what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:59:53 +0100

I find questions of this sort interesting. I will say that at NO POINT should anyone make fun of or otherwise ridicule others for the answers they give. we are all adults here, let's try acting like it eh? I'll start us off by saying I have no religion, but nor do I believe in god. I am an atheist!!! (gasp!! devil worshiper etc.) heh, but really. being an atheist is rejecting the claims of a theist, eg the claim that god(s) exist. it really isn't that scary, I don't eat babies... often (oh that's just terrible). so, I will reiterate my question, of what religion do you claim to be, and why? (yeah I added an extra question in there, but I believe the why is more important than the what.)

Re: what is your religion?

skatepixie — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:09:50 +0100

I am a Traditional Catholic. Yes, that means Latin Mass. Yes, that means meatless Fridays. As far as why goes -- well, I was raised Catholic (the more modern kind) but I never really felt comfortable with the post-Vatican II changes. My friend took me to my first Latin Mass back in my college days, and I loved it. I started doing the research and really took a lot of time to study Tradition -- and I believe that it captures the timelessness that the Catholic Church has traditionally embodied. I also think it's good that everyone (English, Spanish, Italian, whatever) can go to the same Mass and worship together rather than having to have a Mass for each language.

Re: what is your religion?

Kadevi — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:17:15 +0100

I'm agnostic. I don't follow any specific faith or religion (although I have studied the rudimentaries of most of the major ones), but I do believe that a god or multiple gods exist in this world. I am open to the idea of organized religion, but I do believe that at this time, I'm not meant to be a Christian, or Buddhist, or pagan, etc. I'm not quite sure if it counts, but I do believe in the general concept of this world being in balance, and some kind of greater force. Whether or not that is the god(s) is anyone's guess, in my opinion.

Re: what is your religion?

faithbalainn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:34:58 +0100

I'm from Dubai, UAE and am a Muslim - born, raised and practicing. Despite what is said about Muslims, I am proud of being a Muslim woman and solely believe in Allah (God), the teachings of Mohammed and the our holy book. I do wear the veil and am somewhat conservative. I do stick with tradition and culture but that does not stop me from having a great time cruising, going out and having fun with my friends I don't really want to say anything specific in terms of politics or terrorism but if anyone wants to ask me to elaborate on anything they wanna know about Islam I'll be more than happy to answer them

Re: what is your religion?

djenkins32 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:59:37 +0100

I am an atheist, and a fairly strong one at that. I believe that organized religion has little purpose (though individual churches have proved beneficial, but the same effect comes from any community). I believe that there is not a God (or Allah, or Spaghetti Monster, etc., pick your preference), at least not in the traditional sense. I do not reject the notion of some sort of supreme being, but believe there are far more likely possibilities. If there was sufficient evidence (or any evidence, other than the fact we are here and the bible exists) I would change my mind, but I find the concept difficult to grasp, especially since so much of what is pointed to as evidence of God or Jesus is not verifiable through any historical or scientific means.

Re: what is your religion?

LHSflute — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:15:12 +0100

I'm Protestant, born and raised - though that doesn't mean I haven't had my own strugglings with God and what I believed and all of that throughout the years (and I still do). It just means that I found my way back to God every time. My family has been part of the same church (a Foursquare one) for around 12 years now and it's been really great to have that community when we've really needed it (like when my dad passed away). I don't really know what else to say other than I really love my faith and it is a pretty big part of my life; more than I realize sometimes, I think. I even interned at my church for a year and thought about going into ministry - I decided against it, ultimately, but I'd still potentially like to do mission work at some point. I've been on a couple mission trips (one to LA, one to Mexico) and they were fantastic experiences, even for someone as shy as me. I'd really like to work with kids, especially. In Mexico we stayed and did work at an orphanage and the kids were just amazing. And I serve in the Children's Ministry at my church. (I work with four year olds... favorite age. Seriously. Except for maybe toddlers.)

Re: what is your religion?

MysteriousFlower — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:31:07 +0100

I think I consider myself agnostic. I do not believe in any form of God as described in religious books. I went to Catholic school as a little girl but never felt that religion in particular suited me. My parents were not religious either, it just happened to be the best school in the neighbourhood and despite the Bible lessons and learning that what I was feeling was/is wrong (I am gay), I still had quite an enjoyable time in school. However, I do believe in the concept of a balance and if I were asked whether I believe in God, I would answer that I do not believe in a God as described in any of the religious scriptures in any religion but rather in something/someone who does genereally love and understand all creatures and makes no judgment on race, sexuality and colour. I find it hard to believe that if said God was to be forgiving and loving why would He not love those who are different? That is one message that never stuck with me and never will, I am afraid. Also I have read parts of the Bible (Old and New Testament) and it is not a book that I could live by but I respect it if others do. Generally I have an interest in religion as long as I find that said religion can bring up the respect and understanding towards those who do not believe. I believe in the forces of nature but am not a Pagan or a Wiccan. I believe in the inner strength in a human being and the ability to develop ourselves through our experiences in life. I have never felt the desire to pray though I will light a candle when I am in a church for those who have passed.

Re: what is your religion?

J.E.Blackworth — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:47:08 +0100

Born Lutheran, resigned from church last year due to many years of atheism. I used to be a devout believer, I practiced Christianity, I opened my doors and mind to God, and nothing came. I feel a lot happier now.

Re: what is your religion?

Mushmallow — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 09:48:48 +0100

I'm agnostic, I do have a form of a belief but it does not belong in those core religions that are about. I would probably pile myself under the Pagan banner for ease, as most of my beliefs come from there. Although I do believe there is one God, I also believe They have many different faces and it makes it easier for some people to appreciate Them more by focusing on a certain being/plant/mystical creature. I was raised as a Christian - I say that I think it was more of a way for my mum to lie in more than having a religion - not that I minded, because I learned about the faith and found that it didn't fit me very well, although the people I met were lovely and I got to munch on biscuits. Hehehe, little things make me happy.

Re: what is your religion?

Mistress Aeryn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:28:36 +0100

I was raised Anglican, but became an atheist at 15. I didn't understand anything about my religion, and nobody bothered to explain any of it to me, not to mention that I didn't feel like I belonged. I currently take an extremely dim view of all religions and their followers, for various reasons that I choose not to discuss here because it's likely to piss everyone off. :x

Re: what is your religion?

Yasaibatake — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:31:09 +0100

Hmmm...good question! I definitely believe in a God of some kind, who I tend to call "Him", though that's more a remnant of my Methodist upbringing than anything else. I don't attend church and I don't pray in the traditional sense of the word, but I do talk to Him on occasion and am known for relying on traditionally faith-based ideas like "everything happens for a reason". But I despise the church's emphasis on ceremony and ritual; I find it encourages mindless repetition rather than honest spiritual expression. Yes that is a generalization but it's been true in my experience across many different churches. The main thing I take from religion is the "being a good person" parts - helping the poor, for example, or treating everyone with kindness, that sort of thing. I always try to do the right thing and embody love to the best of my ability. You don't have to be religious to believe in those things, of course, but I have a very hard time separating the two. But of course those things aren't specific to any one religion either, and I tend to pick bits and pieces of different systems in a similar fashion. I agree with mushmallow's analysis of the many faces of the one God and am perfectly alright with that kind of focus; I would love to wear the veil but worry it would be inappropriate/appropriation since I'm not Muslim; I have tried yoga and meditation as religious practices though I really didn't do too well with the yoga. I don't pretend to have all the answers (heck, or really any answers at all); I'm pretty much just trying to do the best I can without worrying about the rest of it.

Re: what is your religion?

wintertulip — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:35:56 +0100

Atheist. I don't believe in anything besides physical reality and scientific law. I think that all our thoughts and emotions arise because of chemical reactions in the brain. I believe that things happen because the laws of physics - even though these are not yet entirely known - dictate that they must happen (or, at least, that events occur according to the probabilities laid out by quantum mechanics). There is nothing out there watching over us, no conscious guiding force, and no objective morality. I believe that when we die, our bodies rot in the ground and our minds cease to exist. I still think that life is amazing, beautiful, and wonderful - even though deep down I'm aware that emotions are likely to be the result of electrons moving around in different configurations in my brain, doesn't mean I can't enjoy them. I suspect that religion is so common in our societies because a religious society has some kind of an evolutionary advantage over non-religious ones (such as people being more co-operative, or easier to control).

Re: what is your religion?

Mungolian — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:40:01 +0100

I'm agnostic. I believe there is a god. In my mind it is a genderless entity so far beyond mortal understanding that it's feelings and intentions are totally unfathomable to us. At the risk of seeming like I'm contradicting myself (after all god is unknowable) I'd guess that this entity is benevolent overall and doesn't care so much about belief. Heaven and hell probably don't exist. Instead there's just an upper plane where all souls mingle. I've also contemplated the notion that every religion is right at once. Upon death the brain creates some sort of everlasting dream where you imagine whatever afterlife and god you subscribed to while living.

Re: what is your religion?

Lydia_Ember — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:47:22 +0100

I guess they call me Protestant. I don't care about which church I go to cuz my thing is like "Do you believe in what the Bible says? Do you preach it?" Haven't really gotten into church until I went to college, since the youth groups and such were targeted at the more "extreme" teens that rarely touched their Bibles. I was a quiet gamer that liked to read and started writing. What was there for me? Too young for the typical stuff and too old for my "peers" (in terms of how I was treated). Yep, so that's what I do in that department. Course, I also celebrate Passover and Hannukah. Yay, matzah!

Re: what is your religion?

mastervolo — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:52:02 +0100

I would consider myself to be an atheist. While I don't believe in any form of god though, I do believe in a spiritual side to life. I believe that there is more to living than what we can see, feel, or understand. Whether or not there is true purpose or not doesn't really matter to me, I think that we should all create our own purpose to our lives to make them as fulfilling as possible. I don't believe in a heaven or hell, I do have a kind of odd belief that the mind (spirit, if you like) sort of becomes one with the world around us when we die rather than dissappear completely. I don't know if this falls into any particular religion, but these are just things that I have come to myself :)

Re: what is your religion?

Inoru no Hoshi — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:04:44 +0100

I'm somewhere between Christian and pagan, with odd overlaps and divergements between the two, though I don't really actively practice either at this point in time - but I believe that what you hold deep in your heart is enough for either as long as you hold steady. :)

Re: what is your religion?

flygreybird — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:19:06 +0100

Do people think that their religious beliefs affect their writing? I'm an atheist (or more accurately, I suppose, an agnostic antitheist), and believe that rationality and scepticism are deeply important. It's hard for me to give religion to characters who are supposed to be likeable, I want to make them all rationalists too, even if it wouldn't fit their background (I manage to resist sometimes!)

Re: what is your religion?

Kaleidoscope27 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:31:51 +0100

Wiccan, non-practising. I put Wicca on the last UK census and Mum saw it and came to ask me what on Earth it was! Haha! She didn't mind or anything, she'd just never heard of it. She always claimed I was Christian 'cause I was Christened but we are in no way a religious family, at all.

Re: what is your religion?

Neechole — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:39:52 +0100

I'm an Atheist in the way I do not believe that a being or beings could create the universe and I think even if that was achievable Humans would not be able to define a god or exact its will. I think established religion can do more harm then good, then again I think science can sometimes do the same. I am open that there is a lot that science can't explain, no matter how hard it tries. For example, what is the soul? And could there have been a possibility that creatures like fae may have actually been around, but no scientific proof? Well, we get very little scientific remains of inorganic material on sites in archaeology, by it not being there doesn't mean its real. Also, they could have been energy based creatures, something we can't or haven't thought to identify. Promise I'm not a loon 8D

Re: what is your religion?

paradoxotaur — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:00:12 +0100

I'm a Unitarian Universalist and an atheist/agnostic. Being a UU means that I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every human being; justice, equity and compassion in human relations; acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations; a free and responsible search for truth and meaning; the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. Yeah, I just copy-pasted the seven principles. Even though I can never remember them. Basically, if what you believe and what you do makes you happy and doesn't hurt anyone, you're OK in my book. There's something my minister once said about UUs: we're the worst at singing hymns, because we're always reading ahead to see if we agree with the next line. We also really, really like coffee, although I seem to be the exception to that rule. I call myself atheist/agnostic because on the one hand, it seems to me that no one can say with absolute, positive certainty that there is or isn't a God. I just happen to not think there is one. To quote Douglas Adams: "Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" I just don't see the need to believe in any God or Gods. I get along quite well without it.

Re: what is your religion?

dssmith — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:13:57 +0100

I'm a Christian, and that's really the best way to describe it. I was raised Baptist, but I don't consider myself to be one. Just Christian. I'm not judgy or nitpicky - we're not supposed to be. Sometimes the actions of the loud, extreme conservative Christians that get on the media make my head hurt, because those images make a lot of people think we're all that way. Politically, I'm actually a liberal (gasp! A Christian liberal! And living in the Southern U.S., too! I'm like a unicorn!) but I don't believe in mixing faith and politics.

Re: what is your religion?

Drewcifer3939 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:21:11 +0100

I am a non-theist. Not an atheist. I reject the Deity of classical Theism: an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent Being. I have yet to encounter a theodicy that sufficiently justifies how such a being can exist and truly conform to all three of those labels given the world we live in. Beyond that, I am not really sure what I believe in. Which is why I describe myself as a nontheist. I don't necessarily believe that there is/are no god/gods, but I do know that I don't believe in the Theist God.

Re: what is your religion?

Kamikaze Mission — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:26:24 +0100

Agnostic atheist, although I was raised Catholic when I was younger, and went through a big wicca phase in middle school. My dad was actually very supportive of me trying to figure out religion. He checked out a bunch of books from the library for me on different religions and bought me some books on wicca. Eventually decided that no real organized religion was for me just because I couldn't make myself believe in any of it, but I like to think I took away a lot of the core morals from both Christianity and Wicca. The history major in me, though, adores pretty much all religious mythology. So, maybe there's something out there, maybe there's not! I lean towards not, but I'm open to accepting something if one day I find something I can believe in without lying to myself.

Re: what is your religion?

Ophiucha — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:35:01 +0100

I'm an atheist, agnostic strictly speaking. I believe that there *could* be a god - a deist one, specifically - but I both doubt it very highly, and I would not and could not *worship* said god. I could not revere, follow, praise, or give to any deity, even if I *knew* beyond any doubt or conception of belief that they existed, and even if I agreed with their teachings. I guess that makes me a bit of an antitheist, as well. Jesus himself could come into my bedroom and turn my water into wine, but I would never follow him even if I could know that he was real. So I tend to call myself an atheist, because there's a lot more to it than just belief in the end.

Re: what is your religion?

Masked Maiden — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:58:00 +0100

I'm a Christian. I don't belong or acknowledge a specific denomination, because I believe the creation of denominations has sorely divided up the people of the Church. What should matter is your believe in God and his son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected three days later. That is the belief that should unite all of us. We are all going to disagree on some of the details, interpret the Bible differently, and even have our own opinions and likes and dislikes. But we are all Children of God and, basically, should learn to get along and to support one another. I'm an open-minded person with friends of different faiths and backgrounds. As far as my political views go, I'm sort of in the middle of conservative and moderate. And like someone already mentioned, it kind of saddens me how the media views the Christian church these days. You know, we're not all like that, but it's always the few bad apples that ruins the barrel.

Re: what is your religion?

Independence1776 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:36:35 +0100

I'm an agnostic-leaning Deist. I believe God created the universe via the Big Bang and let it evolve via scientific laws. I believe in a loving God who lets us make our own way in life, choosing our own path via free will. Noninterference in everything is the key for me. I can't believe in a god who claims to love everyone, but then micromanages what is right and wrong. Humans can come up with morality and ethics on our own.

Re: what is your religion?

Beccah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:47:56 +0100

I'm follow no religion but am firmly agnostic. I have not believed in any religion I've encountered, and don't feel a want for religion in my life, but I suppose I can't rule out the possibility of a higher power, so agnostic I remain.

Re: what is your religion?

Kells399 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:15:32 +0100

I'm agnostic in the truest sense of the word, I really can't decide if I think there's a God or not. I grew up and was raised with a certain amount of spiritualism, so I used to be sure of God's existence until about last year. I started studying a little bit of Astronomy, and basically I was mind blown by the vastness of the universe, the true size of it was completely out of my comprehension, and out of comprehension of the God I believed in. Which led to questions--Can any being possibly create and control this universe? Or is there a God, but one far greater than I could ever hope to comprehend? Or perhaps our God one of many gods, who only looks after this planet? My whole religious view had been rocked--by science! I remain uncertain of God's existence, so an agnostic I stay. I still talk to God out of habit (and courtesy if there is one), but there's usually a "y'know, assuming you're real and not a figment of my imagination" in there somewhere.

Re: what is your religion?

Elyndra — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:19:12 +0100

I don’t know what to call myself and to be honest I haven’t really bothered with finding a name for it either. I always figure you can never be sure what is out there. There is no evidence that some god(s) exists, but there is just as little proof that there isn’t. I don’t feel like there is something constantly influencing every little thing around us. I also don’t believe in things being meant to be, but it’s nice to think that if we die we don’t just dissapear into nothing. Although I am fully aware that may have more to do with my own fears about death than anything else. I mostly just do my best to live a ‘good’ life and I’ll find out at some point if there is something or not. I do respect people’s right to believe in whatever they feel is right, I just don’t like to be hit over the head with it. I’ll gladly discuss it and am even interested to learn more about it, but I’ve had too many people in the past trying to force their vision onto me that I really can’t stand that anymore.

Re: what is your religion?

oazan — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:45:33 +0100

I was about to not answer but since YOU said it: Atheist. Technically, agnostic atheist. I don't think that there is an absolute way to know if God exists, but since there is a lack of evidence proving His existence, I lack a belief in him. Basically, I'm agnostic where I don't know for sure, but I'm atheist because I feel more comfortable that way.

Re: what is your religion?

Anastasia — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:07:53 +0100

I was raised Catholic, but now I'm hovering somewhere around deism and agnosticism. This is a relatively new thing for me... even though I've been unsure for years, I only started thinking of myself as now only being "culturally Catholic" rather than religiously Catholic in the past few weeks. I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything, since I want to believe in what I was raised to believe, but I don't. It would be easier to deal with my family around things like when I get married, since Canon Law dictates that baptized Catholics need to be married in the Catholic Church. I know I have a couple of years before my wedding for me to deal with this, but it still weighs heavily on my mind. I've been with my boyfriend for three and a half years and I've only just started to think about the fact that I probably won't be getting married in a church, which is somewhat weird to me. He is an atheist (although he admits that it is possible there is a god, he doesn't think there is) and very supportive of me in my constantly confused state regarding religion, and I know he will support me with whatever I choose. (He has come to church with me for the two Christmases we have spent together.) I'm slightly jealous of him knowing exactly what he believes, while I do not.

Re: what is your religion?

