Religion?

[iPlay181]

Now there's a subject that completely baffles me. I am, or was, or I don't know, a Greek Orthodox. For the past two years I have been going to a Baptist school whose sole purpose was to brainwash the students into Baptism and things of cult mentality, and unfortunately most of them believe it, so you can imagine that I dislike most of the students there. Luckily, my parents moved me to a different school that has no affiliation with religion. Since this school I have been heavily doubting Christianity. I have lately been labeling myself as Agnostic or Atheist. Since this school I have taken a new view upon most Christianity, that most of it is untrue, most followers are hypocritical and pompous, and that it's leaders are corrupt and greedy. If you are a Christian, I am by no means trying to insult you, I am merely trying to explain my struggle with religion as of now. Please, give me feedback, whether you're Christian, Agnostic, Atheist, or of another religion, tell me what you think of it and give me convincing reasons to join your religion and/or mentality.

 

P.S. I know that this is a sensitive subject to many people, so if you don't feel comfortable posting, then don't, I am by no means 'forcing' you to reply, but if you do reply, I would be grateful, I'm not going to spew hate speech about your religion, everyone is entitled to their own religion.

[girl_in_the_band_tshirt]

Oh I know exactly how you feel.

 

I was brought up non-denominational Christian (or as my dad would like to call it - the youth club for hippies) *grins* Its was a really casual, positive form of religion. Almost a bit watered down.. I remember going to a friend's Catholic church once and being completely blown away by it.

 

Anyway as I grew older, I started noticing that an awful lot of classmates and their familes that went to my church on sundays, weren't always acting like they had any faith throughout the week. People were getting divorces, swearing, having sex, doing drugs, getting drunk, being judgemental, vandalizing, not showing people any respect, etc. It really bothered and confused me. I stopped going to church, and even though I tried going to others around town, its always been the same experience.

 

But I still believed in God, so it was difficult to just let go of that entire part of my life, just because of other people's actions.

 

Much much later, I realized that there will always be hypocrites within whichever faith you choose, be it Christianty, Judaism, Buddism, etc, and that you can't let it get in the way of you keeping your own faith healthy. I suppose its quite a selfish way of thinking, but it really is first and foremost about your own relationship with God, and that while you should try and help lead other people down a faithful path, its their own choice for whether or not they'll keep their actions in accordance.

 

If you're really into it, there's some things in the Bible that talk about hypocrisy that might be helpful... (I won't type them all out) :nice:

 

Amos 5:21-24

Isaiah 29:13-14 and 58:3-14

 

I'm sure there's more, but these are the ones I know of now.

 

For now, because it does get so confusing.. and gets me just a little freaked out about whether or not I'm doing the right things or not.. I tend to just work very hard at being a good, respectful person, and I hope that that is enough. I pray and read my Bible, and try to set some kind of example. I still don't go to church. I can't work up enough faith on my own yet to stop other's lack of it from bothering me. But hopefully one day I can get to be that strong.

 

Eek ! This turned quite rambly, sorry about that :blush: It just touched a nerve. I don't often get to talk religion with people.. unfortunately most of my friends are awfully stubborn in that respect, haha.

 

Good luck though, thanks for starting a thread like this.

 

(: M.

[blackchickintheback]

I've never been into religion, but I do believe in god and pray a lot.

For two years I studied with the Jehovah's Witnesses, and they are good, sensible people, but I didn't think that religion was right for me. But I have to say that I didn't find any hypocrites in their church.

[Saffire]

I'm sort of a Deist. I think God exists, I think he built the universe (possibly for us?), and I think he loves us. Some aspects of Christianity make a lot of sense to me, but not the whole thing - I think a lot of it is just human culture and editing.

 

I think God is a healthy mix of love and logic.

 

The problem I see with a lot of religions these days is they operate on guilt and oppression. God gave us a free will for a reason - so we could decide whether we believe in him or not, and act accordingly. Guilt is illogical, especially when it relates to "original sin". I refuse to feel guilty for merely being a man. God would not have made me imperfect, so I think it is possible (but difficult) to become perfect - or very close to perfect.

 

In conclusion, I'm a weirdo.

[Hotplay007]

I couldn't agree more with that (girl in the band t shirt).

 

 

I'm definitely not hypocritical and pompous. ok, sometimes i can be a little hypocritical but as far as churches go. They're absolutely terrible. People there I can't stand and they do almost the exact opposite of the bible teaches. How is our leader "corrupt and greedy"? when God loves each of us no matter if most believe in him or not? Jesus died on the cross for us and he's corrupt and greedy?

