just curious...

if you HAD to choose a religion (there was NO CHOICE), which would you choose, and why?

just curious...

if you HAD to choose a religion (there was NO CHOICE), which would you choose, and why?

I am simply not getting you that is there is choice or not ,and if yes then among which religions

I think the game ''black&white'' is near the truth. ''Do you know why Greys are called Greys''? I think they have stolen it from us. Are there any ''links'' about aliens in the Bible? I have never read the Bible, just curious. God created us equivalent to himself. Soo i confess >> ''i am probably an atheist''. But open for other religions.

peace,

regards,

loki

3 replies, and noone answers the question.....

Buddhism, it is very much to do with intergrated, social family activity, also i like the idea of reincarnation...how bout you "The Devil Inside"?

Catholicism....sin all week and be forgiven on Sunday.

"When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked him to forgive me"..Emo Phillips

just curious...

if you HAD to choose a religion (there was NO CHOICE), which would you choose, and why?

I would choose the religion that takes up the least amount of my time and committment.

I would pick a religion of my own design, Buddhafarianism. It's a mix of Rastafarianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, emphasizing peace, love, and the sacramental use of herbs.

lol im already a non-orthodox jew.

thank god! :bugeye:

if I had to have a religion it would have to be Buddhism, but even that one loses rationality when they start talking about reincarnation, (cloud cookoo land).

Reincarnation can be explained in a perfectly rational way. If the self is an illusion, there is only all life interconnected. From that point of view, bodies get reincarnated all the time, it's called birth, like skin cells are constantly "reincarnated" from the same pattern, and the form of the mind is inherited from culture.

"No choice" implies that I'd be living under a theocracy, so, naturally, I'd "choose" the religion of the majority. That way I'd still be able to make a living, live at peace with my neighbors, avoid being shunned by others, obtain gainful employment, and perhaps even run for public office some day.

Ironically, this is the "choice" that many atheists face every day in the United States. There are many social circles in which one's atheism must be kept "in the closet" in order to avoid pre-conceived notions that others will have about them. Most christians consider atheists to be synonymous with "satanists" and will automatically treat them differently. You'll never see a politician in the U.S. run for public office after publically stating that he's an atheist or even an agnostic. There are even many, documented, cases of atheists being denied employment or discriminated against for their atheism. I'm sure if I placed a bumper sticker on my car that stated I was a "Proud Atheist" or "There is No God," I would be subject to vandalism or, at the very least, the finger from passing drivers (who allege themselves to be followers of Christ).

"No choice" implies that I'd be living under a theocracy, so, naturally, I'd "choose" the religion of the majority. That way I'd still be able to make a living, live at peace with my neighbors, avoid being shunned by others, obtain gainful employment, and perhaps even run for public office some day.

Ironically, this is the "choice" that many atheists face every day in the United States. There are many social circles in which one's atheism must be kept "in the closet" in order to avoid pre-conceived notions that others will have about them. Most christians consider atheists to be synonymous with "satanists" and will automatically treat them differently. You'll never see a politician in the U.S. run for public office after publically stating that he's an atheist or even an agnostic. There are even many, documented, cases of atheists being denied employment or discriminated against for their atheism. I'm sure if I placed a bumper sticker on my car that stated I was a "Proud Atheist" or "There is No God," I would be subject to vandalism or, at the very least, the finger from passing drivers (who allege themselves to be followers of Christ).

why intentionally complicate things?
just choose. this is meant to be a fun topic.

My choice stands. I choose the majority religion. Why choose one on other merits? That would imply that I believe one to be more valid than another.

If that's the case, then I chose the worldview of the Navajo. In that, the world is sacred -the land holy. Their way of life is their religion. There is no "god" that that need be appeased but only the land on which we live. And their ceremonies are far more logical than those of xianity/islam etc: The Blessing Way focuses on two days of peace, harmony and happiness in seeking a long life in this world.

If there's one valid religion in the world, it's the Navajo Way.

I kinda like ol' President Abraham Lincoln's religious choice:

"When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad. That's my religion"

if you HAD to choose a religion (there was NO CHOICE), which would you choose, and why? The least irrational.

Deism is probably a good choice. This is essentially athiesm with a god that initiated everything and then left the scene to see it play out by itself.

I asked this same question in September. Let's see if everyone answers again.

Oh, and if I had to personally choose a religion, it would probably be either Hinduism or one of the European polytheistic religions.

