There is of course, the darker side of religion. It can confine you, close your mind… it can be used to gain influence for your own personal benefit, it can be corrupt, and all those sorts of things.

Like everything else, there’s a negative and positive side to it.

And truth? Truth has many faces. I agree with what you said.

But do be more gentle with the bitch slapping? You’ll hurt yourself. : P

“This sentence fails.”

Oh and to sean, you said that truth must be attained by self, it cannot be attained by others. In saying that, are you not telling us that truth? and if that is a truth, that truth can only be attained by self, your statement therefore is false, but i attained this truth by myself, so that means its correct…?
Ouch…headache

We are all surrounded by different regional, cultural, and societal, influences, which in turns yields a large variety of different perspective, I believe.

I think that if our opinions are painted in colours, the above comments when taken in conjunction with one another would look like a stained glass in a church. Very colourful. Though some of them look like different shades of the same colour to me, but interesting nonetheless.

if you want to sum it up to something measureable, then id say i would have an associates degree in wolrd religion while maintaining a B+ average

That aside,

I have just one question that I really want to ask of those present: For those of you that name and mention religion that is not your own (whether you actually have one or not aside), just how much do you actually know of the said religion, or any other religion beside your own?

For an example, if you are a Christian, how much do you actually know of, say.. Buddhism? Or if you are a Buddhist, how much do you know and understand of Christianity?

Personally, I think that it is probable that most religion might ultimately be categorically similar at it’s core, but I assumed that it might be a dangerous thing to do, basing conclusions on incomplete information. So, with some of my reasons explained, I’d like to know your (the current reader of this sentence) opinion and experience.

I have some relatives that are very religious. They are so narrow minded they do not believe in micro evolution (the idea that all living creatures can trade DNA and during times of extreme environmental condition be reduced), super position theory (aka Schrodinger’s cat: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s_cat ), and even M-theory ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-theory ).

It’s so horrible. People have no faith in each other as it is. Throw in religion and idiots start to pop out of no where. If there was a theory that could prove that heaven was real and so was hell, religious idiots would be the first to strike it down by saying it was the devil’s work to stray people from religion. People blame those who don’t aren’t religious as evil. But most of the “evil” people out there realized what I did: If you want something done right you do it your self. No one can help you but you. Somethings you can’t control like accidents and bad luck, but you can adjust your feelings toward them and turn it into a positive.

Another thing that really irritates me is when people look at those in jail and prison and assume that they are there because god is punishing them. When inmates try to get religion some say that it’s not “true”. But the everyday church goer forgets that their life could have been different then a inmates. Many religious and non religious people are so close minded they assume that most people in jail are in there because of their doings. But if they had enough money to eat decent meals and had lived in good neighborhoods with a loving wife, would they still be in the same position?

I guess what bothers me is just close-mindedness. Well I hope everyone blindly follows what I say and calls all else heresy XD

1)Be perfect from birth, and continue to do so. This means that;

-You have no gods other then Jehovah, Yahweh, I AM, whatever name
you prefer to use, the one and only God.
-You have never made an idol, or worshiped any idols. Keep in
mind that ANYTHING can be an idol.
-You have never used the Lord’s name in vain.
-You have kept the sabbath day holy, meaning you don’t work on
it, use it simply for relaxing and being with the Lord.
-You always have respected your mother and father.
-You have never killed, hating someone in your heart is counted
as murder.
-You have never committed adultery, sex outside of marriage, and
have never had lustful thoughts about a person.
-You have never stolen, no matter the value.
-You have never lied, even if it was “for a good reason”.
-You never coveted another’s persons possesions or any aspect of
their life.

That’s one option that you have. If you think you still have a chance at it, go for it, but ANY straying and that path is gone, you strayed from the path, and you only have one option left…

2)So you’ve somehow messed up, your a sinner just like us all. The first option isn’t going to work for you. Unfortunately there is nothing that any man can do to change that for himself. But because Jesus Christ died for us, and took all of the sins of every person that was/will ever be born and then rose from the dead, hell not able to hold him because he himself was without sin and is the son of God, we have another chance. All we have to do is repent of our sins, believing in our hearts and minds that God is real, that Jesus died for us, and that we are sinners and we need him to get to heaven. Just give your life over to God.

Seem unreasonable to you? Think a little bit harder, God owes us NOTHING but has died for us, and offered us eternal life. If you ask me its US who owe HIM.

Now a lot of you will dismiss this as nothing, because there is no “proof” of God. He isn’t something that you can see, much like the wind. You cannot see the wind, you only see the effects of the wind. The way that a Christian knows that god is real is EXPERIENCE. If someone tells a child that a stove is hot, and the child believes them, the child has now entered the realm of belief. Out of curiosity though, because they want to know what hot feels like, the child touches the stove, and burns their hand. Now the child has experienced hot, and if someone else comes to them and tells them that the stove isn’t hot, they can’t be fooled, they know, they have experienced it (this stove is always on =D). This is the same way that a Christian knows God is real. They have experienced Him moving in their life.

Christianity is not a religion as the world might categorize it. It’s a lifestyle, it’s the truth. Christianity is people dedicating their lives to God, who without they would not live. So you still have a chance to get on the right path, there’s people out there trying to lead you to it. If you have any questions I suggest speaking to a local pastor. Or email me, that’s more fun for me =D

speeddrummerx@gmail.com