This is a rather long tread by now. I believe there was something I wanted to add to the discussion but somehow it drowned in fifty other posts or so
I want to thank SlipperyJim for his patience and dedication. This interesting thread would probably have have died without your continous efforts.
Personally I'm an atheist, unfortunately. I believe I would feel better if I found God. Unfortunately I find it unlikely that I will find any god, unless I'm directly approached by God.
Once I considered Islam to be the religion I found most attractive. If God has a plan it, why not tell people how society is supposed to be organized. Islam is quite integrated in society and the Quran says something about how society should be.
Later on I have tended to appreciate christianity more. Mostly since I view the core functional message of christianity as being: Just be gentle and love everyone.
I have been less fond of buddhism (theravada more than mahayana) and new age since I consider their salvation to be individualistic. But this was when I was young and less ... meek. Now I consider myself quite at a loss regarding the views of practicing buddhists. My only personal experience with buddhism is with members of Sokka Gakkai, and they are not that representative.
In a way I am partial to institutionalized religion, where there is a TRUTH. If there is a God , there is a truth, and thus there should be a great plan for life, society and the world. Thus I consider fundamentalists right on Gods track.
On the other hand I'm quite opposed to fundamentalist teachings, since I find them opposed to some of the values I adhere to. Mainly because of the interpretation of what the TRUTH is. Anyone who claims to know a truth is a potentially dangerous man. I dislike truth. That makes me a postmodernist. I strongly dislike postmodernists.
I view religion a as a tool that should guide and aid people respect and love others, aid people in trouble, inspire people to aid and help and build and compose and do good stuff to others and society.
My problem is that I want religion to be something else than I want my own devotion to be, should I become religious.
I should go for messiah-hood. That would solve my problems.
I'm actually halfway there. I already have students calling me Jesus, even yelling 'hello Jesus' from the other side of the street the other day. I had to smile
Hmm, not sure if I said what I intended when I started, but I sad something
Edit: I seem to have left junk and misspellings and stuff in my text, but I'm not in the mood of fixing it. You get my meaning anyway I hope.