I just want to state that Christianity isn't a religion.

I would suggest that you edit your 1st post with what every religion believes before asking.

I can edit your 1st post with all of that if you like, but will take me a lot longer than you.

tRIUNE : What? How is Christianity not a religion? Were you drunk or high when you wrote this?

Definition of religion: "the belief in a god or in a group of gods"

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion

Christianity definitely fits under that definition.

FalcoDude : I was both drunk and high when I wrote that sarcasm

I was throwing that idea out there and waiting for someone to reply.

Christianity is different from every religion in that all other religions state that you must earn the right to be reconciled with God.

Christianity states that you cannot earn the relationship with God; in fact, the Christian Bible states that the reconciliation is a free gift.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

I am a Christian and proud of it. Although I agree with tRIUNE on his point about Christianity not being a religion in the proper definition.

NameEntry : If you think that the world as it is is a paradise for humans, you've missed the point of the beginning of Genesis. It was paradise. But it was messed up, corrupted, and placed into the awful condition it is in even now. But that is only the problem that must exist for hope to exist as well.

A user of this : That's nothing of what I even posted so you might want to re-read what I posted.

(Brace yourselves, I'm about to get long winded as usual )

I suppose the best word for what I am is agnostic, though that doesn't quite fit.

I have my beliefs in a broad sense, though my beliefs either don't fit any religion, or are broad enough that they fit most.
It's the details that I claim ignorance of, and indeed believe everyone is ignorant of.
It's not simply that I don't know....it's that as a human being, I can't know.

I feel like humans trying to understand the details on a cosmic and spiritual scale is like ants trying to understand the details of making a movie.
There are just so many things we don't understand and that are so big, our minds can't wrap around it.

I believe in God, as in I believe in a vastly more sophisticated force tied into all of existence.

I don't believe any of the descriptions however, because I believe whatever it is, is beyond our ability to describe or even name.
And any will it may have for the world? If it is indeed will or design (which I think it is) it's far too intricate for us to even begin speculating on beyond our own place in it. And even that, while sometimes tempered and refined with thought, is mostly a thing of intuition or spiritualism, or whatever you want to call it!

Cause me for me, that's the thing. It doesn't matter what you call it.

Fate, the Universe, Mother nature, Jehovah, True Will, Allah, Vishnu, love, or the unyielding human spirit.
And I doubt it cares either.

I think it was best said to Moses in the Christian bible.
"Simply tell them...I Am"

That's the nail on the head.

Personally, I can't see an advanced being, conscience in the way we understand consciousness or not,
caring what name you use, or whether or not you have an organ in your Church, or even if you meet in a specific building at all!
I can't see it mattering to an omnipotent being that you not eat pork
While the specific religions and tenants may be the way for some, I don't think there is a hard lined path for all to follow.

I don't think there is a "true" religion, yet don't get me wrong, I think every religion is "True" for some.

Many of the Christians I have spoken with here, I would say are exactly where they are meant to be, and I'd encourage them to keep their faith if they ever started slipping because I believe it would lead them away from the proper path.

That said, I know Muslims, Mormons, Wiccans, and more that I would treat the exact same way.
I think they have found their true path, but that doesn't mean their true path is everyone's. 
Granted I don't think religion is the path for everyone either. Some work better with abstract ideas.

Not trying to debate anyone, or disagree. Just trying to explain my view on the world a bit.
I suspect anyone who's seen a number of post I've made around the forums since starting would be kinda confused on where I stand.

I respect all religions, or lack thereof, and all beliefs. Heck, in a way I feel like everyone has at least a small tiny shard of the truth.
That said, I fully admit I may be wrong. Maybe Scientology was the correct answer all along.

Now, I have theory's and ideas that go a lot deeper than this (I may not be able to comprehend the big picture, but it doesn't hurt to try)
If anyone is Interested in discussing this more, or wants clarification on something I said here, always feel free to P.M. me
Even if you disagree with me
If this 600+ word post didn't tip you off, I love to talk (type?)

For the few of you who actually read this whole thing and stuck it out till the end, I thank you and commend your perseverance.
I hope agree, or disagree, it was an interesting read for you. Have an excellent day!

I happened to be Non-Religious.

Before anyone questions about Non-Religious and Atheists are the same thing, the truth is that the both aren't true. Non-Religious people are part of this because they don't really want to be a part of any religion due to current events and/or other things because if they get involved, they will get hurt or hurt others because of their religion. Atheists are people that don't think a super-being even exist and proves it with all their science researches and believes it their imagination that tells them to do good or bad.

So, all and all. Non-Religious =/= Atheists.

NameEntry :

I necro-reply to all your posts now, lol. I'm only going to ask one question so we aren't too off topic.

You say that you reject the bible because it teaches horrible things. In order to call something "good" or "evil", you have to have a standard you're comparing it to. What's your foundation for right and wrong?

There are so many takes on Christianity that it's impossible to apply such a broad label. Our personal beliefs are rather obscure. In fact, when we tell people we don't celebrate holidays because we are Christian, it confuses them more times than not. We generally refer to ourselves as Reformists.

