Religions

[Declan]

On reflection, the one deity missing that everyone worships is money.

Agree - the one that missing is Consumerism!!

Calming music in the background, flowers sprinkled round the floor, bright, relaxed praying atmosphere etc.

Sounds like a Father Trendy folk mass to me!!

[his holiness nb]

Seriously though Declan, the most "spiritual" atmosphere I've even been in, and you gotta love those Hindu gods!

[Declan]

Seriously though Declan, the most "spiritual" atmosphere I've even been in, and you gotta love those Hindu gods!

You wanna be careful though HB - You may come back as dublinfella

[his holiness nb]

Seriously though Declan, the most "spiritual" atmosphere I've even been in, and you gotta love those Hindu gods!

You wanna be careful though HB - You may come back as dublinfella

Nah,I've calmed down, I forgive him 

[Puckoon]

I hear great things about buddhism in terms of your own personal development, growth and peace of mind. I wouldnt mind giving it a lash.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Paisley's raging, his own wee made up religion (free presbyterians) don't even get a mention.
Neither do non-subscribing presbyterians come to think of it! 

And why after listing all the different sects of Protestantism does Protestant also get a mention - smells of religious bigotry on behalf of the aut6hors of the list to me.   

[thejuice]

Ive read quite a few books on native Americans and while some of thier religous beliefs and practices were a bit mad ie: witch doctors, magic derived from leaves and stones, scalping(which meant that the scalpt persons soul would not reach heaven) and sacrificial killing etc...But their understanding of nature and ecosystems was actually superior to that of the invading europeans. Some of the things they understood and respected are actually starting to become relevent to us now in the last 50 years as we realise we've fucked up most of the planet.

I also like Buddism. Buddha, well he might be fat but he looks like a right happy fella. 

[Louth Exile]

Ive read quite a few books on native Americans and while some of thier religous beliefs and practices were a bit mad ie: witch doctors, magic derived from leaves and stones, scalping(which meant that the scalpt persons soul would not reach heaven) and sacrificial killing etc...

A bit of that going on in our own old testament....

On the pagan thing... my understanding is that an atheist chooses not to believe in a God an Agnostic is not sure which one to choose, but a Pagan has never heard of God? Is this an oversimplistic view from a childhood of Catholic teachings??

[The Real Laoislad]

Here, for your entertainment, is a list of religions. Put your hand up if you are a Satanist!

Adventist
Agnostic
Apostolic
Atheist
Ba'Hai
Baptist
Black Muslim
Buddhist
Calvinist
Celestial Church of God
Christadelphian
Christian
Christian Scientist
Church In Wales
Church of England
Church of Ireland
Church of Norway
Church of Scotland
Church of Sweden
Congregational
Coptic
Druid
Dutch Reform Church
Episcopalian
Ethiopian Orthodox
Evangelical
Gospel
Greek Orthodox
Hare Krishna
Hindu
Jain
Jehovah's Witness
Jewish
Lutheran
Methodist
Mormon
Muslim
Non Conformist
Non Permitted Religions
Other
Pagan
Parsi
Pentecostal
Presbyterian
Protestant
Quaker
Rastafarian
Roman Catholic
Russian Orthodox
Salvation Army
Satanism
Scientologist
Seventh Day Adventist
Shia Muslim
Shintoist
Sikh
Spiritualist
Sunni Muslim
Taoist
Unification
Unitarian
United Reformed
Unknown
Welsh Independent
Zoroastrian

What about the Moonies?

[J70]

Ive read quite a few books on native Americans and while some of thier religous beliefs and practices were a bit mad ie: witch doctors, magic derived from leaves and stones, scalping(which meant that the scalpt persons soul would not reach heaven) and sacrificial killing etc...

A bit of that going on in our own old testament....

On the pagan thing... my understanding is that an atheist chooses not to believe in a God an Agnostic is not sure which one to choose, but a Pagan has never heard of God? Is this an oversimplistic view from a childhood of Catholic teachings??

I don't think anyone "chooses" to not believe in a god. You either find the evidence convincing or you don't. Its a judgement call.

[Louth Exile]

Ive read quite a few books on native Americans and while some of thier religous beliefs and practices were a bit mad ie: witch doctors, magic derived from leaves and stones, scalping(which meant that the scalpt persons soul would not reach heaven) and sacrificial killing etc...

A bit of that going on in our own old testament....

On the pagan thing... my understanding is that an atheist chooses not to believe in a God an Agnostic is not sure which one to choose, but a Pagan has never heard of God? Is this an oversimplistic view from a childhood of Catholic teachings??

I don't think anyone "chooses" to not believe in a god. You either find the evidence convincing or you don't. Its a judgement call.

But religion is not based on evidence, it is based on belief.

