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Your Religion or Spirituality

Discussion in 'Religion and Spirituality' started by DevilFin13, Apr 3, 2008.

  1. ColoradoPhin

    ColoradoPhin New Member

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    I was raised Catholic and was a regular church goer until my early teens. I started having issues with the Church over the way so many of their priests have gotten involved in molesting kids.....they seem to want to sweep this under the rug. I know that most priests are not like this, but it seems like the Church condones many things that just aren't right. I don't think the Church should tell people whether or not they should use contraception, have pre-marital sex, abortions, etc. I think individuals have to make these decisions for themselves. The Church also is against the death penalty....well try justifying not executing those sickos who rape and kill kids? These people don't deserve to live.
    My "religion" is no longer an organized religion in any Church. I think spirituality to me is believing in God or a higher spirit, and trying to treat others around you with love and kindness. Helping out a homeless person, or someone who is down on their luck. Treating others the way you want to be treated. To me this is the best kind of religion.
     
    vt_dolfan, DOLPHAN1 and Pagan like this.
  2. DOLPHAN1

    DOLPHAN1 Premium Member Luxury Box

    that's me in a nut shell. thanks.:up:
     
  3. DevilFin13

    DevilFin13 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    It never ceases to amaze me the effect the Catholic Church has on young men. I don't mean the molestation thing. I was an alter server and have know a few priests and they were all very good men. It just seems like at some point around our late teens we just get tired of the whole thing. I for one just found most of it pointless. I got the message and I'm trying to live it. I just don't see why I have to go to church to hear it regurgitated while performing weird rituals. Granted I understand needing some reminders and whatnot. But the organized, strictness of the whole thing I find very unappealing.
     
  4. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    A fascinating thing, the term "religion" appears very few times in the Bible, the one time it does that is applicabable, is:

    "Now this is pure religion, to share your bread with the poor"

    As long as Jesus get's the mention, there is no static coming from me at all ColoradoPhin.
     
  5. DOLPHAN1

    DOLPHAN1 Premium Member Luxury Box

    Why? strait to God.

    i don't think ColoradoPhin was describing what his beliefs are as a religion in the organized sense.
     
  6. Pagan

    Pagan Metal & a Mustang

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    Anyone else thinking of that scene in the first "Austin Powers"? :tongue:
     
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  7. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Straight to God would be through Jesus Christ, and I'm with him (sort of), each person has to find their way to God, a Church can no more do that then IBM can release the next Gen of Linux.
     
  8. DOLPHAN1

    DOLPHAN1 Premium Member Luxury Box

  9. DOLPHAN1

    DOLPHAN1 Premium Member Luxury Box

    not sure how strait to God puts Jesus in the middle. if that's what you need to get to God...
     
  10. padre31

    padre31 Premium Member Luxury Box

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    Because Jesus took on our flesh suits, he was "one of us" then he got promoted.
     
  11. DonShula84

    DonShula84 Moderator Luxury Box

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    Yep, same story for me. I went to Catholic church when i was younger because I wanted to, wasnt forced. Then I reached an age where I asked myself what the **** I was doing and that was it. I still appreciate plenty of what the church says and does, and it weighs on me at times but I just cant accept so much about God and religion that's I cant imagine ever going back.
     
  12. DOLPHAN1

    DOLPHAN1 Premium Member Luxury Box

    last i knew strait to meant no stops not trough, and it doesn't sound like you are truely convinced either.


    still doesn't answer why. i "pray" to God, not Jesus. not to say Jesus is un important mind you, just not God.
     
  13. Dolphan7

    Dolphan7 Member

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    Jesus is God. When you are praying to God, you are praying to Jesus as well.

    I pray to God - In Jesus name - Amen.
     
  14. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

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    There it just goes by your beliefs. If you believe that God is a tree then if you are praying to Jesus, you are praying to a tree.

    It is not a great arguement to have because it really just goes by what people believe to call something that man needs to give a name. Unless you are Buddist. Since giving God that can be named is not god
     
  15. DOLPHAN1

    DOLPHAN1 Premium Member Luxury Box

    so. Jesus, the son of God, IS God. but God is God and Jesus is Jesus, so when i pray to Jesus, son of God, i am actually praying to God, who is actually Jesus. too confusing.

    God is God. God IS. i pray/think to God. not the son of God who is actually God, but not really.
    i pray/think to God. your way is too complicated. sorry.
     
  16. Dolphan7

    Dolphan7 Member

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    LOl Yeah I know. But it is called the Trinity.

