Does religion help?

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Panda13

Active Member
#1
In my recent downward spiral I've been thinking~ would religion help me?
I've always been Agonistic, unsure whether I beleive or not. I've heard it can help people but I'm also kinda sceptical.
I study Philosophy and the 2 year course packs your head with arguments against God's existence and things like that but I want to beleive.
I want to be able to pray and feel like someone is listening and can answer my prayers.
I want to take refuge in the fact that when I pass away I'll go to a wonderful place, not just be thown into a hole and left to rot.

But I'm still unsure of these things. My family are all atheist and would laugh and call me a "bible basher" if I let them know I was thinking about it. I'd like to get a copy of the bible and read it.

Gahh I dont think I' making sence.

Does anyone here find religion helps? Be it Christianity, Islam, Buddhist ect ect.
Please help!
Panda x
 

Lovecraft

Well-Known Member
#2
I've always found Humanism to be enough; we can do things that we can see serves a greater good now or that we know is sowing the seeds for a better tomorrow for others.

If you wish to live on outside your grave leave a legacy in others.
 
#3
I'm a Christian but I'm not sure religion itself helps me. I hate religion to be completely honest. I have faith, not religion. I feel like religion just ties a stone to my feet when what God wants is for us to love like Jesus did. He wants us to show compassion and spread His love. I don't know if I am making much sense but I think believing in something helps. Whether it be God or something else. But I vote God :-p
 

itmahanh

Senior Member & Antiquities Friend
#4
I have faith, not religion.
I feel the same way. I believe but I dont follow any organized religion. I dont know that you need to be religious to believe in a higher being or an afterlife. I take solice in knowing that I am being the best person I can be and I believe that is what God or whatever you want to call it, wants from any of us. I think if you can find anything to really believe in, that is what can help you through the tought spots and the darkness. I do know not any one of us here or anywhere can go through this type of shit alone. We need to know that someone or something knows we exist and can understand our pain. So, does religion help? I think having faith helps more.
 

Phteven

Well-Known Member
#5
I find religion to be a delusion that people like to indulge in, sort of a form of escapism, so in that sense I can see how it can help, as people seem to be attracted to things that help them escape from reality. I prefer to be grounded in reality and truth, most of the time, and have rejected religion because I don't find it holds any truth but yeah I can see how religion can provide comfort and a sense of community for people, which would be beneficial to those who indulge in religion. Having said that I think seeking out the truth and applying logic to justify my beliefs is far more rewarding.

This is a good article that may help gain some perspective. Hope this helps.
 

nolonger

Well-Known Member
#6
For some people, it can be replacing a mental illness with another form of mental illness(that's not directed at people on here, just some crazies that let that kind of shit take over their lives...).

Buddhism isn't a religion, I think. I read it somewhere that it was some form of something that I can't remember(wow that came out well...). It isn't like the major religions, it's more along the lines of meditation/uncomplicated life kind of thing? Like there's different 'ranks' at which you can be devoted or what ever you wanna call it. Most people stay at the regular person level. It's not like the bible etc where they seemed to want to just list a whole lot of stuff that would make you burn in hell or some rediculous shite.

Just believe in what ever you want in the end, don't let something tie you down. I prefer to just think what I want. My best belief is that if there is anything 'greater' than what we can currently see, we'll know it once we drop dead. Then there's my idea that really all of this is just a dream and once I die I'll wake up and think "wtf was that?", but that's the crazy side of my brain :P

I guess some of us just really hope there's more to 'life' or something, than this crappy existence we currently uphold.
 

Panda13

Active Member
#7
Wow you guys are very helpful hehehe
Yeah I can understand the difference between faith and religion. And I don't really have faith so I can see how it wouldn't work for me. Lol.. thinking about it, if I became a beleiver or something I'm more than likely going to hell for some of the shit I've done in life. Yeah.. perhaps its not worth it.
Would be nice to take comfort in something though.

Panda x
 

itmahanh

Senior Member & Antiquities Friend
#8
Hun believe in yourself. That is the best thing you cuold do. Believe that you deserve just as good as anyone else. Believe your worth is equal to anyone else. Believe that you will get through this. Then worry about finding something secondary to beleive in :arms:
 

Lovecraft

Well-Known Member
#9
Buddhism isn't a religion, I think. I read it somewhere that it was some form of something that I can't remember(wow that came out well...).
It's been called more a philosophy then a religion due to its lack of any claims about gods or lack thereof (The Buddha saw 'The One' through the lens of the Hindu gods, but he and all Buddhist-respected sources said that to see it as such was ultimately optional as, if you're doing it right, it all gets you to the same state of understanding 'ultimate truth') and also Buddhism lacks any prophets in the sense of Jesus or Mohammed - the Buddhas are seen are seen as perfect but it's believed that simple words are inherently unable to communicate ultimate truth, therefore anything any Buddha says in a lesson is seen more as a riddle that you can only figure out through experiencing yourself the lesson - no one Buddha or Buddhist text is seen as more valid or as having precedence. The Buddhists do, in fact, think that many non-Buddhist texts are valid too - the Hindu texts like the Rg Vedas or Bhagavad Gita are still considered as valid texts for 'ultimate truth' as basically Hinduism is a form of Buddhism with a more set-path to enlightenment.