[J70]

Ive read quite a few books on native Americans and while some of thier religous beliefs and practices were a bit mad ie: witch doctors, magic derived from leaves and stones, scalping(which meant that the scalpt persons soul would not reach heaven) and sacrificial killing etc...

A bit of that going on in our own old testament....

On the pagan thing... my understanding is that an atheist chooses not to believe in a God an Agnostic is not sure which one to choose, but a Pagan has never heard of God? Is this an oversimplistic view from a childhood of Catholic teachings??

I don't think anyone "chooses" to not believe in a god. You either find the evidence convincing or you don't. Its a judgement call.

But religion is not based on evidence, it is based on belief.

Are your beliefs never challenged by evidence?

Aside from the indoctrination almost every child receives to the effect that there is a god watching and controlling everything, once you reach adulthood, your opinion on the existence of gods has to be influenced by the information and evidence you are exposed to, if you weigh the question at all. Is it a coincidence that the more educated one is, the greater the chance is that one will reject one's inherited religious beliefs? Of course you can decide, as many fundamentalists do, that anything that contradicts what you were/are taught about religion and gods is, a priori, erroneous or part of some conspiracy,  but I doubt if many fair-minded people would consider their approach intellectually honest or open-minded.

[slow corner back]

Ive read quite a few books on native Americans and while some of thier religous beliefs and practices were a bit mad ie: witch doctors, magic derived from leaves and stones, scalping(which meant that the scalpt persons soul would not reach heaven) and sacrificial killing etc...But their understanding of nature and ecosystems was actually superior to that of the invading europeans. Some of the things they understood and respected are actually starting to become relevent to us now in the last 50 years as we realise we've fucked up most of the planet.

I also like Buddism. Buddha, well he might be fat but he looks like a right happy fella. 

I read somewhere that scalping was introduced to north america by the spanish and was not a native tradition at all. In the searchers they shot the eyes out of dead indians sp they could not see the way to heaven

[Louth Exile]

Ive read quite a few books on native Americans and while some of thier religous beliefs and practices were a bit mad ie: witch doctors, magic derived from leaves and stones, scalping(which meant that the scalpt persons soul would not reach heaven) and sacrificial killing etc...

A bit of that going on in our own old testament....

On the pagan thing... my understanding is that an atheist chooses not to believe in a God an Agnostic is not sure which one to choose, but a Pagan has never heard of God? Is this an oversimplistic view from a childhood of Catholic teachings??

I don't think anyone "chooses" to not believe in a god. You either find the evidence convincing or you don't. Its a judgement call.

But religion is not based on evidence, it is based on belief.

Are your beliefs never challenged by evidence?

Aside from the indoctrination almost every child receives to the effect that there is a god watching and controlling everything, once you reach adulthood, your opinion on the existence of gods has to be influenced by the information and evidence you are exposed to, if you weigh the question at all. Is it a coincidence that the more educated one is, the greater the chance is that one will reject one's inherited religious beliefs? Of course you can decide, as many fundamentalists do, that anything that contradicts what you were/are taught about religion and gods is, a priori, erroneous or part of some conspiracy,  but I doubt if many fair-minded people would consider their approach intellectually honest or open-minded.

First of all, I am highly educated (well I think so anyway!) I have never rejected the religion I was raised in (Roman Catholic) and would consider myself to be what is the rare breed nowadays, the practicing catholic. My beliefs are not challenged by evidence because of the simple reason that I have blind faith. I can explain it very simply, I believe there has to be an almighty being that created everything in the first place, I also like the thought of there being an afterlife. I was raised in the Catholic faith and see no reason to think that I have backed the wrong horse.

The last part of your post is a bit flipant. As although I follow my faith, I am under no illusion that I have chosen the right one! There is nothing to say that any of the other faiths are more or less suitable way to follow god. I have never been motivated enough to question my own faith, that does not mean that I don't understand why others don't!! (Now silence infidel or I Kill You)

[blast05]

Is it a coincidence that the more educated one is, the greater the chance is that one will reject one's inherited religious beliefs?

Well it will be the more intelligent people who will be seen to question various aspects of various religions in the media anyway.
I think most people, regardless of intellect will at times question their faith be it a simple farmer annoyed that his crops have failed to a practising professor of theology that can't quite get his head around something that would be way beyond most of us anyway. Some of the most intelligent people i know have the deepest and strongest faith. The reason for that i think is that they were willing to make the effort to fully explore their faith before dismissing it. Most lapsed Catholics in Ireland for example are lapsed becasue they have allowed their opinions on Catholicism to be coloured by a few sick perverted priests and of course they have got caught up in the consumerist way of life. That to me is just lazy and is unlikely to lead to inner peace.
For the record - i'm a practising Catholic