Therenis NO God

[Sharp_Kid]

Originally posted by Fear_nam_Beanntan
Your belief system is a religion. It's just not an orgnized one.

Not so.
In fact, Andy's ideas and ideals are probably the opposite;
well organised (on his own very small scale, and totally non-religious.
I think when you use the word organised you mean they are not directed by a group of people thousands of miles away who really have no idea about living the lives they dictate. Creepy.
And I don't believe you can use 'organised' in an argument to describe the way Andy thinks with regards to him being alone, because I suggest (and it's only a suggestion, but I strongly suspect it is true) that more people world wide, given the freedom of choice, would openly believe that God is a non-starter, and that religion is un-necessary and often obtrusive. There are millions upon millions of us out here who feel exactly the same.
Organised, perhaps not by an organisation, but entirely not religious.
I can't find a definition for religion that doesn't include either "a supernatural power or entity" or "teachings of a spiritual leader", or variations thereof. If anyone can find a reliable source that does offer an alternative I would be very interested in such a definition and how it applies to me.

Cheers.

[BatEl]

Hi Sharp....its always comforting 2 have a "stronger fence" so 2 speak.....Earth Shattering questions... r always "answered" by....look up Acts..chapter V...or check out what Romans...chapter 11..had 2 say....this is blind belief....& Good Luck 2 them...I and many others....r not in this "Frame" & this seems 2 bring about some sort of "confusion" 4 the Absolutes....thats why discussion is sort of pointless! I didnt know whether 2 laugh or cry when I read the poster,who dismissed,artifacts,bones,all excavations from the past,as "Theories" and Not Proven!!! Even Carbon Dating....very reliable...was poo-pood!Sometimes B.B.E.B.(Bull**** Baffles Even Brains} Opps am I allowed 2 say that? Cheeers no Tears

[Fear_nam_Beanntan]

Originally posted by Sharp_Kid
Not so.
In fact, Andy's ideas and ideals are probably the opposite;
well organised (on his own very small scale, and totally non-religious.

You probably haven't read any of his big "what I believe" discertations that he posts every once in a while. He believes that all living beings are sparks from an impersonal godhead, and that we reincarnate over an over until we gain spiritual enlightenment an become reunited with the godhead.

Whether or not a belief system has a set of creeds and ceromonies, if it acknowledges the supernatural and an inherrent meaning in life, it's a religion in my book.

[-Sigurd-]

posted by Fear:

"You probably haven't read any of his big "what I believe" discertations that he posts every once in a while. He believes that all living beings are sparks from an impersonal godhead, and that we reincarnate over an over until we gain spiritual enlightenment an become reunited with the godhead.

Also, the system of 'karma' that Buddhists subscribe to is a belief, as unproven and 'out there' as anything in the Bible, - you wont find it in any science books. Andy cannot claim superiority here.

[BatEl]

Where does Andy "claim" superiority?????

[-Sigurd-]

BatEl - Andy J is trying to 'look down' on Fear's beliefs from the standpoint of an objective rationalist, free from the taint of faith and superstition himself. Hence the 'superiority'. However as we can see, Buddhism is hardly the purely rational, belief free standpoint that he would have us think.

[ANDY-J2]

Originally posted by Fear_nam_Beanntan
Your belief system is a religion. It's just not an orgnized one.

There are religions based on practice and those which are based on belief.Buddhism is one of the latter while Christianity is one of the former.In Christianity there are a core set of beliefs and icons and imagery etc. are used to reinforce these beliefs.Iconography in Christianity has the purpose of encouraging devotion to Jesus Christ who may or may not have existed and who could if the bible is to be believed,have been the son of God.Everything in Buddhism including icons and meditation is geared towards practice-belief in anything other than the rightness of the moral precepts laid out by Buddha is discouraged.The foundation of Buddhism is that right practice and right thinking can lead one to a state of enlightened consciousness where one can escape the suffering which is an inherent part of human existence.If I my belief system is a religion then it is a religion without a personal God,without any superstition and without any complex theology or illusory rewards or punishments in a make believe afterlife.