Discussion What is your religious beliefs?

[Threads]

What are your religious beliefs? How do they affect your everyday life? How did you come into these beliefs? What were your previous beliefs?

I'm allowing two votes, because sometimes people are between two beliefs/religions.

I was raised Catholic, when I turned 20, from the influence of my parents, I decided I wanted to be a priest. I studied theology on my own, doing a lot of reading. I eventually began reading philosophy, which lead me to begin studying world religions. I became more interested in Taoism, and eventually ascribed to those beliefs. After I left home, I came back to Christianity, and just sort of viewed the teachings of Jesus as a sort of guide for how to live life.

Essentially, for me anything outside of the gospels doesn't really impact my beliefs. I do quote Romans to people to explain to them about Hell, but outside of that. I just try to take the lessons that Jesus and the Dao De Ching taught, and live with an open mind.

If you post in this thread, please do not post just one word or 'I am this religion.' Give a little bit of detail.

 

[DeaduMenuWalkingu]

I am 100% atheist and this is what I believe in:
There is no such thing as "god" or "gods".
Nothing "spiritual" or "supernatural" exists.
Nohing is "forbidden", "sacred" ,"holy" or a "blasphemy".
These are all human inventions.
All human religions are 100% made up nonsense.
We have no "soul".
There is no afterlife.
We are our brains.
Once our body dies we are dead forever.
Nothing "spiritual" exists.
Only matter exists.

 

[iHeartRockArt]

Kind of a hard one for me. I was brought up Lutheran all my life. Never went to church regularly but did attend when I could. Through the years, but more specifically when my illnesses started, I started questioning everything. Things started not making since or adding up. The more I thought about it, the more faith I started losing. So I don't really know what I am now...I want to believe, I want there to be an all loving and forgiving God. I still pray, always thank Him and try to be grateful for everything I have, etc. So, kind of hard to put a label on my beliefs right now. I'm confused about a lot.

 

[TAW122]

I'm an atheist here and while I did go to church while growing up, I never really truly believed in religion. I was a skeptic, I learned to question things and doubt things, also hated to just follow the herd just because I was told to do so. How I came to atheism boils down to 3 major reasons (with many sub reasons within them, but I won't go to every single one because it's too long)

Intellectual Dishonesty and Skepticism
1. I personally could not accept the things that religious apologists throw out there and when I deconstructed it and tried to make sense of it, the more I realized that I was being intellectually dishonest and making excuses for something (no offense to the people who do believe) that didn't make sense. I was also skeptical of things that did not have hard evidence nor could be explained rationally or logically.

Hurt by religion and the people who used it in such manners
2. Not the main reason, but still significant is that growing up, I was hurt by people who have claimed to be religious, but used religion in an evil way for their own gain. I was duped, bullied, feelings hurt, and cheated growing up, including by my parents (who aren't really religious but used it in a way to silence my grievances).

Incompatibility with my life and values
3. Morally and ethically, my values don't align with said religion (referring to Christianity specifically), and furthermore, the values of religion hinders me further. From #2, I mentioned that I was bullied, hurt and what not, and religion doesn't have the solution nor does it give me any solace. In fact, it's values are contrary to what I need in order to defend myself and only further weakens me.

While I still go to church, it is mainly for academic reasons as well as maintaining a facade of normalcy, as I don't want people to get suspicious and start to intrude on my inner, dark secrets (wanting to ctb and what not).

 

[LifeSick]

I am and always been an atheist. I'm a skeptic so I would need some really good evidence to believe in something as extraordinary as God. Besides that, I sympathise with Buddhism and Satanism.

 

[LifeSick]

I am 100% atheist and this is what I believe in:
There is no such thing as "god" or "gods".
Nothing "spiritual" or "supernatural" exists.
Nohing is "forbidden", "sacred" ,"holy" or a "blasphemy".
These are all human inventions.
All human religions are 100% made up nonsense.
We have no "soul".
There is no afterlife.
We are our brains.
Once our body dies we are dead forever.
Nothing "spiritual" exists.
Only matter exists.

Pretty much this.

