This forum can't last more than a day.
I do want to put in my own views though. I am not aethiest. I was baptised Roman Catholic and I still am technically Roman Catholic, but I'm not a strict church goer or witch hunter. And I'm not a "religion is gay" type either. I have a strong faith - so strong, IMO, that I don't worry about trivial issues like what church I go to. I've been to several churches over my life, between school, my grand parents, and my girlfriend. I've only attended United Christian and Catholic Church, but I've learned a lot in World Religions class in Grade 11 (and we did go to a mosque and a couple of Buddhist temples!). Researching several different religious made me realise that it's all pretty much the same - it's all about doing good and doing what's right.
It's the rules and "laws" and certain specifics of the religions that set them apart. I don't follow them, really. I kind of make my own rules, based off what I believe is right, and I'm open minded and always learning about it.
And I do pray. Nearly everynight before I doze off to sleep I pray. I just think about it in my head - no kneeling, bowing, rosary, etc. I usually just say some thanks for keeping me and my love safe, and pray for continous safety, etc. If there's anything specific that day I pray about that, too, whether it be thanking for my girlfriend being understanding, or praying to give her strength to get through a tough time, whatever. I also try to find something completely unrelated to me - someone I know or someone I don't, for example the girl who rammed me with her car last week and spun me out into the ditch. It was clearly her fault, and was driving her cousin's new car. She's 18 with a G2 licence, and she's quite fucked now.
I don't hold any ideas of a concrete God entity or anything. I simply refer to him/her/it/whatever as God/Lord because that's what I was raised on. It really doesn't matter, though. I believe in something that's ethereal and watching over me, etc etc. I know as a scientist I should know better, know that it's not scientifically possible. But because I'm a scientist, I know we can't know if it's possible or not - there's so many unknowns to us, how can I come to the conclusion that something doesn't exist?
I've also had my own proof. It's not solid, and it's not concrete, but there's been times when I know I've been protected, or kept safe. I've ran a stopsign at a highway at full speed, and there wasn't a car around (usually a well-used road), among other things.
It doesn't matter to me that it doesn't hold argument with others. I have my belief and I'm comfortable with that - I know, to me, it's right.
But the most important part, more important than a god-being, is that I do what's right. I don't base my actions on church doctrine or the commandments, I do what's right because I believe it's right. And that's what matters to me. I'm doing what's right, and I'm doing my best to help everything else and do something good for others.
When it comes down to it, that's what matters at all in the world. Any person from any religion is doing right if they're helping others, working for something, something, I don't know, for the good of all? That kind of stuff.
Also, on that note, I don't really care too much about heaven/hell. Like it said, it really only matters to me what I do in this world. I want to do good things for good people and make life the best for everyone. I also have my faith, which some might say I need so that I feel comfortable and protected and to shelter me from real life. But I have it anyways, and I believe in it because I do.
So who thought I was an atheist? I think most scholars (especially information science) are atheist because it takes a certain amount of open-mindedness to excel, and for CS, to learn the different way of thinking. You challenge what's already been done, and especially if your a geek, you usually don't do the mainstream thing.
I don't really care much what other's religions are, though I'll express my own opinions from time to time (like now). Like I said, it's more important what kind of person you are and what you do. What I don't like though, is the "cool" trend of hating God, or being atheist. I find a lot of people, especially highschoolers and folk, just don't believe in religion or whatnot, just because they don't like the rules or they think it's cool, and use arguments that they hear elsewhere, without actually thinking of it for themselves.
And this from the guy who used to believe in dragons and still believes in the Force. ;0 |
There's probably more similarities that I've forgotten... but maybe that's just me heh.
