Polythism
Saw this huge war of words on XiaXue's blog. Interesting (seeing how people respond), yet boring (the topic) at the same time.
Religion has always been controversial. I'm not a Christian nor a Catholic. Not a Muslim, Buddist, Taoist Hindu, etc... I like the term 'freethinker', but it's often associated with an aethist. Not right, an aethist believes in no God/supreme being/deity. Freethinkers are still listening and thinking and cannot be excluded from the believers.
After this while, through contact with various religions (my mum is a Taoist, with the Guan Yin altar at home, I've Christian friends and attended church sessions, I sometimes pray to a mini Confucious figurine before exams) I've realised that I am a polythist. I believe in a greater power beyond just humans and science. There are so many things we cannot explain...(i.e. where is the end of the universe, you cannot reach an end if you keep heading in one direction; why am I in I) What's wrong in me praying to a Confucious figurine before exams, if it gives me that little hope if some related being really exists and hears my prayers and helps me a little with that MCQ? (Not that I don't study and leave it all to this, I'd be dumb to do so) But when I step into a church, I do feel some sense of awe at the faith, and believe that maybe there is some God. Same goes for temples and mosques.
So am I just another 'bend-with-the-wind' type? I don't think so. I just have a few fundamental beliefs, that I feel are sufficient, whether you believe in God, Allah, Buddha, immortals, or whoever. However, I'm just stating my beliefs that I try to live by, and am NOT expecting anyone else to follow it or spread it... blah blah blah.
Do good, don't harm others. Most religions have commandments, ways of life, teachings that tell people to act kindly. So be nice, for the sake of the everyone.
Accept others as they are, the world is filled with billions of people and they are all different, it would be great if everyone could accept everyone else as they are. This does not mean we act like idiots and smile at the rogue who snatches your wallet, or shrug off the lousy friend/colleague/boss... we just react as we are (being different ourselves) and bear the consequences of our actions.
There are too many things for us to do and be concerned about, why bother if there is an afterlife, or reincarnation? So long we live this life the way we should, when it comes to the time we die, we'll find out if we go to the reincarnation wheel, or to the gates of heaven to be judged, or some other place no one has thought of. We might just really dissipate into the soil after being broken down to basic elements. Why worry so hard now? That'll be like saving a lot of money for a dream retirement, only to find at retirement that you might have some health problem that smashes the dream.
Just some thoughts, if every soul has a chance to go heaven, does this apply to the insects, the animals, the plants? they too are living things with thoughts and a soul. wouldn't heaven/hell be really crowded with so many new beings born everyday? It's really amazing that with so much said about afterlife/reincarnation etc... that there is no real proof that can be shown and repeated (so please spare me the story of Jesus' rebirth). Just like the chemistry experiment of putting sodium in water, the same result happens everytime. So why isn't there something like that to show us? And we are supposed to believe so fervently in something that you cannot prove until you die? Things like this make me more sure that no one religion can answer my queries, and while each might have some truth, there is no absolute correct one.
I must state again, I believe in a bit of everything, so long it makes sense to me. I am not anti-Christian, anti-Islam, or anti-anything. Instead I am quite pro-everything. I am a polythist, a freethinker, and most importantly, I am happy as such. *smile*
