Religion thread? I am currently undecided, but I am open to being converted if I agree with the teachings. I believe in the existence of God, that there is one God, and that humans should do everything in their power to achieve the perfection He has set forth, but that many of us stray from the righteous path (i.e. humans must try to be good, but for many of us, that path has gone untrodden). I am not a fan of Islam because I have heard of some of its teachings and seen many of it in practice (modern 'not true Islam' would be executed in the name of true Islam, basically). Judaism is ruled out because I want to keep my soul. I am not sure about Christianity (or Abrahamic religions). I have read a little about Zoroastrianism, didn't hate what I read.
Does anybody have any thoughts or care to explain their faith to me and why they follow it?
Also, degeneracy/decadence is not something that is on the path of righteousness. This includes extreme things like murder and rape to tinier, but still significant things, like homosexuality and infanticide.
what's that hand thing
All the non-Abrahamic ones are pretty good to some degree or another.
>>68224283
Jainism.
What's the 9 pointed star?
>>68223317
>humans should do everything in their power to achieve the perfection He has set forth
I definitely believe in God... but I struggle with the same doubts. I also think it's clear that the world is not perfect. If God can do anything he could certainly have made a world without violence. I know people say that it's because of free will and all that. That's a bunch of bullshit. If God can do anything he could have created human beings that aren't inclined to violence at all. IMO God is either a jerk or just not powerful enough.
religion is much of a choice as who your family members are. I'm sure if I was white, I would be Christian instead of Sikh
>>68223317
Universal unitarian. Or similar.
>>68225095
Yeah I often wonder about that. Seems really strange. My family is Christian and the prevailing belief is "Jesus is the only way." But IDK how they can say that when none of us have ever seen God personally. All we have is some book.
>>68225095
So you only believe because your parents raised you that way, not because you agree with it?
>>68225155
That's fucking stupid. That's not a religion. That's just a club for agnostics.
>>68225238
I agree with it but being raised a certain way certainly makes it not much of a choice though, especially when everyone around you has the same belief
>>68223317
Antic pagan ecletism.
>>68225555
Interesting. I was raised and surrounded with our religion until 12, even going to a religious school K-8, then totally dumped it and have only learned to dislike it more over the (many) years since.
>>68223317
Why don't you ask god to send you somebody and test somebody to see if that's actually a person able to do miracles worthy of a god?
Be very severe in your judgement, btw.
As a Buddhist, I'd recommend it, but it's not for everybody.
>>68224897
It's da joos
>>68224897
>>68227867
Fug you meant the other one...
>>68224897
The Baha'i Fatih. Weird pseudo-Abrahamic thing that doesn't really have a majority anywhere on earth.
>>68223317
I don't really believe in God or the afterlife for that matter. My belief is that one can achieve anything as long as their truly believe in said thing.
Apart from that, follow the more ethical laws (don't kill, don't steal, don't rape etc.)
>>68224897
The nine pointed star is from the Baha'i faith which is pretty much the most based I believe. They believe every prophet from every religion is a messenger of God, and they believe in a one world religion and shit like that, give it a read.
Read the new testament of the Bible. The Bible is God's word and the message of salvation by grace through faith is open to all.
>>68229278
>is open to all
Isn't Judaism one of the only religions not "open to all"? That is the only reason this is a Christian meme, right?
>>68229155
Thanks, will have to look this up.
>>68223317
>Judaism is ruled out because I want to keep my soul.
tf does that mean
>>68223317
Try Orthodoxy
>>68231936
This.
>>68223317
>I believe in the existence of God, that there is one God
Well, Islam is the only real choice you have there then. All the other monotheistic religions are only monotheism adjecent. Christianity has 3-gods-in-one... Hinduism has a million-gods-in-one and zoroastrianism basically have a evil and a good god where neither are particulary powerful. Islam is the only religion that is properly monotheistic.
And it's basically the same religion that all the prophets have provided. The same message that Abraham, Moses and Jesus came with, but that people strayed away from and then God sent new prophets. When Christians stopped believing that Jesus was a Prophet (the people who believed Jesus was a prophet and there was only one god, not 3 was called Arianism and it died out in the 4-5th century. They did not worship Jesus, but tried to emulate the religion that Jesus himself believed.) and started believing in the trinity then God sent Muhammed in the 5th century with the last message before judgement day that was the same message as always.