Buddhism as a whole is more general; it says the same thing as teh Hindus but is more insistent in the concept of 'many path, one enlightenment'.

It isn't like the major religions, it's more along the lines of meditation/uncomplicated life kind of thing?
An uncomplicated life is optional. All that is really important to them is that you don't confuse the 'important things' with the 'unimportant things'. A buddhist should think that the search for ultimate truth is infinitely more important than more worldly and 'mentally destructive' things like focusing on financial success, carnal pleasures, carnal pain, attachments, etc.

Like there's different 'ranks' at which you can be devoted or what ever you wanna call it. Most people stay at the regular person level.
Eh, sort of. A Christian would think a man of the cloth more likely to espouse Jesus and get into heaven but that belief doesn't in the slightest mean that Christians think if you aren't a priest you're a horrible Christian. By the same token a monk that elects to dedicate all their time to achieving enlightenment would be seen as having an edge but not necessarily seen as having the only way to move up the 'ladder' to enlightenment.

It's not like the bible etc where they seemed to want to just list a whole lot of stuff that would make you burn in hell or some rediculous shite.
Well the think if you really bungle this life up you can try again next time of course, but there is a list of things you shouldn't do - that said the list is far more generic. The bible says don't pick up sticks on the sabbath, the buddhist canon says things like:

The greatest achievement is selflessness.
The greatest worth is self-mastery.
The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest precept is continual awareness.
The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.
The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways.
The greatest magic is transmuting the passions.
The greatest generosity is non-attachment.
The greatest goodness is a peaceful mind.
The greatest patience is humility.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.
The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearances.
But still it's a basic tenent of buddism that you can't be given the ultimate truth, you must find it. Any rules you see are meant to help you find the truth yourself, not themselves be ultimate truths.
 

moogkitz

Well-Known Member
#11
I find religion to be a delusion that people like to indulge in, sort of a form of escapism, so in that sense I can see how it can help, as people seem to be attracted to things that help them escape from reality. I prefer to be grounded in reality and truth, most of the time, and have rejected religion because I don't find it holds any truth but yeah I can see how religion can provide comfort and a sense of community for people, which would be beneficial to those who indulge in religion. Having said that I think seeking out the truth and applying logic to justify my beliefs is far more rewarding.

This is a good article that may help gain some perspective. Hope this helps.
Yes, I feel the same way. I find that religion doesn't really help me at all, because I see religion as a way to escape to a fantasy world, where everything I do is right in the name of "God", but in the end, fantasy is useless, because all there is is reality (if that makes sense :P). And I prefer to talk to people who I KNOW are there and who I KNOW are listening and they can actually help me with my problems. And, since you're agnostic, you're not even sure he is there, so how can you have a conversation with someone you're not even sure exists? Think about it...
 

nolonger

Well-Known Member
#12
Yes, I feel the same way. I find that religion doesn't really help me at all, because I see religion as a way to escape to a fantasy world, where everything I do is right in the name of "God", but in the end, fantasy is useless, because all there is is reality (if that makes sense :P). And I prefer to talk to people who I KNOW are there and who I KNOW are listening and they can actually help me with my problems. And, since you're agnostic, you're not even sure he is there, so how can you have a conversation with someone you're not even sure exists? Think about it...
It's called praying DUH! It's just glorified talking to yourself. I don't have to go to church to do that, :rolleyes:.
 

Phteven

Well-Known Member
#13
Hun believe in yourself. That is the best thing you cuold do. Believe that you deserve just as good as anyone else. Believe your worth is equal to anyone else. Believe that you will get through this. Then worry about finding something secondary to beleive in :arms:
You said it perfectly accept all I would add is that you can stop right there as there would be no need to believe in anything else if you believe in your self worth cause form there you can build what ever life you want. Or I would imagine you could as I never really had much self worth. Nonetheless I think itmahanh is right, believe in your self as its a good place to start from.
 

bhawk

Well-Known Member
#18
I often wonder, how many people without having met or heard of christianity would come to the same conclusions about the presence of a god? (which one would expect if it was indeed the one true religion)
 

ZombiePringle

Forum Buddy and Antiquities Friend
#19
I've been wondering myself if focusing on my religion more (I'm wiccan) will actually help me more. I know religion effects everybody differently but I'm willing to give it a try.
 

bluegrey

Antiquities Friend
#20
If I were given the choice of winning enough money in a lottery to live very comfortably for the rest of my life or being given unshakable faith I would take the faith. Living comfortably cannot insulate me from the despair of feeling like just a self aware primate or the despair from losing someone I love permanently when they die. I hope I can rekindle my faith.
 
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