What religion are you?

I'm Christian (Anglican)...


I'm an aspiring Buddhist though...

Christian

cool

Born into a Catholic family, grew up Catholic, got baptism and first communion in the Catholic church and then I diverted and became a Christian. But I'm one of those Christians who don't feel homosexuality is a sin, I don't judge people who have pre-marital sex, I question the Bible, I just have my own personal relationship with Christ and I don't worry about others and their relationship. I don't push my religion on any, but I'm willing to talk about it with you and what you feel. I love God and I love Jesus and I believe in heaven and hell but I still question SO MUCh and I think that is gift from God, my free will.

"But I'm one of those Christians who don't feel homosexuality is a sin, "
i feel the same way!
I SUPPORT THE LOVE!

beklah324 wrote:Born into a Catholic family, grew up Catholic, got baptism and first communion in the Catholic church and then I diverted and became a Christian. But I'm one of those Christians who don't feel homosexuality is a sin, I don't judge people who have pre-marital sex, I question the Bible, I just have my own personal relationship with Christ and I don't worry about others and their relationship. I don't push my religion on any, but I'm willing to talk about it with you and what you feel. I love God and I love Jesus and I believe in heaven and hell but I still question SO MUCh and I think that is gift from God, my free will.

No way, I'm exactly the same! I'm a born and raised Catholic, got baptism, first communion, even "confirmation." Now I'm Christian. My parents and I "switched" because the "word" is easier to understand in lamen's terms, I think. I have the upmost respect for the tradition of the Catholic Church, I think that's fantastic and all, but trying to decipher and translate what Peter said to Jesus & all that jazz was a little overwhelming. Other than that, I don't see much difference from the faith of Catholicism and Christianity - it's one in the same. So I don't really feel like I "switched" ya know? i just go to a different "church," that's all.

As for heaven and hell, I really dig what Buddhism believes in - reincarnation. I want to learn more about the religion, it's absolutely fascinating to me. There's this awesome novel, "Life of Pi," and the main character is a deeply religious/spiritual young boy who practiced christianity, judaism, and buddhism (I think that's the list) and each priest and so on and so forth went to him and said "Pi (that's the boy's name), you can't practice all these religions at once! You must choose one!" and he replied to them something along the lines that they all believe in God, just in different forms, and they all teach the same principles, which is to do all you can to be a good person. Love that book. So yeah, ever since I read the book and learned a little about world religions in school, I'm curious and eager to learn about what other religions believe in.

I don't believe homosexuality is a sin either.

Do you believe in reincarnation, jac?

I love learning about Buddhism... I'd love to convert to it one day! Here's some cool info that I found!

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• Is Buddhism a Religion?

To many, Buddhism goes beyond religion & is more of a philosophy or 'way of life'. It is a philosophy because philosophy 'means love of wisdom' & the Buddhist path can be summed up as:

(1) to lead a moral life,
(2) to be mindful & aware of thoughts & actions, &
(3) to develop wisdom & understanding.

• How Can Buddhism Help Me?

Buddhism explains a purpose to life, it explains apparent injustice & inequality around the world, & it provides a code of practice or way of life that leads to true happiness.

• Why is Buddhism Becoming Popular?

Buddhism is becoming popular in western countries for a number of reasons, The 1st good reason is Buddhism has answers to many of the problems in modern materialistic societies. It also includes (for those who are interested) a deep understanding of the human mind (& natural therapies) which prominent psychologists around the world are now discovering to be both very advanced & effective.

• Who Was the Buddha?

Siddhartha Gotama was born into a royal family in Lumbini, now located in Nepal, in 563 BC. At 29, he realized that wealth & luxury did not guarantee happiness, so he explored the different teachings religions & philosophies of the day, to find the key to human happiness. After 6 years of study & meditation he finally found 'the middle path' & was enlightened. After enlightenment, the Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the principles of Buddhism — called the Dhamma, or Truth — until his death at the age of 80.

• Was the Buddha a God?

He was not, nor did he claim to be. He was a man who taught a path to enlightenment from his own experience.

• Do Buddhists Worship Idols?

Buddhists sometimes pay respect to images of the Buddha, not in worship, nor to ask for favours. A statue of the Buddha with hands rested gently in its lap & a compassionate smile reminds us to strive to develop peace & love within ourselves. Bowing to the statue is an expression of gratitude for the teaching.

• Why are so Many Buddhist Countries Poor?

One of the Buddhist teachings is that wealth does not guarantee happiness & also wealth is impermanent. The people of every country suffer whether rich or poor, but those who understand Buddhist teachings can find true happiness.

• Are There Different Types of Buddhism?

