Religion
 

Ok...first of all, please no blasting for beliefs, or preaching.

What religion do you believe in, if any. I have always been intreged by how many non-christians there are in the world.

As for me, I currently am without one, but am discovering Asatru.

Technically I am Presbyterian, but really nothing.

Christian in general, Episcopalean specifically.

Umm, I guess I'm an atheist with Daoist/Buddhist leanings, but I don't really consider Daoism or Buddhism to be religions

What's Asatru?

I guess I mostly belong to "Men of power", a Northern philosophical path. It came about when Christianity began to push out the Asatru (tru is actually the way the Swedish word for "faith" sounds like to a native English-speaker). A common question back then was "What do you believe in?", meaning which religion do you belong to.

Men of Power acknowledged the existance of both the Christian god and the Asa gods, but didn't worship any deity at all.
The reply was usually "I am a man of power. I believe in myself, my sword and my abilities".

Since no book I've read have explained the agenda of a specific higher power in a satisfying enough way, what god exists is less important than if my personal beliefs regarding right and wrong can allow me to follow said deity.

John Henry: Asatru is the old Norse religion, with Tor and Oden.

Hinduism.
The mother of all religions.

Religions, at their core are all the same anyways.
Pick the one that best suits your personality, run with it, and forget the rest.

Religion = God + Man. Don't forget to take into account that Man part of it.

I agree, Yann Martel said "If theres only one nation in the sky, then there must be many passports"
I's a Christian, as much as i can be. I believe in as much of the Bible as i can force myself to. At the end of the day it boils down to tyring as hard as i can, if God can't except that, well, he made me.

Agnostic....

Not ready to take the nihilist plung...

Solipsism, on the other hand, is something else all together ;-)

I am an ecclectic pagan/christian/scientist.
I call it (my real name)ism
the most important belief I've found in any religon is:
the golden rule.
My sig. sums up my route to my next life!

as of right now, nothing at the moment really. but i am trying to find the help and materials to study wiccan and buddism.

Various Protestant, with minor alligiance to the Anglican Church.

Wiccan. And scarebearjinx, if you want source materials, read Scott Cunningham's books on Wicca. They're well-written and give a good overview of the many paths of Wicca.

hindu-atheist all the way

Agnostic.

I started reading more about buddhism and it looks very interesting.. However, I'm wouldn't be commited enough.

I really do very well without it

Applying all liberal definitions of religion. I guess I would be Taoist.

Born again Atheist. Mwuhahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!

I was raised Baptist. I would say the easiest way to explain where I am now is Biblicist. I do believe the Bible. Most of the "contradictions" that are pointed out are more easily understood when you view them in their context and compare them to the rest. I have tried Satanism - Introduced to it by my first boyfriend. Satanism made good sense but made me so majorly depressed that I was at the point of feeling suicidal. I will stay away from there now. Biblicist is the easiest for me to follow if ANYthing at all.

A confirmed atheist.
I would consider myself a scientist. Not that I am engaging in research or anything like that, just that it encapulates my entire belief system, so in that sense it is my "religion".
I would go so far as to say that I hate religion (not in the sense that I hate the people who are religious). I think it is a tragedy that so many people have been deluded to hold so dear a belief system that promotes irational thoughts. Science and logic all the way for me.
That is all I will say, as eleaborating any further could violate the thread starter's initial condition.

-CS Flim

catholic...i was raised catholic and its what i know. if i thought a lot about it, i'd probably be atheist like my brother, but then i'd be a depressed hippie that's always looking for that 'something' in life like him too. I guess i'd rather be ignorant and happy, than to be logical and sad.

I find that very depressing. I once had to make that choice. And I will admit it wasn't easy! I had to give up so much of what was comforting to me: Eternal life, the fact that I will never die, but instead will remain for eternity in absolute bliss, and the fact that there is a universal justice...even if that corrupt politian piece of shit managed to wrangle his way out of doing jail time...he'll get whats coming to him in the end.

All of this was hard to give up, but eventually I had to come to a decision. I decided not to go on delluding myself. To pull the wool from my eyes and see the world for all it is. To me life is oh so much more precious now...coz this is all we get! Is a life lieing to yourself really all that fullfilling? Is ignorance bliss?

However, at least you are admitting that you are living in denial. Its the first step to becoming a 'born again atheist'! :) I wish you luck!

BTW: I'm not a depressed hippie!

If their truly is no God then we would have the dire need to invent one. Religion keeps the masses sane and productive. All major religions support the same core beliefs and all of them are helpfull to the greater good of society. The main problem with religion is the tendancy to become fanatical about your beliefs. I have yet to meet an athiest that wasn't pissed off at some member of some religion for the way they were treated. Personally I hold the teachings of the bible very sacred, but I also enjoy many aspects of other religions. Great disscucion board keep it up

Seriously, I don't get online to try to convert or "save" atheists, so why then do some of you think it is less annoying to us who believe to have you do the same thing?

Atheism is based on the same principle as all religions; Faith in what can not be proven. I don't care what religion somebody belongs to. I've met good people belonging to all religions, including outright Satan-worshipping. It's none of my business.

This is why I avoid "right/wrong"-discussions when it comes to religion. It's bound to become a shitstorm. And frankly - it doesn't interest me.

Judaism by birth; Judaism by choice.

raised church of christ...still technically church of christ, but not so much, in the sense of "a dog goes back to its vomit" thing. (i always hated that passage.) i'm searching, mostly. i figure i've got to be okay with me before i can be okay with god(else).

