished, we know all how Pharon (king of Egypt at that time) said "i am god" and was killing people for nothing.
At time of Jesus pbuh people should follow Jesus and believe in what he said, for us he was prophet just like Abraham and Moses and all others pbu them.
At time of Muhammed pbuh people should follow him and believe in him and all other prophets before him, because they all got same massege. Difference is that other masseges were for specific period, while massege of Muahmmed pbuh was last massege and will remain untle judgment day.
The massege they got is to believe in one God and to behaive according his commandments, his right commandments, same massege for all prophets, thats what make me believe, i believe in one God, i cant close my eyes and say that my grandfather was a little cell, and in phenomena that even dont exist cripton planet i became a man with this complete body. When i watch teachings i know these teachings cant come from a normal man, teachings that my nature agree with, teachings that if i applicate them in sosciety then the sosciety will be pure clean right.

Statues started after people lost the right path that was at time of thier fathers. When a good generation who follow God and behaive good die, generation after them come and make statue to remember them, then generation after this one begin to worship these statues and so on. Then God send another prophet to show them the right path, people follow and people deny. I cant deny religioun because there are alot, God existence is not relaited to reigioun only, for example in language of people who talk in sience: if there are 2 theories of a phenomen i cant deny phenomen because exist more than one theory, but i must study every thoery to see which is right. Look now for example, who care about God (not specific religioun) and believe that this world was created, even if you find you will find alot of them dont care about behaiving good, only women, money, power. Now adays if you dont search women then or you are gay or sick, if you dont drink then you dont know how to get fun. Religioun and faith is something that you must search, its not something that come running to you, its up to you to buy a cow and believe its god and worship it, or to build your own statue with your hand and then you bow down to it, or to believe in one almighty God, its up to you to ask your self what i am doing in this life or to claim that you are so clever that this question never came to your mind, its up to you to admit you were created or to watch in mirror and say "oh my God i am so clever and God doesnt exist", its up to you to invent your own religioun and say lies only to make people lose way or to be rich, or to seek the one truely religioun that for sure exist in your time, to search the right path and not to follow your material needs only, its up to you to sit in night to think in God and in this beutifull creation and bow to God or to go to casino and search cheap people.
Every one claim, who is the right one? well you got your mind, and you got your clean heart, use them to know who's claims are the right claims (sure after you admit one almighty God exist), its up to you.

[RobinHood3000]

Every one claim, who is the right one? well you got your mind, and you got your clean heart, use them to know who's claims are the right claims (sure after you admit one almighty God exist), its up to you.Why is it theists are allowed to state point-blank that atheists are wrong, but atheists can't reciprocate without being pronounced (if nothing else) a real heel?

[StarryCafe73]

"Ever since we came to be we had religion. The first River Valley Civilizations had belief in natural elements, like wind, sun, rain ect. often often sacrificing human lives in result. The Greeks and Romans once believed in the Gods Zeus, Athena, Poseidon and so on. It may seem silly to us now but back in that day questioning of religion was penalized with death. The Aztec and Inca empires had Animistic beliefs and so did African tribes hundreds of years ago before they were converted to Islam and Christianity. Present day we have a number of beliefs Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism just to name a few. And every single one belived they're right and the others are wrong."

-Sorry, but I feel like I must clear up that Catholicism is another branch of Christianity.

"With this information provided. Why? Why is there such abundance and diversity in Providence. Which leads to my next question if there is such a thing as a God then one of those religions is right and the rest of them are wrong. Christians believe that unless you give your life to christ you shall go to hell. What about the millions, and millions of people in past generations that were good people but simply made the mistake of chosing the wrong religion, so therefore these genuinely good people go to hell to suffer for eternity. What kind of loving passionate God allows this to happen. It does not make any sense WHATSO EVER. However these people choose to stay blind to these holes in religion and continue to kill themselves of the all-mighty all omnibenevolent god. It appears to me with the evidence provided by history that religion is a man-made product that we use to ease our fears and insecurities."

-What I've been taught is that yes, if one does not accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, one will go to Hell. As the belief goes, EVERYONE SINS, but is cleansed when repented.

