What is your religious faith?

[Josh]

I'm just Catholic, actually I think I might be Irish Catholic, but hey a Catholic's a Catholic I guess.
I'm Catholic.
Wow...I say Catholic a lot, don't I?

[Finchx0rz]

One of my faves:

"I used to be Irish Catholic, but now I'm an American. You grow." - George Carlin

"Irish Catholic" refers more to culture than religion (and religion is different than faith, but that's for another discussion). The religion itself is referred to as "Roman" Catholicism because Rome is the pontiff's HQ.

[lord-of-sith]

I'm technically Catholic, but normally when ever the conversation comes up, to make it simpler, I use Christian as the term for my religion.

[Nala]

I'm Christian and my religion is Baptist. Where would that belong?

[Aladdin from Agrabah]

I'm a Christian Greek Orthodox.

[Lars Vermundsberget]

"Protestant" - which is just a simple question of group identity, pretty much equivalent to saying "I'm Norwegian".

Also, by the way, how seriously is religion taken in your country? In Malta, we're mostly Roman Catholic, but I was a bit shocked recently when I found out (through a survey of the whole Maltese population) that only 52% of us (Maltese) go to Sunday Mass regularly.

52% - well I guess a Norwegian would have reason to be impressed...

[Continuum]

I'm Christian and my religion is Baptist. Where would that belong?

Protestant.


I'm Buddhist.

[Lazario]

I voted other, because I have no religious affiliation whatsoever. And I've never been to church (). But my family has never been very religious, at all. Not even my grandparents were very religious, nor were my last-living grandfather's (passed away back in, I would say, '99) girlfriends (one of which married him in the very early '90s) very religious. That I know of. So that means I don't even know what my parents' religions are.

But look at me, talking as if any of this makes any difference whatsoever - almost every religion tries to tell all of you that gay people are evil just because of things they feel that they cannot change, so therefore if they fall in love = sin. That's why I believe more than anything, that all religion is basically false, unless it deals with actual love and recognizes psychology to be real. But I also don't do research on it - what good would that do? Once they know I'm gay, I get lectures that I don't deserve to hear. Why does tolerance always have to be political?

So I still see religion as something elitist, excluding, and just not necessary. Besides, I don't know anyone who has actually ever been comforted by religion. I don't doubt that it could happen, I know it happens and helps some people - but it's not necessary for all, or even most people, so that's why I feel it should be kept private and never used to make laws or to justify laws that deal with love and 2 people making a life together, whatever their choices and decisions are (and this of course pertains to children, home, and everything else - sexuality itself is not a choice - it's either an orientation or a disease, and it's only a disease when the person craves sex with a partner that isn't human or alive - it's that simple; desiring someone underaged isn't a crime either, it's just a very bad decision, and non-plutonic love doesn't necessarily include sex, so the other person has the choice to wait for sex until their young partner grows up a little).

I basically decide religion is not necessary because people tell us all the time God chooses not to intervene, ever. Can we agree on that? Because that irrefutably explains a lot. And that doesn't mean God doesn't exist. But, it does mean that if he/she/it/they can't save lives, they can't destroy lives, bless us when we pray at night, recognize our unions (civil or otherwise), or take any mercy upon us whatsoever. This does not mean though that I'm some freak who actually believes we should remove Christmas from Kids' school calenders, banners, decorations, and lunch menus.

I'm just another totally average and normal person that many religions take advantage of, ignore, or don't understand. I actually have many issues with most religions. For instance, the idea that women were made in the image of men or that a woman's job is to only take care of her husband and kids, even to the point where she practically neglects and abuses herself, not leaving any time for herself. I do know people here are smart enough not to believe that themselves, but many preachers still preach that way, and the books they read from still say those things. What image does that present to children? Why do children need to be brought up to believe things they can't understand yet? And the pictures in these holy books, pictures of women and blacks practically depicted as slaves - again, a bad image for our society and children. Where do we think the Ku Klux Klan got all their ideas that blacks are subservient to whites from?

So many people say - read the book. Like the Bible has all the answers in it. Like any religious book has all life's answers in it. Nothing explains everything in life. And no book ever will. No life philosophy will ever explain everything. So religion acts as a sort of mop, to clean things up, organize thoughts in a somewhat sloppy, makeshift fashion. The book doesn't predict how we live our lives, it only takes a look at us and comments on what it sees. So why should we believe it knows everything? Especially given all the differences between the world now and then? Every preacher is just playing catchup to the times. We listen to so many holy people look around and claim this is a sin and this is not... But religion can't understand everything. Religion is just damage-control for a section of the population who don't like to figure things out on their own.

And remember, this isn't meant to offend anyone. Because I know no one here ever meant to offend me (well, actually...). It's just the point of view of someone who knows they are not a sinner. Because love is never a sin, even when it seems really strange. To some people. Everyone here has to admit though, religion raises a lot of questions that it can't answer. Life is sometimes nothing but questions.

[waltmad]

'Religion' in many instances causes wars, arguments etc. As my ol' mum used to say, i haven't got religion, i've got God. But if you want to label it, protestant, christian, born again, saved, bible basher, Jesus freak & other labels, but thats enough.

[Unregistered]

I've always found the subject of religion very delicate. It's just such a huge part of so many people's lives that I easily end up minimizing everything they stand for. Still, I don't see myself attached to any specific belief - if anything, I'm probably an agnostic. It just seems to explain human's callowness along with there still being something "higher" than the average being, better than most other religious believes can.

Still, I’m very open-minded. Which I consider a good thing.