...one of the European polytheistic religions...

Such as...?

just curious...

if you HAD to choose a religion (there was NO CHOICE), which would you choose, and why?

I must be the devil himself because if I had a choice
I would sit back and just laugh at all the different gods
fighting in mortal combat
until the last surviving god could then dance and sing
to keep me entertained.

-- UV-gap

I suppose if there were no choice, it would have to be Islam. I could then go around slaughtering everyone else that did not hold my worldview, all the while knowing I'll be rewarded in heavan with virgins.

Of course, I would much prefer a bullet through the forehead if I had another choice.

The question is defective.
If we had no 'choice', we couldnt 'choose' a religion.
We would be what we must be.

I'd be a satanist.

Only cause it don't exist either, it's little understood, and mostly atheistic.

Godless

guessing judaism

but if buddism was an acutual religon i would choose that, but its just teachings, and a bettering of ones self! so all you noobs out there, budism is not a religon

Theists are always calling science a religion and a belief, so I will go with that.

It is finding out truth the truthful way :D

The question is defective.
If we had no 'choice', we couldnt 'choose' a religion.
We would be what we must be.

no, the question is fairly clearly stated...noone else had much of a problem answering. ill ask the question in a way you cannot dispute, then:

if you were forced to choose an established religion from the past or present, and the choice for atheism were not available...with your current knowledge of religions, which would you choose?

and for those folks who want to make it difficult and say "nothing", without posting anything useful to the conversation....ITS HYPOTHETICAL!!!!

Christianity.
I consider myself a christian anyway. That's the animal I am, I'm the product of a christian society etc etc.
It's just that I don't actually believe in god or think jesus was anything more than a whiny jew.
But that's kind of insignificant in the big scheme of things, it's just my thoughts and feelings, I'm still technically a christian, thats the breed of homo sapien I belong to and I would fight and die for christianity as it is my family strain.

I suppose if there were no choice, it would have to be Islam. I could then go around slaughtering everyone else that did not hold my worldview, all the while knowing I'll be rewarded in heavan with virgins.



You could do that with any religion.


Anyway, for me I would pick something more spiritual. Maybe Buddism or Wicca.

if you were forced to choose an established religion from the past or present, and the choice for atheism were not available...with your current knowledge of religions, which would you choose?

Answer: None.

I know that's not what you want, but that's all I can give, unless you specifically want me to lie just for the sake of lying? Hypothetically or not, it's not a question I can answer in any other way.

if you were forced to choose an established religion from the past or present, and the choice for atheism were not available...with your current knowledge of religions, which would you choose?
What is the option? Will I be shot if I choose no religion? Will I be forced to listen to Xmas music for all eternity? Torture? What is the option. How can anyone make that decision without knowing the option? No imagination?

(Bye the bye, how did your psychic demonstration go with Crunchy Cat?)

unfortunately, nameless... crunchy cat and i werent able to meet. it is completely my fault, and currently, i am in europe while he is in america....:( im kind of sad myself. sometimes real life takes precedent over internet life. *shrug* im sure it will happen actually, its just a question of when we can mesh our schedules together.

as for your main question, there is no option for anything outside of choice of religion. choose your flavor of belief (if you were to have no option otherwise)

cmon people...there are folks that say "none"? why even post in that case? jeeeeeez!

Reincarnation can be explained in a perfectly rational way. If the self is an illusion, there is only all life interconnected. From that point of view, bodies get reincarnated all the time, it's called birth, like skin cells are constantly "reincarnated" from the same pattern, and the form of the mind is inherited from culture.wow! are you in cloud cookooland.
"If the self is an illusion", that's says it all, how is that rational, nothing can be deemed rational if it refers to illusion, hallucination, imagination, fantasy.
thus reincarnation cannot be explained rationally.
wake up and smell the coffee.

if I had no choice, then I could'nt chose, however, I would prefer an american indian religion/way of life, no gods just respect of life and the land.

american indians have a strong tradition of gods......

cmon people...there are folks that say "none"? why even post in that case?

