What Religion do you follow discussion thread.

[Auroya]

Catholic, but in practice I don't really go to church etc; though I've been thinking of becoming more active at some point in the future.

[Meridiani Planum]

I*m an agnostic-atheist who is philosophical.

I'm influenced by various Greek and Roman philosophers of antiquity (especially Aristotle), and modern philosophers such as Ayn Rand and David Norton. I would describe myself as eudaimonic in ethics and politics and naturalistic in metaphysics and epistemology.

I could perhaps be considered "spiritual" in the sense that I have an interest in improving my vantagepoint on the deep issues of life for the sake of personal growth and transcendence. I have an inward focus just as much as an outward focus. Growing in wisdom and character is my inward focus, and creating values and participating in society is my outward focus. I see them both as necessary for a complete life.

[Dalcaria]

I'm not talking about murders, necessarily. Often New Christians just faced servitude, discrimination and persecution as a consequence. Being burned at the stake was more for "serious" offenses like sodomy...

Yeah and that's despicable. I'm tired, however, of people using the Inqisition as the absolute worst example of what religion can do.

Well, on that note, I find it's rather silly to point out "exemptions" to the rule. For instance, I read about a Buddhist fundamentalist group, I think in China or Japan. The word red comes to mind, but I don't remember the whole name. Anyways, they certainly weren't what you would call innocent folk from what I've heard! And I'm sure there are atheist fundamentalists as well, albeit not very active ones (I've certainly never heard of atheists killing or bombing anyone), but I'm sure we'll see the day where just one atheist decides he's had enough of religion and bombs a synagogue, or a church, or a mosque, or a temple of some kind. Point I'm making is all beliefs can be taken too far, and rather than pointing out how "bad" the tree is because some of the apples growing on it have worms, maybe we should take time to blame the worms wrecking the apples instead.

Food for thought, now I kind of wish I had an apple.

[Jetan]

Atheism and agnosticism aren't religions. "None" would be better poll option.

[Benuty]

Atheism and agnosticism aren't religions. "None" would be better poll option.

Followed immediately "none what?", and a massive conversation which results in a threadjack.

[Meridiani Planum]

Atheism and agnosticism aren't religions. "None" would be better poll option.

They aren't religions, but are fine in a poll. I just wish that atheists/agnostics and "other" religions had separate categories.

[Benuty]

Atheism and agnosticism aren't religions. "None" would be better poll option.

They aren't religions, but are fine in a poll. I just wish that atheists/agnostics and "other" religions had separate categories.

That would require the polls on NS to develop some complexity.

Besides, Violet would have a damn fit attempting to do so.

[Old Tyrannia]

It's complicated. Short answer I use when asked by your average joe on the street is "I'm agnostic."

Long answer is that I'm an agnostic panendeist. Which means that I believe in a higher power, but I don't believe I or anyone else can demonstrate with absolute certainty the existence of a higher power (hence agnostic); said power is impersonal and does not directly interact with individuals (hence deist), and interpenetrates every part of the universe while simultaneously being much greater than just the universe itself (hence panendeist). Panentheism is different from theism and pantheism in that whereas theists believe God is either part of the universe or entirely separate from it, and pantheists believe the universe is God, panentheists believe the universe is part of God. My concept of deity is simply the highest possible entity I can imagine existing, and is the foundation for my personal philosophy that there is a higher cosmic order beyond mere chance. I respect and support traditional religions, especially the Christian church in my own country, but I have my own personal theology which no religion really matches but is closest to the Chinese concept of "Heaven" or Tian (天), unsurprising since a lot of my personal philosophy is based on Confucianism.

[-United Islamic Emirate-]

It's complicated. Short answer I use when asked by your average joe on the street is "I'm agnostic."

Long answer is that I'm an agnostic panendeist. Which means that I believe in a higher power, but I don't believe I or anyone else can demonstrate with absolute certainty the existence of a higher power (hence agnostic); said power is impersonal and does not directly interact with individuals (hence deist), and interpenetrates every part of the universe while simultaneously being much greater than just the universe itself (hence panendeist). Panentheism is different from theism and pantheism in that whereas theists believe God is either part of the universe or entirely separate from it, and pantheists believe the universe is God, panentheists believe the universe is part of God. My concept of deity is simply the highest possible entity I can imagine existing, and is the foundation for my personal philosophy that there is a higher cosmic order beyond mere chance. I respect and support traditional religions, especially the Christian church in my own country, but I have my own personal theology which no religion really matches but is closest to the Chinese concept of "Heaven" or Tian (天), unsurprising since a lot of my personal philosophy is based on Confucianism.

Quite some story you got

[Olivaero]

I don't really follow a religion, I go to church occasionally (Church of England) because it's a nice experience. My relationship with any god that may or may not exist is based out of anti-rationalist sentiments. On a rational level I understand that the existence of god is a very unlikely occurrence but praying and shit does make me feel better and happiness is well... my main reason for living so yeah. The god that I pray to is nominally christian in nature I think. I have been looking into Gnosticism recently though it's main theological thrust is enticing and the history of it is very interesting indeed but it's really really complicated, which is part of the appeal I guess, I like puzzles.

[Immoren]

Discordian.

[Adab]

I myself am Sunni Muslim.

[Bunkeranlage]

I'm a Methodist Christian, formerly an atheist and, very briefly, an apatheist. Quite a long story.

[Burleson 2]

You should probably give atheism its own option, considering that there are a lot more of them than Zoroastrian followers.

[Old Tyrannia]

It's complicated. Short answer I use when asked by your average joe on the street is "I'm agnostic."

Long answer is that I'm an agnostic panendeist. Which means that I believe in a higher power, but I don't believe I or anyone else can demonstrate with absolute certainty the existence of a higher power (hence agnostic); said power is impersonal and does not directly interact with individuals (hence deist), and interpenetrates every part of the universe while simultaneously being much greater than just the universe itself (hence panendeist). Panentheism is different from theism and pantheism in that whereas theists believe God is either part of the universe or entirely separate from it, and pantheists believe the universe is God, panentheists believe the universe is part of God. My concept of deity is simply the highest possible entity I can imagine existing, and is the foundation for my personal philosophy that there is a higher cosmic order beyond mere chance. I respect and support traditional religions, especially the Christian church in my own country, but I have my own personal theology which no religion really matches but is closest to the Chinese concept of "Heaven" or Tian (天), unsurprising since a lot of my personal philosophy is based on Confucianism.

Quite some story you got

I know. I'm a special little snowflake.

[Galmarch]

Not particularly religious.
De jure I am a member of the Church of Sweden due to me being born into it and not having left it yet.
De facto I identify/wish to learn more about Stoicism and D(T)aoism.

[Chameliya]

I was brought up in a household with four different religions. The end result?: a liberal Anglican.

[Justin States]

I'm Agnostic.

[Bezkoshtovnya]

I grew up in a Catholic family and went to a Catholic school until 2nd grade , but my family was never very devout, especially my dad. I'm an atheist now though.

[Drubenia]

None.

[Kratu]

I consider myself Pantheist.

[Margno]

There are like 2 billion Christians IRL.

Nah, I think it's just 1.1 billion.

It's just over 2 billion.

[Herrebrugh]

Atheist.

[Nordengrund]

I am a Christian, but becoming more skeptical of it. I also like deism, though.

[Straughn]

I "follow" every one with a political persuasion.
So yeah, i'm busy.