Are you religious? Why or why not?
-
No. I convinced myself I was until I was 16 or 17. It wasn't compatible with my worldview and it was completely unscientific.
What about your worldview was incompatible with religion? Secondarily, do you think there is any religion that might be compatible with your worldview?
-
I'm not, but I kind of miss the community connection and discussion of life wisdom that religion serves.
I've thought about trying to go to a universalist Unitarian service sometime, since I've heard they dont really care if you are a more secular person, they're not a Christian church, and welcome folks of all sorts of world views
What type of community were you a part of before you chose to walk away?
-
My family is from Manchuria/Beijing where the communist party has a much stronger grip so... I'm not kidding, a lot of ppl literally practice no religion whatsoever; probably got stamped out by the CCP. I think there might be a rather strong North/South divide in China: the North unfortunately has always been under stricter supervision by the party so...
Like they separate it very clearly. My grandparents' generation have old folk religion but ppl would call them "Mi Xin" so... my dad did burn the fake money things, but only during my grandparents' tomb cleanings or anything to do with the older generation. One of my grandparents is Buddhist, but she does make it quite clear. Otherwise most ppl I know literally have nothing remotely resembling religious in their apartments
Wow, this is so interesting. I feel like the fact that the Communist Party “stamps out” all types of religion is simply a testament to how important it is for humans to share with eachother something higher than our mortal plane. Would you be willing to share more about your experience with your grandparents, and how the culture has now switched to a vast majority practicing no religion at all?
-
Religion is abuse.
Do you actually believe that all religion is abusive?
-
I consider myself Buddhist. Im not a particularly good Buddhist and im not an asshole so I generally keep it to myself.
When I was a teenager 20+ years ago I learned as much as I could about it. I wasnt ready to commit to anything so I carried on as an atheist, but I always felt that if anyone got it right, it was Buddha. If youre going to have a spiritual/religious philosophy, being devoted to the elimination of suffering seems like pretty much the best central concept you could go from IMO.
Im particularly drawn to Soto Zen. Theres a straightforwardness to it and zazen that makes sense to me. I really do need to sit zazen more regularly though.
Would you be willing to share why you feel so drawn to Soto Zen?
-
Would you be willing to share why you feel so drawn to Soto Zen?
I read Hardcore Zen by Brad Warner at a fairly young age and liked his characterization of it. Like I said, it has a straightforward, practical quality to it that I appreciate. Most of what ive read on it since (im currently reading The Three Pillars of Zen, which is also from a Soto perspective) emphasizes discipline more than "religious" practices, which appeals to me. Im not much for religious ceremony or ritual, but i can understand discipline and practice. Even if I often fall short.
-
Do you actually believe that all religion is abusive?
It's mind rot
-
Yeah. I didn't use to be but now I am, and I'm very happy about it. And why? Because God guides whom He wills, I guess.
Because God guides whom He wills, I guess.
And fuck everyone else, right? Including literal children with terminal cancer.
Sorry kids, God didn't will it. You gotta die painfully at 4 years old.
-
Because God guides whom He wills, I guess.
And fuck everyone else, right? Including literal children with terminal cancer.
Sorry kids, God didn't will it. You gotta die painfully at 4 years old.
? God guided me so I have an opportunity not to damn myself and end up in Hell. Cancer is just another feature of this imperfect universe (if you want it differently, you have to go to Heaven), and these kids have pure souls and will meet the Creator and enjoy peace. Of course we mourn them because they left us, but just like in the case of adults, we have to make peace with the fact that every day is a gift and without God making this entire universe we wouldn't even have had a second of consciousness, so be grateful. And haven't you heard the story of Abraham? There's a way to process the death of your child better, but it'll take faith in God.
Also, everyone else? My man, all the information is freely available and you even have silly folks like me online trying to direct people to a better path... you're already being helped, you're already bombarded with calls to be mindful of God. When the Day comes and you stand in front of Him, don't say you were not warned.
-
Do you identify yourself with a specific religion or are you just generally spiritual?
I'm Christian, guess i'm a little scared of an avalanche of hate comments for saying that.
-
I know this is meant to be a casual conversation and this topic can get deep fast, but I’d love to hear everyone's elevator pitch for their religion or lack thereof. peace and love<3
There has been written a lot of fantasy the last 3000 years, but I prefer the more recent ones.
-
I know this is meant to be a casual conversation and this topic can get deep fast, but I’d love to hear everyone's elevator pitch for their religion or lack thereof. peace and love<3
Not religious.
Because I was raised well enough to successfully avoid indoctrination into a cult.
-
Do you think that religion as a whole is unproductive/useless? Maybe even borderline harmful?
Not the OP, but I believe religion, while having some positive aspects, is overall harmful. Lies always are.
-
Do you think that religion as a whole is unproductive/useless? Maybe even borderline harmful?
Very harmful. Full of BS. Countless millions murdered in the name of religion. Trillions $$ stolen from people's pockets. And more Trillions $$ in slave labor, either true slaves or fools that have volunteered many hours of their time.
Big religion should not be treated any differently than the truly rotten Cults .
-
I know this is meant to be a casual conversation and this topic can get deep fast, but I’d love to hear everyone's elevator pitch for their religion or lack thereof. peace and love<3
I was raised in a devout Christian family. It never felt right to me. It just never felt capital "T" True.
After expressing that feeling at an early age, I was scolded and made to feel afraid of expressing any dissenting opinions about it. I guess I kind of internalized that fear, more as a coping mechanism than an actual belief.
