Religion

Listen, religion exists to guide faith. Faith in whatever an individual chooses to believe. Be it a higher power, reincarnation, aliens etc.

Religion will give you what you put into it. If you're "open" to it, then you don't need to be sold on it. You just believe or you dont

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>>17935155
then why would I choose one over the other if they are all bound by illogic? The reason I say to 'sell me', is because they all sound as reasonable as the next and I don't feel particularly compelled to one or the other

Though I have believed in reincarnation for a while, because it would seem obvious our energy is recycled all throughout time, it can neither be created nor destroyed, we are the energy of our ancestors and in the future we will still be, but in different bodies. I don't really see it as religious though, I just feel its a logical prediction based on science.

I'm in the same boat as you. I've come to find that it's such an important social institution because now a lot of atheists are just retarded leftists who don't get married and have kids and live as degenerates because "no invisible sky monster telling us what to do man".

Atheism and agnostics sell to you easily when you're young, but the importance of religion shows as you grow up. Personally though, I don't see myself ever actually following a religion, but I wish atheists would stay as an intelligent minority (but that really isn't the case at all). I am very much against antitheism because religion encouraged the traditional family lifestyle and doing things for a higher cause than otherwise possible, doing things to please God.

Like I said religion exists as a guide. There is no "better" religion. It's a set of rules to enforce ideas that guide you morally. When practiced mindfully it can help sculpt you into a compassionate and temperate person. I am a Buddhist but I don't practice in the traditional way with shrines and such.

Religion is literally arbitrary guides used to show you a path to being that particular set of belief's idea of "good". It's very much like an opinion.

test

>>17935219
Some religions are indeed better than others, but a lot are still pretty good. I think Islam is mostly good. It has some strong views, but often they are very insightful and noble (e.g. charging interest is haram). Christianity can work very well when taken in moderation, but not to moderately. It's seen the rise of great and free civilizations, but in extremity, like Islam, can lead to misery for others. Eastern philosophies are pretty good (i.e. Confucianism, Taoism). Religion mixed with common sense is a very good combo if you aren't philosophically-minded yourself.

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Religion, and faith, isn't bound by logic or relativity. All religions are NOT equal. Zoroastrianism is not equal to Shinto is not equal to Catholicism.

Faith is a common tenet. What you do with it varies.

Almost all religions require faith, discipline and sacrifice as part of membership. They are NOT an adventure to be chosen lightly, or an appetizer at a table to nibble on. You won't get anything out of that.

Look at the game of baseball. You can play, and have fun and go home, no big deal, but you'll suck at it for the most part. If you want to truly learn it, to master it, it takes years of practice and training under expert trainers to truly get the game, to truly understand the gestalt of the game and compete.
So it goes with religion.

I can't tell you how to choose one. You need faith and experience to do so.

If you want a quick and dirty lesson on integrating science and religion, on the creation of God as Creator, look at Teilhard Du Chardin's Omega man.
Shit will blow your hair back. Basic idea is that if we, eventually, advance as a species enough, if we can eventually transcend time through technology, science, philosophy, etc, the very first to do that successfully will instantly have existed for all time and in all places, as he will be unbound by time and will have instantly always been unbound by time. Omniscience follows. Boom, Instant godhood. Du Chardin's belief was that we would do so as a species together, so that God would be the sum of humanity and the source of it, which actually fits into Christianity, though Du Chardin, a Catholic monk, isn't accepted as a theologist just now. That may change as we learn more about our place and the nature of the universe.

>>17935147
You are retarded.
You're not ""an"" agnostic, stop simplifying everything and turning it into labels. Agnostic means you refrain from believing or denying in a god or gods, this also means you can still be religious. Just not a religion that has gods or god-like deities. It's not a title it's an verb, an action. You are agnostic; not an agnostic. It's not an ideology or religion. Secondly, you're retarded for "believing" in "Evolution" or "The Big Bang" indeed, many modern scientists dispute The Big Bang and some more antiquated concepts in evolution are very debatable, sometimes plainly flawed. This is science, you don't believe in anything, you develop theories and concepts that work to the best of our knowledge. Then you refine or completely dismiss them if new information discredits them. There is no belief at all.

