As ever, Python nail it:
God seems to be quite a bit of a dicktator.
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Stupid policies, stupid consequences.
And ofcourse Religion too.
i suppose you have to look at it like this;
its not a direct recording of Jesusā¦its a documentation from scribes of the era
lets say you wrote a love letter to lucy dickinson in grade 4 telling her she was the most attractive girl to ever set foot on planet earth and youd love to be her boyfrendā¦and somehow, 38 years later, your wife somehow get access to the letter and files for divorce on the grounds that you lied to her for all these yearsā¦
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Not sure what your point is, but a large number (most?) Christians think that the Bible is the word of God. He may have used human scribes, but youād think he (the all powerful creator of the universe) would have made sure that it was clear and comprehensible, not only when it was written, but also for all time. What is the point of your main communication with the human race being a contradictory jumble of threats, promises and stories about salt?
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I am not a believer or an avid reader but from the outside, āall knowingā and āall caringā cannot be fully joined up - itās one or the other and it itās one, itās neitherā¦
humans cant take a food order properly when being paid to do soā¦
just because the contempories and those living within the next few hundred years of christ interpretted his words as such doesnt mean he spoke them as suchā¦
im not sure where i stand on the whole spiritual issue, i kinda have to believe there is something higherā¦i can understand why the absolute contradictions in scripture and the historical behavior of clerics of different faiths lead people not to believeā¦
im just not all in on the ;
āif thats your gods words then hes a violent god, it says it here in the instruction manualā¦and if its not his words then how can he be a god if he cant even get his communication rightā¦i am smarter than you for pointing this outā
its a strange arguement to hang your hat on when all around you, you can see mans willingness to corrupt everything for his own benefit
its not as basic as god sitting in his cloudy chair saying to his sonā¦āyou better head back down there, son, they didnt understand my pointā
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Me too. I believe that there is something higher and more important than human beings. Itās called Nature. It is the creator and driver of the universe. Its wonders are infinite. It is truly awe inspiring.
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Looks like heās done it again 
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Not religious, but after 3 years of practice I will be taking my Buddhist refuge vow this weekend. 
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What does that mean?
It means I formally commit to the Buddha, his teachings, and the sangha (a community of Buddhists I study with and learn from).
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@SBYM commited to the Sanga years agoā¦just his one has vegemite and cheeseā¦toasted if possibleā¦
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Why do you say you arenāt religious if committing to a religious figure, his teachings and community. Is that not the definition of religion? Genuine question
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There is a lot of good in the teachings of the Buddha and the world would be a better place if more people put his ideas into practice.
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Fair question. Buddha was a man like any other. He believed life is marked by suffering. However, he outlined the causes of suffering and taught ways to end that suffering. Buddhists donāt look to an external power or God for help in this journey, which is why I donāt consider it theistic. The teachings emphasize that all humans are alone and personally responsible for finding a way to end the causes of suffering (by walking the eightfold path with right view, determination, action, speech, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration). For Buddhists, the Path is the goal. In terms of the community, the sangha helps you stay on the Path but does not worship together.
I struggled with a lot of emotions after my wife passed three years ago. I read Pema Chodronās When Things Fall Apart and realized that I had to work with my own mind and her Buddhist teachings helped immensely. Itās become the most important book Iāve ever read.
Hopefully this doesnāt come across as an offensive rejection of religion. Itās just a personal choice in living the way that helps me most.
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Secularist approaches to religion are not uncommon - it was fairly in common in Wales for people to go to church for the community aspect (and a good sing song) but dont believe in a christian god. It is particularly common among people who adopt Buddhist teachings though
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Sorry to hear that. Hope question didnāt seem judgemental. Always assumed that Buddhism was a non-theistic religion. Glad it gives you strength however you experience it.
My mother is deeply religious (Christian) and it definitely has given her strength through hard times. Iām quite envious of her certainty tbh
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I donāt think that being religious necessarily implies a bleief in God. I have strong beliefs which I would characterise as religious, but I donāt believe in a supernatural being or force.
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