Your religious affiliation, or lack thereof, and why?

[Great Kleomentia]

I'm actually a deist. Believe it or not, we still exist.

I thought we got rid of you in the last great purge. Nevermind, i'll fix it. *pulls out gun*

Jokes aside, i haven't ever met a deist. By "Creator" do you mean a omnipotent being or something else?

[Dyakovo]

I'm actually a deist. Believe it or not, we still exist.

I don't believe it.
*nods*

[Menassa]

Atheist until proven otherwise. Besides, what deity would care that we believe solely in itself? Wouldn't it be a benevolent deity's will that we serve and love our fellow man?

If said man was created in image of said deity, probably.

[Bari]

So, deist with pagan leanings?

So to speak. Personally I prefer to avoid labeling my beliefs as any particular -ism, since -isms imply a particular set of beliefs and particular requirements one is required to meet in order to qualify as a genuine -ist.

I think "believer in God" is quite adequate in describing my religious beliefs.

---

One of the reasons why I reject organized religions is their emphasis on extracting favours from God through prayer and observance of religious norms. I think that God has already given men everything they will ever need - a pair of legs, a pair of arms and the power of reason to decide how to best wield them, and a whole world to make into heaven or hell at their own discretion. To ask for anything more would be insolence of the worst kind.

I find that the reason why many people renounce God is their failure to understand they aren't in any way deserving of special treatment, of divine intervention on their behalf. God isn't there to nurse and pamper people and their individual wants and desires, he's is simply the Creator and Provider, creating things and providing them with just what they need to grow and thrive, no more and no less.

Can't you just call yourself a theist and stop being so melodramatic about a suffix?

[Genivaria]

Atheist, because I see no reason to believe what most religions claim.

[Genivaria]

I'm actually a deist. Believe it or not, we still exist.

I thought we got rid of you in the last great purge. Nevermind, i'll fix it. *pulls out gun*

Jokes aside, i haven't ever met a deist. By "Creator" do you mean a omnipotent being or something else?

http://deism.com/deism_defined.htm

[Czechanada]

Atheist, because I see no reason to believe what most religions claim.

Apatheism is far superior to atheism.

[Genivaria]

So to speak. Personally I prefer to avoid labeling my beliefs as any particular -ism, since -isms imply a particular set of beliefs and particular requirements one is required to meet in order to qualify as a genuine -ist.

I think "believer in God" is quite adequate in describing my religious beliefs.

---

One of the reasons why I reject organized religions is their emphasis on extracting favours from God through prayer and observance of religious norms. I think that God has already given men everything they will ever need - a pair of legs, a pair of arms and the power of reason to decide how to best wield them, and a whole world to make into heaven or hell at their own discretion. To ask for anything more would be insolence of the worst kind.

I find that the reason why many people renounce God is their failure to understand they aren't in any way deserving of special treatment, of divine intervention on their behalf. God isn't there to nurse and pamper people and their individual wants and desires, he's is simply the Creator and Provider, creating things and providing them with just what they need to grow and thrive, no more and no less.

Can't you just call yourself a theist and stop being so melodramatic about a suffix?

Theism is too mainstream.

[Great Kleomentia]

I thought we got rid of you in the last great purge. Nevermind, i'll fix it. *pulls out gun*

Jokes aside, i haven't ever met a deist. By "Creator" do you mean a omnipotent being or something else?

http://deism.com/deism_defined.htm

Thanks.

[Genivaria]

http://deism.com/deism_defined.htm

Thanks.

Used to be one, used that site alot.

[Sun Wukong]

I choose to believe in a God - if I am wrong and there is no God, I stand to lose nothing anyway, but in case there is one after all, I'd rather want to be on good terms with him when my time to meet him comes.

I don't subscribe to any particular religion though. I'm more fond of my ancestral pagan beliefs and ethics than those of contemporary organized religions, but it would be an overstatement to call myself a Pagan.

I've never understood this at all. How can you choose to believe in something? How are beliefs not an obligate condition?

I can no more choose to believe in Zeus then I can choose to believe the sky is made of shag carpeting.

[Conscentia]

I'm actually a deist. Believe it or not, we still exist.

Deism is a form of theism.

