Does anyone care what I believe?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

Is it really of interest to anyone but myself?

It seems like many people are only curious about others' beliefs if they reinforce their own, or (in the case of fundies) they see an opportunity to sell their brand of Jesus.

While I enjoy reading about different religions, non-religions, theories, and philosophies; I truly loathe the tactics of those who try to convert people to their belief...especially when they justify those tactics by saying that condemning other religions is an act of love.

[Kamika]

1. Well it can be interesting on DU

To see the percentage of religious vs ateists

[GOPisEvil]

2. That depends. Are you educating me or trying to convert me?

If I'm interested and I ask questions and you answer them, then I care. If I never mention it, and you bring it up, then I don't.

Now, as for what I believe...I believe it's time for a :beer:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. hallelujah

:beer:

[Ladyhawk]

3. I really don't care what anyone else believes as long as they don't...

...try to shove it down my throat. Fundamentalists just can't help themselves. They believe they have all the answers, so they--quite arrogantly, I might add--try to tell others what to believe and how to live their lives.

Thomas Jefferson really abhorred the Christian religion, yet he said something to the effect, "Whether my neighbor believes in one god or ten gods, it affects me not. It doesn't pick my pockets." I'm paraphrasing here because I can't find the exact quote.

I think there should be freedom OF religion and freedom FROM religion. Government should neither champion nor discourage religion. Isn't that what the Bill of Rights says? "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

If that would really happen, I think fundamentalism would eventually die out. Oh please, oh please, oh please.

I'm learning to bite my tongue when it comes to my own beliefs. People don't want me shoving my beliefs down their throats. Besides, my beliefs tend to shift as I reason my way through this confusing world.

Two years ago I was a reluctant Republican. Now look where I am.

In the words of Billy Joel:

Now with the wisdom of years,
I try to reason things out.
And the only people I fear
Are those who never have doubts.
Save us all from arrogant men
And all the causes they're for.
I won't be righteous again.
I'm not that sure anymore.

[bobbieinok]

5. I like to know what other people believe and what experiences/

reading/conversations brought them to that.

The most difficult people I have ever been around are those who even when asked do not talk much about themselves and their beliefs.

One I remember had been raised with the constant refrain 'no body cares what you think.'

[SOteric]

6. I care what you believe in that

this country once provided you limitless opportunity to believe it; and that this same country now tries to limit your opportunity to belief which it condones.

As for the details and particulars, notsomuch.

[LynneSin]

7. I care - share with me

:D

[GoddessOfGuinness]

9. Aww...Thanks!

I believe you genuinely do care!

I believe in evolution; and I believe that if there is a deific entity (or entities) that the scientific knowledge we are accumulating is a gift too often overlooked by those who refuse to evolve.

I suspect humankind was intended to believe and practice many different things, and respect one another in their individual beliefs, as long as those practices do not adversely affect other people or their environment.

While I appreciate the sense of community which organized religion offers; I tend to prefer my religion unstructured, since those who hold positions of authority within organized religions often are seduced by power and abuse those offices. Also, I feel that not being confined by the tenets of a religion allows greater freedom of evolution.

But enough about me...What do you believe? :toast:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

11. I believe in evolution as well...

the reason being is that we can see it in everyday life. The way people and animals adapt to fit their circumstance. A good example was a study done on moths in the UK. In the study, it was shown that the darker-colored moths were more prolific due to blending in with soot-covered surfaces. The soot came from factories burning coal that collected on trees and buildings. Voila! natural selection.

As far as God goes, I have a hard time. I have had too many anthropology and history classes to subject myself to organized religion. I see these religious practices as a reaction to the fear of death, motivation for social cohesion and a baseline for morals in a society. However I don't wish to belittle what some get out of going to church, synagogue, etc... What some folks get from worshiping should be meaningful to them. Else why do it?

There is a big part of me that wants to believe that after I die there will be something. Unfortunately, my gut and my logic tell me that if there is something, we'll never know until we die, and then its too late for the comfort of the living. Death is a part of life and I am trying to alleviate some of the fear associated with stepping off this mortal coil.

My biggest problem with religion, and the divine power of God is all the horrible things that happen around the world. Does God not see that things go bad "down here"? Does he not care about the starving of the world, the false witness spewed by televangelists and politicians?

And what of those who don't believe, but live "good" lives anyway. If you believe some theologians, these people are doomed, since they have not heard the WORD.

This is just my take. I feel that spirituality is a journey, a prospect that evolves everyday. I have told people my spiritual beliefs and they have offered to pray for me. I will never turn down good thoughts, but I always pointed out that there are bigger evils in the world that need prayer more than my spiritual crises.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

13. I want to laugh when people offer to pray for my "spiritual crisis"

It inevitably means they pray that I will believe what they believe. I like your response.

The death issue is not a big deal for me. I'm not sure why I'm not afraid of it...I guess I've always felt more fascination than fear for things unknown. I've decided that when the time comes, I'm going to explore death rather than fight it. It may be my last great adventure.

