Agnostic

 

All I know about religion from observing the worldwide collection of religious crazys is that too little is far better than too much. Ive

 

Well said Ive....
And Faith is a long way from Religion.... if you know what I'm saying.

~B

 

Pat:

I'll bet you get this post pulled, but to answer your question, I don't show up to church on Sunday. Me and God got a special relationship that is all our own. I think you can see his omni-presence in all things in nature.

That's maybe one of the reasons I like being outdoors. I spend as much time outdoors as I can. In the last five years, on a prima facie basis, Fly Fishing would appear to be my religion. I am there faithfully every Sunday!!

-Sparse

Streams are made for the wise man to contemplate and fools to pass by.
(Sir Izaak Walton)

 

No reason for it to get pulled....the political posts never got pulled???

~Patrick ><>

Faith is nothing until it is everything!

 

This is one subject I don't like to get into. But I'm kinda like Sparse. But I was raised a Lutheran. And I don't believe in any of it.

Jim

 

I don’t really profess any faith. I figure you either get it or you don’t. I was raised in a Christian church from puberty ‘til my high school graduation. Joined the Army and was possessed by satin for eight years. Got out and took a 180 degree turn in my life and became a nurse. Sort of like doing penance for the things I did to the German populace. As a nurse, I figure in the last 12 years I have helped well over a thousand Grandparents catch their plane to what ever lies beyond death.

I have my faith, I have faith in what I’m doing for America’s Grandparents and my church is the river. You don’t have to believe anything, but I know that where ever you go after dying, there are a lot of great people waiting there for us. And sometimes when I’m out on the Church of the Skykomish, I like to think that some of these great people that I have known or that I believe in, are with me. Yes, I believe in God.

Matt Burke

 

New River Mike

Although I reserve the right to keep my beliefs to myself, I have to agree with Patrick that raising the question is no different than any other that shows up on our board. We still have the right to read/not read, participate/not participate. And the moderators will pull it if deemed necessary.

It's hard for me to think there'd be anyone more offended by the raising of this question than by someone asking what whiskey goes best with steelhead fishing, or what caliber handgun is most appropriate for your float trip.

Just for grins, let me share some MANDATED language I use when reporting information to the government about the subjects of security clearance investigations:

Church becomes "Religious Organization"
Synagogue.......same
Mosque..........same
Rotary Club...."Civic Organization"
Republican....."Political Party"
Boy Scouts....."Youth Group"
Girl Scouts.....same
Fraternity....."Social Organization"
Chinese........"another ethnic group"


:hmmm

 

i am a christian. will in college a friend told me about Jesus Christ. my life as changed. i am greatful for god's free gift in believing in Jesus Christ died for our sins.
vader

 

Imagine we all just finished a great day of fishing and now we're sitting around a campfire having a beer. The fish tales have all been told and now we're really starting to get to know each other. Is it ok for a guy to ask his buddy what he thinks about God? I think it is. But sometimes, even around a camp fire, even among friends, people get defensive about such subjects. When the beer bottles start flying its time to call it a night. Same here. So far this sounds like a nice fireside chat to me and I've already learned a thing or two about some people I am interested in.

Tightline is right -- Faith and Religion are miles apart. Religion (to the extent that it is just following a bunch of pious rules made up by men) is very destructive. Faith can be worthless too, depending on what you've put your faith in. As for me, my faith is in the Creator of these rivers and lakes and fish that we all love. He made it all, we've screwed it all up, and now He's provided a way to fix it. He laid His life down for me, the least I can do is give mine to Him. I'm proud to be a follower of Christ.

 

Well said BR. I'm sure no one will be surprised to know that I agree with you 100%.

 

BrightRivers-

If I would have expanded my original entry on the subject, I couldn't have done it any better.

~B, the well I have good intentions anyways.
:beer2 :smokin

 

I'll start off with this. As long as it stays civil, and no religion bashing, I'm fine with keeping the thread open. But if people start throwing stones (ok, double meaning lol), I'll shut her down. This is a great site because of the people, and their raising is what caused them to be the way they are (religious or non religious), so keep a civil tongue to those who believe (or if you believe, those that don't believe).

Myself, I'm an agnostic. I've always believed in a higher power. It may be a God, it may be Mother nature, but too many beautiful things out there to say it's just a fluke. Personally, I believe in myself. I put my faith in myself and my family. I prefer to take my kids out into nature (which I do often, even with my injury, just not as hardcore as I normally do), which I feel if there is a God, there is no greater cathedral to worship in then on a river with what he/she has created. Especially those rivers with majestic mountains and plenty of trees. Remember floating the Toutle at a young age with Mt St Helens in the back ground. Talk about a site. That is the way I was brought up.