A pastor once put it this way, your loved ones come over for a visit. They're covered in mud and other sorts of filth and has not supported or even acknowledged your exsistance till now. Do you simply let them come in to live with you? Same way with sin.

God offers them many chances to reprent. The word is out and there is no excuse for someone not to reprent. Yes, it is up to the person to believe or not, and to pick a belief to follow. Is it the right one? Only one can hope.


"Do not take me wrong. I am completely tolerant of people who choose to belive. I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone. You have every right to belive what you want to belive. Nobody can tell you otherwise. This is just my opinion which I wish to share with you. I simply choose to question.

Please let me know your opinions."

-Yes, I believe people have the right to believe in whatever they believe. Although, I must ask... have you ever been to a church and gone to bible studies? You seem like you know a lot, but still have things to learn. As do I. I however, have been there. My questions could not be answered without it contradicting another, nor could it satisfy my level of understanding. I gave it a chance, but its not for me. I'm just simply sharing what I learned during my time in a church. I actually don't like people going to church because of the fact you mentioned earlier: "Christians believe that unless you give your life to christ you shall go to hell." Only it's every faith that claims this, not just Christians.

[bazarov]

BAzarov what you said is not logic. If things go according what you said then were athiests will go, they even doesnt believe in God, paradise and hell. Now if i invent a new religioun and write that you can what ever you want and dont worry paradise is yours, will i go there?

They don't believe in hell or paradise so they won't go in my hell or paradise. I hope you want, it would be paradise full of bad peoples, but if you believe, be free to go there...

[Shield&Sword]

I was talking in last 2 scentences about searching the right religioun between all right religiouns that confused Sharp12. Because i saw that diversity of religiouns that made him confused, not existence of God.
Searching for God is different with searching for right religioun. Perhaps all your life you wont hear about the right religioun and will hear only wrong religiouns and unlogic beliefs that make you confused, this case will make you refuse religioun but not to refuse existence of God, because existence of God is something you see it every time you are awake and every time you hear, every time you think, its something that all us have it, or you admit that what you are seeing begining with your self anf finishing with galaxy was created or it all came by chance, its up to you to use your head to believe in God or to refuse Him.
Claims of different religiouns are different than claims of athiest (if their claims exist).

Bazarov if things work like that then you create paradise and hell not God.
I didnt say they dont believe in your hell and paradise, i said they deny the idea of existence of hell and paradise, where they will go?
What about people like test. of Jihuvah that believe that earth is paradie, and others who believe that earth will be hell, or who believe earth will be vanished.
If things work such way, then why God sent prophets, and why Moses fought against others. Why Jesus pbuh was against Jews preists, and why he enterd temple and destroyed things there, he should leave all because every one is right and every one will go to paradise.

[Dusk]

It's the same reason
why people think their land, culture etc is better
because its theirs

[Mary Sue]

A good question. Myself, I give the Deity credit for being a whole lot nicer than most of us suppose. The Bible states that "God is love." Pure and simple. And here we are supposedly created in His image....but too often, we re-create Him in OUR OWN IMAGE. That is, we imbue God with all sorts of negative human qualities. We picture Him as petty and jealous, we fight "holy" wars in His name. And misguidedly, because no perfect Being would be so mean-spirited as that, nor ever condone such behavior in us.
What's the purpose of religion, anyway? Theoretically, to bridge the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds. Organized belief, at best, can serve as a guide book, but as to which exact path is taken...does God discriminate? Surely not. God is God, whatever name you call Him by and whatever mythology/ideology you ascribe to. So a believing Hindu has the same chance of salvation ---of making that connection---as, say, a Christian or Jew or Muslim or anyone else.
Consider the atrocities that have been committed, over the years, by religious bigots. When dogma divides us from others, encouraging exclusiveness and egomania, narrowing our minds, hardening our hearts against those who think differently---is that LOVE? Hardly. It's a sad misapplication of the original message... and who suffers most, in the end, but the bigot himself, hopelessly disconnected from the rest of humanity. Very, very sad.
That's why I prefer a loving God, One who accepts all of us. One who celebrates the wide diversity of life that He Himself has made. One who can be found anywhere--- in a church or synagogue or mosque or woodland grove. Once we get to know THAT God, guys, we'll finally be on the right track.

