If you could design your own religion

[Poseidon]

If you could design your own religion, and make that religion true, what are some things that you would include in that version of reality?

For example: would you want monotheism, polytheism, or something in-between, like dualism?
Heaven and hell? Nirvana? Heaven but no hell? Eternal reincarnation? No afterlife at all?
Creatures like angels and demons, or other supernatural creatures?

And of course anything else you can think of! I may post this in the Non-Catholic religions section as well later, because I think I might get very different perspectives there.

 

[Della]

The truth of the religion would depend on the one who made the universe in which one lives. We can imagine any number of universes and their accompanying truths–sci-fi stories are replete with these.

I can’t see the advantage of this exercise for finite creatures, though. I may be fun, but it cannot change the reality in which we live. I often think sci-fi writers are attempting to negate reality in order to create their own religion, which is fun to read, but then one has to come back to the way things really are and deal with that, anyway.

Any god figure is going to “make the rules” in any such scenario whether the god figure is a mortal being or a supernatural one. As humans we cannot escape the natural law of God no matter how hard we might try or might deny its existence. As I see it, it’s an exercise in futility.

I would have God just as he is. You may think that’s due to a lack of imagination, but be assured it isn’t. I have a very wild imagination in which I can create all sorts of scenarios, but in the end, truth must out. And the truth is, any God worth his salt would be one who need not explain himself to those he created, need not do anything about their lives if he chose not to, but who is bound by his own justice, love and mercy to get involved anyway. Otherwise, why have a God at all?

PS: It is against forum rules to start two threads on the same topic, so this one will have to do.

 

[Don_Jackson]

Why mess with perfection. The Lord did a pretty good job of the one he came up with!

 

[ProdglArchitect]

In the spirit of the question, I’ve always like the Elder Scrolls reality. If I had the opportunity, I would love to see how a universe based on its principles would play out.

As stated though, why mess with perfection?

 

[Poseidon]

Why mess with perfection. The Lord did a pretty good job of the one he came up with!

I don’t think that anyone can really argue that any religion is perfect. But that’s not the point. The point is a hypothetical, what-would-you-do question. Surely there’s something you would change about your religion?

 

[Cristiano]

If you could design your own religion, and make that religion true, what are some things that you would include in that version of reality?

For example: would you want monotheism, polytheism, or something in-between, like dualism?
Heaven and hell? Nirvana? Heaven but no hell? Eternal reincarnation? No afterlife at all?
Creatures like angels and demons, or other supernatural creatures?

And of course anything else you can think of! I may post this in the Non-Catholic religions section as well later, because I think I might get very different perspectives there.

I would just like a religion/reality with no concrete possibility for sin. That would make my life much easier.

 

[Poseidon]

If you could design your own religion, and make that religion true, what are some things that you would include in that version of reality?

For example: would you want monotheism, polytheism, or something in-between, like dualism?
Heaven and hell? Nirvana? Heaven but no hell? Eternal reincarnation? No afterlife at all?
Creatures like angels and demons, or other supernatural creatures?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

I would just like a religion/reality with no concrete possibility for sin. That would make my life much easier.

Wouldn’t that revoke free will, making religion meaningless? Or would you just make the religion carte blanche with no normative rules, in which case the religion is equally pointless?

 

[Lochias]

Surely there’s something you would change about your religion?

What makes you think so?

 

[ProdglArchitect]

What makes you think so?

Because we are human. Even as a devout Catholic there are plenty of things I would changes. These desired changes are born of my human weakness though, and not because I think God was wrong for making us this way.

 

[Cristiano]

Wouldn’t that revoke free will, making religion meaningless? Or would you just make the religion carte blanche with no normative rules, in which case the religion is equally pointless?

I did not say that it must make philosophical sense and the OP did not ask for that either.

That is why I said concrete and I did not say all possibilities of sin. Free will is really about the capability of choosing what is right. Religion is not a law and so it would not be useless anyway, religion is much more, it is a relationship.

 

[Lochias]

Because we are human. Even as a devout Catholic there are plenty of things I would changes. These desired changes are born of my human weakness though, and not because I think God was wrong for making us this way.

Guess that makes one of us. I simply don’t feel that way, and wouldn’t change a thing.

 

[Publisher]

I’d probably invent the faith I belong to. If it’s not true…it should be.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

Guess that makes one of us. I simply don’t feel that way, and wouldn’t change a thing.

I am quite happy for you, and truth be told a little jealous. I very much wish I could shed the weaknesses which result in such feelings.

 

[Armor_of_Light]

I don’t think I can resist this one!

I get the spirit in which this question is intended, so here goes:

We’d all wear shiny silver uniforms and colonize the moon.

…and be catholic of course. Freewill is over-rated and has no place in my religion.

And, nobody would be allowed to refer to pets as ‘their kids’.

 

[Cristiano]

I don’t think I can resist this one!

I get the spirit in which this question is intended, so here goes:

We’d all wear shiny silver uniforms and colonize the moon.
…

If you were a little bit more of an imaginative thetan, you would think about leaving Teegeeack and going back with a buch of Loyal Officers to a planet governed by Xenu.

 

[Armor_of_Light]

If you were a little bit more of an imaginative thetan, you would think about leaving Teegeeack and going back with a buch of Loyal Officers to a planet governed by Xenu.

Oh…I have more rules! But, sadly time is limited…

 

[georget]

Guess that makes one of us. I simply don’t feel that way, and wouldn’t change a thing.

I agree with you, I honestly wouldn’t change a thing. I love the mystery of God, I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I was a young man I used to think, If I could change the color of the sky to any color I desired, what would it be? I went through all the colors and finally I came to the conclusion no matter what color I changed it to, I’d put it back to blue again, because it’s perfect. my eyes are designed to love blue.
God bless

 

[MarkInOregon]

If you could design your own religion, and make that religion true, what are some things that you would include in that version of reality?

For example: would you want monotheism, polytheism, or something in-between, like dualism?
Heaven and hell? Nirvana? Heaven but no hell? Eternal reincarnation? No afterlife at all?
Creatures like angels and demons, or other supernatural creatures?

And of course anything else you can think of! I may post this in the Non-Catholic religions section as well later, because I think I might get very different perspectives there.

I thought that was what a fair number of people were doing these days. Taking a look around and seeing what religion or particular church fit in best with their beliefs and then joining. It seems to me a good number of people are no longer searching for or trying to discern the truth but are simply looking for others who agree with their particular world view–for what makes sense to them – without really thinking about whether or not it is true.

Peace,
Mark

 

[KP3243]

If you could design your own religion, and make that religion true, what are some things that you would include in that version of reality?

For example: would you want monotheism, polytheism, or something in-between, like dualism?
Heaven and hell? Nirvana? Heaven but no hell? Eternal reincarnation? No afterlife at all?
Creatures like angels and demons, or other supernatural creatures?

And of course anything else you can think of! I may post this in the Non-Catholic religions section as well later, because I think I might get very different perspectives there.

I would never be about what** I **want. That is a rather American sentement because Americans are geared toward individualism and always being correct and hardly ever admitting they are wrong much more than any other group is. God has already created his Church, he set it up himself so there is no need for an individual’s own religion or to make one up himself because it would just be a heresy and proved wrong because it is created by man not God.