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I will say this. It is NOT a good place to bring up religion around a campfire. UNLESS, you know all the people are similar religions. I've actually have seen this a few times over the years, over drinks nonetheless. I have yet to see one that wasn't pretty. That's if you get varying perceptions on religion. Last one I remember was about 5 years ago. We lost a fishing partner over religion. He was a great guy, but didn't realize that most of us weren't hard core bible believers. He was literally repulsed by that, and has never spoken to us again. Worse thing, we never said anything bad, just that it wasn't our cup of tea. I always have believed, and was taught this as well, that there are two things that should never be spoken between friends. That's politics and religion. From what I've seen to date, that has been correct. I do feel this way. If you have a faith you believe in, and practice it with all your heart, then I feel there is nothing wrong with it. Personally, I worship to the alter of river fishing. Anyone care to go worship with me? :beer2

 

Speaking of religion, I vaguely remember reading this tag-line (or something like it). Anyway, its' not mine, but I sure do like it...

"There is a God. I saw her yesterday on I-5. She was driving a cherry '69 GTO, top down, with an 8 wt Sage RPL in the backseat"

Cheers,

Michael (Lutheran)

 

>my faith is in the Creator of these rivers and lakes
>and fish that we all love. He made it all, we've
>screwed it all up, and now He's provided a way to fix
>it. He laid His life down for me, the least I can do
>is give mine to Him. I'm proud to be a follower of
>Christ.

He also gave each of us a brain and expects us to use it, not to mindlessly and unquestionly accept someone's else's interpretations, which IMHO, is how many things came to be screwed up.

 

Here's one for ya. Raised and folowed Mormonism for 35 years until I finally decided to call a spade a spade and notify my family (a much more traumatic experience than you can imagine) that I was switching to the church of the golden rule - do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Is there a god? I have no idea. Might be. Might not be. I don't know how one could possibly know for sure. Am I interested in religion of any kind? No way, no how. Does the religion of others affect the way I think about them? No way, no how. But I'll quietly leave the room if I start getting preached to.

Religion in general has become so entrenched into society, politics, etc. that people go so far as fight wars and die. There are too mang groups that are 100% certain that their religion is the correct one, and that no other is correct, and people go to crazy lengths in defense of their position.

I guess that makes me agnostic? :dunno

 

The other day I had this conversation with my friend on the way home from the river. I told my buddy, I am on the fence with the whole God thing. I am day to day. As I muttered those words, we passed the grocery store in downtown Arlington. In front of the store were 2 females osculating in front of their vehicle. I then told him there is definitely a god!

 

You know Angie?

 

I don't remember who said it, but here it is...
"A man needs religion like a fish needs a bicycle."

Whether you practice an organized religion or not, if everyone followed the Golden Rule (treat others as you would like to be treated), the world would be a better place.

barbless

 

Angie?

 

I'm a member of the Seven Day Recreationalists

 

Whole heartedly Christian.

Pete

 

I'm with Ive, Sparse, Old Man, Steelheader69. Religeon, to me, is just a bunch of words, and words get in the way of our direct experience of the Universe. Words are clumsy tools in describing the Infinite, but they can help point the way. But like a roadmap, they are neither the road nor the destination, and some maps seem rather confusing at times, especially when others try to interpret them for you.
I've thrown away the maps and simply look around me in wonder and awe, and treat other people the way I want other people to treat me. Basically we are all the same, but society and the World screws us up. I always say to myself, "Self, don't let the world get you down."
I was raise a Christian, and after my family moved to Hawaii when I was 16, I was exposed to Buddhism (originally thru a girlfriend who's family was Buddhist), Vedanta(the basis of Hindu and Yoga philosophy) and Taoism, and have seriously studied comparative religeon. Not everybody is "on the same page," but that doesn't worry me any. The Universe speaks for itself.
For years I thought of myself as a zen-head and practiced meditation daily. Then I got lazy and thought I was a Taoist. For years, anyone who said surfing was my religeon would not have been too far off the mark, LOL! Now, I don't call it anything. But yes, I do believe in a Creator, beyond any desription except to say that the ongoing process of the Creation says it all, and the River is as good a church as any.

Jimbo "Be here now, or be nowhere"

 

If you don't believe in God, you'd better be darn sure of it.

Baker,
Christian

 

Bingo - I'd say the basis for religion has just been pointed out to us. Fear.