[Shield&Sword]

If that so then God as hindu say is a cow, and as others say is a snake, and if a drunk man come and make his own religioun and say God is a fish then God is a fish, and if a man who wants to make money and say i am God then he is God, and satanism say God is duvil then when we make bridge with them then we arrive to God and so on untle it become a game.
I wonder sometimes when christians say that others will be saved, or someone who say every one will go to paradise he believe in. Why God sent prophets, why God sent teachings with Moses and Muhammed and Jesus and all other prophets, if every one will be saved then Moses shouldnt say to pharoh to believe in God, and prophets shouldnt say to others not to pray to stones....
No, we cant say what ever we want about God, God defined him self to us, he is unique, he is powerfull, he got no son no wife no doughter no mother no father, he wasnt born, there wasnt any thing before him and there wont be any thing after him, he always was and will be, he is different from his creation, he is out of his creation, he is almighty, merciful, beutiful. I as muslims believe that only muslims will be saved, but in same time my religioun teach me to respect other's religioun, every one will get what he deserve in day of judgment, every one choose his way in life, God can make all humanity one nation, and one reliigoun but he created the life as you see and gave us minds to know the right path not to think of how to make money or pick girls and then say all will be saved its matter on your religioun when you where born.

[Fat29]

One thing that all religion has in common is the common belief in the truth, the difference amongst these religions lie in the interpretation of the truth, perspective of the truth and execution of the truth.

While one religion may abstain from the act of taking lives another, may celebrate the taking of lives of which both religions claim to be the truth. In a similar vein, one religion may strive for peace regardless of provocation while another may wage holy war when provoked. Ultimately, every man follow their hearts in deciding what they want and what is acceptable to them.

[Lilac Cotton]

...well, I guess that depends ENTIRELY on what any given indivudual wants to prefer as truth. Yes?

Like, I know lots of folks who say, "I'm a good person." Well, okay. But based on which criterion?

Like the poster above cautions, some folks believe a cow is like a God and that is supposed to guide their behavior. Well, apparently, that hasn't really worked either because they still make women PAY to get married and then often times, those women are murdered so that the broom can get another bride and make some more money. And what about the oppressed in the Hindu tradition? The untouchables. Sheesh, seems the process wasn't invented for them to rise above and achieve the same sort of deal that the priestly class or Brahmin get. Now that ain't fair!

Sure, not all of us get the same pack of 'essentials' in this life. But each and every person is entitled to try :) And those of us who get a better package deal are obligated to help out the ones who don't.

Nice guys. Well, which criterion is it that best fits humanity as a whole?

Christianity? Well, no offense, but a religion that tells you one thing and then does another (the Inquisistion to Birth Control (from priests who don't even engage in sex))...well, confusing it is.

I've been reading two bibles recently: Gideon's and The Good News Testament. Some strange tidbits in there you know. I mean, really strange inthat if they are God's word then why are the tenets in there so conflicting?

In St. Paul to the Corinthians...well sheesh. If you ask me, those letters make him look pretty unlikely to be a candidate for 'spreading' truth or common sense. Get married he says but only if you have to. It is better not to. But go ahead. Then, all this stuff about women and men is really crazy.

Islam says: Take one wife. If you can support four equally then go ahead.

Now I ask you...how many wealthy women are suitable for the second condition? Not many. It was meant as a condition to take care of the poor women, widows of war, divorcees and girls a bit beyond what is considered 'the natural time' for marriage. And don't tell me West doesn't support that ideal in the notion of The Biological Clock of women. It does.

And statistically speaking, women outnumber men. Also, male infants much more susceptible to infant mortality. So we are being taken care of in that if we aren't too proud (as women) to admit it. And really...the deal for women in Islam isn't so bad after all! When I quit 'working' for money outside the home...my husband started harrassing me about my lack of employment. I said, "hey buddy, wait a minute." In the Quran, YOU support me, remember?