Chindogu :
TheFadedWarrior : I always thought that Buddhism, in it's origins, was far more a philosophy than a religion. I even read that Gautama Buddha said he wasn't starting a new religion. I could be wrong about that though.

haitamchouiekh : I'm not against Islam as long as it's not against me. I had at least 2 friends that are Muslim. I am however, generally apprehensive of most Muslims. You have to understand that, unless someone of an Arab ethnicity denounces radical Islam the same way Christians denounce white supremacy and the Westborrow Baptist Church, it's incredibly difficult to tell an extremist from a non extremist. That's not racism, it's caution. I'm also not saying that there aren't people who hate Islam in general, I'm just saying I'm not one of them.

A user of this : I always thought we Christians should be humble as opposed to proud.

Txgangsta : You bring about a good point.

NameEntry : If you are someone who believes in moral relativity, how can you say that the bible teaches horrible things? Or to go a step further, if morality is entirely subjective, how is your bearing on right and wrong any more correct than that of Christianity, white supremacy, radical Islam, totalitarian communism, anarcho-capitalism, or any other religious or political moral bearing?

m0ssb3rg935 : Yea. Buddhism is closer to a philosophy than to a religion, but most regard it as a religion in North America so, given that I am citizen of NA... *shrugs*.

m0ssb3rg935 : It does teach horrible things like if a woman is raped then the man who raped her has to pay her family an amount of money and then they have to get married and she will have his child.

http://www.salon.com/2014/05/31/11_kinds_of_bible_verses_christians_love_to_ignore_partner/

NameEntry : First of all, many of these citations are sourced from bad translations. Second of all, many more are simply metaphoric. Third of all, the laws of Moses were done away with when the old testament was nailed to the cross. Fourth of all, Salon is easily one of the most biased, agenda driven "sources" on the Internet, Fifth of all, Jesus was in fact, more akin to a socialist than anything else, but it has absolutely nothing to do with man made government intervention. And finally, you evaded the entirety of my question. We can go on debating bible all we want, but you have yet to explain why your foundation of morality is superior, or even what your foundation is.

m0ssb3rg935 : What? The bible has been translated almost into an entirely different work of fiction than what was written.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_Bible_translations

I never claimed that my morality was superior and what I believe in has nothing to do with anything. The only think I ever mentioned is how chock full of horrible the bible is.

You cannot cherry-pick your religious text and expect others to respect your opinion.

1. Bad translations because the bible has been translated an immense number of times and modernized so much that little of what was originally written is there. If you were to claim the bible as your religious text, then you would need a hundreds of years older version.

2. Metaphor you say? Why is the bible full of metaphors if it's the text you're supposed to abide by and live by? Laws are codified and have no metaphors involved.

3. Cherry-picking yet again. Why does the bible even have an old testament if christians are supposed to ignore it? Why waste all that paper and kill all those trees to print something that should be ignored?

4. Salon is a liberal website but it caters to all kinds of topics. I really don't see how it is biased in any way, besides the liberal leaning. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salon_(website)

5. If jesus existed at all and what he might have been has nothing to do with anything. Just because one character in your story is a good person doesn't cancel out all the disgusting and morally wrong things in it.

None, really. I respect religious people, however I don't really respect the ideas themselves. People have rights, ideas don't.

No matter what religion you are, I won't judge however. I won't look down on you. I won't try to attack you saying things like "You're religion is false and dumb", because it's your views and need to be respected, as long as you respect mine.

I like the philosophy a lot of religions offer. I like Buddhism philosophy, I like Christian/Catholic philosophy, etc... even if I don't agree with the religion itself.

I heard a quote once, and it's stuck with me. I think it was the Dalai Lama that said it. "The best religion is the one that makes you a better person" and overall I believe that too. I don't care about religion, as long as you try and be a good person.

I'm agnostic myself, and very open. If there ever was something that made me believe, proof or evidence about a certain religion, I would become religious. The thing is to this day I haven't really seen something that convinces me. But of course, this is just my person opinion.

NameEntry :

I actually defend Deuteronomy 22:28-29 as a righteous act. If a woman is not a virgin, no one would marry her. An unmarried woman and a deflowered woman were useless in that society. This is why there were multiple commands to care for the widows: they rarely remarried and they needed a kind son to take care of them. Women had literally no employment opportunities outside the home and were entirely second class citizens. The command to force marriage upon the woman is, in fact, the way to give her security for a good chunk of her life. If you look at the specific circumstance given, this is also a woman that cannot find a husband. She's about to grow old and not even be able to conceive anymore. What she needs most is a son, else she will die as a burden to her family or alone on the street. This forces the rapist to give her security for life, be in her father's debt, and maybe come to terms with his sin.

