h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm back! He he he...

What are your opinions on religion then? If you're so willing to talk about it.

Well... I'll share mine if you'll share yours.

I believe in a completly infinite God. This means that my view of God is more of a force than of a thing. It is in all and it /is/ all. This, I'm sure you would agree, is a logical impossibility. But you only think that because you take it literally.

With this kind of a belief behind me, I feel happy in accepting that any religion has a basis and is equally valid.

I generally don't believe in Heaven or in Hell, since God is infinite and thus cannot be good or evil.

Bravo! That's an absolutely incredible way to look at the world. I love it!

I'm a Christian. Anglican (though really, that IS getting stupid) actually. I'm constantly coming into clashes between my opinion and the Bible's. Being a teenager, its probably the time when i most need to turn to and depend on God, but, unfortunately, the bible conflicts are causing a bit of a crisis.

As I've been brought up believing in a God with a personality rather than an over all one, and its much easier for my feeble mind to handle, that's what my brain rests on.

but I recently read "The Colour Purple," don't know whether you've read it. If you haven't, there's a character in it who expresses the same opinion as you, and I was really struck by it.

It's a relief to find a "believer" though! Its really funny, I always thought the whole anti-Christian thing was pretty much made up, but for a while now, i been meeting some pretty hot and challenging atheists, and its good - it challenged me and strengthens my belief, but it gets exhausting. I was actually made to do a debate in English class to prove God exists, which was nasty, but also helpful in the end I guess. Then I just finished The Salmon of Doubt, in which DNA, this great man who I admire so much, disses religion a lot, and, quite frankly rather misinformedly.

So its all been rather dramatic and confused on this side.

I was Christened and brought up Anglican, but I never really found a resonance with it. The religion in general tends to annoy me by sitting on the fance too much... Most of the Protestant groups, and most definitely the Catholic and Orthodox groups, know exacly what they believe in, but the views of the Anglican Chuch seem to differ from Vicar to vicar.
One of my goodish friend is a fairly devout Anglican, and she often tries to 'convert' me, finding my beliefs in God quite strange. Our debate often liven up geography class though She lent me this quite good book on the Anglican views of the afterlife, which I found quite interesting... http://www.theshockofyourlife.com/ I haven't heard of 'the Colour Purple', but I'll be sure to look out for it

I think with th Bible you do have to bear in mind that it was written 2000 years ago... You need to bear in mind that none of the rules can stay the same forever and it's up to you to interpret it. Who says that what your vicar understands is what it really means<?> I've always felt that a relationship with 'God' must be an individual one, regardless of which group you identify yourself with.

The only way to find out how strong your beliefs are is to have them challenged Keep truckin'

I tend to find his abject dismissal of religion quite admirable. Perhaps I'll chat to him about it in the next life...

Have you read "Life of Pi?"

Actually, my "vicar" back in Oz is really really great and wise and terrific. If you're going to have differing interpretations of Anglicanism (which I agree does get annoying, as we all know that WE'RE the right ones ) then his is the best!

The thing is that currently I live in a country where they don't have English-speaking churches, except for two rather missionaristic (word?) ones. So I joined a Youth Group, and that's where my troubles began.

Tell you about them later though, have to go.

I have read the 'Life of Pi'. Rather enjoyed it

Well as long as you agree, thats good! I've heard of people changing churches because they don't like the new vicar

Oo er... Do tell...
Fare well, wherever ye fare.

Well... *launching enthusiastically into story*

Two main issues plagued me. Both of them being ones i'd never even heard being applied to Christianity, but afterwards have heard an awful lot of.

a)homosexuality
b)sex before marriage

Both of them which I thought, and still do, were fine by Christians, or God at least. Not so, I was told, by some head-shaking "we will save you" Youth Groupers.
After several arguments over it, in which they never listened to my side. I left. I'm talking about them appallingly, they weren't half that bad, they were very nice people, but these opinions kind of hit me hard.

Ah, that's be two issues to which I don't take a 'Christian' view on..

Most of the teaching about that is in Leviticus... which strictly condemns homosexuality, as well as having sex with animals. Nice. Although I can't seem to rember Jesus reinforcing those rules, so surely it wasn't that important<?>

As much as I can understand Christianity not wanting to encourage sleeping around, I do think that's one thing that changes with the time. It's enforcing marriage, which I am not comfortable with.

That whole one-sided thing is a bit of a drag. Beleive me, I know... I've tried convincing a 'we will save you' Catholic that abortion isn't evil...

Yeah, I know. There was an interesting site, somewhere, completely can't remember what it was called or where it was, but it gave a whole lot of interesting interpretations of anti-homosexuality in the Bible. Including mistransaltion

I never know what to trust though. I mean, it seems that a lot of people abuse the Bible, and use it to their own opinions. Is the Sodom thingy meant to be interpreted like that? Or is it just the opinions of the times influencing it? I'm sure that people found some nice passages that could be interpreted as anti-black when racism was still a thing.

Life of Pi had some wise and funny bits on religion. Loved that bit where the three guys representing the different religions meet...

I must say...

This is really really great have someone to agree with, but its not exactly challenging or thrilling. Lets find something to argue about...

You said you'd just bought a Led Zeppelin CD. I have a couple of friends who're into them, though I've never knowingly heard any of them myself. But these friends of mine like a whole other bunch of stuff that I like too, so were I to buy an album of theirs, what do you recommend?

Not rushing to agree with your choice of MJ as your number one artist.

That was a long time ago... I think the last CD I bought was the best of Visage (an oxymoron in itself, but I couldn't resist )

My favourite LZ track is Kashmir, and I have no idea why everyone raves about Stairway to Heaven. I think I'll probably be killed for saying that. Zepplin had a lot of phases, so I'd recommend a greatest hits to figure out which era you like best

Kinda grown out of Mike, but back in the day he was hot... if your gonna listen to naff pop and power ballads, may as well be the best ones going!

Have you heard of the Danish band Kashmir? Hit: Rocket Brothers? And another Danish one Mew? Hit: Comforting Sounds?

Sad music is so easy to love when you're a teenager. But its also because its so much easier to make beautiful sad melodies than anything else.

Will try LZ. The only music you can get around here is illegal - for the equivalent of about $1.00 US.

Mmmmm.... I guess with the crotch-tugging he never really stood a chance on my end - I saw before I heard.

Nope... and nope again... I'll remember the names though; I like unusual bands

I guess so... I've always preferred angry or depressive music rather than sad



When I was a kid, it was either that or Take That... And I always prefered Alisha's Attic anyway