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View Full Version : What is your religion/spiritual group?



Adelaide
06-29-2013, 12:26 PM
Might be interesting to get an idea.

I'm not making this poll public because some people might not want the forum to know their religion. I also had to pick a limited amount of options, so I based it on the size of populations adhering to religions and put in an "other" option. I also included Atheism/Agnostics and before someone argues it's not a religion, it had to be included.

Options are:
Christianity
Judaism
Islam
Shinto
Buddhism
Secular/nonreligious/Atheism/Agnostic
Hinduism
Chinese Traditional*
Primal-Indigenous religions/Spirituality
Other, (can explain if you'd like)

*According to Wikipedia, Chinese traditional is "Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism"

Chris
06-29-2013, 12:39 PM
Oops, sorry, saw question and other seemed appropriate, voted then saw nonreligious in list. I fit there, agnostic atheist (don't know God, choose nonbelief).

Adelaide
06-29-2013, 12:43 PM
Oops, sorry, saw question and other seemed appropriate, voted then saw nonreligious in list. I fit there, agnostic atheist (don't know God, choose nonbelief).

I changed the vote to reflect your actual vote. :)

KC
06-29-2013, 12:59 PM
I'm Agnostic because I don't know yet nor do I feel ready to choose to believe in anything at this point in my life.

Chris
06-29-2013, 01:19 PM
Something to think about while we're on the topic...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oSJdSL8YOE

Adelaide
06-29-2013, 03:04 PM
I'm Agnostic because I don't know yet nor do I feel ready to choose to believe in anything at this point in my life.

I felt the same way for a long time.

KC
06-29-2013, 03:26 PM
I felt the same way for a long time.

What changed it for you? If you don't mind my asking.

Adelaide
06-29-2013, 04:15 PM
What changed it for you? If you don't mind my asking.

I think it was the influence of my roommates in my first year of university. One was majoring in world religions and the other was a Conservative Jew. We had discussions and I realised I needed to do research because I knew there was something out there, but I didn't really know what. I came across Reform Judaism and it just kind of wowed me that I already believed a lot of the things that are part of Reform Judaism before I even knew what it was. It kind of felt like a piece of the life puzzle just fit into place. It felt really right. Hard to explain, I guess. I'd never felt that way about the denominations of Christianity that my various family members ascribe to, (Catholicism, Evangelicalism/Lutheranism, mainly - we are a weird group of German-Canadians).

Peter1469
06-29-2013, 04:15 PM
I voted other- Christianity with the understanding that the bible is really metaphors and not literal. Which typically is dismissed by most Christians.

Peter1469
06-29-2013, 04:17 PM
I think it was the influence of my roommates in my first year of university. One was majoring in world religions and the other was a Conservative Jew. We had discussions and I realised I needed to do research because I knew there was something out there, but I didn't really know what. I came across Reform Judaism and it just kind of wowed me that I already believed a lot of the things that are part of Reform Judaism before I even knew what it was. It kind of felt like a piece of the life puzzle just fit into place. It felt really right. Hard to explain, I guess. I'd never felt that way about the denominations of Christianity that my various family members ascribe to, (Catholicism, Evangelicalism/Lutheranism, mainly - we are a weird group of German-Canadians).

Can't be that weird with German influence! Can't speak of the Canadian side.... :wink:

Mister D
06-29-2013, 04:18 PM
I voted other- Christianity with the understanding that the bible is really metaphors and not literal. Which typically is dismissed by most Christians.

I think most Christians understand the bible that way.

Peter1469
06-29-2013, 04:20 PM
I think most Christians understand the bible that way.

Perhaps. But not the loud ones.

But I take it further into the mystical schools.

Mister D
06-29-2013, 04:21 PM
Perhaps. But not the loud ones.

certainly not evangelicals. That's for sure. Yeah, they tend to be loud.

Adelaide
06-29-2013, 04:41 PM
certainly not evangelicals. That's for sure. Yeah, they tend to be loud.

To be clear, Evangelicalism means something different in Europe, and in Germany, by Lutherans. I know it as something different than what it would be considered in the United States.

Mister D
06-29-2013, 04:44 PM
To be clear, Evangelicalism means something different in Europe, and in Germany, by Lutherans. I know it as something different than what it would be considered in the United States.

It's an ambiguous term but in the context I'm sure Peter knows who I'm referring to. Fundamentalists would have een clearer though. Point conceded.