 

Well, that statement only goes as far as people take it. I know people on here are Atheists and that's fine. I don't like preaching to people about what to be but religion isn't a good subject to bring up with people because it often starts conflict such as Politics.

 

There isn't a God some people say. But what I don't understand is, why not believe in God if you can go to Heaven? What if he's real? Just what if you're wrong and you're damned to hell? what if when you die, everything you believed in was a lie? but in vice versa, what if Christians were wrong? Would it hurt us if there were no God? not at all. We'd just be dead. It's only a 50/50 chance for those who don't have faith.

[girl_in_the_band_tshirt]

I'm sort of a Deist. I think God exists, I think he built the universe (possibly for us?), and I think he loves us. Some aspects of Christianity make a lot of sense to me, but not the whole thing - I think a lot of it is just human culture and editing.

 

I think God is a healthy mix of love and logic.

 

The problem I see with a lot of religions these days is they operate on guilt and oppression. God gave us a free will for a reason - so we could decide whether we believe in him or not, and act accordingly. Guilt is illogical, especially when it relates to "original sin". I refuse to feel guilty for merely being a man. God would not have made me imperfect, so I think it is possible (but difficult) to become perfect - or very close to perfect.

 

In conclusion, I'm a weirdo.

 

:laugh3: I always love what you have to say. I've been lurking about the 'green economics' thread lately.. I haven't got a sound enough head to say anything about it, but its still really fascinating.

 

I agree with the bit about it being just human culture and editing. Historically, some of the things mentioned in the Bible correspnded with things happening on Earth at the time, and I can never work out if its really what was meant to be included in the scripture, or if officials just wanted it in there to control their people.

 

I don't know if I agree with the perfection thing though. It is said that we're made in His image, and I think when we still held the key to Eden, we probably were perfect, but once our free will sent us out of Eden (by choosing to eat that silly fruit) I think we became slightly tarnished. We have the capacity to sin, thus I don't know if we'd ever be able to achieve perfection. I'm sure the Pope sins occasionaly. Its human nature. Its what seperates us from God?

 

I don't know what I'm talking about really. Its interesting though. I like it.

 

Maybe I'm a weirdo too :nice:

 

M.

[iPlay181]

Oh I know exactly how you feel.

 

I was brought up non-denominational Christian (or as my dad would like to call it - the youth club for hippies) *grins* Its was a really casual, positive form of religion. Almost a bit watered down.. I remember going to a friend's Catholic church once and being completely blown away by it.

 

Anyway as I grew older, I started noticing that an awful lot of classmates and their familes that went to my church on sundays, weren't always acting like they had any faith throughout the week. People were getting divorces, swearing, having sex, doing drugs, getting drunk, being judgemental, vandalizing, not showing people any respect, etc. It really bothered and confused me. I stopped going to church, and even though I tried going to others around town, its always been the same experience.

 

But I still believed in God, so it was difficult to just let go of that entire part of my life, just because of other people's actions.

 

Much much later, I realized that there will always be hypocrites within whichever faith you choose, be it Christianty, Judaism, Buddism, etc, and that you can't let it get in the way of you keeping your own faith healthy. I suppose its quite a selfish way of thinking, but it really is first and foremost about your own relationship with God, and that while you should try and help lead other people down a faithful path, its their own choice for whether or not they'll keep their actions in accordance.

 

If you're really into it, there's some things in the Bible that talk about hypocrisy that might be helpful... (I won't type them all out) :nice:

 

Amos 5:21-24

Isaiah 29:13-14 and 58:3-14

 

I'm sure there's more, but these are the ones I know of now.

 

For now, because it does get so confusing.. and gets me just a little freaked out about whether or not I'm doing the right things or not.. I tend to just work very hard at being a good, respectful person, and I hope that that is enough. I pray and read my Bible, and try to set some kind of example. I still don't go to church. I can't work up enough faith on my own yet to stop other's lack of it from bothering me. But hopefully one day I can get to be that strong.

 

Eek ! This turned quite rambly, sorry about that :blush: It just touched a nerve. I don't often get to talk religion with people.. unfortunately most of my friends are awfully stubborn in that respect, haha.

 

Good luck though, thanks for starting a thread like this.

 

(: M.

