*fourfeetnine*

Monday, March 28, 2005

Amitabha

Another earthquake. :(

Is South (East) Asia cursed or what? So far no news of a tsunami, let's hope it stays that way.

I was talking to someone online and he said "the signs are here that the end of the world is coming."

*tries not to roll eyes*

He went on to tell me that "I should convert to Christianity now so if anything happens, I can go to Heaven."

Now, I am not bothered about whatever you believe in, be it Christianity or Wicca. Go ahead la, whatever makes you happy.

But I draw the line when you try to preach about your religion to me. I have had enough of people trying to take me to church camp, trying to make me say grace, smashing flyers into my face and babbling about Jesus/Kuan Yin at the top of their lungs.

I believe there is a Heaven or Nirvana. But what I don't believe in is that Heaven is exclusively for people who believe in Jesus.

What if you commit a murder yet you are a Christian? Do you get to go to Heaven?
What about if you are leading a damn pious life but have never heard of Christianity because it just never reached your tribe? Are you doomed to eternity in hell?

I just really want to know about that. I'm not kutuking Christianity, which I happen to think is a very beautiful religion. Any Christians out there who can enlighten me?

But I just HATEHATEHATE it when people come up to me and tell me Christianity is the true religion and nonbelievers will never get into Heaven.

For god's sake (oh no, blasphemy), I don't even believe in Heaven! I don't believe that God made the world and universe in 7 days. If there is and end of the world, I don't believe that it is God's punishment for us sinning humans. Much like I don't believe that if you are damn good in your life (or something, the details evade me), you will get 7 virgins when you go to Heaven. So the whole point of you being good is not because it is the right thing to do but so you get to have sex with 7 virgins after you die?

Is there really a true religion? Are religions and their ideologies even real?

Myself, I believe in Buddhism and its belief in reincarnation, karma and Nirvana. It just makes the most sense for me. The world was made because of events that occured in the universe. Humans exist because we evolved from unicellular sea creatures over millions of years.

But I don't know for sure if what Buddhism says is the truth either. How do we know? Has anyone ever been to Heaven and back and can vouch for it with concrete proof?

I think religions came about to give people hope. To give them faith that someone out there is looking out for them. To give them something to hold on to when they are suffering. To lessen their fear about death and afterlife.

So everyone to their own.
Don't try to convert me to yours.
How do you know you are right?

Name
September 15, 2005 10:29 PM PDT

Doesn't freedom to practise one's religion include the freedom to preach it to others? Since Christianity inherently includes evangelism as a COMMAND, I guess they're just practising their religion... Just some have wron attitude and get pushy, that's all...
jl
August 18, 2005 12:09 PM PDT

good entry . i certainly agree with u .... Christians really freak me out... they talk about their God 24/7 ... i can't stand it...

mELdEe
April 10, 2005 11:33 PM PDT

*applause*

i may also be a buddhist, committee youth group and all that, but i never. ever. try. to. convert. people.

that's just making myself a pain in the ass.

bravo, aud!
auds
April 8, 2005 08:47 AM PDT

yes. we have the same name. :) and i happen to like pink too. *grinz*

first off, i'd like to apologise on behalf of christianity for any 'pushy-ness' or 'forcing' of my beliefs.. it was never meant to be that way.. but some people just can't get it right however much the good intentions.

i'm sorry.

and yes. we all have free will. we get to pick and choose what we want to do with our lives. even in Christianity, nothing can be forced. if we have accepted Christ but yet fall short and leep sinning like crazy.. we'd still face judgment.

i believe in heaven. and i'd love to see all my friends there with me. but making them convert because of this reason isn't solid enough. to me, the heaven bit is a side benefit. it is not the sole reason of Christianity.

i don't know if you'd read this comment.. but.. just my random thoughts..

God bless. :)
Reta
April 1, 2005 03:36 AM PST

Gosh I GET THAT all the time. You say No politely, they don't get it.

I'm thinking of armouring myself with a parang or something.

I'm a freaking atheist so stop freaking disturb me!!! 10q. =P
aud
March 31, 2005 11:12 PM PST

suanie: thank you! your comment was impressive:) i don't know enough to write a truly coherent post about religion yet though.
suanie
March 31, 2005 09:35 AM PST

hallo. i got here frm kenny's site.

man is inherently weak, faith gives him something to hold on to, even if it is blind faith.

about buddhism and heaven... nirvana in its true definition is a state of mind. my summary of the whole buddhism thing is, it was ancient 'new-age' spirituality. no gods, only belief in the power of yourself and the awakening of the sub-conscious (and other) minds.

then there are the people who were (are) not that 'educated' about the possibilities of such things, mostly brought upon by their own environment. for example, the poor farmers, the fishermen, the ground people so to speak.