Probably because pregnancy, child rearing and all that entails is such a humungous job...I get leniency. Then, he stopped bugging me hahaha. As a woman, I only have to work if I need or want to. As a man, he is obligated to support the person who he gets sex and good food from :) and hopefully, rest and comfort too. Sure...it's a bitmuch for 'modern' women to swallow and perhaps the hardest part about Islam if you are raised in the West. Bottom line is: in the Quran, women get equal punishment and reward in the afterlife. And in one of the final Suras, when souls are 'resurrected' there is ONE specific group mentioned as standing in 'judgement' of the rest of us. Know who they are? The female infants buried inthe sand by the bedouins during the Age of Ignorance who buried them alive....yup. They's the only ones who get to sit as witness to the menfolks in the world. And I'd say the implications of that 'equalitiy' issue are very far reaching indeed! Very.

Makes me think of what women go through with eating disorders and gender representations of them in the media to sell stuff. Makes me think of a lot of ways in which we are 'buried' in the sand alive for the male dominated societies we generally tend to exist in nowdays.

But really, the Quran suggests only ONE wife. And it suggests it for EVERYONE including the "priests" who are not technically priests but instead are highly trained scholars (well, inthe Shi'i tradition...can't speak for the Sunni one actually). I'm a Shi'i you know and no offense to the Sunni in this group and I'm sure you are out there :) Salaam on you all.

:)

Hmm.

*Very important note however: All these traditions serve as a comparison to Islam. Islam is (in my estimation) over all of them as a way of determining what is best. Complex you know and we consider both Christianity and Judaism as part ofour knowledge base and tradition. Sheesh, we even are conditioned to look into what Zarathustra said! Nietzsche...remember him?

Well, for sure, he did his research there and literally wrote his book, Thus Spake Zarathustra inthe exact same style as the Quran is presented. I guess he had a private joke he was playing. I do wonder though what his intentions were with that book. I do wonder.

But to the Xtians inthis group...please do not be offended. Good muslims think of you as our grandchildren :) And think of real Jews as our great grandchildren. Nothing more and nothing less.

[Lilac Cotton]

"religions lie in the interpretation of the truth, perspective of the truth and execution of the truth."

:) well, allegoriesand parables aside.....I doubt you've read the Quran much have you? It doesn't lie. Of course, it tells people things THEY DON'T LIKE in terms of 'don't do this and don't do that' but it doesn't lie. Nope.

For example, a person believes adultery is acceptable so he won't like the idea of stoning adulterers. Well, in reality, the Quran doesn't just say 'stone them' (and of course, most legal systems aren't going to support that now are they!)...it says much more. It says:

Adulterers are for adulterers.

Fornicators are for fornicators.

The good is for the good people.

Lies are for liars.

Etc etc etc.

And lets be honest, if only those who didn't respect the vows of whatever, marriage let's say,then their 'bodily fluids' would be in a kind of quarantined state and it would truly reduce the number of transmissions of STDS.

So it doesn't say 'stone them'...it says, if you want to stone someone, bring four GOOD witnesses (inow, people who aren't adulterers themselves) that SAW it happen. Then it goes on further to say that if the accused denies it and swears FIVE times, the last being a SWEAR on their very soul, that they aren't guilty...then she/he cannot be stoned. Still, it goes on and says that if the accuser then INSISTS that she/he is guilty he/she can do the same thing and swear five times, the last being a swear on his/her own soul....

then the killing can begin.

Of course, some folks don't carry the letter to the maximum of its intent. Isn't that always the case though with human beings with bad intentions or hidden criminalities themselves. And I'll tell you this, NO good muslim and I mean a GOOD one, would lose their soul to lie about another. None.

[RobinHood3000]

Don't forget, though, power corrupts, and the Christian Church is perhaps the most powerful, historically speaking. Not that we should hold their mistakes against them, just keep them in mind and watch for the warning signs of anything similar happening again. Besides, the vast majority of Christians are not quite as hardcore as the Inquisitionists.

