What Religion Do You Follow?

[Dr.Grass]

kowenicki said:

Dr.Grass said:

kowenicki said:

Dr.Grass said:

kowenicki said:

None... I'm not superstitious. 

 

Oh.. and why is most praying just begging in another guise?  Oh.. and how does this god character choose which one of the 10 athletres to favour? after all they are all lined up at the starting line indulging in some weird arm waving and sky gazing prayers.  

 

These are actually really good questions. Any intelligent person would be very dissatisfies if his belief system couldn't explain simple things like this.

Isn't praying just begging?

How do the entities that attain salvation get chosen?

Brilliant :)

If you are unsatisfied with what someone tells you then its your right to reject everything they say.

Hang on... did we just agree or am I missing some high level sarcasm?  

We most certainly agree. If your questions can't be answered, reject it. If you see some activity and it doesn't make sense (praying) then get to the core of what that activity means. If the meaning doesn't make sense, reject it.

The above things should be done in a sober manner though. I don't think anyone who goes around and decries everything will ever find wisdom.

That isnt my intention.

It is a genuine question... well 2 actually.  To re-iterate:

Whenever I ask someone, particularly of the christian faith, what they pray for... it is almost always a selfish prayer... i.e. begging.  

And whenever a sportsman or performer does well they thank god... why?  isnt it spectacularly arrogant to think god helped them above all other competitors, that they were chosen amongst all others on the planet for success?  

Can anyone help me with these two questions or must I continue with my cynical view of the vast majority of religions and their followers.

I know its not your intention. I just had to add that to prevent misinterpretation.

''Whenever I ask someone, particularly of the christian faith, what they pray for... it is almost always a selfish prayer... i.e. begging.  ''

This is wrong, because we put God in the position of our servant with all our demands. Asking asking asking. It definitely doesn't make sense. Why would he put us here and then wait for us to ask till he gives us what we want? What would be the point? And then how does he decide when to give? Because we most certainly don't always recieve. 

Modern prayer evolved from meditation. A better word for meditation is yoga. Yoga doesn't mean stretching. That is only one type of process meant for the yogi who lives in the Himalayas or in a forest. There are different levels of yoga depending on which stage of practice you are. Its exactly like climbing a ladder. At each successive step your practice includes all of the previous elements, but also the new part. There is no time now to go through all of it, but suffice to say that the ultimate goal is to percieve reality as it realy is through pratyaksha - direct perception. Not through your faulty human senses, but first through your mind and then later (much much later) you even give that up too.

''And whenever a sportsman or performer does well they thank god... why?  isnt it spectacularly arrogant to think god helped them above all other competitors, that they were chosen amongst all others on the planet for success?  ''

Your absolutely right. Why would someone with infinite energies beckoning at His very will give a damn about a sports game played by infinitesimal human beings? Rediculous.