Bovver — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:51:59 +0100

Here comes another atheist! Born and raised and proud of it :) I made an attempt at Christianity when I was younger (7 or 8?) just to see what all the hype was about, and it really wasn't for me. I had a very hard time with the bible and it's content.... it just does not mesh with my lifestyle, my values, my morals, my thoughts and opinions about people in the world, etc. I feel that most people who are religious were born into it, or were lacking something in their lives that led them to it. I mean no offense to anyone with that statement, just my general opinion. I am very happy to live my life knowing that I'm doing it for me, and that my actions alone are showing who I am and where I'm headed, without the guidance of a higher being. I've found that atheism always inserts itself into my writing. I'm writing a YA fantasy this year and I've managed to denounce all religion and prove that it is all false to my MC. Couldn't help it!

Re: what is your religion?

liatris — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:48:06 +0100

so very interesting to read everything on here! In my story, I plan on touching on the explosion of religious diversity on the planet, and using all those stories/beliefs/myths to form a mash-up culture for a settlement on a new planet. Of course, they have no idea what Earth or humans are, and take their exquisite corps of a belief system as tried-and-true as people on this planet take theirs. As for me, I consider myself a Quaker (religious society of friends). I was raised as such. I can't speak for "what is a Quaker" as it varies as widely as all of these beliefs, but personally, I strive for community, equality, integrity, simplicity, and peace in all aspects of my life. I think that in theory most religions are striving for the same basic things.

Re: what is your religion?

Victoria Nonpraeda — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:51:39 +0100

First Jew in the thread, I think. I consider myself more of a racial Jew than a religious one, if that makes sense? I was raised Reform, but my stepfather is Catholic, so I get a little bit of both. I'm not deeply observant - more the High Holy Days/Purim/Chanukah type - but I am proud of being a Jew, I'm proud of the history of the Jews (well, most of it). I seem to be one of those rare people who can admit that holy crap, the world's changed since our holy books were written, and as such I tend to pick and choose in terms of observance. I do not keep strict kosher, but I don't eat pork. I consider myself a 'Zionist with strong reservations', which I won't go into here as I don't want to get uber political.

Re: what is your religion?

daqu — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:07:06 +0100

Proud Atheist here, because…well, because I was a Christian for 17 years (Catholic for 15, Protestant for 2), and then at some point I starting thinking critically about my religion, and…well, Logic: 1, God: 0

Re: what is your religion?

Bad_Ailuros — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:11:53 +0100

I think it's easier to explain what I'm not than what I am. Haha. Former Christian, former atheist, currently struggling with belief systems and how they blend with magical practice, and whether they should. I suppose in flux would be the easiest way to put it.

Re: what is your religion?

wolfloverapril — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:40:16 +0100

I'll be the first here to say that I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yes, that means I am a Mormon and I'm proud to be one.

Re: what is your religion?

Fyreheart — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:11:13 +0100

I'm a pagan. Why? Because after research and soul-searching it's what feels right and makes sense to me.

Re: what is your religion?

MarlaWolfblade — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:33:11 +0100

Atheist. I've tried religion and it never sat well with me. What bothers me is the concept of being "good". If you do the right thing because you're expecting to be rewarded (heaven) if you do, or punished (hell) if you don't, are you really a "good" person? Surely you're only doing it out of selfish reasons. I try to do the right thing because it's the right thing to do, not because some intangible being has told me I should.

Re: what is your religion?

Nonny — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:57:38 +0100

I'm pagan. I believe all the gods exist, although I don't follow any at this time. I have a sort of chaos magic outlook to religion -- that there is enough room in the universe for all truths to be true.

Re: what is your religion?

polargriff — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:40:58 +0100

I am a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. I have been Christian... in a very general sense... all of my life. I have always believed in a loving, merciful God, but what many churches teach does not seem to mesh with the concept of a loving, merciful God. As a result, I have been a member of numerous Protestant denominations, attended a Catholic private school for a while, and have studied the beliefs and principles of the many religions, especially the major religions. I looked into other ideologies and stances (atheism, agnosticism, etc.) as well. However, none satisfied me nor answered my many questions; I always felt something was missing. In 2002, I began a very in-depth study of the Bible (Old and New Testaments) and discovered many new things that I had never heard before; logical answers to my questions. Eventually, I discovered that the only institution/church that taught what I came to believe from the in-depth study of the Bible was the Seventh-day Adventist church. (I had never even heard of this Protestant denomination before then.) I was re-baptized (full immersion this time as I had been "sprinkled" as a child in the Lutheran church) and have been an Adventist ever since. I know longer have a "missing piece" and am far more contented and at peace no matter what challenges come my way. My belief in a loving, merciful Creator and Redeemer God has grown stronger and richer. As an avid learner, I still do a considerable amount of study of the Bible, history, church history, and religions... In fact, it is one of my favorite past-times. At this very moment, I have a stack of theological books on a specific topic on the floor next to my bed that I am going through. I am a staunch supporter of religious liberty and the freedom of conscience; that is, the right of all to believe or not believe as dictated by their individual conscience.

Re: what is your religion?

winterbloom — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 01:52:13 +0100

Looks like I'm the second Jew on the thread, mostly Reform with a few strains of Conservative and Reconstructionist thought thrown in. My father's family is Sephardic, my mother's family is Catholic, so I suppose I'm a Cashew. But I formally converted to Judaism a long time ago, and while I'm not observant, I'm very vocal about my identity.

Re: what is your religion?

Lora_Hex — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:39:32 +0100

Cheerful skeptic rationalist and philosopher here, agnostic-ish and atheist-ish, mostly leaning away from religion as a whole after a Catholic upbringing. I find the entire subject of faith and religion fascinating academically, but don't have any personal beliefs myself on the subject. I just refer to it as being an open-minded individual who questions everything to the point of pain. I also live by Wheaton's Law: Don't Be a Dick. It works pretty well in most situations, at least that's what I've found.

Re: what is your religion?

Toastburner B — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:45:49 +0100

Second member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on the list here.

Re: what is your religion?

stephandrea_ — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:05:37 +0100

I generally describe myself as a "spiritual agnostic." I believe that there's something greater than us out there, but I'm not sure what this thing is - is there a God (or gods)? Or is it some other force, like love or compassion or something like that? Basically I believe in respect and compassion and karma and all that good stuff. I don't think most people would object to any of that =)

Re: what is your religion?

TheSmith — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:16:38 +0100

I'm a Christian! A Protestant, for anyone who cares for dominions. My faith is simple: I try to walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. WWJD, kinda thing, y'know? That means I don't judge others for their beliefs (or non-beliefs), because I will be judged by the same rod. And humans can be such horrid things. Especially women. Especially women on PMS. So I leave the judging in God's hands, where it belongs. Keep my hide safe and keep the peace all at once, so why not NOT judge? /rhetorical Also, Jesus didn't judge. His disciples were a motley lot if you think about it. Paul (or was it Peter?) was gay, and a few others were gamblers and taxmen and just people you don't really want to get involved with. With that in mind, I think it's wrong that the church close their doors on people who have a different sexual orientation than most. God damns fornication, not people who are homophobic or bi. God damns the ACT, not the PERSON. I believe in God. I also believe that science is on the brink/already has proven that God exists. The 'end' of the world has been predicted by scientists and astronomers, whatnot with Neburius moving slowly toward earth and all the complications that this will evoke on our own planet once it passes in between earth and the sun. This is basically what has been printed in black and white in the Bible for however long the Bible has been in existance. It just makes a whole lot more sense now because SCIENCE explained what lies ahead. So, no, no scientist has said that God exists. But they've predicted exactly the same thing that God revealed to His servants millenia ago. I think that constitutes as proof. I also believe that the Holy Spirit lives in each of us. That little voice in the back of my head that tells me things. No, that is not the voice of reason. Trust me, this voice has told me things that made me go WTF? but it always worked in my favour to follow what it said. I don't mean an ACTUAL voice, either. It's just a 'sense' you get. The only voices in my head belong to my characters. So I'm not crazy. And if I am then so is everyone else who claims to be a writer. Anyway. I live by only two laws. 1 - To love God with all my heart, all my strength and all my soul. (this love naturally denies any atttraction to pitiful materialistic things) and 2 - To love my fellow man as I love myself. 'Nuff said :)

Re: what is your religion?

LiebeLeben — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:43:50 +0100

Agnostic from Christianity. I got saved and everything. But then I met a friend and things happened and I questioned... Is there a god? Continued questioning stuff when I was sixteen and met my best friend who is Wiccan and a Satanist. Considered Satanism, tossed it out. There are things in the Bible (that I have not read in its entirety) that baffle me. Like God telling Moses to tell the Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go, but then later on it says that God hardened his [Pharaoh's] heart. It didn't make sense to me. So I'm like, "Huh?" Do I believe in a higher power? Yes. Do I know which religion is the "right" one? No. I won't claim to know, either. I think I'm more of "What religion is the 'right' religion?" kind of gal. But I don't know what that makes me. I just used Agnostic because that seemed to fit.

Re: what is your religion?

MaccaGirl90 — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:03:08 +0100

Mm'kay, I briefly mentioned in a reply but here goes. Born into the Southern Baptist church. Oh my god, I'm sorry if any of you are Baptist, but just no... my family quit going when I was 15. Dabbled in Wicca in my teen years and joined the Mormon church in 2009. While I go to a Mormon school and attend church on Sundays, I don't get a thing out of it. I consider myself more deist than anything. I don't really believe in prayer and I don't believe 90% of the Bible. I have issues with organised religion, really. But I don't want to get too deep into it.

Re: what is your religion?

boysloveboys — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:32:57 +0100

Pantheist, but sometimes it wavers between pantheism and panentheism. I can't be sure of it, but I don't worry too much about that kind of thing anymore. I don't do any 'religious' things but I do gain a lot of insight and comfort from some Hindu, Buddhist, and Pagan beliefs. I was raised in a cult Christian church that hails out of Asia, just as background. So glad I escaped that. :\ I tried Wicca for a while but it was too excluding for me, strangely enough—I don't believe in paying (sorry, 'mandatory donations') to attend rituals or worship, which turns me off a lot of organized religions.

Re: what is your religion?

mythrai — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:33:33 +0100

Born & raised Catholic, but gave up in frustration in my teens as agnostic. Came around to church again in university, and became Anglican. I'm married to a priest now, so I'm in it for the long haul, I guess!

Re: what is your religion?

sacredcrayon — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:23:09 +0100

Hi, I'm the first Buddhist on this thread I think. I was raised Catholic but knew that Buddhism was where I was meant to be the first time I read about the four noble truths at school. I've been studying the Mahayana, Gelugpa tradition for about five years now (reading, attending lectures and practising meditation) and I took refuge earlier this year.

Re: what is your religion?

mavjade — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:24:05 +0100

I'm an atheist. I'm originally from the bible belt where if you say you're an atheist bad things tend to happen to you and people think you are the anti-Christ. I wish I was kidding! With this in mind I usually told people I was a Secular Humanist (which I do consider myself) if asked directly since it doesn't have such a negative connotation.

Re: what is your religion?

i am the moon — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:50:51 +0100

I'm a rationalist agnostic, but I'm constantly trying to subject myself to "crises of faith." (Used to be atheist, realized the sentence "There is no god" is just as unfalsifiable as "There is a god," and that there was no point in rejecting 'faith' in theism if I was just going to turn around and blindly accept 'faith' in non-theism. I'm still not sure whether I accept that the parsimony argument is actually good evidence in favor of non-theism.) I'd say I still lean pretty strongly toward the atheist end of the spectrum, though. If I were to define what sort of principles heavily shape my choices and what I choose to believe, I'd say rationalism (that is, frequent questioning of how I know what I know, and why I believe what I think I believe), analytic philosophy, Bayesian probability theory, and (for moral events) consequentialist utilitarianism.

Re: what is your religion?

Cadaverine — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 02:52:40 +0100

What's up! :D I'm a Heathen and a religious Hedgewitch. (I worship Thor, and all that.)

Re: what is your religion?

RachelBateman — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 03:05:21 +0100

I'm also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I was baptized shortly after I turned 18 (nearly 10 years ago -gah!).

Re: what is your religion?

Noelle_Winters — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 03:32:27 +0100

Heh, I don't even know if I could be considered to have a religion. I was born and raised Catholic, but it just always seemed so full of holes to me, any Christianity. I focus on being more spiritual than religions. I guess I would label myself as agnostic. I don't know whether or not there is a God. I don't know that even if there were a God if he would even care whether or not we existed. However, I don't believe that we should have to believe in God or be scared of hell in order to be good people. I believe in being kind, compassionate, and doing good in the world simply because its good, not because anyone tells me to do it. And if you need someone to tell you to do it or if you are just doing it out of fear of the afterlife...then is it really good? And even if this world is all that there is and its just lights out after we die, its just all the more reason to strive to make the world a good place to be. That pretty sums up my "religion" in a nutshell.

Re: what is your religion?

Midnightatnoon — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 03:55:23 +0100

I'm a Nanoist. I believe in Muses, as they direct me to what I need to write. Seriously. Writing is my life, and when I don't have faith in my writing, I don't have faith in myself. My life gets chaotic, anxiety goes into ludicrous speed. When I write, everything is right in the world, I feel like I can do whatever it is that I need to do.

Re: what is your religion?

Fantas Eyes — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:51:11 +0100

Another member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints here.

Re: what is your religion?

Chaos Hippy — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:03:53 +0100

Raised Anglican, left Christianity in general behind when I was 17. The journey from there to uncompromising Atheism was long and twisty. I had a pretty lengthy period of thinking I was a wizard of some sort, but that's best left in the past. For the most part, my eventual Atheism came as a result of pondering many questions of the universe, and coming up with many answers that weren't god. Eventually I asked myself "what reason do I have to believe in god?", and very quickly realised that, for me, the answer was "none".

Re: what is your religion?

Maug — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 03:30:58 +0100

I only have to call myself an atheist for people that want to know what I am. I'm not really worried about how life began or what mysterious forces power the universe. I do like to daydream about it, but it doesn't really affect how I live my life here on beautiful little Earth. I just think existence is a pretty neat phenomenon one way or the other. Nature is awesome. Would've liked some unicorns, though. ) :

Re: what is your religion?

The Pelican Maze — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:05:02 +0100

I'm an atheist. I guess I never understood why I should believe in the existence of any gods. For a while, when I was seven, I thought if God existed maybe he could do things for me, so I prayed for him to have things go the way I wanted them to. It appeared to work once or twice, but I'd say it was just a coincidence. After a period of praying things that didn't happen I was told that God didn't work that way, at which point I began to think it was all a sham.

Re: what is your religion?

leejamlee — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 05:19:17 +0100

I was raised in a strange mixture of religious and non-religious household. My mother is a catholic who does not attend any sort of church and I have no idea where my father stood on religion, other then the fact that he was 100% against is being involved in the government. My mom often spoke of her own religious believes as I grew up, yet as a child I was never read the bible or forced to go to church. I think religion and spirituality is utterly fascinating, yet I do not identify with any religion, nor do I identify as an atheist or agnostic. If there is something that happens after we die, I'm content to find out about that when it happens.

Re: what is your religion?

lyricsoul — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 08:32:34 +0100

Born Christian but converted to Buddhism a few years ago.

Re: what is your religion?

popsprocket — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 11:32:14 +0100

I am an atheist. I was not raised in a religious household at all. My dad's upbringing was religious, but he is too much of a critical thinker to believe it. Neither of my parents ever really discussed the idea of faith but learning about it through compulsory religious classes in school and just general life taught me to think critically. I put no stock in the religious notion of faith and am steadfastly a 'seeing is believing' type of person. So far as I am concerned, everything happens because of natural phenomena in a totally random pattern with no predetermined cause. A friend once said that he had a problem with atheism because it did not provide a reason for being. And that's my other big thing: I don't believe that there IS a reason for life other than to live it, why should I live my life by the morals (which are severely flawed in most cases) set down by a religious organisation so that I may live for eternity after death? More importantly, why on Earth would anyone want to live for eternity. That would be incredibly boring.

Re: what is your religion?

poi_son_joy — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 13:15:17 +0100

Atheist and agnostic, basically -- I'm open that there might be some form of god/goddess/gods/deity/deities/WHATEVER beyond what we know, one that doesn't really interact with us in any way, but I really don't think there's any way to know and I'm not going to believe in them until something can be proven. However, I outright disbelieve in any specific deities from the different religions out there, so it's easier to say "I'm an atheist" when the deity that most people are thinking of when they ask "do you believe in God" is the Abrahamic one.

Re: what is your religion?

Maemi — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 13:21:44 +0100

I was raised Congregationalist Protestant and that's what I give if someone asks what my religion is, but I'm not incredibly religious anymore. I used to go every Sunday during the year when Sunday School was running (my church stopped Sunday School for the summer) and when I'm home I go because my mother is the head deacon, but I'm too indifferent to go when I'm at college even though the Congregationalist church is right across from the student center XD

Re: what is your religion?

Hype — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 16:34:59 +0100

I don't like labels. I don't like drawing lines to point to the many pieces and oddball ends of the various belief structures I enjoy and sometimes take part in. I like thinking about my beliefs and my faith as a constant evolution of my experiences, a still forming shape that reflects myself in the moment. Elizabeth Gilbert has summed it up best for me: "I think you have every right to cherry-pick when it comes to moving your spirit and finding peace in God. I think you are free to search for any metaphor whatsoever which will take you across the worldly divide whenever you need to be transported or comforted." I think the same holds true for people who don't feel the need to search for that metaphor or that belief. As long as your path to feeling safe, whole, fulfilled, comforted, etc doesn't involve the mental or physical harm of other human being, I think you should be free to worship/not worship/believe/not believe whatever you like.

Re: what is your religion?

Argentum — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:01:51 +0100

I am Roman Catholic. I believe in God, and while I think that organized religion has been one root of a lot of pain and suffering through history, I don't see violence or stupidity as necessary consequences of organized religion. I do consider community a very important element of spirituality, and I also think having tangible symbols and shared parables helps believers focus, examine, and understand their faith. I do think that there are multiple paths to God, and that this world's major religions are simultaneously valid and fallible; I definitely believe in religious freedom and mutual respect/tolerance. And I see no contradiction in being a convinced Catholic, secure in my faith, and supporting 'radical' ideas like that there should be women priests, or maybe no priests at all, and by the way condoms are a Good Idea. I'm also half Jewish, but consider Jewishness to be part of my ethnic and cultural heritage, and not my religion. Never met a holiday I didn't like, though.

Re: what is your religion?

