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Thread: Are you religious?

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    Are you religious?

    Many people 'are not religious', suggests survey


    Among respondents who identified themselves as Christian, fewer than half said they believed Jesus Christ was a real person who died, came back to life and was the son of God.
    Although I believe in a christian values, I think I would be a hypocrite if I said I was a Christian. I do not believe Jesus Christ was a real person who died, came back to life and was the son of God

    I think this has been discussed on this forum before but then most thing have

    I really would like to find a religion that is not based on something I cannot believe in

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    Forum Bombshell - Our Queen! Lory's Avatar
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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by philsmove View Post
    I really would like to find a religion that is not based on something I cannot believe in
    Make one up, thats how all the other religions started!

    Oh and no, I'm not religious
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    Re: Are you religious?

    Humanists...

    ...are atheists and agnostics who make sense of the world using reason, experience and shared human values. We take responsibility for our actions and base our ethics on the goals of human welfare, happiness and fulfilment. We seek to make the best of the one life we have by creating meaning and purpose for ourselves, individually and together.



    http://www.humanism.org.uk/home

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by philsmove View Post
    I really would like to find a religion that is not based on something I cannot believe in
    IMO, Christianity is a concept rather than a set of rigid rules and accurate histories. The Catholics, Roman Catholics, Protestants etc have chosen to interpret Christianity in their own way and enforce their particular ways and rules, but that's their choice; It's not a mandate from Jesus or God, but an interpretation by man.

    So, IMO, you can be a Christian without believing that the stories in the bible are actually true.

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Only when I or someone I love is in trouble.

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by Trouble View Post
    Only when I or someone I love is in trouble.
    Surely, it's only Danny who should be in Trouble???

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    Registered User Lynn's Avatar
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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by philsmove View Post
    I really would like to find a religion that is not based on something I cannot believe in
    You either believe or you don't. Someone believing in something doesn't make it true - equally someone not believing in something doesn't mean it isn't true. So you can't 'pick and choose' - you can only search for truth.

    Quote Originally Posted by philsmove View Post
    Although I believe in a christian values, I think I would be a hypocrite if I said I was a Christian. I do not believe Jesus Christ was a real person who died, came back to life and was the son of God
    I do believe this and yes I am a Christian. That's not the same as being religious. Faith is from God - religion is from man.

    And I know others might choose not to believe - but either Jesus was real and the Bible is true or it isn't.

    So either I'm wrong, or those who don't believe are - we'll all find out at some point.

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    So either I'm wrong, or those who don't believe are - we'll all find out at some point.
    I was brought up a Roman Catholic and it was this aspect of the dogma I found most difficult to get to grips with " we are right and everyone else is wrong". No ifs no buts,

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    Re: Are you religious?

    I have no idea if the story behind this is true, but, worryingly, my prejudices, my "faith" tells me it might be.


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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by philsmove View Post
    I was brought up a Roman Catholic and it was this aspect of the dogma I found most difficult to get to grips with " we are right and everyone else is wrong". No ifs no buts,
    I understand that - and people saying 'I'm right and everyone else is wrong' is when we get 'religion'.

    Its certainly not exclusive to religion though - people can be equally dogmatic about being anti-God as believing in God - often more so.

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    And I know others might choose not to believe - but either Jesus was real and the Bible is true or it isn't.
    Or Jesus was real and the bible isn't. Or Jesus was real and the Bible is sometimes true, sometimes false, and where it may be true perhaps it is sometimes metaphorical, sometimes literal...etc...

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    So either I'm wrong, or those who don't believe are - we'll all find out at some point.
    Theres no evidence to suggest any of us will find out, we can assume we might - but if we die and are simply no more, at least no one will be dissappointed

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    Its certainly not exclusive to religion though - people can be equally dogmatic about being anti-God as believing in God - often more so.
    Often more so? I think any human is capable of being dogmatic to the extreme regardless of what they are being dogmatic about, but of course statistically most "anti-God" people are religious/have faith, being anti-"the other gods" as they are

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    Re: Are you religious?

    I was born into the Jewish faith and although I am not religious and struggle with the concept of god, I still consider myself Jewish. Perhaps it’s more of a cultural thing with myself but I do think it has had an influence on the person I am today.

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    Its certainly not exclusive to religion though - people can be equally dogmatic about being anti-God as believing in God - often more so.
    I'm probably one of those "Dogmatic" atheists but I'm not anti-God, if there was any evidence of any God, or if a God came down to earth tomorrow, I would be quite happy to accept his / her existence, but might not be so happy if it turned out it was the 'God of the Old Testament' or the Koran... That would be very scary indeed.

    I am however, very much against, the influence that religions have over government, society, scientific research, social acceptance of different individuals, and many other areas.

    As long as people will continue claiming their prejudice or crazy / dangerous ideas are inspired by whatever (untestable) god, then any action can be performed "in the name of god". Since nobody can prove any religious person is deluded, anything goes. Which I think is ironic, since it is often atheists who are accused of being amoral.

    In answer to the thread, no, I am not religious, as Dreadful Scathe says, the Bible might have some true bits, some made up bits, some useful stuff, some dangerous stuff...
    Most of the claims made by religions (not just judeo-Christians ones) have long been shown to be total nonsense, few people believe in Poseidon, or Zeus these days. Gods have now retreated to an abstract concept of vague spirituality, and the idea of a personal (intervening) god is truly abhorrent when you consider tragedies that are inflicted on this world.
    To quote Sam Harris on the recent earthquake in Japan:
    Quote Originally Posted by Sam Harris
    Either God can do nothing to stop catastrophes like this, or he doesn’t care to, or he doesn’t exist. God is either impotent, evil, or imaginary. Take your pick, and choose wisely.

