Religion

Märk · Post by **Märk** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:48 pm

obscurity wrote:Personally, I consider religion to be the meme equivalent of smallpox. Those who are infected have my sympathy but I prefer that they stay the fuck away from me.

That is completely awesome.

sausage boy · Post by **sausage boy** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:24 pm

Leaf wrote:I enjoy talking to Jehova Witness' when I'm chopping wood with a maul.

Seriously, it's rather entertaining.

They usually get nervous, and then actually try to leave without leaving any booklets. It's an amazing technique.

Not bad. I lack wood to chop, or a maul.

Our house has no screen door, only the wood door between inside and the rest of the world. We also have a stupid cat that isn't allowed to escape, but still tries. So when people come to the door, I have to step outside and close the door behind me.

Jehova Witness' come around, knock on the door, I open it, step out, close the door, and am usually sanding not 2cm from their faces. For some reason, this put them really off guard. It basically happens with anyone, door to door salespeople, people collecting for charities. I think they are all conditioned or expect to talk to a screen door, that having a person in front of them scares the willes out of them.

Märk · Post by **Märk** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:27 pm

Maybe it's the bloody axe in your hand?

Niveous · Post by **Niveous** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:57 pm

In related news, The WWE has signed this match for the Backlash PPV:

The McMahons (Vince & Shane) vs. Shawn Michaels & God.
http://www.wwe.com/shows/backlash/match ... 1/preview/

jute gyte · Post by **jute gyte** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:58 pm

I don't have any religious beliefs. I wasn't raised religiously and didn't know anything about religion until I was 11 or 12, probably. It has never seemed very reasonable or even believable to me. I will state that while I have no problem with religion, if I meet 10 people who describe themselves as 'very religious', 9 of them are probably going to be unbearable.

blue · Post by **blue** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:56 pm

spirituality and religion are not related, except to the extent that religion has co-opted spirituality.

i commonly find that, in america, the more spiritual people are, the less religious they are - and vice-versa.

the codification and restriction of life activities has fuck-all to do with the quest for god, outside of our instinctive obsessive-compulsive leanings.

the urge to ritualize runs deep in us, for no good reason, but it's no different from playing blackjack or buying lottery tickets.

jute gyte · Post by **jute gyte** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 3:23 pm

I neglected to mention in my previous post that while I do not belong to any traditional religion, I do worship the Elder Gods.

melvin · Post by **melvin** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:25 pm

blue wrote:spirituality and religion are not related.

Sometimes blue and I agree. It's hard to imagine anything less spiritual than a bunch of dudes crowning themselves "infallible", and trying to make everybody else give them money and obey them.

Reist · Post by **Reist** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:56 pm

I think a lot of people see God and religion as the same thing. I honestly think that religion is a load of crap. I go to church, and I love going, and I love God, but I honestly have to say that some of the old, pointless traditions holding the church back need to go. Some traditions are worth holding onto ... we don't want to throw away what the church was built on, right? But I still say that church would be far better without religion and politics.

Eric Y. · Post by **Eric Y.** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 11:42 pm

jolly roger wrote:I still say that church would be far better without religion and politics.

politics, yes. but what would the church be without religion? would there BE a church without religion? what blue says about spirituality vs. religion is certainly poignant... if there was no more religion all that would be left would be a communion on an individual level between you and god (or whomever). and at that point, what purpose does the church serve?

melvin · Post by **melvin** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:56 am

tviyh wrote:...at that point, what purpose does the church serve?

Bake sales, charity work, getting together with like-minded people to sing songs and talk about stuff. The "fellowship" aspects could continue just fine without all the dogma and ritual and hating outsiders and stuff.

Reist · Post by **Reist** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 8:28 am

tviyh wrote:
jolly roger wrote:I still say that church would be far better without religion and politics.
politics, yes. but what would the church be without religion? would there BE a church without religion?

I think maybe my definition of religion is a bit different ... I see religion as the really old stuff that the church is following without even knowing what it is. I see no problem with christian fellowship. I love it ... but the whole ridiculous rules and regulations (my church has a rule for no dancing) that the church follows without reason (the bible says nothing against dancing, and if it does, it's about provocative dancing) ... I do not care for that type of religion.

fodroy · Post by **fodroy** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:20 am

i'm sorry to hear about your church's dancing policy. dancing is one of the purely fun, joyful activities that humans have discovered. many christian colleges have that same policy, which is why i'm glad i don't go to a christain school. secular public schools all the way!

HeuristicsInc · Post by **HeuristicsInc** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:10 am

jolly roger wrote:I see religion as the really old stuff that the church is following without even knowing what it is.

that would be "tradition" or maybe even "dogma" which seems to have a "because we say so" implication to it.
-bill

Tex Beaumont · Post by **Tex Beaumont** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:31 pm

jolly roger wrote:my church has a rule for no dancing

You're playing so cool
Obeying every rule
Dig way down in your heart
You're yearning, burning for some
Somebody to tell you
That life ain't passing you by
I'm trying to tell you
It will if you don't even try
You can fly if you'd only cut
Loose, footloose
Kick off your Sunday shoes
Oowhee, Marie
Shake it, shake it for me
Whoa, Milo
C'mon, c'mon let go
Lose your blues
Everybody cut footloose

- Kenny Loggins

j$ · Post by j$ » Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:17 pm

jolly roger wrote:
tviyh wrote:
jolly roger wrote:I still say that church would be far better without religion and politics.
politics, yes. but what would the church be without religion? would there BE a church without religion?
I think maybe my definition of religion is a bit different ...

From reading your explanation, I think what you meant to say is that religion would be far better without church or politics.

Smalltown Mike · Post by **Smalltown Mike** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:02 pm

fodroy wrote:i'm sorry to hear about your church's dancing policy.

I hear some religions don't allow their followers to have sex while standing. Because, you know, it could lead to dancing.

That's what I heard.

slowRodeo · Post by **slowRodeo** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 5:58 pm

I'm a Jehovah's Witness and if leaf was chopping wood it would make me uncomforable.

Mogosagatai · Post by **Mogosagatai** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:24 pm

slowRodeo wrote:I'm a Jehovah's Witness

I honestly can't tell whether you're joking.

If you're not... elaborate?

slowRodeo · Post by **slowRodeo** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:14 pm

no i'm not joking. Think about it most people don't want to talk to us.. (yes we knew that). It would be wierd. I guess i'm the only one who read his post and looked at it from that point of view.
but anyway it was actually really funny. I would totally do that to a door to door salesman.

Mogosagatai · Post by **Mogosagatai** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:43 pm

I meant, elaborate on your being a Jehovah's Witness. I'm not trying to single you out or anything, but, well, this is the religion thread, and I'm interested to hear what a Jehovah's Witness is all about. I don't think most people (including myself) really understand Jehovah's Witnesses at all.

slowRodeo · Post by **slowRodeo** » Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:57 pm

yeah from some posts and the fact that i've personally talked to alot of people about religion i can definetly tell most people don't understand JDubs at all. I think http://www.watchtower.org is the best resource for our beliefs. Thats the only place that i can recommend. I think one of the most unique things about us is there are no sects. Unlike catholics or protestants, not so single anyone out, every jehovah's witness believes the same things, no matter where on the earth you talk to them we all believe the same things.
it's kinda hard to sum up or explain all of one's beliefs into a post but i would answer any questions anyone had.