WiresInABox — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:54:55 +0100

For short, I use to say I'm an agnostic seeker. I'm not really into organized religions myself, but I'm open for the idea of a godlike power of some kind. Big Bang is as amazing as any god to me. And I also think that our subconscious is a bit like a god as well, like some hidden well of power and knowledge hidden inside of us. Science/psychology and religion aren't that far apart for me. I have friends who are religious (christian) and I have joined them for discussion meetings, and I really enjoy them. I don't really get all the Jesus-talk to be honest, but there are so much philosophy of life that is applicable outside christianity. I don't feel out of place at all! It's so nice to be one with people even thou we don't share the same religious beliefs. It's sad it's not like that everywhere... Even thou these theories interests me I also like to think how nice it is to not have an answer for everything. Just accept that I don't know and be okay with it. My biggest idol have made a poem/joke/gospel song where he act as an agnostic TV pastor, and that kind of made me see the light the agnostic way. It's meant to be funny, and it is, but it has a deeper undertone. How good it feels to be confused and not have a clue about anything. That's me!

Re: what is your religion?

Riyoha — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 02:09:40 +0100

First, I'm crazy...do not hold my strange (and wonderful ^^_) ideas against me ^_^ Now, I believe....well....I don't know, I believe there's more to life than what you see (I think science is pretty much nonsense (remember...crazy! ^^) because every generation has it's own "indisputable" science (eg when the believed illness was caused by demons, I'm sure they had scientific proof of that using their own methods) and I'm betting eventually everything believed now by science will be proved defunct at a later date by some far flung future people...well...lemme rephrase that a bit, I'm not saying "science says gravity stops us floating away is wrong"....I mean, I'm trying to say.....maybe what science believes gravity is is actually a massive misconception....I don't know...I'm just wierd I also find it wierd how some people say they don't believe in a god then worshop science instead as their "higher being" ^_^

Re: what is your religion?

dark lords servant — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:03:37 +0100

I know I saw a few Protestants but I believe I am the first, or one of the first, to be a Lutheran on this thread. Specifically, I'm a member of WELS and proud of it. I grew up in a conservative and religious home, went to a Lutheran grade school, went to church, and attended a Lutheran high school. The things I learned regarding religion made sense to me and quite simply, that is why I follow this set of beliefs. .

Re: what is your religion?

jesusfreakhobbit — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 06:20:01 +0100

Ok, I have to jump in the fray here. I'm a Christian, partially because I was raised to it (try not being a Christian in a Christian homeschooling community... it doesn't work out well) and partially because I've wrestled with it enough to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is what I know to be true, and I can stand behind that. Having said that, I'm an academic and I think that when looked at it from an academic standpoint, it fits. I've studied other religions, extensively, and while I see their points and understand why and how they came to them, I still end up believing that Christianity makes more sense. Now, to clarify I'm not talking about the ridiculous, judgmental, loudmouths that the media so eagerly portrays. I'm talking about simply love. Really, that is the basis of the whole Christian faith. People can argue about the Old Testament until they're blue in the face, and how that God is loving, and I will answer truthfully that I don't know. I do know that Jesus' purpose on Earth was to fix the system that humans screwed up (again, because the Fall wasn't enough) and promote love. All of the commandments can be summed up in the two that someone else quoted: Love the Lord your God, and Love your neighbor. So I don't judge anyone for their beliefs, or the conclusions they come to. That would be dumb. Nor do I condemn anyone based on their lifestyle, because the Bible clearly states that in God's eyes, everyone is worth being loved and condemnation and shame are the exact opposite of that. I reserve the right to believe you're wrong, but I give you the right to believe I'm wrong too. I think that makes sense. Also, I seriously dislike the formulaic Christians who have no passion, just method. Also, I know for a fact that Christians can be just as screwed up as anyone else (though I know people who seem to think that being perfect is a pre-requisite). And that bit about how I was raised in a conservative Christian homeschooling community? They taught me critical thinking in high school, and in the course of my senior year I went from being "a good kid" to "a really bad influence" because I dared to disagree with the adults every once in awhile. To sum it up, there's a reason I believe the way I do, and I do my best to refrain from stuffing it in people's faces. But if you ever want to ask me about it, I'll tell you all you want to know about how I arrived at the conclusions I did.

Re: what is your religion?

ColorOfSakura — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:12:06 +0100

I'm a practitioner of the Craft (Wicca...Paganism...whatever you choose to call it.) I've been on the path to this religion since I was about 15 (I'm 26 now, if that sets a decent time frame.) I felt called to it from around that time, and after quite a bit of studying and research on the religion and its roots, I realized it was the belief system that fit me and that I felt the most comfortable and myself in. I'm a member of a coven of Witches, and we practice together fairly regularly. I'm a fairly open book about my religion when people ask general questions, so I don't mind sharing what I can. I will say there are some things I can't answer (mostly things that go on inside my coven) because, as they say, "them's the rules." Any general knowledge and the like, I'm more than happy to talk about. :D

Re: what is your religion?

guardian-hope — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:21:18 +0100

I don't label my faith beyond 'spiritual'. I was baptized a Luthern and raised a Methodist and right after high school I gave a lot of serious consideration towards going into the ministry. However, I have issues with Christianity and no longer feel comfortable with using that label for my own faith. While I do acknowledge the existance of a higher power of indeterminent gender and a wacky sense of humor (platypus anyone?) and I admit that yes there are secular records revealing the existance of Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified, that is not the religion that I follow. I don't have set religious practices, and I don't attend services for the most part. However, I'll light a candle for someone if they need spiritual bolstering and I like to go to the local Methodist church for the Christmas Eve midnight service for the music and the good will and I believe in tolerence; or rather that: Tolerance is letting someone explain to you why you are going to a hell you don't believe in without punching them in the face. Also that people should be good to each other, in thought, word and deed. It's hard and sometimes you don't feel like it, but it only takes stopping and asking someone at work if they need a ride home to let a little more light in this world and believe you me, we need all the light we can get.

Re: what is your religion?

porcelain_ — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:25:35 +0100

You got me confused with all your labels and definitions. I'd still call myself an atheist. Raised Roman Catholic with christening, communion, confirmation and 'catholic religion' as a mandatory subject in school. Beware! Bavaria's a pretty crazy part of Germany concerning that... Not being catholic in school meant to be odd and different, I don't know if it's still like that though. Anyway, after 12 years of school (and still that religion-subject every year) the state allowed me to say "No, thank you". I guess if they wouldn't have made me go throught those 12 years I wouldn't despise religion like I do. I also don't think that my not-believing in a god developed over the years because I can not remember that I ever beliefed in one, even when they made me kneel down in church and pray. Religion makes me angry and I can't see anything good coming from it (especially the Roman Catholic Church). I don't ever discuss my view. I did that 10 years ago and it was enough for a lifetime. I understand that other people really like to discuss it but it just bores me.

Re: what is your religion?

StarrLilly — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:06:20 +0100

I'm a Presbyterian Pagan Wiccan Taoist and yes I know its awkward and conflicted XD it fits me though so I'm keeping it :P

Re: what is your religion?

epguinn — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:10:31 +0100

I'm Protestant Christian (Nazarene, if you want to get really specific) born and raised. Church has always been a big part of my and my family's life. I work directly for our Children's pastor, I play in our handbell choir, and sing in the regular choir. To me, religion is not something to be decided upon lightly. I have studied other religions, as well as science books (my major in college was once astrophysics). It is often difficult to explain my faith and still be "politically correct." So, I'll try not to offend anyone here. But, here's something my mother often says (regarding anything, not just religion): either it's true, or it's not. Either God exists, or he doesn't. Either heaven exists, or it doesn't. Either Jesus lived, died and resurrected, or he didn't. Believing is not easy, especially when you're a teen or adult. It's a big leap of faith, I can see why many people don't want to have anything to do with it. (I should know, I once wanted nothing to do with God, stopped believing in him or Jesus). The difficulty in being a Christian, is that practicing my faith means telling people about it. I don't bring it up every minute of the day, and I know to stop talking when people tell me that they don't want to hear it. However, I'm not trying to bring anyone to any harm. I've found something wonderful, and I want everyone else to have it, too.

Faith, Hope, Love

crazycardinal — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 05:39:44 +0100

Loved reading everyone's replies so far! For a subject that can often be thorny, there's a lot of great, respectful reflection and discussion in here so far. :) I'm pretty ecumenical when it comes to my faith and a lot of the websites out there cross-bashing each other's domination seem too searing for me. It seems I always gravitate toward a Presbyterian church, though I don't know how keen I am on its church government. They've always been welcoming to me and never really judged me and I don't judge others. In terms of my Christianity, I'm really non-denominational, I think, and I enjoy what Jesus did all the way to and including the cross and the kind of life He led and I try to live by His love as much as I can, though that's a continual work in progress. Organized religion, or so I feel, misses the mark sometimes and there's often too much sulfuric fire-and-brimstone for my tastes. I prefer community that bears each other's burdens with prayer, love, compassion, worship, and the mentality that the meek shall inherit the earth. I stumble and fall and the road's often jagged but it's a good one. God still reigns at the end of the day. Keep on ruminating, everybody! Here's to a very fruitful NaNo-ing season! --Mike

Re: what is your religion?

Broreale — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:20:54 +0100

Ah, I love religion threads. Really lets people explain something that can be dear to them, that makes up a huge portion of their thought process. Me? I'm not all that religious, but it doesn't stop me from exploring faith, considering the options, pondering over what the universe holds. I was raised in a household where faith was an open question. My mother believed in something--she just didn't know what--and her parents were Christian, but seemingly not too serious about it. Other matters always seemed more important. So I suppose I looked to faith with a little bit of mystery. I was a pretty hardcore Protestant for a while, seized by something I thought was belief, but it was really something else, like a desire for belief. And then I had some bad experiences with faithful people: not that I now view religious people as any worse now, but I think it convinced me that faith doesn't make you a better person, that you are who you are regardless. I'm surrounded by faith, and the faith in that there is no true faith, and I'm constantly reminded of my favorite quote from Nietzsche: "Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies." While belief, in my opinion, doesn't harm humanity, the belief in something as absolute truth reeks more of that conviction and pride than actual faith. While man may or may not be below a higher being, he is regardless limited in his view of the world, and we could all be reminded of that from time to time. Anyways, good NaNoing to everyone! I know I might take some good ideas from this thread and use them in my novel.

Re: what is your religion?

Joze — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:27:27 +0100

I am an atheist. I believe that religion and belief is a serious threat to the world. Don't get offended. That's how I feel. If you think otherwise and are willing a peaceful and logical dialog I am here. xoxo

Re: what is your religion?

tempestswordsman — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 06:37:00 +0100

Technically I suppose I am just in some way agnostic or spiritual. I most closely align myself to mostly ancient Taoist (Tao te Ching and Zhuangzi) philosophy and understanding of an interaction within the world. That being said, I do identify with Eastern Orthodox Christianity most of all of the Christian sects and spend several years attending a Jehovah's Witness kingdom hall.

Re: what is your religion?

imlate — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:06:13 +0100

I'm Roman Catholic. Only recently, really. I was Baptized and Confirmed a year an a half ago, on the Easter Vigil, which was also my birthday, weird, eh? Before that, in order, I was a Protestant, then an Atheist, then a Wiccan, then an Atheist again who went to an Episcopal Church just to be in the choir lol. And I'm only 20! But I know I'll be sticking with the Catholics. I have a lot of friends and a few family members who are pretty anti-Catholic, which really stinks. We get a lot more heat than people would think. I don't mind if people don't believe this or that religion, but hating on it when you don't even really know what it's all about is ridiculous.

Re: what is your religion?

katjevanloon — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:24:12 +0100

I'm a religious witch who's currently training to become a Druid. (That's way off in the future, however.) I'm dedicated to Brighid, the Morrigan, and I worship Manannan, I don't follow the Rede, and I am not any flavour of Wiccan at all but I do go to their parties. My witchcraft is more along the lines of Feri/Reclaiming, though I'm not initiated in the former -- only "outer court" stuff, as much as Feri can have that -- and I'm currently studying herbalism and rootwork in more depth. My biggest pet peeve is when people conflate "religion" with a specific path (and, following that, base all of their opinions about "religion in general" on what they know about that one specific path). They're all quite different, don't you know. (By pet peeve, I really mean seething psychotic hatred.)

Re: what is your religion?

Vyctori — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:38:28 +0100

Lack of one -I.E. Atheist but I do believe in willpower and energies ( As Atheism is without theism not without faith)

Re: what is your religion?

jjsigford — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:54:37 +0100

I'm Catholic, but only for the past few years. Before that I was all over the place - I was baptized a Lutheran, went to a Baptist youth group (they claimed it was non-denominational, but looking back that was not the case), hung out with a bunch of Mormons and Catholics, looked into Jewish culture for awhile, and eventually declared myself a "free lance Christian" for most of my teen years. Then I met my future husband who asked me to go to church with him - at first I didn't like it (Catholics do all sorts of things that were confusing for me haha) but the more I learned about it the more it seemed to fit for me. There are still things that I disagree with the Church about, but when it comes down to it this is the religion that works best for me.

Re: what is your religion?

TheArchimage — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:16:37 +0100

Agnostic atheist (I don't know whether a god exists or not, but do not believe one does). Secular humanist. I was raised Catholic, but after reading the Bible and finding too much that just didn't make sense I left the church. I was a Deist for a few years, but after finding no evidence to suggest the existence of a deity I acknowledged atheism was the only honest outlook.

Re: what is your religion?

Ayako — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:40:35 +0100

I'm a Catholic and a Wicca. These traditionally don't go together, but for me they do. I see many, many, many faiths as all interconnected, like different representations and interpretations of the same thing, some with deviating changes along the way, others without, but like all going back to the same God/Goddess. Anybody else like this?

Re: what is your religion?

sammyjones57 — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:09:24 +0100

I guess you would say I'm just a Christian. I was raised Baptist and then during my teen years quit going to church. Did the whole: Are you there, God? It's me, Amber sort of thing. Went to church here and there over the past couple years then recently got back into church in April. It's more non-denominational but leans towards Evangelist. It's definitely a different setting from how I grew up so I'm still getting my feel for it. But basically: I am a firm believer in God in good times and in really, really crappy ones.

Re: what is your religion?

Tamesis Aorta — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 03:10:28 +0100

Agnostic. I don't believe in God, but I'd really hate to find out that there isn't anything bigger than us.

Re: what is your religion?

sithwitch13 — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 03:31:30 +0100

Culturally Catholic, functionally athiest-ish/secular humanist. I was raised very Catholic, and I still describe it as "something I do when I visit my family" because the church and community from my childhood still feels familiar and nice, but I think I was born without the belief gene or something. I gave it an honest try for a really long time, looked into several other religions (Abrahamic and otherwise), and have reached a place in my life where right now, this works for me and I'm okay with it. I'm still fascinated by religion and belief, but it's in the same way I'm fascinated by sociology and anthropology.

RachLaurel — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:27:19 +0100

I'm agnostic but still attend bible studies and religious services (of assorted religions). I try to be very open about not belonging to the religion - I don't want to be there under false pretenses. I've been asked to leave immediately by only one church, and asked to stop coming after several weeks by only one other. One of the things I find incredibly amusing is how many try to claim me. I've had at least a dozen different congregations over the years of several denominations (Catholic, Episcopalian, modern "nondenominational" Christian, Jewish, Wiccan) tell me that I am a good Christian/Jew/Wiccan/etc, and when I remind them that I am agnostic, have said, "That's okay, we consider you one anyway." I do believe there is something we don't understand out there. I believe I have (and have interacted with) a guardian spirit/angel/etc of some sort. I don't believe in heaven or hell, and I don't believe that my consciousness and memories will remain intact long after I die. I believe that people should be good in order to improve the world for the generations that follow, and because it's the (admittedly nebulous) "right" thing to do. I pity and am a little afraid of people who have told me that they are ONLY "good" so they can go to heaven and admit they would not be "good" otherwise. Fortunately, these are few and far between. On a topic only tangentially related to belief in and of itself, I prefer religious services that are more traditional in form. I particularly enjoy both Catholic Mass and traditional Jewish services. However, I am more drawn to the beliefs of more loosely organized (or disorganized) spiritual religions, such as Wicca and moreso the 'miscellaneous pagan' circles that I've run into. I am particularly curious about Kabbalism/Qabbalism in conservative Judaism, which seems to combine both. I haven't explored Islam much yet, because the one group I went to had an extremely anti-Christian preacher [I forget the term for preacher - imam?]. Not only were his sermons [insert proper term] basically rants about Christianity, when I explained that I was agnostic and exploring religions he proceeded to give me pamphlets explaining why Christianity was wrong, and discussed Islam itself very little. I continued going for several weeks in case he had a bad day, but it was unfortunately consistent. I assume this is a gross exception, but it definitely turned me off a religion that I was already hesitant to explore as a woman alone, though I've always meant to go somewhere else and try again. (I'd love for others with more experience with Islam to send me PMs telling me what to expect/wear and otherwise giving advice and explanations.) Sorry for the length. -Rachel

Re: what is your religion?

Laughing Panther — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:39:21 +0100

I am a witch. I fall under the pagan umbrella, and I am part of an eclectic coven of Wiccan practioners. (yes, I know there are some Wiccans out there who believe you have to be Gardenarian or Alexandrian to be a true "wiccan" but I'm not one of them.) I believe in the duality of Sprit, which means I worship both the god and the goddess aspect. I believe the divine spark in Them is in all living things. I believe that living in contact and in harmony with nature furthers my spiritual path. I believe in karmic retribution, and I believe that anything you send out into the world is returned to you. I also believe in reincarnation.

Re: what is your religion?

BuddhistOnABus — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:44:12 +0100

Hi folks, I'm a Buddhist, obviously. When I was growing up I tried Christianity but didn't find that it meshed well with my beliefs about the world and how best to live my life, so I gave up on religion, as Christianity was the only one I really knew anything about. When I was at uni I met some Buddhists and our of curiosity did some research about Buddhism, then went along to a group a few years later. I practice within the Triratna Buddhist Community, which used to be the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, and I'm working towards ordination at the moment. Becoming a Buddhist has really opened my mind to what I want to achieve in my life and the way I want to go about it. It's also been really hard in some ways, because I have had to challenge a lot of my old assumptions and conditioned ways of thinking and being. Good to see so many people contributing to this thread, because I think it's important for people to think about their beliefs, regardless of whether that is in the context of a traditional religion or spiritual group or not. When you spend time considering your own beliefs, values and ethics, it is more likely to focus your mind on how you wish to live the best possible life you can, for yourself and those around you.

Re: what is your religion?

MrsX — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:09:07 +0100

I'm an Asatruar, the recently given term to those who worship the Norse pantheon. I suppose I'm technically an Indo-European Reconstructionist? Eh, labels...Odin's my patron deity.