    The only sense to make of tragedies like this is that terrible things can happen to perfectly innocent people. This understanding inspires compassion.

    Religious faith, on the other hand, erodes compassion. Thoughts like, “this might be all part of God’s plan,” or “there are no accidents in life,” or “everyone on some level gets what he or she deserves” – these ideas are not only stupid, they are extraordinarily callous. They are nothing more than a childish refusal to connect with the suffering of other human beings. It is time to grow up and let our hearts break at moments like this.
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    Re: Are you religious?

    Myself I am an athiest - I certainly think religions are interesting ideas from a philosophical or historical perspective, but nothing more. Religion, to me, is a concept made by humans to try to explain the ineffability of the world around us.

    That's not to say anyone is wrong for believing in religion but it is not, in any way, a provider of definitive answers that I could ever believe in. My faith is in science and empirical fact. I have no need in my life for anything else. That I can't explain everything about the world around me with logic is not at all discomforting - I simply don't need or care to know in order to live my life happily and with complete fulfilment.
    Last edited by DJ Mike; 21st-March-2011 at 02:30 PM.

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by Maxine View Post
    I was born into the Jewish faith and although I am not religious and struggle with the concept of god, I still consider myself Jewish. Perhaps it’s more of a cultural thing with myself but I do think it has had an influence on the person I am today.
    I expect a lot of people would identify with your views. Religion has had an influence on most of us, our culture and education (indoctrination?) have been shaped by the religion of our family, neighbours, teachers, etc.
    Culturally that would make me a Christian / Catholic, but in reality, I never believed in any God, even when I was following the doctrine of the Catholic church for a brief period of my life in France.

    I am sure it has an influence on who I am today as well, sadly not all in a good way. Some of the hang-ups of religion are difficult to shake off.

    This week-end most of us will be filling in the census forms and from the previous census results, it appears many people took the 'religion question' to be about cultural identity, rather than about genuine faith or practised religion. This has led to a disproportionate level of funding, lobbying in government for religious groups and views. Would be great if the question allowed everyone to separate cultural roots from current belief.
    Franck.

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by Franck View Post
    I expect a lot of people would identify with your views. Religion has had an influence on most of us, our culture and education (indoctrination?) have been shaped by the religion of our family, neighbours, teachers, etc.
    Culturally that would make me a Christian / Catholic, but in reality, I never believed in any God, even when I was following the doctrine of the Catholic church for a brief period of my life in France.
    The identification of being 'Protestant' or 'Catholic' in cultural terms has caused a lot of problems here in NI. Its a 'community' identity and many in each community have no personal belief in God.

    Quote Originally Posted by Franck View Post
    Would be great if the question allowed everyone to separate cultural roots from current belief.
    Agree in one way - but also feel that in NI its important to have some idea of distribution of the two main communities to ensure fairness all round in education and employment provision.

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    The identification of being 'Protestant' or 'Catholic' in cultural terms has caused a lot of problems here in NI. Its a 'community' identity and many in each community have no personal belief in God.
    I agree with you, but it's not only in Northern Ireland, similar 'community' divisions have been exacerbated in the rest of the UK, with 'Faith schools' claiming a clear mandate / demand from those same 'community identities' to the point where the option to have a secular school locally is not available.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    Agree in one way - but also feel that in NI its important to have some idea of distribution of the two main communities to ensure fairness all round in education and employment provision.
    Indeed it might be useful, and I wasn't arguing for removing questions, it would be good to have an answer to both questions:
    - What socio-religious identity were you raised under (which could be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Humanist, Atheist, Wiccan, Pagan, etc.)?
    - What religion or Faith (if any) do you currently espouse and practise?

    The answer to both those questions would be interesting and useful to a degree.

    As things stand, with only one question, the best way to ensure a secularist government where no religion can dictate to society, is to answer honestly the second question, rather than a vague feeling of identity and common history.
    Franck.

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lynn View Post
    I do believe this and yes I am a Christian. That's not the same as being religious. Faith is from God - religion is from man.


    Quote Originally Posted by Dreadful Scathe View Post
    Or Jesus was real and the bible isn't. Or Jesus was real and the Bible is sometimes true, sometimes false, and where it may be true perhaps it is sometimes metaphorical, sometimes literal...etc...
    Any good theologian will be able to point out which parts of the Bible are written as fact and which are written in metaphor, poetry, song, parable and so on. I'm not a good theologian so I'm not going to attempt it!

    Quote Originally Posted by Maxine View Post
    I was born into the Jewish faith and although I am not religious and struggle with the concept of god, I still consider myself Jewish. Perhaps it’s more of a cultural thing with myself but I do think it has had an influence on the person I am today.
    Cultural upbringing and faith/religion are two entirely separate things, even when the latter is part of the former - see Lynn's example of the community problems in NI which are really nothing to do with religion at all. I have a Jewish friend who after years of being a "cultural Jew" has recently become more involved in Jewish religion.

    Franck - it may or may not answer your arguments, which I understand, but I believe that we live in a messed-up world and poo happens to people who don't necessarily deserve it. The amazing thing is that God keeps loving us despite the evil that humans do day after day, and if you asked me where God was when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, I would answer that He's there with the people who are suffering, and has been since the beginning, equally close to 'good' and 'evil' people without partiality. I don't believe there is an easy answer to "why do bad things happen" and I'm not going to try and answer that question because honestly I don't know.

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    Re: Are you religious?

    Quote Originally Posted by CJ View Post
    Surely, it's only Danny who should be in Trouble???
    Very good CJ.... I can categorically state Danny is always in "Trouble" otherwise, he gets in trouble !!

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