To All Atheists: Which Religion Do You Like The Most?

[massau]

Buddhism they are friendly to women and are not angry if you do something flout they only say that that you have learned than

 

[Sleepwalker_Serenity]

Buddhism. After all materialism is destroying our world and separating us from our fellow man. (Some may say with more severity than other.) Making the values of aesthetics more than those of a human's life.

I feel as though Buddhism brings the focus back to spiritually, respect, and kindness to ourselves and others (humans and non-human animals). Essentially valuing those things with more intensity would have a positive effect on the world of today. Unless this belief is forced upon people. Which goes without saying groups affiliated with Buddhism have caused some violent disturbances in the past and present, but the same can be said that no major religion is exempt from having these sort of conflicts. They go out of their way to avoid these sort of atrocities being as they value all living things with respect of their lives and spirits. So I feel as though the basis of the Buddhist belief and value system is one of logic and compassion.

 

[Sleepwalker_Serenity]

Even supposedly peaceful Buddhists will fight or have - such as in Sri Lanka - oppressed others.

in shri lanka it's Buddhists that are actually oppressed...even worse than the Tibetan's in some cases. having temples with hundreds, of not thousands of years of records, lessons, and other artifacts destroyed, most of their temples are little more than skeleton ruins after being blown to bits, many of their brothers and sisters shot to death and tortured by state police for leading a demonstration march....

However I want to make it clear, though there is a big issue to do no harm to any living thing, there is also no defined rule of if, and when physical retaliation are allowed... that has always been debated...Tibetan monks , and sri-lankin monks both are at a point in their being punished for who and what they are, that some of them say it's time to fight back physically, and others stating that no physical battle should ever be resorted to, and that there are other means.

fighting to save the life of others.. or as the jedi would say " for defense, never for attack" is a question that many are left out to open....last thing a buddhist is interested in is power, and wealth....as the whole philosophy is centered of the selfless, and easing of suffering... but thats not to say that in history there have been those who USE the banner of a monk to inflict suffering...even the famed sohei of Japan, were ( in the majority) really not true monks, though their name means " warrior monk" most of them were mercenaries who came together and established a private army and offered their hand to which ever Daimyo would pay the highest to the " temple"

so there HAS been cases of Buddhists entering battle....but it's not something taken lightly at all, and it's stressed that the burdens an individual will take on for taking such actions, are not to be underestimated.

to find the self, is to loose the self, to loose the self is to be enlightened by ten thousand things...

I appreciate that somebody cleared that up. Thanks. If you wouldn't have... I might have stepped up and attempting to sweep it up myself.

 

[ExaltedK9]

Does being an atheist mean that you can't be religious?

Aren't Buddhists atheists?

I imagine Buddhists would vote for Buddhist, as am I.

Id quite like the fundamentalist Christians with the earth is less than 10000 years old and fossils are a test of faith stuff... If they werent constantly trying inflict their beliefs on the rest of us, petitioning the government, pushid ID in schools, bombin abortion clinics etc.

It does take real effort to ignore evidence like that.

Ok, well what christians say that dinsaurs didn't exist? And I hope you don't mean literal bombing of abortion clinics, although I'm am completely opposed to it myself. And can you really say that you agree with everything your government says? Some things are petitioned for the best.

ehh...I'm pretty sure that the bible makes some referrences to dinosaurs, I'm not feeling like looking it up now though. I'm not sure what christians you hang around with, that "inflict" their beliefs on you, but Most of my christian friends never force it on me, and are unerstanding. I respect them for sharing their beliefs though, and when you think about it, if you thought your beliefs were the only way to heaven, than you would have to hate someone pretty badly to not want to share it with them.

You'll see I was referring to fundamentalist Christians. The ones who believe that the whole bible is a historical document with each line being fact, no metaphor to be seen. They are out there, believing fossils carbon date more than 10,000 years old (older than the earth according to the old testaments literal interpretation) as a test from god. Thats a pretty shitty god who'll try to trick you into not believing in him so he can send you to hell.

