Religion and Spirituality

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Buddhism is atheist, but there's a lot of fantastical metaphysical speculation going on.

There are plenty of gods, god-like beings, ghosts, spirits and other such supernatural beings around, which makes it innately a-atheist. What you are aiming at, is the ~somewhat~ unqiue position, that worshipping the buddhist gods doesn't necessarily give you a better position in the metaphysics of the belief-system (e.g. giving you access to a paradise or other afterlife), especially given that the desired state is a state of non-existence and that there's no original creator-god. But this belief is just side-stepping what plenty of other religions do, imo.

Ghosts and spirits aren't synonymous with a deity though. Everything I'm coming across notes that there is no supreme being.

[Yukaphile]

I definitely believe your consciousness survives after the passing of this mortal shell.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Whilst we are on the subject, the other thing that annoys me is the absolute certainty theists have that their god out of the 3000 plus other gods throughout history is right

Yeah please remember that is not a trait for all theists, or even all religions.

Right here, I am a theist who believes that there are other gods than the ones I worship.

Most theists though lets be honest.

Really? Do you know that? Did you read a peer-reviewed sociology study on that? Did you draw any statistics for it?

Hinduism, to strike an example, in its orthodox form, posits the believe that just about all gods are real because they are different aspects of one core divine truth, and it is the most popular religion in one of the most well-populated countries on the friggin planet.

If you mean "Christianity" or "Abrahamic Monotheism", then say that. It really cheeses me off when atheists keep painting all religions, like say, mine, with theological arguments and attitudes that only apply to some of the religions they've encountered. If we are looking at overall religious history of humankind, monotheism tends to be the exception rather than the rule.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Buddhism is atheist, but there's a lot of fantastical metaphysical speculation going on.

No, Buddhism is not atheist, it's theist by nature. There are plenty of gods, god-like beings, ghosts, spirits and other such supernatural beings around, which makes it innately a-atheist. What you are aiming at, is the ~somewhat~ unqiue position, that worshipping the buddhist gods doesn't necessarily give you a better position in the metaphysics of the belief-system (e.g. giving you access to a paradise or other afterlife), especially given that the desired state is a state of non-existence and that there's no original creator-god. But this belief is just side-stepping what plenty of other religions do, imo.

Some variants of Buddhism are explicitly non-theistic, and some actively discourage veneration of deities as a distraction from the pursuit of enlightenment. Belief in the supernatural is not the same as belief in deities, per say.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Whilst we are on the subject, the other thing that annoys me is the absolute certainty theists have that their god out of the 3000 plus other gods throughout history is right

Yeah please remember that is not a trait for all theists, or even all religions.

Right here, I am a theist who believes that there are other gods than the ones I worship.

Most theists though lets be honest.

Hinduism, to strike an example, in its orthodox form, posits the believe that just about all gods are real because they are different aspects of one core divine truth, and it is the most popular religion in one of the most well-populated countries on the friggin planet.

You mean that Hinduism is polytheistic, or acknowledges other religions?

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Whilst we are on the subject, the other thing that annoys me is the absolute certainty theists have that their god out of the 3000 plus other gods throughout history is right

Yeah please remember that is not a trait for all theists, or even all religions.

Right here, I am a theist who believes that there are other gods than the ones I worship.

Most theists though lets be honest.

Hinduism, to strike an example, in its orthodox form, posits the believe that just about all gods are real because they are different aspects of one core divine truth, and it is the most popular religion in one of the most well-populated countries on the friggin planet.

You mean that Hinduism is polytheistic, or acknowledges other religions?

Both.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

That's a lot of acknowledgment.

[Wargriffin]

Hell there are certain sects of Christianity that doesn't reject the concept of other Spiritual beings then again Christianity is so mindbogglingly splintered most people default to either a rather Traditional hard line Catholic or Parody Baptists.


“Suppose one reads a story of filthy atrocities in the paper. Then suppose that something turns up suggesting that the story might not be quite true, or not quite so bad as it was made out. Is one's first feeling, 'Thank God, even they aren't quite so bad as that,' or is it a feeling of disappointment, and even a determination to cling to the first story for the sheer pleasure of thinking your enemies are as bad as possible? If it is the second then it is, I am afraid, the first step in a process which, if followed to the end, will make us into devils. You see, one is beginning to wish that black was a little blacker. If we give that wish its head, later on we shall wish to see grey as black, and then to see white itself as black. Finally we shall insist on seeing everything -- God and our friends and ourselves included -- as bad, and not be able to stop doing it: we shall be fixed for ever in a universe of pure hatred.”

-C.S. Lewis

[clearspira]

Whilst we are on the subject, the other thing that annoys me is the absolute certainty theists have that their god out of the 3000 plus other gods throughout history is right

Yeah please remember that is not a trait for all theists, or even all religions.

Right here, I am a theist who believes that there are other gods than the ones I worship.

Most theists though lets be honest.

Really? Do you know that? Did you read a peer-reviewed sociology study on that? Did you draw any statistics for it?

Hinduism, to strike an example, in its orthodox form, posits the believe that just about all gods are real because they are different aspects of one core divine truth, and it is the most popular religion in one of the most well-populated countries on the friggin planet.

If you mean "Christianity" or "Abrahamic Monotheism", then say that. It really cheeses me off when atheists keep painting all religions, like say, mine, with theological arguments and attitudes that only apply to some of the religions they've encountered. If we are looking at overall religious history of humankind, monotheism tends to be the exception rather than the rule.

Christianity and Islam mostly yes - the 2 most influential and powerful religions today and lets be honest for the last 1500 years minimum. That is why you have a stereotype.

And again, monotheism may be a minority on an historical scale, but in terms of world influence since Rome, monotheistic religions are by far the most powerful and influential. Being a minority in this case is irrelevant.

We are also back to picking and choosing. You cannot acknoledge the Abrahamic God alongside other gods because he is The One God. He is everything. What you say does not make sense under examination.

[Edvarius]

I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. More commonly known as Mormons.

If I ruled the world it would be illegal to indoctrinate children into religion. It would be an adult choice like drinking or smoking.
Why? Because its brain washing and nothing more. Religion would vanish in a heartbeat without catching human beings in their most susceptible years and they know it.

One of the most critical roles of a parent is to pass on necessary knowledge to their children. This includes both practical knowledge, as well as the cultural rules and standards they follow, so that their child can be a good member of their society. This includes religion, as it is to many a fundamental part of the worldview of the parents. For many telling them not to include it wouldn't even make sense, as what you see as "their religion" can be seen as "how things are". As well many religious practices take place in the home, and so without outlawing dozens of other small, everyday rituals such a proposed rule would be impossible without having all children separated from their parents and raised solely by the state.

I think it would be a far greater idea to have kids exposed to a wide variety of viewpoints, through education in public schools about cultures and religions from around the world. Far less likely to lead to rightful cries of persecution and bigotry, and far more likely to lead to at least some ability to see other perspectives and consider their own with more care and introspection.