What happens if I kill myself?

[WarxePB]

Religion was developed by our early ancestors to explain the world around them.
Where does the wind come from? Well, maybe a great sky god controls the wind.

It's believed that early humans originated in one place, then spread across the world. Since a variation of the basic above statement occurs in every culture on the planet, it makes sense that our very early ancestors had thoughts like this.

But, as civilization started to develop, every culture began refining their beliefs. Because towns and cities require a lot of factors and resources to stay prosperous, they needed all of the help they could get - and why not offer tribute to a god to get their favor?
If we give enough of our food or currency to the sky god, maybe they'll bring rain, or favorable wind, or what have you.

Then, civilizations started to compete with one another. As one civilization conquered another, the conquering civilization believed that it was the favor of their gods that granted them victory, and that their gods were superior to the gods of the conquered civilization. Eventually, a sense of superiority was developed by a conquering nation, and they began to convert more people to their beliefs to get even more followers to sway the favor of the gods.

The rest, as they say, is history.


I'm not saying that every religion is wrong. It's a fact that every myth in the world has at least a shred of truth, and it may very well be possible that there are forces beyond our comprehension out there.
And, if you take religion in its original meaning - to explain the world - then science may be considered a religion as well, though, instead of just using gods to explain the world, science attempts to explain the gods themselves.


But I believe the question of the thread was "What happens if you die?" I say, don't worry about it until the time comes. If you are devout, and live according to the rules of your religion, you'll either be rewarded with supreme happiness, or... an unthinking void. Both are better alternatives than the classic depiction of Hell.

[ZeroKirbyX]

I'm not gonna make fun of someone because of their beliefs or anything like that, but I find it really hard to understand why theists honestly believe in god. Can one of the christians here help me out?

I mean, as a world creation theory, it's about as solid as anything else, but heaven? Omnipotence? Omniscience? I don't get how an intelligent, free thinking person would put their faith in that.

Mainly because I solidly believe that something had to have happened for lack of a better phrase late at night. I believe in evolution and the big bang. I believe that science is right, but its strictly a matter of there has to be something that is knowing tying it all together. Something that created everything, because as I frequently mention in religious type conversations, its all a boils down to "And where did that come from?". Science says that something doesn't come from nothing, but where did the original pieces come from. Thats what I believe God did, which is to create the original blocks.

Strange that my beliefs have changed so much, yet I still call myself a Catholic. I think its just better for me to be catholic than agnostic, mainly because I enjoy faith in God, instead of just "Oh yeh God's cool whatever".

Zeek is a religious being, lol.

[drenrin2120]

That is probably my favorite theory. A lot of people seem to or used to think that science and religion were two completely different subjects that would never agree, but in fact, all they do is compliment each other. Science simply explains the working of god. I believe that, but I think both human interpretation of science and religious are a wee bit flawed. Science: because we can simply never understand the whole workings of the universe in its entirety and religion: for its countless hypocrisy and holes. But these are all man-made flaws.

...wait, oh yeah, what happens when you die...: you are no longer living... =P
There's no way to know, but I highly doubt there's a burning pit of eternal flame where the devil will forever torture you for your sins, but then again, I don't believe any supreme god would let a rapist or murderer enjoy the same privileges granted to an honest person after death.

[Dragonium]

Guys, why are there so many long posts in my Unmod?

Unmod posts should be two lines long, tops, and contain at least one reference to sodomy.

[Dominicy]

Lawl

[Moosetroop11]

Unmod is definately starting to get interesting. I guess people feel like they can post random thoughts that might spawn a good topic, but few would be brave enough/ bother to post in all of all.

Anyway, Lucas, you mind if I move this? Might be better in AoA. It'd get more attention and viewpoints anyway.



Anyway, Zeek, it sounds like you believe in god because of the creation of the universe. I'm not arguing with that. Science has failed to explain the universe... In fact science MUST be wrong or the universe wouldn't exist. Well... Unless you go into the time loop stuff.

What I was asking about was actually the whole bible thing. God may well be real but that book is so clearly not the work of god it's almost agonising.