Because you asked? None is as valid a choice as anything else..

no, asking people to choose a religion (something) means that "nothing" is not what i was looking for. read the topic.

unfortunately, nameless... crunchy cat and i werent able to meet. it is completely my fault, and currently, i am in europe while he is in america....:( im kind of sad myself. sometimes real life takes precedent over internet life. *shrug* im sure it will happen actually, its just a question of when we can mesh our schedules together.
I was following your spoonbending thread on the edge of my seat and... and... I never even got to cum!!! Hahahahaha.... I was rooting for you, although i had my doubts.

as for your main question, there is no option for anything outside of choice of religion. choose your flavor of belief (if you were to have no option otherwise)
cmon people...there are folks that say "none"? why even post in that case? jeeeeeez!
Perhaps some of us would rather be tortured/killed/married.. whatever.. than to submit ourself to the intellectual and emotional horrors and hypocrisy of a religion. I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees babbling fairy/devil/god nonsense!
I think that this is a valid answer.

What is the point of the thread's question, by the way?? If I knew the point, perhaps I could offer an answer more in line with the answers you sought... I still like my answer. There are damn few authentic, honest people out here as it is. Why are you looking for 'whores'?

There is a variation on an old persian religion that always made me admire the believers. I would choose it if I had to pick a religion.

The concept is a constant struggle between Ahura Mazda and Ahirman. Ahura Masda is the god of light and good (hence chosen as trade name for Mazda light bulbs). Ahirman is the god of darkness and evil.

You side with one or the other by living a good or a bad life.

The intersting part of this variation is that the outcome of the struggle is not known. If you side with the good guy & he loses, you will be punished, while the evil people will be rewarded.

As an atheist, I try to be ethical and maintain a sense of integrity. I try to treat my fellow men with curtesy and respect. I reject the use of force and fraud as a way to deal with others. I do not expect some nonexistent god to reward me for good behavior. My behavior is based on a beleif that it is the right way to live. That obscure Persian religion fits my philosophy of life.

I was following your spoonbending thread on the edge of my seat and... and... I never even got to cum!!! Hahahahaha.... I was rooting for you, although i had my doubts.

yeah, its unfortunate that it didnt work out. i know there will be folks that say i just didnt go through with it to avoid being exposed as a fraud, or whatever. but the truth is, i had some family troubles and had to do alot of immigration stuff, and just couldnt find time to rendezvous with a guy i didnt know, that i met on the internet.

[/QUOTE]Perhaps some of us would rather be tortured/killed/married.. whatever.. than to submit ourself to the intellectual and emotional horrors and hypocrisy of a religion. I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees babbling fairy/devil/god nonsense!
I think that this is a valid answer.[/QUOTE]

yes it is. but atheism is not a choice in this question. the question is for atheists to choose what religion they would want, if the situation came about that they had no option to say "none"

[/QUOTE]What is the point of the thread's question, by the way?? If I knew the point, perhaps I could offer an answer more in line with the answers you sought... I still like my answer. There are damn few authentic, honest people out here as it is. Why are you looking for 'whores'?[/QUOTE]

well, honesty is a trait that is admirable. the point is to get to know the folks on this board a little bit better. the selection of a religion by a non-religious person says alot about the kind of person they are.

so far, i think my favorite is Cris. Deism. its one of my personal favorite belief systems, and is very very very close to actual judaism (my religion).

the point is to get to know the folks on this board a little bit better

And surely as a result "none" is a completely valid response. If nothing else it will tell you that the folks that said none are the type of people that would perhaps prefer to be shot than forced to believe in some nonsense religion. Maybe not of course, but speaking for myself I would rather be. Sure, I guess I could pretend for 30 mins to belong to some religion, but to seriously accept one? Would never happen :)

then dont post....weirdo :P :)
:m:

american indians have a strong tradition of gods......no sorry wrong.
the indians belief was on of Animism.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animism]
they believe all animals and all of nature to have a spirit, the indian would not kill an animal to eat, without first making it right with the animals spirit.
the great spirit was mother nature, no gods, but yes a spirit.

coyote, raven, the world turtle....
sorry, you are wrong.

then dont post....weirdo

Why? The thread title was: "for atheists only". I am an atheist and so answered the question. Deal with it.. :rolleyes: :m:

well, honesty is a trait that is admirable. the point is to get to know the folks on this board a little bit better. the selection of a religion by a non-religious person says alot about the kind of person they are. Yeah, dishonest!
so far, i think my favorite is Cris. Deism. its one of my personal favorite belief systems, and is very very very close to actual judaism (my religion).
If honesty were a trait that you truly admired, as opposed to people who believe similarly to you, then my honesty in refusing to 'sell my soul' for whatever coercive reasons aught also be more 'admirable' to you than the 'whores' who so readily abandoned their 'vision', their 'authenticity', because of a bit of 'coersion'...
Perhaps we are learning a bit more about YOU here...
*__-

coyote, raven, the world turtle....
sorry, you are wrong.

