[Tschaggatta]

I lean toward the mystical and esoteric, though. I incorporate ideas from Hermeticism and the Kabbalah into my practice.

Not the first anarchist who is adopting such ideas/practices.
It is a pity that this is happening but there are specific causes that led a significant part of the anarchist movement to the "new age".

[Buzz62]

On other threads, I've been debating the issues in Israel.
Israel is now at a monumental crossroads in time...IMO.
Soon...maybe this coming year...either Israel will concede to a Palestinian state...or all hell will break loose.
In this conflict we have the 3 main religions of the world.
Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
THE DIRTY THREE!
The bastard spawn of Abraham.
One way or t'other THIS MADNESS MUST END!

And that's how "religious" I am.

[Hirdmann]

"I'm going to turn a thread that has nothing to do with Israel into an Israel-bashing-thread, but I'm DEFINITELY not an anti-semitic troll"

[Buzz62]

I blame all 3 religions for what's happening Hirdmann.
But I suppose that concept is a bit over your head.
That's OK...we all see your broken wing and feel for ya.
There...better now?

[Hirdmann]

I blame all 3 religions for what's happening Hirdmann.
But I suppose that concept is a bit over your head.
That's OK...we all see your broken wing and feel for ya.
There...better now?

I never felt bad. I'm not the one who has to turn every single thread he appears in, into an Israel-thread. Your hatred of Jews and their state must really run deep.
Either that, or you're one of the most capable trolls I have yet encountered. I'm not sure which....

[Buzz62]

This is a post about RELIGION Hirdmann.
As such...and as Judaism is a RELIGION...My comments are quite on topic.
Yours however...

[Hirdmann]

This is a post about RELIGION Hirdmann.
As such...and as Judaism is a RELIGION...My comments are quite on topic.

LOL, no it isn't.
This particular thread is about how religious, or not, individual posters are. Not an opportunity for anti-semitic trolls to rant.

[Buzz62]

LOL, no it isn't.
This particular thread is about how religious, or not, individual posters are. Not an opportunity for anti-semitic trolls to rant.

Sigh...
You're following me aren't you...

[Hirdmann]

Sigh...
You're following me aren't you...

I'm the one who should be asking YOU that question. You were the one who charged in and said "LOL Izrael's stoopid #YOLO #SWAG" after I had answered the OP's question.

[Taxtro]

Well I'm a skeptic and humanist, but I retain my right to be religious at times. Just like I get drunk at weekends, I might in future take part in religious events and enjoy them. Atheists shouldn't be afraid to partake in religious activities or even seeking captivating, spiritual experiences.

[Brunswick]

I don't believe in God and frankly if the holy books anything to go by I'm glad that I don't. The religious texts are horrible, anyone who thinks that they are inspiring should be locked up in an insane asylum.

[Dagoth Ur]

It is gonna take a big asylum to lock up most of the human population.

[Nets]

I don't believe in God and frankly if the holy books anything to go by I'm glad that I don't. The religious texts are horrible, anyone who thinks that they are inspiring should be locked up in an insane asylum.

Religious scripture is a mixed bag. Take for instance the Bible...not really a book but more a library of dozens of books, themselves each patched together from multiple sources with different authors, viewpoints, cultural contexts, etc. There are many downright horrendous passages, but there are also many uplifting and inspiring passages. (For example, Ezekiel 37 has great personal meaning for me and I find it very inspiring.)

That said, inspirational power isn't uniquely possessed by scripture vs. any other form of literature, and as an atheist I don't think scripture should have an elevated status in society relative to any other man made text. I just don't think you should so flippantly write off scripture as "horrible".

[mikema63]

I just don't think you should so flippantly write off scripture as "horrible".

There are different contexts where I would refer to the bible in different ways, as a book of rules I find it horrible (especially the old testament), as literature it's quite interesting.

I'm not really religious, and I could never follow a religion with a hell. The concept of hell just doesn't make any sense to me at all, there is nobody in all of history who deserves to be tortured forever.

[Nets]

There are different contexts where I would refer to the bible in different ways, as a book of rules I find it horrible (especially the old testament), as literature it's quite interesting.

I'm not really religious, and I could never follow a religion with a hell. The concept of hell just doesn't make any sense to me at all, there is nobody in all of history who deserves to be tortured forever.

This is interesting to me given that hell and unforgivable thoughtcrime are such New Testament concepts. The NT is actually stricter than the OT in several areas. Salvation is more difficult in Christianity than Judaism.

And I'm going to disagree with you, there are several people I wouldn't really mind seeing burn in hell for all eternity. I wouldn't shed any tears over, say, BTK burning in hell.

[mikema63]

No crime deserves eternal punishment, especially coming from the new testament that is supposed to be all about forgiveness.

This is interesting to me given that hell and unforgivable thoughtcrime are such New Testament concepts.

Well, the old testament is usually where people pull out the rules that specifically relate to me, so I may be biased.

[Nets]

No crime deserves eternal punishment, especially coming from the new testament that is supposed to be all about forgiveness.

Haha except rejecting the Holy Spirit, even Jesus' sacrifice can't make up for that. "Supposed to be" is the key phrase here, people do a lot of picking and choosing I think when they come to that conclusion.

Well, the old testament is usually where people pull out the rules that specifically relate to me, so I may be biased.

Paul and "Mark" in particular had a lot of sex hangups. People argue back and forth a lot about whether the NT specifically addresses that, but there is no way given the cultural milieu of the time that the NT tolerates that. The NT might reject ritual law, but it pretty consistently upholds moral law.

[Nets]

dlt

[Le Rouge]

I am a materialist, naturalist, and agnostic non-theist (mostly in the style of Feuerbach and Marx)

That being said, however, I am religious and I am a member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and a interfaith Levinasian secular humanist. I also practice elements of liberation theology with Christians (and peoples of other faiths).

cosmic dictator like the laws of physics?

I always thought this was the most convincing argument for God. God = Lord = Cosmic Dictator = Laws of Physics

Ergo the cosmic dictates of the laws of physics are the mystical God of the formless void. Let us not forget—and if we did Sartre would find us hellions and Mormons would consider us Satanic—that cosmic dictates of physical laws are God but we also have subjective agency as a gift of the creator (i.e. the gift of subjective agency from physical laws is the gift of God). The flip-side is Feuerbach's argument: we are merely deifying non-theist physical laws.

(For example, Ezekiel 37 has great personal meaning for me and I find it very inspiring.)

We could always beat our swords into plowshares (if you know what I mean).

[redcarpet]

Was religious for about 2 years when a teenager, since just an atheist that supports religious freedom and secularism.

Not sure what else to say.