There are many different types of Buddhism, because the emphasis changes from country to country due to customs & culture. What does not vary is the essence of the teaching — the Dhamma or truth.

• Are Other Religions Wrong?

Buddhism is also a belief system which is tolerant of all other beliefs or religions. Buddhism agrees with the moral teachings of other religions but Buddhism goes further by providing a long term purpose within our existence, through wisdom & true understanding. Real Buddhism is very tolerant & not concerned with labels like 'Christian', 'Moslem', 'Hindu' or 'Buddhist'; that is why there have never been any wars fought in the name of Buddhism. That is why Buddhists do not preach & try to convert, only explain if an explanation is sought.

• Is Buddhism Scientific?

Science is knowledge which can be made into a system, which depends upon seeing & testing facts & stating general natural laws. The core of Buddhism fit into this definition, because the 4 Noble truths (see below) can be tested & proven by anyone in fact the Buddha himself asked his followers to test the teaching rather than accept his word as true. Buddhism depends more on understanding than faith.

• What did the Buddha Teach?

The Buddha taught many things, but the basic concepts in Buddhism can be summed up by the 4 Noble Truths & the Noble Eightfold Path.

• What is the 1st Noble Truth?

The 1st truth is that life is suffering i.e., life includes pain, getting old, disease, & ultimately death. We also endure psychological suffering like loneliness frustration, fear, embarrassment, disappointment & anger. This is an irrefutable fact that cannot be denied. It is realistic rather than pessimistic because pessimism is expecting things to be bad. lnstead, Buddhism explains how suffering can be avoided & how we can be truly happy.

• What is the 2nd Noble Truth?

The 2nd truth is that suffering is caused by craving & aversion. We will suffer if we expect other people to conform to our expectation, if we want others to like us, if we do not get something we want,etc. In other words, getting what you want does not guarantee happiness. Rather than constantly struggling to get what you want, try to modify your wanting. Wanting deprives us of contentment & happiness. A lifetime of wanting & craving & especially the craving to continue to exist, creates a powerful energy which causes the individual to be born. So craving leads to physical suffering because it causes us to be reborn.

• What is the 3rd Noble Truth?

The 3rd truth is that suffering can be overcome & happiness can be attained; that true happiness & contentment are possible. lf we give up useless craving & learn to live each day at a time (not dwelling in the past or the imagined future) then we can become happy & free. We then have more time & energy to help others. This is Nirvana.

• What is the 4th Noble Truth?

The 4th truth is that the Noble 8-fold Path is the path which leads to the end of suffering.

• What is the Noble 8-Fold Path?

In summary, the Noble 8-fold Path is being moral (through what we say, do & our livelihood), focusing the mind on being fully aware of our thoughts & actions, & developing wisdom by understanding the 4 Noble Truths & by developing compassion for others.

• What are the 5 Precepts?

The moral code within Buddhism is the precepts, of which the main 5 are: not to take the life of anything living, not to take anything not freely given, to abstain from sexual misconduct & sensual overindulgence, to refrain from untrue speech, & to avoid intoxication, that is, losing mindfulness.

• What is Karma?

Karma is the law that every cause has an effect, i.e., our actions have results. This simple law explains a number of things: inequality in the world, why some are born handicapped & some gifted, why some live only a short life. Karma underlines the importance of all individuals being responsible for their past & present actions. How can we test the karmic effect of our actions? The answer is summed up by looking at (1) the intention behind the action, (2) effects of the action on oneself, & (3) the effects on others.

• What is Wisdom?

Buddhism teaches that wisdom should be developed with compassion. At one extreme, you could be a goodhearted fool & at the other extreme, you could attain knowledge without any emotion. Buddhism uses the middle path to develop both. The highest wisdom is seeing that in reality, all phenomena are incomplete, impermanent & do no constitute a fixed entity. True wisdom is not simply believing what we are told but instead experiencing & understanding truth & reality. Wisdom requires an open, objective, unbigoted mind. The Buddhist path requires courage, patience, flexibility & intelligence.

• What is Compassion?

Compassion includes qualities of sharing, readiness to give comfort, sympathy, concern, caring. In Buddhism, we can really understand others, when we can really understand ourselves, through wisdom.

• How do I Become a Buddhist?

Buddhist teachings can be understood & tested by anyone. Buddhism teaches that the solutions to our problems are within ourselves not outside. The Buddha asked all his followers not to take his word as true, but rather to test the teachings for themselves. ln this way, each person decides for themselves & takes responsibility for their own actions & understanding. This makes Buddhism less of a fixed package of beliefs which is to be accepted in its entirety, & more of a teaching which each person learns & uses in their own way.

