[Pops]

I see religion as the modern expression of the instinctual family/tribal unit seeking unity and cooperation as a means of survival. Us against the world, the Broncos vs the Vikings, total immersion vs sprinkling, You're Either With Us Or Against Us.

It helps us with our nightmares too I guess, streets of gold & 72 virgins is a nicer daydream than mouldering bones and nothingness.
.

[Ibon]

As I myself mentioned religion was created as a means of dealing with being a sentient mortal. Most of the responses on this thread similarly explain away religion as a coping mechanism of sorts.

Without wandering into esoterics what if there really is something intrinsic to spirituality or religious faith that goes beyond coping with being a sentient mortal?

Have any of you had experiences that coincidence, luck or projection simply can't explain away?

[Plantagenet]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('GASMON', '
')I personally believe in a creator of some sorts, no way the universe was not there one second then """BANG""" there was everything.

[dinopello]

I think any attempt to fully understand the string of turtles is futile as our 4-dimensional brains are just not that capable. Religion is a coping mechanism for uncertainty. Or, I should say spirituality is a coping mechanism for uncertainty - religion is adopting someone else's spirituality.

[GoghGoner]

Infinity is the tie that binds me to religions. I went through a time where life was strange, it lasted about a month. Maybe you really have to strip off the layers by fasting and mediation before you have a chance of touching reality and see that there is much more than you currently know. Those against faith are walking around with barriers. Those with more intuition have faith -- it is an ability that not everybody possesses obviously. Faith happened to me by accident, but I don't really believe in accidents either

I do like this quote.

"I'll be honest about it. It is not atheists who get stuck in my craw, but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through the garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" then surely we are also permitted to doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation." - Life of Pi

[Keith_McClary]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('GASMON', 'I') personally believe in a creator of some sorts, no way the universe was not there one second then """BANG""" there was everything. Mathematics runs the universe, so in my view God (the creator) is a (the) ultimate mathematician.

[Henriksson]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ibon', 'A')s I myself mentioned religion was created as a means of dealing with being a sentient mortal. Most of the responses on this thread similarly explain away religion as a coping mechanism of sorts.

[aldente]

Plantagenet has offered the precise answer which his Hindu turtle pic . Whoever claims to hold the ultimate answer "now" is a fool in the first place. Plus possibly offensive (as all religious right wingers are). Plus out of sync...

Below an example of a artificial religion with no name, using pictures as cheesy as Jehows Witnesses use'em, generally know as the "New Age". Happy go lucky!

Well - why would I still choose to post this pic?

Since any form of angel is essentially an assassin. These are not my conclusions by reverberations from an interview that I've heard today btw. Rany Maugins and......

who cares anyway -

I posted on this forum for over a decade and after all - never made contact with anyone.

Sort of like going on a site where you look to meet s.o. of the other gender with the intent to build a relationship to finally realize that nobody is there in the first place.

[Timo]

What's my view on religion?

Get real!

That about sums it up.

Oh, and Sheep go to Heaven. Goats go to Hell!

[Newfie]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MonteQuest', 'F')aith is believing what you know ain't so." -Mark Twain?

Read Letters from the Earth by Twain.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')his is a strange place, and extraordinary place, and interesting. There is nothing resembling it at home. The people are all insane, the other animals are all insane, the earth is insane, Nature itself is insane. Man is a marvelous curiosity. When he is at his very very best he is a sort of low grade nickel-plated angel; at is worst he is unspeakable, unimaginable; and first and last and all the time he is a sarcasm. Yet he blandly and in all sincerity calls himself the "noblest work of God." This is the truth I am telling you. And this is not a new idea with him, he has talked it through all the ages, and believed it. Believed it, and found nobody among all his race to laugh at it.

