Of what religion are you?

What's your religion?

  • Atheism

    Votes: 5 29.4%

  • Agnostiscim (Just admit it! You're atheist-lights!)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Buddhist

    Votes: 2 11.8%

  • Christian

    Votes: 4 23.5%

  • Mormon

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Muslim

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Non-affiliated (a synonym for agnostic, but some people just like to be pedantic and will complain

    Votes: 1 5.9%

  • Scientoligist (Give Xenu my respects)

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Jewish (Hey Adam)

    Votes: 2 11.8%

  • Wiccan

    Votes: 1 5.9%

  • None of the Above

    Votes: 2 11.8%

  • Pastafarian (Have you Been Touched by his Noodly Goodness?)

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    17
StoneCold said:
Not looking for, nor claiming conspiracy. Seeing where you are coming from. All too often it is assumed that ALL Christians push their religion, and are ALL for Christian theocracy.

IMO, the majority does not deserve to take the rap for the vocal few. For instance, I don't care what you choose to believe. Name your own poison. Also, I would be very much against a theocracy of ANY religion.
Click to expand...

Yes, it is too often that atheists are associated with the Dawkanites, too...
 
Watermark said:
Sure there could be a God. I don't really dwell on it. If asked whether or not I think there's a God, I'll usually respond "Probably not".
Click to expand...

Then you are agnostic and not atheist. An atheist believes that God does not exist. That there is no afterlife. An agnostic is indifferent, neither accepting nor denying Gods existence.

That is the difference between the two.
 
Watermark said:
It's like saying that people who refuse to believe that aliens are invading Earth are conspiracy theorists.
Click to expand...
What we have here is yet another instance of people using the words "faith" and "religion" with (at least) two distinct meanings.

Naturally, there is a "leap of faith" -- in the strictly literal sense -- involved when one states "there is no God." Atheists -- and, I submit, many others -- don't use the word "faith" in the strictly literal sense, however.

Atheism is NOT a religion in one very important respect. Unlike any other belief system, mine included, there is no supernatural component of Atheism. In fact, Atheism explicitly excludes the existence of anything supernatural at all.

Although I'm neither an Atheist nor an atheist I completely understand what could drive one to such a belief. An author on whose work I'm currently keen often uses the phrase "the psychosis of faith" to explain really stupid, self-destructive behavior in his characters. I like that phrase because it's evocative of exactly what I observe in many people of (too much) faith.

One should, I think, resort to the supernatural only when all else fails. Many people today, however, resort to supernatural explanations in preference to any other. That is a psychotic reaction and a supremely destructive one.
 
Trust Me...........

bob said:
well that would depend on how serious you are about it. its actuly prety strick compared to most religions...
Click to expand...

He is a biological brother of mine..he is a serious party guy...has been since the age of about fourteen...albeit his IQ qualified him as a geek! He chose the Fonzie way of life!!!:D
 
OrnotBitwise said:
What we have here is yet another instance of people using the words "faith" and "religion" with (at least) two distinct meanings.

Naturally, there is a "leap of faith" -- in the strictly literal sense -- involved when one states "there is no God." Atheists -- and, I submit, many others -- don't use the word "faith" in the strictly literal sense, however.

Atheism is NOT a religion in one very important respect. Unlike any other belief system, mine included, there is no supernatural component of Atheism. In fact, Atheism explicitly excludes the existence of anything supernatural at all.

Although I'm neither an Atheist nor an atheist I completely understand what could drive one to such a belief. An author on whose work I'm currently keen often uses the phrase "the psychosis of faith" to explain really stupid, self-destructive behavior in his characters. I like that phrase because it's evocative of exactly what I observe in many people of (too much) faith.

One should, I think, resort to the supernatural only when all else fails. Many people today, however, resort to supernatural explanations in preference to any other. That is a psychotic reaction and a supremely destructive one.
Click to expand...


HELLO! I was wondering where you have been and was going to ask Cypress or Darla!
 
froggie said:
HELLO! I was wondering where you have been and was going to ask Cypress or Darla!
Click to expand...
Hey there, Froggie! :)

I've been on less of late for a number of reasons, the most important being that my wife is rather gravely ill. I've been telecommuting in order to help care for her and find that A) I've less time available and B) I'm really not in the mood very often.

Today's a pretty good day, though.
 
