What's your religion?

[Kellam]

My asexuality has nothing to do with my disinterest in magical thinking. Although, when I first came out to my family I had a good laugh with my Mom, she's a good Christian (open minded non-litteralist), that I was an aromantic asexual atheistic apolitical anarchist. I don't know what's with all the A's but coincedences are fun like that!

[MissUnderstood]

People annoy me by saying the reason I don't want sex before marriage is because I'm religious. When really it's just a moral that I have: "If he doesn't love me enough to marry me, he doesn't love me enough to make love to me." Though I really don't want to have sex at all

[crescens]

I am New Age, but I have some Christian and Pagan influences as well.

[Edmond Dantes]

I voted "Unsure". I grew up as a Christian and all of my life I have gone through existence with that belief system. Over the last five years or so I've really kinda questioned everything. So much of what I see today from so-called Christians disgusts me and it has caused me to question whether or not I am a Christian or if I have just been fooling myself.

I wrote a piece on my blog about this, and I mentioned how in the Stephen King series "The Dark Tower" the character of Roland is in a world that has "moved on". He still remembers little fragments, he sees little things here and there that he recognizes, but for the most part, the world has moved on from what he once knew.

I feel that my faith has moved on from me, and has now morphed into something wholly unrecognizable to me, as it pertains to social issues and whatnot. It bothers me greatly, and I think it's because all my life in my faith it's been equated as "Christians = Good" and so if I'm not a Christian anymore, then...

I dunno. I don't necessarily believe much of what is in the Bible (at least not literally), so perhaps just by that alone I'm not really a Christian anymore (if I was at all). I still have a tremendous amount of respect for the faith because I think if people focused on what Christ said and spoke about and championed, then the world would be much better. Rather than focusing on what someone THINKS He said.

As the saying goes, "I don't have a problem with God, it's his fan club that I can't stand"

[alwaysteatime]

I'm an atheist, despite my family's best efforts. I don't hold religious and/or spiritual folks in any contempt, and in fact I'm always very excited and interested to hear about other people's beliefs, but that's still not the way I see the world. I probably fit as a "secular humanist", but I don't like boxing myself into that, so I just say atheist, which gets the whole "nope, not into that" message across.

I'm a follower of Christ, and I think my asexuality is just the way God designed me. I don't believe my Christian faith influences it either way. It simply is what it is. I went the first 21 years of my life assuming I was sexual, and just now realizing I'm not is surprising but doesn't make me worry about my faith - like whether it's acceptable or not. Before, I'd made a pledge of abstinence. Now, I realize abstaining probably won't ever be a challenge anyway, since I have absolutely no desire for it.

The way I see it, asexuality is a gift and a blessing, part of who I am and can contribute to my faith in certain ways, but is not influenced by it.

I remember reading a post on here where a member came out to a Christian parent about their asexuality and about how they never intended to have sex, and the parent had some difficulty understanding but eventually reasoned that some people must be called by God to celibacy. Not saying that's the way you see it necessarily, but I thought that was an interesting way of looking at it. :)

[Phaetion]

I voted other...primarily because I have my own set of beliefs:

I believe that, yes, there is a higher power at work but for the most part, my belief is that the lessons in life are the teachings of nature, which is a fundamental part of my belief system due to the fact that we are all part of it. However, each of us represents a piece of said higher power. I can elaborate further if you wish. Spirituality is key as well.

I was baptised a Christian but my beliefs are so warped now that I might as well not belong. Besides, I refuse to associate myself with organized religion because it restricts who we are a people. I'm more spiritual, and I feel everyone else should be the same way, part of a religion or not.

[swim2thesun]

I'm what I like to call an "Idon'tgiveashitist" :3

[praetorius]

I'm Christian (Lutheran, ELCA).

This definitely didn't cause my asexuality --- that's just how I am. My religious background made me comfortable with a (slightly confused) understanding of my sexuality. Growing up, it was easy for me to adopt an idealistic viewpoint on sexuality that would be most compatible with "romantic demisexual": seeing sex as a wonderful thing within the context of cementing a deep committed personal relationship. While in retrospect, I've always been asexual/aromantic, I though of myself as just "waiting for the right person" for an eventual sex-filled marriage.

I'm happy that I feel my religious background also makes it easy to now accept my asexuality. My prior self-identification with a demisexual/romantic viewpoint was due to ignorance of asexuality, rather than coercion from religious principles. My religiously-motivated views on sexuality form a broad framework of accepting everyone's God-given sexuality as they are; so, it's a very easy step to mentally re-categorize myself as asexual after realizing the category existed. Furthermore, I feel that understanding myself as asexual will help me towards greater Christian compassion for sexual people (instead of mere "intellectual" acceptance with emotional reservations), since I won't make so many naive assumptions about how easy it is for them to "just keep it in their pants" and not get pushed around by sexual forces.

[ShockTrance]

I selected "agnostic", but I identify as agnostic atheist. Despite being raised in an all-Catholic family, I gradually came to question my religious beliefs more and more, transitioning from Catholic to non-denominational Christian to Deist to, finally, agnostic atheist. I am exceedingly fortunate in that my family -- or, at least, my immediate family -- is accepting of my functional lack of belief.

I'm of the opinion that, since any hypothetical God exists outside of the observable Universe, we can neither confirm nor deny his existence; that is, his existence or lack thereof is unfalsifiable. Since I operate under the assumption, though, that there is no God, I identify myself as agnostic atheist.