that was why amitabha buddha 'created' the western paradise - the 'rules' are easy; chant 'namo amitabha buddha' or 'na mo om mi to fu' and you are 'saved'. it is really another version of other religions who ask you to believe and thou shalt be salvaged.

but in a way it works for the rules also said, chanting is not enough. do good, avoid evil, purify your mind the best you can. that is the ultimate aim for buddhists.

when it comes to other religions the only problem this poses is the pure belief of a god who would strike thee. in buddhism there is mara, much like lucifer but as in christianity mara tempts and it is up to the mere human to overcome the temptations if he can. there is no god to punish you if you do not fulfil his work etc.

karma means : basically if you fuck up that is your problem.

just random thoughts after reading your post. good post btw
.
aud
March 30, 2005 10:04 PM PST

passerbyno.2: thank you!! i loved your comment... i liked the fact that you explained so much about christianity and in a very nice, non-pushy way.

i wanna learn more. any way i can contact u?
passerbyno.2
March 30, 2005 06:37 PM PST

hey, stumbled upon this blog, interesting read! first up, nice layout...i like pink.

just to clarify some stuff, about why some christians do the things they do. they tell you that only christians go to Heaven, cuz to christians, going to Heaven is about belonging. i suppose the people who preach it should re-phrase that sentence. its not to belittle other religions or to curse others to hell. just that belonging = accepting Jesus as Lord and saviour hence, the assumption that christians deserve heaven. i assure you, christians have to have faith too, they will still be judged at the gates of heaven even if they have accepted Jesus.

secondly, if you are pious your whole life and have never heard of christianity, christians believe that it is up to God's grace to forgive them of the sins they were born with (cuz we are born with sin due to that adam and eve thing...a christian belief)

thirdly, i want to express how truly sad i am about certain christians who try to push their beliefs into other people's faces. it's regretful that it happened to you =/

lastly, i personally don't believe that you should keep your religion to yourself. after all, if it brings you such joy, why not share it? its just that some people are pushy when it comes to sharing and end up trying to convert instead of just share.

geez, didn't realize i wrote so much, hope you don't mind my two cent's worth! and hopefully it answers some of your questions =)
swee
March 30, 2005 11:51 AM PST

ha.. totally agree!!

some ppl of X religion like to "spread the good word" to the Y believers without realising that they're actually despising or not-respecting the Y religion..

i just think that each religion is beautiful in their own way... and respect is the word here i guess..
meow fong
March 30, 2005 11:14 AM PST

I so agree with u aud..I can't stand ppl who tries their very best to brainwash me n preach me abt religion. Idiots.
Lilrainbow
March 30, 2005 10:09 AM PST

*Nods head vigorously while shouting 'Yeah-LAH!' repeatedly*
Yen
March 29, 2005 03:05 PM PST

Aw, haha, thanks Aud. XD You did a good job too! But just to clarify, I don't mean only Christians. Buddhist, Christian, Satanist, Pagan, Jewish, whatever-- keep it to yourself. It's like in kindergarten, "keep your hands to yourself." XD
aud
March 29, 2005 01:57 PM PST

yatz: thank u! you're right...its like insulting other religions by insinuating they are not as good.
Yatz
March 29, 2005 01:53 PM PST

well..i'm a free-thinker..but i still belive in ghosts..and perhaps heaven and hell..
it's my own right not to choose any religion..
so..it's the right for us to choose our own religion..
so i too think it's bad to say that u'll go to heaven only if u r a christian..
it's like insulting other religions..
that's bad..
aud
March 29, 2005 01:02 PM PST

nic i like your comment! even though it took me a few reads to get it =.=

void: yeah, i know what u mean. to them they are doing a very noble thing by trying to convert us. but i think all of us have our own different beliefs and they shoudn't bellittle them.
Void
March 29, 2005 12:20 PM PST

to answer your question bout why christians are so pushy, it's because it's part of the religion and church system. it's considered the duty of every christian to spread 'the good word'.

but yeah, i don't like it when people go all religious fanatic on me.
Nic
March 29, 2005 10:26 AM PST

"Humans exist because we evolved from unicellular sea creatures over millions of years".

Human exist because of the right conditions, just like 4 eggs, butter, flour and sugar will turn into butter cake ;-)
Take out one ingredient or even if the oven is not hot enough, no more cake.

