How do YOU approach religion?

[Scuba Pete]

I have seen two shools of thought...

Making reality fit your beliefs... or "My mind is made up, so don't confuse me with the facts!"

Making your beliefs fit reality... or "I am ready to sacrifice my sacred cows on the alter of truth!"

Which of these two if any fit you? Did I leave out some schools?

 

[Ceridwen018]

I make my beliefs fit reality.

 

[huajiro]

I make reality fit my beliefs, but my beliefs are very realistic.

 

[Ceridwen018]

Have you ever encountered a time when your beliefs didn't fit reality? How did you handle it?

 

[Jaymes]

I try to make my beliefs fit reality. (Try being the key word...)

 

[Scuba Pete]

I am constantly changing my beliefs... albeit a little at a time. Those who have not learned to bend, ultimately break under the weight of reality.

 

[No*s]

I think everybody takes those two approaches synergetically. We must first interpret reality in order to react to it (and often, the interpretation isn't even conscious, so it's not really wholly rational, if at all). So, we have that interpretation, and we fit our beliefs into them.

Sometimes, we adopt a new view of things. When we do, it changes how we quantify reality, and thus, reality is reshaped to fit beliefs.

Personally, I like having both approaches.

 

[robtex]

I am sure if there is a need to "make a fit". but my beliefs are a result of the preception of my reality. I put in the regsignatin thread (ahteist section) that my beliefs were the sum of my personal experiences plus my deductions. I am open minded enough to explore ideas outside my reality (hence my recent shift) but it is not an internal battle or attempt to mold one to the other but instead a realization that my reality is the nucleus of my beliefs.

 

[Scuba Pete]

sum of my personal experiences plus my deductions.

Did you report this on your W-2?

Actually, it has been my ability to see the logical errors in many of my Christian Friends, that made me rethink my entire presence on this earth last year. It has been quite a pleasant journey and I have grown immensely from it.

 

[Mr Spinkles]

"I am ready to sacrifice my sacred cows on the alter of truth!"

Hear hear!

 

[½ Sane]

I’m not sure what reality is but I’ve seen 3 unexplainable miracles. One of them being me. Without faith I never would have seen them.

 

[robtex]

I’m not sure what reality is but I’ve seen 3 unexplainable miracles. One of them being me. Without faith I never would have seen them.

3 in one lifetime? That might qualify you as a prophet in some circles.

 

[Hope]

Actually, it has been my ability to see the logical errors in many of my Christian Friends, that made me rethink my entire presence on this earth last year. It has been quite a pleasant journey and I have grown immensely from it.

This sounds intriguing, NetDoc! Please explain further.....

 

[dhiannian]

I try to make my beliefs fit reality. (Try being the key word...)

Who are we to decide where our religion should fit? Isn't that taking the glory from God? Who are we to question the one who made us?

Romans 9:20-21 says Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
Hath not the potter power over the clay?


People make salvation so complicated by trying to make it fit where they think it should. In 1 Corinthians 2:14 It says that the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the natural man, the natural man being everyone that has not become a child of God. So it probably wont "fit reality"

The Bible has the answers (and I don't mean any bible, the bible that has not been muddied by mans grubby fingers, but the bible that God gave us.)

Isaiah 40:8 says the word of our God shall stand forever
And it will, No other book has been so loved, and so hated, no other book is read over and over by people for thousands of years, I don't see people trying to destroy Nancy Drew, or giving their life for a V.C.Andrews novel.
Because this book was inspired by God Proverbs 30:5-6 says Every word of God is pure, it also says, Add thou not unto his words.
Why? Because we are faulty sinful humans.
There is none righteous, no not one. Romans 3:10, 3:23 For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

We don't have a choice, we are what we are faulty, foolish, sinners. We can't save ourself, Jesus paid that price for us with his own blood, and offers salvation: a free gift to anyone who wants it.

Start with God's word, and you won't regret it.
It's the only way, unless Jesus is a liar.

Don't put it off because we do not know what tommorow will bring, and life is but even a vapor, "that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:14)

 

[Master Vigil]

"Who are we to decide where our religion should fit? Isn't that taking the glory from God? Who are we to question the one who made us?"

Hmmm... First we must definitively find the one who made us. The bible is no good, it was written by men, not god. Or atleast there is no indubitable proof for the latter claim. Other than that, I say since it is our lives, we have the ability to choose. Instead of taking another's word for it, (the bible is another persons word).

"Start with God's word, and you won't regret it.
It's the only way, unless Jesus is a liar."

Again we must figure out what is gods word. Or can god speak in words, or does god need to speak in words, or can words even come a 1000th away from telling us about god, or, or, or, or, etc.... We don't know if jesus was a liar, he didn't write anything down. His followers did who were mere mortals at best. They could be lying, or atleast they think they are telling the truth but are blinded by their own desire for the end of the world. What we do know is what we perceive in this reality, I think it quite logical to fit beliefs into what is percieved.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Hope,

I would have to say that it's been more than a year... more like two and a half.

The preacher where I go to church now suggested that since my faith was tenuous at best that I should take the path of an honest seeker. Discard all of MY beliefs and preconceptions and start searching for life all over.

In other words, stop trying to show everyone that -I- was right and start trying to FIND "right".

I remember thinking that I would naturally not come back to Christianity. Well, I think I found far more humility, but the willingness to stand up at the same time. More important, I really learned how to question my assumptions all of the time. And to see how many assumptions that I still make. Some think I take it too far in questioning normally "taboo" subjects. I asked in a Bible study recently just where the scriptures claimed to be without error. Talk about your bruohaha! I was almost excommunicated in a church that doesn't practice that. I still have a ways to go...

 

[½ Sane]

3 in one lifetime? That might qualify you as a prophet in some circles.

I would hope not. I'll try to type something up on the miracles tomorrow and post it here. If I can find this thread again LOL. I'll bookmark it. Yeah thats the ticket.

 

[Yerda]

I asked in a Bible study recently just where the scriptures claimed to be without error. Talk about your bruohaha! I was almost excommunicated...

Bruhaha, what a word!

Were you a soccer commentater in a past life?

Your comments, as ever, made me laugh NetDoc. The question probably needed asking though.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Well, I first had the concept right here on RF, and I can't remember WHO (TVOR??? He corrupts me more than most, or maybe Scott or No*s with their disdain of sola scripture), but they got me to see that possibility. So, I started to look for scriptures that claim that the scriptures are completely PERFECT (not just inspired by God) and I couldn't find them. I found they were useful, God Breathed and all sorts of great stuff, but they never referred to them as perfect.

So rather innocently, I brought the question up during the Bible study, and then sat back as I watched everyone trying to defend the Bible's honor. There was OBVIOUS passion as my bthren tried to reason with me in defense of this "sacred cow". However, the more that they tried to debunk it the more obvious the truth of it became. Afterall, God excels working through the imperfect to show that HE is the one making the changes.

After 30 minutes or so of everyone trotting out all the scriptures they could think of to support the "inerrant word of God" doctrine, I pointed out that no one had been able to support it with scripture, and they all reluctantly agreed. Now many were shaking their head and resolved to "find" the scripture that will prove this doctrine.

I am open to that.

But no one has showed me differently yet.

 

[No*s]

Well, I first had the concept right here on RF, and I can't remember WHO (TVOR??? He corrupts me more than most, or maybe Scott or No*s with their disdain of sola scripture), but they got me to see that possibility.

Glad to hear we can help in corruption .