Pray to ONLY one God, follow the rules, do proper worship, forbid evil and promote the Good.
Being Christian these days is basically being an atheist. Live like an atheist, have the same opinions like an atheist, but just believe in the 3-gods-in-one.
Also all planets with intelligent life has muslims (if you view "Islam" as worshipping the ONE creator God) but only earth has Jesus. Christians believe that 1/3 of God can control the whole universe ,but somehow needs 2/3 extra God just for this rock. Which is nonsense of course.
>>68229423
Bahai is pretty contradictory though. They believe in all religions, but say that it is wrong to follow any of them and you have to follow this bahai prophet instead. Avoid religions with logical contradictions because it is proof that it can not be true. Truth never has logical contradictions.
>>68223317
>but I am open to being converted if I agree with the teachings
Why don't people realize that this isn't a good reason to convert?
Anyway, pic related.
>>68233395
Even assuming a single God, it doesn't follow that Muhammad was a prophet. Ergo, not Islam.
>>68223317
As long as you have a religion you're good. If there is no religion, degeneracy will conquer. I mean look at Sweden, most of us are atheists.
>>68225086
Nah man. The world is perfect. It would be boring without struggle.
>>68223317
You shouldn't base your religion on what you like or dislike about their ideas. I think the best way to find a religion is to read whatever text and see if science, your life experience, and logic are compatible with the text.
>>68223317
Tao is the way
Read tao te ching. It is short and rich in meaning.
>>68234310
God could have made it both not boring a devoid of suffering. You can't put a limit a God's power.
All that is must be because he choose it to be this way.
>>68233963
The bible is full of hygienic prescriptions. That has been part of the message at all time. Someone fake would probably not do that, you don't see that in other religions. Even religions based on Islam like sihkism lack that.
>>68234533
A sport isn't fun if the risk of getting hurt isn't there. Lol, are you not a man or what? If there was no suffering and people didn't die or get hurt there would be too many
>>68234676
Are you actually too fucking stupid to understand what I said about putting limits on God's power?
>>68234614
Even assuming that there is only one God it does not follow that Muhammad is his prophet. Ergo, not Islam.
>>68223317
Roman Catholic
>>68223317
Christanity. It lines up well with science. It accepts anyone as long as you profess your faith truthfully. God isn't a murderous genocidal rapist like Islam. Jesus is the ultimate warrior, loves you, died for you, defeated death, and wants to give you eternal life. All of its teachings create a strong family and Society. And since it's a fucked up world Jesus knows your going to have to do bad shit and it's unavoidable. But he is like "I've got your back"
>>68234875
What? So you want to feel pain without actually getting hurt? That's what next gen video games are for. If we lived such miraculuos lives there would be no doubt of God and the test would be futile. Everyone would get into Heaven, no just the righteous believers like he wants.
In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual. -Galileo
Don't question God and his methods, pleb
As a Muslim, Islam wants you to think, questions that were never answered. Its a way of life.
Are Protestants allowed to help with the Holy Crusade that is coming up?
>>68223317
You simply have to decide which of those religions has the best popes, that's all
>>68235365
desu I don't think denomination is very important. As long as the core of Christianity are the same, like the resurrection of Christ etc...
>>68235265
Ooookay.
So your argument is that the world would be boring without suffering. Now, if you're a Christian or one of them dumb shit muzzie, you believe in something called paradise.
Now, is not paradise a perfect world? Is it not a world devoid of suffering? Since it's perfect, is it not a world without boredom?
Hence you must believe that God can create a world that's perfect and thus if the earthly world isn't perfect it must mean that God choose to make it this way. To say that he was forced to make it with suffering is to place a limit on God's power that you don't even recognize exists because you believe in paradise.
Stop trying to explain the imperfection of the world by saying that God was forced to make it this way.
>>68235365
Aye, but you'd better convert or the next crusade's going straight on your heretic asses <3
>>68235324
>>68235365
Kek
Definitely
We shall defeat the biggest cucks to ever roam the Earth
Islam teaches that it's okay for one man to have many women.
How big of a cuck could you be to believe that?
They all have guns and yet go and kill innocents instead of the rich tycoons taking all the chicks.
