Welcome to Gaia! ::

You're right. At first glance it seems like I'm hypocritical. But I chose the specific church I go to because they're very tolerant. I also go to a performing arts school, which usually has the reputation for 'gays.' Besides, it's hardly a religious thing for me on both abortion and homosexuality: I go to school in a very poor part of town, and I see a lot of children who are abused, neglected, and probably have never known happiness at home. I don't think it's right to bring a child into this world if you can't support them or care for them. On the homosexuality note, if they're gay, it's not my place to tell them they're not. How do I know anyway?

Of course I believe that some things are not right - polygamy and incest are two things I am strongly against and no one can budge me on it, and my biggest peeve is intolerance, so... *shrug* Take it how you will. That's the way I see things.

(P.S. I know, I know; Mormon faith. But hey, say what you will of the questionable nature of the religion, but the people who come out of it are some of the most moral, ethical people I've ever met. And yes... I agree with you wholeheartedly on Televangelists... but who's Benny Hinn? Forgive me if he's someone I really ought to know).

Hello my real name is Krystal. My screename (Rubiakatonbo) means Ruby red dragonfly - I believe it is a chinese or japanese name, memory fails me. But anyway, I liked it!

So, I suppose you could say that my influencers in terms of my attitudes and values are mostly from my parents. However, there are some things I don't agree about, but thats another story. I suppose you could say that my ability to argue fairly well has come from maturing (but steady on I'm only 17!) and doing RS at school, that being mainly general Philosophy/Philosophy of Religion.

I hasten to add that, unlike most people's introductions, I am not a christian, but rather an atheist. However, I do not have such a strong grounding against religion that I would be an anti-theist. On the contrary, people's ideas about religion intrigue me and hense I love talking about it!

I am going to be starting Uni this year (grades prevailing), studying Philosophy as I absolutely love the subject - as I am sure everyone on here does. But us philosophers know not to be assumptive! smile

So...bring on the debates! biggrin

Hi guys, my name is Shawn. I'm principally influenced by Kant, and also in other areas by Thoreau, the Deists, and other early American philosophers. As for God I am agnostic at best, and atheist at worst (depending what day you find me).

Wow. For some reason, this made me think of a group therapy introduction.

Like Bia, I've got so many nicknames that you could theoretically call me anything, and I'd respond. I'm fifteen years old, with such varied interests that I couldn't really hope to limit it any more than "logic." I'm always (always) more than happy to learn. The only possible hinderance to that desire to learn would be my extraordinary ability to forget and repress.

Since I wouldn't know if I have any sort of philosophical view and I also wouldn't know if I have a particular political view, all I can give you is my religious outlook. I wouldn't say I'm atheist exactly, but I'm certainly not agnostic. God hasn't been proven, obviously, and just as obviously, he can't be disproven, so mostly I'm neutral on the situation. I'm not searching for a god or a religion -- my main love is for Buddhism -- but I'm not rejecting the idea of a god, either. It just doesn't matter to me at the moment.

I would have to say, though, that I am molded by the Presbyterian church I currently go to. A lot of my early views in life came from there, and that would determine a lot of what I believe now. I'm easily influenced in just about anything. And also excruciatingly stubborn.

Anything else I could say? Not that I can think of.

In real life they call me Kelsi. When it comes to such things as Gaia or Video games I prefer to be called Ron. I'm not really sure how that name came about - one of my friends just pulled it out of the air and it stuck. I have no plans to study philosophy formally, though I enjoying dabling into it a bit here and there. I currently do not lean towards any religion or another, religeon is something I've been pondering about a lot lately. One thing I know for sure is that I'm a very strong democrat, though I have many characteristics of a libertarian. Like Alezunde, I too am finding an ultimate diety to be rather illogical, I very much want to see proof - I'm a biology major. Both of my parents are democrats, that's where I got my roots of democracy. I was raised as a Unitarian and i believe that everyone should be allowed to believe in what they want to without others bullying them to believe their beliefs.

I try not to judge others and take them for themselves, I believe that every person has a right to be entitle to their own beliefs and ways of life.

In RL, I'm Jay. But I've chosen way too many nicknames to count or remember. Maybe so I could forget. But that's another run in the books.
Most of my philosophical material comes from Cormier's writings, Square (Games xd ), or FLCL. Yes, I know, I'm an oddball, taking so much from games and anime, but what really exists beyond what is concrete? The Net, the CDs we play, it's all code, code that cannot be broken (unless you're talking about scratching the disk, but besides that), the only code that treats all equally and usually generates the same or predictable results every time.
KH's Ansem was right: All people originate from shadows. Shadows, symbolically, identify with a haze, the unknown. That's the idea: Everything is too fuzzy beyond what is concrete, what is physiclal.
So, we play the games for why?
2nd line of the bit: Never Remember. When we immerse ouselves in what is concrete, that is the only way to remain concrete mentally. The memory is a double-edged sword for two resons: Pride, and Regret.
Pmiazyo: Al Bhed for BlueJay.

Benny Hinn is a rather hypocritical televangelist whose bookkeeping leaves something to be desired... like accountability. He makes hundreds of thousands of dollars, but instead of using it to help those in need, he takes most for himself. He pretends to heal people, but for the most part, this is sheer smoke-and-mirrors.