When I got older, I rejected it outright, and went searching for the TRUE religion. I didn't find it, lol, and I began identifying as an atheist. Albeit, an atheist with a lot of knowledge of various religious and spiritual traditions.
Then, I read the Principia Discordia. That book changed my perspective on everything. It led me to Leary/Wilson's concept of reality tunnels. A person who only views things from one perspective (be that perspective religious, philosophical, scientific, or whatever) has a very narrow reality tunnel; a person who views things from multiple perspectives has a wider one. Our perception of reality is based on the perspectives we bring to it.
I think that most religions are structurally unsound as a whole. They fall apart under their own weight. But some of the discrete pieces of those religions can stand on their own, and when I find those pieces, I add them to my reality tunnel.
I'm drawn to non-dual forms of spirituality, because that's what feels true to me. I feel that way because of experiences I've had, or things that just feel true to me.
I don't expect anyone to feel the same way I do about it though. We don't have the same perspective, because we haven't had the same experiences. Expecting others to see things the way I do would be unfair, and wildly irrational.
-
There has been written a lot of fantasy the last 3000 years, but I prefer the more recent ones.
Honestly, the fiction that exists today has the capability of teaching incredibly valuable lessons with thousands of years of progress incorporated into it. I often find myself feeling all the warm and fuzzies when a fiction book of today touches important ethics amidst a simple sci-fi or fantasy story.
There are certainly some good things to learn from ancient morality, like the Golden Rule, but it really cannot beat modern ethics. Many philosophies of long ago are still potent today, but many more (should) have become deprecated with the advent of modern science and ethics.
This is kind of why I've been gravitating towards Humanism. It's much of the goodness of religion, but without God.
-
I was raised in a devout Christian family. It never felt right to me. It just never felt capital "T" True.
After expressing that feeling at an early age, I was scolded and made to feel afraid of expressing any dissenting opinions about it. I guess I kind of internalized that fear, more as a coping mechanism than an actual belief.
When I got older, I rejected it outright, and went searching for the TRUE religion. I didn't find it, lol, and I began identifying as an atheist. Albeit, an atheist with a lot of knowledge of various religious and spiritual traditions.
Then, I read the Principia Discordia. That book changed my perspective on everything. It led me to Leary/Wilson's concept of reality tunnels. A person who only views things from one perspective (be that perspective religious, philosophical, scientific, or whatever) has a very narrow reality tunnel; a person who views things from multiple perspectives has a wider one. Our perception of reality is based on the perspectives we bring to it.
I think that most religions are structurally unsound as a whole. They fall apart under their own weight. But some of the discrete pieces of those religions can stand on their own, and when I find those pieces, I add them to my reality tunnel.
I'm drawn to non-dual forms of spirituality, because that's what feels true to me. I feel that way because of experiences I've had, or things that just feel true to me.
I don't expect anyone to feel the same way I do about it though. We don't have the same perspective, because we haven't had the same experiences. Expecting others to see things the way I do would be unfair, and wildly irrational.
It's funny you say this. After I became an apostate and left my faith, as I learned and grew behind that... I came to the conclusion that I knew what true salvation was now. Or at least perhaps one kind of salvation.
Salvation lies within ones ability to embrace different perspectives.
So much pain, struggling, and strife can be resolved by a change in perspective.
-
Wow, this is so interesting. I feel like the fact that the Communist Party “stamps out” all types of religion is simply a testament to how important it is for humans to share with eachother something higher than our mortal plane. Would you be willing to share more about your experience with your grandparents, and how the culture has now switched to a vast majority practicing no religion at all?
It's not as interesting... three of my grandparents passed away before I started memorizing things so I don't know that much stuff first-hand. But basically... At least where my parents grew up, old folk religions (again... just referred to Mi Xin now) used to be quite common. The last generation (starting 30-40 years ago) just don't really practice them anymore, so my generation are full of complete non-religious people; not even any folk religion. Not sure if it has anything to do with that region being the manufacturing hub of China for a while... so maybe CCP had a much stronger influence there
Beijing is kinda duh, the government is there so... I mean it is the city that destroyed nearly all of its Hu Tongs and historical housing and stuff to build highrises/business districts, how would people imagine Beijing treat its less tangible cultural norms
There was a new religion purge that started sometime 10-15 years ago... but I think it was separate. I just remember there was a Christian family friend whose church was in a bit of a trouble
-
I know this is meant to be a casual conversation and this topic can get deep fast, but I’d love to hear everyone's elevator pitch for their religion or lack thereof. peace and love<3
Like siempastrophe, I was not blessed with belief. I remember finding out that the adults at the church really believed the stories they were telling were true, when I was 5 or so.
I wouldn't say I am Atheist, with a capital A, either. No way to disprove, and the simple fact of physical existence is so mind-blowing, the universe existing at all, consciousness, time. But no I can't believe enough to believe in any particular religion as true.
-
What type of community were you a part of before you chose to walk away?
Oh eons ago I was raised nondenominationally christian. My missing those things is less a reflection of having had them in the past, and more a reflection of having much less access to community in the present. I dont think I really appreciated those things about church when I was a kid, and while it wasn't a bad experience (except when I joined for adult service, which bored me to tears), I don't really want back the same kind of church experience I has when I was little. It was lots of kids activities that snuck in ideals about how to be a good person and worship practices.
But I have a circadian rhythm disorder that limits my ability to get together with other people cause everyone's asleep for the bulk of time I'm awake, so connection to other people is precious to me. I'd love to find a way to participate in that kind of fellowship and discuss how we strive to be people we can take pride in and build good lives and communities for ourselves