Fucking Retards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEeAN471boQ&spfreload=1
>>68235324
>as a muslim
It's a big one.
>>68223317
/thread
>>68223317
Getting random opinions from the internet wont matter. If you are serious you need to research or read the primary texts of the religion and see if it is compatible with what you believe. On sikhism specifically the texts are probably going to need interpretation because the entire text is written as poetry so there are many figurative devices.
>>68235546
In Genesis, it was said that the Earth has "fallen" when adam and eve ate the forbidden fruit. Before that, the garden of eden was said to be like a paradise iirc. Adam and eve were kicked out of the garden into this world, so the world's imperfection comes from the absence of God.
>>68235590
Really now? Islam teaches you to have more than 1 wife? I'm sure you got that mixed with culture. Cause Islam against that. Plus, "they" don't have all the guns. I mean if you're referring to terrorist groups. Someone is obviously funding them, but too many conspiracy theories on who's doing it. Hell, most people who own guns are civilians, and people still think the military has more guns than anyone.
>>68235546
You have to earn paradise, like with anything in life. God will not hand out perfection, that's the point of the test. That's the reason why the Devil beckons you to Hell, God wants you to have the choice so he can weed out the Saints from the heathens. Suffering is warning, you feel too hot from putting your hand close to fire because it's hot, dipshit. What you want to stand in fire and feel a nice cool breeze? That's idiotic. You are not God.
I never said he was forced to do anything.
Stop questioning his divine methods, plebeian, for I am filled with utter disgust.
>A FUCKING LEAF
Naturalistic Pantheism is the way to go. My beliefs are not based on myths, but off of reality.
>>68235985
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7m8DzOx_WE
Is this a correct interpretation of jihad, vicious snek?
>>68234875
Muhammed is the Prophet of God because God gave him the Quran. Nothing is similar to the Quran and it is impossible for a human to create anything similar. Not even a single verse. It obviously comes from God.
http://www.listen2quran.com/
And no other religion is without logical contradictions. And no other religion is able to have a holy book without any flaws.
>>68235985
>>68236215
Funny how all these mental gymnastics can be avoided by reading the Quran.
"It's okay to lie to infidels"
Just like
"It's okay to lie to the Goy"
The first and last religions are the worst. Christianity is balanced. It does not tell you to lie to anyone.
>>68236318
Fuck off Achmed. Jesus is the son of God, before him there were Prophets that told of his coming. Any other "prophet" after Jesus is a false prophet and a tool of Satan.
>>68236421
>Christianity is balanced. It does not tell you to lie to anyone.
Except your children that you plan on indoctrinating into a Roman Jew death cult.
>>68235920
>>68236055
So God put men in Paradise in order to see him fall so that he could then determine through life on earth whether or not to put him back in paradise, and God COULD NOT have made it any other way? And the stupid fucking answer I get from this is
>don't question it lol
One day, we'll be able to suggest conclusively that you can't explain what lies beyond the world with words and that all myths were attempt at explaining away that which by definition could not be explained, which would be like trying to explain space outside of space, time outside of time, meaning outside of meaning.
>>68236621
>Death Cult
Keep on tippin' buddy
I'm going to have sex with my my virgin bride and remove kebab while you watch Ahmed fuck the atheist whore down the street while fucking an MLP doll.
>>68236772
Hat memes won't change the fact that christianity is largely based around death and promises true and eternal life at the time of death.
I kind of like Buddhism, but that kind of conflicts with my nationalist, conservative views.
>>68236736
>mom gave birth to me and sends me to school
>will flip burgers for the rest of my life if I fail school and do drugs all day
>fails school and kicked out of house when Im 18 and still a neet
>MOM YOU DON'T EXIST
God put men in paradise to share happiness and goodness. Men want to become their own gods and asked God to leave. God left and now we live in an imperfect world.
>>68236736
Here's the thing...I've actually had Ezekiel's vision in a bad acid trip where I was throwing up the acid cause it was too much. I couldn't drink water without throwing up, I was on the brink of death when I passed out. In my vision I saw the shining Blond man in this picture>>68234676
He spoke to me. He was manly, he was not a sissy, or woman-like in any respect. He was angry, angry at all the degeneracy. God gives you the option to NOT fall. It's up to you to take it. If you don't and you blame him for it, you're the source of his anger, you're responsible for his divine punishment. Of course he wants you to find paradise, that's why he urges you to find a virgin bride. He showed me that this is the best thing there possibly is on this Earth, marriage between two virgins.
