Religion - What's Yours? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**TheJake** · 02-05-2005, 09:01 PM

OK kids.
So I was wondering where everyone stands on the spiritual side of things. I feel like to really know someone you need to know what they believe in. What they put their faith in and what they hold true to. So without faith bashing or coming off as preaching let's share. I am crazy excited about this topic.

I'll kick us off.

I love Jesus Christ.
I believe that He loves me so much that He died for me.
I believe in eternal youth. That I can believe myself young like Peter Pan.
(well to a degree anyway)
I believe that all men die and goto either heaven or hell depending on whether or not they believed that Jesus died for them.
and um... That travel is truely the best way to experience life at it's fullest.

**kingcrazylegs** · 02-05-2005, 09:29 PM

Jake...don't you remember there are 3 things you are not supposed to talk about

...sex, religion and politics!!! HOLY SHIT, we've already talked baout the other two on TPunk!

**TheJake** · 02-05-2005, 10:28 PM

exactly. I figure if we can talk about the other two than this is fair game as well! It has been creeping into a lot of other topics so we might as well shine the spotlight right on it!

**Joker** · 02-06-2005, 12:26 AM

Recovering Catholic. I look at it a lot like alcoholism, which i also subscribe to

... No, really. Hear me out!

Many Catholics go to Mass every Sunday for an hour because they "have to." Not because they want to. They go, recite the same prayers, do the same routine. All their lives. They never question anything, since if the Priest or the Pope says it, its Gospel. They have no REAL idea as to why they go, they just do. Alcoholics have a similar rationale.

I was raised an Irish-Italian Catholic, and spent 12 years in Catholic school, the last 4 in a Jesuit High School.

As I reached the age of conscienceness, and was introduced to other faiths, within Christianity, as well as that of Zen Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism, I grew to realize that perhaps Roman Catholicism was not necessarily the ANSWER for me. Many paths leading to the same truth, up to me to choose the one I follow.

I go to Church on special occasions. Wedding, funerals, etc. Voluntarily, though. I do not want to be compelled to go because I "have to go." I practice my faith through my actions. As Christ once said, "you will know me through my deeds." I consider myself to still be a Christian, but do not subscribe to any one particular theology. I like elements from many of the major religions. I like the fact that Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, wrote to find God in everything, in nature, in people, in all Creation. I like that idea. A lot.

It drives my folks nuts. They don't understand that I don't "practice" my faith like they do. They have their way, I have mine. I have my faith tatooed on my back. It is very much a part of my life, but i choose to "practice" it in my own way.

Very Zen of me, ain't it?

For the record, though, when I go to Rome this summer, I plan on attending Mass at the Vatican if I can. It will be completely voluntary, though.

**beergal** · 02-06-2005, 10:29 AM

i am a spiritulist..nothing more to add!

**TheJake** · 02-06-2005, 10:32 AM

Whats a spiritualist believe???

Just in being spiritual? Is there a deity?

**blinkchick2134** · 02-06-2005, 12:00 PM

I'm an atheist. Well more of a materialist/science type thingy.

I don't believe there's a higher being or anything other than this world.
I believe the thoughts and emotions we express are all the result of neurons firing on one another in our brain. Thus no soul.
When we die that's it. Our energy is recycled back into the earth and becomes parts of other living things.

I just don't feel like spending a portion of my life looking for something that may or may not exist - I should use any extra time for traveling.

**voyd** · 02-06-2005, 12:07 PM

I wrote this a week ago (oddly appropro for travellers, now

):

Buddha was not a Buddhist…

Buddha was not a Buddhist.
Lao Tzu was not a Taoist.
"Jesus the Christ" was not a Christian.
None of them followed themselves,
They sought and followed reality.

If you follow them,
You won't follow them,
But follow reality instead,
Like they followed it.

The map is not the territory,
It is just a means to the end.
That can never exceed it in accuracy.
And finding something on a map,
Is not the same as getting there in person.

Nobody is a "Randy McNallyist."
Or an "AAAist."
Or a "GPSist."
So, clinging to a belief system,
Is like clinging to a map company.
There is but one common reality though,
And it is owned by no company.

A map is a map.
Reality is reality.
Use a map for what it's worth,
But don't get 'em twisted.

**pinion** · 02-06-2005, 01:24 PM

I'm Canadian

britkettle · 02-06-2005, 01:38 PM

Wow Voyd, that is awesome!

It definitely makes me think about a lot of things.

So here is my take on the subject of religion.

I believe in God and that everyone has a soul.

I believe that everything in life happens for a reason, and the lessons that are learned are part of a huge web of what you teach and contribute to the rest of the world, and what you gain from it.

