What Is Your Religion.

[sphinx568]

As Karen Armstrong will say it, I am a Free Lance Monotheist. I have come to the realization that categorizing ourselves by religion can be and in most of the times, divisive, and when you look closely they are the same in essence. I now refuse to be confined by religious labels. God revealed Himself in all the major religions of the World. God is present in Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, etc. The spiritual consciousness of humanity is already evolving such that humanity is beginning to see the oneness of all, including the different spiritual traditions.

[maxiev]

Catholic. Can't say I'm a practicing one though. I haven't been to mass in a while

 

Same here bro. I'm a Catholic but haven't been to mass in a while as well. But I try to practice Christ's teachings whenever possible.

[maxiev]

As Karen Armstrong will say it, I am a Free Lance Monotheist. I have come to the realization that categorizing ourselves by religion can be and in most of the times, divisive, and when you look closely they are the same in essence. I now refuse to be confined by religious labels. God revealed Himself in all the major religions of the World. God is present in Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, etc. The spiritual consciousness of humanity is already evolving such that humanity is beginning to see the oneness of all, including the different spiritual traditions.

 

Don't want to start a lengthy debate here. But how do you reconcile the tenet of Christianity which states "when someone hurts you, turn the other cheek" and the tenet of Islam which advocates "an eye for an eye" Both religions claim they are getting their instructions from God. Since there's only one God, how do you explain the discrepancy?

Edited January 7, 2013 by maxiev

[Bugatti Veyron]

I'm Roman Catholic but I'm a not-practicing Catholic. I try to follow the two most important commands of Christ. Love God above all else; and love your neighbor as you love yourself.

 

I don't agree with the Catholic Church's stand on the RH bill.

[oscartamaguchiblackface]

I'm Roman Catholic. I think religion is hard-wired into human beings. Religion can be found in all cultures all throughout history. From the ancient Roman and Egyptian gods to the pagan beliefs of our ancestors, it seems where you find human beings, you'll find religion. I don't know of any animal that has or worships a god. Dogs may adore their masters but that isn't the same as man worshipping an unseen entity.

 

There seems to be a need for man to worship something even if it's just the sun, the moon, or the stars.

[Pnat8R]

Isa akong katoliko pero bukod sa panginoong Christo Hesus ako ay naniniwala din na may isang Deus Amang pinakamataas sa lahat sa kaitaasan ng langit.. sya na pinakaunang liwanag..walang kakulangan at walang hanggan..

[airport-noo]

I'm a "dont know"-ist. The only thing I know for sure is that I don't know the truth about God and religion and I won't claim to know what I don't know. When its based on faith, you gotta have faith; but poor me don't have faith. I follow Catholic traditions anyway because of my upbringing.

[sonnyt111]

I'm a "dont know"-ist. The only thing I know for sure is that I don't know the truth about God and religion and I won't claim to know what I don't know. When its based on faith, you gotta have faith; but poor me don't have faith. I follow Catholic traditions anyway because of my upbringing.

 

Fair enough sir Airport Noo. I guess all of us lack faith in one form or another. For certain, even St. Peter lost his faith when Jesus' tormentors accused him of being Jesus' follower. As you probably already know, St. Peter denied Christ 3 times. And who can forget the doubting Thomas who boasted he would never believe that Jesus rose from the dead unless he personally saw the wounds on Jesus' hands, feet, and side?

 

We are all human and being human, we sometimes need proof that need to be collected by our senses and analyzed by our rational brain before we accept something as true. Unfortunately, when it comes to religion, we have to do away with proof. Or rather rational (human) proof. When it comes to faith, proof can come in ways that we can't explain. These are the so-called miracles. Miracles don't have to be earth shattering (such as that reported in Fatima when the sun seemed to be crashing into the earth.) Miracles sometimes come in small packages. Packages that are unique to each and everyone of us. I have had my own share of miracles (albeit insignificant to others). But miracles won't happen unless you're open to them. You have to be receptive to "divine proof." You cannot have an arrogant attitude like telling God "lay it on me." No, you have to ask in the most humble way possible, removing all pride from your heart. Then you have to ask for forgivness for all the sins you've committed (part of the humbling process) and naturally you have to be receptive to the miracle that awaits you.

 

And of course, miracles occur in God's good time. You may receive it when you least expect it.

 

One thing I do know. Miracles will never happen to proud people who outright reject God, proudly proclaiming their superior intelligence is of their own making and thus believing that they belong a notch higher on the evolutionary scale than those who have greater faith than them. I truly believe God listens to humble hearts and ignores the proud.

 

I'm beginning to sound like a priest or a preacher. Sige just try to kkeep in mind what I just said and hopefully, you will receive the proof you long for in your life.

 

Peace.

