Do you believe in God/a higher power?

[CuriousAboutWhatYouThink]

Not religion. I have no time for organised religion and the associated man made rules.

But do you believe in 'something'?

For context, my grandad was a CofE vicar but my parent rebelled against it and we were brought up broadly l in the religion (eg we celebrated main religious festivals like Easter and Christmas) but not as practising Christians and without a particular belief in God.

As an adult, I have friends of different faiths and none and it's something we have discussed from time to time. It's also something I used to discuss with my grandma who had a very strong belief in God but also believed the Bible until she became older when she still had a strong faith but admitted she thought the Bible was largely nonsense!

I suppose I've always felt that there is 'something' but I refer to it as the universe. I don't know, I always feel that there has been 'something' looking out for me.

That doesn't mean bad things have never happened because they have and religion/belief doesn't protect anyone from that. And it doesn't mean my life is anywhere near perfect because it's not. But the universe has always seemed to 'step in' when needed.

I don't know. I'm going through a tough time at the moment but I have a feeling everything will turn out to be OK because it always does.

Vulgar and crude. I won't engage

Oh no! But I want to know if my gay dogs will be in heaven! 😂😂

Exactly, my pets and cat who recently passed away will be there. There are so many that seem to think animals have no soul or feelings.

Honestly this is one of the most entertaining MN threads I've read in months - years even. I've been absolutely belly laughing most of the evening. We need more like this.

@thisishowloween

There are a a number of different religions (i.e. pagan religions) that have totally different theological premises and beliefs about the afterlife.

I can understand why a post like this might make you feel like that about Christianity specifically - perhaps the Abrahamic faiths generally - but not sure why that would apply to religions that have different perspectives?

I had a gay (neutered) cat. He fell in love with the neighbours', also neutered, boy cat and they were inseparable - sleeping together, playing together, and also doing a lot of dry humping. The neighbours' cat died of old age, and mine died of a broken heart a couple of weeks later. I like to think they're still humping in cat heaven - but maybe they're in the eternal firey sulphur pit. How sad.

@Parker231

As a pagan, I don't believe that there is a Heaven and Hell, but I do believe there is a spirit realm/world - that potentially contains many layers - and I believe that every living creature continues to live in this spirit world after passing from physical life.

It's sometimes referred to as the Otherworld in Celtic paganism,

I think that all humans and animals live on.

If animals were not important then we wouldn't have the following

Genesis 8:15-19 (Leaving the ark):
"Then God said to Noah, 'Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives. Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you—the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground—so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number on it.' So Noah came out, together with his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives. All the animals and all the creatures that move along the ground and all the birds—everything that moves on land—came out of the ark, one kind after another."

We know as historical fact all the animals went into Noah's ark so if there was no plan for God's creatures why would they all go into the ark? Animals are important in God's eyes, all have souls and they will all be joining us in the afterlife ( depending on judgement)

Because I believe all religion is man-made nonsense designed to make people feel better about the things that science can’t yet explain.

If anyone is interested in the idea of an afterlife in general (not necessarily connected to any religion) here is a fact sheet by researcher Julie Beischel who conducts scientific research with mediums.

She says:

"Well, actually, like I said earlier, I have performed accuracy testing with mediums that provided statistically significant evidence that they were able to report accurate and specific information about deceased people under controlled laboratory conditions. And regarding psychic abilities in general, there have been dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles published demonstrating the existence of psi (telepathy, clairvoyance or remote viewing, precognition, presentiment, and mind-matter interactions) and providing evidence supportive of the survival of consciousness after death."

😂 They’re in the gay section of heaven. My dogs will join them.

@thisishowloween

I get that, but you specifically said that "posts like this" make you more convinced that religion is nonsense.

Since the post came from a specific Christian perspective, I don't see how that particular post could convince you that paganism is nonsense, since it has nothing to do with paganism or pagan perspectives.

It seems to me that if one is going to view pagan religions as nonsense, it should be based on the actual premises/philosophy of those pagan religions themselves, not religions that have nothing to do with them.

I know. I’m loving it and it’s made me very happy to see that most contributors agree religion is just utter nonsense.

Of course I believe in my most holy amazing God Who did everything for me, so I am happy living now in His name and will be with Him forever and all the angels and saints

You’re splitting hairs.

i believe all religion is nonsense - I’m not going to sit here and list off a bunch of reason specific to every single religious belief system on the planet.

The poster I was responding to clams to be Christian, so my initial answer was tailored towards them and their beliefs, understandably.

As the film says, all dogs go to heaven. Especially the fabulous ones.

Cats definately don't though, as all cats are bastards.

Hang on. You're saying you believe the Noah's Ark story? And not just as some sort of allegory? Surely not even the Pope/Archbishop of Canterbury believes that?

You have to be pulling our leg.

Oh, and no one is saying animals aren't important - we're saying they can't be judged on Christian morals.

Absolutely - the idea that fleas have morals cracks me up though 😂

Why not, if they have souls and feelings

@thisishowloween

The poster I was responding to clams to be Christian, so my initial answer was tailored towards them and their beliefs, understandably.

Naturally, I'm just saying that posts like that one are not a reason to dismiss pagan religions. If you have other reasons for thinking paganism is nonsense, fair enough.

Anyone who’s had a pet knows they have feelings, they’ve seen the evidence. ‘soul’ on the other hand - there’s no evidence for such a thing in man or beast. We have a consciousness while we live, which is a result of the processes in our brains. There is no evidence and crucially no plausible mechanism for this surviving after death when these processes cease.

you have faith, and as you are ill and the thought of heaven gives you hope I have no wish to make you doubt. But your arguments are not persuasive.

i will continue to believe I will see my parents, wife and pets again.

Don’t worry, I dismiss all religions equally 😉

No I don't believe in a higher power or a god.

I believe the universe is pure chaos, from it's creation to where we are now. I don't think there's anybody pulling strings.

I do believe that energy can't really truly be destroyed though, so I do believe that maybe when this universe ends another one will start, and all that we were, are and will be will be distributed back into whatever comes next, even if it isn't consciousness or sentience.

I don't know if there's a particular belief ideology for that. It's not really reincarnation, and it's not really the egg theory. I just think that there's a lot of collective energy in this universe that won't just disappear if the universe ever ends.

@ErrolTheDragon

Some research has been done with mediums, and has produced data that suggests the mediums are receiving information from discarnate personalities (i.e. spirits.)

https://www.windbridge.org/research/completed-studies/

Here is a run-down of the studies of mediumship/mediums that The Windbridge Institute has completed.