 

no, thank you, you really gave me a new insight on Christianity. and no, you did not ramble, i actually enjoyed reading that. and yes, many people today are stubborn on the facts of religion, thankfully most of the members here are open to new concepts and are very open minded, again, thank you very much, i enjoyed reading that :)

[iPlay181]

I couldn't agree more with that (girl in the band t shirt).

 

 

I'm definitely not hypocritical and pompous. ok, sometimes i can be a little hypocritical but as far as churches go. They're absolutely terrible. People there I can't stand and they do almost the exact opposite of the bible teaches. How is our leader "corrupt and greedy"? when God loves each of us no matter if most believe in him or not? Jesus died on the cross for us and he's corrupt and greedy?

 

Well, that statement only goes as far as people take it. I know people on here are Atheists and that's fine. I don't like preaching to people about what to be but religion isn't a good subject to bring up with people because it often starts conflict such as Politics.

 

There isn't a God some people say. But what I don't understand is, why not believe in God if you can go to Heaven? What if he's real? Just what if you're wrong and you're damned to hell? what if when you die, everything you believed in was a lie? but in vice versa, what if Christians were wrong? Would it hurt us if there were no God? not at all. We'd just be dead. It's only a 50/50 chance for those who don't have faith.

 

i was not referring to Christ when i was talking about pompous leaders, Christ would be the opposite, in his teaching he was very fair and humble. i was referring to church heads and leaders today, some of them just dont have any sense at all, but yes, i do agree with your logic, and yeah, i was nervous when starting this thread because it could start conflict and controversy, but it is only for those who are willing to take that chance and declare their beliefs, no matter what anyone says, and it is also good to take insight from other religions and 'non-religions' if you could call them that.

[iPlay181]

I'm sort of a Deist. I think God exists, I think he built the universe (possibly for us?), and I think he loves us. Some aspects of Christianity make a lot of sense to me, but not the whole thing - I think a lot of it is just human culture and editing.

 

I think God is a healthy mix of love and logic.

 

The problem I see with a lot of religions these days is they operate on guilt and oppression. God gave us a free will for a reason - so we could decide whether we believe in him or not, and act accordingly. Guilt is illogical, especially when it relates to "original sin". I refuse to feel guilty for merely being a man. God would not have made me imperfect, so I think it is possible (but difficult) to become perfect - or very close to perfect.

 

In conclusion, I'm a weirdo.

 

couldnt agree more, my dad thinks like you, so i automatically like you now :P religion is meant to give people hope and love, not as a mean of a phycological weapon or of brainwash. it was meant to help people and give meaning, not to dictate lives and start wars, now that is really illogical. but i do agree with you that guilt is illogical, you make very good points :D

[mc_squared]

I'm losing mine.:rolleyes:

[guyy]

There isn't a God some people say. But what I don't understand is, why not believe in God if you can go to Heaven? What if he's real? Just what if you're wrong and you're damned to hell? what if when you die, everything you believed in was a lie? but in vice versa, what if Christians were wrong? Would it hurt us if there were no God? not at all. We'd just be dead. It's only a 50/50 chance for those who don't have faith.

 

Sorry, but I have to go after this, because people use this argument (originally called "Pascal's Wager") all the time, and it's really pretty flawed because it assumes a lot of things we don't actually know. Main thing is, how do you know God, if he exists, wants you to worship him? Maybe he thinks religion is wasteful, and prayer annoying. Or maybe not. But we don't actually know, so believing in God isn't really any more likely to turn out well for you than not believing in him. And anyway, believing in him just because you might be rewarded seems kinda selfish.

 

Ok, no more ranting. As for myself...as you can probably tell, I'm not religious at all; but I don't claim to be an atheist, because they generally firmly believe God does not exist. In my opinion, saying there is definitely no God is just as silly as saying there definitely is. There's no evidence supporting either claim, so I don't see much point in subscribing to one and ridiculing the other.

 

And anyway, a true "atheist" would have to stop believing that logic and evidence work--evidence can't prove that evidence itself works, and logic is just how we analyze evidence--so I wouldn't even want to be one. No religion, but no science either? That's like not even caring how the world works. People who say they're atheists usually do think logic and evidence work, of course, but they're reluctant to admit that they can't actually prove it.

 

...I'd better stop now, this is getting long, confusing, and arrogant-sounding.

[chuck kottke]

Well, to me it's pretty much what Socrates had to say - simply "honor truth". Truth is not always simple, but we can usually pick apart the mechanisms, and discover how it works logically.

