Id like to know your beliefs and ill share mine and let me know if iam too out there or if its a good idea lol Ive been thinking about buddhism and catholicism lately. I believe in both of them and i think they are like one another in retrospect.Ive been wanting to appreicate life because thats honestly why i think iam here but i dont know how to appreicaite it.Like id love to just sit back and watch unfold before my eyes. So is to appreicate life taking a vow of celebacy? I cant understand that, i feel lost Lol. I wanna appreciate it though.:xmastree: I figured i might as well through in a sparkling christmas tree lol
I think it's interesting that people may easily believe in two different religious ideologies at the same time, even though the two in question are not intrinsically compatible. For instance, it's completely possible for someone to believe in elements of Buddhism and Catholicism at the same time, as itsallgood does. However, the two doctrines themselves are mutually incompatible. Being a Catholic requires one to believe in a Creator-God, to the exclusion of all other religions - even other Christian denominations. However, Buddhism does not require a belief in a God - in fact, Buddha himself rejected deification. Buddhism focuses on the "self" as the source of spiritualism. So, a purist Catholic would say that Buddhism is a false religion, because it puts the self above, and does not recognize, God. A pure Buddhist would not accept the Creator-God belief of Catholicism. There is a school of thought that says Christianity (or any other religion with a Creator-God) and Bhuddism are very compatible. But, in order to practice this hybrid, one of those two belief systems is going to have to compromise on the Creator-God issue. There's nothing particularly wrong with creating a personal hybrid religion that combines parts from two or more other religions, or even adds elements that are contained in no other religion, but typically the result would not be accepted by any of the original religions. This is how we end up with all the different denominations within a larger religion like Islam or Christianity. Even the various denominations of Christianity have subsets. The Lutheran World Federation, for instance, consists of the ELCA Lutheran, Missouri Synod Lutheran, and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran, as well as many smaller synods. While they all subscribe to the Book of Concord, many of them are strictly incompatible with the others, to the exclusion of allowing other synods participation in their sacraments. People have an infinite ability to sculpt a spirituality that suits their particular needs. All religions are in a constant state of flux, it seems. Those who fluctuate the least become known as fundamentalists, and are considered to be out on the fringe, because they do not compromise their beliefs even when popular opinion opposes them. The real pity is that almost every religion, or subset of a religion, considers itself to be the True Path and considers all others to be godless heathens in need of redemption. Therein is the cause of all the worlds religious wars. That's what I believe.
Interesting combination. If it works for you, then it works for you. I think the question to ask is ... is there love in your heart and goodness in your actions? If so, then I imagine God would approve. Not that I'm presuming to speak for God. Well, one way to appreciate life is to contemplate it. Which it sounds like you're doing. Only if you want to. You were given sexual pleasure for a reason. No need not to enjoy it, unless that's your choice.
I think the Buddhists got it right, the ying and the yang, always too opposing forces at work. Religion should be more a philosophy than indentured scriptures. Not that I'm a practising anything
yeah man i dont think you learn how to apriceate lif its a journy you must take for it to come about, i live for love and happynes to be celabate wouldnt that be takeing away from the experance, to see the good you must also see the bad i find nature is a wonderfull cure for most things aslo water its like the bodies medicane, my adviec lowere ur expetashions and innerhbitions be ur self with out judgeing and be true, if ur not acepted into sociaty so be it there is a place for every one in this world you just have to find it, rock on my friend peace
i kinda have the beginnings of my own theory started. i was raised christian but later on i found that i just couldn,'t blindly follow a religion that has been corrupted since it began. for instance, the bible's misinterpretetions, and how highly christan figureheads are regarded. however, i do beliieve in the very basic bits of the bible (ten commandments). i also feel that therre is evidence of evolution out there. enough of it to build a substancial case sctually. those are the two main componants to what i beleive... the rest is pretty much a mash up of a bunch of religions. in all i think that god started the earth in a very basic form but we've evolved since then.
Well, when I was your age I went against my family and culture and became an Atheist. I could not accept the mythology that most ppl call Christianity. I softened that when an astute social studies teacher correctly defined me as an anti-theist agnostic. Later, in my early 20s I got into Eastern thought and gravitated to Buddhism. But I am not a Buddhist nor do I belong to any organized religion. Guess I made my own and it is acceptable in many cultures to do that. Here, take a look at my Puja Table: It represents my very own private focus and probably makes little sense to anyone else. Many of the items have been picked up in my travels, my pilgrimage to the Samadhi of Meher Baba (main foto) in India. I visited Assisi Italy (St. Francis) and got Muslim prayer beads in Turkey and Hindu prayer beads in India. The small bronze Buddha is from Afghanistan and the large ceramic one I made. Plus other things that accumulate. So, what are my beliefs? IDK. Really, after all these years I am still trying to sort it out. I vacillate between some spiritual connection with the universe and Atheism. I guess it is all fluid and still flowing. Meantime, with good thoughts, good words and good deeds, I live my life trying to respect others, assisting others when I can and generally applying many of the life affirmation qualities that you will find in most religions.
That's sort of like me. Raised Christian and it took many years to reconcile myself to my own beliefs. I feel much akin to the Earth and nature but cannot follow any set religion. This week my husband passed away. He was an Atheist, so with help of a Humanist we will celebrate his life through music and poetry as was his wish.
I hope you won't take offense, Shale, there's certainly none intended, but I chuckled a little bit when an image popped into my head as I read this. It was of "Benny", from the movie "The Mummy", fingering through all the various religious amulets hanging around his neck, trying to ward off the creature. You've got all the bases covered.
I was raised as catholic but gradually began to think about the whole question of religion. I personally think all the established religions out there are a load of rubbish. Just superstitions. It amazes me that people can still cling to such stuff, I believe it comes from being brainwashed at an early age by parents who had previously been brainwashed and so on back through the generations. Most people's ethical or moral direction is taken from the teachings of their parents, so and if that particular package includes religious beliefs then these will also be passed on.Some people will discard some of their parents' beliefs, especially regarding social or political views but ethics goes deeper. Ethics is about dealing with life as a whole rather than whatever social or political circumstances prevail during the teenage years. I wonder why you need to look to some set of beliefs which were created thousands of years ago in order to define how you live your life in this day and age. You dont need to find a group for which you can tick more boxes than those of some other religious group. My ultimate philosophy would be that we all have to share this planet, so live and let live.
I have a tatu of a eace: symbol on my left ankle and an ahnk on my right (ankhle?). I put them there, myself, back in '69. I doubt that they would keep a mummy at bay, but the thought of peace and eternal life still seems like a nice thing.
lol well i just found where i posted my other post so here goes nothing....I was raised a catholic with the church and magical prayers and songs for an hour every weekend....I didnt believe in no religions at one point and then buddhism i liked and then for some strange reason i liked catholicism...As of now i believe that everybody are reflections of past lives, i dont know which religion that is but i like that idea.
Reality kind of ruins it for me as far as belief goes, but in the absence of that convenience, reality is revealed to be far more rewarding than my highest hopes had ever been.
I was raised an an atheist, in a family who condemns religion, but i'm agnostic- but wholeheartedly liberal. No rules and regulations will mark my devotion to divinity.
Sailors' womenfolk must not attend to thier hair after nightfall, for it will bring harm to their loved ones at sea.
I wrote a series of posts on this subject. I was brought up Hippie so my belief system is a mixture of the core essence of religion, and science. Here are the links to the posts: http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=391953&page=3 Peace Out, Rev J
