OT: What's your religeon?

[Thermodyne]

Agnostic here. I was raised Prespy, but as I got older I couldn’t continue to take unsubstantiated stories as truth. Then as I actually acquired some historical knowledge of religion, it became apparent that the sciences and religion could not coexist in logical world. Finding that religion could not withstand the checks and balances applied to science, I found myself no longer believing. Now, when I look at religions, I find one universal feature. They all share one aspect, other than the Supreme Being thing. They are all designed to maintain the power base of a rather elite group of people. And for the most part, all of the root religions have at some point in time actually dictated to their people. Of course the religions that grew out of dictatorships, monarchies and empires were the most guilty of this. And then there is the one universal constant. When there is almost no reason to make war on the people just beyond the frontier, religion will provide a reason.

[Fyron]

Thermodyne said:
They all share one aspect, other than the Supreme Being thing.

Actually very few religions have a "supreme being"... Monotheism is the exception, not the rule (in terms of comparing religions themselves, not some pointlessly silly comparision based on number of worshippers).

[deccan]

A correction if you please: I don't think that religions provide a "reason" to make war. But religions do, I think, provide an "excuse" to make war.

To explain myself, I believe that most armed conflicts are due to rather mundane reasons: land grabs, disputes over natural resources, tit-for-tat revenge attacks etc that are readily understood in terms of normal human psychology.

But most people like to think of themselves as being good guys and would feel bad about plundering and killing others. In such cases, religion can provide an excuse to get people "all worked up" so to speak, by giving the conflict a moralistic tone and making it feel to like war is some kind of righteous, noble act.

[Ruatha]

*Glues his shoes to the soles of his feets and nails them there to be sure that they won't come off!*
-Ouch, that hurts.

[Grandpa Kim]

Well, the most innocuous thing I can say:

I have no religion, I must live with my conscience.

[Electrum]

Colonel said:
I believe little if any of what I have heard is in the bible-never read it,...

On one hand, I understand a person Not beliving the Bible based on the actions & conduct on those who "Claim" to believe it. I personally am appalled by such mis-representation.
On the other hand, it is somewhat surprising on how many people make such strong statements on a book they have never read. If one takes the time to seriously read & look into the Bible, you find that, though it is not a science book, where it touches on science, it is in perfect harmony with established scientific fact. The same holds true for other areas, as in history & geography. It soon moves to amazement when it comes to examining Biblical prophecy to historical events.
It doesn't make sense to dismiss it without first examining the evidence.

[Iansidious]

Wonderfully said, brother.

[Traskelion]

I am, as Narf said that he is also of(back in Page 1), of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or more known as the Mormon Church. Though we are wary of that term.

Also, although I by no means intend to start a debate, I look at Thermodyne's post and am certain that he did not actually look closely into religions. It's called organization! "Maintaining a power base" my a$*

Anyhow, as far my outlook on religion, I don't agree with bits and pieces of other religions, but am taught to respect them, and the good individuals who compose them.

[DarkHorse]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the Universe is attempting to create God through evolution, and maybe a little osmosis.

Actually I just like saying 'osmosis'.

[DarkHorse]

Wait, I have another theory. God actually looks like a dolphin, and the Dolphin race is getting really annoyed that we keep evolving faster than they do. That, and the stupid fishing net thing.

Maybe I'm just a secular hedonist. I'm a religion of one!