Thread: Question for those who are religious.

Originally Posted by Unelias

Why do you chose to follow the deity you are following? What are your motives?

Because I believe it defines the aim and goals of life and leads me to think life shouldn't be that easy (like only serving the basic instincts of my body).

So you need a deity or religion to have a philosophy or do I misunderstood you?

Because it is self apparent.

Originally Posted by Unelias

Why do you chose to follow the deity you are following? What are your motives?

Because I can feel his noodly appendages all around me....

Originally Posted by Unelias

So you need a deity or religion to have a philosophy or do I misunderstood you?

It just leads me to think about it. I don't see religion as a list of Must Do's and Mustn't Do's

Originally Posted by firat

It just leads me to think about it. I don't see religion as a list of Must Do's and Mustn't Do's

Good, thank you for better definition

I hardly consider myself "religious" on the other hand I am spiritual.

Originally Posted by metcalfracing

Because I can feel his noodly appendages all around me....

Are you referring to the Flying Spaghetti Monster? lol

Originally Posted by DeathCell

I hardly consider myself "religious" on the other hand I am spiritual.

Same here, but so is everybody... ,wether they know it or not
(I don't consider myself religious at all)

What is the difference between a religious person and a spiritual one?

Would we define religious as aligning oneself with a doctrine in order to feel secure about all of life's unanswered questions?

I would define a spiritual person as one who's open to esoteric existence, but after that the sky's the limit. In my first post in this thread, I said I believe what I believe because it is "self-apparent" and that's true. Were I to follow a doctrine about what esoteric ideas are real then it would no longer be self-apparent, it would be faith in what was written or told to me. I think when you forget everything you've learned and been taught, the real truth of the universe becomes self-apparent, and that is spirituality.

to me...

...spiritualism means believing in ones own experiences. Nothing written down, no doctrines, only what you feel and experience yourself is true and the only existing truth is within you. Everything that is coming from the outside is controlling you externally, which has - spiritualy - no meaning, or is even bad for you.

I believe that every religion starts out with a spiritual truth. But since everything is in constant motion, as soon as you write down "truth", it gets static. Therefore it gets sperated from the whole, becomes unnatural and.. controlling. Spirituality is forbidden in most religions, because of that reason: You only follow yourself and not one belief everyone must share. That is contrary.

It is also probably a matter of definition. This is only my understanding of these two things.

(but of course, it is a little more complex than that)

religious folk? where?

I don't know of any religious folk actually posting in these forums anymore. they all ran away

what we have are spiritual folk, a whole different thing

I'm religious. I would go in to my reasons in more detail, but I'll save the flamings.

Does religion come from the inside or outside. Are we born with it, or is it taught?

for me, I had always felt a connection with God. Then i started being taught.

For me religion means something that is assembled to groups and teach doctrines.

Faith is something you develope with or without assembled religion, the difference is that you are not under direct influence of any group. In English : think with your own head. Personal faith is a very good thing, but I don't like people coming telling about their faith and converting other people. That falls to religion.

For spirituality. I think we all have certain spirituality. But this is what I see as most personal and is/should be kept inside oneself. As for personal example, my practice of shamanism is a spirtual journey but not religion

Originally Posted by Unelias

Why do you chose to follow the deity you are following? What are your motives?

Often times, religious beliefs are passed on through regurgitation. Most religious institutions teach people what to think and not how to think. Schools are guilty of this as well.

I am aware of that this is why I actually made this topic. I am interested about those people, because it is rather big choice what you choose to believe in and who you choose to follow.

I choose to follow whatever God cater's to my feelings of insecurity regarding the afterlife. The ideologies don't matter...just as long as whatever fictitious belief I choose to believe helps me sleep better at night. White lies are always the most comforting ones. Especially when you really believe them. No matter how irrational they may be.

Originally Posted by Unelias

Why do you chose to follow the deity you are following? What are your motives?

Because my deity is a giant golden grasshoppa, and everything he tells me I agree with. My motive is to sell giant golden grasshoppas to everyone.

Originally Posted by Unelias

Why do you chose to follow the deity you are following? What are your motives?

I just do. I've never been to a Bible study, I rarely go to church, I never attended Sunday school. I lead more of an Atheistic life, so to speak. The only real reading I did about the Bible was through a children's book series call Alice in Bibleland which I still own to this day. That's probably the reason I have a simplistic view of God.

No motives. It was never forced on me. I just do.

Are you, like many are in Finland, so called "tapakristitty"? It would translate as habit Christian? You belong to church, you maybe go there once in a Christmas, maybe. You have maybe some idea of major points in the teachings but no more than that. Lastly, religious life means nothing in practice to you?

It is quite usual here.

Unelias, have you tried ayahuasca? If so, (in detail) how was your experience with it?

I had to google it so no, I haven't. But I have tried similar kind of herbal supplements and mushrooms. I am not fond of using them much though since I can achieve trancestate without them ( and that is one of the main reasons they are used, I believe. Correct me if I am wrong)

Originally Posted by Unelias

I had to google it so no, I haven't. But I have tried similar kind of herbal supplements and mushrooms. I am not fond of using them much though since I can achieve trancestate without them ( and that is one of the main reasons they are used, I believe. Correct me if I am wrong)

Sweet . You come off as a really calm and cool guy bro