>>17935264
As they say common sense isn't so common. I think religion is important and everyone will practice differently. However, end of the day it's what you want it to be

>>17935204
no, you're not. I see entirely where atheists and agnostics come from, I don't understand religion at all, but that it is illogical. The one fault atheists have is that logic would imply a god would not be bound be logic, but they are mostly on the right track. I am also liberal, conservatism seems largely based in christianity, but as I already said, even now I don't feel particularly compelled to one religion over another, as far as I'm concerned it's the same and greek and roman mythology. At least a lot of leftist stances are based in logic and science, even if we do have some retards who make us all look bad by being sensitive pussies about over political correctness, and the 60 new genders lol. but i don't feel like getting into a political argument, thats not what this thread is about.

I also don't see importance in religion specifically, I see importance in faith in something higher, in having a purpose, thats what this whole thread is about for me, discovering what my purpose is here.

I disagree as well that a traditional family lifestyle is inherently better because its being done "to please god", why is acting out of illogic somehow better? There are many people hurt and even killed unjustly due to these illogical beliefs. How do you know it does more good than bad?

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>>17935275
arguing over semantics is worthless, we both know what agnostic is

90+% of scientists believe in evolution, and I believe the number is similar for The Big Bang. You do believe in science though of course, do you not believe in empirical evidence? You may be moderately intelligent, but your hostile and ill informed post prove you are not sufficiently educated on the subject at hand. Don't waste your time responding, I will not speak to you again

>>17935264
Oh come on. Islam is basically Christianity for barbarians.

I don't really like any abrahamic faiths, but Islam is the worst. Its book is a book of rules, not parables like the bible, and it is taken far more literally and brutally than any other I can think of.

Until Islam goes through some kind of reformation, it will never be equal. It's too angry.

>>17935326

Appeal to consensus is not a tenet of science. That's a shitty place to plant your flag.

Also, it's ironic that you mention the big bang theory and evolution in a religious thread without noting that it was a Catholic priest and physicist who developed the big bang theory and that several religions are cool with evolution.

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>>17935338
>Appeal to consensus is not a tenet of science
You're right, I thought of that as well when I was making the post, i'm most certainly not trying to say that it is definitely the answer, I'm just moreso responding to him saying "im retarded for believing in evolution and the big bang". I put my faith in it though because of the mountains of evidence supporting the scientific theory.

I feel no need to note those things as I think it's common knowledge science and religion can coexist, in fact those are the people i'm trying to get in the thread, I turn away the minority with no evidence supporting their claims, whom deny those with a lot. I'm of the belief that logic, science, what we can piece together for ourselves, is a large piece of the puzzle, even if their is a god.

>>17935147
There's an old song whose refrain is "Help me make it through the night."

Don't think of religion as an accurate description of the universe, but as a human construct invented to help people through the night, to give them some comfort.

There is no question that it does that for a lot of people, and despite all the other bad things about religion, and completely regardless of whether it is "true", you have to respect and be happy for those who have found something to make life more livable.

>>17935169
Christianity use to teach reincarnation prior to Constantine. The church itself is the body of believers in Christ, not an actual building. Christianity was suppose to be about humility but if you notice it is far from that today.

>>17935147

>and the violence and war that has stemmed from it

note that "godless" communism has killed more people than all other religions except islam

> to try and sell me on it

do internet search for "prime mover" or "first mover" and go from there

there are only 2 possibilities - either some higher power created everything including time itself (reasonable) or everything has always existed which most intelligent rational people realize is ridiculous

the problem comes from associating this higher power to a specific religion as they all claim it for their own, and of course have zero worldly scientific proof for it - which is where "faith" comes in, ie, a perfect setup for scamming people

after that look at religious ideologies, not followers - and categorize - islam is belief in force & violence against others & that's all, xnity judaism budism et all none of them espouse that b.s in their ideology

the followers of any religion or ideology are different tho