That would clearly be animism. Though there were Native American religions and worldviews that recognized gods. But, again, these gods weren't limited in form and could animate animals or even rain and mountains. Your perception of Native American religion is undoubtedly biased by the lens of your own. This is called ethnocentrism or even religiocentrism.

wow! are you in cloud cookooland.
"If the self is an illusion", that's says it all, how is that rational, nothing can be deemed rational if it refers to illusion, hallucination, imagination, fantasy.
thus reincarnation cannot be explained rationally.
wake up and smell the coffee.

if I had no choice, then I could'nt chose, however, I would prefer an american indian religion/way of life, no gods just respect of life and the land.
I can certainly speak in a rational way about illusions, why is that strange? The way most people concieve of reincarnation is tied up in the frame of the individual and the Christian concept of the soul. I don't think people have souls that transfer from body to body. I don't think there is any particular thing to which karma can attach itself. However, new bodies are formed every day, and the concepts and customs that fill the minds of these bodies are inherited from culture. People that transcend the rut of culture by realizing enlightenment overcome this process, they break the cycle, and are no longer reborn in this way. They have, in effect, broken the mold and become individuals.

That would clearly be animism. Though there were Native American religions and worldviews that recognized gods. But, again, these gods weren't limited in form and could animate animals or even rain and mountains. Your perception of Native American religion is undoubtedly biased by the lens of your own. This is called ethnocentrism or even religiocentrism.
lol actually....
my views of the religions of the native americans is biased by my ex girlfriend of 5 years, who was an ojibwe indian. i learned alot about the native folks of north america from her, and through attending tribal meetings, thank you very much.

Why? The thread title was: "for atheists only". I am an atheist and so answered the question. Deal with it.. :rolleyes: :m:
actually you didnt answer the question according to the specifications that were put forth. all you did was say "none", and then act belligerently when pressed for a post that was "on topic".

case and point:
http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/North_america/native_american_gods.htm

I'll change my answer. I would worship COYOTE (Southwestern Indians, but known in other areas as well)... I like to play practical jokes on people.

Christianity.
I consider myself a christian anyway. That's the animal I am, I'm the product of a christian society etc etc.
It's just that I don't actually believe in god or think jesus was anything more than a whiny jew.
But that's kind of insignificant in the big scheme of things, it's just my thoughts and feelings, I'm still technically a christian, thats the breed of homo sapien I belong to and I would fight and die for christianity as it is my family strain.

Be honest with God and yourself.

Also, how can you be a Christian if you think Jesus was nothing more than a whiny jew? The term "Christian" means you follow Jesus Christ's teachings.

Drop the label, it doesn't suit you if you believe only because you were bred a Christian. Stand up and tell your family, "I don't believe in God." Don't be afraid of rejection. Embrace the truth. If you trust God, then trust that God will show you the truth.

Be a Christian because you don't have a choice because God has proven himself to you. Otherwise, you are illogical by believing in God, and denying yourself in deceit.

actually you didnt answer the question according to the specifications that were put forth.

The 'specifications' were faulty. My answer to that faulty question was simply "none" on the basis that nobody could force me into anything. If that's belligerent, then fine.. but I considered the answer as worthwhile, and could do no better to a moot question.

just because you refuse to answer doesnt make the question's specifications faulty.
thats stupid.

I understand where Snake is coming from. The question doesn't correspond to any realistic cicrumstance. In reality there can never be a situation where a choice of no religion is unavailable. Certainly there can be consequences.

For myself, I resolve the question by assuming choosing non-religion would result in my death. Choosing a religion that entertains me or doesn't impact my life would be a way to keep myself alive and wouldn't impact the fact that I would be a closet atheist.

In snake's case, he may choose no religion and take the consequence of doing so. Maybe the question would work better for him if there was a significant positive consequence or negative consequence of not choosing a religion (ergo, to the point where he accepts he has no choice). Of course, that threshold may not exist for him.

Of course Snake could always just imagine that he had some kind of mental implant that wouldn't allow the thought of not choosing a religion to be remotely considered (and of course would allow all other thoughts to flow freely). It's a stretch and maybe he could work with it.

lol actually....
my views of the religions of the native americans is biased by my ex girlfriend of 5 years, who was an ojibwe indian. i learned alot about the native folks of north america from her, and through attending tribal meetings, thank you very much.

