Questions for Non Christians regarding your Origins beliefs

[Pats]

Please take a moment to list your perspective on origins as a non Christian.

Meaning, please state what your religious background may be, for example, I am a Wiccan. Then state what Wiccans believe regarding origins and why. I am specifically interested also in what you believe personally in addition to what your religion specifies.

Please DO NOT debate origins in this thread. This is a discussion thread. If you have an issue against an origins belief listed in this thread, copy the post and take it up in Crevo or some other thread, please.

Thanks,
Pats--- ever curious

 

[tocis]

I am specifically interested also in what you believe personally in addition to what your religion specifies.

The creation myth of Asatru is quite long and complicated, and in its surviving form it includes elements that hint at mixing in of other mythologies... for example, the first humans according to the surviving parts of the sagas were named Askr and Embla, which kind of reminds one of another primal human pair, doesn't it? The whole myth is, I think, too long to properly sum it up within the context of a posting like this one. I'm sure if you google a bit for Asatru you'll find plenty of comments, or you might want to check out an online copy of the Poetic Edda (on www.sacred-texts.org for example), the chapter called "Voluspa" (spelling differs a bit with the specific source).

However, I personally regard this myth as precisely that - a myth. The mountain of evidence supporting modern science and its claims about abiogenesis et al is much more convincing than the sagas to me, however beautiful and/or interesting they might read.

 

[Arthra]

The Baha'i belief in creation was outlined by Abdul-Baha as follows:

"The world of divinity presupposes creation, presupposes recipients of bounty, presupposes the existence of worlds. No divinity can be conceived as separate from creation, .... just as the reality of divinity never had a beginning, --that is, God has ever been a creator, God has ever been a provider, God has ever been a quickener, God has ever been a bestower,--so there never has been a time when the attributes of God have not had expression. ... So likewise if we say there was a time when God had no creation or created beings...this would be equivalent to a complete denial of divinity, for it would mean that divinity is accidental. "

So we Baha'is believe God continues to create and that there was never a time when creation was not.

- Art

 

[Nooj]

My non-religious background is as an agnostic/atheist.

Please take a moment to list your perspective on origins as a non Christian.

I accept modern science's theories and hypotheses into the origin of the universe, the planets and the current diversity of life. That means I accept the Big Bang theory, the accretion theory and the theory of evolution as the best current explanation that people have come up with. I fully realise that these theories may be superseded or altered in the future, but that is the nature of science.

As for other creation stories, I feel that they are interesting insights into different cultures. I find it fascinating that many different cultures share common themes (such as a beginning and an end of the universe).

 

[Simonaho]

The creation myth of Asatru is quite long and complicated, and in its surviving form it includes elements that hint at mixing in of other mythologies... for example, the first humans according to the surviving parts of the sagas were named Askr and Embla, which kind of reminds one of another primal human pair, doesn't it? The whole myth is, I think, too long to properly sum it up within the context of a posting like this one. I'm sure if you google a bit for Asatru you'll find plenty of comments, or you might want to check out an online copy of the Poetic Edda (on www.sacred-texts.org for example), the chapter called "Voluspa" (spelling differs a bit with the specific source).

However, I personally regard this myth as precisely that - a myth. The mountain of evidence supporting modern science and its claims about abiogenesis et al is much more convincing than the sagas to me, however beautiful and/or interesting they might read.

Vikings: http://www.suomalaiset.org/cgi-bin/...pl?nayta=vikings&linkit=lingualgeneticslinkit

 

[Simonaho]

I am by the side of Him, that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks who on behalf of the Sang Real say to White Stone: " I give him to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. He shall not be hurt of the second death. I give him to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. I give him power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. The same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. I make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. I grant him to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. "

 

[Pats]

The Baha'i belief in creation was outlined by Abdul-Baha as follows:

"The world of divinity presupposes creation, presupposes recipients of bounty, presupposes the existence of worlds. No divinity can be conceived as separate from creation, .... just as the reality of divinity never had a beginning, --that is, God has ever been a creator, God has ever been a provider, God has ever been a quickener, God has ever been a bestower,--so there never has been a time when the attributes of God have not had expression. ... So likewise if we say there was a time when God had no creation or created beings...this would be equivalent to a complete denial of divinity, for it would mean that divinity is accidental. "

So we Baha'is believe God continues to create and that there was never a time when creation was not.

