I am split between Judaism and Christianity

Original post by nverjvlev

This is pretty important - it's almost impossible to convert to Judaism. You have to go to a special centre for a number of years and learn Hebrew, change your name etc. It's actually more of a race than a religion - Jews aren't concerned with converting people and you are a Jew if your mother is. So if you do want to convert, make sure you really really really want to convert, it's a huge commitment. You can't just switch.

When I am older and have the time for commitment, I will go to learn about Judaism and if what I hear is what I like I will convert if not I will be a Methodist or Protestant or Quaker.I need to explore my options further.However before making the decision I really need to look in depth because you can't one day be Buddhist but next day a Hindu for example.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 142

Original post by Anonymous1502

When I am older and have the time for commitment I will go to learn about Judaism and if what I hear is what I like I will convert if not I will be a Methodist or Protestant.I need to explore my options further...

...including agnosticism, deism, and atheism. Let's not restrict ourselves to religions, shall we. :rolleyes:

Reply 143

Original post by Hydeman

...including agnosticism, deism, and atheism. Let's not restrict ourselves to religions, shall we. :rolleyes:

I am open however those two types of Christianity is what I am in particular interested in and I am likely to join.I won't be an atheist because I find prayer really helpful and I like having a religion. It is ok to be atheist, but it is not something I would like to be.

Reply 144

chrisshort

You don't have to commit your faith to one religion. It isn't black and white. You could call me an Agnostic with Christian principles to make it easier for me. If you can't choose between one or the other, choose the parts of each religion which you link towards and go from there.

Reply 145

Original post by Anonymous1502

I won't be an atheist because I find prayer really helpful

So do some atheists.

Quietly contemplation of what you think is right and important is a healthy and useful way to determine the course of one's life.

Original post by Anonymous1502

I like having a religion.

There's plenty to choose from. Or you could make up your own, that's a trendy thing to do.

Just don't pick the most charismatic - do some research on different ones first.

Methodists are protestants, by the way. They are, effectively, strict Church of England.

Reply 146

Original post by Anonymous1502

Your criteria seems to be to choose what makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside rather than what's true. I would advise against this -- believe what you think is true rather than what you'd like to be true. Otherwise you're just lying to yourself because you need the safety blanket of a religion to get on in life.

It doesn't mean anything to say you're open and then half a sentence later say that you won't consider this or you won't consider that because it's not cuddly enough.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 147

Very interesting thank you I enjoyed reading this very much.I hope I will find a religion before I die so I know how I want my body to be buried.

Reply 148

Original post by Hydeman

Maybe it is because I look for comfort in religion, when I have a hard day and said things which I should not have said, and did things which I regret. Perhaps being able to tell someone how you feel without being judged is comforting.You can say your biggest fears and worries and you feel listened to, and you feel like you might receive help from God.I kind of want that place to go to when I am not in the right place and get this cuddly feeling you mentioned.Religion gives comfort when you are encouraged that there is heaven and you will not die as it is something many fear this gives us comfort in when someone dies during mourning for example.What is the difference between Methodists and Protestants exacly? They are very similar some say Methodists can drink alcohol while others say it is different now which one is correct?

Reply 149

Original post by Anonymous1502

I hope I will find a religion before I die

Instead of shopping around for someone to tell you what to think and feel, you could just look inside yourself for that moral compass and not burden yourself with the trappings of servicing some religion's organisational hierarchy.

Do you feel you know right from wrong?

Reply 150

Original post by Anonymous1502

I don't understand how the bold can be true if you're believing something because you want it to be true rather than because you think that it is true. If you don't believe in your heart of hearts that this god exists, then why you would think you'd receive any help from him/her/it in a time of crisis is beyond my understanding.

There are plenty of substitutes to god that meet the criteria you're talking about. Friends, family, even a teddy bear, to further extend the cuddliness metaphor. However, I'd suggest you may have a lot of growing up to do if you think that choosing to believe in an afterlife (as opposed to really believing in it) is an acceptable way to deal with a fear of death.

