Theology

[Paul Arden]

Well I tried to believe in God but I think it's just a load of fantasy.

[Flybye]

But surely you believe in Magic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDYNuD4CwlI
TK

[VGB]

I believe that TK is Arthur Pendragon

[Paul Arden]

Jesus. I think that alone is proof that God doesn't exist!

[Viking Lars]

It's an impossible discussion. Yes, religion has brought a lot of grief and pain to the World over the centuries, but on the other hand, religion and religious communities have also done so much good over equslly many years. I'm not sure to which side the scales balance.

In the past, and in less priviliged parts of the World today, most people were religious. Let me tell you, 300, 800, 2000 years ago life wasn't the same as it is today. Having studied the past for over 20 years on a professional level, I can tell you that life was a lot harder than it is today. And people were less enlightened than we are today. And hence they sought explanation in religion and a lot of people, even today, find dignity in religion where they struggle to find it elsewhere in their lives.

Across the World, people get up, work 18 hours a day simply to secure that day's meals for themselves and maybe their family, and in their religion they often find explanations, relief and dignity. And their religious community may be their only community, and it's a lot more real than Facebook, other social media and bulletin boards.

Lars - a nonreligious person (I think :-).

[Paul Arden]

I suppose religion is actually a relatively new phenomena. The oldest is Hinduism of 1500BC? Don't they have a civil service of Gods? We're a very superstitious bunch! I've never understood the Holy Ghost but if she's Hantu Tetek then it all makes sense

We live, we fish, we die. Buddhists have it best because they get to fish again. Perfect

[Graeme H]

Religion goes much further back than that. Sun gods (throughout the world), Earth Mother (prehistoric Europe) and the Australian Aboriginal "Dreamtime" stories are examples. The latter seems to be around 40,000 years old.

Whenever people sought to understand things they couldn't explain, they resorted to a supernatural explanation.

[Paul Arden]

I'm not sure those are considered religions, Graeme, although no doubt it's how they evolved. There is something much more tangible in respecting the Earth than an invisible man in the clouds.

We must have been very religious in the UK at one point. There are some 47,000 churches still standing. Anyway stuff like ISIS for me means there is no God. Mind you Genghis Kahn was a whole lot worse and he was a Tengrist FFS. It seems you can't win!

Must tie some flies. I don't thing Rutland trout are going to eat Gurglers this week.

Cheers, Paul

[Paul Arden]

When I was sleeping in KL, the room next door had a church of some new age out-of-tune Christians who obviously thought God likes shit music. Every Sunday I expected a lightning strike from the skies. But nothing. Surely if you can part the Red Sea, drown everyone apart from Noah and a pairing of animals and cause plagues then sending a lightning bolt through Irhamy's neighbouring office would've been the least that he could have done.

I wouldn't care but they all take it so seriously.

I'm always asked what religion I am in Malaysia. I've been saying "well actually there isn't a God" up to now, but maybe I should become something weird. "I'm so pleased you asked: I'm an Animist. See that chair you're sitting on? We're soulmates."

Cheers, Paul

[Michal Duzynski]

Ciao
It is good discussion for my story.
One night in my restaurat there was a table of 4 having dinner.Next to them there were 3girls having dinner.At one point a man entered the restaurant ( dressed in orange, big dredloks,bear foot), he was a friend of those 3girls and wanted to say HI to them. Their greetings became loud and disturbed a family next to them. I kindly asked them to put the volume down.
10 min after the orange guy came to me and said. "I would like to apologise for behaving loud and by the way HOW IS YOUR LEFT KNEE?"
I have an issue with my left knee and when I heard that I freaked out. "how da fuck you know about my left knee???"
"God ask me to ask you"- he said. I kept saying that this is freaky bulshit, and how he knew about my knee?, I wasnt limping, I havent seen the guy in my life.
He said that he has a conection with God, and he just came back from Indonesia where he was praying for sick people. He asked me if I alowe him to pray for my knee. Still freaked out I said Yes.
Let me tell you 5min after the pain was gone. No more pain seating in the office(normaly its painfull).
I freaked out even more, and he said that I have to belive and pray later on. Well, I did for a week, and the pain was gone, then I stop praying(im not a big prayer) and my knee is fucking killing me again. I try prayers again,but it still herts. So fuck it, Im on the pain killers and glucosamine.
Any way it was preaty freaky story.
Cheers
Mike