KC
06-29-2013, 04:46 PM
I think it was the influence of my roommates in my first year of university. One was majoring in world religions and the other was a Conservative Jew. We had discussions and I realised I needed to do research because I knew there was something out there, but I didn't really know what. I came across Reform Judaism and it just kind of wowed me that I already believed a lot of the things that are part of Reform Judaism before I even knew what it was. It kind of felt like a piece of the life puzzle just fit into place. It felt really right. Hard to explain, I guess. I'd never felt that way about the denominations of Christianity that my various family members ascribe to, (Catholicism, Evangelicalism/Lutheranism, mainly - we are a weird group of German-Canadians).

That's a great way for it to happen, you just feel at home in that belief system.

Mister D
06-29-2013, 04:49 PM
To be honest, I was not serious about my faith until I was 30 or so. Prior to that, I identified as a Christian but it was more cultural than anything else.

GrassrootsConservative
06-29-2013, 04:50 PM
I chose secular/nonreligious even though it's more like anti-religious in my case.

I find it extremely hard to believe in any form of god in a world like we live in.

Intellectually, I don't see how anyone could.

Peter1469
06-29-2013, 04:57 PM
I chose secular/nonreligious even though it's more like anti-religious in my case.

I find it extremely hard to believe in any form of god in a world like we live in.

Intellectually, I don't see how anyone could.

That is strange- considering free will and all that.

Chris
06-29-2013, 05:24 PM
Assuming free will, whatever that is.

Adelaide
06-29-2013, 05:33 PM
I chose secular/nonreligious even though it's more like anti-religious in my case.

I find it extremely hard to believe in any form of god in a world like we live in.

Intellectually, I don't see how anyone could.

Intellectually, I agree. One of my majors in school was related to evolution and the other was in hard science. But I can't deny my faith. It's an odd juxtaposition and conflict.

Peter1469
06-29-2013, 05:42 PM
Assuming free will, whatever that is.

If we didn't have free will, there would be no sin. Assuming that God is good of course.

Mister D
06-29-2013, 05:44 PM
Intellectually, I agree. One of my majors in school was related to evolution and the other was in hard science. But I can't deny my faith. It's an odd juxtaposition and conflict.

How exactly does that impact your faith?

Adelaide
06-29-2013, 06:14 PM
How exactly does that impact your faith?

I sometimes wonder if I could be wrong. I question things about my religion. And really, people should question their faith and I think most do question their faith at some point. To think critically about your religion means more than just following blindly. At least in my opinion.

Mister D
06-29-2013, 06:20 PM
I sometimes wonder if I could be wrong. I question things about my religion. And really, people should question their faith and I think most do question their faith at some point. To think critically about your religion means more than just following blindly. At least in my opinion.

What specifically have you questioned about your faith? That there is a God at all? That human life has meaning? If you would rather discuss via PM that's fine.

Adelaide
06-29-2013, 06:45 PM
What specifically have you questioned about your faith? That there is a God at all? That human life has meaning? If you would rather discuss via PM that's fine.

It's cheesy, but I don't question God because I feel like he's in my life and that I can feel it somehow. I have no proof other than what I feel, which is why I admit that I could be wrong. Lack of evidence, which makes me uncomfortable.

But... A good example of a conflict to me, is that there are a lot of conflicting theories on subjects like evolution within the Jewish community, hell in the religious community in general. Some of them I outright reject because I have at the very least a basic understanding of science and I think those theories are just dumb, (example, we did not walk among dinosaurs). Some theories I really think about - like theistic evolution. But there isn't any proof of the theistic aspect, so I have to realise that it's based on beliefs and emotions and feelings, which aren't evidence of anything except that I personally have faith.

I have a lot of books on this particular subject, from both perspectives. It's psychologically conflicting. Probably one of the biggest questions I have that I can't find suitable answers to.

My favourite word as a child was "why". I don't think I've grown out of that, lol

Mister D
06-29-2013, 07:05 PM
It's cheesy, but I don't question God because I feel like he's in my life and that I can feel it somehow. I have no proof other than what I feel, which is why I admit that I could be wrong. Lack of evidence, which makes me uncomfortable.

But... A good example of a conflict to me, is that there are a lot of conflicting theories on subjects like evolution within the Jewish community, hell in the religious community in general. Some of them I outright reject because I have at the very least a basic understanding of science and I think those theories are just dumb, (example, we did not walk among dinosaurs). Some theories I really think about - like theistic evolution. But there isn't any proof of the theistic aspect, so I have to realise that it's based on beliefs and emotions and feelings, which aren't evidence of anything except that I personally have faith.

