Hello from Worldquest

[tavarish]

Rwandrall, that's one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is that with religion, you're at the mercy of what the whole of the religion tells you, and you're expected to go along with a whole set of preset beliefs. Whereas with general beleifs, spiritual ways of seeing things, it's more a matter of what feels right to the individual. Religion tends to tie you into what seems a bit like a contract, but when you pick and choose, as I do, from whichever religion or tradition or anything at all, you're completely in charge of what you wish to believe and you can be totally honest with yourself. And there's no peer pressure. So in a sense, you do have boundaries, because the whole idea is to go with only that which feels right to you.

The one thing that most of you and I have in common is that we have made our own decisions on what to believe or reject. We haven't accepted the pressure and the boundaries of organised religions. In making that decision, you've gone one way, I've gone the other way. There was a time, a long time ago, when I was tempted to reject god (and for a few minutes I was an atheist while I pondered) but when I realised how flimsy my reasons for doing that were, I had a rethink and I realised that it wasn't god that I had a problem with, it was my circumstances. If I hadn't made that realisatin, I could well be logged on here as : Worldquest, Atheist.

Emotional reasoning can always go either way. However, when your reasoning is based on evidence, there's not much room for interpretation.

[Rwandrall]

Nah i dont agree with you here Worldquest. Because to think for yourself you have to take your beliefs from somewhere. And exploring those beliefs, when unchecked, can lead you to an entire spiral of more and more extreme beliefs...hell scientologists believe that an extraterrestrial froze humans into a burning volcano before the Universe was even created !

Organized religion is chosen by most because in those you are a sheep, you can follow the pack and not have to worry. In what you believe, which is, to me, spiritualism, you have no boundaries except what you subjectively believe is okay. That is terrible because the human mind is easily fooled.

And also how can you "pick and chose" what you believe ? its not like a car or a TV you cant just change who you are because it doesnt suit your mood of the day.

And once you realize that all of these beliefs are in fact funded on the simple fear of our own insignificance and of death, and reject them, can you really be free.

That is why i respect most atheists, it takes courage to face the truth. I know i am also congratulating myself by saying that, but i am cool with it

[Minimalist]

Also, its better to talk to trees than to talk to ghosts because i can, you know...see the trees Big Grin

Be careful if they start to answer.

[Violet]

Rwandrall, that's one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is that with religion, you're at the mercy of what the whole of the religion tells you, and you're expected to go along with a whole set of preset beliefs. Whereas with general beleifs, spiritual ways of seeing things, it's more a matter of what feels right to the individual. Religion tends to tie you into what seems a bit like a contract, but when you pick and choose, as I do, from whichever religion or tradition or anything at all, you're completely in charge of what you wish to believe and you can be totally honest with yourself. And there's no peer pressure. So in a sense, you do have boundaries, because the whole idea is to go with only that which feels right to you.

Religion is often what feels right to sheep... it may interest you to know that most of us briefly (or perhaps not so briefly ) explored several different religions or spiritualities before we came to the conclusion that it's all a load of hooey.

The one thing that most of you and I have in common is that we have made our own decisions on what to believe or reject. We haven't accepted the pressure and the boundaries of organised religions. In making that decision, you've gone one way, I've gone the other way. There was a time, a long time ago, when I was tempted to reject god (and for a few minutes I was an atheist while I pondered) but when I realised how flimsy my reasons for doing that were, I had a rethink and I realised that it wasn't god that I had a problem with, it was my circumstances. If I hadn't made that realisatin, I could well be logged on here as : Worldquest, Atheist.

'God' is responsible for all of your circumstances, if indeed we are to call 'Him' "God" at all.

[Hopppppppp]

WorldQuest, hello from Hopppppppp.

[Rwandrall]

WorldQuest, hello from Hopppppppp.

Hello Hopppppppp i dont know you but your avatar is Courage the Cowardly Dog, making you an awesome person from the get-go

/highfive

[Edwardo Piet]

Welcome.

EvF