My religion. What the hell am I??

[TopHatter]

This was always my confusion with Catholics...not eating steak...doing things that are obviously against the religion...

I don't understand the confession thing. I don't get how a sin can be committed, you go to the priest and tell him about it, he makes you say some Hail Marys, and it is all well and good. A few weeks later, the same sin is committed, the same priest is sought out, the same Hail Marys recited, and all is good again.

Catholicism seems to be all about sinning, feeling guilt, confessing, doing penance and then sinning again. Lovely cycle they have going there....

[Asim Aquil]

I've always looked upon it as an earlier form of psychiatric therapy. The people who truly goto confess are admitting fault and it relieves some menal stress off of them.

You can't stereotype everyone as 'fakes'. I think God can make the differentiation between the fakes and the genuine cases. They're afterall seeking forgiveness from God, and it remains upto God to forgive or not.

In another thread about Muslims being forced to convert or get baptized, I pointed out that such acts mean little in Islam. At the end of the day the true intentions would be considered by God not if you dipped in some holy water or not. So don't just look at the act, look at the motive behind it.

[TopHatter]

In another thread about Muslims being forced to convert or get baptized, I pointed out that such acts mean little in Islam. At the end of the day the true intentions would be considered by God not if you dipped in some holy water or not. So don't just look at the act, look at the motive behind it.

Hmmm...once again, sounds like Catholicism.
I never understood the whole baptizing infants thing. What's the point?
Baptism is for thinking, reasoning people who are aware of what they are doing and the commitment they are making.

Baptizing an infant is like getting your baby a driver's license.

[Asim Aquil]

Catholicism seems to be all about sinning, feeling guilt, confessing, doing penance and then sinning again. Lovely cycle they have going there....

Continuing my earlier point, what difference does it make if some people fake their confessions and get it published in a million newspapers around the world, that they've confessed and all 6 billion people start considering their sins forgiven... would that make a difference? Till God, doesn't forgive that person?

to repeatedly do this as a routine, is a humanly fault, not of Catholicism.

[THL]

but how do you view Siddartha - the human being

All of them:).

The same i think of "Shirdi ke Sai Baba".

But Shirdi ke Sai Baba, or at least it is my understanding, was more of a "god" with special powers or abilities, Siddhartha Gautama was merely a man who held no special powers. Siddhartha Gautama was not a god, maybe a philosopher, definitely a great man.

[TopHatter]

Continuing my earlier point, what difference does it make if some people fake their confessions and get it published in a million newspapers around the world, that they've confessed and all 6 billion people start considering their sins forgiven... would that make a difference? Till God, doesn't forgive that person?

to repeatedly do this as a routine, is a humanly fault, not of Catholicism.

But this is a prime feature of Catholicism. You are saying that the church is unaware of this? That the priests forget they are seeing the same people over and over again?

[Vaman]

Catholicism seems to be all about sinning, feeling guilt, confessing, doing penance and then sinning again. Lovely cycle they have going there....

I like to equate that to the carrot-stick approach. You know the kind they use to keep animals in line : Do what you are told is "good" and you shall recieve heavenly rewards, if not you shall be condemened to fiery place where a guy with horns and a evil grin will endlessly keep sticking you with a pitchfork in your behind.

[Asim Aquil]

What can the priest do? Go away? You used all ur lives!!

He carries the belief to offer a helping hand no matter who asks for it. Remember the priest also talks back during confessions. Advice is seeked. He also carries the belief that God will see the person as he or she really is deep down.

You can't fool your way into getting your sins washed.

[THL]

What can the priest do? Go away? You used all ur lives!!

He carries the belief to offer a helping hand no matter who asks for it. Remember the priest also talks back during confessions. Advice is seeked. He also carries the belief that God will see the person as he or she really is deep down.

You can't fool your way into getting your sins washed.

I guess I see catholocism as I see lutheranism (??)...it seemed fake to me, being lutheran. It seemed like it was all to create a front for others and not to be true to myself...another reason i converted

[Samudra]

Siddhartha Gautama was not a god, maybe a philosopher, definitely a great man.