I don't really have a religion. I grew up believing there is a God and all that we endure are tests to make us better and all we go through is a combination of destiny (Maktub- Arabian; Alchemist term- belief that God wrote our future thus creating  a destiny). I was taught that in order to worship God you do not need to go to a church in specific although I understand how the church works as a hospital for the "sick" and helps as a support group; however, I was taught that money and material possessions or even just a building is not necessary to worship God as you can do so anywhere anytime like Jesus did. I was taught that we are reincarnated and what we did in a past life, we pay for in our current one and we can sometimes have dreams of our past life from where feelings such as insecurity, fear, despair originate from (Buddhism) which also emphasizes The Law of Karma. In a more scientific approach, I believe in Multiverse- the existence of more Universes entirely separate with different physical laws. So, I really wasn't raised in a religion but, a combination of many as my mother throughout her young age traveled quite a bit to Russia and other countries and experience a lot of cultures and religions. I do believe in all of these and I don't think one religion is completely accurate in all; I think each religion holds a truth and at the end it doesn't matter which one is right but, what does matter is how you treated others, how you lived your life, how you used your resources to make a change and help the less fortunate, how purely and sincere you loved, and how you grew as a person inside out throughout your mistakes. I believe money and material possessions are meant to ease our lives and struggles so we can spend more time focusing on what's important and use them to help others achieve a peaceful life. I respect everyone's opinion and I love learning about different ideals and other people's point of views- I think it's fascinating specially since I have known so many people from all over: Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, all around the US, Guatemala, Argentina, Nicaragua, Hawaii, Jamaica, Germany, Bulgaria, Philippines, Puerto Rico, and each one has so many great religious views that are quite similar. I believe that as long as you love your parents, treat everyone with respect, help the needy, and carry yourself in a positive manner you're in the right path. 

jlove92 :

Can you talk about the consistency in your beliefs? For example, you believe in reincarnation, but you also believe in science. In what way is reincarnation scientific? Also, you don't think specific religions are true, but you advocate for love, peace, and anti-worldliness (you're against materialism). Because a religion is particular system of faith, haven't you, by outlining what is good, the requirements (or lack thereof) of worship, and more, simply defined your religion?

I don't believe that anyone is without a religion. Everyone has a system of ethics they espouse to, and thus they create their own system of obedience, each with differences, exactly like religions.

I guess I limited my words a bit on my post. What I described is basically the ethics I live by- Karma (don't do to others as you won't want done to you), doing good deeds, being conscious of who you are and what your effects are on others.

I listed the religions that tend to think that way but, I don't say I am ___ (religion) because I don't find that the things I believe can be put into one specific religion as the religions currently set would not be consistent of what I believe. 

I believe in reincarnation but, I also believe that Science exists and it plays a role in our lives. I however, don't think Science is the reason behind our existence- I believe God is; he made us. I believe we made Science to help explain, quantify, analyze the world we live in. I don't think of Science as a form of creation that surpasses humans but, rather created by humans to best cope with our existence.

I didn't say specific religions are not true. I think everything we believe in has truth to it. I personally have gone to church and when troubled I seek help from a church- it is where people like me that need guidance meets. I think it can be a very powerful influence and help. I personally can't seem to fit into one religion and discard everything else I hold to be true. I attend different churches that my friends go to and I am very supportive of it all because Churches get you praying, believing, and for the most part push you to be better so they are great. 

I was labeled for the longest as atheist. Which I disagreed on because I believe in God first and foremost, and I believe he created a system of laws, he created the world, he created us. But, I also believe in reincarnation as a process of learning from one's past mistakes, I believe that whatever you send to the world good or bad will come back to you, and that the ultimate happiness/goal is to be happy, peaceful, help others, be respectful of different views and ideals, and see each other as equal. 

I agree with you, everyone has a code of ethics they live by. I meant that I can't say I'm Christian or Catholic when some of my believes hinder towards Buddhism and other religions hence I said I don't have A religion but, rather certain believes I live by and hold to be true that do not necessarily fall into one specific religion. I hope I explained myself better there, sorry I can see how my wording was too basic and not fully explained- I am use to limiting my word counts.

Txgangsta : So you cherry-pick your text like m0ssb3rg935 does? Would you like your sister,mother, or even daughter to have to marry the man who raped her and got her pregnant? Even if she decided to carry the fetus to term, I would advocate an abortion is a situation like that, she would have to live every day of her life knowing that she was married to a man who violated her one of her most private parts.

And what if you claim that it's just the bible being old and times have moved on? Then why do you still hold an antiquated book as your religious text? Huge amounts of the bible can be considered to be irrelevant in today's society...

NameEntry :

What cherry-picking did I do? I said I didn't shy from that passage.

"Would I like my sister, mother, or even daughter to have to marry the man who raped her and got her pregnant?" is not the correct question. You wanna know the principle behind the law, or you wanna just examine the surface as a 21st century Western thinker? The correct question is "Why would this be a law?". And I've already answered.

Why would I desire to keep an antiquated book? If we look deeper than just a surface reading, it is not horribly antiquated. And moreso, this is the history for my present day religion, and thus keeps me grounded while moving forward.

But, to entertain your misleading question a bit, I would absolutely tell my sister to endure some very trying circumstances for the result of greater net gain. To fear pain isn't irrational or discouraged, but if something significant can be gained, you should be courageous and overtake it. That being said, my sister has nothing to gain from marrying a rapist, yet women a long time ago had a lot to gain.