There is no reason to fear death. I'm often baffled when people say that they can't imagine a world where they don't exist because it seems to me that they're just not trying hard enough. Remember this: believing in an afterlife won't in itself make it real. And an eternal afterlife might be more cumbersome than you imagine.

Atheists, deists, and agnostics have hard days and moments of crisis too -- they seem to get by just fine without god, so it's clearly possible.

What is the difference between Methodists and Protestants exacly? They are very similar some say Methodists can drink alcohol while others say it is different now which one is correct?

As far as I know, there is no prohibition on alcohol in either of them. Methodists are Protestants, but not all Protestants are Methodists, if that makes sense. They're a sect of a sect.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 151

It sounds like you need to do some research, both externally and internally.

Starting with Wikipedia, spend an hour to read up on religion, protestantism, Methodism, the Quakers, and Judaism, and while you are there Buddhism, Sikhism, humanism and religious humanism.

You may want to see what else is on the shopping list.

While doing so, have a think about what it is you are seeking, what it is that you feel is missing. That is the internal research.

Don't expect an answer to magically suddenly appear. If it does, don't trust it too quickly.

On your journey, beware of anyone telling your their solution on is the only true one and to disregard all others - they tend to be the scary sects.

Reply 152

Original post by Simes

Don't expect an answer to magically suddenly appear. If it does, don't trust it too quickly.

On your journey, beware of anyone telling your their solution on is the only true one and to disregard all others - they tend to be the scary sects.

Best advice on this thread. :smile:

PRSOM.

Reply 153

tl;dr: a rant on how some religions are downright dangerous.

When looking for links for the capital punishment thread, I was surprised at how many American Christian Baptist groups demand the death penalty because it is God's will according to the Bible. Funny that, because I thought the 6th commandment to not kill, and the subsequent teachings of Jesus in the Gospels to turn the other cheek and forgive, would have taken precedence over the millennia-old verbal story traditions of nomadic desert tribes-people.

This whole "you need religion to have morals" claim is nonsense.

I think learning about a variety of religions and their pros and cons is helpful and informative. It tells you about the ground they have covered and what to think about.

But when you have any form of organised religion that says "Do exactly what we say" and "Think what we tell you to think", it will always go wrong. Absolute power corrupts absolutely - we know that from history. Organised religions are run by people. Giving them absolute power over your behaviour is naïve or foolish.

This is why I worry about people who operate in such organisations and demand people follow them blindly. What kind of person wants that kind of power over others, and why do they want it? Why are they attracted to that role, or create it for themselves, and why enforce it so thoroughly? Scary people.

Then I worry about those who promote such religions to vulnerable people: the homeless, refugees, and students who are living away from home for the first time and who may be spiritually lost, home-sick or lonely. Why are people who want absolute power over others so keen to target people who are already in turmoil? Sounds like abusers looking for easy victims to me.

That is why I get so cross with people advertising or promoting the Mormons, the 7th Day Adventists, the Jehovah's Witnesses and now the Revival Fellowship too. Relatively new organisations who demand total blind adherence to their teachings and rejection of all other beliefs such that their members are forbidden to even find out about them. They all typically have 'scriptures' that have been amended many, many times, they have false end-of-the-world predictions and a history of turmoil in their leadership as different power nuts fight for control over their followers. Organisations defending young earth creationism, faith healing, evidence of aliens or that Jesus went to America.

It is also why I would always advocate to someone feeling a need for spiritual guidance to always shop around. You wouldn't buy a house or a car without looking at a few first, so why commit your immortal soul (if such a thing exists) to the first Honest John dealer ("Honest John, Honest John, the others are a con!") who approaches you? And remember, if they are reaching out to you, it is because you have something they want, not because they ave something to give away. If you are being approached in the street or online to "open your mind" and accept their teachings blindly and reject things that most of the rest of the world believe, then you can be sure you are being conned - all cold callers and spammers are just trying to get something from you and that includes those promoting too-good-to-be-true "religions" too.

Find out about a variety of big religions and faith systems - both with and without gods - what they stand for, their history, what is involved, what the criticisms are. Get a feel for what is right, honest, decent and true. Become wise enough to spot the outdated, the inappropriate and, sadly, the liars hiding amongst them.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 154