Re: what is your religion?

restlesslilly — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:40:20 +0100

I'm agnostic mostly. I don't know if there's a higher being(s) and I don't really care anymore. I was raised Baptist, then turned Methodist at college, then began studying Catholicism when I started dating my husband. It was all beautiful and made much more sense than anything else. I tried RCIA three times. First church the teacher didn't even know the answers to questions people had. She'd say "I'll have to look into it" rather than answer. Thanks to my educated husband(bf at the time) I knew pretty much all the basics already. So, I would give the answer to my classmates and it seemed like I was teaching the class half the time. It seemed ridiculous and I felt wrong about it, so I left. Next time I was going through a lot of personal issues, dealing with a lot of anxiety. All I wanted was to go to class, be confirmed, and be Catholic. But a few classes in I was informed I wouldn't be allowed to be confirmed unless I came to every church function to volunteer(like serve meals and such to a bunch of people I didn't know) My social anxiety then was horrible. I emailed the priest and RCIA director and told them about my struggle with it. They told me I had to be part of the church community and if I refused I couldn't become Catholic. I tried one more time at another church. But once the RCIA lady found out I lived a little bit of distance away and told me not to bother coming cause she didn't believe I'd have the commitment to come all the time(she had never even met me yet I had visited the church for a LAtin Mass and emailed her after) ....that along with personal issues/trauma in my life led me to give up on the Church and eventually on belief completely. Since turning away from organized religion, I've been much happier. Healed quickly from my personal issues once I got away from it and love living my life without having to stress over whether or not my chosen beliefs agree with the choices I make in life. I'm a moral good person(the most moral good people I know are non-believers) and I have tried to get back into church and believing due to family pressures to do so, but I can't. I can't make myself believe something that no longer makes sense in my mind anymore. So, I respect those who believe now and ignore those who try to "convert" me. I plan to teach my kids about all the different beliefs in the world and let them choose their own path in life. I won't force any one way of thinking onto them. Hoping that helps them grow up to be happy open minded adults who are secure in whatever choices they make...since they won't have the stress or guilt pushed onto them if they choose to think differently from their parents. :)

Re: what is your religion?

Captain-Savvy — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 18:25:14 +0100

I'm a Christian. I was raised Southern Baptist but I prefer not to ally myself with any certain denomination. I believe in Christ as the Savior and in being born again. :) However I try not to judge others, and if I share my faith I try to do it in a conversational way without shoving it down anyone's throat. I'm interested in other religions and I feel a spiritual connection with the earth, which I'm not so sure how to classify...

Re: what is your religion?

deadpoetmentis — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 19:01:33 +0100

I call myself Agnostic but I may as well be Atheist. Even though I have no religious persuasion it does fascinate me and I won't put down anyones faith. In my eye, no matter what you can say about the respective stories and (I hesitate to use the word but I can't think of an alternative) mythologies, there is great wisdom to be found in almost all religious teachings and that is what I think is important.

Re: what is your religion?

explosioned — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 03:11:33 +0100

I'm a Christian, although I'm not completely on-board with the term. Sometimes I just like to call myself a "Bible-ist," because at the root of my beliefs is that the Bible is completely true and infallible. There's a lot of stuff I don't totally understand (I have only recently begun researching LGBT culture and intersex and all the things that go along with *not* being cis-gendered and hetero, and there's a lot I am still working through) but I believe there is a God who inspired and authored the Bible, that he did everything he said he did, and that the main point of life is to know God deeply and serve him. I like to think of it as the medieval concept of fealty: that there is someone you respect and love so utterly that you willingly and of your own free will follow and serve him. I am honestly fascinated by other religions and viewpoints and I like to talk to people about them, although I'm not very good at debate and I am easily stumped :X I also think that denominations are kind of detrimental to a religion and that a lot of organized churches get away from the Bible and diverge from what Christianity's about. I don't rule them out though - most of the great Christians and theologians of the world have been from organized churches, and they turned out great :)

Re: what is your religion?

brides_koneko — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 03:39:30 +0100

To the world at large, generally I say "Unitarian Universalist, Eclectic Pagan, Religious Syncretist"... All words that basically mean the same thing -- long as it respects Life in all Its forms, I take pieces of whatever FITS my understanding of myself and how I see Spirit and the world around me... Though I will admit that I am somewhat along the lines of what most pagans, fellow eclectics and otherwise, would probably call "laughably strange" when it comes to my belief system when you get down to the nuts and bolts because honestly a lot of my practices draw on Unverified Personal Gnosis, rather than traditions and lore (though I do occasionally use Lore and Traditions as stepping stones or 'bounce-off' points in my own studies).

Re: what is your religion?

hmckin20 — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 07:49:05 +0100

I'm an atheist. But if the Chronicles of Narnia were a religion, I'd probably be a preacher or something.

Re: what is your religion?

Hobbit Missa — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:21:26 +0100

I'm a Christian. I go to a relatively small Baptist church in a relatively small town, so my church is really my extended family. I have a lot of friends and relatives from significantly more liberal lifestyles, so I'm probably one of the more liberal people in my very conservative church. I do believe in a Heaven and a Hell, and I do believe that God is the only way to Heaven and Jesus is the only way to God (email me if you want to ask about it), but I promise not to bash other religions or ways of life. I don't believe God wants us to be argumentative and belligerent all the time. As far as whether or not my beliefs will affect my story...I have a strong feeling that my MCs will have a knee-jerk reaction against certain religions in the story and push back with a renewed interest in the very early Celtic Christianity mixed with ancient beliefs, but I'm not really sure yet.

Re: what is your religion?

Entity_TK — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:17:55 +0100

Sort of a trick question with me. I am of the philosophy that religion is what you get when people make rules for other people to follow in order to be a member, and this is too easily abused. Faith, on the other hand, is a good thing if allowed guidelines or exposed to a healthy level of ideas. I am a modern day Pagan, leaning heavily toward the tribe Vanir within the Nordic pantheon. I am part of a large-and-still-growing Pagan community within the Salt Lake City area. We gather mainly for social reasons, but we also sometimes do rituals together. The rituals are not mandatory. Seemingly everyone in the community--yes, even those who share in the same pantheon--has their own ideas and beliefs that they follow. The core belief among us is the recognition of multiple deities and the choice to which or how many we pay respects or worship toward. Nothing is forced except maybe the common sense morals and ethics . . . which is kinda funny considering how many of us like to dance around a fire with little to no clothing on.

Re: what is your religion?

MurderDeathKill — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:31:55 +0100

Christian. Just Christian, for now. I was raised in a few different churches -- by far the most important of which was a very conservative, fundamentalist Baptist church. I can deflect *every* assumption you've been programmed to throw at those people -- that church was fucking beautiful, inside and out. .....but, that said, I grew out of it -- moved away, and by the time I came back the pastor was gone to missionary work, the congregation had split up, and the new direction was totally mainstream and watered down. I tried about a dozen more baptist churches and discovered that NTBC was literally one of a kind..... that rare kind of unique that can never last for very long. Having been there, I've found it almost impossible to turn to any other church now, even of the same denomination -- I see things that I *cannot* *stand* almost everywhere I go. So now, instead, I wander in the wilderness, like Paul. I can't shake the feeling that someday I'll feel driven to come back and make an impact; for now, though, I'm in the world with personal faith.

Re: what is your religion?

Ashton_Lee — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:33:01 +0100

I serve the Many Faced God and I give him characters as sacrifice. Other than that, my religion could be defined as "rabid Wagnerian". I want to go to Bayreuth, naturally.

Re: what is your religion?

rachelynn — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:58:33 +0100

I am a Roman Catholic Christian, former Protestant Christian. I struggled for years with what to believe in, almost wanted to forget the idea of God and religion. I still struggle a bit, but I can never go back to being a Protestant, and if I weren't Catholic, I wouldn't be anything - probably Agnostic - or I'd look into something else, a Native American Spirituality perhaps (not sure if many people do that though but I would have. :P) I don't plan to ever leave the Catholic church though, it's too much a part of me and my life. I come from a family who is anti-Catholic too, or who are no longer Catholic. Even if it's not "the truth", I believe Catholicism has the full truth of Christianity.

Re: what is your religion?

Rosethorn225 — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:08:25 +0100

I'm a Pastafarian! :D Lol, seriously...I don't really have a religion. I use a lot of practices from Wicca and Paganism, but I don't identify as either. I believe in deities, I believe in magick and an afterlife and reincarnation...but I don't have a name for my beliefs.

Re: what is your religion?

CuntDestroyer — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:46:40 +0100

"All thinking men are atheists." -Ernest Hemmingway

Re: what is your religion?

OriDoodle — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:28:33 +0100

^Even though it is a quote, that's a bit arrogant to say. I'm a thinking Christian.

Re: what is your religion?

cartweel — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:52:29 +0100

Religion plays a large part in my life because I am 1) currently pursuing an MA in the History of Religion, as well as 2) the "Spiritual Adviser to Pagans, Wiccans, and Reconstructionists" at a major university. And, 3) I've been a liturgist, ritual presenter, workshop facilitator, and vendor at Pagan festivals throughout the Midwest. I grew up in a fairly Methodist-Presbyterian church that occasionally swung towards Evangelicalism, and was confirmed as a teenager, though not a believer, out of respect for my grandparents. I became a genero-but-that-basically-meant-Wiccan Pagan around the same time. When I moved to Chicago I gave up Wicca, became a member of a gay men's Pagan organization (but am no longer active with them) and then started my career as a traveling ritual presenter. I would usually identify as a Greco-Roman or Mediterranean Reconstructionist (though really I think we should use the term Revivalist), in as much as if you were to enter my apartment you'd find an altar set up where I make offerings to Hestia, Aphrodite, Athena, Hecate, the Muses, Apollo, Dionysos, the Dioskuroi, etc. -- and the Virgin Mary (who is awesome), Saint Expedite (patron saint of getting things done quickly!), Ezili Freda (Loa of Love!) and occasionally a few Dearly Departed that I've "sainted," for example Frida Kahlo and Johnny Cash. I'm also involved in Luciferian Witchcraft and practice a little Hoodoo rootwork here and there (mostly when I'm looking for a boyfriend!). THAT BEING SAID I don't infrequently attend various services at a local Episcopalian chapel, I've at two separate times been within seconds of converting to Islam, and have swung the occasional prayer at Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, the God of Tenrikyo, a religion from Japan. WHEW!

Re: what is your religion?

KaitTTT — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:13:44 +0100

My religion involves a lot of prayer, and a lot of love. Generosity, humility, patience, etc. Appreciation and joy. Celebration. Suffering. Reverence. Awe. A mysterious & absolute truth. Lord, please be with the posters in this thread. Guide all our thoughts. Help us to see. I love you! Amen.

Re: what is your religion?

ladyaibrean — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:42:36 +0100

I'm an LCMS Lutheran. It's the synod you don't hear about in the media. For the poster who was talking about the bad rep that Presbyterians get because of PCUSA, we have the same issues with the ELCA. People tend to lump us all together out of ignorance. I don't like to call myself "Protestant" because most people associate the term with the grape juice/yummy bread "happy-clappy", Bible-thumping side rather than wine/wafer (where Christ is physically and spiritually present), liturgical, and hymn-only where clapping would be completely out of the question side. Since Lutherans are a lot closer to Catholics doctrinally, I like to just call myself a Confessional Lutheran and leave it at that :)

Re: what is your religion?

CLD2012 — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:26:55 +0100

Hmmm this is a tricky question for me. I was raised Southern Baptist, though not the hellfire and brimstone everyone is damned to hell no matter what kind everyone feared, and was very into my church through my teen years. After some personal experiences and research in the end years of my high school career, I came to release that God either A) Doesn't exist, or B) Doesn't really care what happens to us, so I became what I guess you would call Agnostic with Atheist leanings? Met my husband, who was originally from a Kingdom of God household, and despises christianity for being bigots, and I am now coming back around to the idea of going to church. Can't say how I'll feel in a few years, but having missionaries in the family makes it difficult to get away from the idea all together. I'll have to admit, when I first read this thread I was expecting a lot of name calling and "You're going to hell for believing the wrong thing" type of stuff, its nice to know that there are still rational people out there, whether you are religious or not. That's getting harder and harder to find C

Re: what is your religion?

Mobh — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 01:06:42 +0100

I was born Christian, but my upbringing wasn't religious at all. I abandoned my "faith" for good when I was fifteen and I've been an antitheist ever since.

Re: what is your religion?

Taimi — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 01:22:38 +0100

I consider my self pagan. I'm a morman-turned-athest-turned-southern baptist-turned-mormon-turned-baptist-turned-pagan. Webster's defines Deism as the belief of god on totally rational grounds.

Re: what is your religion?

Arilella — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:33:15 +0100

I have sat here and spent a long time reading this thread, and I have been through a really rocky road with religion so uhm here goes: At 14 I was invited to do a Alpha course at my local newfrontiers church (not sure what the denomination is, but they took the bible literally, believed in spiritual gifts like words/pictures/tongues etc and believed in the truth of jesus etc) I joined the church pretty much after that and went to Newday a christian camp in the uk twice where like they did talks and seminars and healings etc. I am not sure what that denomination is but yea. I went there consistently on sundays and once a week to house group bible study type thing once a week so I was pretty dedicated. Then I got baptized in the sea at 15 which was pretty cool I'll admit! Then when I turned about 17/18 I kind of fell out of routine with the church, life and friends and schoolwork at the time took over and I went to church sporadically like maybe once a month or so. Then I went to uni at 20 and I got involved with the Christian Union on campus quite heavily, I was the Treasurer actually for a while before I quit uni, and I was really into the church there at uni that was like the one I was at when I was 15 ^^. But all the time I had doubt in my heart and I never felt like I REALLY made that leap of faith at the time. I had some very bad experiences at uni emotionally, and I prayed to God for help, but He never ever helped me or answered any of my questions. I felt let down and I just couldent go back to believeing in Him after all of that. So nowadays I am a confused agnostic I suppose. I dont really go to church anymore, I pray very rarely and I chucked all of my old christian stuff out. I dont know what to believe. But the things I did learn is that I never ever judge people based on their skin colour etc, and I try my best to show love to everyone. And I think and hope that if I'm inherently a good and nice person anyway, then I am quite happy going about my life the way I want to. The thing that REALLY annoyed me whilst I was a christian is that God had supposedly planned my life out for me. Well did he plan to make me life hell at uni? Did he plan to let my dad die way before his time? Did he plan for one of my supposed best friends to stab me in the back? Well no of course he 'didnt'. I'm just extremely bitter about the whole God thing. I'm not denying that he may exist, but I don't really want to be a part of something that left me bitter, I am much happier now making my own decisions about life rather then praying and hoping for an answer.

Re: what is your religion?

DaxBenny — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:47:33 +0100

I'm an atheist. Until several months ago I would have considered myself agnostic, believing that "There may be a god or not a god, but I don't know that answer." Then I realized that while I don't deny there might be a guy in the world I find attractive, I have not seen any evidence of such yet I do not consider myself bicurious. I found that method of conclusion rather funny to be honest. And on top of that I don't like to classify my ideas as beliefs(see Dogma for reasons) but I do think that certain social responsibilities are key to a functional society. I also think that religion does have a function in society, mostly as a method of coping. The list goes on with empathy over anger, honesty above all, Han shot first, etc. PS. I do also call myself a Pastafarian and celebrate holidays. Do you really need an excuse to exchange gifts, eat jelly beans and whoppers, or dress up in a costume? (The answer to the last one is yes, unless you are Lady Gaga.)

Re: what is your religion?

Kandiman — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:30:47 +0100

I'm a Catholic, but wasn't born one. My family - all of them - are Anglican. I converted when I was twelve and many of them hold it against me.

Re: what is your religion?

whoa_is_me — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:11:09 +0100

Am I the first Hindu to post? 'Hindu' is such a broad-sweeping catch-all term for an incredibly wide range of philosophies and practices. Specifically, I am an initiated member of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya, which is a tradition spanning back thousands of years, with a disciplic succession descending from the gods Themselves. The term Vaisnava means a devotee of Vishnu, who is a god who manifests in many forms, the foremost of whom is Krishna, the form of god who exists purely for his own enjoyment, and is thus the most potent. Krishna's consort is Radharani, his inextricable eternal counterpart, the source of his energy, the female half of his whole. According to my belief system, there are many avatars, many demigods, many expansions of god (including every living being; the soul is an expansion of Krishna, each of us has a little spark from this source animating us, and even inert matter is an expansion of Krishna, every atom), but Krishna is the original person from whom all this, the universe and all of us within it, emanates. The philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva essentially means simultaneous oneness and difference between god and ourselves, that Krishna is at once a separate, distinct personality from us, AND is at the same time the all-pervading source of all of us; he is inconceivably personal and impersonal at the same time. I was an atheist for most of my life. Actually, a rather hardcore, radical atheist. But it left something to be desired in terms of understanding. Reading from the many, many Hindu scriptures such as Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita has done more to resolve my philosophical, scientific, sociological, spiritual, and personal questions than anything I've ever encountered, and I've encountered a fair bit. Everything from parallel universes to mental and social agitation and confusion to the overwhelming hugeness of the universe to the process of time to matter and energy to fleeting glimpses of bliss, all makes sense. I've met more brainy types and physicists since becoming a Hindu than I ever would have otherwise, because it's some mind-blowing stuff, once you really delve into the philosophy. And the practice is deeply personally gratifying. Ancient wisdom, y'all. It's been covering all the bases before there were bases to cover.

Re: what is your religion?

Trina — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:38:29 +0100

My family is Methodist....but it has been over a decade since I've been to church (other than to ogle at the stained glass windows, sculptures, and architecture...or to a funeral or wedding). I am not going to label myself anything, because I don't consider myself agnostic, atheist, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu or anything in terms of religion, though I have studied most religions for their fascinating stories and believe what I want when I want. My beliefs change with the weather, I guess. I am accepting of everyone's beliefs and love learning new concepts from them! However, I resent it when anyone tries to convert me or preach to me or tell me I am going to hell. I despise fanatics of any kind, whether they're political, religious, sports, or any other kind. They tend to be so narrow minded. Oh, and more than anything, I hate missionaries who go around all saintly but then will not help another human being unless they convert to whatever religion they're practicing. Yeah, that's really effective. Good person, my ear. I hope God (if he exists and in whatever form he exists in) is watching you, hypocrite!

Re: what is your religion?

cchapman84 — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:40:15 +0100

I guess I'm probably an agnostic with Buddhist tendencies. I tend to believe in the concept of a soul, and possibly of a type of collective consciousness, but beyond that, don't really believe in any kind of "higher" power. I believe that there are plenty of things that happen and exist in this universe that science may never be able to explain. But that doesn't necessarily mean they're not explainable on some level. I do tend to follow most of the Buddhist principles, though, and it fits well with my other beliefs because there is no god or God in Buddhism. I believe in enlightenment and nirvana (and Nirvana, hehe), though I'm not necessarily sure it's something I want to pursue (which I guess would make me a very bad Buddhist). I've never felt the pull of religion. I went to church off and on when I was a kid (Episcopal and Congregational mostly), but never really believed any of it. I remember being a little kid, like 5 years old, and thinking that Jesus and God were kind of like Santa Claus: fun to believe in but I knew deep down they weren't really real. I'm not sure if I ever really believed in God or organized religion. I went through phases growing up where I'd try to be Wiccan, or Pagan, and even went through a spell where I was pretty sure I was a Satanist (Satanic-Bible-style), but none of it ever really stuck. Buddhism has kind of stuck, at least to an extent.