[Prpl_Mage]

What I was asking about was actually the whole bible thing. God may well be real but that book is so clearly not the work of god it's almost agonising.

One cannot hope to understand god. But some people did their best at describing; not facts. But written in such manner that everyone could understand them.
What do you think cathaholism would look like if the bible's first few pages would be something like
"In the gaint mass of vacuum and hydrogen a great entity created heat from by friction at a speficic location and a fiery ball of light became what we know as the sun.
The great entity then fashioned a glode of stardust and named it "earth". The great entity then added nutrishemnt to the soil and filled the world with carbon dioxide with let life bloom.

The bible was written so that everyone could understand and read it, people had to translate it as well so it was important that most of it could be translated correctly. Wouldn't really surprise me if larger parts of it was lost along the way.

An a second note, death is certain in life. Think not of death, think of life. Death comes when death comes, live your life.

[Moosetroop11]

MOVED

But what do you actually mean by that prpl? Did the original writers get visited by god and then decide to write down their newfound knowledge in a way that others could understand? What makes you think that was what happened? What word can you trust other than human word?

[Prpl_Mage]

I'm just saying that everything in the bible shouldn't be interpreted literally. The bible is written so that many people can take knowledge of the content and learn from those stories.

I can honestly say that I feel that some parts of the bible is a bit exaggerated or that some sounds stupid. But you have to read what the bible is saying and not what is written.
The bible is not there to tell you exactly how to do. It's supposed to help you, be a guide when you need advice. The things that are written merely tells the stories, and the stories is what you need to interpret in order to learn what the writers are trying to say.
The bible is filled with symbolic stuff, so read between the lines.

[lilsniffs3]

When you die you die.

Hard to believe, I know.

[lilsniffs3]

That's weird. My friend dyed his hair, but he didn't lose thought, and slept normally.

The after-life can never be proven.

But until then.......we have to wait.

[Tomi]

Here's a good analogy that I've heard on how God can exist without proof:

Do you love your mother?  If you say yes, and I say why, you can give any "reason" for it, and it can be refuted.  But regardless of any of your shotdown reasons, you still know you love your mother.

Same with God's existance.  Do you think God exists?  Reasons can't provide proof; you just have to know.

[coasterkrazy]

Oh, great, now that this is moved my original posts look completely out of hand.

I have a strange understanding of God. It'd take me too long to explain it all here, but basically I'm partly a monist because I think God is just... well, everything... not like a GREAT SUPERNATURAL BEING THAT'S A KING IN THE SKY, but just like a type of positive, overseeing spiritual energy that resides in the forces of nature and the hearts of mankind. It might seem to go against the usual Christian doctrine and might even be a sort of heresy in some way, but I feel like if you take the idea of omnipresence, then it makes sense that this idea of God would be part of everything as well, since it's everywhere. I could get into more detail, but it'd get really complicated. I come to a point where I just can't explain it anymore.

Overall, to me, "God" isn't something you believe in; it's something you feel. I always just say "I believe in" to be synonymous with feel. It was actually really interesting going to a Catholic high school because in my junior and senior years, I learned a lot about myself and how my personal story makes who I am, and thus helps me grow towards what I believe. It didn't end up all being the simple "this is the religion, this is right, this is wrong" sort of thing like I thought it would be, even there was some of that sometimes. And hey, if you think I'm crazy or "born again" or whatever, then you completely misunderstood me. Hell, I was even part of a group of kids who were the "yeah, we're going to hell" kids because if everything we were told was true, then we would in fact be going to hell.

I've already started to ramble so I'll stop now and just say I think religion is something you find inside yourself and not from anything on the outside, like convincing evidence or lessons being drilled into your head from a young age.

[Dominicy]

Do you love your mother?  If you say yes, and I say why, you can give any "reason" for it, and it can be refuted.  But regardless of any of your shotdown reasons, you still know you love your mother.

Greatest thing ever said on Charas ;~;

[Moosetroop11]

I love my mother because I just do. That can't be explained. You love god because you just do. That can't be explained. However, these things are feelings. Feelings can do anything. They aren't physical.


My mother exists because my grandmother gave birth to her. That can be explained. God exists because...?