Religion: What it means to you

I pray every night about everything that's happened that day and what will happen. I'm not sure who I pray TO exactly, but it makes me feel like I have something. Know what I mean?

How ya doing, buddy?

I go to church but with all the shit that has been happening lately..
I'm not sure what I believe anymore

My parents are supposedly 'good christians' but they're their doing a shit job of setting a 'good christian' example...

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I was born and raised a Catholic, and was rather forced into it. Therefore I never really enjoyed it, nor do I remember when I actually rejected the religion. Over the years of trying to find a right religion for me, I've come to label myself as a Taoist as my beliefs tend to lean more towards that way. Although if we really want to get down to the nitty-gritty, I pull in beliefs from Wicca, Buddhism, and Taoism to create my own form a religion, which is what I believe it should be anyway -- something that truly works for a person, no strings attached. My family tries to not bring it up too much since most of them are Catholic and are actually in denial about my not being one.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by knkwzrd

I have to say I think there's probably some greater power out somewhere so I'm not really an atheist or an agnostic. That being said, I think religions are useless. It seems to me that when it comes to morals secular humanism makes the most sense. I suppose I might be considered a anti-denominational monotheist, to make up a phrase.

I'd reply, but knkwzrd has summed up my viewpoints nicely.

- WraithTwo -

I was speaking idiomatically.

I was catholic,but personally many things did not convince me. Now I believe that the people will go to live more times, and each time they will improve its souls.

BR

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Didn't see this thread earlier..

I believe in god at times, but not religion. They're more like god's little fan club. Generally I don't get bothered by any religion. Unless, if someone tries to force/talk me into one (often their own religion), I'll get annoyed.

FELIPE NO

I don't follow organized religion. However I am not an atheist. I go through life constantly searching for answers. Any answers a certain belief holds can be picked apart and analyzed to death. To answer the question, religion really means nothing to me. Religion is mans interpretation of gods will and therefore is inherently flawed. Supposedly god is something that is beyond human comprehension so how can we base our lives on the words of a being that can not be correctly understood?

Myth has it that god speaks to his angels and in-turn they deliver his word to humans. This can be shot down because you could say the person is drunk or delusional.

I have no idea where I'm going with this. I'll stop now before I begin to babble. :shh:

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I was raised Catholic. Fell asleep in church and never touched a Bible until I was 15. Read the Bible, met other Christians and decided to go nondenominational. What I believe, I wouldn't call a religion, but a Faith. Rituals and traditions mean nothing to me - it's all about what I believe.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I was raised Catholic as well, but when the time came for my first confession, my father asked me if I really believed in this stuff.

I told him no.
He said I didn't have to go to CCD or church anymore.

We're a rather scientific family, thanks to our father. I don't think we possess the capability to think in terms of a god. We think in terms of life.

My mother is a very spiritual person, but not at all in the traditional sense. It could be because she's a ranting lunatic. (I've been told about a magic spell book or some shit that I will get someday when all elder family members on my mother's side die.)

I've had mother figures come and go in my life - one of which was an Irish Catholic - INCREDIBLY devout. She's the one who got my sister and I into church and reading the Bible. She got mad when my sister and I laughed at it a lot.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

i don't believe in any religion... i can't understand how in the actual world we can be devoted to somethink like that... but !!! i understand that some people would believe in it...but not an extrem believe ! in modern life we must be more rational...

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Originally Posted by Sassafrass

I was raised Catholic as well, but when the time came for my first confession, my father asked me if I really believed in this stuff.

I told him no.
He said I didn't have to go to CCD or church anymore.

I wish my family would have done that. Instead, they figured that we were going to the wrong church (well, my father really), and swapped 'em. Twice. One church labelled me a problem child, just for not going to confession, etc. I'm not confirmed, but I went all the way up to the year before it in CCD. I also found it ironic that the person who didn't share their beliefs knew more answers to random questions about the bible than they did, but that was only because my father sat me down and force-read me the bible for an hour each night.

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Originally Posted by Fyodor D.

It can only explain the how for many thing, but it cannot explain the whys.

i don't think that religion give the "why" too....

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by walko

i don't think that religion give the "why" too....

Why do you say that?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Not religious in the least, though I don't see a reason to deny the possibility of something that's outside my abilities to comprehend.

Pretty much when shit happens to me I know it's my own fault and the only person that can get myself out of it is me. Sucks when it seems like things are happening outside of my control, but, eh, you eventually get over not having a hand in everything and realizing that things do suck pretty often.

FELIPE NO

For the most part, religion is crap. I come to that conclusion because I've yet to find one to prove that notion otherwise.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I am a non-denominational Christian. I grew up in a Christian home, but only recently I've become serious about my faith.

You know about my Religion, so there really isn't that much else to say.

The one thing though, that breaks my heart, is when Christians go around with their holier than thou attitude and ruin the hearts of perfectly good people. When they don't understand that not everyone is going to agree with them, and those people have that right.