>>68235647
Why don't you read the Quran. :^)
>>68234875
>Even assuming that there is only one God it does not follow that Muhammad is his prophet. Ergo, not Islam.
I'm not sure I see how he has any better or worse claim than anyone else at the moment.
>>68235244
>God isn't a murderous genocidal rapist like Islam
>except for that time he killed literally everyone but Noah's immediate family in a flood
>or that time he intentionally hardened Pharaoh's heart so he could murder every firstborn Egyptian son
>or that time he annihilated two cities with fire from heaven, then turned a woman to salt because fuck logic
>>68236606
The term "Father" was and is used in all semittic languages as a honorary term. It has nothing to do with family. The confusion about family comes from greeks who misunderstood the term.
Just like how Jesus called everyone children of God? Jesus had no father, it was a miracle. Jeus did not believe he was God, like Christians believe, he considered himself a slave of God (Matthew 26:39) and he worshipped like a muslim with the face to the ground (same verse) just like the other prophets (mentioned many places in the bible).
And Jesus also foretold about "the helper" who would come after him.
But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. (John 15:26-27 ESV)
…going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, “Where are you going?” But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world4 is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. (John 16:5-15 ESV)
>>68235546
God made Arrakis to test the faithful...
Wait, what were we talking about again?
Try satanism. It isnt what you think it is.
>>68236421
>Christianity is balanced. It does not tell you to lie to anyone.
Except you know... All christian traditions involves willfully lying to children about for example Santa Claus. It is also part of Christianity to lie about the brown things that comes out of the rabbit butts during easter and pretend it's "chocolate eggs". Lying to children is part of christianity.
>>68237425
Man that was an awesome quote. The Bible is Shonen.
UUOOOOOO!!!
>>68237605
It's just a tradition, at some point those figures existed. It's a fun tale that helps children wonder about the world more. It's good, so that makes it okay, unlike Islam and Judaism.
>>68237117
>God is like a mother
See, in order to explain how the world isn't perfect, you have to reduce God, to limit his power, to compare it with an earthly creature like a mother, because otherwise it makes no sense that a being as powerful as him would have to do something like kick people out or "test them" to "know" who was good and who wasn't.
God isn't a being of limited power. He doesn't need to test people because he already knows the answer. He doesn't need to punish Adam or Eve because whatever flaws he decides to embed in his creatures don't affect him in the least. He doesn't need to create the three of knowledge of good and evil. He doesn't need to create the snake to tempt Eve, he doesn't need to do any of this shit. Everything he does is a pure choice and hence and to claim the contrary necessarily entails that God is constrained.
That which is not a choice is forced upon the person. Since God has infinite power, nothing can be forced upon him and therefore all of what happen is his choice, including and not limited to an imperfect world full of suffering.
>>68237308
He actually has worse standing than Christians. If you take Christians at their word, then you have to accept the resurrection, which is rather insane in and of itself. Muhammad, on the other hand, even if you take his story at face value, doesn't really have any miracles. Everything he did was very earthly, including the way he received his revelation, which is through "personal vision" nobody else could see or verify. It's very easy to look at Mo's life according to the Islamic sources and conclude "oh, he was deluded and the people around him were just to dumb to realize it".
>>68237605
What a pathetic argument. These examples you give are in no way equal to what the other chap said. I expected more from a Norwegian, then again you're all becoming atheists for the oncoming wave of Islamic invaders
>>68237935
That was just an illustration. I don't understand how you came to a conclusion that the omnipotence of God contradicts any of what I have said above. I never claimed that his actions were out of necessity yet you seem to believe that I did. I said that God created a perfect world that mankind corrupted. The eating of the fruit is an act of our free will, much like failing school. He allows suffering, whether by nature or by men, because He respects our free will.
>>68237605
Please stop wasting everybody's time.
>>68238695
>I said that God created a perfect world that mankind corrupted
How can that which is perfect be corrupted by that which isn't perfect?