- Art

That is beautiful. I like to do a play on words when I quote the Lord's prayer and think of my God the Father as one who does art in heaven and on earth. Thank you for the quote in the thread.

 

[DvAna]

But what of the harlot? What if you were by her side? Is she not distroyed in this process?

I am by the side of Him, that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks who on behalf of the Sang Real say to White Stone: " I give him to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. He shall not be hurt of the second death. I give him to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. I give him power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. The same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. I make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. I grant him to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. "

 

[peepnklown]

Atheism is the disbelief in the existence of gods.
Ancient Greek: athoes
I personally do not believe in the supernatural.

 

[RealSorceror]

As a TE, I accept most of the current scientific ideas about life and origins. I simply believe that God is the author behind all this. Sorry, no interesting creation stories from me.

 

[BruceDLimber]

One small problem, Pats:

You never actually ASKED your question!

(At least, not in your first post. . . .)

Bruce

 

[Simonaho]

As a matter of fact, non-believers are closer to The Kingdom of Heaven than many belivers. A beliver don't know whos teaching she/he actually follow - could be the Devils pretending to be one of the Original Seven Churches. It teachings mislead people to belive, not learning them anything else exept for believeing. And after 1000 years people ask same questions people did 1000 years ago.

A non-believer atleast don't follow The Beast.

 

[Futuwwa]

As for origins, I haven't overly bothered thinking about that. I've found it to be rather irrelevant to my worldview.

 

[Pats]

One small problem, Pats:

You never actually ASKED your question!

(At least, not in your first post. . . .)

Bruce

Seems a technicality that didn't interput the flow of the thread, BruceDLimber.

What is your view of Origins as a spiritual person not of the Christian faith?

I ask because there are a great deal many atheists who come to this board believing only "Christians," are ever "Creationists," and also sprewing venom about atheism and its relativity to science and evolution.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Hi, Pats!

As a Baha'i, I believe not only that God created the universe, all of it good, but that it has since evolved, as science has explained. And religion, too, evolves over time just as does creation.

Best,

Bruce

 

[SquareC]

I believe in theistic evolution. All creation has come into being following the rules set forth by the Divine, and in continuing to follow those rules, life has evolved under the Hands of the Lady and Lord.

 

[Tariki]

One of the foundational texts concerning origins (or not!) in the Buddhist Faith is Sutta 63 of the Majjhima Nikaya from the Pali Canon. In this text a monk demands to know whether the world is eternal or has been created in time. (This amongst many other questions) The Buddha responds by stating exactly what he does and does not teach, and why.

"Therefore remember what I have left undeclared...........and what I have declared. 'The world is eternal' - I have left undeclared. 'The world is not eternal' - I have left undeclared. 'The world is finite' - I have left undeclared. 'The world is infinite'- I have left undeclared.

"Why have I left that undeclared? Because it is unbeneficial, it does not belong to the fundamentals of the holy life, it does not lead to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbana.

"And what have I declared? 'This is suffering' - I have declared. 'This is the origin of suffering' - I have declared. 'This is the cessation of suffering' - I have declared. 'This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering' - I have declared.

"Why have I declared that? Because it is beneficial, it belongs to the fundamentals of the holy life, it leads to disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbana."

The Buddhist atttitude is that until our minds are clarified and freed of fundamental misunderstandings regarding the nature of "reality" and of our "selves", then our beliefs - of whatever sort - will merely reflect our desires and conditionings.

 

[Asimov]

Please take a moment to list your perspective on origins as a non Christian.

Meaning, please state what your religious background may be, for example, I am a Wiccan. Then state what Wiccans believe regarding origins and why. I am specifically interested also in what you believe personally in addition to what your religion specifies.

Please DO NOT debate origins in this thread. This is a discussion thread. If you have an issue against an origins belief listed in this thread, copy the post and take it up in Crevo or some other thread, please.

Thanks,
Pats--- ever curious

Objectivist (non-religious), follows rational egoism..that is, the rational self-interest and contract-based society with a free economy..