[LynneSin]

15. I believe that I will pray for you....

......to serve me another beer

:beer:

:D

[CrownPrinceBandar]

18. Here you go...

:beer:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. ...and another

[CrownPrinceBandar]

35. I know its 5 hours later, but...

:beer:

A beer for a Goddess!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

36. Wow...I just logged on

So my beer hasn't had a chance to get cold! Thanks! :toast:

[Superfly]

8. I wish I could vote "No" a few more times...

Just kidding

[GoddessOfGuinness]

10. Well you can...

if you register under a few more different names. :D

[POed_Ex_Repub]

12. Sure, I want to know

I especially like beliefs supported by evidence. I like to think I'm open-minded enough to adapt to new information / revelations. (Heck, truth seeking is part of what converted me to a dem) :)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. So would you say you're an

evolutionary type, too?

[POed_Ex_Repub]

20. Yeah... to some extent

I would say Evolution makes the best case based on what I've seen so far. That is not to say however that I haven't seen holes in it. (Missing links anyone?)

I guess there are several levels of beliefs I have

Things I,m VERY confident are true (The Earth is basically round)
Things I'm confident are true (any dem would be better than Bush)
Things I think are true (Evolutionary theory)
Things that I have a sense are true, but don't really have a lot of proof to back up (My deist beliefs)
Things I wish were true, but not too confident in (The Chiefs will win the superbowl next year)
Things I am pretty sure aren't true, but are theoretically possible (Jimmy Hoffa is buried in my parent's back yard)
Things I am Very confident are not true (Offshoring will ensure future job growth)

I think where people get in trouble is when they put all of thier beliefs in the first category.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

21. I meant evolutionary in the sense that

your beliefs evolve as opposed to remaining bound to a set of tenets that you were raised with.

[POed_Ex_Repub]

22. Yeah.. that too

But I think I demonstrated both in my post. ;)

[GoddessOfGuinness]

25. So you did...

:beer:

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. I'm interested in people's beliefs in general.

Do I 'care'? If idle curiousity is the same thing as 'caring', then yes.


I didn't know how to vote.

[arwalden]

17. I Want To Know What Someone KNOWS...

rather than what they "believe".

-- Allen

[POed_Ex_Repub]

23. Oh I don't know...

How would you test anything if you didn't start with theories? Theories can be fascinating. It's rare that you have a complete enough picture to say something is absoulutely "FACT" (outside of the whole death and taxes thing)... especially in the areas of religion / science where you only have partial information to work with.

[arwalden]

24. Precisely. The theories are tested... and proven or disproven...

kept or discarded. Beliefs (as is germaine to this discussion) are largely unproven or unprovable and require blind faith. Beliefs are not theories.

I don't believe that absolute scientific facts are as rare as you would try to have me believe. Perhaps your argument may appear to be valid with the use of a conjoined "religion-slash-science".

I stand by my earlier statement. Tell me what you know, not what you believe.

-- Allen

[POed_Ex_Repub]

26. Here's what I know...

Science does not promise absolute truth, nor does it consider that such necessarily exists. Science does not even promise that everything in the Universe is amenable to the scientific process.

- Isaac Asmiov

[POed_Ex_Repub]

27. Awww... come on

I took the time to find the quote (that I originally mistakenly attributed to Carl Sagan) somebody take the time to read it.

Pretty Please?

[Kamika]

28. I read it

I'm not sure what it means though, maybe that there is a higher power then science?

[POed_Ex_Repub]

29. It means that even science is a belief system

Consider how many scientific "Facts" have been changed over the last hundred years. My point is that while science is and educated guess, it's still a guess. It still requires a certain amount of faith or belief if you will. To say "I will only accept Truth, and not belief" know that "Truth" is a matter of what you believe.

Just something to wrap your brain around :toast:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

30. Considering how much we've discovered scientifically

in the space of one century; imagine how much we have yet to learn.

Though it seems like the fundies interpret any scientific venture as an effort to debunk their god; I don't recall hearing about scientific efforts to prove the existence or non-existence of a deity.

Perhaps that's because in this area, we don't as yet know where to begin. How does one do a scientific study of faith? EEGs?

[POed_Ex_Repub]

33. Exactly!

And that's why it pays to be open-minded, to everyone's point of view. I have my level of belief "deist" as I've said, but I'm certainly open to reasonable discourse.

What we know through science has limits, and what we can know is not guaranteed to happen in my lifetime.

Hence, it's interesting to listen to a few beliefs and see how they weigh in. That doesn't mean I'll incorporate them automatically, but I'll listen. (And why I voted "yes")

[LWolf]

31. Sure...I do.

I can't help but view what you believe in the frame of my beliefs/life experience. Understanding comes when I can connect the two. But dissonance opens other doors!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

32. Now we're getting somewhere...

I like that openness of thought which allows you to view a difference of opinion as a new adventure.

As arrogant and distasteful as I find fundy thought and method; there's something to be learned there...something philosophically deeper than the narrow scope of my disagreement with them.

But jeeze...Do I have to be in their presence to understand it? It's much more comfortable to stay away from them!

[LWolf]

34. LOL

I hear that.

Our presence can be harder on them. If they can't convert us, but still find us to somehow be in possession of worthwhile thoughts, actions, and ideas, we've thrown them into conflict.

[Nihil]

37. Mainly "yes"

I "care", as in "I'm interested in hearing about them in a friendly,
conversational manner".

BUT

I don't "care", as in "I object to your beliefs because they do not
agree fully/partially/at all with mine",

I suspect that the question was aimed at the first type of "care" so,
yes, I care!

Nihil