The reason I'm talking about God's limit is because there's two or tree person arguing why evil and suffering exists so the arguments gets conflated.
>>68238916
The Devil
>>68239139
The question still applies then. The devil isn't perfect and the world he corrupted is allegedly perfect.
>>68238916
The world is perfect because of God. Once God left, the world isn't perfect anymore. Furthermore, is it always true that something perfect is incorruptible?
When we say perfection, we mean perfect withing the confines of the laws of nature. Wouldn't you agree that the world is confined by the laws of nature, or at least, when God left the world, the earth is confined by the laws of nature, which by extension shows that nothing is incorruptible?
>>68239347
God creates perfect world, much like how the white man creates a perfect society.
The Devil comes and corrupts it, God leaves
Niggers come and corrupt it, Whites leave.
Simple.
>>68239593
Well, God is the most perfect of beings. Surely, he's not corruptible and, if he was, he wouldn't be perfect.
>>68240026
yes, but is that contradictory to the imperfect world thing?
>>68240175
The question is the definition of perfect. If we apply the "perfect" predicate to God and deduce that he must be incorruptible in view of his perfection, then we must also conclude same concerning a perfect world. It must be incorruptible in view if its perfection. Otherwise, that world in particular isn't perfect.
Here's the thing. Human realize they don't live in a perfect world. They try to answer the question : why? The myth they create to answer that question will necessarily embed the world's imperfection in its meaning, since this is the only experience they have. There's no way to craft a true "other worldly" answer to the problem of the world. That's my views anyway.
I have issues with organised religion. Not the actual act of believing in something.
>>68223317
why are the Baha'i gardens in Israel?
>>68223317
Instead of coming here you should do actually research on the religions instead of just listening to what you heard. For example. The teachings in the Koran is very complicated and there are other meanings behind the words. Hence why back in the days during the actual Caliphate you have to spend years studying Arabic, the Koran, and the Hadith before you are allowed to even talk about the meanings behind it to others.
My advice go do indepth research. Converting to a religion is a personal spiritual commitment, which is why you cannot choose just from what you have heard.
>>68242574
>>68229423
I'm a a Baha'i myself and can answer any of your questions.
Basically, the Baha'i gardens are in Israel because our prophet was exiled under heavy persecution from his home in Iran. First he was exiled to the Ottoman Empire and was subsequently imprisoned there in the city of Akka in present day Israel. After he died the Baha'i World Center was established in what then became British Palestine and when the Israeli government was established, they were the only non-Muslim country so they were the only ones who would allow the Baha'is to have an open community, since most Muslims consider us to be apostates especially Iranians. The Baha'is have an agreement with the Israelis that we can have our center in Haifa, as long as we don't try to convert Israelis or maintain a large community in the country.
tl;dr Muslims are mean and the Joos are the only people in the Middle East who will tolerate us having a temple.
>>68244281
To be honest it is their nation so they are allowed exile you guys. I mean no one complains when the Christian nations in those days prosecuted other religions.
>>68237929
>It's just a tradition, at some point those figures existed.
>those figures
>A man living on the north pole with flying raindeer who travel faster than light and know what every child is doing
>A rabbit that shits "chocolate eggs" at easter
Christian beliefs, man...
>>68237984
>I expected more from a Norwegian, then again you're all becoming atheists for the oncoming wave of Islamic invaders
I was, but now I am muslim.
>>68244541
If you're referring to Iran, then sure, a country that has no real binding constitution or respect for minority rights practically can do whatever they want. But a community like the Baha'is that on principle is non-violent, not politically aligned and on the whole law abiding has done nothing to deserve their treatment other than being condemned by Muslim religious authorities.
And there was very little persecution by Christians in the industrial, post-enlightenment late 19th century so I don't know what exactly you're talking about.
>>68244541
Unless you're talking about Tsarist Russia which is pretty much universally viewed as repressive and tyrannical.
Grow up, you don't need religion.. Nobody exists on purpose or you got anything special commanded to do. Don't become a slave of sects.... because ultimately the ones who gives up his/her freedom in exchange of a "eternal life/transcendence" will eventually end up having none
>>68223317
remember that muhammad was a murderer, thief, robber, pedophile, psychopate, liar and more. Islam is religion of pagan gods worshiped in mekka centuries ago.