[Conscentia]

I choose to believe in a God - if I am wrong and there is no God, I stand to lose nothing anyway, but in case there is one after all, I'd rather want to be on good terms with him when my time to meet him comes.
I don't subscribe to any particular religion though. I'm more fond of my ancestral pagan beliefs and ethics than those of contemporary organized religions, but it would be an overstatement to call myself a Pagan.

I've never understood this at all. How can you choose to believe in something? How are beliefs not an obligate condition?
I can no more choose to believe in Zeus then I can choose to believe the sky is made of shag carpeting.

I concur.

Either he's convinced himself he believes when he does not, or he does believe and has convinced himself that it was a choice when it was not (Pascal's Wager being used justify it).

[Brickistan]

I am. But I was referring to his thoughts on New Atheism, and people having the right to their own beliefs/spirituality.

People generally do have rights to belief...

I agree. And yet I disagree...

You have the right to your own belief, yes. But you do not have the right to your own facts. And when your beliefs start replacing facts (as it does for many hard-core religious people), then I have a serious issue with what you're doing.

I choose to believe in a God - if I am wrong and there is no God, I stand to lose nothing anyway, but in case there is one after all, I'd rather want to be on good terms with him when my time to meet him comes.

I don't subscribe to any particular religion though. I'm more fond of my ancestral pagan beliefs and ethics than those of contemporary organized religions, but it would be an overstatement to call myself a Pagan.

Pascal's Wager has been thoroughly debunked.

[Nargodia]

Theistic Satanist here. Hello, Christians.

[Aetur]

I consider myself a Baptist. Now, before the hate starts, let me explain. I believe that the most central flaw in humanity is sin, and that "the Christian religion," for lack of a better term, is the personal journey to become more like God through prayer and reading the Bible, and encourage others on their journey.

[Menassa]

Theistic Satanist here. Hello, Christians.

The shock value, it's too real.

[Aetur]

Theistic Satanist here. Hello, Christians.

Hello, Theistic Satanist.

[Benuty]

People generally do have rights to belief...

I agree. And yet I disagree...

You have the right to your own belief, yes. But you do not have the right to your own facts. And when your beliefs start replacing facts (as it does for many hard-core religious people), then I have a serious issue with what you're doing.

I choose to believe in a God - if I am wrong and there is no God, I stand to lose nothing anyway, but in case there is one after all, I'd rather want to be on good terms with him when my time to meet him comes.

I don't subscribe to any particular religion though. I'm more fond of my ancestral pagan beliefs and ethics than those of contemporary organized religions, but it would be an overstatement to call myself a Pagan.

Pascal's Wager has been thoroughly debunked.

Then explain why the third option of pascals wager exists?
.

[Menassa]

I consider myself a Baptist. Now, before the hate starts, let me explain. I believe that the most central flaw in humanity is sin, and that "the Christian religion," for lack of a better term, is the personal journey to become more like God through prayer and reading the Bible, and encourage others on their journey.

And you believe of course that the only way humanity can be free of its depraved state is to be washed in the blood of Jesus?

[Benuty]

I consider myself a Baptist. Now, before the hate starts, let me explain. I believe that the most central flaw in humanity is sin, and that "the Christian religion," for lack of a better term, is the personal journey to become more like God through prayer and reading the Bible, and encourage others on their journey.

And you believe of course that the only way humanity can be free of its depraved state is to be washed in the blood of Jesus?

That sounds alot like Elizabeth Batory.

[Farnhamia]

And you believe of course that the only way humanity can be free of its depraved state is to be washed in the blood of Jesus?

That sounds alot like Elizabeth Batory.

I doubt that's why she did what she did. She was a serial killer, a psychopath, pure and simple. The stories of her trying to retain her youth by bathing in the blood of her victims are all late and after her death.

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

[Silverfield]

Modern Orthodox Judaism, but I have a strong disdain for Zionism.

[Menassa]

Modern Orthodox Judaism, but I have a strong disdain for Zionism.

Well it's lucky for you then that Zionism isn't a required religious practice.

[Silverfield]

Modern Orthodox Judaism, but I have a strong disdain for Zionism.

Well it's lucky for you then that Zionism isn't a required religious practice.

Thank you, I know many that feel that it is and should be.