Re: what is your religion?

Magpie Ilya — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:01:36 +0100

I was brought up Catholic... well, sort of. It's hard to escape Catholicism here in Austria - the majority of Austrians is Catholic, and unless your parents unenroll you, you have to attend two lessons of Catholic Religious Education a week at school (and many schools require you to enroll in a different RE or Ethics course instead). But I only ever attended church with my grandparents - oh, and school masses (at the start and end of the school year, and maybe (can't remember) at Easter and Christmas as well). I went to First Communion at seven, but at fourteen, I'd long stopped believing in God (I can't exactly remember why... I believe mostly through learning more science and no longer needing "God made it" as an explanation) and absolutely refused to go to Confirmation. I was atheist for several years. There was the science thing, and then there was the fact that there are so many religions... some of them have to be wrong, and how are we to know if any of them is right? I'm pretty sure it was in my last year of school... I remember leaving school through the back door, walking out into a little park, a beautiful spring day, and looking up at the trees and breathing in the smell of flowers and suddenly thinking... "Isn't it just a miracle that all this developed from a single cell... that was created by pure coincidence? All these huge, complex living plants and animals?" I think that was the point at which I decided that maybe there might be a god after all. I can't know if there is, and I can't know what He or She or It is like, but maybe there is. And maybe there isn't. Maybe I'll find out after I die. And maybe I won't. I'm still firmly agnostic now, and still in awe of how complex the world and all that lives in it is. I kind of like the idea of Paganism, but I couldn't seriously believe in any sort of god. I can't help it, the mere thought feels so ridiculous I just want to laugh. Because how can I know, how can anyone know? It's sometimes really hard not to find religious people ridiculous. It's probably not nice to say that, but it's true. But I won't try to force my "non-beliefs" on them, and I'll try not to let them notice if I think they're ridiculous... as long as they don't try to force their beliefs on me.

Re: what is your religion?

screaming_blur — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:09:04 +0100

I was raised as as Jehovah's Witness and rather stupidly (and selfishly) went along with the beliefs until I was about 18 despite really not believing in them. I loved the feeling of community and I didn't want to hurt my mum or the close friends I had. Now I have left that religion I miss the people I worshipped with, as it was really like a family and I grew up in it. However, leaving has also made me realise how insular Jehovah's Witnesses are and I wish I had a different upbringing because quite honestly it was my entire life and even though I would never consider going back, I still feel quite bereft. Now I don't know what I believe and I am happy not to think about it for the time being. It's possibly very ignorant of me but after eighteen years of strict religion and a further two years of trying to make my way in the world having left that religion, I genuinely could not care less if there is a god/higher power/etc or not.

Re: what is your religion?

ThunderSong — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 06:01:02 +0000

I'm LDS. (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints aka Mormon). Born and raised in the church, my parents both converted when they were teenagers, my mom was raised Lutheran and joined my church when she was 16, and my dad was baptized LDS when he was 8 but was inactive most of his life, until he turned 19. I did come close to leaving the church as a teenager but I came back to it actively when I was a senior in high school. I'm so glad I have the church in my life :)

Re: what is your religion?

Demochan — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:18:56 +0000

I'm Pagan ^_^

Re: what is your religion?

SVEllis — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:19:58 +0000

I don't know :/ I grew up in a United Church of Christ family. After my parents divorced my dad stopped going (though blamed his six year for the reason?) and my mom changed churches as often as she changed lovers- often. I declared myself Agnostic because I'm not that interested right now but I'm not sure if I ever will be.

Re: what is your religion?

saruzake — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:27:57 +0000

I'm another person who started out with one religion and shifted to another one, but unlike most people I hear about, it wasn't because I was burned by the first religion. I was baptized Lutheran (ELCA, the "liberal" ones XD), but by high school, I just kept feeling that it wasn't me. Eventually, I began to read more about Buddhism and decided that it made a lot more sense. I took a class on Buddhism during college and actually had an "ah-ha!" moment during a meditation practice which convinced me that this was what I wanted to do. I'm not practicing anywhere because I live in such a small town where there's no such thing as non-Abrahamic worship centers. I also don't really know what kind of place would fit to my beliefs (which are more Theravada but obviously I can't go off and become a nun). For a long time, I felt ashamed about it because I first learned about Buddhism through Japanese culture, and I didn't want people to think "lol anime she's just doing it because it's trendy". I'm still not really "out" (if you wanna put it that way) to most people about it. I actually still go to my Lutheran church, mostly because I like the people there and I like to sing in the choir. Sometimes I feel a little fake since I don't really believe in it anymore, but I think the community is the most important thing. I don't hold anything against my church, it just ended up not being the right one for me. tl;dr - Used to be Lutheran, now Buddhist, no hard feelings, living in the middle of nowhere sucks

Re: what is your religion?

AnarchyOpteryx — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:33:46 +0000

I'm an Unspecified Theist. Mainly because I don't really feel like being an atheist or agnostic, but don't really like any of the religions out there. So I made my own religion. I call it Awesomism.

Re: what is your religion?

jonsbride1009 — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:59:05 +0000

Christ-follower. Jesus lover. Christian.

Re: what is your religion?

Oranbega — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:30:01 +0000

I believe in humanity: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKpYBbl4NkM&feature=related

Re: what is your religion?

Allura_Darkelf — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:01:00 +0000

I'm Pagan, still learning about what path is truly for me. I was Wiccan, but am now leaning more towards Nocturnal Witchcraft. I grew up in a Baptist home, but never felt like I belonged, despite trying to get involved with the youth ministry. My grandmother would take me to her Church of God, but that wasn't for me either. I was introduced to Paganism in high school and it did for me what Christianity couldn't. It gave me hope.

Re: what is your religion?

Nessva — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:34:07 +0000

I went to Catholic schools for 9 years (as they're generally the only non-government school in my little part of the world) but never liked the religion. I have also been to Ukrainian churches, but once again, that was more to meet people of my grandfather's heritage than for religion. And the Ukrainian population in Australia tends to centre around their church. I'm married to a Mormon (he stopped going & believing long before we met). I would call myself an atheist, but I'm not so closed minded as to say I will always be - we can't predict the future. I prefer to see where life leads me. The closest I have to spirituality is to personally believe that what most religions call god is a personification of human spirit.

Re: what is your religion?

mirandakane — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:23:58 +0000

I'm Eastern Orthodox but was raised Pentecostal.

Re: what is your religion?

Grollen — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:04:39 +0000

I was raised Catholic, and was almost confirmed as Lutheran, but I left the church when I was fairly young. It's a long, rather painful story, but I ended up becoming a Theistic Satanist. No, it doesn't involve eating babies and killing kittens. The tradition I follow simply sees Satan as a pre-christian deity in his own right, and respects him as such. It's rather quiet, and very accepting of people. This is good, because being gay, I needed to hear that I was loved and embraced for who I was. It did, and still does, make me feel grateful and joyous; it saved my life, and for that I cannot give enough thanks. Other religions don't bother me. Atheists usually don't bother me, though I feel some... like some Christians... are entirely too dogmatic, preachy and arrogant about it. Bad apples in every bunch, I suppose. As long as people are respectful (or at least civil), that's what matters. We should all at least be civil towards one another, right? Also, I have researched Vodou. I love it, and it speaks to me in a way that compliments the tradition I already follow. It's nice and nothing like Hollywood says. Imagine that!

Re: what is your religion?

BayRaysFan — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:28:30 +0000

I am a Christian. I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and is to be our guide for everything that we do in life.

Re: what is your religion?

s13jshaffer — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:01:23 +0000

I am a skeptical agnostic.

Re: what is your religion?

Aratos — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:05:24 +0000

Christian, Presbyterian. Combination of logic and experience - it seems to me impossible to seriously accept atheism, due to the fact that there are so many arguments that God exists and no good arguments to support an atheistic stance. From there, weighing up all the evidence points me to Christianity and my experience of having a personal relationship with God, through Christ as my lord and saviour, backs that up.

Re: what is your religion?

Ami — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:05:44 +0000

Atheist, reform Discordian

Re: what is your religion?

Lunacy — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:43:53 +0000

I wish I knew. :D I was raised Evangelic Lutheran, but I've been searching for the past ten years (I'm only 20, so yeah, I started the search quite early). I'm drawn to Wicca (I have never felt so at peace with the world as when I followed Wicca) and Buddhism (even though I'm too much of an a**hole to be a "plausible" Buddhist :D) as well as Finnish paganism. I see Jesus as a great teacher, much like many gods of other religions. I'm in no rush to make up my mind; I strongly believe that if there is indeed a supreme being s/he/it will understand searching and questioning. :)

Re: what is your religion?

Kittenpire — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:00:12 +0000

Officially raised christian baptist, but claim paganism, as it's apparently an old family secret. Grandmother used to say we were witches and my great grandmother said we were Fae. I myself was telling my mother about the victorian days when I was 2, stating things like "when i was here before....." Quite frankly though, I believe in everything. I believe that everyone has the right to their beliefs, as they likely hold true to the person who believes them. Belief after all is a powerful thing and should not be taken lightly nor ridiculed just because you may or may not agree. I find arguments over beliefs about as silly as if someone argued over favourite colours, or favourite foods.

Re: what is your religion?

Shaunaaah — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:25 +0000

I'm Agnostic, though severely leaning towards atheism. I think a big part of it(more than common sense) is that I grew up without any religion. I spent a while looking at different religions and seeing if I liked one and every time I got to the theology part with the god(s) and such I couldn't help but think "People actually believe this stuff? Really?", so I didn't pick any. The idea of a god in any form seems absurd. I hold particular issue with the christian idea of an all-knowing, all-seeing, all-loving god, it's the good ol' problem of evil. But I have to admit we don't know for absolutely, 100% certain that there isn't a god any more than they could prove that there is one. I'm like 99.99999999999% sure, but there's still that .00000000001% hence: agnostic.

Re: what is your religion?

Shaunaaah — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:00:46 +0000

Re: what is your religion?

St. Fang of Boredom — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:54:16 +0000

Roman Catholic. Yep, that's me. Though I don't think my beloved church would be too impressed with my stance on a couple things... (Like I don't think of homosexuality as a sin, I think women could be priests, you know, all that horrible stuff. :P) But, despite my disagreements, I love my beliefs as a whole. I was raised in the church by my mom, one of the most loving and devout people I ever had the honor to know. She raised me in her beliefs, but never forced them upon me, actually encouraging me to explore, question, and make my own decisions. I've bounced around to a couple religions, but ended up right back where I began. Nothing else felt quite right to me. Like I mentioned before, I've had my disagreements with some of the majority beliefs of my church, but I've chosen to stay and... Agree to disagree? Or maybe I just like to be defiant. :P

Re: what is your religion?

calenlily — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 04:56:20 +0000

I'm a Unitarian Universalist; it's the church I was raised in and and my connection to it has only gotten stronger in recent years. I consider UU a community and an approach to religious thought; to me UU means being free to believe what your conscience dictates you must, means a mandate to question, find your own beliefs, and not be complacent in those beliefs but continue to critically reevaluate them. What exactly my beliefs were was something that took me much longer to figure out. For a long time I considered myself atheist/agnostic (and as I explicitly do not believe in the Abrahamic god, I still feel rather functionally atheist). I was drawn to Wicca or Paganism for a time (which ended up requiring too much being taken on faith for me to swallow, but there are still many aspects of Paganism that I'm drawn to). Ultimately (well, as ultimately as you can get at 20, but I feel settled in it and have for several years rather than like I'm still searching) the beliefs that really resonated with me are pantheism and secular humanism. I feel a deep spiritual connection to nature. I feel that if there is an omniscient, omnipotent god then one has to wonder why they would allow all the bad things in the world to happen, but if there is not then every good thing that happens is a miracle. I believe that people fundamentally want to be good, and a lot of the time we are weak and make mistakes, but that does not invalidate honestly trying. I believe that morality is not dependent on religion. I believe that it is our responsibility as moral people to do what we can with our lives to make the world a better place for the time that we have to life in it. So yeah. Unitarian Universalist pantheist and secular humanist.

Re: what is your religion?

tyrantswine — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:24:39 +0000

Atheist philosophically, also through that very existentialist. However like a couple hundred thousand atheists in the United States, I AM a Unitarian Universalist, as they are noncreedal and thus you can believe whatever you want and still enjoy that sweet, sweet, Sunday coffee. I think being educated about world religions is important as it's an important component of people's worldview, so that's a major reason I'm a UU (the "Universalist" part involves taking the wisdom of all faiths and our scientific and literary traditions and combining them into one learning experience), as well as social reasons- community college sucks for getting a network of friends going. Finally it's nice to be around like-minded people in terms of activism, so it's handy to get stuff going that way.

Re: what is your religion?

Karret — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:23:47 +0000

I guess I'm technically an Atheist, since I don't particularly believe in any particular god or gods, but at the same time, I do acknowledge that it's possible there are greater forces out there. If there are indeed gods or a a god, beings that are so above us that they're beyond our ability to comprehend, I won't bother trying to comprehend it, because I personally would feel awfully pretentious and arrogant. x'D So I accept that any religion COULD be true... but they could also NOT be true. Either way, I don't really care. x'D Religions are pretty cool and stuff, but I don't subscribe to any. I am fascinated by the supernatural and ghosts and aliens and things like that, though. OUO! <3

Re: what is your religion?

Booradlee — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 03:21:57 +0000

I'm Mormon. I've read a lot of scripture from a number of cultures. Even read the New Testament in more than one language. Of all the evidence there is in the world I doubt I'd be convinced. Every couple of years, I make a deal with God (ones with more than a single outcome) Every time he has come through on his side. I can't say he usually keeps me happy, but he does a good job of keeping me convinced.

Re: what is your religion?

nyroeon — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:16:47 +0000

I was born and raised Mormon, but have since become an agnostic atheist. I find myself dispelling common rumors about Mormonism over the internet (I live in Utah, so most people I meet in real life already know about the religion) even though I don't consider myself supportive of the religion. I do appreciate many of the morals that are taught, but have seen a lot of hypocrisy and glossing over things. In my childhood, I asked too many questions that were answered with "because that's the way it is" or "because that's the way God made it." I have an open mind when it comes to religion or lack thereof. My fiancee is a practicing Catholic, and I'll often have discussions with him about life in the universe. Right now, I'm leaning to the side of believing people are more than our physical selves, but I still am against the idea of a power governing over us.

Re: what is your religion?

Tegh — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:44:12 +0000

I'm an Eclectic Pagan...For all of the people out there confused by this statement, let me elaborate lol. I was raised Roman Catholic for about 18 years, before I started to question the whole thing and started taking a serious look into religions. I studied quiet a few, and eventually decided that my views had more in common with Pagan religions (there are Hundreds, if not more, actual religions under Paganism...that is just the umbrella term), but I didn't know which path i wanted to take. In the end...I pick and choose various teachings or practices within the different religions under Paganism. (Hence the term "Eclectic.") It's a very personal belief structure, but it also has the ability to change or adapt to my spiritual needs. I tend to here no end of grief from others about it, even other Pagans, but I don't think that people should just believe in a established religious teaching. It normally ends up making the believers feel disconnected from their deit(y)ies. If anyone has more questions, or you're just curious, message me and I'll try and help ya out ;)

Re: what is your religion?

Madilyn Quinn — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 04:51:51 +0000

Nothing. Don't go to any sort of church. Religious people make me uncomfortable 70% of the time. Really, I fluctuate though. Between wanting to believe and believing it's all BS.

Re: what is your religion?

simply_complex — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 06:00:38 +0000

Cliff Notes version: I was born and raised Catholic, considered myself to be a Pagan during my teenage years, but a few years ago, I became non-denomination Christian.

Re: what is your religion?

sal410cat — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:12:22 +0000

I'm an Eclectic Wiccan. My mother is a Methodist Protestant and my father was a Catholic, though very loose in his beliefs. I was baptized as Protestant after my father passed away when I was 7 (12 years ago) and my mother thought my sisters and I needed God in our lives. I believed firmly in the Christian God until I was about 15 (4 years ago, for clarification) and then I crossed upon the term "Pagan." Me being the person that I am, I had to research it. So I did and I became fascinated with Paganism and for a while I just labeled myself as an Eclectic Pagan. However I met a few Wiccan people and I realized that the beliefs that I had always had went right along with those i.e. two forces creating human life instead of one. To me it makes more sense to have a God and a Goddess instead of a lone God. It makes more sense to me to believe in the karmic laws instead of having set rules for every human being. Not everyone is the same and people will live their lives differently. Better have them look out for themselves.

Re: what is your religion?

August. — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 07:29:52 +0000

I'm an atheist! For some reason I feel enthusiastic about this at the moment. I don't ponder my beliefs/lack thereof a whole lot, to be honest. It's what seems most reasonable to me based on my experience of the world, and that's about the end of it. My mom tried to raise me to be Catholic and I think it's a pretty interesting religion, but the belief part didn't really stick.

Re: what is your religion?

Sanyiel — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:03:26 +0000

I'm a LaVeyan Satanist. Before anyone asks, no we don't worship Satan and, in fact, don't believe in anything supernatural. I hide this fact from the rest of my family since they're devoutly Christian and would probably disown me if they found out I was anything but Christian, let alone a Satanist.

Re: what is your religion?

AltoidStorm — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:37:19 +0000

You know why I love this thread so much? As in so many other circumstances, writers have such unique views on everything. Which, obviously, includes organized religion. I am an atheist. I'm supposed to be a Catholic. My whole mom's side of the family is Catholic and the recent funeral for my grandfather was a very traditional Catholic ceremony. But I'm not. I think it was due to growing up away from my extended family a state away. My mother didn't force church onto me, to which she says she regrets, and I grew into my own by questioning everything. Authority, religion, learning systems, etc. It took me a long time for me to tell my mother though. I was agnostic for a few years, moving my mind around facts and speculation, and took to full atheism at the start of college. It has really consumed me in terms of what I represent. My mother, however, isn't exactly thrilled. Nor is she thrilled my fiance and I will not be getting married anywhere near a church. :) But such is life!

Re: what is your religion?

NightCat — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:49:29 +0000

I guess I would be considered Kemetic (or Tameran, if you prefer) Pagan, though I'm a skeptical one. I question everything and, given a choice, I side with science before religion. I tend to lean heavily towards Kemetic (Ancient Egyptian, that is) beliefs, but I also have some Wiccan and other beliefs of my own thrown in, hence the "Pagan" umbrella term. I was raised pretty much agnostic. My family didn't really talk about religion at all and we never went to any church. I didn't find out until I was in my late teens that my mother actually follows a Celtic re-constructionist faith, though to be fair I didn't live with her for most of my life. I was fully Wiccan for a while, but it never felt like a perfect fit for me. I had always loved Ancient Egypt, though, and finally around my mid-teens I realized that on some level I had always felt more at home among those beliefs and mythologies than anything else. Since then my beliefs have been evolving as I learn more and my perspective of the world changes, and I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

Re: what is your religion?

