predestination

[ducter]

I know that people believe that there is a God and that you either defy him or join him. My question is that if you don't believe in God, then what? Is there an alternative such as that everything has a purpose, or that maybe there is a reason for everything that happens that is just beyond our control?  

[GilAskan]

Different religions have different takes, as to be expected.

Look at Calvinism, for example. Calvinism was an early protestant sect of Europe who believed that access to Heaven was entirely predetermined. Under Calvinist belief, the people who would get into Heaven were guaranteed it by birthright. According to the sect's teachings, it doesn't matter what you do in life, or even if you believe in God: you're guaranteed your spot in Heaven no matter what.

Some sects of Christianity believe that ALL of humanity is destined for Heaven, no matter what you believe or what you do. These sects believe that God forgives all sins, and therefore, all people may enter Heaven.

Et' cetera.

The same applies for all religions, really. There are Judaic followings that have varying beliefs in predestination, as there are those of Islam. Outside of Abrahamic religions, you'll still find such variety of beliefs within any given religion.  

[DR490N]

Old celtic belief, that which i myself agree with, states that when a person dies, their soul lives on with memories intact on the other side. this belief was and is so strong with many that debts cna be made payable on the other side. From this otherside life, you live there until you die there or decide to reincarnate back into a physical form, at which point memories are suppressed, locked away, or erased, though such memories can be recovered. now, as for gods, there are far too many, and many more whose names and purposes have been lost long ago and who have simply retreated to astral obscurity. many of them are quite happy that way. each god has a purpose, and many gods choose to show themselves in some physical way to people(Cernunnos shows himself often as a white stag or a wild haired man with seven tined stag antlers, for example) and still more choose to show themselves on the astral plane to many more. i have personally had contact with 4 celtic gods whom i can name(cernnnos, Cuchulainn, morrigan, and medb), as well as a few Norse gods(Oden, Thor, and briefly with entities that may have been the god Loki and the god Freyr).  

[Rellik San]

Of course my personal belief doesn't have a god, all it is, is we live we die and we get reincarnated until we lead a life so full of wrong doing that there is no creature low enough for us to reincarnate into.  

[Ether-Eating Eskimo]

Rellik San

Of course my personal belief doesn't have a god, all it is, is we live we die and we get reincarnated until we lead a life so full of wrong doing that there is no creature low enough for us to reincarnate into.

...pleasant... sweatdrop  

[KoRnfucius]

GilAskan

Different religions have different takes, as to be expected.

Look at Calvinism, for example. Calvinism was an early protestant sect of Europe who believed that access to Heaven was entirely predetermined. Under Calvinist belief, the people who would get into Heaven were guaranteed it by birthright. According to the sect's teachings, it doesn't matter what you do in life, or even if you believe in God: you're guaranteed your spot in Heaven no matter what.

Some sects of Christianity believe that ALL of humanity is destined for Heaven, no matter what you believe or what you do. These sects believe that God forgives all sins, and therefore, all people may enter Heaven.

Et' cetera.

The same applies for all religions, really. There are Judaic followings that have varying beliefs in predestination, as there are those of Islam. Outside of Abrahamic religions, you'll still find such variety of beliefs within any given religion.

Calvinists sound just like Presbyterians.  

[GilAskan]

KoRnfucius

GilAskan

Different religions have different takes, as to be expected.

Look at Calvinism, for example. Calvinism was an early protestant sect of Europe who believed that access to Heaven was entirely predetermined. Under Calvinist belief, the people who would get into Heaven were guaranteed it by birthright. According to the sect's teachings, it doesn't matter what you do in life, or even if you believe in God: you're guaranteed your spot in Heaven no matter what.

Some sects of Christianity believe that ALL of humanity is destined for Heaven, no matter what you believe or what you do. These sects believe that God forgives all sins, and therefore, all people may enter Heaven.

Et' cetera.

The same applies for all religions, really. There are Judaic followings that have varying beliefs in predestination, as there are those of Islam. Outside of Abrahamic religions, you'll still find such variety of beliefs within any given religion.