Moreover -- if I may put another strain upon you -- he thinks he is the Creator's pet. He believes the Creator is proud of him; he even believes the Creator loves him; has a passion for him; sits up nights to admire him; yes, and watch over him and keep him out of trouble. He prays to Him, and thinks He listens. Isn't it a quaint idea? Fills his prayers with crude and bald and florid flatteries of Him, and thinks He sits and purrs over these extravagancies and enjoys them. He prays for help, and favor, and protection, every day; and does it with hopefulness and confidence, too, although no prayer of his has ever been answered. The daily affront, the daily defeat, do not discourage him, he goes on praying just the same. There is something almost fine about this perseverance. I must put one more strain upon you: he thinks he is going to heaven!

He has salaried teachers who tell him that. They also tell him there is a hell, of everlasting fire, and that he will go to it if he doesn't keep the Commandments. What are Commandments? They are a curiosity. I will tell you about them by and by.

[Newfie]

Some of you may find this interesting. A religion for atheist.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical_movement

http://aeu.org/who-we-are/ethical-humanism/

[aldente]

ANY religion can be compared to a cumulus cloud (in the basics of aviation know as the point where the glider cannot go any higher) - meaning - religions- ANY- by default are clouds that have "fallen out".
BS (some call it believe systems)

[aldente]

Interesting to see and hear that an Englishman went the other way around, thanks for the link Newfie !

All the world is under the impression that America is it. To return to Europe might be cumbersome, however -after all it still is home.

The darn demon "money" (place holder in term) is an iterference in and of itself. As we would not know...

So it is !

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanton_Coit

[evilgenius]

I don't believe man has gotten God right. Everywhere we are determined to see God as a bully or a thug who wants to damn people. Why would God want to do that?

Christianity is a sham, but not for the reasons most people think. The early leaders, yes the Apostles, rejected the actual teachings of Jesus. His whole message, and the message of the Old Testament, is about how to reach enlightenment. It's more Buddhist than Buddhism. Jesus was telling an old story when he came. The Devil is us, not some other spiritual being. We are collectively the Devil. The Devil is cast out through enlightenment, not good works. You can't buy a state of mind. That's why the forty day period in the wilderness fasting and praying is central to the Jesus story.

The Holy Spirit is the one by whom the transformation happens. The Spirit is the teacher. He is the Christian equivalent of the law. Moses represents the Holy Spirit in the Exodus story. Moses did what was necessary within himself to bring down the law. Aaron, who actually held his rod out to perform all of the miracles, represents Jesus. This was supposed to be central. It is the farthest thing from central now.

Basically, arguing over God is like arguing over space aliens. The vast majority of people want to believe that space aliens would come here to destroy us. The truth is probably very far from that. Why would any alien civilization capable of interstellar travel want to harm the only life it has found for light years? If they needed raw materials from us then they wouldn't have been able to produce the technology to get here. It just doesn't make any sense. Neither does them revealing themselves until the time is right. You might see them, as they would be watching, but you won't get a face to face until we are ready.

God too isn't going to reveal Himself until the time is right. Any other approach would lead to wholesale human dependency when an enlightened state of mind is what God wants people to have. People aren't ready. If he showed Himself He would destroy all of His work.

[Lore]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('evilgenius', '
')Basically, arguing over God is like arguing over space aliens. The vast majority of people want to believe that space aliens would come here to destroy us. The truth is probably very far from that. Why would any alien civilization capable of interstellar travel want to harm the only life it has found for light years? If they needed raw materials from us then they wouldn't have been able to produce the technology to get here. It just doesn't make any sense. Neither does them revealing themselves until the time is right. You might see them, as they would be watching, but you won't get a face to face until we are ready.

God too isn't going to reveal Himself until the time is right. Any other approach would lead to wholesale human dependency when an enlightened state of mind is what God wants people to have. People aren't ready. If he showed Himself He would destroy all of His work.

[Shaved Monkey]

The rapture is coming no one predicted it would be such a slow process though.
Mean while we can get micro raptures every time we go shopping or post a selfie on facebook.... while waiting for godot.