emotional

Has it occured to you that unbelief in nonsense and religious devotion (or call it "spirituality") may NOT be mutually exclusive?

Theistic religion doesn't have any truth in it, but religion doesn't have to be theistic. You can be a religious atheist.

happyboy

the day you can prove to me that religious beliefs means anything other than shutting off my brain is the day i become a priest.

happyboy, glad he won't have to take any religious vows anytime soon

emotional

There you said it again: "religious beliefs". Why does "religious" have to be coupled with "beliefs"? You can be a religious unbeliever. Religious ≠ theistic.

happyboy

i can be a religious unbeliever??? wtf???

a very confused happyboy

emotional

Do you have a religious feeling for humanity as a whole? If so, then you may be a humanist; that is a religion. Do you have a religious feeling of awe and reverence for nature? If so, then you may be a natural pantheist or a secular pagan; those are religions. Humanism, secular paganism, Jainism and Taoism are atheistic religions. In the first two cases, you don't have to believe even in reincarnation.

But the decision to be religious or not is a matter of personal inclination, just as some people are drawn towards art, music or computer programming.

happyboy

i feel awe and wonder towards the universe, but i sure as fuck don't feel religiously about it. it's the same way i feel awe and wonder at men like albert einstien and galileo, for the amazing scientific acheivements they undertook; it sure as hell doesn't mean i worship einstein or see him in a religious or spiritual context.

a very annoyed happyboy

emotional

Ah, I see. You're an anti-religion fundy.

happyboy

wtf? why should you insult me? i refuse to sit back and allow religious bullshit to devour the world!

a very agitated happyboy

emotional

Gawd, you sound just like me when I left fundy theism for fundy atheism. The same Messianic/Latter-Day view: rid the world of religion, and there'll be peace, peace, peace.

Unfortunately, no. As long as human beings exist, whether they are religious or not, there'll be wars between human beings. And there'll be con jobs and injustices, even if supernaturalism is wiped clean out of the world. Atheism is not a peace-bringing Messiah. Atheism is the truth, certainly, and it is worthy that as many people as possible shall know the truth, but this truth isn't going to set the world free of all turmoils.

Peace out,

-- emotional, former fundy (theist, then atheist)

Harumi

Religion does not have to be a myriad of superstitious beliefs.

It can simply be a list of beliefs and morals that people agree with. Maybe they feel awe at the world. Or else they feel the need to ritual to celebrate this beauty.

This does not make it awful. It's just a way of human bonding.

As it is, many of the religions I listed does not necessarily have to be followed to the letter. In Buddhism, there is no doctrine that says you're doomed to hell if you don't believe in reincarnation. There is no terrible consequence if you don't. The only consequences that will ever happen are the result of your own actions.

happyboy, I know that you're not very fond of religion, but don't feel the need to bash them all. Christianity does not equate all religions. All religions are not the same.

I was once a former Buddhist, and I still follow some of its philosophies. That doesn't mean that I'm not an atheist. I just agree with some of what they have to say.

Agreeing with certain ideas of a religion is not a bad thing. Religion is not all bad.

*And if I'm incoherent, I apologize. It's early in the morning and I'm nervous about a competition later today