[TM2-Megatron]

I'm an Atheist myself, although it appears that this thread discriminates against us, lol. Not surprising, however:

Article Link

What dissapointed me most about that article was how few Atheists there really seem to be in America... I can only hope there are more up here.

[Disney-Fan]

What dissapointed me most about that article was how few Atheists there really seem to be in America... I can only hope there are more up here.

Hey man, if it makes you feel any better, here in Israel the odds of me finding an atheist are slim-to-none. We are a rare group!

[TM2-Megatron]

What dissapointed me most about that article was how few Atheists there really seem to be in America... I can only hope there are more up here.

Hey man, if it makes you feel any better, here in Israel the odds of me finding an atheist are slim-to-none. We are a rare group!

Well, I can certainly sympathize with that. It does seem unlikely indeed that many Atheists would go to live in a country that's so heavily into religion, and exhibits some theocratic tendancies. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration seems to be doing the same thing for the U.S., only in an even more convoluted way.

Although the series is entirely fictitious within another book, I think I'd be quite a fan of Oolon Coluphid's trilogy of philosophical blockbusters (assuming they were real): 'Where God Went Wrong', 'Some More Of God's Greatest Mistakes', and 'Who Is This God Person Anyway?'

[bambifan56]

Christian here. My best friend is actually an atheist though.

[Aladdin from Agrabah]

Because love is never a sin, even when it seems really strange. To some people. Everyone here has to admit though, religion raises a lot of questions that it can't answer. Life is sometimes nothing but questions.

I agree with you in most of your points, and I agree that love is never a sin but what happens when an adult tells you that he's in love with a 7-year old boy? Is that love or is that a psychological sickness called pederasty? So love is not a sin, but the question is what do we call love??? Maybe many more meanings are hiding behind the thing we so easily call love. Maybe things are a LOT more more more complicated.

[TashieGirl]

I was pretty much a Christian until I was about 12 or 13. Then I was a an Athiest. Now, I'm not sure. I absolutely do believe in evolution but that doesn't mean God never did exist. Plus, even though what Jesus taught are wonderul life morales and values, I strongly disagree with lots of stuff in the bible. But I guess it really comes down what kind of person you are. Some people are Aithest and are totally happy and some very religious people and happy with there lives as well.

[Spongebob Squarepants]

Athiest (sp?)
Don't believe in the need for religion (at least on a personal level). Many people I've talked with don't like me being that way (especially with me living in Israel, a place where Judiaism is very strongly rooted in the culture). That's me though, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

It saddens mean to read this. And that people don't give God a chance. I will keep you and others in my prayers. I'm not trying to start any flaming or anything or any contorversy.I am a Christian myself and I just wish that people would see The Bible has to offer. And to Lazario again,why not try going to church sometime? Instead of just giving up on what religion you are. God loves you. He created you becuase has a purpose for you.

[Loomis]

Like a few people here, I was raised Catholic. I went to a Christian Brothers school, and my mother took me to mass as a child. I always questioned it (if god is everywhere, why do I have to go to church? etc), and as soon as I was old enough, I rejected that faith.

Indeed, I no longer consider myself part of any religion, and it has been a long time since I have. The closest I could come to think of myself is simply "agnostic", as I would be foolish to completely discount the idea of a god. I just don't think any of the religions out there - that I know of - have got it right yet. Agnostic - taken from from the Greek a (without) and gnosis (knowledge) - is a nice way of saying "I don't know yet!". That's pretty much how I feel. Religion and the way people misinterpret the meaning of 'faith' occupies much of my writing, and I can't sign off on agnosticism as there are so many variations of that too. I'd like to think that there IS a god, just not necessarily in the sense that most religions think there is. Indeed, most theists won't necessarily be able to say "There is a god", and I don't think I need empirical evidence either. However, I do feel it is something that you either feel or you don't, and I don't think I've ever "felt" the presence of a god. Life is complex, and to me, that doesn't necessarily mean there is a design to it. I'd LIKE to think there is a higher purpose, and I believe that there is a higher level of consciousness that humans can attain. If that is a type of religion, and if you want to call that higher consciousness 'god', so be it if it makes us better people. However, what I cannot abide is people using those sentiments as excuses to make war over land or resources, and claim that they are doing it in the name of god. If there is a god, at least one as interpreted by the Christian faiths, then I refuse to believe that it what they would want with the free will we have been given.

Again, all that is me saying "I don't know, but I'm willing to find out".

Oh, and for everyone else that was going "Bah?", here is a definition of animist:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animist

[TM2-Megatron]

Athiest (sp?)
Don't believe in the need for religion (at least on a personal level). Many people I've talked with don't like me being that way (especially with me living in Israel, a place where Judiaism is very strongly rooted in the culture). That's me though, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

It saddens mean to read this. And that people don't give God a chance. I will keep you and others in my prayers. I'm not trying to start any flaming or anything or any contorversy.I am a Christian myself and I just wish that people would see The Bible has to offer. And to Lazario again,why not try going to church sometime? Instead of just giving up on what religion you are. God loves you. He created you becuase has a purpose for you.

This is what many Atheists don't appreciate, though... the attempts to convince us to "give God a chance", or the recruitment speech. If God actually does exist (I personally find it hard to believe, but since I have no proof one way or the other, I'll consider it) he did have a chance... to create a Uni/Multiverse worth living in. As far as I'm concerned, he blew it (if he exists). As such, it's now up to the intelligent lifeforms living here to reshape it ourselves into something mildly livable.

Unfortunately, that's probably a process that will take pretty much until the end of the Universe to complete, but it'd be worth it in the end. But hey, give me a time machine and I could knock the place into shape in 7 hours (my time), and put God's record to shame, lol.

[MickeyMousePal]

Roman Catholic