Catholic by birth and then Catholic by Choice.

I had an agnostic period in my life where I tried to apply logic and sense to religion (it really does not mix well). I have chosen to keep my beliefs in one hand and my learned reason and science in the other. It seems to work nicely for me.

Tempus Fugit

I have no idea what religion I am, but I've been searchng lately and resorted to an internet quiz:

http://www.selectsmart.com/RELIGION/

Apparently I'd make a good neo-pagan. Anybody have any idea/experience about what that entails?

Part of me likes just being a Searcher, and not defining my beliefs by sticking a label on them. On the other hand, I find I'm craving some structure and some community.

no official religion here,
but I do have faith.

This is something that is not defined, but just there.

Religion is many things but too often a label.

Its also a place to belong.

I believe it was created by people to basically improve their own social grouping and beyond that, the world.

Along the way some things got very confused.

The people who needed power made it about power. People that had to follow rules made it about following rules. Some people gratified by grandeur made theirs opulant . Many people just took it for the good it offered and enriched their lives.

there is much more...

I can understand not wanting to be part of an organised religion. For instance much of what goes on in the world of Christianity, is institution based more so than strictly religiously based.

But, just curious, what exactly do you mean by saying that you have faith?

Faith implies a belief...a belief in what? Simply a higher spiritual consciousness? An after life?

I can understand the difficulty in puting into words the incomprehensiveness of an undefinable being, but just if you could give a general idea of what your faith entails?

Athiest - Secular Humanist

I don't know if you'd call it a religion though.

Evangelical Athiest

I took lurkette's little test here, which shows me to be Neo-Pagan. As she "scored" the same, could someone else take the test to see if it' slanted that way or not. Preferably someone with a <b>strong</b> Christian belief. What exactly is Neo-Pagan, anyway?

<i><u>EDIT</i></u>

I guess if I'd have read a little further...

<b>Neo-Pagan</b> A community of faiths bringing ancient pagan and magickal traditions to the modern age -- including mostly Wicca but also Druidism, Asatru, Shamanism, neo-Native American, etc. Neo-Pagan is an umbrella term for various and diverse beliefs with many elements in common. (See Pagan Path Selector below) Some Neo-Pagans find no incongruence practicing Neo-Paganism along with adherence to another faith, such as Christianity or Judaism.

Belief in Deity: Some believe in a Supreme Being. Many believe in God and Goddess - a duality. Many believe there are countless spirit beings, gods and goddesses, in the cosmos and within all of nature - God is all and within all; all are one God. The Great Mother Earth, or Mother Nature, is highly worshipped. Divinity is immanent and may become manifest within anyone at any time through various methods.
Incarnations: No human incarnations are worshipped in particular, as all of nature and the universe are considered embodiments of God and Goddess, or of gods and goddesses, worthy of respect, reverence or worship.
Origin of universe/life: Generally there is no conflict between observations revealed through science and Neo-Pagan beliefs on origins of the physical universe and of man. Many believe in a supreme intelligence that created a duality of God/Goddess who then created a spirit world of gods and goddesses as well as all of the universe and nature.
After death: Many believe in reincarnation, after some rest and recovery in the “Otherworld.” There is generally no concept of hell as a place of punishment, but some believe wrongdoing can trap the soul in state of suffering after death. Some (Wicca) believe the soul joins their dead ancestors who watch over and protect their family. Some believe that life energy continues in some, if unknown, form. Some believe in various spiritual resting places. Many say we don’t or can’t know what happens after death.
Why evil? “Evil” is imbalance. Most believe there is no evil but rather that people sometimes make mistakes. Wrongdoing results when we forget we are one with the universal spirit.
Salvation: The concept of “salvation” is essentially irrelevant; rather the belief that people can attain spiritual balance and harmony with each other and Nature. The path includes group ceremonies, dances, songs/chants, prayers, meditation, trance, altered states of consciousness, the metaphysical, magic, invoking or evoking deities or spirits, Tantric practices. Intercessors are commonly used: psychics, seers, shamans, tarot, Oui-Ja Board. Ethical choices are influenced by belief in rebirth and karma - that one is rewarded or punished within this or after this lifetime for one’s choices, and an ethical code to do no harm.
Undeserved suffering: Most do not believe in Satan or any spirit Being as the cause of suffering. Some believe in karma, that choosing to live a life of wrongdoing and pain will naturally result in suffering in this or later lifetimes. Many view suffering as a result of spiritual imbalance in one’s life or on the planet or in the universe. The focus is generally on healing suffering rather than answering definitively why it exists.
Issues: Abortion choice is supported by many, but beliefs about abortion range from “pro-life” to “pro-choice.” Views on divorce, homosexuality, and gender equality are generally very supportive of human differences, equality, and personal choice. Many believe that involvement in community action, especially regarding environmental concerns, is integral to the belief in human interdependence and worship of the Earth Mother. Many promote strict nonviolence to humans and animals.

I'm as atheist as the day I was born

Atheist, but I'm fascinated by Buddhism and Daoism. Plus, they have a much cooler heaven. Intrigues! War! Death! Talking monkeys!

Not a religion but,
Secular Humanist
covers My fundamental beliefs.

And, incidentally, for all you deity-chauvenists out there. A matter of belief is not the same as a matter of faith. Belief is at all times subject to analysis. Faith is not.

That means that all moral/ethical philosophies do not ultimately amount to a 'religion'.

According to lurkette's quiz I'm a secular humanist. Seems to hit the nail on the head.

agnostic

Don't trust science enough to not have a "religion".
Protestant