Watermark said:
Please. I grew up Christian until I was 15. I went to a missionary baptist (MISSIONARY BAPTIST!) church. It's just in my genes. I never really believed it, I only did it for acceptance. I still haven't really told my parents. My mom once asked me if I didn't believe in God, I said "No, I don't". She looked as if she was about to cry and yelled "I'M GOING TO TELL YOUR FATHER!" So I just told her I was joking. Didn't want to break her heart.
Click to expand...

I am a coward, my folks are in their 80's and I don't see the benefit of admitting to them that I have no religion and doubt there is a god like the Abrahamic religions believe in. I really didn't see a category for me, either, so I just marked agnostic, it came closets, but mostly, I just let the mystery be.
 
froggie said:
I am a coward, my folks are in their 80's and I don't see the benefit of admitting to them that I have no religion and doubt there is a god like the Abrahamic religions believe in. I really didn't see a category for me, either, so I just marked agnostic, it came closets, but mostly, I just let the mystery be.
Click to expand...
"Agnostic" is such an odd catchall, don't you think? It encompasses a whole range of beliefs, all the way from people who think about the issue often but can't really decide one way or another to people who really just don't care one way or the other.
 
Damocles said:
I told my mother when I was 12 or so. I was still forced to go to the Pentacostal Church of her choice. They used to use me as an example. They'd ask me to bring in my "Satanic" records so they could teach about how evil they (and I by association) were. As if most of the kids there didn't own many of the same stuff. Most were not believers either, they just were too wimpy to admit it.

I was angry for a long time about many of the things that church put me through. It was just an ordeal for a kid who was not a believer, but the worst stuff was when I was young. The movies they'd show us. The fear they built into us, was just plain wrong.
Click to expand...

It is child abuse in my opinion, but you would have a hard time convincing others. Anything a child fears should be banned, don't you think!
 
OrnotBitwise said:
Hey there, Froggie! :)

I've been on less of late for a number of reasons, the most important being that my wife is rather gravely ill. I've been telecommuting in order to help care for her and find that A) I've less time available and B) I'm really not in the mood very often.

Today's a pretty good day, though.
Click to expand...

Damn, Ornot sorry to hear that . my best wishes for you and your wife. Heck would even pray if i thought it would help.
 
Superfreak said:
Amazing... now we get Donnie 2.0 ... great.... just what we needed. Another senior citizen rambling about nothing.
Click to expand...
Another jackass brays.

just for curiosity, are you referring to USC? I think he was here long before me. and neuther he nor I ramble on about nothing, it is just that you don't like what we say,
 
Last edited:
froggie said:
It is child abuse in my opinion, but you would have a hard time convincing others. Anything a child fears should be banned, don't you think!
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. Later I understood she only did this because she truly believes, she feared for me and still does. She believes I will be going to Hell, as well as my wife and all my children unless they convert to what she believes.

You teach your kids to fear cars, to look both ways or they can be hit by them and die. You teach them to fear guns, at least if you are smart you do, and treat them with great respect because if you don't you may die. Many teach them to fear strangers because they may be taken and hurt if not killed.

All of these things we teach them because we believe that they happen to people and want them to avoid that pain. She was doing the same thing, with the eternal at stake.
 
Superfreak said:
Then you are agnostic and not atheist. An atheist believes that God does not exist. That there is no afterlife. An agnostic is indifferent, neither accepting nor denying Gods existence.

That is the difference between the two.
Click to expand...

Saying "there might be a God" is a bit like saying "Gravity may very well stop working at some point" to me, though. It's not really that I think there might be a God - I believe the chances are statistically insignifigant to the point of ignoring the possiblity - I just don't really care if there is or not.
 
Damocles said:
Not necessarily. Later I understood she only did this because she truly believes, she feared for me and still does. She believes I will be going to Hell, as well as my wife and all my children unless they convert to what she believes.

You teach your kids to fear cars, to look both ways or they can be hit by them and die. You teach them to fear guns, at least if you are smart you do, and treat them with great respect because if you don't you may die. Many teach them to fear strangers because they may be taken and hurt if not killed.

All of these things we teach them because we believe that they happen to people and want them to avoid that pain. She was doing the same thing, with the eternal at stake.
Click to expand...

those are very real and tangible. There is evidence that cars and guns and swimming pools kill.

There is no evidence of hell, nor the eating of meat on Friday to send you there!

I know my parents did it because they believed, also and still do. It works for them, but I think children should be given a choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top