8
8
0
This is not a debate on our beliefs, rather a discussion. A lot of service members have found their religions or, like me, never saw the need for it. What was the moment in your life that you either became religious or figured out that you did not want/need to be religious. How has your religion shaped you as a person, likewise, how has your lack of religion shaped who you are?
Atheism
Religion
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 23
11
11
0
I don't usually participate in religious discussions but, found this one interesting. I believe I have faith however, I am not a big fan of religion. I was raised Catholic and only practiced seriously for a few years pre-teen.
The day I lost "faith" in religion was in 2006 while deployed to Iraq. I read the Quran and was shocked at how closely it followed or parts of it mirrored/mentioned the bible or people in the bible. I started reading about religion, the crusades, the inquisition, etc. etc. I came to the conclusion that religion was found/prcaticed for man to control the masses and gain power for the highest ranking clergy.
There is a lot more to the story but, I don't want to offend anyone or start a crazy thread. I respect peoples right to practice whatever religion they want. I have faith but it's my own faith.
The day I lost "faith" in religion was in 2006 while deployed to Iraq. I read the Quran and was shocked at how closely it followed or parts of it mirrored/mentioned the bible or people in the bible. I started reading about religion, the crusades, the inquisition, etc. etc. I came to the conclusion that religion was found/prcaticed for man to control the masses and gain power for the highest ranking clergy.
There is a lot more to the story but, I don't want to offend anyone or start a crazy thread. I respect peoples right to practice whatever religion they want. I have faith but it's my own faith.
(11)
(0)
SGT (Join to see)
SGM, this is the thought process that played a part in me losing faith all together a few years ago. The realization that organized religion has the power to control people, and is regularly used to do so, really started to bother me. It's interesting to me to hear from someone who has faith and at the same time feels this way about religion.
(2)
(0)
CSM (Join to see)
CPT Carrie P. I hear what you're saying. Offend was probably the wrong word to use. I just don't have the time or energy to get into a huge discussion with some zealot with a closed mind....ya know what I'm saying?
(0)
(0)
CSM (Join to see)
CPT Carrie P. - I know you were but, I am confused now. Whatever, it is probably because I am a mouth breather and fail miserably at communicating...or my sarcasm is so advanced I don't even realize I'm being sarcastic. Or I'm just an idiot.
(0)
(0)
MSG Brad Sand
CSM (Join to see)
In reality, every person's faith is there own faith...regardless of religion. Too often, people...usually tied to a religion...want to tie faith to religion. To me, they have overlap but are two separate and distinct things.
In reality, every person's faith is there own faith...regardless of religion. Too often, people...usually tied to a religion...want to tie faith to religion. To me, they have overlap but are two separate and distinct things.
(0)
(0)
6
6
0
i had a girlfriend in high school who came from a strict religious household. she was kinda losing her religion but her family was not. long story short i was told i would need to start attending services and bible studies with them to continue seeing her. i did for a while but her father noticed it had no affect on me and i wasn't soaking it in, so to speak. so that ended us. i saw the real negative side to religion because of my bad experience. at that point i had become a bad atheist, an asshole of one. i was rude on the subject, couldn't be told otherwise and i hate that i ever acted like that. now im much more respectful about it all. it took me years to come to terms with the fact that was an isolated incident of a bad experience. but also i had never been involved with religion before then. i learned afterwards the definition of atheism and what it means to be agnostic and many other non religious terms and i found comfort in that .
(6)
(0)
5
5
0
I'm not religious, but I am spiritual. I know God exists, but I've learned more about him in the woods or exploring the Earth than I ever did in church. I don't trust the bible, its been blatantly altered for political benefit and it has been used for hundreds of years along with religion as a means of control.
(5)
(0)
(0)
(0)
Cpl Jon Westbrook
Well for one, The Pro-Life movement. In 1977 as a response to Rowe vs Wade(1973) The New American Standard Bible(First published in 1971) was altered by pro life Evangelicals.
Exodus 21:22-25 (1971 original release)
“And if men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she has a miscarriage, yet there is not further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him; and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
Exodus 21:22-25 (1977 re-release)
“If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
This is just one example of people taking the bible literally until they find something they don't like and they change it. And if you don't believe me Google it. It happens all the time. There are currently 104 different versions of the bible, all reworded to fit the ideas of whatever group they were commissioned by.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_Bible_translations
Exodus 21:22-25 (1971 original release)
“And if men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she has a miscarriage, yet there is not further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him; and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
Exodus 21:22-25 (1977 re-release)
“If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
This is just one example of people taking the bible literally until they find something they don't like and they change it. And if you don't believe me Google it. It happens all the time. There are currently 104 different versions of the bible, all reworded to fit the ideas of whatever group they were commissioned by.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_Bible_translations
List of English Bible translations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Bible has been translated into many languages from the biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. The Latin Vulgate translation was dominant in Western Christianity through the Middle Ages. Since then, the Bible has been translated into many more languages. English Bible translations also have a rich and varied history of more than a millennium.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google