 

[nohoper]

Atheist , Religion might give comfort to some people but its does just as much bad as good. Personally i think the world would be a better place without it.

 

[Johnnythefox]

I attended Catholic schools, but my parents were never strict regarding attending Chapel.
I can't remember when I had my epiphany, probably well over thirty years ago. Even as a kid I was sceptical about religion.
I've always had an interest in Buddhism and to me it's more a philosophy as there is no god head.
The central tenet makes sense also.
"tolerance of all things"
I do not believe in any god or afterlife,
this is it for us.

 

[Red star]

Just spiritual, not religious : )

as for details um raised catholic, dabbled in Christianity was even hardcore with it for a period in grade 8 but just added ontop of the self hate I already had.

I find Religions limiting because the teachings it uses are dated and recycled when it does not apply to current times.

 

[gingerplum]

Atheist. I think I always was, but about 20 yrs ago, when the "four horsemen" (Hitchens, Dennet, Harris, and Dawkins) became really vocal, I thought, hey, it's ok to feel this way and even-- gasp-- say it out loud. It was like I needed justification, or maybe validation from some really, really brilliant and rational guys to feel secure in my belief. Or lack of a belief, as it were.

As Carl Sagan used to say, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence".

 

[stargazer]

Your story @Threads is similar to mine. raised Catholic. I did alone time research (searching, reading) on different religions as I grew older, secular high school, it all helped.

I toyed with a few, as you did. Anglicanism (Episcopal Church to some) sort of seemed like a more 'open minded' type of Catholic-inspired faith.

I left the Anglicans after a period of 2 years. I wasn't formally an Anglican, I was just there for a little while, discerning. Likewise everyone thinks they can run the show (be a priest or leader) in any religion they've been raised in or with, I feel.

Nowadays, for at least the last two years, I'm an atheist, a bad atheist. Bad because I like to think there's an afterlife. It can look like Heaven, to some, just without the presence of a deity or God or Angels. It's still a nice place to be.

Most atheists are rational thinkers, so I'm the screw loose who keeps open about there being after life's, but I firmly feel there is no God or deities and I don't want there to be either.

But I would be lying if I said I didn't plead to the universe to protect me if a sudden storm or freak weather event scares the crap out of me.

CTB is one thing, but getting struck by lightning against my will or crushed in an earthquake both of which are survivable, unless I asked for them, I plead no thank you God above if someone's up there pulling the levers. What horrible ways to go or still survive!

Anyway. I'm not a pushy or outspoken atheist. Just a quiet one.

I really love secular Christmas. (We were never quite the church going types anyhow, thankfully).

 

[stargazer]

@Threads I forgot to add: I also just came to the conclusion, reading and weighing up the Gospels, Old Testament and the more controversial "non-canon" books like Gnostic Gospels, in the last two years. I just suddenly concluded to myself: it's all lies. Written by a bunch of well-meaning folks who lived in a desert across different generations.

Think of it like a Harry Potter or Disney work that people just kept adding to. But those were fictional stories, not real life biographies.

That average Tim Allen Galaxy Quest movie comes to mind too: "we pretended to be who we said we were, for entertainment. The ship, all of it, none of it was real. We lied" says the Star Trek inspired crew lead by Allen to their adoring 'alien fans' who thought the show was real.

That's when I realised: it was all made up. Same goes for Islam, Judaism. All made up for good intentions, to keep civility and peace to some extent in communities...before the modern legal and policing system. Democracy. Etc.

To me anyway, upon drawing my own conclusion that it was all fake, that's how I became an atheist. Still a bad atheist, but one nonetheless.

 

[stargazer]

What are your religious beliefs? How do they affect your everyday life? How did you come into these beliefs? What were your previous beliefs?

I'm allowing two votes, because sometimes people are between two beliefs/religions.

I was raised Catholic, when I turned 20, from the influence of my parents, I decided I wanted to be a priest. I studied theology on my own, doing a lot of reading. I eventually began reading philosophy, which lead me to begin studying world religions. I became more interested in Taoism, and eventually ascribed to those beliefs. After I left home, I came back to Christianity, and just sort of viewed the teachings of Jesus as a sort of guide for how to live life.