I guess I've seen that happen too many times.. and I'm sick of it.



After thinking this over.. I guess I don't really have the right to say I'm a non-denominational Christian.. I haven't gone to a real church in nearly 7 years. But then again.. being a Christian isn't about church, it's about your relationship with Christ, and what you believe. Give me friends, give me love, and you can keep your church.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I am, by no means, a devout Christian. I rarely pray and I rarely seek heavenly guidance. But, I keep helping others, not break any laws, and live a good life. Religion, or at least teachings therein, have affected me in this way. So, although I may believe in God and go the church on a semi-regular basis, I feel as if I cannot really call myself a truly "devout" follower.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Blanka

But then again.. being a Christian isn't about church, it's about your relationship with Christ, and what you believe. Give me friends, give me love, and you can keep your church.

Well, I have to disagree with you there a lot. Your relationship with other Christians is an integral part of your relationship with Christ. The Church is the Body of Christ, and if you are a Christian, you are a part of the body. Like Paul says "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'"
Get plugged into a church.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Well, I was brought up with no organized religion. However, I've always had a feeling that there was somebody higher that brought everything together (God). So, I do believe in a God and that has helped me through hard times. And because I do believe there is someone watching over me, many times I feel protected and it actually makes me aware of what kind of things I do, to make sure that I do my best to help others and be good to others and myself. So, I guess you could say just having a belief in my life has been quite important in my life.

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Originally Posted by Fyodor D.

Well, I have to disagree with you there a lot. Your relationship with other Christians is an integral part of your relationship with Christ. The Church is the Body of Christ, and if you are a Christian, you are a part of the body. Like Paul says "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'"
Get plugged into a church.

I agree your relationship with other Christians is a very important thing, but I've always believed the Body of Christ is actually your relationship with other Christians, not a church.
I go to a housechurch, (if you don't know what that is, you pretty much just have church at someone's house..), and that seems to be the only place I've ever felt I belonged. I've always believed you should be plugged into the people, not the church. But that's probably just a personal thing.

If church makes you happy, then go for it.

And if I didn't make much sense, sorry.

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I'm a lapsed Christian, which sort of makes me a... well I don't know. I haven't attended a church service in well over 2 years, but I suppose that I just haven't found a church that gives me the right feeling. Though the message is the same, the one delivering it and the congregation recieving it, for some strange reason makes a big difference to me.

My dad being a reverend, probably had some kind of impact on my faith and what I believe in.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Blanka

I agree your relationship with other Christians is a very important thing, but I've always believed the Body of Christ is actually your relationship with other Christians, not a church.
I go to a housechurch, (if you don't know what that is, you pretty much just have church at someone's house..), and that seems to be the only place I've ever felt I belonged. I've always believed you should be plugged into the people, not the church. But that's probably just a personal thing.

If church makes you happy, then go for it.

And if I didn't make much sense, sorry.

No you made perfect sense. I understand what you are talking about, and you are absolutely right about it being your relationship with other believers. However, I find it bothersome when people say that there is a difference between house churches, and churches where people gather in a building that is not a home. There really should be no difference between the 2, except for size, but yet common understanding seems to say so.
So anyways, you DO go to a church. It's just a smaller scale, more intimate (as churches SHOULD be) church.

FELIPE NO

Atheist here.
Religion to me is a way to control a big mass of people, but also a comfort for those having a hard time. I don't think there's anything bad in the core of religion, but it has gone too far today.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Child of Concious... Or at least that's what a friend of mine called me once.

I despise mainstream religion though - it's all a big bunch of bullshit used to retain control over large masses of people.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

It's hard to say of what I believe truly, since I'm not "walking the walk". But I believe in the Christian faith. This is not to say that I'm a saint or anything, but I do attempt to follow Jesus' teachings, just not with very good results, heh.

Just if anyone is curious, I was raised in a Christian home, and did all the little "churchie" things throughout the week, but as of late, I feel pretty dormant about my faith.

Originally Posted by Fyodor D.

Oh yeah, as a little addendum. God is real, alive, and active. I just have trouble seeing that in my personal life. I DEFINITELY see it done in other people's lives, which is totally awesome, and part of the reason for the perpetuation of my faith.

I'm almost in the same boat, however, it seems that I'm going to Sunday church services for the sake of it, perhaps to get some brownie points with God. However, once Monday hits, I'm back to my old self. I know that God's watching me going in a out doing my daily business, but there's just no connection. I do believe Jesus died for everyone's sins and that He is resurrected and that those who call upon him will be saved, however, there's this thought in the back of my head constantly asking if I'm slipping away doing "secular" activities and not reading the Bible/praying/worshipping and the likes.

Basically, yes I want to be accepted by God into his Kingdom, but at the same time I'm not really motivated or "on fire" to do His will. The soul is yearning, but the flesh is weak.

There's been quite a few questions bothering me with the whole Christian relationship thing. I guess I'll save those for later though.

There's nowhere I can't reach.