[Shield&Sword]

The four witnesses if they are right then the accused one will be stoned, even if he denies, the swearing thing is when some one accuse his wife or any one accuse another one without the exitence of 4 witnesses then they swear infront the judge and God will judge between them. The 4 witnesses must have difficult cinditions so thier witness will be accepted, they must be known as honest, the witness must be in same day and same moment, if a witness come today and another come tomorrow then thier witness is denied, they must describe the sexual action exactly and thier sayings must be same, they must witness if there was a contact between genitales, if there wasnt then thier wintess is denied even if they saw them doing other things, but contact must be seen by four. As you see the thing is so comlicated, and the 4 witnesses matter is only to make sosciety clean and not to become the matter of adultery a common thing in sosciety, if some one want to make adultery then he is free to do it alone out of eyes of all, and God will judge him, once a man came to the prophet and said he made adultery, prophet ordered him to go and to not to talk about this thing, and refused to stone him, then the man returned and said i want to be stoned i mistaked the prophet pretended that he didnt hear him and finally after the man insist he was stoned, as you see its matter between you and God and stoning thing is to keep sosciety clean and pure from such thing. if a man or woman mistaked then its between him and God, and God will forgive him even if he is not stoned if he ask forgivness with clean heart. Only to clear things

[Scheherazade]

Please note that this thread is dedicated to the discussion of reasons behind the existence of numerous faiths. Any off topic posts (especially those which aim to preach and glorify one belief system over others) will be edited/deleted.

[Lilac Cotton]

by all means, if you think I'm being offensive let me know privately. :)
I am my own best censor.

Yes S&S, you are correct. The swearing only takes effect in the ABSENCE of four witnesses. Either way, it is not easy to prove a case and even when a person is right they are encouraged to 'forgive' and/or divorce the other. Leave them for someone more to their liking....another adulterer or the one with whom they adulterated their vows of marriage.

[subterranean]

Posted by S&S: I as muslims believe that only muslims will be saved, but in same time my religioun teach me to respect other's religioun, every one will get what he deserve in day of judgment, every one choose his way in life

I'm not a Muslim, but I agree with your opinion there. I believe my belief is right and that people who does not share my belief will go to THE hell (there's only one hell for everyone). But then, this stand I have, completly doesn't make me want to go to your house and preach or even hurt you, just because you don't share the same belief.

[Fat29]

I feel that all major religions seek to explain and view the truth from different perspectives. Some see the more violent side of it while others see the more peaceful end of the truth spectrum. I prefer to think of the truth as one that help me seek inner peace, happiness and altruism rather than one that is violent

[miss tenderness]

Why so many beliefs?
Why so many races?
why so many tongues(mother and targets)?
Why so many accents in one language?
Why so many colors?
Why so many moods?
Why so many diverse geographical phases?
Why so many superstitions? Why do they differ due to their homeland?
Why so many cultures? Why so many folklores?
Why you are so different or similar to me?
Why what convinces you does not to me? Or the other way around.
Why do we think in the same way? Or why we do not?

Can these questions help answering another question?

[subterranean]

Something I read today about the diversity of religions/beliefs according to Schopenhauer:
"The various forms or religion are no less a product of human ingenuity"

[mtpspur]

A short response to Why so many beliefs if I may provide a Biblical text (King James version--my prefered translation): Ecclesiastes 7:29: "Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions."

[ElizabethBennet]

I once heard a quote (forgot by whom) that stated that every person has a God-shaped hole in him/her. Throughout history, people have created or joined religions to try to fill that hole. I believe (but I'm not trying to convince anybody else here) that God exists and he created us as his children. However, after the first humans sinned they turned away from God. Through religion, people have been trying to get back to Him. Different religions started in different times and places mainly because the people of the past had varying levels of mental comprehension. As society developed, more specific messages came from God through Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, etc...
Religion is just the means to God and the truth, and each person needs to connect to him in his own way. I don't think that one specific religion or other will get you to heaven and the rest won't. It is just up to you and listening to your inner conscience.

[holograph]

I am probably one of the most tolerant individuals out there, partially because my family is [grossly] diverse. But when I read how Christians, Muslims, and Jews (all of whom I deal with in the forms of mom, dad, and aunt sally) preach the "heaven" card I find it hilarious. So, what, I HAVE to believe in your religion to be acceptable for heaven? NO, I DO NOT. Your religions created that lie in order to recruit more believers and to strengthen their hold over their convertees. Read a history book. Ugh, it makes me gag.

