thoughts on your religion

Originally posted by Impediment
Probably because the title of the thread reads: "Thoughts on your religion." I felt it necessary to point out such simplistic stereotypes as to such of my belief structure, since I wanted to participate in the thread.

I figured you as more polite than to say as such.

I would post a long retort, since you so callously "figured me out" with your tact, but I shan't do such, since I have now deemed you not worth the effort. All I can say is that my level of confidence is light years ahead of yours. Bravo to you for deducing a complete stranger based on a singular post.

What is a religion to you?

Conduct indicating a belief in a divine power.

I merely stated my previous post to, hopefully, sway certain stereotypes, is all.

haermm I dropped a duce in the toilet just now.

Originally posted by Impediment
Conduct indicating a belief in a divine power.

I merely stated my previous post to, hopefully, sway certain stereotypes, is all.

Ok, that's fine.

What do you call a religion that does not involve a divine power, like Buddhism?

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Ok, that's fine.

What do you call a religion that does not involve a divine power, like Buddhism?

A belief structure.

Originally posted by Impediment
Conduct indicating a belief in a divine power.

I merely stated my previous post to, hopefully, sway certain stereotypes, is all.

Originally posted by Impediment
A belief structure.

Dose a belief structure have daily rituals, and ceremonies? Including temples and monks? Wouldn’t you agree that those things are in the real of a religion?

What would you call something that had religious rituals and ceremonies, but did not involve a god?

Originally posted by Mindset
What stereotypes were you trying to sway?

That atheism, a la Madalyn Murray O'Hair, is not a religion. She tried, very much so, to convey atheism as a religion. She was, in my opinion, educated and deluded.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Dose a belief structure have daily rituals, and ceremonies? Including temples and monks? Wouldn’t you agree that those things are in the real of a religion?

What would you call something that had religious rituals and ceremonies, but did not involve a god?

To be honest Shaky, I would call that a chore and an obligation. Atheism is none of that.

Originally posted by Impediment
To be honest Shaky, I would call that a chore and an obligation. Atheism is none of that.

But that's not my point. Would you agree that my interpretation of religion is different then yours?

We have come to agree (I think) that a religions is a belief in a divine god that incorporates rituals and ceremonies, or just rituals and ceremonies without the belief in a divine god (if you count Buddhism as a religion). If a religion can be missing a seemingly important aspect as the belief in a divine god, then why couldn’t a religion be missing everything except a common belief? We may answer that question differently, but I believe it is because you have more to loose then I do. You have an identity to protect, and I don’t. That identity is enough to tip the scales for me. You may say that my bending of the word religion, is braking it in two, but I see it differently. I’ve had a Christian yell at me and tell me I was wrong, and I’ve had an Atheist do the same, and I can’t tell the difference.

Shaky, I shall continue this convo at a later date. Much love to you, but I really need to go to sleep. 😉

I will answer you tomorrow.

Originally posted by Impediment
Shaky, I shall continue this convo at a later date. Much love to you, but I really need to go to sleep. 😉

I will answer you tomorrow.

Good night. 😄

Originally posted by Impediment
I would post a long retort, since you so callously "figured me out" with your tact, but I shan't do such, since I have now deemed you not worth the effort.

Considering that no one had even mentioned atheism, let alone claimed it was a religion, it's a completely reasonable to assume they you're terrified of the idea that you might be seen as religious.

Originally posted by Impediment
All I can say is that my level of confidence is light years ahead of yours.

What an dangerously dogmatic stand to hold. You should always question your own beliefs.

If someone choses not to celebrate this and choses not to celebrate that, isn't that a ritual? It's a ritual in reverse, a counter ritual that is still some sort of ritual, right? It's a purposely done ritual not to ritual.

Is that a religon since religions are said to have rituals?

Originally posted by Deja~vu
If someone choses not to celebrate this and choses not to celebrate that, isn't that a ritual? It's a ritual in reverse, a counter ritual that is still some sort of ritual, right? It's a purposely done ritual not to ritual.

Is that a religon since religions are said to have rituals?

The default position is to do nothing. Not celebrating things doesn't count as an "anti-ritual".

A religion requires more than rituals anyway.

Like a belief? 🙄

An anti-action? That is still an action, isn't it?

Sorry...lol

i dont understand.

by definition, youre only religious if you perform rituals in accordance with your belief?

A ritual is doing something systematically, isn't it? Well, isn't it?

Sorry if I'm wrong. lol

And don't worry, Ms Marvel, youre not gonna die. LOL, read your profile. God, if you do, then youre luck. lol

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
Considering that no one had even mentioned atheism, let alone claimed it was a religion, it's a completely reasonable to assume they you're terrified of the idea that you might be seen as religious.

Before I start, I apologize for my crude comment earlier, seeing as how when I posted I was inebriated.

To topic: how did you come to that conclusion, exactly? For the record, I am an ex-christian who became atheist at age 18. Terrified? Not especially, no.

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
What an dangerously dogmatic stand to hold. You should always question your own beliefs.

I do. Really, I do. However, the question I asked myself along time ago, rather than the age old. "Is there a god", is "Do I give a damn if there is, in fact, a god"? My answer is no. I don't care if there is a god.

To quote Madalyn O'Hair:

An Atheist believes that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An atheist believes that deed must be done instead of prayer said. An atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanished, war eliminated.

These are good thoughts, in my opinion.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
But that's not my point. Would you agree that my interpretation of religion is different then yours?

I would have to concede to that, yes. Still, I'm of the opinion that atheism, no matter how many people say otherwise, is not a religion.

Maybe I should have just stayed out of the thread.