Im well aware that there are moderate Christians out there. they were not the people I was talking about. There are Extremist Christians who have attacked abortion clinics and staff in America. Do a quick search or if you're too lazy try here [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-abortion_violence].

I have no bother with Christians as individuals. Im not trying to convert anyone to atheism, I just want the same respect in return. It does bother me when they lobby the government based on what some book says. Example gays getting married. Does it really affect you whether someone else can get married? Gays have the same right to be miserable as the rest of us. Or when the pope says that promoting contraception in Africa is dangerous. Hes really not helping.

You're starting to piss me off. Do not call my God shitty. Carbon-dating is inaccurate, it's a well known fact, search for it on the internet. If you're too lazy then don't respond, with a bullshit comment, as seems to be your initial instinct. And enough with the "hard-core", "casual" religious stereotype. I think everything in the bible can be taken literally, as for attacks on abortion clinics...well I think that anyone who enforces abortions, maybe should have been aborted themselves.

That may be wrong of me to say, but it seems fair enough....And I've never really liked the pope. Well feel free to pick apart that statement, I'm too tired to add the rest right now.

 

[asinann]

Buddhism.

 

[Daveman]

Islam, because it's very precise about everything. No fucking about. "A baby is a human being exactly x number of days after conception" etc etc.

 

[Swaki]

Jewish, mostly because of all the songs.

but all religions are truly great in its purest form, loving all your fellow human beings, doing whats good and all because you fell threaten to do it.

well the whole threat thing is a little off but lets face it, people suck, and if any religion out there inspired someone to be a nicer person then its all good, cause all the religious wars would have happened any way cause as already stated people truly suck, if not for religion they could have started over something like most comfortable shoes or favorite color.

 

[BlackHat]

Jedi Jedi Jedi

 

[reslik]

pastafarianism... all hail the flying spaghetti monster

 

[The Shade]

Pastafarianism, also known as The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster

In place of ten commandments, it has eight "I'd really rather you didn't"s

It idolizes the fun-loving pirates of yore. (Not the scurvy buccaneers. That is a lie perpetuated by Christians and Hare-Krishnas)

It's gotten to the point of nearly being a legitimate religion. It probably has more followers than some real religious entities now.

Our "Heaven" has a beer volcano and a stripper factory. Does yours?

 

[Daveman]

You'll see I was referring to fundamentalist Christians. The ones who believe that the whole bible is a historical document with each line being fact, no metaphor to be seen. They are out there, believing fossils carbon date more than 10,000 years old (older than the earth according to the old testaments literal interpretation) as a test from god. Thats a pretty shitty god who'll try to trick you into not believing in him so he can send you to hell.

Im well aware that there are moderate Christians out there. they were not the people I was talking about. There are Extremist Christians who have attacked abortion clinics and staff in America. Do a quick search or if you're too lazy try here [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-abortion_violence].

I have no bother with Christians as individuals. Im not trying to convert anyone to atheism, I just want the same respect in return. It does bother me when they lobby the government based on what some book says. Example gays getting married. Does it really affect you whether someone else can get married? Gays have the same right to be miserable as the rest of us. Or when the pope says that promoting contraception in Africa is dangerous. Hes really not helping.

You're starting to piss me off. Do not call my God shitty. Carbon-dating is inaccurate, it's a well known fact, search for it on the internet. If you're too lazy then don't respond, with a bullshit comment, as seems to be your initial instinct. And enough with the "hard-core", "casual" religious stereotype. I think everything in the bible can be taken literally, as for attacks on abortion clinics...well I think that anyone who enforces abortions, maybe should have been aborted themselves.

That may be wrong of me to say, but it seems fair enough....And I've never really liked the pope. Well feel free to pick apart that statement, I'm too tired to add the rest right now.

You're god is big enough and old enough to stand up for himself. Don't get all upset because he's forcing you to question your faith. It's exactly what religious people do when they try to convert you.
Don't insult my Carbon Dating. It's a billion times more reliable than one of the most obviously biased historical texts known to mankind.