Algae Volvox — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:39:12 +0000

I'm pagan. To be more specific, I'm some type of Norse pagan. But everyone I meet thinks I'm an atheist. I have no problem with atheism (I even think it makes more sense at times) but it's kind of annoying that people assume that just because I'm a biology student.

Re: what is your religion?

PC17 — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 23:30:55 +0000

First, I just have to say that I love this thread, and it's been fascinating to learn about everyone's beliefs. I also love how respectful everyone is being about a topic that can sometimes be touchy. I personally identify as a Christian, in that I believe in the Bible and Jesus being the Saviour, but I just can't seem to fit into any particular denomination. I've tried with a couple different ones over the years, and there's always something that just doesn't jive with my own personal beliefs. Mostly I've found it's the... exclusion and judgement of anyone who has any remotely different feelings or views, but when again, the last church I attended leaned quite a bit to the right. Thus, for the last little while, I've just been doing my own thing and worshipping at home. While I love to talk about my beliefs and could go on about them for ages, I would never try to push them on somebody else or ever imply that mine are somehow better than theirs. Everyone has spiritual beliefs that are right for them, and as long as they as truly happy with them, who is anyone to comment? I just think the world would be in such a better place if more people adopted that philosophy. : /

Re: what is your religion?

harrowing — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 08:08:30 +0000

I guess I consider myself an agnostic atheist these days. I don't feel like I can claim to know anything for sure (agnostic), but I personally don't believe in any deity (atheist). Philosophically, I'm a bit of an existential nihilist. I find religion really quite fascinating, and I've done my fair share of looking around. I was raised by a Lutheran mother and a Catholic father, and in my mid-teens I even went through a long period of seriously considering converting to Judaism. I don't think I've ever ACTUALLY had faith before. I'm pretty firm in my beliefs, but I'm also quite open-minded.

Re: what is your religion?

N.L. LeBlanc — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:00:22 +0000

I'm the definition of agnostic. There is absolutely NO proof either way so I can't say with certainty whether a God exists or doesn't - therefore, I just keep an open mind, respect other people's views and choose to not have an opinion one way or another. I understand the concept of faith, but it's never worked for me. I was drawn to science very early in life and my education has been very science-based. I can't believe in something without proof. I really like the idea of there being a God, but until I can prove it, I'm not going to argue for hours about it. I find that pointless. I do - strongly - disagree with organized religion. Though I absolutely do not judge anyone who chooses to participate in religion (I do believe it's a highly personal choice that is none of anyone else's business) and understand that people have their reasons to be involved in religion, it is NOT for me. I won't go into my reasons for not agreeing with it. It's not something I usually talk about because I don't want to start a huge debate and offend someone.

Re: what is your religion?

AsAboveSoBelow — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:05:18 +0000

I was born and raised roman catholic but am now a pretty strict Atheist in that I do not believe in any kind of higher power that governs or dictates the universe. The only thing that makes things kind of 'grey' for me is that I suppose I have a spiritual belief to factor into things, but a lot of that just has to do with the belief that we're all a lot more connected than we probably realize and that there's things that we're capable of that, for the most part, we have not collectively tapped into. I do stuff like Tarot Readings and other forms of divination not because I think something will give me an answer, but rather as a tool to hone my own intuitive abilities and to just stay mentally sharp and level.

Re: what is your religion?

nickybr38 — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:16:05 +0000

Catholic. :) A rosary-loving, pope-loving, saint-adoring, Holy Spirit-filled, Christ-centered, Catholic. Haha.

Re: what is your religion?

K.C. Kennedy — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:50:20 +0000

Pentecostal Christian.

Re: what is your religion?

leonielee — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:48:46 +0000

I guess I would be agnostic. I really don't know whether there's a god or not, and who or what it may be. I haven't seen much evidence in my life that there is a god, but I guess I haven't seen much that says there isn't, either. I was raised in an extremely conservative Christian household, but none of that rings true to me anymore.

Re: what is your religion?

sayswho — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 08:34:00 +0000

I am Catholic, born and raised. Although I admit I have had my own struggles with religion through the years. I do believe in the Catholic teachings though, and that is what I consider myself to be :)

Re: what is your religion?

umiyumi — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 01:12:55 +0000

Raised Baptist Christian, had a revelation about 6 months ago and now an atheist. If you don't impose your religion into my life, I won't impose my lack of religion into yours. If you're cool with that, I'm cool with you! I really just don't see the point of God. Well, maybe there is one, but I don't think it cares whether I think it exists or not. Sometimes I get kind of poetic and wish there was an afterlife (hopeless romantic talking here), but I don't see the necessity of a savior, as I don't believe in heaven or hell. All you guys' stories are really interesting! :)

Re: what is your religion?

CB_Young — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 07:02:34 +0000

I am an Atheist, although I get the occasional agnostic tendency. But more than anything, I am a secular humanist. Why do I need deities when human potential is so amazing? Human potential is breathtaking, human potential is something that I do not have the words for. Humans are the be all end all on earth. It is our job be everything that we can. Progress is our mission. I have a religion. It is in my fellow man.

Re: what is your religion?

martianlunatic — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:17:19 +0000

I'm most-of-an-atheist ... probably agnostic in the strictest sense of the word, but I more or less highly doubt the existence of a god or gods. I would be happy to be proven wrong, though. Was brought up Christian, went through a neo-pagan phase in undergrad, and sometimes catch myself thinking about the made-up pantheon for my NaNo novel as if they're real.

Re: what is your religion?

KCRochholz — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:51:27 +0000

I consider myself somewhere between being a Wiccan and Being a Catholic, I was really kinda sick of the hypocorocy (spelled wrong i know) of the catholic church so i went in search of something else, and ended up just being myself I believe that there is a Goddess and I follow the Wiccan Rede, however I still believe that my savior is Jesus, so I sat down and wrote out my beliefs and i just follow my own religion now, which is in between religions, basically I follow the rede An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will.

Re: what is your religion?

bombmaniac — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:33:17 +0000

Orthodox Jew REPRESEEEEEENT! oh. not very many of my kind here :P ok...:D

Re: what is your religion?

Aracertariel — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:18:57 +0000

I'm born and raised a Christian, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As to why - I believe with my whole soul that it is true. And it is also very simple once you begin to learn more about it. I have studied other religions (mostly for writing purposes, honestly) but none of them have made quite as much sense to me. Speaking of which, the other question I saw was whether my religion affects my writing. Which it really does in a lot of very subtle ways. In fact, I started trying to learn about other religions mainly because I felt that since I knew next to nothing about Catholicism, I was missing out on a major influencing factor in the majority of classical literature.

Re: what is your religion?

Jacqueline Rochow — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:59:09 +0000

I'm an atheist with the Church of Reality.

Re: what is your religion?

JasminePipher — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:36:33 +0000

i am a Christian, in that i believe solely in the God of the Bible, and in Jesus Christ as everything the Bible says He is. i don't like identifying with a specific denomination, as most of them have some kind of theology that i don't think is supported by the Bible. interestingly, i believe only in one God, but in two religions - Christianity and Judaism. same God. Christianity expands on Judaism by accepting Jesus as God's son, the Messiah of Jewish prophecy. other than these two, i don't subscribe to the idea that several, many, or all religions are true. i know people think this is judgmental or prejudice or whatever, but if you want to have a strictly Biblical view of religion, you will know that God says very clearly that He is the * only * true God, and the only one to be worshiped as such. along the same line, i also get annoyed with people who take the parts of Bible they like and deny the rest. it's an all or nothing deal. but i would also like to make clear that i'm not one of these Christians who goes around shoving my beliefs down other peoples throats or making people feel bad. one of my favourite passages of the Bible says, "always be ready to share the reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect." in other words, share, be open to discussion, know what you believe and why, be willing to answer questions, but be nice!

Re: what is your religion?

JessicaKarli — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 02:22:52 +0000

Non denominational Christian! But I go to an Anglican Church. :)

Re: what is your religion?

bombmaniac — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:21:15 +0000

"i'm curious, what is your view on Christianity as the continuation of Judaism based on the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah?" do you really want me to answer that :P

Re: what is your religion?

bombmaniac — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:44:04 +0000

its not for this forum...im not interested in starting a debate online lol

Re: what is your religion?

nathagurl — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 06:47:32 +0000

Doctrinally I identify with Baptists, but I don't believe there is only one right "denomination." Basically, just Christian. :) In a nutshell, I believe in one triune, holy God. Because God is holy, He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. I am a sinner, and nothing I could do could make me good enough to get to heaven, because no sin can enter heaven. However, even though I rebelled against His plans by sinning, God loved me(and all of humanity) so much that he sent Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to earth to save us all. Christ died a horrible, torturous death for the sins of all humanity and rose again on the third day. All that I had to do to be saved was to repent(ask forgiveness and turn in the other direction) from my sin and place my trust in Christ's work on the cross as being the only thing that can save me. I am far from perfect, and never will be on this side of life, but Christianity is not about being perfect. My faith has nothing to do with what I do - it is all about what Christ did and does for me. My faith and life now is based on Christ, just like my conversion was. And now, I have the privilege of being the friend of God himself, which is pretty cool. :) This is definitely an interesting forum. I welcome any questions. :)

Re: what is your religion?

MissMaro — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:52:30 +0000

I'm Catholic, though not culturally... I was raised Episcopalian and I feel more at home in Episcopalian and Anglican Churches as far as the people go. Converted to the Catholic Church after being an Agnostic for three years. Ultimately, I'm happy, but I don't spend much time with my fellow Catholics except on Sunday. I have more Jewish friends than Catholic ones, but that might just be because I'm studying Hebrew right now. :)

Re: what is your religion?

Dizappearingirl — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:43:46 +0000

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints (AKA Mormons or LDS). -Dizgirl

Re: what is your religion?

Lindy-Hop — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:58:11 +0000

Atheist. Always have been, probably always will be,

Re: what is your religion?

sarahlucielle — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:58:42 +0000

I'm an atheist and a very strong skeptic. I'm very critical of religion and I have little respect for it. Though that doesn't mean I don't have respect for religious people. I am very accepting that people have their faith but when talking to me candidly about the institution of religion I treat it as ridiculous and infinitely mockable, if not downright dangerous.

Re: what is your religion?

suaru_chan — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:03:38 +0000

I don't really claim a religion, because there is always someone out there who points and says 'You don't do/follow this-or-that so you're not really (insert religion)!' In essence however, I am a Witch. I worship mostly the Goddess, but sometimes the God as well. I pray and perform my rituals at my altar and I use candle magic, herbs, etc. I guess that could be classified as Wiccan, but I'll just stick with 'Witch'. :D Happy writing all!

Re: what is your religion?

Liz10 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:26:06 +0000

Lately, I have begun to consider myself an Atheist, although I am not ready to tell my family about it because they are all very closed minded, especially when it comes to religion. I was raised a Catholic, and I even went to Catholic school from 1st to 9th grades and sang in my parish choir for more years than I can count. That said, I have never been comfortable with the idea of an all-seeing being--to me the idea of there being a God or gods is as ridiculous as Moby Dick being equated to God (seriously, Melville, an ubiquitous whale?). When I was a kid, I would sit in the choir loft, wearing my robes, and wondering what would happen if someone found out that all these important, religious documents were part of a big 2000 year old joke--I actually pictured kids writing the gospels and burying them all around the desert (because obviously that's how things were done 2000 years ago...lol). As I got older, I started questioning things even more when I had to sit through religious instructions in which they showed us the corpses of dead babies after they were aborted or listening to how the only morally righteous people were white heterosexuals (i mean really). Most of my problems with Catholicism stem from the conservativeness and hypocrisy of the Roman Catholic Church (so, a priest is technically married to God--who btw is depicted as being a man--, but it is perfectly acceptable for him to rape little boys???). I like to think that if God and Jesus are real that they would be ashamed at the men who are running their church, especially the current Pope (aka the former Nazi Youth! Uh, hello. Problem on Aisle 1!), but like I said, I do have some problems with the logistics of the whole thing--how do we know that what the Bible says is true, and why should I, a reasonably intelligent person, believe what it says without any proof of it being true? (yes, I am aware that is the definition of faith) Now that I have gone on and on about what I don't believe, here's what I do believe. I believe in morality--in doing what is right not because it was commanded by some all knowing God but because it is the right thing to do. I believe in not judging others because they dare to be different no matter how different they are from me. I believe in respecting others' right to be who they want to be and not try to change them into what I want them to be. I believe that we shouldn't force others to conform to what we think is proper--conformity is a very dangerous thing.

Re: what is your religion?

GatsbyGal — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 21:41:51 +0000

I only believe in god for the bad things, just like George Costanza.

Re: what is your religion?

Lady Lissame — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:37:30 +0000

I was raised a Catholic but the older I got, the less "right" it felt for me. At 18, I finally left the church and found Paganism. It feels right to me and instead of trying to conform to the beliefs of a religion I was raised in (as my father once said I should do) I found a religion that fit what I already believed. I also believe that there is no one right religion and that all religions have a similar message: be good to each other

Re: what is your religion?

Itzika — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:37:41 +0000

Technically I'm a born-again Christian and I attend a Methodist church, so I consider myself Methodist. I hate calling myself born-again, though, because I feel like the assumption will be that I don't believe in evolution, think being gay is a sin, am out to forcibly convert everyone I come across, and am generally a fundamentalist. I'm not. There are parts of the Bible I take figuratively, parts I take with one of those big blocks of salt that horses lick, and parts that I disregard almost entirely (*cough*Revelation*cough*). But born-again fits for me because I have gained a new life from God and have seen dramatic changes in myself since reaffirming my faith. I was raised loosely Catholic (*very* loosely; I don't know why we were affiliated with the greater church, honestly), spent some time Wiccan (which my mom was totally okay with--I mentioned loosely Catholic, right?), spent more time agnostic, and recently came back to Christianity. Catholic Mass doesn't work for me, though. I almost never get anything out of it. Though I did go to a very nice one yesterday, since we're out of town and I couldn't go to my regular church.

Re: what is your religion?

Writing_Ninja — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:44:19 +0000

Just because you are Atheist doesn't mean you are a Devil worshiper. Because... there really are devil worshipers. :P I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints. In pop culture I'm more known as a Mormon. The why is because I have prayed and studied. I've gained a testimony because of the confirmation I get. I can't explain how, but I just know it is true and I feel it is true. And it makes sense for me.

Re: what is your religion?

Sayaren — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:16:36 +0000

'Christian' but not particularly strong. I'm kind of a black sheep in my family because yes I believe in God but no I am not going to get worked up over such and such or do this or that just because the bible says I have to. I swear like a sailor at times because I don't believe it's right for a religion to suppress that and really to me it's all just words and words only have power if you give them power.

Re: what is your religion?

firebird_ysa — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:56:01 +0000

I'm a Catholic. I don't really go to church enough, but I've got my own quite little faith and interpretation thereof. And I like the smell of churches, and the feel of them.

Re: what is your religion?

Chai Maya — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:42:13 +0100

I'm a big mixing pot of belief systems, just like my country. :P I don't know a terrible lot about any particular belief system; I like to dabble and explore. I do know a fair bit about Christianity, but only because my parents were raised in very staunch, devout, conservative families (my paternal grandfather was a Mennonite preacher from Lancaster County, and my mother grew up in a French Catholic family in south Louisiana) but neither of my parents still practice, and I was raised in a very open minded environment. I've explored Paganism and Wicca in the past, and while not all of it is for me, I definitely believe in the principles behind them both - I just don't practice. I just discovered the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path of Buddhism recently, and I think they're fascinating! I can't wait to learn more about Buddhism. Animism (the idea that everything has a life/consciousness) is something I've always believed in, but only recently found the name for. I'm not terribly interested in Christianity or Islam for some reason, but I've met really nice people from both paths. In my group of friends, we have one newly converted Catholic family, one Baptist family, one atheist family, and one Pagan/Buddhist/animist (that's me!). And none of us care about the difference, or try to convert each other, or argue or anything! It's just not a big deal, and I love it that way. Acceptance is a major theme for us, and it's amazing.

Re: what is your religion?

jordan-leeann — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:13:16 +0100

I was raised Mormon and come from a family that is very nearly exclusively Mormon. Which makes it a rather sticky situation, seeing as I no longer believe in the Mormon faith. I think it is by-and-large a good religion (even though I disagree wholeheartedly with much of their doctrine), followed by many of the best people I've ever known in my life, but for me personally I no longer feel any affinity or love for the church itself. Its stance on some issues (which I will tactfully not specify) make me angry, and I find it entirely too restrictive for my tastes. I mainly just go to keep my parents off my back, and plan to stop going as soon as I've moved out and have my own place. Enough about what I used to/no longer believe...as far as what I do believe in, I have no idea. I flip flop on it all the time, just because, with the nature of life being what it is, my beliefs sort of shape themselves based on my current life situation at any given time. There isn't really any rhyme or reason to it; it just happens. I like the idea of a loving God, and of heaven, etc, but there is a huge difference between believing in something because you truly believe and believing something because thinking about the alternative is unbearable. I think I do too much of the latter and not enough of the former. I am envious of people who can throw themselves so fully into their faith. It seems like a much more peaceful path than the one I'm on.

Re: what is your religion?

RedPanda11 — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 04:29:03 +0100

I am a Christian, technically a Mormon-turned Atheist - turned Presbyterian-turned Methodist. But that's a long story that could make a novel in and of itself. I just say I'm Christian if anyone asks. As for why, that's a long, complicated, very personal story. It involves me having to reconstruct my life from scratch after some brutal experiences that taught me a lot about real life and the people around me. I totally understand if other people aren't like me faith-wise. I have a bizarre story, and it's not one I'd wish on most other people. I'm not all the way there yet. I still have lots of questions, and I'm not very good at finding answers or being a good Christian. But that's what grace is about, I suppose. It's God loving me no matter how imperfect I am. And that's why I love God!

Re: what is your religion?

TheCaleb — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:25:57 +0100

I am a deist in the most vague sense of the word. I believe in an intelligent beginning and nothing more.

Re: what is your religion?

Rebekah1213 — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:51:15 +0100

I have my own set of belief from several different religions. However I had to choose just one it would be Pagan. If you are interested about my beliefs, please feel free to message me.

Re: what is your religion?

muzical — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:08:10 +0100

I love attending Latin Mass. I've had no luck finding one in my area that offers masses in Latin.

