Introduction

[Kyuuketsuki]

You don't believe in rights? How about for yourself?

Nope

Am I to understand that you are of the opinion that you do not and should not have the right to freedom, free speech or equality or even life itself? I need some further explanation to understand where you are coming from. Please explain.

I don't believe in rights (certainly not inalienable ones) ... I believe in responsibilities. Rights devolve from (are a product of) responsibility. Rights are not inalienable, they are granted.

So as not to re-invent the wheel, there's more about it here.

Kyu

[downbeatplumb]

Welcome Secularone!

Thanks for asking:

1. I believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.
2. I believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship.
3. I believe that there are three persons in the Godhead-the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, undivided in essence and co-equal in power and glory.
4. I believe that in the person of Jesus Christ the Divine and human natures are united, so that He is truly and properly God and truly and properly man.
5. I believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocency, but by their disobedience they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.
6. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by His suffering and death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved.
7. I believe that repentance towards God, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit, are necessary to salvation.
8. I believe that we are justified by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and that he that believeth hath the witness in himself.
9. I believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.
10. I believe that it is the privilege of all believers to be wholly sanctified, and that their whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
11. I believe in the immortality of the soul; in the resurrection of the body; in the general judgment at the end of the world; in the eternal happiness of the righteous; and in the endless punishment of the wicked.

[Tiberius]

fr0d0 always knows how to make us laugh. Luckily I think this is one of the times where he meant it

[omjag86]

Ohhhh Sweet,

I believe that beliefs are a left brain process of Ego; ones ability to identify themselves as a seperate individual.
I believe that if one is unaware of beliefs being part of their analog chemical computers process of identifying itself as seperate and individual, they will confuse their beliefs as being the ultimate reality, (You can see how this plays out by following Frodos threads) and consequently they will delete, distort, and generalize all incoming information to match up to their beliefs (reality).
I believe that the more steadfast that one holds to their beliefs as being "the" reality the greater the individuals pathology-usually a result of childhood repression by parents and culture.
(You can see how this plays out by watching the documentary "Jesus Camp")
I believe that this is quite dangerous to our species, that a majority of our planets population thinks their beliefs to be reality and thus beliefs are the cause of all wars and conflicts throughout history and in the world today.
(You can see how this plays out by watching FOX news, especially Sean Hannity and Glen Beck)
I believe that if an individual is aware that beliefs are simply a process of intelligence that you can create open-ended evolving beliefs that will motivate and inspire you to do great things in the world (wholeness).
I believe if one is willing to watch their thoughts that they become aware of this process, that you will discover that you have nothing to prove in the world. That you have nowhere to go, nothing to become, nothing to fight for or against because you are IT (the creator) already. That you can live and experience every moment to its fullest in the now because you are not trying to defend anything or overpower other people with your beliefs. I believe this makes me a lousy debator but a great listener.
I believe in this Forum because it allows hope for those folks who have been bamboozled by religion (belief in magic) to find their way back to the present moment, heal themselves of their pathologies, and make the world a better and much safer place to live.
I think your list of beliefs are very ethical and support your values quite nicely; I believe in you!
Peace In
Omjag86

[Edwardo Piet]

Welcome Secularone. Welcome to the forums.

I believe in Evidence and the importance of being moral, and I'm also a moral relativist. I too, also believe empathy is of high importance.

At most I can accept a compatabilist definition of 'free will', it's just that I'd call that freedom, and will, but not 'free will' - I think it's perhaps misleading to label it 'free will' if it's compatible with determinism, I'm not sure I agree with labelling that way (although that may change as I'm reading - and so far, thoroughly enjoying - 'Freedom Evolves' by Dan Dennett, who believes in 'free will' and labels it as such, but in the compatibilist sense.).

I'm not sure whether I believe in indeterminism or determinism because I don't really know of either much, just that I've heard that quantum mechanics supports indeterminism, although I've also heard that this may be 'jumping the gun' or something like that....

So the subject of 'free will', is a very big thing for me, and I do believe in it in the compatiblist sense (any definition of 'free will' completely compatible with a fully determined future, a fully deterministic universe), it's just I personally wouldn't call it 'free will'. At least for now - for now I think it's misleading since many seem to think of a very different definition when they think of 'free will' at least implicitly if they don't really mull it over.

I would say I believe in 'forgiveness', but personally, for me, I perhaps don't because ideally I believe in not holding any grudges in the first place - so there's nothing to forgive in the first place, it isn't needed - and I believe that 'revenge' in and of itself is purely destructive. That's what I aim for rather than forgiveness, and I seem to be doing a good job on that ever since I've had this view.

EvF

[Secularone]

Appreciate your thoughts on these beliefs. Your comments reveal that you are kicking these ideas around a great deal before deciding what to believe. That identifies you as a genuine thinker as opposed to those who cannot articulate why they believe something.

I once was a Christian dummy who blindly embraced the absurd simply because the "authorities" said it was true. I've come a long way since then.

Now days I enjoy engaging Christians in conversation. Unfortunately, none last very long since they are not qualified to defend their beliefs and so they just bury their head in the sand or run away. And almost none have the integrity or character to admit error.

FaithvsEvidence is a great user name. There's lots of empiracle evidence that Jesus is a fraud.

Thanks again for the response.

[Violet]

I like kicking ideas I once kicked an idea from one end of an american wanna-be football stadium to the other... and back again. And then i realized i was right back at where i'd started

[Edwardo Piet]

I prefer to elbow them. Providing I have the [elbow] room.

EvF