 

[szs0061]

im not atheist but from reading your comments im surprised that no one has mentioned us episcopalians (i didnt read all 9 pages so if i missed something my bad)

*edit daveman i think those fundamentalists you are speaking of are actually the mormons (crazy bunch of wackjobs lol)

 

[ExaltedK9]

You'll see I was referring to fundamentalist Christians. The ones who believe that the whole bible is a historical document with each line being fact, no metaphor to be seen. They are out there, believing fossils carbon date more than 10,000 years old (older than the earth according to the old testaments literal interpretation) as a test from god. Thats a pretty shitty god who'll try to trick you into not believing in him so he can send you to hell.

Im well aware that there are moderate Christians out there. they were not the people I was talking about. There are Extremist Christians who have attacked abortion clinics and staff in America. Do a quick search or if you're too lazy try here [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-abortion_violence].

I have no bother with Christians as individuals. Im not trying to convert anyone to atheism, I just want the same respect in return. It does bother me when they lobby the government based on what some book says. Example gays getting married. Does it really affect you whether someone else can get married? Gays have the same right to be miserable as the rest of us. Or when the pope says that promoting contraception in Africa is dangerous. Hes really not helping.

You're starting to piss me off. Do not call my God shitty. Carbon-dating is inaccurate, it's a well known fact, search for it on the internet. If you're too lazy then don't respond, with a bullshit comment, as seems to be your initial instinct. And enough with the "hard-core", "casual" religious stereotype. I think everything in the bible can be taken literally, as for attacks on abortion clinics...well I think that anyone who enforces abortions, maybe should have been aborted themselves.

That may be wrong of me to say, but it seems fair enough....And I've never really liked the pope. Well feel free to pick apart that statement, I'm too tired to add the rest right now.

You're god is big enough and old enough to stand up for himself. Don't get all upset because he's forcing you to question your faith. It's exactly what religious people do when they try to convert you.
Don't insult my Carbon Dating. It's a billion times more reliable than one of the most obviously biased historical texts known to mankind.

Yea? Where do you get those numbers? And yea I've questioned my own faith, I wasn't always a christian, I didn't come out of the womb holding a bible, as you might beleive. And such is the case with most christians. I'll defend God when I can, as you must do the same with your values, and beleifs.

 

[Daveman]

You're god is big enough and old enough to stand up for himself. Don't get all upset because he's forcing you to question your faith. It's exactly what religious people do when they try to convert you.
Don't insult my Carbon Dating. It's a billion times more reliable than one of the most obviously biased historical texts known to mankind.

Yea? Where do you get those numbers? And yea I've questioned my own faith, I wasn't always a christian, I didn't come out of the womb holding a bible, as you might beleive. And such is the case with most christians. I'll defend God when I can, as you must do the same with your values, and beleifs.

Oh, the "billion", yeah, I made that up. But radioactive decay can be scientifically proven and a huge amount of technology is based on it. The Bible can not be proven as such.
You may not have come out of the womb holding a bible but I bet you were slightly more exposed to christianity than other religions or any atheistic beliefs.

daveman i think those fundamentalists you are speaking of are actually the mormons (crazy bunch of wackjobs lol)

Yeah, I didn't even write that. But yes, crazy wackjobs, I concur.

 

[ExaltedK9]

You're god is big enough and old enough to stand up for himself. Don't get all upset because he's forcing you to question your faith. It's exactly what religious people do when they try to convert you.
Don't insult my Carbon Dating. It's a billion times more reliable than one of the most obviously biased historical texts known to mankind.

Yea? Where do you get those numbers? And yea I've questioned my own faith, I wasn't always a christian, I didn't come out of the womb holding a bible, as you might beleive. And such is the case with most christians. I'll defend God when I can, as you must do the same with your values, and beleifs.