Re: what is your religion?

restlesslilly — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:20:12 +0100

My husband was raised Catholic. We went to a Latin Mass a few years ago. It was pretty cool. I liked it better than "regular" Mass.

Re: what is your religion?

Allura_Darkelf — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:56:40 +0000

I'm Pagan, but would love to at least experience a Latin Mass. One of my uncles was Catholic and when we went to his funeral, I found the mass very interesting.

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:49:25 +0100

I hate to be nitpicky, but having a belief in one or more god(s) is called deism. Agnosticism means "I don't know if a god or gods exists."

Re: what is your religion?

Anfaenger — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 22:40:50 +0100

It is a sad sign of our culture that you have to defend yourself like that for your religion. :( I am a weak atheist/agnostic. I am not against religion though I see little point in it. Just as you probably like different music, and vote for different politicians, you also have other ideas about the world, that is fine.

Re: what is your religion?

MaccaGirl90 — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:58:37 +0100

It's pretty sad, I think, to have to post a disclaimer-type thing here, hun. I feel sometimes like if America got rid of the right-wing teabag people, we wouldn't get anti-Muslim things tossed at us. I for one know a great deal about your faith and am very respectful of it. Me, I'm a cultural Mormon who leans more deist/agnostic. I'm having a hard time believing there is a God at this point in my life. But whatever. I go to church but don't get much out of it, really.

Re: what is your religion?

dhitzunako — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:16:43 +0000

[quote=faithbalainn] ...a Muslim - born, raised and practicing. Despite what is said about Muslims, I am proud of being a Muslim woman and solely believe in Allah (God), the teachings of Mohammed and the our holy book. I do wear the veil and am somewhat conservative. I do stick with tradition and culture but that does not stop me from having a great time cruising, going out and having fun with my friends... [/quote] Same here. :)

Re: what is your religion?

Trethsparr — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:58:46 +0100

Right on! Your story reminds me a lot of my own. My relationship with God is a huge part of my life as well. :)

Re: what is your religion?

kitandkat — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:40:40 +0100

"I'm Protestant, born and raised - though that doesn't mean I haven't had my own strugglings with God and what I believed and all of that throughout the years (and I still do). It just means that I found my way back to God every time." I love what you said here. I'm Catholic, but I have the same type of relationship to my faith, I think. Anyway, born and raised Catholic. I love to study other religions, so I have at times thought about joining something else, but always end up back at Catholicism. I'm a pretty liberal Catholic, I think... influenced not the least by my university, which is Jesuit (Jesuits are historically the black sheep of the Church and have been excommunicated a few times). But my faith is very comforting to me and even though I don't really think about it *all* of the time or talk about it a lot, it is a pretty big presence in my life. I go to church once a week, and volunteered at my church a lot in high/middle school (will probably get back into that after college). At the least, I have been close to death so many times and survived odds that were definitively not in my favor, that I think someone HAS to be watching out for me.

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:15:17 +0100

once again I hate to be nitpicky, but agnosticism means "I don't know if a god or gods exists." I would consider what you are describing to be light pantheist or even atheist (only if you mean nature as nature and not god, it was kind of hard to tell from what you said).

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:00:23 +0100

I find this post a bit contradictory, you are saying you don't know if a god exists but then you say you believe there is a god...?? I'm just trying to understand your position.

Re: what is your religion?

mavjade — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 23:12:36 +0100

I agree and believe 100% of what you said. --"I still think that life is amazing, beautiful, and wonderful - even though deep down I'm aware that emotions are likely to be the result of electrons moving around in different configurations in my brain, doesn't mean I can't enjoy them"-- I've said something very similar to people before and they seem to take offense, that my emotions for them (love especially) are just a product of chemicals in my brain. I find that lovely and wonderful, most people don't, apparently.

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:06:31 +0100

then you are not agnostic, you are deist. A deist is some interesting beliefs, but a deist.

Re: what is your religion?

dssmith — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:21:21 +0100

That's actually a really interesting question. I don't often go deeply into the religious beliefs of my characters, because I want them to be relatable to as many people as possible. But if their beliefs do come up, I try not to make the belief define them completely.

Re: what is your religion?

skatepixie — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 05:59:49 +0100

I've actually never writen Traditional Catholic characters. Though I did write a historical once with Catholic characters -- you know, back in the day when every Catholic was what we now call "Traditional." It wasn't a huge part of the plot really and I never finished the book. In most of my novels I ignore the issues of faith totally. One that I'm editing right now has a main character who is Russian Orthodox, but that is more of a product of where he is from than it is of what I personally believe.

Re: what is your religion?

kitandkat — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 07:27:05 +0100

Good question... I don't usually include religion in my novels or it's not a huge deal, like if they're Christian I might mention they went to church or something. I do like researching different religions and have characters of different religions/no religion, even if that doesn't really play into the novel much or at all. For this one, though, it's about a character who is living with cancer and I think often that has an effect on your religious beliefs or makes you think about them, so I did want to focus on religion a little bit more. She's based off a real person (vaguely but this is one of the areas where the real person is a huge influence) and because of that I decided my FMC is pretty angry at God. She was raised Catholic, and as a teen becomes disillusioned. She ends up finding peace with her own spiritual/religious beliefs eventually, though I'm not sure yet if that will involve belonging to any organized religion. If it does, I don't really see her going back to Catholicism. Yet, like I said, I'm Catholic. I think it's interesting to explore her perspective though and she's not me, I just have to remind myself that every time she makes a choice having to do with religion that I wouldn't necessarily agree with.

Re: what is your religion?

faithbalainn — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 09:10:33 +0100

I don't think my religion affects my writing at all directly in terms of ideas and characters, though I will have to say that I do not write graphical sex scenes and would prefer to just imply that it happens if it is part of my plot (which is the case 90% of the time LOL) I think its also due to my culture, traditions and upbringing that I don't see myself typing way explicit sex scenes. I did read them though and to be honest, some of them are pretty cheesy and bad and now I think that novels can go without having a 15 page long scene of the two characters in bed =P

Re: what is your religion?

BuddhistOnABus — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:29:22 +0100

Sometimes my religion affects my writing, in that it affects the way I think about things and the positive qualities that I believe are most important. A couple of my novels also have explicitly Buddhist themes in them, e.g. characters who are Buddhist, or one novel that is my modern re-telling of a 16th Century Buddhist story.

Re: what is your religion?

explosioned — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 02:58:08 +0100

I sometimes try to have books that revolve around themes grounded in religion (for example, I'm Christian, and one of the books I'm working on has servanthood and the idea of selfless service as one of its base themes). However, I usually don't get much into the religions of my characters ... might do so for this year's NaNo, since it's set in an area and time where there were significant populations of Christians, Muslims, and Jews all coexisting (1200s Sicily, if anyone was interested).

Re: what is your religion?

MissMaro — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:42:20 +0000

I definitely think a person's beliefs can and often do influence their writing a great deal because your beliefs determine your perspective on things and, sometimes, what you end up thinking about on a regular basis. Anecdotally, I was reading a book the other day, and I kept thinking, "This guy's a Mormon. He has to be." And I looked him up on Wikipedia and I was right. He wasn't writing about anything religious, but his view on life was 100% LDS and totally unmistakably so.

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:14:59 +0100

wait, what? I'm totally lost now. what is an energy based creature? O_O I don't understand please explain again.

Re: what is your religion?

Drewcifer3939 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:13:56 +0100

I hate to nitpick your nitpick, but that's not deism. Deism is the belief in the "watchmaker god," i.e. a God who designed the universe with a set of specific rules at its heart, set it in motion, and then stepped back and either left or is simply watching but does not interfere with the universe. What Kadevi is describing is a sort of nebulous "spiritualism." A simple belief that something intangible and greater than herself probably exists and acts on the world.

Re: what is your religion?

Loki Mischief-Maker — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:27:07 +0100

Look, another UU who dislikes/is ambivalent about coffee! [I am ambivalent. Unless it is Really Good Coffee, which I'm pretty sure does not exist in any religious setting, regardless of faith or denomination, because it is too much of a pain to produce.] Um, yeah. I'm . . . religion is interesting. I'm not entirely certain where I fall. I was raised in a vaguely, the-Bible-is-on-the-coffee-table-read-it-if-you're-interested-and-we'll-talk-if-you-have-questions Christian household and therefore my religious education is a bit uneven. I have a tendency to explain my opinion of Jesus of Nazareth as "His father's a bastard, but I like the kid," even if I'm not convinced of his divinity, and I'm not terribly fond of Paul of Tarsus. A lot of the ideas in Taoism resonate with me. I believe there's something out there. I don't know what form it takes. I'm not certain the form it takes is entirely knowable. I think I'm at peace with that uncertainty. So yeah, theistic UU pretty much sums it up for me, I think.

Re: what is your religion?

wintertulip — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:41:53 +0100

"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" That pretty much sums up what I was trying to say. Trust Douglas Adams to put it better.

Re: what is your religion?

calenlily — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 03:51:17 +0000

Yay for copy-pasting the seven principles but not being able to remember them. I can never remember them either, so I keep a card listing them in my wallet for situations when I get stuck trying to explain UU to people. I like your minister's line about hymns and coffee, that really is pretty accurate.

Re: what is your religion?

SkillfulCreations — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:30:37 +0100

There are different types of agnostics. A person can admit that they don't know whether a God exists or not, but choose to believe in one, while others can choose not to believe in one.

Re: what is your religion?

Mungolian — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:41:32 +0100

Huh. I hadn't heard of that. It's pretty much exactly what I believe.

Re: what is your religion?

goodbyewaffles — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:38:50 +0100

Did you seriously start this thread just to argue with people? Yikes. Step back, son.

Re: what is your religion?

Chaos Hippy — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:45:49 +0100

In the sense that her stance on God isn't much more than a shrug and an open mind, I'd say agnostic is as good a term as any.

Re: what is your religion?

brookew86 — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:45:11 +0100

THIS! Haha! Except I'm not even interested at all in politics so when people ask me if I'm a Republican or Democrat I go: "I'm a 'don't give a flying [censor]!" ;D I'm a very open-minded, accepting Christian. I don't see the point in shoving my beliefs in other people's throats, and I like to learn so my plan is to go through several different religions and beliefs with my daughter when she is old enough. We'll learn together. I also don't go to church because, quite frankly, the churches in my neck of the woods are not overly friendly to hearing my altered beliefs. But I do believe there is a God, and I'm pretty sure we're cool. We're buds. Long distant buds.

Re: what is your religion?

liatris — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:36:26 +0100

everything is basically made up of energy in the end, so maybe it means a being of energy with no real physical form?

Re: what is your religion?

i am the moon — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:57:12 +0100

Not to be nitpicky, but why is it your business what people want to term themselves?

Re: what is your religion?

Chaos Hippy — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:47:28 +0100

We also hate it when you nitpick.

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:32:52 +0100

belief and a god(s) is separate from worship of a god(s). If jesus came and turned water into wine for me I would believe in him, but I would not worship him.

Re: what is your religion?

jesusfreakhobbit — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:45:23 +0100

I totally get you there. I struggled with the different viewpoints and denominational. Finally, I realized it's like everyone is standing in a circle around the same Truth, we just all have different perspectives and ways of expressing it. Dividing over the small things is dumb and harmful. And the media focuses way too much on the loudmouths than the actual majority of believers. But then, isn't that how it is for every religion?

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:37:34 +0100

agnostic-atheist, that is what it is called.

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:39:44 +0100

was that 'you' directed at me? heh. you probably summed up 90 percent of atheists with your answer. *highfive*

Re: what is your religion?

oazan — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:29:18 +0100

Yeah, I have no issues with my atheism, I never hide it, but if there is a strong onslaught of religious people, I'm more hesitant to say my views because I never want to accidentally start something... I'm a peaceful person, so if you are Catholic or Muslim or Jewish... etc etc, I have no issues with that. If you want a logical discussion with me, awesome. I want to know more about your religion, and I want to see what your beliefs are. I find it fascinating. But... don't convert me or make attempts at it, because I've tried and found myself uninterested. And high five!

Re: what is your religion?

Neechole — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 08:24:19 +0100

Yeah, no real form. >.> Not crazy, promise.

Re: what is your religion?

picimadar — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:06:00 +0100

I was waiting for someone to put this up. Sums up my own beliefs more perfectly than I could.

Re: what is your religion?

Bad_Ailuros — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 04:22:50 +0100

Which always, to me, raises the question of -- why is a garden any more or less a thing of beauty and wonder if one believes the fair folk to live under it?

Re: what is your religion?

sushimustwrite — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 04:41:35 +0100

[quote=wintertulip]"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" That pretty much sums up what I was trying to say. Trust Douglas Adams to put it better.[/quote] This is exactly how I feel about religion. Why do we need to believe something made the garden pretty? Can't we just think the garden's pretty?

Re: what is your religion?

chavalah — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 09:51:39 +0100

Going through this thread I see a lot of Jews with Catholic family or step-family... me too! :P My mother is Jewish and my father is lapsed Catholic, so I was raised Jewish and now identify very highly with it. I wouldn't say I'm religious, but I'm very aware of Jewish practice and I identify with a lot of it, so I'm slowly trying to ease myself into more observance. I also love Jewish culture, and though it only seems to seep into my fiction nominally so far, I work and blog so much about Judaism that maybe I'm over-saturated. :P Personally I'd disagree with your statement that most religious people don't "change with the times" as it were--most major religions seem to have progressive streams, and as for Judaism, some may argue that challenging and personally interpreting scripture started with the Talmudic rabbis over 2,000 years ago! And being in a group of writers, I'd say we're all in good company when it comes to expanding our minds. :)

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:42:32 +0100

well lets see here. do you believe in god? do you believe one can prove/disprove god? do you believe there are any books/stories/etc that are inspired by someone(thing) divine?

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:39:18 +0100

I have two questions for you! do you wear the magic underwear? what does the magic underwear do?

Re: what is your religion?

Unwritten Curse — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:56:20 +0000

Hey, I am, too. :)

Re: what is your religion?

flygreybird — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:10:48 +0100

I have absolutely no idea what these questions are referring to, but if it's mormon doctrine to wear magic underwear, I think I might weep with glee.

Re: what is your religion?

Toastburner B — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:53:08 +0100

The term "magic underwear" is misleading. The garments are are used as a physical reminder for the covenants made in the temple, and are also used to encourage modesty.

Re: what is your religion?

Bad_Ailuros — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:59:00 +0100

Depends on the day. Sometimes I believe in gods, sometimes I don't. At this point in technology? No. I think we have to get more into research on Alice matter/mirror matter to get close. I mean, aside from the point that you can't prove a negative. Nor do I think disproving a lack of gods in this universe necessarily precludes any universe having gods, what with how M-theory works. Probably more information than you needed. Again, depends on the day. Obviously we have some evidence of people that were once thought of as divine, (Dún Scáith exists, for example) but whether they were actually divine is unknown.

Re: what is your religion?

General Seiyaryu — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:05:29 +0100

This. I used to consider myself Atheist or even Taoist before I decided that, 10+ years after leaving the Christian faith, Paganism was the most reasonable option for someone like me. It took me 8 years, though, because I've long been interested in certain things within the Pagan religion such as magick, Tarot, etc. but could never really get into the idea of the polytheism. I'm still trying to work that part out, but it feels much more comfortable for me to acknowledge that this is where I belong. If that makes any sense?

Re: what is your religion?

General Seiyaryu — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:09:47 +0100

Nonny, I've only just started practicing Paganism myself, though I also don't necessarily follow any of the gods/goddesses. But, what do you do as far as rituals for Samhain and other Sabbats? Do you simply call out to all dieties in general, or do you pick and choose to fit the ritual? I ask because I'm confused as to what I myself should do. :x

Re: what is your religion?

skatepixie — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:06:30 +0100

Yay Cashew love! My mother was still religiously a Jew when she married my dad and had me, so even though she has now become a Catholic I guess I'm a Cashew too. :-)

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:19:01 +0100

k I'm gonna ask the same question I did to the other guy. do you wear the magic underwear? what is the magic underwear for?

Re: what is your religion?

Toastburner B — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:54:28 +0100

I answered the question underneath the other Mormon's post. Hope it explains a bit.

Re: what is your religion?

dssmith — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:01:21 +0100

I'm open-minded and accepting, too. I feel that it's only right if I invite a friend to church, I should be open to going to a service or meeting for their faith, too, so I can understand where they're coming from. I didn't go to church for a long time because I said "I believe in God, but I don't believe what man says about God". That really didn't work out for me, as there was no kind of spiritual growth there. It took me a long time to find the right church, but since I've found it I've really grown closer to God and made lots of friends. (And my city has more churches than gas stations, so finding the right one could have taken my whole life.) I had Christianity forced upon me when I was little, so I sort of rebelled against it in high school/college ... but when I started going back to church on my own and making my own decisions about faith, I saw more of the picture. I really like my church because they're not political in the least. Most of the people there are pretty conservative, but the pastor doesn't tell the people what or who to vote for, and I really appreciate that.

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:04:35 +0100

I don't know what neburius is and a google search turned up no results, please explain.

Re: what is your religion?

wintertulip — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:32:02 +0100

That's the point, isn't it? The garden is just as beautiful whether or not they are there, so you can believe in fairies if you want to, but there's no evidence in support of their existence - sometimes a beautiful garden is just a beautiful garden.

Re: what is your religion?

polargriff — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 07:58:20 +0100

You know, I was extremely puzzled by the whole hardening of Pharaoh's heart myself for years. Finally, I decided I had to study it carefully myself. This is my conclusion. The incident in question is worded three different ways throughout the book of Exodus: 1. Pharaoh's heart became hard (Ex 7:23; 9:7) 2. Pharaoh hardened his heart (Ex 8:15, 32) 3. God hardened Pharaoh's heart (Ex 10:20) The most telling verses, the ones that provides the clearest explanation of the situation, are Exodus 7:13 and 8:15. Both of which make clear that Pharaoh was the one that hardened his own heart, but the Lord, being all knowing, knew beforehand the ultimate outcome of the Pharaoh's choice. Pharaoh decided on his own (free will) not to listen to God and to refuse to release the Hebrew slaves. Have you ever run into someone who was arrogant and stubborn? Even when they were wrong, everyone present knows they are wrong and even they themselves may know they are wrong, they refuse to yield and admit they are wrong; instead they keep stubbornly rebelling? That is how Pharaoh is portrayed, and if you understand the culture of ancient Egypt, especially the cult surrounding the position of pharaoh (pharaoh being perceived as and worshiped as a man-god), it is rational to conclude that such a person as a mighty Egyptian pharaoh would have a difficult time admitting he was wrong and letting the slaves go. No, that would be a shame, he would loose face. (The Egyptian pharaohs were notorious for never admitting weakness; even when they lost a battle, a horrible defeat, the pharaoh at that time had monuments erected depicting an Egyptian victory.) The Lord spent pleaded with the Pharaoh and gave him many opportunities to do the right thing, but the Lord does not force anyone to obey Him. Revelation 3:20, it is written: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Every person is free to choose, and Pharaoh chose to harden his own heart through persistent rebellion. The Lord may foresee our choices and, if they are bad ones, may put warnings or stumbling blocks in our path to give us the opportunity to reconsider and choose the wiser path, but He does not force us to choose one way or another. However, the Lord was able to use Pharaoh's hardened heart to demonstrate His own supernatural power through the wonders and miracles to strengthen the Hebrews' faith. (Romans 8:28) In fact, Christ said: "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15) He loves us so much that He will not force us, though He pleads and begs with us to make the right choices; that also means that there comes a point where He sorrowfully steps back and allows us to experience the consequences of our bad decisions. For Pharaoh, his bad decisions might have ultimately cost him his life. (Exodus 14:28) This is my conclusion, anyway. Maybe it helps, maybe not. The Bible does have some difficult things, but when I come across something difficult or confusing, I compare that verse or passage with, first, the context in which it is written and, secondly, all other references in the Bible on that particular topic. The Bible makes more sense that way. At least, for me.

