Religion

[joo]

Don't you believe in 'a god' not 'god'? You should clarify as the term 'god' has been 'coined' to be synonymous with the 'christian god' or just 'god'. This isn't me saying you are wrong etc but that you might confuse others, myself included. It is only a question and I could be wrong. Like most others my misconceptions about ANY religion leads to me offending. My offense is, however, accidental.

Actually, the terms "Allah" and "God" tend to be used synonymously, since both parties believe that their "God" is uniquely omnipotent and so forth, "God" can be used in both cases the describe the "ultimate deity". Some might also argue that both Christians and Muslims worship the same being, but have different ways of doing it (and, in fact, there is also historical evidence to support this as well).

[Andu]

Don't you believe in 'a god' not 'god'? You should clarify as the term 'god' has been 'coined' to be synonymous with the 'christian god' or just 'god'. This isn't me saying you are wrong etc but that you might confuse others, myself included. It is only a question and I could be wrong. Like most others my misconceptions about ANY religion leads to me offending. My offense is, however, accidental.

Actually, the terms "Allah" and "God" tend to be used synonymously, since both parties believe that their "God" is uniquely omnipotent and so forth, "God" can be used in both cases the describe the "ultimate deity". Some might also argue that both Christians and Muslims worship the same being, but have different ways of doing it (and, in fact, there is also historical evidence to support this as well).

That includes the jews too. If you know anything about European/Mid-East history, people should know these religions are related. IMO religions on average have good ideas of how to live and threat others, but it don't mean I would belive in these ideas.EDIT:or gods.

[joo]

Yeah... when have I ever listened to good ideas on how to treat people?

[Rebma]

when I'm holding the whip

[Dudel]

Way to add something constructive and relevant to the current conversation Reb.

On the whole 'God' verses 'a god' comment. I would rather people use the name they give for their deity or deities as it makes matters much simpler. The term 'god' is vastly over used and even worse VASTLY misunderstood, CLEARLY.

Christians should keep with Holy lord' or whatever and Muslims 'Allah' and Jews 'Heavily father'... etc etc. The term 'god' implies that much as joo and Andu have said that everyone is the same or believes in the same deity or deities and clearly that isn't what you people want.

Stick with your own personal word for 'him/them/etc' and lets avoid any further confusion. Unless of course you see yourself as equal to everyone and no one as wrong in which case by all means, use the term 'god' as loose as you wish.

Oi! I just opened my mouth and stepped on SO MANY lawns.

Edit: I shall answer the poll 100% truthfully since I just trampled lots of purdy flowers. I disagree with all three and find the idea of 'religion' biased in general. Belief ISN'T BUT 'religion' is.... think about that. Everyones beliefs are generally the same it is only the nature of which those beliefs came to be that differs. Your belief, having belief and believing in something, is grand but the 'religion' isn't relevant.

[joo]

On the whole 'God' verses 'a god' comment. I would rather people use the name they give for their deity or deities as it makes matters much simpler. The term 'god' is vastly over used and even worse VASTLY misunderstood, CLEARLY.

Christians should keep with Holy lord' or whatever and Muslims 'Allah' and Jews 'Heavily father'... etc etc. The term 'god' implies that much as joo and Andu have said that everyone is the same or believes in the same deity or deities and clearly that isn't what you people want.

Stick with your own personal word for 'him/them/etc' and lets avoid any further confusion. Unless of course you see yourself as equal to everyone and no one as wrong in which case by all means, use the term 'god' as loose as you wish.

Oi! I just opened my mouth and stepped on SO MANY lawns.

Edit: I shall answer the poll 100% truthfully since I just trampled lots of purdy flowers. I disagree with all three and find the idea of 'religion' biased in general. Belief ISN'T BUT 'religion' is.... think about that. Everyones beliefs are generally the same it is only the nature of which those beliefs came to be that differs. Your belief, having belief and believing in something, is grand but the 'religion' isn't relevant.

[Dee]

Actually, I'd still use God. Since I'm speaking in English now, I'd use God. When I'm speaking in Arabic, I'll use Allah.

Muslims, Christians, and Jews worship the same God.

Anyway, your argument is irrelevant to me because I believe that there's only one God out there, so there's no need for me to use a specific name and not another, because they all mean the same thing.

I'm a Muslim

wat

You don't understand what a Muslim is?

[DylPickle]

Actually, I'd still use God. Since I'm speaking in English now, I'd use God. When I'm speaking in Arabic, I'll use Allah.

Muslims, Christians, and Jews worship the same God.

True dat. I never understood how so many people failed to realize that "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for God, just like Dieu is the french word for God. You wouldn't want the francophones to come in and start throwing Dieu around in their English posts, would ya?


My harsher opinions are stated in the latter half of this thread...

I don't believe in omnipotent powers, I don't think rituals and sacraments have any supernatural influence on life, I don't think "souls" transcend to otherworldly places.

I do have faith: faith in myself, my friends and family, in strangers ( sometimes... it's 50/50 :p )

I feel damn good when I climb a mountain, because the air is crisp, my body is strong, and the view is vast. That's all the spirituality I need.

[Piscator]

Christians should keep with Holy lord' or whatever and Muslims 'Allah' and Jews 'Heavily father'... etc etc. The term 'god' implies that much as joo and Andu have said that everyone is the same or believes in the same deity or deities and clearly that isn't what you people want.

Religion is not about who you worship, but about how. (And to whom you pay the tithe to, to be cynical.)

[Dee]

Religion is not about who you worship, but about how. (And to whom you pay the tithe to, to be cynical.)

Actually, it's very much about who you worship. That's like priority number one. Then at number two comes how to worship.

[joo]

You don't understand what a Muslim is?

No, I just find it interestesting that someone could be a Muslim and play Cantr... did you inherit your religion from your parents, or actually take it on a conscious choice...? I'm not sure which of those scenarios is more sad...

[Piscator]

Well, I guess the whom and the how are not separable from each other anyway. It would be rather hard to worship god A in the same manner as god B, so a change of whom leads inevitably to a change of how. What I wanted to say is that worshipping the same god differently can lead to as much or even more conflict than worshipping two different gods.

[Piscator]

You don't understand what a Muslim is?

No, I just find it interestesting that someone could be a Muslim and play Cantr... did you inherit your religion from your parents, or actually take it on a conscious choice...? I'm not sure which of those scenarios is more sad...

What has the religion to do with Cantr? Do you think Muslims don't have internet?

Anyway, if I had to guess I'd say Dee did both.

[Rebma]

A neither a believe nor a non-believer, I think this conversation is neat. I remember watching a documentary...maybe it was in zeitgeist...about original religions being based on sun worship, and constellations. Its crazy the amount of similarities between religions too, and the movie traced them all back to the sun. Also crazy how Christianity and how people think it's the oldest religion, when it is actually one of the most recent out of hundreds..

As for dudel referring to Christians being the most popular people who say God....I say...PFFT. Grow up. You can tell you're American, even if you're agnostic/atheist/whatever..that statement showed it. Contrary to popular belief in your country, the world does NOT revolve around what the vast majority of Americans believe in. Since the Muslim religion has been around longer, technically they'd have first bids against being able to say God and not "a god" so

Dee, Muslims attend at a mosque right? I enjoyed the Mosque more than I enjoyed the synagogue(sp!!) i can tell you that.

Anyways what I was saying before about the sun worship...leads me to believe this has kinda been like playing a few thousand years worth of the game "Telephone"

[Piscator]

Since the Muslim religion has been around longer, technically they'd have first bids against being able to say God and not "a god" so

Islam is actually about 600 years younger than Christianity.