Oh, the "billion", yeah, I made that up. But radioactive decay can be scientifically proven and a huge amount of technology is based on it. The Bible can not be proven as such.
You may not have come out of the womb holding a bible but I bet you were slightly more exposed to christianity than other religions or any atheistic beliefs.

daveman i think those fundamentalists you are speaking of are actually the mormons (crazy bunch of wackjobs lol)

Yeah, I didn't even write that. But yes, crazy wackjobs, I concur.

Well thank you for asuming my past is of a christian background. No I've had atheism pushed down my throat all my life, maybe you're just too damn jusgemental for your own good. The bible is solid, people have been asking the same question for hundreds of years, "what if the bible is inaccurate?" It's not if your are gonna make a stetement like that one, you need to know how things were back then.

The Romans wanted him dead, (and succeeded in killing him) the holy men of the time plotted his death and hated him. They would have done anything to disprove him. I could pull up more evidence, but like I already said...I'm tired.

 

[JPAD89]

Im an Atheist, and you can be religious....aslong as you dont count religion to mean the belief in a amlighty creator (or several of them) i visit the temple near my university to converse with our orange and sometimes gold wearing friends to talk philosophy (the focus of my degree)
and they dont think its a religion...unless you believe religion is an organized group with aims and focuses in life.

so an atheist can be religious, just not in the sense most people seem to think religious means.

 

[The Shade]

Well thank you for asuming my past is of a christian background. No I've had atheism pushed down my throat all my life, maybe you're just too damn jusgemental for your own good. The bible is solid, people have been asking the same question for hundreds of years, "what if the bible is inaccurate?" It's not if your are gonna make a stetement like that one, you need to know how things were back then.

To be fair, a lot of atheists have lived with the same sense of persecution. In a Christian-dominated Western culture, atheists have been the minority for a long time. It's a built-in response for atheists to be ready to fight back against the constant pressure for them to "stop being Godless heathens" or whatever the stereotype tag line is.

Of course, now that atheism is massively on the rise, the tables are turning. It will be a while for that natural defensiveness to mellow out.

 

[Simalacrum]

Qualerism, which is such a broad branch away from its Christian origins that other religions (+ even Athiests) are welcome to believe in Quakerism as well. its paccifist views certainly agree with me.

 

[ExaltedK9]

Well thank you for asuming my past is of a christian background. No I've had atheism pushed down my throat all my life, maybe you're just too damn jusgemental for your own good. The bible is solid, people have been asking the same question for hundreds of years, "what if the bible is inaccurate?" It's not if your are gonna make a stetement like that one, you need to know how things were back then.

To be fair, a lot of atheists have lived with the same sense of persecution. In a Christian-dominated Western culture, atheists have been the minority for a long time. It's a built-in response for atheists to be ready to fight back against the constant pressure for them to "stop being Godless heathens" or whatever the stereotype tag line is.

Of course, now that atheism is massively on the rise, the tables are turning. It will be a while for that natural defensiveness to mellow out.

Well I call individuals like I see them but, christians who would lump atheists together and classify them all as "godless heathens" isn't what would pass for normal christian behavior in my eyes.

 

[Matronadena]

Even supposedly peaceful Buddhists will fight or have - such as in Sri Lanka - oppressed others.

in shri lanka it's Buddhists that are actually oppressed...even worse than the Tibetan's in some cases.

I think you'll find it's the Hindu Tamils who were oppressed. That's why they rebelled a decade or three ago. The rebellion's just been defeated in the last month.

Buddhists make up about 75% of the Sri Lankan population. I'm not clear how a democratically-elected government can manage to oppress 75% of their own electorate and keep their jobs. The fact that the government, not so long ago, tried to make Buddhism the official religion of Sri Lanka also suggests it's not an oppressed religion there.

aah please allow me to rephrase that, It's the Monks themselves oppressed, not as much the general population ( as far as a militant state goes) The people themselves are beat down anyway, as any demi-totalitarian system has ( not quite totalitarian, but the democratic side is more than skewed.) ...however the monks are still figureheads, icons for the people...if the monks stand up and make a social stance on something, the people will have more courage to do so themselves, and threaten the regimes control over them.....simple answer is make an example out of the monks, and everyone else behaves.