Re: what is your religion?

faithbalainn — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 09:05:11 +0100

Unfortunately; there has been a need to put up a wall of defense in front of us due to the media and such, though personally I haven't experienced extreme discrimination or anything like that because everyone I deal with both online and personally are people who haven't had their mind taken over by the media Which is a very good sign =)

Re: what is your religion?

Bad_Ailuros — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 13:36:43 +0100

The quote seems to suggest that believing they're there makes i more beautiful, though.

Re: what is your religion?

General Seiyaryu — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:20:29 +0100

Okay, this is going to sound like a very stupid question, but... I've never heard of Pantheism or Panentheism. Could you explain what those are, pretty please? I can definitely identify with everything else you've said, though. I'm rather baffled by the "mandatory donations" thing too, although I believe that's just for covens and such - not necessarily a requirement if you're a solitary practitioner. I'm a Solitary Pagan myself, and have been reading up on all of that sort of stuff.

Re: what is your religion?

katjevanloon — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:14:54 +0100

I am wondering what Wiccan groups made you donate to attend public rituals. That's not common practice in Neo-Wicca, though it could be in BTW...in which case you'd only get the outer court stuff anyway, which is basically what you'd get from Neo-Wicca. It's asked that people chip in if they can't, but I've never been turned away from any ritual for lack of funds.

Re: what is your religion?

TheSmith — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 10:53:14 +0100

Agh, I meant Nibiru. http://churchofcriticalthinking.org/planetx.html

Re: what is your religion?

Cadaverine — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 02:56:10 +0100

Pantheism = essentially, all is god. The universe itself is god. Sort of. The deity concept in pantheism is not a personal god. Panentheism is the belief that god is both transcendent and immanent - god is part of everything as in pantheism, but is also a personal deity and distinct from the universe.

Re: what is your religion?

BuddhistOnABus — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:34:38 +0100

*waves* Good to see I'm not the only one floating around!

Re: what is your religion?

i am the moon — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:35:32 +0000

1 month later, I still remain unsurprised that no one has anything to say or questions about my "religion." :P

Re: what is your religion?

Hëradïn — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 08:32:32 +0100

I was just clearing up some definitions. You can call yourself leiskjfgjdj for all I care, as long as you are using according to its proper definition.

Re: what is your religion?

boysloveboys — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:29:23 +0100

Ah, thank you. Not only did you get to it before I did, but you did it better than I ever could anyway. I suck at explaining things, ahaha;;;

Re: what is your religion?

unrulydreamer — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:00:21 +0100

I agree with Ms. Midnight. I too am a Nanoist. I pray to my muses, and I seek inspiration from the blank page (or computer screen) Now I sit me down to write With my characters I must fight If one dies before I'm done At least my word count goes up a ton.

Re: what is your religion?

BuddhistOnABus — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:36:21 +0100

I seem to remember "NaNoWriMitarian" being suggested as the term for those who follow the Holy Chris Baty and his Saints of OLL....there's also a "Ten Commandments of NaNoWriMo" thread somewhere....

Re: what is your religion?

cchapman84 — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:15:04 +0100

There's no scientific basis for the Nibiru "theory". If there were such a planetary body in our solar system, on the course that it's claimed to be on, it would be visible to the naked eye at night (and would be more prominent than Jupiter or Saturn in the night sky). And the argument that it's being hidden by the sun is geometrically impossible.

Re: what is your religion?

MurderDeathKill — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 15:19:20 +0100

Well SEMANTICS-wise, I think the exact term would be "Agnostic Theist," but that's *really* splitting broken hairs.

Re: what is your religion?

i am the moon — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:00:37 +0100

I look forward to seeing you correct people with mainstream religions as well, then. "You're not Presbyterian; Presbyterians tend to endorse a more literal reading of the Bible."

Re: what is your religion?

KelinciHutan — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:56:16 +0100

Actually, as a presbyterian, "presbyterian" refers to a church that organizes itself with a certain governmental structure--that is, by presbyteries. Which is why, doctrinally speaking, the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Presbyterian Church in America (my denomination) are wildly different from one another on a number of issues. All of that to say, nitpicking is annoying, yes. But it can be useful if you're someone like me who comes from a smaller group that can easily get confused with a larger one that shares a name or part of it.

Re: what is your religion?

i am the moon — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 21:02:58 +0100

Fair enough. :) I was referencing off my parents' beliefs, which are in accordance with the Presbyterian Church USA. My point was that Presbyterians USA as a whole might be literalists, but there are definitely members who aren't. There's variety within every denomination and religion and lack thereof. People should be free to define themselves as they wish, and I believe the way someone defines themself is what makes that definition true. An outsider can't come in and say, "No, you're not X, you're Y." Well, clearly the person said they're X with Z traits. That doesn't make them less X if that's how they choose to identify.

Re: what is your religion?

i am the moon — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 07:21:14 +0100

I'm definitely interested in hearing more about how you arrived at your conclusions! I'm a rationalist agnostic, but it sounds like you used similar techniques as I did (i.e., logic, questioning of faith) to reach a different conclusion. If you're still interested in telling someone about it, please NaNoMail me!

Re: what is your religion?

Trethsparr — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:41:04 +0100

I like your style. :) Thanks for sharing!

Re: what is your religion?

Cadaverine — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:46:27 +0100

Well goodness, don't imply they're the same thing! ;) Sure Wicca is a form of Paganism, but many Pagan religions are quite unlike Wicca (ditto many witchcrafts, come to that). I mean, as a Pagan and a witch myself I will assume from the get-go that we have very little in common unless discussion leads me to a different conclusion :D I say this because I imagine many people reading through this thread will be unfamiliar with Pagan religions and/or with witchcraft, and may want to know.

Re: what is your religion?

Cadaverine — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:47:58 +0100

I'm sorry that religion makes you angry. I hope it ceases to bother you in the future. Though, I think many people are just naturally not inclined towards religion and find it quite a boring subject. And fair enough too.

Re: what is your religion?

Anastasia — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:42:32 +0100

I think that is an unfair judgement. (I'm currently studying the three Abrahamic religions.) There has been a lot of good and bad that have come out of all religions over time, but some religions are more likely to have the flaws pointed out, at least currently, than others... at the moment, I've found this to be Catholicism and Islam. They are both different and seen in a more mystical, fitting-for-the-screen light so in film and in the media, they tend to be the ones with their flaws pointed out. I think a lot of the film aspect is because of the fact that the USA is a primarily Protestant country and the media is a result of 9/11. I think it is also important to remember that when you go back, there was no "Catholic" wrongdoing or lack of wrongdoing by Protestants. For nearly 1000 years there was one Christian church, which for centuries after that was divided into Orthodox and catholic (lowercase "c") churches. The Catholic (uppercase) didn't come out until the Protestant Reformation. I'm not saying that the RCC has everything right or that they haven't done bad things. I just think that people tend to judge some religions more harshly than others and that Catholicism is one of them (ex. sex abuse cases are something that the stats tend to be ignored in, when considering them in comparison to other religious leaders, family members, teachers, coaches, etc... but, of course, even one is too many). For the record, I no longer identify as Christian either, for a variety of reasons from multiple creation stories to the fact that Jews couldn't have executed Jesus to the fact that there is no way he would have ever said to stop following kosher, being a practicing Jew himself! I'm just pointing out the other side of the coin (I don't want to say "devil's advocate, since I have the feeling neither of us believe in the devil).

Re: what is your religion?

ColorOfSakura — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:39:32 +0100

I'm not making that implication, but people tend to choose the labels they wish to define themselves by.

Re: what is your religion?

Cadaverine — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:29:04 +0100

Very well - I made that inference from your first sentence. I'm aware people choose to identify how they may, but it does give the impression when phrased in such a manner that these terms are interchangeable and mean the same thing ^_^

Re: what is your religion?

skatepixie — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 07:59:58 +0100

Welcome to the Church. :-)

Re: what is your religion?

jjsigford — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:49:39 +0100

I'm a Catholic convert too! Except that I just celebrated my fourth Easter. I've had some friends/family members who are anti-Catholic, and it does suck. But either they'll get over it or you will (at least that has been my experience - I've had some people finally just accept my decision and there have been instances where I just don't care what their opinion on it is anymore).

Re: what is your religion?

imlate — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:08:20 +0100

Thanks so much! :)

Re: what is your religion?

katjevanloon — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:15:23 +0100

*if they can. Not can't.

Re: what is your religion?

skatepixie — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:43:24 +0100

Yeah, my husband and I had similar family reactions when we went Traditional. Quite a lot of "What do you mean, your wedding is in Latin?" and "Why the freak did you just order meatless pasta just because it's Friday?" I usually smile and explain our reasons, as nicely as I can. Either they learn to respect you, or they just shut up, or they are always a thorn in your side. Just never let them turn you nasty. :-)

Re: what is your religion?

skatepixie — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:45:13 +0100

Dumb question from a cradle Catholic who spent some time in a Protestant univesity: Is there such a thing as non-denom, really? Can you really be without denomination, even if you claim to be? Or is that church just a denomination unto itself? Note: I'm using the general or generic use of "you," not referring to anyone personally.

Re: what is your religion?

Cadaverine — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 05:53:44 +0100

And YHWH is cool with you worshipping other gods as well?

Re: what is your religion?

jjsigford — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:35:28 +0100

For me it was, but I also wasn't going to any particular church on a regular basis (not until I converted to Catholicism). I believed in God, I believed that Jesus Christ was my savior, and I believed in the Holy Spirit, but from that point forward I couldn't really find a church where I agreed with most of the things they professed, so I stopped going to church and decided I didn't need organized religion. Obviously that changed for me, and I'm really glad it did because my faith is so much richer now than it ever used to be. As far as the Baptist Church operating the "non-denominational" Youth Group - yeah, that's not possible. It definitely focused on Baptist teachings. At one point I remember a conversation where one of the youth leaders told me that Catholics are heretics because they worship false idols (saints) and that Mary wasn't special at all and that God could've chosen any girl to carry Jesus. Even though I wasn't Catholic back then, those things didn't sound right to me.

Re: what is your religion?

skatepixie — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:35:00 +0100

Ahhh I see what you're saying. I guess what I'm asking is if a CHURCH can truly be non-denominational. Because in that case I'd almost view them as a denomination unto themselves. Interestingly most protestants believe that about Mary -- baptist or not. Churches that are products of the Anglican Patrimony (ex Church of England, Episcopal, Anglican not in union with the CoE) tend to have different views. But yeah, bashing on the Blessed Virgin seems common.

Re: what is your religion?

jjsigford — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:40:48 +0100

Yeah, I think that most churches who claim to be non-denominational either leans toward a certain denomination or have their own denomination. I think that most churches that claim it do so to come across as more open - trying to bring the "come as you are" attitude. It is interesting. Like I said, even before I became a Catholic though that didn't sit right with me. I mean, she carried the Son of Man in her womb and raised him/followed him until death - I would assume God put a bit of thought into who He was choosing for that huge responsibility. I never understood the mentality that Mary was just a girl and there was nothing special about her.

Re: what is your religion?

skatepixie — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:11:04 +0100

Ahhh I see. I guess to me the whole "come as you are" thing smacks of "we don't believe anything in particular." It would be difficult to me to just show up, not knowing where they stood on various theological issues. But then, I could never be a Protestant -- I reject Sola Scriptura pretty hard. :-p And I agree fully re Mary. I mean, seriously, men don't choose just anyone for a wife because they don't want just anyone raising their children. Not that the Blessed Mother was God's wife -- I just mean that He would be selective about who raised His Son. Besides, there's always a reason for things. I don't think God was sitting on a cloud going "eeny meenie miney moe" and pointing at every woman in the Holy Land. :-p

Re: what is your religion?

Hobbit Missa — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:08:15 +0100

I agree with you both about the non-denom thing. I've grown up in an independent Baptist church and went to a "non-denom" youth group during the week. non-denom was code for Pentecostal. I didn't agree with everything that was said and done, but there were certainly a lot of common points and good fellowship. And with regards to Mary: I do believe that God was incredibly selective when He chose her to carry His Son. Most girls would have seriously balked at the idea of getting pregnant before marriage in a culture that could have stoned her for adultery. God knew exactly what He was doing with her and, I believe, was preparing her from before she was born to carry and raise His Son.

Re: what is your religion?

cartweel — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:30:11 +0100

Wouldn't that religion be... Christianity? Allegory etc...?

Re: what is your religion?

Cadaverine — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:21:01 +0100

Why do you choose to define "religion" in this way? That's not the way most people use the word.

Re: what is your religion?

leonielee — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 04:57:05 +0000

I really like your definition of religion and faith. I strongly believe there is a distinction that most people miss.

Re: what is your religion?

MurderDeathKill — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 05:13:36 +0100

“What I see in Nature is a magnificent structure that we can comprehend only very imperfectly, and that must fill a thinking person with a feeling of humility.” -Albert Einstein

Re: what is your religion?

CuntDestroyer — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:54:24 +0100

It's only arrogance if I'm wrong.

Re: what is your religion?

somuchforendings — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:01:27 +0100

Actually, you can be right and still be arrogant. Sorry.

Re: what is your religion?

JasminePipher — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:42:32 +0000

agreed, very arrogant. not to mention this implies that all the people posting here are idiots for believing in God or religion, which goes against the original posting, requesting everyone to be respectful.

Re: what is your religion?

DaxBenny — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:11:34 +0000

I view it from the opposite side. Countless fundamental religious claims have been proven inaccurate and no real proof exists in support of a deity. Sure there are some counts of evidence, however they are not without their explanations.

Re: what is your religion?

Aratos — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:58:43 +0000

[quote=DaxBenny] no real proof exists in support of a deity. [/quote] On the contrary! From a philosophical perspective we have such proofs as the cosmological and ontological arguments, from a scientific perspective there's the sheer impossibility of the universe as we know it existing by chance amongst other things, and from an historical perspective there are plenty of good reasons to think that God has directly intervened at times. Sure there are plenty of reasons to believe that a lot of claims people make about God are obvious nonsense, but that doesn't change the overwhelming reasons to believe that God does in fact exist. I've spent far too much time researching this subject :p

Re: what is your religion?

Grollen — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:26:37 +0000

Agreed. Sure, there might be personal accounts of religious happenings, but there isn't really any empirical evidence. It baffles me when religious folk say that there is, because... no, not really. After thirteen years of researching and debating, if there was a way to defend the theistic stance in a solid, scientific way, I'd have found it. There isn't. Which doesn't mean much in terms of personal belief-- I don't think it means that people should give up religion or that theism isn't true-- it just means that at this time it cannot be proven in any scientific sense. ... But there's no empirical evidence for the atheism stance, either. There wouldn't be. You can't prove a negative. It's on theists for the burden of proof, since theists are the ones saying "yes there is something there". I'm a theist myself, but I know what is and isn't out there as far as proof is concerned.

Re: what is your religion?

DaxBenny — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:34:06 +0000

That's where I find most theological arguments have discourse. Philosophy is the exploration of humankind while Physics is the exploration of the universe on a fundamental scale. The problem is that philosophy is intangible and in most cases there is never a "correct" answer but rather an available set of rules that one may use. The same can be said of religions with the exception that most people do believe their religion to be the "correct" one. Physics (and geology/astronomy/other sciences for that sake) can give definite quantitative data which makes it like comparing apples to oranges and most often times neither sides of the argument recognize that.

Re: what is your religion?

Aratos — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:04:10 +0000

I see what you're saying. I wouldn't say I agree per se, which is probably why we clearly have different views on the subject. Although one might argue that my defense of philosophy as more pure than the natural sciences is probably my biases as a philosophy student talking ;p

Re: what is your religion?

bookworm2007 — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 01:18:14 +0000

[quote=St. Fang of Boredom] Roman Catholic. Yep, that's me. Though I don't think my beloved church would be too impressed with my stance on a couple things... (Like I don't think of homosexuality as a sin, I think women could be priests, you know, all that horrible stuff. :P) But, despite my disagreements, I love my beliefs as a whole. I was raised in the church by my mom, one of the most loving and devout people I ever had the honor to know. She raised me in her beliefs, but never forced them upon me, actually encouraging me to explore, question, and make my own decisions. I've bounced around to a couple religions, but ended up right back where I began. Nothing else felt quite right to me. Like I mentioned before, I've had my disagreements with some of the majority beliefs of my church, but I've chosen to stay and... Agree to disagree? Or maybe I just like to be defiant. :P [/quote] I feel like this is exactly who I am as well, except I still haven't left the church in the first place, just gone through stages of thinking about it. Part of it is the connection I have to my home parish that has prevented me from leaving whenever things got really tough. My mom switched over to Episcopalian (or the dark side as we joke about it) and couldn't be happier.

Re: what is your religion?

nyroeon — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 03:46:05 +0000

I give your post a big thumbs up! As long as people are mature and understand being different isn't bad, talking about religion and learning about someone else's beliefs are wonderful. The world needs more people like you.

Re: what is your religion?

nickybr38 — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:03:31 +0000

Hee. It's okay. We love you even if you're unique. :)

Re: what is your religion?

JasminePipher — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:38:59 +0000

i'm curious, what is your view on Christianity as the continuation of Judaism based on the acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah?

Re: what is your religion?

Anastasia — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:39:56 +0000

I don't know if you know this, but Islam also had the Abrahamic God. All three worship the same guy and claim to be the rightful descendants of Abraham.

Re: what is your religion?

JasminePipher — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:24:44 +0000

actually i do! i've never actually had the opportunity to meet a practicing Jew. what can i say, i'm curious.

Re: what is your religion?

JasminePipher — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:56:12 +0000

well, i really wasn't interested in any kind of debate, but oh well. fair enough.

Re: what is your religion?

Dizappearingirl — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:46:16 +0000

Whoops, *Day* not Days. Minor error but my editor has to come out somehow! -Dizgirl