As far as hypocrites, well, we all like to do things that are self-interested, and the elders in any social setting (dogs, cats, other primates, humans..) generally teach the rules of selflessness for the betterment of the group to the younger group members, and try to convey the framework that has created success in the past (am I getting too analytical here? Please let me know!). But it's often too tight of an unnatural strait jacket, and so the "letting loose" business goes to the extreme with them.:laugh3: (and some abuse their positions just to have power over others - control freaks they're called). Too much based on guilt - I agree! Instead of the fear of not living up to someone's expectations, it's better to see it in terms of outcomes and how someone's action affects the lives of others; experience being the best teacher. Just remember the Golden Rule! And there needs to be latitude for individual moments, lest we all become stuck in the one state of mind.

God? Well, before humanity became enamored of the concept of a single deity, there were concepts of idealized, deified humans as Gods (Zeus, Athena, Achilles, etc.); Gods representing the spirits of other animals; Gods of inanimate objects (stones, mountains, volcanoes).. I lean in favor of God being the interconnectedness of all things in the Universe, and our role in that seems to be discovering as much as we can about that Universe; uncovering new truths. It takes a lot of cooperation, rational thinking, places for sensible debates where we test ideas and hypothesis, and dissemination of the discoveries. Most of all, it takes healthy individuals and a stable setting to promote real progress.

Yea, the story of Eden - it's really such a sweet & simple story - partly we like simplifications to tie things together neatly, and it does do that much! (Just be careful when some babe offers you a tasty apple that you know you're not supposed to have!:laugh3:) It's a good story about why you need to be careful when a salesman is offering advice..:P

[Ceci29]

As for me I've always been a Christian, but i've also had a lot of doubts as to my religion and especially the people from my church because i noticed a hypocritical attitude in many of them. That bothered me so much that I stopped going to church for a while. Then I realized that I don't need to pay attention to what other people do, just focus on myself and my own faith.

 

What I believe is pretty simple, i'm a sinner but God loved me and sent his son to die for my sins, therefore i'm forgiven and i don't have to do anything to get to heaven. I'm not perfect and I will never be.

 

That's pretty much it. I don't force anybody to believe the same as I do, everyone is free to make their own choice. I don't mind if people hav different religions, that's ok with me...

[Ms Magpie]

Hmmmm ... I never was into religion, but you can count me as a HUUUUUGE hypocrite for being baptised YET never given any education about God and Jesus (except for what I've learned at history classes, but that's not quite the same).

 

I do wish I was into it. There's this girl I got to know on a message board and she was devoted to her religion COMPLETELY. I think she said once that she wouldn't need any special education because everything she wants is people at her church and helping them to cope with their problems. All with the help of God and faith etc.

 

And I really can't explain how I wish I was like her. Turning it into a cheesy conversation - the thing that she will always have something I never won't has brought me to tears.

 

I do believe in God - I believe that he's everywhere, omnipresent, not helping us humans with our lives, but only creator of it. Does that make any sense?

[iPlay181]

Hmmmm ... I never was into religion, but you can count me as a HUUUUUGE hypocrite for being baptised YET never given any education about God and Jesus (except for what I've learned at history classes, but that's not quite the same).

 

I do wish I was into it. There's this girl I got to know on a message board and she was devoted to her religion COMPLETELY. I think she said once that she wouldn't need any special education because everything she wants is people at her church and helping them to cope with their problems. All with the help of God and faith etc.

 

And I really can't explain how I wish I was like her. Turning it into a cheesy conversation - the thing that she will always have something I never won't has brought me to tears.

 

I do believe in God - I believe that he's everywhere, omnipresent, not helping us humans with our lives, but only creator of it. Does that make any sense?

 

that actually makes sense, i believe in the same thing;)

[chuck kottke]

I believe in Dog, because whatever Dog does is good!:P (and right now Dog is happily sleeping by my feet.) Religion is the opiate of the masses... it's a nice fantasy, but we've got the smarts to do better. Well, we all like the simple things in life, and keeping others happy returns that happiness to us, but to put the blinders on oneself - yikes!

Looking at it Biblically, Adam and Eve's fall from God's good grace could be loosely interpreted as humankind's realization about the natural world as it truly is.. (I think the weather turned cold and blustery, they started to shiver, and that's why clothing got invented!):P The shame part was all a big guilt trip to control members of the tribe - we're not born sinners, we're simply born, and born self-interested. We just had to learn to share to gain greater happiness and survival as social creatures; to share in the happiness and community of others at times, and understand what fairness means.. Our collective efforts keep civilization going!