Calvinists sound just like Presbyterians.

The Presbyterian order actually came out of Calvinism. Calvinism is no longer practiced (well, not in any large number, at least), but its off-shoots still do. Presbyterianism, Lapserianism, and the Jehova's Witnesses all came from Calvinism.  

[Serjo Sammie]

Personally, I believe that each creature is born with a portion of the universal energy in it. When that creature dies the energy is passed on to the next, but the actual creatue (mind, body, and soul) is gone. That's all there is to it really, our lives are under our own control.  

[KoRnfucius]

GilAskan

KoRnfucius

GilAskan

Different religions have different takes, as to be expected.

Look at Calvinism, for example. Calvinism was an early protestant sect of Europe who believed that access to Heaven was entirely predetermined. Under Calvinist belief, the people who would get into Heaven were guaranteed it by birthright. According to the sect's teachings, it doesn't matter what you do in life, or even if you believe in God: you're guaranteed your spot in Heaven no matter what.

Some sects of Christianity believe that ALL of humanity is destined for Heaven, no matter what you believe or what you do. These sects believe that God forgives all sins, and therefore, all people may enter Heaven.

Et' cetera.

The same applies for all religions, really. There are Judaic followings that have varying beliefs in predestination, as there are those of Islam. Outside of Abrahamic religions, you'll still find such variety of beliefs within any given religion.

Calvinists sound just like Presbyterians.

The Presbyterian order actually came out of Calvinism. Calvinism is no longer practiced (well, not in any large number, at least), but its off-shoots still do. Presbyterianism, Lapserianism, and the Jehova's Witnesses all came from Calvinism.

Interesting. I never knew that, although it makes sense.  

[ArynChris]

KoRnfucius

GilAskan

KoRnfucius

GilAskan

Different religions have different takes, as to be expected.

Look at Calvinism, for example. Calvinism was an early protestant sect of Europe who believed that access to Heaven was entirely predetermined. Under Calvinist belief, the people who would get into Heaven were guaranteed it by birthright. According to the sect's teachings, it doesn't matter what you do in life, or even if you believe in God: you're guaranteed your spot in Heaven no matter what.

Some sects of Christianity believe that ALL of humanity is destined for Heaven, no matter what you believe or what you do. These sects believe that God forgives all sins, and therefore, all people may enter Heaven.

Et' cetera.

The same applies for all religions, really. There are Judaic followings that have varying beliefs in predestination, as there are those of Islam. Outside of Abrahamic religions, you'll still find such variety of beliefs within any given religion.

Calvinists sound just like Presbyterians.

The Presbyterian order actually came out of Calvinism. Calvinism is no longer practiced (well, not in any large number, at least), but its off-shoots still do. Presbyterianism, Lapserianism, and the Jehova's Witnesses all came from Calvinism.

Interesting. I never knew that, although it makes sense.

"John Calvin was a Presbyterian/you be one too..."--Presbyterian Sunday School song for children.  

[Henneth Annun]

Serjo Sammie

Personally, I believe that each creature is born with a portion of the universal energy in it. When that creature dies the energy is passed on to the next, but the actual creatue (mind, body, and soul) is gone. That's all there is to it really, our lives are under our own control.

In short, that's what I believe. There's some force or energy out there that makes life possible. When you die, your physical form decays and your consciene is gone, and that energy in you is released back into the universe. I believe there is no other force that rules in the universe other than scientific law and that energy. No power governs us other than those powers. We are in control of our lives and what we make of them, and you only get one. Your future isn't pre-determined, you influence it through your words and actions. Things outside of your control can influence your future, but not some type of "god".

Heaven and hell are the inventions of people's minds. It's part of the idea of something that protects you and cares for you (in most cases). (A god wouldn't let someone who murdered his followers have a good future, it makes people feel emotionaly and mentaly "better".)

If there was such thing as heaven and hell, going to either of those places wouldn't be predetermined. A quiet and happy five year old could become any kind of adult for many reasons, and that would influence many things in their life. You can't just decide were a fetus will go when it dies, it hasn't done anything yet!