To reach nivarna, we must know the "recipe", not just blind faith ;-)

7 virgins, 7 dwarfs and... Santa prolly live in the same neighbourhood, 91500 Fantasyland.
aud
March 29, 2005 09:33 AM PST

yea i know! nowadays buddhists also damn scary! that's why i put jesus/kuan yin ma :P
jmin
March 29, 2005 09:04 AM PST

yah lah..apparently nowadays, also go overzealous buddhists also man! i actually encountered a few of them. hmm..im starting to get scared of my own religion also. hahah..

yes, ppl should not preach!! and when they do, its like cursing u to hell if u dun listen or follow wat they say. wth..:S
paperbox
March 29, 2005 08:32 AM PST

hahahahaha i totally understand the feeling of bein "brainwashed" by christianity n all the joy n hope and wat comes after life~** peace**
morticya^33
March 29, 2005 02:52 AM PST

;p totally agree (is christian but not a good one)

however i do disagree on one factor.. these days (new agre buddhists) also come up and attempt to preach. taking a leaf out of pious christian books? ;p

ah, whatever. *goes back to college work*
aud
March 29, 2005 01:36 AM PST

passerby, thank you! ooh i love receiving comments from new ppl :D
passerby
March 29, 2005 01:14 AM PST

*big applause* A good one!
aud
March 29, 2005 12:38 AM PST

yen, you said everything i was too dumb to say! i babbled on for paragraphs while u just summed everything up in one sentence. :D
Yen
March 28, 2005 11:41 PM PST

I feel the exact same way. I'm not anti-Christian in the least bit-- I'm all for freedom of religion and all that good stuff-- but seriously, KEEP YOUR RELIGION TO YOURSELVES. Freedom of religion means *my* freedom to practice my own religion without anyone else trying to lord their own over me and patronize me with it. *huff* My hometown is actually filled with devout Chinese Christians, so I know where you're coming from, baby. :P
|

with love. <3
[Monday, March 28, 2005 4:40 pm (aud001)]

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	jl August 18, 2005 12:09 PM PDT good entry . i certainly agree with u .... Christians really freak me out... they talk about their God 24/7 ... i can't stand it...


	mELdEe April 10, 2005 11:33 PM PDT applause i may also be a buddhist, committee youth group and all that, but i never. ever. try. to. convert. people. that's just making myself a pain in the ass. bravo, aud!


	auds April 8, 2005 08:47 AM PDT yes. we have the same name. :) and i happen to like pink too. grinz first off, i'd like to apologise on behalf of christianity for any 'pushy-ness' or 'forcing' of my beliefs.. it was never meant to be that way.. but some people just can't get it right however much the good intentions. i'm sorry. and yes. we all have free will. we get to pick and choose what we want to do with our lives. even in Christianity, nothing can be forced. if we have accepted Christ but yet fall short and leep sinning like crazy.. we'd still face judgment. i believe in heaven. and i'd love to see all my friends there with me. but making them convert because of this reason isn't solid enough. to me, the heaven bit is a side benefit. it is not the sole reason of Christianity. i don't know if you'd read this comment.. but.. just my random thoughts.. God bless. :)


	Reta April 1, 2005 03:36 AM PST Gosh I GET THAT all the time. You say No politely, they don't get it. I'm thinking of armouring myself with a parang or something. I'm a freaking atheist so stop freaking disturb me!!! 10q. =P


	aud March 31, 2005 11:12 PM PST suanie: thank you! your comment was impressive:) i don't know enough to write a truly coherent post about religion yet though.


	suanie March 31, 2005 09:35 AM PST hallo. i got here frm kenny's site. man is inherently weak, faith gives him something to hold on to, even if it is blind faith. about buddhism and heaven... nirvana in its true definition is a state of mind. my summary of the whole buddhism thing is, it was ancient 'new-age' spirituality. no gods, only belief in the power of yourself and the awakening of the sub-conscious (and other) minds. then there are the people who were (are) not that 'educated' about the possibilities of such things, mostly brought upon by their own environment. for example, the poor farmers, the fishermen, the ground people so to speak. that was why amitabha buddha 'created' the western paradise - the 'rules' are easy; chant 'namo amitabha buddha' or 'na mo om mi to fu' and you are 'saved'. it is really another version of other religions who ask you to believe and thou shalt be salvaged. but in a way it works for the rules also said, chanting is not enough. do good, avoid evil, purify your mind the best you can. that is the ultimate aim for buddhists. when it comes to other religions the only problem this poses is the pure belief of a god who would strike thee. in buddhism there is mara, much like lucifer but as in christianity mara tempts and it is up to the mere human to overcome the temptations if he can. there is no god to punish you if you do not fulfil his work etc. karma means : basically if you fuck up that is your problem. just random thoughts after reading your post. good post btw .


	aud March 30, 2005 10:04 PM PST passerbyno.2: thank you!! i loved your comment... i liked the fact that you explained so much about christianity and in a very nice, non-pushy way. i wanna learn more. any way i can contact u?


