Religious Views... What's Yours?

[Evansmom]

I keep checking this thread to see if there are any other Buddhists on this forum...so far it's just me

Anyone else?

[Blackcat31]

I keep checking this thread to see if there are any other Buddhists on this forum...so far it's just me

Anyone else?

I know several providers who are Buddhists. (unfortunately they aren't on this particular forum board) but you are definitely not alone

[Evansmom]

I know several providers who are Buddhists. (unfortunately they aren't on this particular forum board) but you are definitely not alone

Thanks blackcat, I know other Buddhists just not Buddhist child care providers. But oh well! Glad to know you know some .

[dEHmom]

I keep checking this thread to see if there are any other Buddhists on this forum...so far it's just me

Anyone else?

I wouldn't consider myself Buddhist, I don't consider myself anything. I don't believe in A GOD, but I believe in higher powers.

I have a lot of appreciation for the Buddhist way though. And if I HAD to pick something, I would pick Buddhism.

[dEHmom]

I am spiritual and follow Sufi teachings. I believe that all religions lead to the same source...they are merely a path with one goal in mind: to connect with the ONE.

I'm not familiar with Sufi, but this is what I believe. I believe in ONE. Everything is ONE

[littlemissmuffet]

Sorry to those I upset regarding leaving out Judaism... it was an honest ommision and definitely not done on purpose... there is a max of 10 options available for polls, and I listed the first 10 that came to mind. My best friend is Jewish, so no offence. ::

[Sugar Magnolia]

No offense taken, really, just thought Judaism.should be a choice, besides "other":::: But I guess it was moot,.since nobody checked the new Judaism choice anyways.

[crazydaycarelady]

Haha.........I thought gnostic just meant that Michael forgot the A!

I don't really know what I believe. I guess I am agnostic. I am open to the idea of God but I have a hard time believing a God would allow such suffering in the world (not only by humans but particularly animals.)

[momofboys]

Haha.........I thought gnostic just meant that Michael forgot the A!

I don't really know what I believe. I guess I am agnostic. I am open to the idea of God but I have a hard time believing a God would allow such suffering in the world (not only by humans but particularly animals.)

I am a Christian & although I can't totally answer your question I can explain my thoughts about.it. I believe God gives us free will to make our own choices about how we will behave & what we believe. If He did not do this we would be mindless robots following Him. I think he wants us to choose to follow, not be forced. Because of.our free will poor choices are made which can result in suffering. But obviously That does not explain.why bad things happen.& I think that for me will always be a mystery.

[Evansmom]

I wouldn't consider myself Buddhist, I don't consider myself anything. I don't believe in A GOD, but I believe in higher powers.

I have a lot of appreciation for the Buddhist way though. And if I HAD to pick something, I would pick Buddhism.

That's funny because that's exactly what I used to say before I finally admitted how much the teachings spoke to my heart and that I always was a Buddhist after all

[Texasjeepgirl]

haha.........i thought gnostic just meant that michael forgot the a!

me too...

[Michael]

Sorry, I wasn't trying to be squirrelly I always thought that agnostics knew there was a God but didn't have a particular god. Sort of an "intelligent designer" but not a concrete notion.

I thought gnostics had the view of a Christian God but had more of a mystical spiritualism. It has been a while since I learned about the gnostics.

I am conservative Christian. One half of my friends thinks I'm horribly conservative while the other half thinks I'm fantastically liberal

I trust the Bible implicitly. It is God inspired and infallible. How I live that in my life is why my friends and family have conflicting views of my conservative/liberal status.

K

Let me start out by writing I make no judgment in what others believe. What I believe is an ongoing process.
Those of you that are free thinkers have a similarity to Gnostics. 2000 years ago was not a good time to espouse different or opposing philosophies, theories and beliefs.

Gnostics have had good reason to stay a secret society for over 1600 years. Only in this century have they felt free to speak their beliefs without persecution. Many should read where the rift between Gnostics and Modern Christianity occurred with then Bishop Irenaeus. It was a Spiritual inquisition. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irenaeus

Gnostics are passive in their descriptions of life and spirituality. They are movers of the subtle and have a vast understanding of the future because of their past lives.

A past Gnostic would be someone like Leonardo da Vinci. A future gnostic like Obe One Canobie. They have subliminal persuasion and move for the greater good of others.

Here are a couple of links that may interest:

http://www.essene.com/EarlyChurch/OrthodoxFromGnostic/The_Wheel.htm

http://gnosticteachings.org/the-teachings-of-gnosis/introductory-information/53-the-purpose-of-gnosis.html

[Blackcat31]

I am a Christian & although I can't totally answer your question I can explain my thoughts about.it. I believe God gives us free will to make our own choices about how we will behave & what we believe. If He did not do this we would be mindless robots following Him. I think he wants us to choose to follow, not be forced. Because of.our free will poor choices are made which can result in suffering. But obviously That does not explain.why bad things happen.& I think that for me will always be a mystery.

Adam represented ALL decendents of mankind and when he used free will to sin, he left a legacy for all of mankind to be sinners and carry that burden.

God doesn't make or stop bad things from happening. I believe it is all about free will and the fall out from it.

I personally do not believe the "horrible" stories we hear/read about from biblical times are God doing any of it...it is the result of man and the choices that were made.

...and like you momofboys, some of it will always be a mystery and not completely explained, but that is also where I believe faith comes into play.

I have experienced some suffering in my life and lost people I have loved but I can also find positives to some of those experiences and seeing things happen that wouldn't have happened unless the suffering had happened first. (It IS hard to explain).

[momofboys]

Adam represented ALL decendents of mankind and when he used free will to sin, he left a legacy for all of mankind to be sinners and carry that burden.

God doesn't make or stop bad things from happening. I believe it is all about free will and the fall out from it.

I personally do not believe the "horrible" stories we hear/read about from biblical times are God doing any of it...it is the result of man and the choices that were made.

...and like you momofboys, some of it will always be a mystery and not completely explained, but that is also where I believe faith comes into play.

I have experienced some suffering in my life and lost people I have loved but I can also find positives to some of those experiences and seeing things happen that wouldn't have happened unless the suffering had happened first. (It IS hard to explain).

Yep, yep ITA!lovethis

[melilley]

As I said in the other thread,I lean toward agnostic.

I am open to the possibility of God. Very much so. I want to believe he is there. But then the "logical" and analytical side of me kicks in and I have way too many questions. Questions inside of questions.

So I say more agnostic because of all that.

This is so me!