The meaning of life is to love. Every decision that you make in life is for the love of one thing or another, whether it's material or not. Without love the world would cease to exist.

I don't believe that life is predetermined, because that would make everything pointless, but I do believe that things will all work out in the end, and that your attitude is part of what determines what type of life you will lead. A bad attitude manifests an unhappy life, and a good attitude will lead to a better life.

Finally, I believe that life is more complex than the human consiousness could ever BEGIN to capture, and the best thing we can do is love every single minute of our lives, and live passionately!

Oh yeah, and I am also confident in the fact that in order to have REAL beliefs, you have to, at some point in your life, question EVERYTHING that you stand for!

**Rozza** · 02-06-2005, 01:52 PM

i believe that there is nothing which is not within human understanding,

and that there is nothing that people shouldn't meddle with,

berwin · 02-06-2005, 02:44 PM

I'm with blinkchick2134, I don't believe in God, I believe in the science part of everything. I just don't believe in praying in something that may or may not be there.

**d_fresh** · 02-06-2005, 03:46 PM

I'm agnostic. if there is a god, cool, if not, I'm fine with that too.
I grew up in the salvation army church.

Phinehas · 02-06-2005, 03:55 PM

I am a christian

I believe In Jesus Christ and that he died for my sins

I believe in God the father and that he made everything through Christ John 1
I believe that people are either saved or not and their eternal resting place is based on that
I believe that you can only be saved through Jesus Christ

I believe that there is more to this world then the physical and that the spiritual can be more real at times then the physical
i believe that the world was created in 6 literal days and that its only 6-10,000 yrs old
I believe that once you make the decision for Christ you are eternally secure.
I believe that Love is a basis for faith and that faith is a reason to hope and that hope a reason to Love.
I think that even christ liked to travel and expected us too.

hmm believe thats it for me

**kyle j** · 02-06-2005, 05:07 PM

I guess im in a toss up between dieism and agnostic, I think there may be a god but not one that is actively involved in day to day business, but who knows, no one does, but if we are all nice and cool to each other it will all turn out ok i think

**U2fan** · 02-06-2005, 07:49 PM

Christian, grew up going to Methodist church but now I pretty much think Christian is Christian and the "technical" definition of "what you are" isn't very important.

**TheWills** · 02-07-2005, 01:14 AM

Ok here I go.
I know your not supposed to talk about it, however I always do but I keep a neautral stance on it. however Im taking a side today. I belive in God, Jesus the whole nine. I dont go to church I dont read the bible, however I think there is a all great something out there, weather god and jesus is a "he" I dunno. I belive in heaven and in hell, I dont know if they are what people say they are but I do think some other places of exsitence exist. Like I said I dont read the bible there is just to much that conflicts with me, for example the first line is In the begining.....well when the shit was that ? It never says when the begining was, its just simply the begining. And there is never any mension of dinosaurs or anything, which we know to date back millions of years. Not a single mension.....on the forth day god created the tyranosaurus rex. Then you have Kane, kane killed able kane was sent out in the desert all alone, his family was the first family on earth, the decendent of adam and eve, anyways 100 years later kane comes back with a family????? hows that work. Ok enough bashing, I do belive in God, I dont think some guy just claimed back in the day he could do all these things and people belived him, although people wernt as smart as we are today I dont think they were that easily duped. Also 3 relgions all diffrent have one thing in common, God, thats just far out. Like I said I dont belive in church, when jesus walked the earth he didnt sa ok guys meet me here every sunday at this time, he wanderd jesus was a traveler spreading his word. I belive that as long a we live our lives just and ritcheous (spell check) we live wholesome and kind lives, we dont hurt people we dont commit anything "immoral" for lack of a better word on purpose all the time, I think we will walk through the gates of heaven, I dont belive we have to follow the bible fully, Im all for the 10 commandments and the 7 deadly sins, but the bible is more of a manual, it says if you do this this will happen, do that and you recive this. It gives you a life to follow, and I mean some people need that some people like being told what to do basicly and thats what I think the bible dose, its not all bad I just dont agree with it, I would rather take the jist of it and steer my own course in life, I try to help people when I can make people happy when I can and live a "positive" life, thats all that I think God wants from us. I would say I take a more.........Lutheran approach on things if I had to categorize myself

**beergal** · 02-07-2005, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Whats a spiritualist believe???

Just in being spiritual? Is there a deity?

A spiritualist accepts all faiths and we use mediums and healing to show how the after life "exists"

**TimmyJames1976** · 02-07-2005, 06:18 AM

Firstly. rock on voyd, that was pretty damn cool, second, i would say i am a recovering catholic

**TimmyJames1976** · 02-07-2005, 06:22 AM

just a question....would an all powereful being be vain enough to need worship?

hmmmmmm?