	passerbyno.2 March 30, 2005 06:37 PM PST hey, stumbled upon this blog, interesting read! first up, nice layout...i like pink. just to clarify some stuff, about why some christians do the things they do. they tell you that only christians go to Heaven, cuz to christians, going to Heaven is about belonging. i suppose the people who preach it should re-phrase that sentence. its not to belittle other religions or to curse others to hell. just that belonging = accepting Jesus as Lord and saviour hence, the assumption that christians deserve heaven. i assure you, christians have to have faith too, they will still be judged at the gates of heaven even if they have accepted Jesus. secondly, if you are pious your whole life and have never heard of christianity, christians believe that it is up to God's grace to forgive them of the sins they were born with (cuz we are born with sin due to that adam and eve thing...a christian belief) thirdly, i want to express how truly sad i am about certain christians who try to push their beliefs into other people's faces. it's regretful that it happened to you =/ lastly, i personally don't believe that you should keep your religion to yourself. after all, if it brings you such joy, why not share it? its just that some people are pushy when it comes to sharing and end up trying to convert instead of just share. geez, didn't realize i wrote so much, hope you don't mind my two cent's worth! and hopefully it answers some of your questions =)


	swee March 30, 2005 11:51 AM PST ha.. totally agree!! some ppl of X religion like to "spread the good word" to the Y believers without realising that they're actually despising or not-respecting the Y religion.. i just think that each religion is beautiful in their own way... and respect is the word here i guess..


	meow fong March 30, 2005 11:14 AM PST I so agree with u aud..I can't stand ppl who tries their very best to brainwash me n preach me abt religion. Idiots.

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	Lilrainbow March 30, 2005 10:09 AM PST Nods head vigorously while shouting 'Yeah-LAH!' repeatedly


	Yen March 29, 2005 03:05 PM PST Aw, haha, thanks Aud. XD You did a good job too! But just to clarify, I don't mean only Christians. Buddhist, Christian, Satanist, Pagan, Jewish, whatever-- keep it to yourself. It's like in kindergarten, "keep your hands to yourself." XD


	aud March 29, 2005 01:57 PM PST yatz: thank u! you're right...its like insulting other religions by insinuating they are not as good.


	Yatz March 29, 2005 01:53 PM PST well..i'm a free-thinker..but i still belive in ghosts..and perhaps heaven and hell.. it's my own right not to choose any religion.. so..it's the right for us to choose our own religion.. so i too think it's bad to say that u'll go to heaven only if u r a christian.. it's like insulting other religions.. that's bad..


	aud March 29, 2005 01:02 PM PST nic i like your comment! even though it took me a few reads to get it =.= void: yeah, i know what u mean. to them they are doing a very noble thing by trying to convert us. but i think all of us have our own different beliefs and they shoudn't bellittle them.


	Void March 29, 2005 12:20 PM PST to answer your question bout why christians are so pushy, it's because it's part of the religion and church system. it's considered the duty of every christian to spread 'the good word'. but yeah, i don't like it when people go all religious fanatic on me.


	Nic March 29, 2005 10:26 AM PST "Humans exist because we evolved from unicellular sea creatures over millions of years". Human exist because of the right conditions, just like 4 eggs, butter, flour and sugar will turn into butter cake ;-) Take out one ingredient or even if the oven is not hot enough, no more cake. To reach nivarna, we must know the "recipe", not just blind faith ;-) 7 virgins, 7 dwarfs and... Santa prolly live in the same neighbourhood, 91500 Fantasyland.


	aud March 29, 2005 09:33 AM PST yea i know! nowadays buddhists also damn scary! that's why i put jesus/kuan yin ma :P


	jmin March 29, 2005 09:04 AM PST yah lah..apparently nowadays, also go overzealous buddhists also man! i actually encountered a few of them. hmm..im starting to get scared of my own religion also. hahah.. yes, ppl should not preach!! and when they do, its like cursing u to hell if u dun listen or follow wat they say. wth..:S


	paperbox March 29, 2005 08:32 AM PST hahahahaha i totally understand the feeling of bein "brainwashed" by christianity n all the joy n hope and wat comes after life~ peace


	morticya^33 March 29, 2005 02:52 AM PST ;p totally agree (is christian but not a good one) however i do disagree on one factor.. these days (new agre buddhists) also come up and attempt to preach. taking a leaf out of pious christian books? ;p ah, whatever. goes back to college work


	aud March 29, 2005 01:36 AM PST passerby, thank you! ooh i love receiving comments from new ppl :D


	passerby March 29, 2005 01:14 AM PST big applause A good one!


	aud March 29, 2005 12:38 AM PST yen, you said everything i was too dumb to say! i babbled on for paragraphs while u just summed everything up in one sentence. :D


	Yen March 28, 2005 11:41 PM PST I feel the exact same way. I'm not anti-Christian in the least bit-- I'm all for freedom of religion and all that good stuff-- but seriously, KEEP YOUR RELIGION TO YOURSELVES. Freedom of religion means my freedom to practice my own religion without anyone else trying to lord their own over me and patronize me with it. huff My hometown is actually filled with devout Chinese Christians, so I know where you're coming from, baby. :P