What religion are you?

To what faith do you consider yourself a member?

  • Christianity

  • Islam

  • Buddhism

  • Gnostic/Agnostic

  • Pagan

  • Santeria

  • Hinduism

  • Judaism

  • Other

  • Atheist/none

  • Results of the 'test' in http://selectsmart.com/RELIGION/ (specify)

Results are only viewable after voting.
edX

edX

mac shaman
ok, it says on the forum description that we can talk about religion here. but i don't see anybody doing it. so i'm just wondering what religions are represented among us. it surely doesn't make a difference and a simple poll like this doesn't need a reply aand insures annonymity. but if anyone would like to discuss religion, i am open to it. i have a b.a. in religious studies so i am reasonably versed on a variety of faiths and canassure you that i, at least, am not judgemental. i think all religions have something to offer their followers and that most people are born into faiths whose messages they need. (ok, i believe in reincarnation)

hopefully we can do this and maintain our sense of respect for each other.:)
 
Hello!

Just wondering what religion you are Ed, didn't see that mentioned in your post.
Also, who else here besides me is Christian? I see two people besides me voted on the poll under Christian. Just wondering.

Have a great day!

Albert
 
What am I ?
Greek Orthodox

Do I practice it ?
Hardly ever :p he he

Reason ?
I probably fall in the 60% of greeks who are "religious" in their youth (pre-teen years) then go through a void, the black hole of life, then when they age they "see the light" and return to the church he he he :p
 
I'm a scientologist. It's like an Athiest only with a whole bunch of different philosophies. I don't really follow it. Hell, I could bearly spell scientologist when typing this post, I had to spell check it.:p
 
I follow the loyal order of Macintosh. Would you also like to know who I voted for in the last election?
 
Yeah... sometimes I think Macintosh is my real religion. Since I spend so much time with Macintosh... and I am always talking about Macs. But... I do not have a religion. I am all religions. My family is Christian, but not me. I do not think of God, the way most people do. I think think God is connected to Nature. Or, God is Nature. Or Nature is God. Romantic / Transcedentalist.
 
I'm an Atheist, have been ever since I asked myself the question of the existence of God or any deity (I think I was 12 at the time). I actually find that people's faith can be one of their most beautiful characteristics (specially if they feel it from the heart and not the ego).

I would go as far as to say that those who's faith shows in their actions are truly gifted. And that being able to ask Someone else for forgiveness must truly be a wonderful thing (I can only ask myself, and I tend not to let myself off the hook to easily).
 
Actually I had often thought that if there was a deity it would be better defined as a female than male. It is interesting to note that in more romantic cultures that are Catholic you find people (men) praying to the Mother Mary rather than God/Jesus. I have often thought that this is very much like how it is easier to go to your mother than your father about things. And as a male it is harder to ask forgiveness of another male than a female.
 
ok, i've voted now. i'm a pagan. my views are a lot like nummi's - nature and diety are very closely connected for me. i am what is known as an eclectic pagan with a sort of self organized belief system taken from various pagan religions. for those who would like to know more about this and who i am as a spiritual being see my website at http://duard.dreamscrying.net please sign my guestbook while you are there just to say hi if nothing else.

i was raised Christian but figured out it wasn't for me at around age 13. i spent the next 17 years going thru various stages of exploration and total disregard for spiriuality. around age 30, i discovered i was pagan, but was still hesitant to embrace that name for it because of all the dark images my Christian upbringing had instilled in me. but as i realized the beauty of this path and how strongly i was called to it, i became open about it. i still consider myself a spiritual esxplorer but i am no longer bound by dogmas and yet i have some form of guiding principles at the same time. taking personal responsibility rather than having a desire to be forgiven is a very strong part of these beliefs as well. i also agree with racerx that people's faith and spirituality can be a really beautiful thing when people truly live it thru actions. being a member of a religion is much different from being a spiritual being.

May God bless and Goddess watch over all of you.
 
So what do you think of Deism? Very popular with our founding fathers (even the ones who didn't actually believe but said they did to help their political careers). I like the idea that the only true connection to a deity is by studying that which was made by one... in other words a study of the natural sciences. Scientist can be some of the most preachy people if you get them started.
 
is kinda strange, Ed, with all the naked faeries and what not... :rolleyes:
And yet it is not pornography :D
to each his own... ;)
 
well you bring up a good point racerx - of course most of our founding fathers were freemasons - a very mystical group. our currency is still filled with masonic symbolism. they were very much on the fringe of Christianity.
Judaism teaches that we can only know God thru God's actions. so this 'study' or relationship with nature makes a lot of sense that way. of course we must include humans as part of nature and therefore human relationship is part of having relationship with God. Martin Buber in "I and Thou" gives a very good explanation of this. Many, including myself, see this work as being a mystical piece. It is one of those works that brings new levels of understanding every time you read it.


Blessed Be Sig!!!
 
wow 29 responses so far. that's great. i don't think that many people responded to what web browser do you use!!

i'm a little surprised there aren't more budhists. i'm pretty buddha influenced myself.

the topic of causality is a big one in buddhism. several years ago scientists working on the linear accelerator found an event for which they could trace no cause. Many of the scientists working on the project became buddhists afterwards. there is a real nice cultural anthropolgy on the phenomenon somewhere. i have it but it would take me forever to find in all my stacks of old papers!!
 
that's a pretty common misconception admiral. one they teach right out of you in introduction to religion 101. the truth is that all good religions have a philosophical side as well as a mystical side and a spiritual side. of course the lines between them are not always drwan so clearly.
Because Buddha taught that we should not be concerned with Gods or afterlife, but rather with living our lives, many people want to think of it more as a philosophy. but Buddha's point wasn't that there is no Other, but rather that we will know the Other when we reach the other side. the relationship is not really important for this life. In practice most buddhists do worship dieties as well. one of the great things about buddhism is that it is not a one and only religion. there is no conflict in being buddhist and being christian in the buddhist eyes. There is a movement to form a sort of united nations of religions being started by a christian minister here in the bay area. the buddhists he contacted all joined in at 1st invitation. he has had a much harder time within his own faith. Last i heard no large denomination of churches had joined, only indivdual ones. He was quite frustrated that so many of his fellow christians won't let go of the "our way is the only way" idea. Of course we all know lots of christians who aren't like that, but the officials of the churches are different sometimes.
but back to buddhism. it is a religion - considered to be one of the big 3. and at various points in history it has suffered the same religious persecution that other religions have. most recently in Tibet.
 
Heck christians arent the only ones with the "my way or the highway" thinking -- take a look at muslims :p

I think the jewish religion seems to be very exclusive and kinda cool in that way. They have their faith and they are not interested in proselitizing (from what I have seen :p)


As for buddists....kinda like carpe diem eh ??? I like that ;-)




Admiral
 
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