I'm happy we share the same views! :)

OMG, I've trapped myself. How horrible!? I'll never be able to eat steak again

Leader,
I meant a 'dead' cow , not a dead Yindoo!
Got to brush up my English!

Yeah, many Yindoos eat beef and do just about everything that is supposed to be taboo in Hinduism.Nobody can question one.So I think you can stay. ;)

[Asim Aquil]

Leader,
I meant a 'dead' cow , not a dead Yindoo!
Got to brush up my English!

I coulda sworn I posted that clarification already! Where'd it go?

Hmmmm perhaps I forgot to hit the post reply button.

[Monk]

The thread is not harming anyone. I don't think that he meant any offense. Most religions teach a great deal of tolerance, especially for those that are seeking to learn about that particular faith...let's practice some tolerance here, shall we?

I have been called a lot of things in my life but never intolerant; My reason for saying what i did was perhaps due to the way he was dismissive of hinduism. The religion itself has great depth and you need time, patience and a good teacher to understand it.

Now i want to say a few things about hinduism and buddhism if i may, Hinduism to begin with is extremely old as most people know approximately 6000years. So hinduism as practised in ancient times and as it is seen today are two entirely different things. The concept of hinduism as it was over 5 millenia ago if it needs to be captured in a nut shell is this: God is referred to as paramatma (Supreme soul in sanskrit) or Prajapathi (Creator in sanskrit), god was basically seen as all the universe and everything in it and encompassing everything. The endeavour of human life was to achieve moksha (Salvation) which was nothing but union of our atma (soul) with the paramatma. This was the primary goal and activities of life were directed towards this. There were three ways suggested to achieve salvation 1) Bakthi Marga (path of devotion), 2) Gnana marga (path of knowledge and 3) karma Marga (Path of human action). The logic and philosophy was supreme but the language was ancient sanskrit which not many people could speak , read or understand.
It was in this backdrop around the 6th century BC , Gautama Buddha was born in India , he saw the great pain and suffering of the people and their lack of direction. He sought enlightenment through meditation and learning. Hindu philosophy (particularly from the Upanishads) intermingled with buddha's own enlightenment and philosophy in the local languages of pali and prakrit became the back bone of the buddhist teachings and philosophy. Most of the buddhist tenets can be found in the Hindu upanishads. The two religions have a great link and shoudn't be viewed as vastly distinct from eachother. Not many people know or care to know this.
Finally, the present form of hinduism as it is today is the direct result of the metamaphorsis it has undergone over the millenia. Buddhism had a direct impact in the form of modern hinduism as it stands today. Around the 4th to 5th century BC after the passing away of Buddha it was widely observed that more and more hindus found solace in buddhism as they could understand it better. Therefore the hindus of that period decided to combat this by giving something to people which would provide them with greater focus. This led to the writing of the epic tales ramayana and Mahabharata and introducing the concept of incarnation of god on earth in successive forms and resultant idol worship. The idols bought more gratification in the minds of the common people than philosophy as ultimately philosophy is for those whio intend to go into a religion in depth which many people don't.
So if you ask me whether i think god is in idols the answer is no, most enlightened hindus will give you the same answer. The idol is merely a medium to focus your mind on when you choose to meditate on God.

Therefore the original philosophy of ancient hinduism is how hinduism should be viewed and not on the basis of idols, rituals etc. And one must also consider that the concept of Idols were created by people who lived 2500yrs ago , whose thinking was limited by their knowldege of the universe. they wanted god to be different from the human form hence the various forms of the idols.

All religions must change with time, most of the religions we follow today are not even of this millenia, people should transform the philosophy of religion to meet their times and needs. Because the concepts and rituals of the religion are limited to a period but religious philosophy itself is timeless.

[giggs88]

Yeah, many Yindoos eat beef and do just about everything that is supposed to be taboo in Hinduism.

Eat the cow and that little thing called karma might work itself out and you might end up an untouchable in your next life. ;)

[Samudra]

LOL!

From a non-personal POV :
Eat the cow and be healthy!

PS : PLEASE dont eat the animals. ;)

[TopHatter]

You can't fool your way into getting your sins washed.

That's funny,I thought that was the central pillar of Catholic dogma....