[Jean-Baptiste]

This is a very interesting thread. Though I don't have a definite opinion on the answer to the main question, it makes me think of Vico's "New Science". He said that all civilizations start off in "the age of the Gods," and this era is marked by the development of the three major human institutions: religion, marriage, and burial of the dead. This seems relevant. At least it's a help to understand that belief in an active higher force is necessary to the coalescence of human society. Beyond that I'm too lazy to think of a reason for the said diversity, so I'll just consider it due to the infinite possiblilities available in an infinite world.

Frazier's "The Golden Bough" also has a lot to say about the similar origins of most primitive religions, though it's been a long time since I read the couple of volumes of it that I've read, so I can't be very specific. Anyway, these are two bits of reading that I could suggest that might be helpful in any study of this topic.

Sorry if this post is overly irreligious and secular.

[Embarr]

With this information provided. Why? Why is there such abundance and diversity in Providence. Which leads to my next question if there is such a thing as a God then one of those religions is right and the rest of them are wrong.


Not all religions think that. You named at least one I know of that believes all religions are true. Hinduism believes there are may paths to righteousness, or enlightenment, or whatever you call it.

And there are a lot of religions like there are a lot of flavors of icecream. Each is preferred by different people because of their own personal tastes and in the case of religion, their own personal beliefs or thought process.

[jon1jt]

These so-called "religions" are just systems to explain that which we are not equipped to answer, the basic question of how we got here and the ephemeral hereafter. Irrefutable is that there was no pre-life order. We were thrown into a world that imposed upon us. The categories of understanding were set afire by the light of being. Geography accounts for a great deal of the diversity of thought. Real experience springs from the social milieu we are trapped in from conception---that's as good as it gets for me, but obviously not the case with the man on his knees in "prayer." I pray every day...it's called living. The difference between understandings is one of nuance and degree. There is more uniformity across religions than we like to believe (I highly recommend Joseph Campbell's Power of Myth series)

The three major world religions are mere explanations of the whence and wither, catalyzed by an angst of our coming death. Religion is an instrument of power, like others---e.g. work, money, property, love. The only end is death---that, we know. We know that the human Will strives toward procreation as a preservation of our species. We know most mothers (and fathers) love their children unconditionally.

I also know that I'll go out like a rock star drinking my red wine and writing poems while listening to Thelonius Monk turned up real loud wailing jazzy nothings in my ear one mo' time. Maybe I'll even be lucky enough in those final days...ahem...'god' willing...to have some wild senorita writing her love sonnets all over me. :)

[holograph]

I also know that I'll go out like a rock star drinking my red wine and writing poems while listening to Thelonius Monk turned up real loud wailing jazzy nothings in my ear one mo' time. Maybe I'll even be lucky enough in those final days...ahem...'god' willing...to have some wild senorita writing her love sonnets all over me. :)

hahaha. yes, the dream of every madman and madwoman.

[PierreGringoire]

Providence is natural law. Religion is just another way of seeking it. Everyone has so many perspectives and nobody really sees eye to eye with eachother (forgive my confused ramble), but it's true. I think it is important that we understand that. I think it is important that we understand we are fallible pretty much in everything we do. I'll give you a generalization and you try to make it out. Natural Law. Natural Law? It can't be so objective. It's something that we have to be at peace with.(new subject) Even Conformists of a relegion aren't really conforming. There are so many unknowns; it's like that cheerful advice of the wise man speaking to a speaker who is about to present a speech to a bunch of people. He says to him they're not a bunch of people they are a bunch of persons. So its like talking to one person a bunch of times. Conformity doesn't exist in the sense that we have established beliefs "Similar" to another person in our "Group". For all we know which is most defintely the case, A devout Muslim in the world probably has his mind "processed", or his perspective, similar to that of a devout Catholic somewhere. It is the Human F-a-m-i-l-y. That is Providence's providence first and foremost. I'll let you take it from there. Because I'm not any further than that, and I won't admit that I have better knowledge than any of you, or just you. I know it, you don't have to say it..I'm a directionless madman.. (shrug) .. oh well...