(no subject)
I love how people describe the His Dark Materials trilogy as 'dark' when really it's just a highly controversial point of view. If you ask me, it's only controversial if you have a strong belief in one of the 'strict' religions of the world that refuses to consider other faiths with contradicting values as worthy 'paths'. I believe that believing in something is not a pre-requisite for living. If people want to follow the religions of today, good for them, i hope it works out for them. But no-one should feel bound to following any religion at all. After all, each and every religion boils down to a series of events, and peoples belief in the truth of these events and what the culmination of said events means to them. There's usually a future goal that people following these religions feel they will attain if they honour their religions beliefs. But they're still just a point of view backed up by theories.
I don't follow a religion as such, despite being christened as a christian. But that doesn't mean i don't beleive in anything. I have formed my own beliefs, i don't need a name for it, it's just what i believe.
I believe that everyone has a reason for living. People exist because they have a reason to exist. Not everyone knows their reason for existing, probably not many ever do/will. Some are here to learn a lesson in life, others to achieve something. I believe in re-incarnation to a certain degree. If you're here for a reason and the result of your existance hasn't been realised, then i believe you 'get another shot' at realising that existance in another life.
Religions aren't just rules, they're more than just a code of conduct. They're pretty much a way of life. Most people don't steal things from others because they believe it to be wrong, not everyone shares that belief. I have numerous other analogies that basically boil down to, just because you believe it to be right/wrong, doesn't mean it is. It's commonly accepted that stealing is wrong. But stealing is just a name given to an act that has evolved over time to be considered wrong. If you go back in time far enough, possession of an item was decided by whoever was strong enough to take it from the other and keep it. This includes countries, cities, castles, livestock etc. That's a belief. One that has developed over the years to the currently accepted mode of ownership. Trade. But i digress.
I suppose you could say that the core of my belief, is that you should always be open to accepting that new experiences bring new choices, and your beliefs could change as a result. Whether you decide to change your belief to fit in with the majority, or not, is your choice. Make your own deicisions, the people around you can also make their own decisions, and also whether what you decide works for them as well.
Followers of religions will argue that 'man' isn't capable of making the 'right' decision all the time. That following the ideals and beliefs of a single 'right' way or belief is the way to go. Some will say that believing i myself can decide what is right is selfish. They say that their 'entity' is completely impartial and can provide a better way to live. Says who? I believe that faith in a single all knowing truly 'right' entity is flawed. As the saying goes, who guards the guardian?
I believe that i'm living my life, i touch my hand and know that it's my hand. I take a walk and i have dominion over whether i turn left or right at the end of the street. no-one else is going to decide that for me. I might be affected by external influences, but in the end it's still my choice. I may choose to ignore it all, but given i'm living my own life, i think i should be entitled to a somewhat selfish opinion. If what i choose is considered wrong by someone else, then i expect to be told, and i'll decide whether to change as a result of it. These are my ideals that i have spent the past 25 years evaluating. I'm well aware that religions have been around for millennia, but their ideals haven't changed. They haven't adapted to the world we live in today, too rigid for my liking.
I always say that age isn't conducive to knowledge. Just because someone is older, doesn't mean they automatically know more. So i'll continue to use develop my own ideals, thanks very much :)