Views of uncertainty

[montrealhorizons]

I'm a very open-minded guy. I have no problems with other people's views and in fact I like the diversity and the interpretation of existence. A friend of mine once told me: There is no definition to life, and questioning what is beyond it defeats it's purpose. If there is a higher place, a grandeur experience, then you'll just have to deal with it when you get there. If you start wondering and trying to do something about it now, you'll only be wasting what time you have here, and when you reach the beyond, you'll only be regretting the fact that you spent all that time thinking, searching for the next "step" you now find yourself in. I like that idea, there's something very logical to it. I was born, baptised, communed and confirmed as a christian, but never really had the faith. So I'm not christian. I'm not sure if I even belong to any religious group. I tend to try not to think or talk about these things in real life due to the variety of my friends ( Muslims, Christians, etc ). It's not that I don't believe in a higher power, as It's kind of hard to deny something I can't confirm, so I decide to just "let it be" I suppose I lost it on my way to the hockey rink . A quote from a movie to finish of this post: "It doesn't matter what you have faith in, only that you have faith." ( From Dogma ) What are your views, on religion. I'd like to see many different interpretations. Enlighten me .

[Replicon]

...actually, your view is reasonably similar to mine hehe. Started out catholic, didn't get much out of it, explored deism, and eventually figured out that it was a very small leap from there to becoming agnostic.

[Xaqaria]

I agree that you shouldn't spend you life doing things that don't make sense to you now just because you've been taught that they will help you in whatever comes next, but there are many ways to help yourself now that involve thinking about and preparing for the unknown. Feeling at peace with your mental and spiritual sides can benefit you in this world and any other that may come. Wondering what you may find after death doesn't have to be a waste of time.

[Roller]

Hey nice thread, hopefully it can stay as a thread about our views on religion rather than a flame debate on god. I wasn't born Christian, and neither of my parents are Christian. I went to a very narrow-minded christian small country town school during my childhood, and then to a private christian school during the last four years of school. I've had a fairly Christian education, and i've thought about it a lot, flirted with buddhism for a while and now i'm atheist. I think that questioning one's beliefs is vitally important. Yes, it often descends into spiteful arguments when it is in a public arena - such is the nature of belief. But I think that spending your life questioning is vital, because it shows that you have a willingness to put your beliefs - whatever they may be - to the test, and hopefully be brave enough to change your mind if you think they might be wrong. Maybe there is ultimately no way of knowing, but thinking about it certainly doesn't hurt.

[montrealhorizons]

I agree that thinking about it doesn't hurt, I believe I did not express myself properly, and for that I apologize. The way I see it, to not think about it AT ALL would actually be quite odd, since I'm sure every single human being, every living thing, has questioned his existence atleast once in their life. What I wonder, is how people who devote their entire lives to the next step, people who spend all their time thinking about these unanswerable questions manage to actually live at all. I used to be so warry and over thoughtful about all these things. I would constantly pose to myself all the "what if's".. such as: Suppose there is a God, or a Higher presence; if I were to be in his presence right now, being "judged" worthy of transcending to "the next step", or returning to a "darker" place, to figure out where I went wrong. If I stand before him, and he asks me a question, he is only testing my honesty; since he already knows the answer, he's omniscientific. If he asks me a question to which the answer I already know, is he trying to make me realise something about my life, or how I lived it? I then realise, that they're obvious things I should have done differently, and immediatly notice than in real life, these things need adjustement, wether it's my character or personality or way of thinking, as to avoid that question when I do indeed, die. We've all have our little obsession about death, I suppose. But I find thinking too much about what is beyond isin't productive to the life we are in now. Suppose a higher power did infact grant us the gift of life, are we not disgracing him and it, by not taking advantage of every single opportunity, and every single moment? I've always been fascinated by religion and it's effect on the world of man. People have gone to war because of it, people have gone to war for it. But as of late, It just really hasn't come to me, It's been "in the back of the closet" for awhile now... I suppose I'm too busy actually living to wonder about what's next, then again I am young, and have so much to learn and so much to live ( 19 years and counting ! ) What are your views or opinions? ( NOTE: Try to keep this thread clean guys, like the comments above, very invigorating. Please don't force any of your views or opinions on other folks, we're all adults here and we can argue sensibly, accept our differences and see beyond them. )

[Xaqaria]

Personally, the way I prepare for the next world is the same way I make this life as good as possible, and thats by living every day with no regrets. I try to live so that if I were to die right now I could be happy with my life.

[R.D.735]

I've spent a few years thinking hard about all manner of possible dieties, and I've ended up an Agnostic, but I can't say that it wasn't time well spent. Studying religions as an outside observer, I've gained new perspectives of religion and morality, which have helped me connect with people and relate to many different beliefs. I enjoy thinking about the deep metaphysical questions, and have found that there are countless different spiritual possibilities aside from the usual God-or-no-God worlds that usually characterize such topics, though the scenario without a God seems most beautiful to me. In any case, the oft-quoted wisdom of how to live one's life happily is very often true. Love your enemies, abandon regret, be humble, don't slouch, etc.

[Absolute]

A very interesting topic to say the least. I'm continuously told by people to not worry about the questions and curiousities of life, and to just to live in the now, day by day and not worry. Well, I can't do that. It drives me crazy. It's like being in box. I have my curiousities because they are questions unanswered. Once they're answered I'd be at more ease, but it's still the adventure of discovering the truth. The debate of a creator, two co-creators, or no creator is one that will go on until the truth is revealed. It is very fun to debate over these opinions because they are the deepest questions that which are unknown. After all, this entire world if focused around conflict from the smallest to the largest thing. To say to drop our interests or curiousities is like telling specific people to stop breathing. You can't close a mind that's always open.

[R.D.735]

Curiosity and inquisitiveness should never be cast aside, though it is the false impression of many that to have no worries means not to think of different ways things may have been or ways things might be. In fact, such thoughts are the bread and butter of human life. Indulge yourself in them, and take heed of the many thinkers who have passed before and satisfied themselves with an answer, as well as those who died questing for answers to the questions that perplexed them. Minds like ours have passed this way before, and none were wasted in the pursuit of the truth, however distant it seemed. Think deeply, live freely.