Remember The Wizard of Oz? It's all about rational thinking and reality, for remaining afraid keeps us boxed into a fantasy world, and enslaves to the manipulations of others.. But to be freed of our insecurities releases us from the limited mindset to a more enlightened one.:sunny:

[Saffire]

And I really can't explain how I wish I was like her. Turning it into a cheesy conversation - the thing that she will always have something I never won't has brought me to tears.

 

I've met people like this, and I respect them. But I think that God has a different purpose for different people. Don't envy her faith because it comes from an emotional core rather than an intellectual core (as your's does). As I said before, God is both Love and Logic. Two sides of the same coin, Truth.

[Ms Magpie]

that actually makes sense, i believe in the same thing;)

I'm glad I'm not alone! :)

[Hotplay007]

Pascal's Wager[/url]") all the time, and it's really pretty flawed because it assumes a lot of things we don't actually know. Main thing is, how do you know God, if he exists, wants you to worship him? Maybe he thinks religion is wasteful, and prayer annoying. Or maybe not. But we don't actually know, so believing in God isn't really any more likely to turn out well for you than not believing in him. And anyway, believing in him just because you might be rewarded seems kinda selfish.

 

it's called the Bible..... and it says it IN THE BIBLE? :inquisitive:

And that's not why I have faith in God at all. That was just the example I set for Atheists. Never once did I say I worship Him for that reason.

[RunForTheHills]

I wasn't going to post initially, but reading other people's posts makes me realise that I might not be alone after all. Really I don't know where to start with this, so if I end up rambling and making zero sense, I apologise in advance.

 

Basically, I'm very confused right now, in terms of religion.

 

First off, my parents are 2 very different people. My mum is a 'moderate' muslim from Tunisia, in that she prays when she can (ie, not at work, sometimes not on time etc) and she does all the 'basic things like fasting, not eating pork, and all the other things that are core to that religion. Anyway, my dad (who's from england) on the other hand nowadays would probably call himself agnostic, not quite athiest but certainly not convinced by any of the 'mainstream' religions. So there's never been that 100% certainty of relgion in our family too begin with. Anyway, ever since I was young my mum has tried to bring us up as a muslim, which I probably would have called myself up until age 12. Up until that point, I think i did all the basic things like not eat non halal/kosher meat, fasting, etc etc etc, like it was second nature. But I think its around that time where I started to actually think abut what I was doing and why, and up until I was about 15 I tried as hard as I could to convice myself that this religion was true and that I had to follw it, etcetera. Nowadays, after 2 years of college and one year of uni, I would probably call myself and agnostic. I think I believe that 'God' has created the universe, and that there is some kind of ultimate purose in life... but I just don't think that anyone can be so sure about what this Higher being intends to do for us/ with us during life or when we die or whatever. What I find baffling is how some people can have so much faith in a book that is written my human hands, and then blindly follow it as if it is the be all and end all. Now I'm not saying that some of the things written in these books aren't good or 'right', because larger portions of it are about teaching mankind how to live a good life and how to take care of people you know and your surroundings. But I'm very skeptical about heaven, and hell especially, and how good deeds are counted like points that count toward a precice scale of good and bad things that you've one at the end of your life. I just find that concept too human-like to have anything to do with a higher power. If someone can tell me how the creator of such a complex and beautiful universe can take a person and send them to two extreme opposite realms based on their behaviour during life, without being evil or hypocritical, please, I would like to hear it.

 

I'm rambling, but basically as I've said, I'm not fully convinced by any of the 3 monotheistic religions, but I do believe that the universe was created by something and that our lives mean something and have purpose. My main worry is how I'll bring up my children in the future. Based on my uncertainty about the whole thing, how could I possibly raise children in a stable way without confusing them with religion? I don't want to tell them how to live their lives based on what happens to you after you die, because I don't fully believe that myself. But at the same time I don't want them to become unruly and feel like they can go around with no rules to constrain them... I don't know. There's also the fact that I feel kind of guilty because ive lost most of my faith (well it was never really THERE in the first place), and I know my mum would be heartbroken if I decided to tell her that I don't want to follow her religion anymore, let alone not bringing up children to be mulims. Now of course my dad coudn't care less about religion, so its not like I have 2 parents bearing down on me, but its still quite hard.