I have a lot of books on this particular subject, from both perspectives. It's psychologically conflicting. Probably one of the biggest questions I have that I can't find suitable answers to.

My favourite word as a child was "why". I don't think I've grown out of that, lol

It's not cheesy at all. I feel the same way. I think that that is the most fundamental question humans beings are faced with (i.e. God or no God, meaning or no meaning?). I will respond in detail when I am not inebriated.

Chris
06-29-2013, 08:09 PM
If we didn't have free will, there would be no sin. Assuming that God is good of course.

So free will is a good thing? Why'd God punish Adam and Eve for exercising it?

Chris
06-29-2013, 08:12 PM
It's cheesy, but I don't question God because I feel like he's in my life and that I can feel it somehow. I have no proof other than what I feel, which is why I admit that I could be wrong. Lack of evidence, which makes me uncomfortable.

But... A good example of a conflict to me, is that there are a lot of conflicting theories on subjects like evolution within the Jewish community, hell in the religious community in general. Some of them I outright reject because I have at the very least a basic understanding of science and I think those theories are just dumb, (example, we did not walk among dinosaurs). Some theories I really think about - like theistic evolution. But there isn't any proof of the theistic aspect, so I have to realise that it's based on beliefs and emotions and feelings, which aren't evidence of anything except that I personally have faith.

I have a lot of books on this particular subject, from both perspectives. It's psychologically conflicting. Probably one of the biggest questions I have that I can't find suitable answers to.

My favourite word as a child was "why". I don't think I've grown out of that, lol

Perhaps the search is what's important, not the answer. Searching is learning. He not busy being born is busy dying, Dylan sings.

jillian
06-29-2013, 08:14 PM
So free will is a good thing? Why'd God punish Adam and Eve for exercising it?

he didn't say there aren't repercussions.

besides, it's allegory

Peter1469
06-29-2013, 08:24 PM
So free will is a good thing? Why'd God punish Adam and Eve for exercising it?

Was it a punishment? Imagine human life without free will. Sort of robotic...

Chris
06-29-2013, 08:24 PM
he didn't say there aren't repercussions.

besides, it's allegory

Uh, I know that, jillian.

The repercussions imply God didn't want them to exercise free will. He told Adam beforehand: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

Chris
06-29-2013, 08:26 PM
Was it a punishment? Imagine human life without free will. Sort of robotic...

It was the greatest punishment, death.

Peter1469
06-29-2013, 08:30 PM
It was the greatest punishment, death.

Not really. The soul never dies. Just the body.

Chris
06-29-2013, 08:48 PM
Not really. The soul never dies. Just the body.

I don't recall the soul being mentioned in either Genesis creation story. Perhaps breath, as breath life into, but that seems confined to life. And God ends his punishment saying "For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”

Guerilla
07-04-2013, 01:59 AM
I'm still soul searching. My whole family is Christian, but ever since a really young age I didn't really believe it was real. When I started learning more about it, I would try to ask my family questions about what didn't make sense to me, but they would just get upset and tell me the stuff I said was blasphemy, and it would get me sent to hell. Ironically that was what really made me steer clear from Christianity. No matter how wonderful of a person you are, if you don't worship god, you go to hell. That means god would have to send the kindest soul in the world to hell, if he happened to be Buddhist? That's BS. Now traditional Chinese religions especially Taoism, really appeal to me. Personally it seems like eastern religions are trying to guide you so you can follow your own individual path, in peace. Like, Christianity says follow these rules, and live life strictly according to these rules, and heaven is yours. Then Taoism is like think about things this way, and look at the world in this type of light, and you will understand for yourself how to make your own path in life, and live it happily.. if that makes sense..

Common
07-04-2013, 10:08 AM
My beliefs are christian

roadmaster
07-04-2013, 05:15 PM
Christianity says follow these rules, and live life strictly according to these rules, and heaven is yours That you are wrong. Christ ask us to believe and trust in Him and His burdens are light. You will want to do what is right if you give you heart and soul to Him. He will lead you, not man.

Green Arrow
12-15-2013, 08:57 PM
Asatru, so other. Unless it falls under "Primal/Indigenous." Not really sure what that one means.