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Tiranasta
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15 Jun 2012, 3:12 am

I was raised Christian, but am not currently a member of any organized religion. I believe that the existence of some sort of creator is somewhat more likely than not, but if such a being does exist I would not claim any knowledge as to its traits. I doubt it would care much about us or anything we did.



DC
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16 Jun 2012, 8:08 am

Joker wrote:
Yes I am a Christian part of the Proestant reformation I go to a Church called Hopewell United Methdoist Church. I have been religious since I was 7 years old being religious is apart of my. Culture and most of my family is religious :D


I wonder if you would still support the IRA when they were tying you down and drilling holes through your knees for being a protestant?

If you ever do decide to go to Northern Ireland I recommend in the strongest possible terms you do not mention that you are a protestant that supports the IRA because American or not unpleasant people will come to your hotel and do very unpleasant things to you if you start spreading that around.



SilkySifaka
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16 Jun 2012, 9:48 am

I consider myself to be a religious person, but it's all a bit complicated.

I was raised a Catholic, my Mother converted from the Church of England (Protestant) when she married my Dad, even though my Dad is a very lapsed Catholic and an atheist. I was happy in the Catholic Church throughout my childhood and even considered becoming a nun, until I started to have some doubts in my late teens.

I went with my friend to her Church which was Baptist and I left Catholicism and attended that Church for a few years. But still things just didn't feel right. It wasn't just the social issues (I am pro gay marriage, for example) it was the theological ones.

One day I was in a taxi going to the cancer hospital where my friend was having treatment. The taxi driver, who was a Muslim, started asking me about my beliefs about death etc and attempting to give me 'dawa' (the Muslim version of Christian witness and proselytising). He asked me about the Trinity, and said I should look into that. So when I got home I read up on it, and realised that was where my problem lay. I just can't accept that Jesus was the Messiah, nor can I accept original sin, or damnation for people who don't believe. It makes no sense to me.

I still believe in God, and I occasionally go to a Unitarian Church (known as Unitarian Universalist in the US). I consider myself a 'free lance monotheist', a term coined by Karen Armstrong who writes about religion. I miss the ritual aspect of the Catholic Church, or being involved in a Church with people nearer my own age - I think I am the only one in my Church who doesn't remember World War Two! I still feel as if I'm searching for the right place for me. I'm starting to accept that there might not be a place for me at all.

Sorry that was really long, if you read all of that then you deserve some sort of reward - heavenly or otherwise!



Reindeer
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16 Jun 2012, 9:53 am

First time I heard about god was about the same time as I heard about big bang.
I didn't really thought about if god existed or not. But I Have been an atheist for years now since I was six or something ;)
And if you think that is early for someone to take a decision about something then bear in mind I don't give a damn hence I think you don't choose religion.
A belief isn't a choice! >_>


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JNathanK
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17 Jun 2012, 7:32 pm

I think religious ideology is used to control and divide people, so I wouldn't categorize myself as such. if anything, I would say I'm spiritual and not in the cliche sense. I'm not obsessed with omens and ghosts, but I think that there is some living force or universal spirit that flows through and connects all things. I don't even think its necessarily some omniscient intelligence, but it may be awareness and causality itself. I guess its the law of cause and effect. Everything and everyone is a distant echo of everything and everyone else, and when you really look at anything in the broader context, no factor is truly separate or isolated from any other factor, even if we, as individuals, aren't always cognizant of such complex, background processes that don't have any direct relevance to our lives. Its the unity behind the inter-relationships driving all the contrasting differences that I think comprises spirit.



TheKing
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19 Jun 2012, 3:26 pm

Hi my name is Brandon King, and im a recovering Christian, i was born and raised Catholic but when i was 13 my grandma convinced me to read the bible to help me get "closer to God" but when i read it i immediately realized it was complete and utter bull$#!7 and i first became agnostic but over time started leaning more towards atheism, now i happily accept there is no God, to deny the Holy Spirit is the only unforgiveable sin, and i renew my vows every month and once a month i proudly exclaim that i deny the Holy Spirit. I will raise my kids in a secular fashion, i intend to teach them about religion, but as you would with Greek Mythology. I even have a few parenting books for secular parenting, i probably wont even have kids until my late 20s to early 30s but its good to prepare, i already have chosen their names even. If i have a daughter she will be Gina Marie King, and if i have a son he will be Robert Kelvin King in honor of my late uncle who died of heart failure in December at 43


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kill231
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19 Jun 2012, 4:57 pm

TheKing wrote:
Hi my name is Brandon King, and im a recovering Christian, i was born and raised Catholic but when i was 13 my grandma convinced me to read the bible to help me get "closer to God" but when i read it i immediately realized it was complete and utter bull$#!7 and i first became agnostic but over time started leaning more towards atheism, now i happily accept there is no God, to deny the Holy Spirit is the only unforgiveable sin, and i renew my vows every month and once a month i proudly exclaim that i deny the Holy Spirit. I will raise my kids in a secular fashion, i intend to teach them about religion, but as you would with Greek Mythology. I even have a few parenting books for secular parenting, i probably wont even have kids until my late 20s to early 30s but its good to prepare, i already have chosen their names even. If i have a daughter she will be Gina Marie King, and if i have a son he will be Robert Kelvin King in honor of my late uncle who died of heart failure in December at 43


Good idea.Our experiences and our conscience will tell us what to do and a God was to simply, explain the unexplained thus since the universe has no boundary but it's finite, I conclude that there is no God in this universe,
Human reason is the way to go and I may use secularism as well when I get older.


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Robdemanc
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21 Jun 2012, 12:11 pm

I am not part of a religion because I have never come across one that I think has a valid explanation for anything.

I was brought up as a non believer, although the schools often talked about Christianity and Jesus. I think religion is a club that people feel part of, but I doubt whether most believers really know what it is they are believing in.



Monkeybuttorama
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21 Jun 2012, 4:27 pm

I don't believe anything that I cannot perceive while in the mortal realm in one way or another.

Unfortunately, even if I could believe things that I can't prove, there are far too many logic holes in religions (excluding a very small minority) and too much "faith" (to me, faith is akin to intentional self-delusion, in that it requires that you believe something, despite any misgivings you may have or how much it doesn't make sense, or you will not be a "good person")