I never was confirmed. My mom and I never went to church, hardly ever even though I went to Catholic school when I was a kid. My grandparent's went every Saturday and even though we lived with them, I never really went. I would go every so often and I still love Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve but I just find going to Catholic Church too much. Sometimes their talk just upsets me, especially when they get into the talk about homosexuality and abortions. I'm Liberal, I can't help and it hurts my heart when I hear Catholics, and even Christians, take it upon themselves to judge their fellow brother or sister in Christ. As a Christian, I believe that everyone on this Earth is a child of God and I also believe that God made everyone, and wrote their lives out before they were even born. I'd say half of my family is religious, while the other half just never really cared for it. But I have one aunt/uncle and two cousins who are REALLY into the religion and being a Christian and it's sad that I don't feel like I can talk to them about how I feel. I talk opening to my mom about what I think, especially in regards to the Bible. I don't believe that God wrote the Bible, I believe that it was a bunch of men in a room who said "Hey, let's write a book and tell people that if they don't follow it, they will burn in the pit fires of hell for all eternity and we can write whatever we want to control them." I think there are WONDERFUL parts of the Bible and passages but there is a lot of hate in the Bible and a lot of people attach themselves to only small sections and use those sections to justify their hatred and judgment towards others and that sickens me to death. You can't follow one part of the Bible, like in Leviticus and its talk about homosexuality and not follow the other portions of Leviticus.

To explain the craziness that my aunt/uncle take in their religion (Christianity), they told their two young daughters that my other aunt’s husband was going to burn in hell, or live in purgatory because he was Jewish and Jewish people don’t believe that Christ is the son of God. I was just like W T F! Who tells that to their like 8 and 10 year olds? Crazy people, that’s who!

I believe heaven and hell are what we make it, like in the movie "What Dreams May Come." I don't think heaven is puffy clouds and angel wings, I think it is an eternity in what I would love to live in and I think hell would be what I could never take, like an eternity of depression.

I'm interested in learning about other religions, but I'm pretty set in being a Christian until I die, but I still love the idea of learning about other cultures and beliefs and ideologies. I believe in the idea of reincarnation, but maybe instead of it just happening, maybe it's a choice we can choose to do and go back and live a new life and not make certain choices and make new mistakes. Actually, they cover that in the movie "What Dreams May Come" because of the love the two main characters have/had for each other.

Thanks for the info, Lis. I've seriously been meaning to check out Buddhism for Dummies from they library.

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I went to 3 different Catholic schools, plus church every sunday. I really liked the schools though. I have great memories from them. Even the times when our class would go to morning mass or visit Father Brown. haha. That dude was so old, and I'm sure he's STILL alive. Bless is soul, that dear sweet man.

Anyways Beks, I know what you mean - I get so mad and frustrated about people who talk about gays in such a derogatory manner. It's sickening. In Catholic school and in the Church we're taught that God loves everyone just the same. How is it that gays are excluded from this human right to be treated equal?!

Oh and I can't STAND it when other Christians talk bad about other religions and whatnot. See, I GREW up Catholic and followed all of the important values..but I have a cousin who didn't grow up religious @ ALL and then all of a sudden he decided to become Catholic when he was in high school(which is great, I thought) but now he thinks he's holier than thou and thinks he's more "Catholic" than EVERYONE else. The part that disgusts me is that he thinks that now he's Catholic, he's entitled. Entitled to what, I don't know. But it's affected how he is on a daily basis, 24/7, and how he "deals" with people. He's so judgmental and he looks down on everyone, even beleiving that he's more educated and just better than everyone. Ugh, sorry to rant, but it just bugs me, makes my skin crawl. Ew. lol

I'm just a very liberal, peaceful person and I get frustrated when people take things too seriously and out of context and out of control. Ew. haha

^I proposed to one of our Father's in the 2nd grade. He was old, like in his 50's but I thought he was so cute. So I went up to him one day and said "Father Paul, will you marry me?" Of course, he said no

We went to mass every Wednesday and I didn't mind it so much. But the times when we'd have to do the prayers to the plastic rosaries. Holy Lord! Those were long days

I honestly loved going to Catholic school because I got a wonderful education there. In the 3rd grade, I was reading at college level, so I thank that school so much for helping me form my brain

And exactly (in regards to gay people). I was also taught that God made everyone, so if being gay is a sin, why did He make people gay? I don't believe you just become gay, you are born that way. So it makes me question a lot, which I love to do; I love challenging authority figures

