Your Religion?

[TickTockMan]

Did you consciencelessly pick your religion or did you inherit it from your parents/family?

 

[HoodedRat]

I was born into an atheist/agnostic family.

But I have followed a non-religious spiritual path, of my own choosing, since my early 20s.


How about you, Thynight?

 

[Rickrock]

I was born and raised a Catholic. As an adult I have had a few questions about my faith a couple of times but still strongly believe in God and Christianity by my own decisions. I have occasionally disagreed with one or another Catholic leader but generally believe in the Catholic Church.

 

[TickTockMan]

How about you, Thynight?

I am an agnostic atheist. Personally I don't believe in god or gods, but if others do I am okay with that. I know I may be wrong.


My extended family consider themselves Christians, but they seem to break all of the rules. I think they call themselves Christians because that is what people in their area calls themselves.

My mother never pushed any religion on us, though she did study most of the bigger religions as I grew up.

By choice I attended a church with my great aunt, but after a certain event I stopped going. That was when I was around 6 or 7.

 

[BiMeGuy]

Both my parents where spiritual. Was taught about religions. Although, when I was older; I did finally join The Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster.

 

[mbamike]

I was raised in a fundamental Pentecostal church where we can't do anything. Can't smoke, drink alcohol, have sex outside of marriage, be gay, wear shorts, go shirtless, men grow their hair long, women cut their hair, wear jewelry, cuss, go to the movies, just to name a few.

I still consider myself a Christian, but I don't believe in many of the restrictions they teach. I keep going back to the section where Christ tell his disciples the greatest commandments.

 

[Kyanimal]

I am the first male, in about 5 generations of my family branch, that didn't go into the church. We're talking Quaker, then "morphing" into Methodist. All of my male relatives, on my Dad's side of the family, were/are ministers, including my cousins. I was raised "behind" the altar.

The great thing, however, is that I was always encouraged to lean about other religions. My Dad often shocked his various congregations by having a Monsignor/Priest, Rabbi, or a minister of a different Protestant Denomination, fill in for him while we were on vacation. I'm familiar with many, many, of the world's religions.

Me? I'm basically Christian. However, though they are ALL virtually the same at their core, I tend to hold "Religion" at arms length.

I prescribe more to the concept of "The Force", from Star Wars.

 

[eastofeden]

Spiritual...and my influences and beliefs are most closely aligned with Neo-Pagan, Buddhist, Taoist, Wiccan, Atlantean, New Age. American Indian....and I like Jesus Christ...period...not organized religion or Christianity...just Jesus...

My parents hated religion......they viewed it as a curse and a weapon...and in the wrong hands..that is exactly what it is...

 

[unloadonme]

I was sent to a Church of England school, but I don't believe a word of it and never have.

 

[2Spirit]

I am a spiritualist - My "religion" (which it isn't) picked me - I did not pick it.

 

[thewiz]

I was raised Catholic but left the church for a number of years and experienced Methodism, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Assembly of God, Jewish, and Baptist before coming back to the Catholic Church. However, I'm an ordained deacon and will soon be a priest in the Catholic Church of North America which is more liberal and free than the Roman Catholic Church. We believe in gay marriage, married priests, birth control, abortion as a right of the mother, and embrace a strong social justice outreach.

 

[Mariatenebre]

I was raised Catholic but left the church for a number of years and experienced Methodism, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Assembly of God, Jewish, and Baptist before coming back to the Catholic Church. However, I'm an ordained deacon and will soon be a priest in the Catholic Church of North America which is more liberal and free than the Roman Catholic Church. We believe in gay marriage, married priests, birth control, abortion as a right of the mother, and embrace a strong social justice outreach.

That is cool that your church allows priests to actually have sex lives. Celibacy is just not psychologically healthy for humans. We are sexual creatures and it does not do us any good to deny our urges. Probably the only group that wouldn't really hurt to be permanently celibate is asexuals as they pretty much have no real attraction to anyone.

 

[cityboy-stl]

I was born and raised a Catholic. As an adult I have had a few questions about my faith a couple of times but still strongly believe in God and Christianity by my own decisions. I have occasionally disagreed with one or another Catholic leader but generally believe in the Catholic Church.

I feel much the same. But when it comes to the Catholic Church, I do follow the precept of another spiritual program I am devoted to. That is: "Take what you want and leave the rest".

When it comes to the beliefs in Nicene Creed we say at mass, I believe that. When it comes to the other stuff, especially centuries behind social issues, I follow my conscience.

 

[peeonme]

Until I was 13 i seldom went to church except on the invite of neighbors who were baptists.
At 13 I was sent to a boy's home where we were compelled to go to an Episcopal church every Sunday. That lasted for a year and a half.
At 16 I realized that i was as gay or bi and started to "look" for God, I turned "Jesus Freak" at 19 and moved into a commune.
I convinced myself that I had been delivered and was straight and went on to get married.

The group went a little nutty and we (the wife and I) l joined a Pentecostal church where I was quite active in preaching and teaching. I found that i could not reconcile my core beliefs to theirs inasmuch as they were very legalistic and judgmental.

So I quit going to church for some time while still maintaining a belief in Christ as my savior. Eventually I found myself drawn to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. That is where I am now a member along with my wife.

 

[Laboyes]

Both my parents where spiritual. Was taught about religions. Although, when I was older; I did finally join The Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster.

You beat me to it! My family imposed its religion on me. In recent years my parents have begun to shy away from the Church but they have held fast to its prejudices. I look at religious people with close-minded negativity.

Me? I'm a devout Pastafarian.

My piety knows no bounds, I assure you. The person who questions my ideology will be met with stubbornness, rebellion, and possibly a pin concealed by a shoe. True reciprocity demands the sacrifice of eyes for eyes and teeth for teeth, so to the man who stabs at my steadfast beliefs: I shall disrupt your mortal sole; I shall pollute that which you feel makes you whole by introducing in you an irreparable hole.

 

[johaninsc]

Both my parents where spiritual. Was taught about religions. Although, when I was older; I did finally join The Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster.

there is no Pasta but Couscous and Barilla(pbuh) is his prophet!

 

[TickTockMan]

there is no Pasta but Couscous and Barilla(pbuh) is his prophet!

Please keep the thread on topic.

 

[johaninsc]

well, seriously... I was raised Southern Baptist


been an Atheist for about 25 years

 

[Charon]

My parents raised me in Jehovah's Witnesses religion, but I never got into it since they're anti-everything and live a boring life. I identify myself as a nihilist nowadays.

 

[Benvolio]

I am not a believing Christian, but I consider myself a cultural Christian. Christianity is totally interwoved into Western and American culture, their art, customs, music, values, compassion, and our own view of the world. And it is so benevolent thst it is generaly spreading as the gold standard by which other value systems and religions are measured. So while not a believing Christian i have a strong affinity to it as a cultural force for good, too important not to be protected.