My current beliefs do not have any influence over my sexuality, but I suspect that, earlier on, my hyper-paranoia regarding the "mortal sin" of lust -- and my subsequent self-repression -- may have negatively impacted the development of my sexuality. This is, however, mere speculation on my part.

I must admit that I'm fascinated by the exotic amalgamations of religions that some of you hold. Being from a relatively plain religious background myself, I'm highly curious as to how others have developed spiritually and reached their current religious stances.

[That asexual guy]

Episcopalian

[ItAllMakesSense]

My religion doesn't have anything to do with my Asexuality. In fact, the people in my religious group refuse to believe I'm asexual.... Most likely because they're sexual and don't understand asexuality.

[Linctagon]

I'm not religious, but I do believe there are things that the human mind cannot possibly begin to comprehend and that those who think they can proclaim themselves to be fools. I also believe in a prime mover and designer/creator. A force that is at the highest echelon of being. It is the single most powerful force in existence. Nothing is above it, all things are lesser. I call it "God" because that is the only word I know of that exists to describe such a force.

If I had to choose some religion to describe my beliefs I would have to say Taoist is the closest I think. The world is a veil. All things come from one single source and all things shall return. Basically.

[Issitoq]

Pantheism.

With a hint of Christianity (I was born Calvinist) and I'm very close to (my own) Pagan nature-rites. ^_^

[deleted_user_072223]

I chose Agnosticism, because that's probably closest to what I am - though I tend to learn toward a strange, undefined spirituality (I like to believe in an afterlife of some sort, as well as some kind of higher power that manifests as all the love in the universe), and I'm fascinated by other belief systems. But my beliefs have nothing to do with my asexuality: back when I thought I was straight, I assumed I'd be a virgin until marriage (and in fact spent a lot of time researching abstinence and celibacy before I realized these people wanted sex), but only because I couldn't see why anyone would want to have sex unless it was for kids. I don't personally plan on losing my virginity, well, ever, but I don't have a moral issue with other people who are sexually active outside of wedlock (the only moral issues I bring up is if you have an STD and don't tell your partner, if you don't take steps to prevent pregnancy, etc.). Simply put, I'm asexual. I'd be asexual even if I was of a different belief system, though I might think about it differently.

The only time religion comes up is when telling other people I know. My immediate family is very open-minded (parents are spiritual, brother is atheist) so I have no problem telling them, but I sometimes wonder what certain members of my extended family would think. My dad's somewhat-religious-but-open-minded side of the family probably knows and seems to accept it, but I'm not sure about my mom's conservative, very Christian family. They accepted my aunt when she dated a woman for several years, but in my experience, accepting gay people doesn't necessarily mean accepting asexuals. There's also one of my friends who is very devoutly Christian and prejudiced toward a lot of things, and I hesitate to bring up asexuality to her (she's almost 26 and a virgin, as well as not having dated since high school, and a mutual friend of ours thinks she might be demi - but she's constantly pressured by her family to get married and have kids, and she seems to prescribe to this expectation as well, so I'm not sure what she would think of someone like me who wants marriage and kids but without the "consummation").

I always thought it odd how the devoutly religious are sometimes less accepting of asexuality than the not-so-religious... but on another hand, it's something that goes outside the norm, so I guess that would offend a number of people of certain religions. Plus it means accepting other orientations, which certain religious people still don't do.

[Arcovia]

I'm Christian and asexual and neither of those caused the other. The idea that being of a sexual minority correlates with liberalism is... Bizarre, to say the least. Not everyone is politically left or right, anyway. ;)

[Philip]

I am a Catholic, but I no longer identify as asexual.

[Philip027]

Agnostic comes the closest to describing me

[paper_head]

I voted "Wiccan/Pagan/Polytheistic (specify)" because I can identify with the spiritual teachings found in lots of books on "witchcraft", especially by Christopher Penczak. Organised religion never appealed to me - the Christian school I went to sort of enhanced that. My mother's a buddhist, that has influenced me as well.

[abacct]

I'm Christian, and as far as I know my religion and sexual orientation have no problem with each other. I am nervous of telling my Christian family. I don't know how they'll react to a sexual orientation they've never heard of and accuse me of making stuff up or something.

[Apollonia]

I'm Buddhist.

[Matryoshka]

Jewish (reform), Christian (non-denom), smidge of Pagan.

[confusedbutsure]

awesomeness. that's my religion. deal with it.

[icelloe]

none. Not atheist, not agnostic, none.

[Ferigal]

I'm a Latter-Day Saint. Any others here?

[EruditeVolatility]

Christian and I believe that my religion and faith influences every part of me.

[SpadeofAces]

And as a side topic, does your asexuality have anything to do with your religion?

Personally I am pantheistic but my demisexuality doesn't have a lot to do with my religious affiliation.

When I was younger and felt asexually only I felt like it was more of a religious choice to be celibate.

I think that my Catholic upbringing certainly played/plays a role in my Acedentity. But it is just one of a variety of factors, not all of which I can control/understand.

I'm a Latter-Day Saint. Any others here?

Roman Catholic here.

[Ferigal]

I can't say that my religion directly relates to me being demi...for a long time I was uninterested in sex simply because of my religious beliefs concerning physical intimacy but I've since realized that even without this moral compass my religion provides sex wouldn't really be a high priority for me.

[trumpetchick]

Non-denom Christian.

[JDP]

It's probably been mentioned elsewhere, but atheism is not a religion.

[Significant Form]

Other; apatheistic humanism, reinforced by recent realizations of how certain significant aspects of Christian doctrine viciously screwed me over.