Or they're just dead. Won't know until we get there, I guess. But until then something a lot of religions (and I myself) agree on is that paying it forward - that is, pressing on because you've yet to compensate others for debts you've yet to acquire - is reason enough to live, and favorably affects the odds of a good ending, when the end does come.

Ontopic: I don't believe in any specific "God," but I do believe there's something greater at work out there. If it created us, free will was kind of a move. If it's guiding us, it really likes to watch us kill each other. But if it did, and if it is, then it is as flawed as we are, so maybe one day we'll understand it... Or evolve into something like it.

Well... No it's not. I believe whatever it is either buggered off long ago or can't really influence us all that much - or it can, but is doing so malevolently. But such flaws indicate it's a living being, not an omniscient all-powerful deity born before time so that he could create it.

But if it was indeed mortal at some point, who's to say we won't find a means of achieving that some day? So I believe in man, I guess. Despite not having any faith in my fellow man whatsoever.

And yes, this belief system was born of consuming questionable substances.

I agree with u

Anyway. Religion. Dodgy subject. I personally don't believe in God, or even a higher power.

However, having said that, I, nor anyone else for that matter, can honestly say God absolutely doesn't exist, nor can anyone say he absolutely does exist. It's impossible to prove whichever side of the fence you're on.

It all comes down to belief and faith. I, and many others, don't believe in God. Many other people do. I can't say that they're wrong to believe in God, nor can anyone say that I'm wrong not to. People believe or don't believe for their own reasons. No one's belief has more importance or validity than anothers.

[Edited by Skyheart, 5/17/2012 1:36:17 PM]

I saw the same idea when I was studying on Buddhism.

Everyone is free to believe whatever he or she wants.

Totally agreeeeee!

One of the most important concepts of religion is faith, since without faith, you can't really have a religion, can you?

Well, most religions try to teach their beliefs through logic. But, yes. Faith is necessary to have a religion.

Well, some of them try to teach through logic, I suppose. Most of them honestly just have their basic principles, then a whole lotta rhetoric to justify why they have 'em - and that bit usually isn't all that logical. For example, a lot of people (here in America, at least) will claim that the Bible is the absolute authority on absolutely everything, and that you should live your life to the letter of it.

I don't think they realize there's a lot of values dissonance, what with wives supposed to be completely and totally obedient, concubines were awesome, and slavery was permitted. All those Crusades seem to have not happened, too.

I guess what I'm getting at is most people at any extreme (preachy religious or preachy atheist) are generally not too logical in regards to religion. Again, I'm just going by experience here in America - religious people use it a lot to fuel their xenophobia towards foreigners and atheists. 'Cause, you know, there's only one right religion!

I really don't mind people that don't impose it on others, but I kinda live in a country where everybody wants to impose it or judge based on it.

I guess what I'm getting at is most people at any extreme (preachy religious or preachy atheist) are generally not too logical in regards to religion

Yes. It's hard to say a religion is absolutely true or not (not just religion, also atheism). It totally depends on how you feel. We all live in the same world. In my idea, religion is based on our experiences in life.