You may have "learned a lot," but with regard to the Ojibwe/Chippewa religion, you missed something. Like many, if not most, Native worldviews, the Ojibwe (they deserve a capital letter, by the way) believe in a creator. But this isn't a "perfect" god as with the "modern" religions of Europeans. This creator is imperfect and its imperfection is reflected in the world it created. The creator -some Native cultures call it the Spirit that Moves Through All Things- takes the form of animals and forces of nature (like the sun or earth). This is called animism.

Saying otherwise won't make it so. But this is to be expected, the devoutly religious frequently try to apply traditions of their own cult to those of others. Pre-axial (to quote Robert Belah) religions are easy targets for this sort of thing. There's an anthropological term for a dominating religion applying itself through a submissive one's traditions, but it eludes me at the moment.

Of course Snake could always just imagine that he had some kind of mental implant that wouldn't allow the thought of not choosing a religion to be remotely considered

Lol, fine.. :D

(Aside from the obvious answer that my brain would fight the implant until it was utterly destroyed), I suppose I'd.. wait.. lol, I literally can't.

I suppose my only option is to use the answer a poster did back at the beginning of this thread:

Some say that science is a religion, (or quite often that atheism is somehow a religion), and thus would choose a combination of those two.

the devoutly religious frequently try to apply traditions of their own cult to those of others. Pre-axial (to quote Robert Belah) religions are easy targets for this sort of thing. There's an anthropological term for a dominating religion applying itself through a submissive one's traditions, but it eludes me at the moment.

what in the hell are you talking about? you dont know me, so dont say you know what i am saying if you intentionally misunderstand/twist my words to make me seem like an imperialist asshole. you just dont know how to concede that native americans had gods. you said they didnt, and i proved you wrong.

i am perfectly capable of having quite intelligent conversations, but i am starting to doubt this forum's ability to provide conversation itself. you are a "perpetually correct" person, even when proven wrong. welcome to my ignore list.

the devil inside, how childish, I said you were wrong not skinwalker, in regard to the native americans worshipping the spirit of the animal, this is definitely called Animism, wether you think, there gods and not spirits has nothing to do with that fact.
put me on your ignore list please, your not worthy of conversation.

THE NATIVE AMERICANS called them gods.
and i wasnt talking to you, geeser. you are fine.

You said, "american indians have a strong tradition of gods," which they don't. They have a strong history of animism. To the Native Americans, everything is sacred, but spirits inhabit different things. "Gods" is a term used by the Europeans. You cited Coyote, Raven, etc as your "proof" of their gods, but this is proof of animism. Now, if you start going south into Mesoamerica, we see actual gods being worshipped by the Teotihuacanoes, Maya, Inca, Olmecs, etc., alongside animsm.

But 'ignore list?' That's fine by me. That way I can continue to debunk the shit that comes from your hole without worrying that you'll bother refuting my comments.

Is there a religion for those who believe in extraterrestrials only ?

If you say that everything needs a cause and so there must be a cause for the beginning of the universe, then what caused God? And if you say that God is the first cause and nothing caused Him, then why not just say that the universe itself is the first cause and nothing caused it? Postulating a God is both unhelpful and unnecessary.

you debunk nothing. you cling desperately to your "flat earth" sensibilities. i gave a link PROVING that what i said was correct....interesting that there is no comment on the EVIDENCE given to prove you wrong.

but this is off topic. if you want to argue this, do it in a different thread. dont ruin this one, as i fear BOTH of us already have.

Is there a religion for those who believe in extraterrestrials only ?

Yeah, Ralians.

Main Entry: 1god
Pronunciation: 'gäd also 'god
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English; akin to Old High German got god
1 capitalized : the supreme or ultimate reality: as a : the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshiped as creator and ruler of the universe b Christian Science : the incorporeal divine Principle ruling over all as eternal Spirit : infinite Mind
2 : a being or object believed to have more than natural attributes and powers and to require human worship; specifically : one controlling a particular aspect or part of reality
3 : a person or thing of supreme value
4 : a powerful ruler

one more note...read #2....merriam-webster online dictionary.
case and point.

you debunk nothing.

HA! HA! :D I knew I wasn't on "Ignore!"

:cool:

:D

im such a dork.
i dont even know how to do that.
*shrug*