Essentially, for me anything outside of the gospels doesn't really impact my beliefs. I do quote Romans to people to explain to them about Hell, but outside of that. I just try to take the lessons that Jesus and the Dao De Ching taught, and live with an open mind.

If you post in this thread, please do not post just one word or 'I am this religion.' Give a little bit of detail.

Have I convinced you to be atheist now? Lol. None taken.

 

[gingerplum]

Have I convinced you to be atheist now? Lol. None taken.

I think of it similarly, but like folklore that was embellished and exaggerated over generations. Like Paul Bunyon, or Johnny Appleseed. Or Santa Claus. I'm sure they all started based on a kernel of truth, but that doesn't make a one of them gods.

 

[stargazer]

I think of it similarly, but like folklore that was embellished and exaggerated over generations. Like Paul Bunyon, or Johnny Appleseed. Or Santa Claus. I'm sure they all started based on a kernel of truth, but that doesn't make a one of them gods.

My thoughts, similarly. Think Santa was a blend of the Christian 'saint', some pagan version of Oden, and the Coca-Cola company PR one Christmas, all combined gives us Santa Claus. Lol.

 

[stargazer]

I think of it similarly, but like folklore that was embellished and exaggerated over generations. Like Paul Bunyon, or Johnny Appleseed. Or Santa Claus. I'm sure they all started based on a kernel of truth, but that doesn't make a one of them gods.

I think of it similarly, but like folklore that was embellished and exaggerated over generations. Like Paul Bunyon, or Johnny Appleseed. Or Santa Claus. I'm sure they all started based on a kernel of truth, but that doesn't make a one of them gods.

Unfortunately, it works too well, and people believe it. That's how you get cults, sadly. And self-help/motivational speakers/fortune tellers. Cops and military really get warped into following strictly the law like it was a religious code. Or pride in the nation as a civil religion. It's all the same and all detrimental.

It's like that saying: everything in moderation. Or, balance. Yin yang.

 

[gingerplum]

Unfortunately, it works too well, and people believe it. That's how you get cults, sadly. And self-help/motivational speakers/fortune tellers. All the same.

Unfortunately, it works too well, and people believe it. That's how you get cults, sadly. And self-help/motivational speakers/fortune tellers. Cops and military really get warped into following strictly the law like it was a religious code. Or pride in the nation as a civil religion. It's all the same and all detrimental.

It's like that saying: everything in moderation. Or, balance. Yin yang.

I don't know if you've ever seen this bit, but it speaks perfectly to my lack of respect for religion, and it's funny AF.

 

[stargazer]

I don't know if you've ever seen this bit, but it speaks perfectly to my lack of respect for religion, and it's funny AF.

You'll love the late comedian George Carlin then, gingerplum

 

[gingerplum]

You'll love the late comedian George Carlin then, gingerplum

Carlin was a flat-out genuis. Love him. Try David Cross if you havent, and Dave Foley does a good bit. Of course, they're all preaching to the choir, right?

 

[TAW122]

Carlin was a flat-out genuis.

Oh yes, I love that comedian, he is really on point and really funny too. He will be missed.

 

[Knight Artorias]

It's not exactly a "religious" thing for me but, HP Lovecraft's books have made me believe to an extent there's greater beings out there far beyond human comprehension. Probably not some all knowing and powerful God who made everything but maybe some Cosmic Beings who've transcended to the point of being in a totally different reality entirely. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I believe there's other forms of life out in the vast, dark, and cold cosmos of space that might not even apply to what we perceive as "being living". They might not even have physical bodies either. I don't think it's anything magical or spiritual. Just beings that have gotten to the point where they're not bound by the chains of life and flesh. And I doubt beings so advanced would even be able to be understood by humanity without going insane or just being at a loss. The concept of "good" and "evil" are just manmade concepts. I'm sure something as advanced as that wouldn't care about human concepts of what's morally good or evil.

Not hating on anyone who believes in other things though. I'm glad others can get behind something that they believe in. I just can't imagine a "God" of such power applying to human concepts like good or evil. And I'm pretty much just a Nihilistic Evolutionist lol. That's my beliefs.

