What Religion Are You Interested In?

[Kamietsu]

So I've seen lots of topics in the religion section that all seem to be about debating. This or that, I'm right, you're wrong, and I don't see a lot of useful discussion going on. Maybe I'm missing all the really good posts, but I want a topic unlike those. Instead, I propose a favorite religion thread. Sort of like your favorite color, which religion interests you the most? It doesn't have to be the religion you are that interests you. I mean interest in a more research type of way. I used to be Christian for a long time, but then I started to hear about Paganism, and also started dating a Pagan. That religion interested me quite a bit.

It's not that I wished to be Pagan, it's just that the religion itself was really interesting. The witchcraft element that was involved, the traditions, the holidays, divination. It was all really interesting to me. So I studied it some for awhile, mostly while I was dating the girl who was Pagan. She helped me learn a lot about her religion. I still find it really interesting.

So are there any religions you find really interesting? Buddhism? Jewish? Maybe Catholicism?


Note: This is not a bashing thread. I don't want to see posts about how this religion is stupid, or that religion is so bizarre because they do this instead of that and that's wrong. I just want a nice discussion about religion in general, what you find interesting. I know there are some negative points about all religions that are interesting, or viable to talk about. And that's fine. Just try to keep any sort of flaming or bashing to zero.

[TimerClock14]

buddhism, hands down. I was never really able to grasp the idea of "not too much of any one thing"
It confused me to no end, but things that confuse me usually keep me interested 

[EvaRia]

Scientology seems pretty crazy, and thus, interesting.

[ZephyrPhantom]

All of them.  It's always interesting to learn about the beliefs of other people, and knowing more about others helps you learn about yourself.

[asymmetry]

All on which I can get information from, but mostly Buddhism, Hinduism, and (although not religions but disciplines...) Humanism (*)  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silo_%28Mario_Rodr%C3%ADguez%29)and Feng Shui. I got invited to a humanist temple a few months ago, and felt at home. *planning another visit soon*
Religion is a great way to know oneself, and mankind as a whole. A great tool, both introspective and retrospectively speaking.

[Bloodthorn]

Any and all of them. I did a senior project on different religions and it sparked my interest for all religions. So far i've looked into early paganism (norse in particular) shamanism (norse and native american) buddhism, jainism, hinduism, taoism, shintoism, LaVeyan satanism, judaism, islam, christianity, thelemic/esoteric.

as for more philosophical ideas, been reading a lot of Freidrich Nietzche and Austin Osman Spare and Aleister Crowley.

[Sir Rebrl]

Paganism and Buddhism are definitely top on my list of interesting religions. I don't know nearly as much as I'd like about either, but that's probably because I'm incredibly lazy when it comes to research.

[Ele124]

Buddhism and Confucianism both sound interesting. I havent really investigated them much yet, ive just heard a few quotes that made me stop and think for a while. That and the fact that they are both atheist religions blends with my own beliefs quite nicely.

@EvaRia: Ive had a gander at scientology before now. They definately did NOT put the fun in fundamentalism. Scary people...

EDIT: Good place to start=>

EDIT2: Gosh darnit! Forgot to mention my current belief system. Its very much home-grown and unique, so I cant really label it, but recently I (randomly) discovered a religion(?) called secular humanism that marries up fairly well.

[Daxx]

I'm currently studying Zoroastrianism along with Old Persian culture, largely because I am playing a LARP character who is a Zoroastrian priest. It's pretty fascinating to look at what's often considered to be the origin of the monotheistic meme.

[Glitch]

I once spoke to a girl who tried to disprove my religion.  I in turn disproved hers.  She was heartbroken.  (It's a long dramatic story involving a fight with her parents and yadda yadda yadda).  I explained to her the difficulties I had in believing in any sort of organized religion.  These difficulties were exacerbated by my superstitious nature.  While I did not believe in organized religion, I did believe in both a god and karma.

While this argument turned debate turned pep-talk went on, I stumbled across the beliefs I had always had, said in concise and logical terms.

God does not care what religion you practice.  Simply do the right thing, and the right thing, and if there is a god, he/she will respond in kind.

As long as you are moral, it is okay not to know.  As long as you are just, it is okay not to believe.

[ArtCrusade]

I don't believe in anything myself, but if there is a god, it should be Venus <33

@Evaria: Don't be an idiot and refrain frope you are not being serious about that..

[acelink]

I once spoke to a girl who tried to disprove my religion.  I in turn disproved hers.  She was heartbroken.  (It's a long dramatic story involving a fight with her parents and yadda yadda yadda).  I explained to her the difficulties I had in believing in any sort of organized religion.  These difficulties were exacerbated by my superstitious nature.  While I did not believe in organized religion, I did believe in both a god and karma.

While this argument turned debate turned pep-talk went on, I stumbled across the beliefs I had always had, said in concise and logical terms.

God does not care what religion you practice.  Simply do the right thing, and the right thing, and if there is a god, he/she will respond in kind.

As long as you are moral, it is okay not to know.  As long as you are just, it is okay not to believe.

I agree mostly with what you say but there is a conflict as to what morality is.  Although it seems easy in extreme situations to determine what is moral, when the line begins to blur there becomes a plethora of options--as there is a variety of moral theories, each encasing the answer in different ways. 

I mean to approach this in such a manner that the answer is universal-istic.  Which means there is a right answer and there is only one.  Meaning that if two people have an argument on the same ethical dilemma and end up with different answers--there is one person that is wrong.

One of the most unsettling universal ethical theories that I have encountered is Ethical Egoism.  Ethical Egoism can be summerized to doing what is one's own best rational interestAlthough the person is being 'ethical' there is a lot of virtues missing.

No one person stands by only one ethical theory--or rather it is difficult to.  This is not admitting to a relativistic belief of morals but rather a descriptive observation.

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As for the religion choices, I do not particularly like any religion so to say.  I like the underlying philosophy that some religions are based upon.  Buddhism at its core is not a religion but rather a way of thinking--there is no direct ties to worship or diety worship.  The same can be said with the Tao (Dao) beliefs alongside Confucianism.

The above mentioned "religions" are where my interests lie: Tao, Confucianism, Buddhism and Zen.  I also like the thoughts of may other philosophers in terms of ethical decisions.  I am a virtue ethicist and like the ideas mentioned by Eastern philosophy and habitualization of ethics. 

I do not disregard the other worldly religions, but I much rather prefer the philosophy.  Religions have a way of being diluted especially in language translations and a lot of misconceptions due to cultural differences.  I simply plead agnostic words when it comes to most religions--I believe there is no way in knowing if they are 'true'. I guess that is why they call it "faith".  Unfortiantely I am skeptical.