 

So where I am now, basically, is that I'm still living with a parent who still expects us to do all the stuff that I mentioned, incuding fasting, which I've decided, does nothing for me (i fail to understand how depriving your body of food and water to appease god makes any sense whatsoever). The only thing that is likely to stay with me for the long term is the not eating pork thing, and of course, not drinking alcohol - I don't think I'll be able to shake those 2 things off. They are truly a part of me, and I would just feel wrong going against those 2 things. It's a pity it can't be like that with the whole religion I suppose, but I'd rather not deceive myself and do things that I don't belive in.

 

I would just like to say though, that even though as a muslim, my mum is an open minded person. I say this because of the recent dislike towards members of this religion in recent years, and I think the media very much skews things and takes the acts of the minority and makes the rest of them look bad. I just think that she seems to be so defensive becasue she doesn't want us to burn in hell forever for not following the religion... that's where I think religion can be somewhat blinding. Its quite sad really.

 

In conclusion, I'm very much still trying to find myself.

And goodness, that was a long post. :stunned:

[Saffire]

Semy, looking at the pics of you in the other threads, I would never have guessed you were part Muslim!

 

I agree on the fasting thing. Christians often say "your body is God's temple" and I agree with this - we should respect our bodies and be as healthy as we can. That's why it sort of bugs me when people go and get tattoos or get drunk or high or fat... or even look at the sun too long.

 

So fasting... makes zero sense. You're hurting an amazing piece of equipment, the most valuable thing you've got in the whole world. And then there's circumcision, which is an absolute disaster - it's basically acceptable genital mutilation.

 

The thing in Genesis about the "Garden of Eden" and our being banished from it... that strikes me as bunk. Look around you, what we have available to us. Look at what life was like in the Middle Ages. It sucked. Life on Earth continues to get better and better. I think one day there will be peace on Earth, and it won't be achieved through any manmade religion, but through science and reason. And that's the closest we can come to being with God here.

[PianoRocker]

Okey, my point to religion.

 

To start with, one thing i'm sure of.. there is absolutly NO god at all!

 

So, no go? What do you mean no god?

Never read the Bible?

Never heard storys of other people about god?

If you have read the Bible and heard alot of storys.

Than you know there is NO god at all.

Then you know that the bible isnt about any god or something like that.

 

What? You have read the bible, and saying that he DOES exist?

Okay, read it again.. and now focus on some facts in it.. there are alot of weird things in it that makes a fact he doesnt exist or that he is a good person.

 

Fact one: More people are killed by god/jezus than in world war 1 and 2!

Indeed, you read it good.. there are more people killed by them in the bible than in both wars... so they are good people then?:o

Even satan killed less people!

 

God and god and god: There are different religions, with other gods etc.

The fact is, that all gods are the same gods.

And did you know you see god every day and satan every night? No? You didnt? Than you havn't understood the bible good.

I don't gonna tell you what they are, I know it.. but I let you find out by yourself!

 

There are alot, alot and alot other facts that reveal the real bible story.

To know what they are.. read the bible. and find out!

 

By the way, I'm Atheïst.. ;)

[RunForTheHills]

^I'm glad you seem to get what I'm saying, Saffire... seeing as my post was all over the place.

But yeah, my mum doesn't even look north african herself. She has light skin and looks more european than anything. But then, we have part-french roots, so there's never been a 'pure' ancestry in our family, its like one big boiling pot. So I guess that explains the way I look, I guess.

 

I totally agree with everything you said though, I couldn't have said it any better. I guess it's just annoying that I had to go through most of the things you mentioned to realise that's NOT what I think is 'right', and that I wouldn't want my children to go through the same thing. And yes, science and reason is the way to go, if there's any chance of there being any kind of lasting peace on this planet. Religion seems to be a great divider, in my opinion.

 

And may I add, that I think believing in God and following a religion are two different things? You do not have to follow a religion to believe in a higher being, IMO.

[PianoRocker]

And By the way..

Religions are destroying the world.

All wars.. been there because of religion... so what war is next?

[Best u Can]

I don't think school and religion should be mixed very much. Kids pretty much have to go to school no matter how they feel about it, and it's just messed up to mix that with religion.

 

That said, there will always be hypocrites. Sometimes I wish certain people would not get involved with religion, because they are clearly in a different mind than they should be, even after years or a lifetime of being surrounded by good hearted people.

 

What you need to do is find someone who you think has a good heart, even some people who are deeply caught in sin might have a very good heart. But I don't like people who are hypocritical either, or overly judgmental.

 

edit: that's a response to the original thread opener