What Belief Systems Have You Looked Into

[nailit]

And why?
Non believers like myself and other ABers sometimes get labelled as being ''closed minded'',
but I've often found that to be far from the truth amongst the atheist/agnostic/free thinking community who come to a rejection of religion after much inquiry.

Just a few of the belief systems that I, myself, have studied or at least looked into...

Evangelical Christianity of many flavours (I started of as a 'born again' teenage beliver)
Liberal Christianity
Occult belief systems (Read much of Aleister Crowley, Thelema, Golden Dawn, Theosophy etc in my 20's)
Satanism (Read Anton LaVey's Satanic Bible and have conversed online with both LaVeyan Satanist and theistic Satanists)
Spiritualism (Read many books by mediums and have attended scores of Spiritualist services and also seances, ouija board session etc)
Islam (read the Koran and conversed with many muslims)
Krishna (Attended a Krishna meeting and read the Bhagavad Gita)
Wicca and Paganism (Had many friends over the years and practiced Wicca and many different forms of Paganism)
Jehovah witnesses (attended many meetings, spoke to many followers, read much literature)
Mormons, as above
Christadelphians, as above
Seventh day adventists, as above
Buddhism (read much literature and attend a few talks)
Gnosticism (attended one talk, read much literature
Ive read a whole raft of literature on other belief systems without attending meetings/lectures etc.

WHY?
I was interested (still am).
Closed minded?
Dont think so

[Khandro]

You seem to be slow at the back in answering my 'silly' question.

apc: Buddhists do not believe in reincarnation, they, or at least some, believe in rebirth.

[Zacs-Master]

I've never found the need.

[nailit]

khandro...
//nailit. //Non believers like myself//
What is it you don't believe in?//

Err! I thought it was self evident?

[nailit]

//Oh you’ve read a million books. Well done. Yawn.//
Yes, that's what an inquiring mind did back in the day before the internet and keyboard warriors like yourself came along, we read books.
And your point is?

[naomi24]

Khandro, nonsense. If the word ‘reincarnation’ is good enough for the Dalai Lama it ought to be good enough for you.

[nailit]

Well they do say that reincarnation is making a come-back!

[Theland]

:-)

[nailit]

//Buddhists do not believe in reincarnation, they, or at least some, believe in rebirth//
What is it with this ridiculous semantics game?
I dont get it?
If you are reborn then you are reincarnated surely?
Why the splitting hairs over words?

Anyway, that isnt what I asked in my OP.
I asked what belief systems have you looked into and khandro replied with another question. Try answering the first one and then we might have a conversation...
(and if you dont want a conversation then feel free to ask a question of ur own elswhere)

[naomi24]

//we read books. //

I still read books. Nothing like 'em.

[Khandro]

n. Reincarnation & rebirth are not the same, it's very complicated question the terms not easily translated into English, I have spent much time in the presence of real Tibetan Lamas discussing this subject.

Nailit: I am familiar with many (not all) of those religions including some you have missed, but if you have done what you say you have & learnt nothing you must be a nihilist.

A further question; what have those religions got in common ?

[naomi24]

Khandro, //it's very complicated question the terms not easily translated into English//

This might help you. It’s in English.

https://www.dalailama.com/the-dalai-lama/biography-and-daily-life/reincarnation

//Nailit: I am familiar with many (not all) of those religions including some you have missed, but if you have done what you say you have & learnt nothing you must be a nihilist.//

That really is a very silly thing to say, Khandro.

//Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy.//

https://iep.utm.edu/nihilism/

[Khandro]

n. At the beginning of that article is has, 'Translated from the original Tibetan' & that is a bad translation aimed at a wide audience.
You probably think I am nit-picking but I am not.

Many civilizations have believed in reincarnation, but 'rebirth' in Tibetan Buddhism is entirely bound up with Karma, which reincarnation isn't necessarily.

[douglas9401]

We all shine on.

[naomi24]

Khandro, // 'rebirth' in Tibetan Buddhism is entirely bound up with Karma, which reincarnation isn't necessarily. //

I know.

//You probably think I am nit-picking but I am not. //

Yes I do... and you are. If the Dalai Lama doesn't suit you, you're a lost cause.

[naomi24]

Incidentally, Khandro, the Dalai Lama speaks excellent English. I'm sure he'd have noticed if there had been a mistake.

[Khandro]

n. As having the last word (regardless of facts) seems to be always so important to you, you may have it. :o)

[naomi24]

It's not about having the last word, Khandro, as you well know. It's about righting the misleading information you post - like 'Buddhists do not believe in reincarnation.' However, if your best shot in the face of exposure is to have a pop at me, feel free.