Edited February 5, 2013 by sonnyt111

[airport-noo]

Fair enough sir Airport Noo. I guess all of us lack faith in one form or another. For certain, even St. Peter lost his faith when Jesus' tormentors accused him of being Jesus' follower. As you probably already know, St. Peter denied Christ 3 times. And who can forget the doubting Thomas who boasted he would never believe that Jesus rose from the dead unless he personally saw the wounds on Jesus' hands, feet, and side?

 

We are all human and being human, we sometimes need proof that need to be collected by our senses and analyzed by our rational brain before we accept something as true. Unfortunately, when it comes to religion, we have to do away with proof. Or rather rational (human) proof. When it comes to faith, proof can come in ways that we can't explain. These are the so-called miracles. Miracles don't have to be earth shattering (such as that reported in Fatima when the sun seemed to be crashing into the earth.) Miracles sometimes come in small packages. Packages that are unique to each and everyone of us. I have had my own share of miracles (albeit insignificant to others). But miracles won't happen unless you're open to them. You have to be receptive to "divine proof." You cannot have an arrogant attitude like telling God "lay it on me." No, you have to ask in the most humble way possible, removing all pride from your heart. Then you have to ask for forgivness for all the sins you've committed (part of the humbling process) and naturally you have to be receptive to the miracle that awaits you.

 

And of course, miracles occur in God's good time. You may receive it when you least expect it.

 

One thing I do know. Miracles will never happen to proud people who outright reject God, proudly proclaiming their superior intelligence is of their own making and thus believing that they belong a notch higher on the evolutionary scale than those who have greater faith than them. I truly believe God listens to humble hearts and ignores the proud.

 

I'm beginning to sound like a priest or a preacher. Sige just try to kkeep in mind what I just said and hopefully, you will receive the proof you long for in your life.

 

Peace.

I appreciate what you said bro, and I can see there is faith in your post and I respect that. I lost my religion sometime around HS, but tried to get the faith back in college when I joined a prayer group. I went through the usual soul-searching and found myself not believing what I was preaching. That doesn't mean I have an attitude of "Bah, humbug!" that some atheists have. I'm not atheist. An atheist will say "I know it is false" while a believer will say "I know it is truth". An agnostic will say "I don't know if its true or not" -- that's me. But even though I don't know, I'm also open to further discovery of the truth; just not with the current explanations.

 

We'll probably get to that discovery eventually. For instance in quantum physics, at the sub-atomic level scientists theorized that the state of a particle is not decided until it is observed. The particle is there but it doesn't have a state (yet). The particle's state is just a probability until a measurement locks it's state from probability to reality. This is open to interpretation. One could interpret this as follows: God was the observer who made the measurement, thus creating something out of nothing.

[sonnyt111]

I appreciate what you said bro, and I can see there is faith in your post and I respect that. I lost my religion sometime around HS, but tried to get the faith back in college when I joined a prayer group. I went through the usual soul-searching and found myself not believing what I was preaching. That doesn't mean I have an attitude of "Bah, humbug!" that some atheists have. I'm not atheist. An atheist will say "I know it is false" while a believer will say "I know it is truth". An agnostic will say "I don't know if its true or not" -- that's me. But even though I don't know, I'm also open to further discovery of the truth; just not with the current explanations.

 

We'll probably get to that discovery eventually. For instance in quantum physics, at the sub-atomic level scientists theorized that the state of a particle is not decided until it is observed. The particle is there but it doesn't have a state (yet). The particle's state is just a probability until a measurement locks it's state from probability to reality. This is open to interpretation. One could interpret this as follows: God was the observer who made the measurement, thus creating something out of nothing.

 

The important thing is you haven't decided with finality to become a true atheist. I think you probably represent the majority of thinking people in this world. Because those who don't have the capacity for deep thought and analysis are probably the ones who more easily become believers. And those who think they know it all are probably the ones who eventually become atheist. But even the most hardened atheist can have a change of heart in the most unexpected ways. And many people with deep convictions in their belief in God can also lose their faith through a variety of reasons. I know someone who was very close to God. When she lost her daughter, she lost her faith.

 

The important thing is you don't give up the search for God. I think God doesn't expect anything more from you than leaving your door unlocked. Believers have their doors wide open while atheists have locked their door and thrown away the key.

[jinnyboy]

Agnostic

[alex808]

On public records and to be filled up forms, I am Catholic. But, I believe in God, in Jesus Christ and the Bible. I do not believe in saints and in the teachings of modern day churches. I don't know how to sum it all up and call. Church of Alex808 maybe?

[Shooting Star]

Roman Catholic. But I join Masonry meetings too

[LVN Promotions]

Catholicism

[twisterfries]

A catholic, i don't attend mass every Sunday though.