    The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. You have not said, or I don't believe you have, what your belief is so it is hard for me to answwer cause I am not sure where you are at spiritually speaking. So here is a little info on the Trinity.

    http://www.carm.org/doctrine/whatisthetrinity.htm

    Enjoy.:up:
     
  17. gafinfan

    gafinfan gunner Club Member

  18. DOLPHAN1

    DOLPHAN1 Premium Member Luxury Box

    thank you for the link. it cleared things up...sorta. in order to be a Christian, it would seem, one needs to believe several aspects that generally one would not expect to be. hense the idea of "faith" in ones belief. that concept is not unknown to me.

    that concept has also nagged at me for the better part of 35 years. no. you are right. i have not stated what my belief is. my history; dad was an Irish Catholic. my mother is an English Episcopalian. having spent several years in the mid-west, i have been exposed to "Bible-Belt" Baptist. i have had/still have friends of numerous faiths from Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Wicca to name a few.

    my father, like some have stated here, had issues with the Church and was a non practicing Catholic. my mom, as she relayed to me, had questions that no one wanted to answer. so she too left the church. my father was 10 years older than my mother and was still married to his first wife when he and my mother moved in together. my sister and i are bastard children and we are seen by some as an abomination, even though my father named us and my mother took his name. we truly were children of the sixties.:yes:

    as a child you should have to listen to a church elder explain to your mother why you and your sister will never reach heaven no matter what we do. makes for a positive outlook.

    anyway, my belief, as you have asked, is from several points that i have been exposed to during my life. it has boiled down to this. my belief is simple. God. God IS.

    i have had to develop a relationship on my own because either i was not wanted or i did not want to belong. i believe that we are all from a grand source or God. i believe that God is always with me and i am always with God. it is simple and comfortable. and that is all that i need.

    sorry for being a bit winded here but felt a little background would help maybe explain me.
     
  19. Dolphan7

    Dolphan7 Member

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    Hey no problem thanks for sharing. I am glad the link helped you understand the Christian Trinity.

    I also understand the mass exodus from mainline churches, and the growing non-denominational churches. Our church for example tries to meet people where they are at, instead of having people try to meet God where he is at. People come from all sorts of messed up lives and the beauty of it all is that faith in Jesus Christ gives us a clean slate to start a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ. That does not mean we will be perfect, but just like any relationship it takes work and dedication and communication etc...

    It is so frustrating to hear your story because I have heard that same story over and over, the church basically didn't provide the answers that people need. And that is sad, because those answers are there to give. This is one reason people leave the big churches for smaller churches where they can get that personal touch.


    If you have any more questions I would love to answer them for you.
     
  20. FinSane

    FinSane Cynical Dolphins Fan

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    I was not raised spiritually, and only attended church twice in my life. But, we celebrated Christmas but more of a family holiday like Thanksgiving rather than a religious holiday. My moms side grandmother was raised as a Baptist and my dads mom was raised Jewish, but neither one practiced, so both of my families are secular. Myself, I am an agnostic. To me, being a deist or an athiest just means that you bellieve for sure in one way or another, I like to act as if I dont have all the answers. I dont know if there is a god or not, and to be honest, to me its not important. As a society, I dont know, I think we need some common things to believe in as a whole. Religion does that for some people, but it wont work here in America, we need secularism. Just my two cents.
     
  21. quelonio

    quelonio Season Ticket Holder

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    You know, I find it that more and more I am mellowing in my distaste for the Catholic church. They are far less destructive than other churches. I was never really a believer, the answers of the Christian god and tradition dont work for me (pity you can't really convert to judaism, but as of now moderate judaism seems to be the one that works best with me). But the church in itself to me is now a more nicer figure, one that i can appreciate a bit more and that I actually feel closer too due to a sort of identification to my Mexican roots.
     
  22. USArmyFinFan

    USArmyFinFan Maximum Effort

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    Was Raised Mormon, not currently active though
     
  23. vt_dolfan

    vt_dolfan Season Ticket Holder Club Member


    His words....or what someone says were his words....or the words that someone said were his...and then were translated....but I digress.....

    Right now....I would without a doubt say I most closely fit into this:

    "We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote

    The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

    Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;

    Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;

    A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

    The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;

    The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;

    Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part."

    Because so far as I can tell...it is the only religion that allows me to find out exactly what God, whomever or whatever God is...under my own pretenses without judging me.

    Here is what I believe...

    That there is a God...or a Super Natural force that governs us all....from which our souls are all part of. There is something that resides in all of us...that seperates us independently from everyone else. In my mind...this "soul" if you will is very powerful...and isnt the result of certain cells and molecules behaving a certain way.

    I do not believe in any way shape or form, that God created each of us...so that we could spend the rest of our lives worshipping him, and only him. I dont believe Jesus , if he did exist, told everyone that only through him would one get salvation, and the rest would basically burn in hell. I believe Jesus was the son of God...but..not any more than any of us are the sons of God, since we are all from the same Super Natural energy...of which I do not know that is.

    I do not believe the Bible is categorically the final answer, and I certainly have yet to see one shred of evidence to support that it is. I am open to the possibility, that quite possibly I might experience an awakening, or a "miracle" that might cause me to think otherwise, but as of yet, that has not happened.
     
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  24. Ohiophinphan

    Ohiophinphan Chaplain Staff Member Luxury Box

    I am an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
     
  25. gafinfan

    gafinfan gunner Club Member

    Well said.:up: I believe that we are made up of three parts: Body, Mind, and Spirit and when we die in this world only our spirit lives on in whatever place it is a part of; in God.
     

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