I also agree with the acting holier than thou or not respecting other religions. When I was 10 years old, I wanted to grow up and live in Africa and study the culture and religion all over the entire continent. I wanted to learn about other people and my aunt (the one I mentioned above) told me that I couldn't do that, I couldn't STUDY another religion because Christianity is the only true religion and studying anything other than Christianity is going against God. I have a "friend" who is really religious and she said that Christians shouldn't practice yoga because yoga positions are really positions dedicated to Buddhism. I was like, how about you shut the hell up and stop worrying about everyone else. If you hate the idea of putting your body into a position that might be a position of worshiping Buddha, then don't take up yoga!

beklah324 wrote:Sometimes their talk just upsets me, especially when they get into the talk about homosexuality and abortions. I'm Liberal, I can't help and it hurts my heart when I hear Catholics, and even Christians, take it upon themselves to judge their fellow brother or sister in Christ. As a Christian, I believe that everyone on this Earth is a child of God and I also believe that God made everyone, and wrote their lives out before they were even born.

Amen, Bek. I've always considered every one to be a child of God... and we have no right to judge each other like we do.

beklah324 wrote:they told their two young daughters that my other aunt’s husband was going to burn in hell, or live in purgatory because he was Jewish and Jewish people don’t believe that Christ is the son of God. I was just like W T F! Who tells that to their like 8 and 10 year olds? Crazy people, that’s who!

THATS INSANE!!!! Well... I don't think they would think much of my mum's side of the family... considering most of them were Jewish... Because of they were Jewish, they were killed... WW2 Germany.


"What Dreams May Come" was a good movie, hey? Quite eye-opening!!

An eternity of depression, dont like the sound of that hehe.

I love learning about different religions. It's truly awesome.

Christianity and Buddhism are both in my heart. I love where they both stand on compassion, especially Buddhism.

jac wrote:Thanks for the info, Lis. I've seriously been meaning to check out Buddhism for Dummies from they library.

You're very welcome, babe. hehe. Buddhism For Dummies.... that would be great to read!!!!

jac wrote:I have a cousin who didn't grow up religious @ ALL and then all of a sudden he decided to become Catholic when he was in high school(which is great, I thought) but now he thinks he's holier than thou and thinks he's more "Catholic" than EVERYONE else. The part that disgusts me is that he thinks that now he's Catholic, he's entitled. Entitled to what, I don't know. But it's affected how he is on a daily basis, 24/7, and how he "deals" with people. He's so judgmental and he looks down on everyone, even beleiving that he's more educated and just better than everyone. Ugh, sorry to rant, but it just bugs me, makes my skin crawl. Ew. lol

I'm so sorry to hear that, jac. That's disappointing that acts that way.

I'll be honest, I now consider myself Buddhist, not really Christian, but as a Buddhist, I think of myself more Buddhist than any other Buddhists.... and I never thought I was more Christian than other Christians... that's just wrong.

beklah324 wrote:And exactly (in regards to gay people). I was also taught that God made everyone, so if being gay is a sin, why did He make people gay?

I agree, Bek!!!!

beklah324 wrote: my aunt (the one I mentioned above) told me that I couldn't do that, I couldn't STUDY another religion because Christianity is the only true religion and studying anything other than Christianity is going against God.

Oh my goodness... God must hate me than that I'm into Buddhism now.

It's funny, I think many people of different religions believe that their own religions are the only true religion. I believe most religions are true, no matter what some people believe.

What's wrong with doing yoga, even though it may be from Buddhist tradition? Damn, who cares! lol

beklah324 wrote:^I proposed to one of our Father's in the 2nd grade. He was old, like in his 50's but I thought he was so cute. So I went up to him one day and said "Father Paul, will you marry me?" Of course, he said no

We went to mass every Wednesday and I didn't mind it so much. But the times when we'd have to do the prayers to the plastic rosaries. Holy Lord! Those were long days

I honestly loved going to Catholic school because I got a wonderful education there. In the 3rd grade, I was reading at college level, so I thank that school so much for helping me form my brain

You proposed?! Hahahahahah, that's hilarious! Ah, that's a cute story.

I liked praying the rosary. I think it helped with my memory. But I still have horible short term memory. I guess it worked for my long term though; that's excellent for me.

Yeah, I felt I was being challenged in Catholic school, in a good way, though. I went to different public schools and I thought that they were too slow-paced. I was also homeschooled too and I liked to work ahead a lot.

Cool, you 2 went to a Catholic school and so did I.

High five, we're all Catholic schoolgirls! You know what that means - uh oh! "bad girls, bad girls...!" lol

I was born Catholic (my real mother was Catholic, I am adopted), I was baptized in a Lutheran, went to Methodist sunday school for 6 years and then, I went to everything from Bapist to Jehovah Witnesses. I was married in a Methodist church, so I am Methodist.