 

[MsM3talGamer]

I'm anti-organised religion and rabid Bible-thumpers really annoy me. If people choose to be religious it's their choice. I just want them to leave me out of it.

 

[ChemicallyCalm]

I'm not sure what I am, pagan? wiccan? Some sort of occultist? Idk. I believe in and practice witchcraft and I believe in spirits and demons too

 

[ChickenAndPotatoes]

Aliens and cyborgs.

 

[Comatose11]

Former Christian. Now an atheist. I didn't see how a loving God could allow so much suffering. I also didn't understand how my religion could be the right one when there are over 1,000 religions.

 

[TAW122]

Former Christian. Now an atheist. I didn't see how a loving God could allow so much suffering. I also didn't understand how my religion could be the right one when there are over 1,000 religions.

That's a pretty straightforward reason and also a valid one. I've watched many YouTube videos of former Christians becoming atheists and what not, and this one is one of the major reasons especially when they started to ask deep questions and think critically.

 

[Lra888]

I was raised Catholic but currently do not follow any organized religion.

I wouldn't call myself an atheist though. There's too much order to natural things for there to be just matter. Everything in nature is patterns/ mathematical equations—is there something that set it all in motion, giving "life" to animate matter? Scientists/physicists only theorize. Even if one believes in the big bang as the origin, what was before that? What caused the expansion of the universe and how did it cause consciousness? So much is unknown.

 

[stargazer]

@Threads I forgot to add: I also just came to the conclusion, reading and weighing up the Gospels, Old Testament and the more controversial "non-canon" books like Gnostic Gospels, in the last two years. I just suddenly concluded to myself: it's all lies. Written by a bunch of well-meaning folks who lived in a desert across different generations.

Think of it like a Harry Potter or Disney work that people just kept adding to. But those were fictional stories, not real life biographies.

That average Tim Allen Galaxy Quest movie comes to mind too: "we pretended to be who we said we were, for entertainment. The ship, all of it, none of it was real. We lied" says the Star Trek inspired crew lead by Allen to their adoring 'alien fans' who thought the show was real.

That's when I realised: it was all made up. Same goes for Islam, Judaism. All made up for good intentions, to keep civility and peace to some extent in communities...before the modern legal and policing system. Democracy. Etc.

To me anyway, upon drawing my own conclusion that it was all fake, that's how I became an atheist. Still a bad atheist, but one nonetheless.

I would like to update or amend my original responses @Threads since you created this thread.

Recent events have just made me feel like, I could be wrong, having been raised Catholic it's hard to completely "let go" of it which in turn probably affects my biased views.

So now I'm thinking maybe the second coming is possible, maybe there is a God, etc. I still would prefer my own ideal afterlife that isn't a Hell but neither is it the Heaven with angels and harps. I have my own ideal paradise in mind thank you.

That all being said, I just like watching episodes of Father Ted and thinking "yeah, that probably sums up my beliefs."
Basically a lazy, half-hearted cultural Catholic or cafeteria Catholic. I'm not a fan of Jesus, just because I'm not Jewish, and neither do I want to worship the Devil or Antichrist either. Phew.

 

[Johnnythefox]

It's got to be said!
If your parents are Christian you will be Christian.
If your parents are Muslim you will be Muslim.
If your parents are Jewish you will be Jewish.
You get the idea, some people when older might switch to another religion or disregard it altogether.
From a young age you are indoctrinated and brainwashed and that can be hard to eradicate.

 

[Mixk009]

I'm agnostic. I believe in the possiblity of god(s) and whether they be life or a different entity is pure speculation. I don't believe in any religious texts. They're just bullshit made by humans.

I am a believer of dualism and panpyschism. I think we have software (soul, or data code in a computer, or something else) and hardware (we exist in only one body (we can't really tell)).

We could all be the same entity somehow living different lives. Or we could somehow be living every life simultaneously, but we don't realize it. Or we could all not even exist. Or we're just... I'm really open to anything that sounds logical and reasonable.