Oh Pish Posh Durin, we can handle a little sarcasm now and then . All is forgiven. Welcome back to the fold .

[b:26p4b44m]GB[/b:26p4b44m]

Hmmm, a Confucian now Durin? Sweet . If you mean my Spiritual views, I still call myself a Non-theistic Pagan Agnostic. Which basically means I have a Pagan/Hindu-Zen-Buddhist/Gnostic/Humanist world-view but won't commit to any one religion or "worship" a Deity .

I know what you mean about lack of time. I still haunt Narniaweb, but my post count has slowed down. Michael Ward, author of Planet Narnia has made an appearance at Aslan's Country forum, so I recently joined that one too just to ask him a few questions. And I have a few posts at Leaky Cauldron. So I guess I'm still relatively active .

[b:3fi7yuuk]GB[/b:3fi7yuuk]

Yeah, Durin. Confucianism is basically an Ancient Chinese version of Humanism. Like Buddhism it is essentially Agnostic on the concept of a Deity or Deities. One can believe or not. As you say, it is mainly a system of Ethical Practice. And it complemented Buddhism well, which is essentially a system of Philosophical Practice and the discipline of mind, body, and spirit. .

And I agree, the term Atheist is so Loaded with negative connotations, it's not really worth the trouble. Besides, if I don't know for certain, or can't prove, one way or another whether a God or Gods exist, Agnosticism seems to be the most intellectually honest position to take.

Though I do lean towards a sort of Universal Consciousness that we are all aspects of, which is why I like Hinduism, Gnosticism, and Paganism. And from a Mythological/Jungian/Symbolic perspective, I can appreciate the Hero Myths of which the Christ story is but one of.

[b:2bni87lt]GB[/b:2bni87lt]

[quote="Beren":3dpk9e44]You are completely forgiven, Durin. In fact, I believe that I forgave you a long time ago, since I had to actually read the Saruman topic to see what you were talking about .

I really appreciate your humbleness and willingness to post this. You definitely have some integrity. You said in the Saruman topic that you were a Strong Christian. And now you say your beliefs have altered slightly? May I ask, what do you believe now? If nothing else, I urge you not to move from your Christian beliefs.[/quote:3dpk9e44]

Well... many things can happen over the course of a few months, if not a year or so. And while I was a 'Christian' I believed in this Doctrine right here: ’

"[i:3dpk9e44]Perseverance (or preservation) of the saints is also known as "eternal security." The word saints is used in the Biblical sense to refer to all who are set apart by God, not in the technical sense of one who is exceptionally holy, canonized, or in heaven (see Saint). The doctrine asserts that, since God is sovereign and his will cannot be frustrated by humans or anything else, those whom God has called into communion with himself will continue in faith until the end. Those who apparently fall away either never had true faith to begin with or will return.[/i:3dpk9e44]"

So that means that I technically was never a Christian and Christ never accepted me into the Kingdom of God, nor never wrote my book in the Book of Life, according to Calvinists... and that's a saddening thought, and I was a Calvinist. So, according to my [i:3dpk9e44]own[/i:3dpk9e44] doctrine, all that time spent 'praising' the 'Lord' was utterly wasted and the 'Lord Himself' was probably scoffing from His own throne. When you think of it... my name was never in the Book of Life, so I was asking for God to be my savior and believed he was... yet in reality I was murmuring to myself, so would that make myself God? I should think so in my own little world ’ .

Anyhow, all above was just hypothetical, that is how my still Christian friends see it. And no, my religion is not "Confucianism" Or anything of the like. Confucianism is really just moral ethics, based on the principles on what today is called Humanism. My beliefs switch on and off from Agnostic and Atheism, but as I said, Atheism has just come to be a nasty term lately ’ . So that's that Beren, I neither favor nor dislike any religion, the only thing I [i:3dpk9e44]don't[/i:3dpk9e44] like is Christians, Mormons, Islams, etc. coming up to my door with little pamphlets.

These days I find Religion to merely be a setback to Technology, Science, and ethical values. With Religion your worldview is set and anything that goes against the Bible or whatever may be your religious book, you deny, you close the option that it could be correct. For example, in the 1600's or so, all the Roman Catholics persecuted Galileo for his beliefs, it was only until later they came to their senses. And even today religion can blind you, it can stop you from what you're a truly capable of.

However... this is a biased opinion, most likely... Religion has done much good for the world, such as charities, mission trips, etc. That's just not my part anymore. ’

[quote="Beren":3o6v1tl1] There are certain moral ethics that even you subscribe to. If so-called "progress" is being inhibited by this code, do we just throw the code out the window? Do we start killing off our old and young like Sparta so that we can study them? Do we all start lying to each other right and left so that we can see what happens? BY NO MEANS![/quote:3o6v1tl1]

And that, my friend, is where Agnosticism takes it's leave and Confucianism marches in it's splendor.

Here is Confucius' Golden Rule: "Doing things for others that you would want them to do to you in return, as well as not doing things to others that you would not want to experience in return."

For more on Confucianism, for the sake of not taking up this whole page, just hop on the Wikipedia URL for [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism:3o6v1tl1]Confucianism[/url:3o6v1tl1].

[quote="Gandalfs Beard":3oea9nxv]It's all about respecting each others differences, individually and collectively.

[b:3oea9nxv]GB[/b:3oea9nxv][/quote:3oea9nxv]

Right you are, GB, only working together as the Human Race can we achieve our goals, working past our differences. *Nods, forming back into his Buddha pose*

Hey Odo (I feel like calling myself Quark for some reason ). I was just strolling by the forum and thought I'd try to catch you up.

By the way, the whole Saruman thing blew over a while ago, and all it really involved was a little Neener Neener, or Nyah Nyah, and some mild sarcasm. No one was seriously injured . And if anything it's brought us all closer together . We're a very chummy lot here, even if some of us... *checks the mirror*...get the urge to pontificate from time to time. In fact, you feel like "family" already.

I like your comparison of Mr T (not the one that fought Rocky) to Confucious. He was a very learned fellow.

[b:155a5b7q]GB[/b:155a5b7q]

You can call me GB, Beard, or even (as a young Scot on the forum likes to call me) Gandy. Or what the heck, you can make up your own nickname .

I wasn't certain meself, when I saw your username, if it was your actual name. I thought perhaps it was a reference to Odo, the chief security officer (and a changeling) on the Telly show Star Trek: Deep Space 9. He was constantly annoyed by the Ferengi Quark, the Sace Stations Pub owner, and resident scoundrel. Despite the apparent antagonism, they both were quite attached to each other.

And don't Worry. Witty Wise, and Learned. I think you suit those appellations just fine . I've really been enjoying your sense of Humour .

[b:2xffnvv2]GB[/b:2xffnvv2]

Dear Moderator/Gandalf's Beard,

Yes, I am dumb. You are one and the same, the same person! I am an idiot!

Regards,
Odo

NB Strike out 'wise'. One to go.

GB

I hope you're not an Acolyte in some Agnostic Budhist Jehovist Not Jehovist Might Be Jehovist How Can it Be Jehovist Dualist Sect? Had one knock on my door once. My goodness, I was confused by the time he left!

And if you're trying to pick me up - forget it!

Regards!
Odo

NB Actually, I made up the above tale about the man at my door. He wasn't actually a Dualist. In fact, I'm not even sure he was a man. You know, back in my day, you could tell a man from a woman just by the way they dressed - but not in 2009. (Though it might mean I just need new glasses - I have considered that).