Your religion?

[ZombieSlayer54]

Quite a simple question, really.

What is the religion you follow?

Also, side note: This is just asking what your religion is, and why you believe in it.J. It is NOT, I repeat, NOT asking you to debate religion. Do that in other threads.

Also, feel free to to specify which denomination of said religion you follow. I am, really, just giving the broadest religious terms, as if I gave every single last major group in every single last major religion, well, that would take far too long to compile, and it would be far too big a poll. That being said, Kabbalahlism is under Judaism, Wicca is under Pagan, Mormonism is under Christianity, etc. etc.

Due to the possibility controversy resulting from the term "Pagan" being listed in the poll, allow me to explain which religions I consider "Pagan".

Occultism.

Wicca.

Any and all native American religions. By this I mean any religions developed by the Native Americans. Religions developed by citizens of the United States or other countries which developed from the colonies of Christian countries, or even developed in the colonies themselves, are not Pagan.

Any and all native African religions, at least before the spread of Christianity. Religions developed afterwards I do not consider "Pagan", unless the religion is rooted in Pagan rituals.

Any and all native European religions, at least before the spread of Christianity. Religions developed afterwards I do not consider "Pagan", unless the religion is rooted in Pagan rituals.

Any and all native Asian religions BESIDES THE ONES LISTED, and also at least before the spread of Christianity. Religions developed afterwards I do not consider "Pagan", unless the religion is rooted in Pagan rituals.

So... WHAT are you, anyways?

I am "New Age", for lack of a better term. Specifically, I am a pantheist. I am still indecisive as to whether I am a classical pantheist or a naturalistic pantheist.

EDIT: Yeah, I fucked up that poll about three times. Sorry for not having it up immediately.

EDIT2: By "Spiritualism" I mean the kind that Sarah Winchester believed in.

[LonePiper]

I didn't vote. I'm an atheist, but I certainly don't consider it my religion

[mackat5]

Christian, specifically Presbyterian and UFMCC. Because there was a time when I was very alone and depressed, and going to church helped me survive. And UFMCC because they accept all people.

[endplusone]

I'd consider it to be similar to existentialist Christianity. I don't like following organized religion, so I'd prefer to individualize my own philosophy. I'm not sure if I can give a definite answer in the poll, considering I think everyone believes what they need to get them through life.

[skenasis]

I'm not sure I go under 'new age' or 'other', as a LaVeyan Satanist. That specific branch was only founded in 1966, but the 'tree' of Satanism has been around for much longer. It does not come under 'Pagan'.

[cijay]

I put 'other'. There is me and there is God and that's what my 'religion' is. My relationship with God is exclusive and unique. I don't believe there is only one book and the books that are there are merely reference books assembled by mortals who had no more insight than I.

[Roy(Banned)]

I put Unitarian Universalism, but I quite close to Gnosticism (which isn't a religion).

[henrik]

I voted for Other. I'm Ignostic.

And for a good description of this, Wikipedia comes to save:

Ignosticism is the theological position that every other theological position (including agnosticism) assumes too much about the concept of God and many other theological concepts. The view is that a coherent definition of God must be presented before the question of the existence of God can be meaningfully discussed.

Although I'm very much leaning to Atheism, since I don't believe in a supernatural God in any way.

[ZombieSlayer54]

Bah. I knew I should have put Ignosticism instead of Zoroastrianism..

Well, Wicca was only formed recently, and I still put that under Pagan.

Although, considerably, Satanism works a lot differently than most Pagan religions I know of. I imagine it would be an 'other'.

[Næt.]

You missed out Discordian. If I had a religion, that is what it would be as the Day of Disunity is on my birthday.

My religion is simply 'none' however. I refuse to follow a particular set of ideas and beliefs over coming up with my own.

[Shrine Maiden]

I'm all for Agnosticism. To me the world is too perfect to be random but I scorn the idea that the "god" who made it wants me and some more six billion motes of dust in the almost limitless universe to believe in it or go to hell. I mean, isn't the human race a bit too conceited about their own importance?

[ZombieSlayer54]

You missed out Discordian. If I had a religion, that is what it would be as the Day of Disunity is on my birthday.

My religion is simply 'none' however. I refuse to follow a particular set of ideas and beliefs over coming up with my own.

I still consider it to be a parody religion.

Just like the Church of the SubGenius.

EDIT:

I just thought of something:

What if Discordianism existed as a major religion at the same time that Zoroastrianism existed as a major religion? And as a real religion, too.

[Næt.]

I don't get how there is an "anarchist ethic that pervades Discordianism" yet Discordianism "recognizes chaos [and] discord...as valid and desirable qualities"

But, parody religion...I don't think there's such thing as one of those, personally.

[SlightlyMetaphysical]

I ticked other. I like to think that I live my life in a sort of probability curve of all the major options, in a Pascal's wager type way, but I don't really gel with the term agnostic. I'm sort of spiritual, or, again, would like to be. But people always come before gods in my book.

[Eddie7]

Atheism isn't a religion, so none there that fits me.

[Dame du Lac]

I voted other. Usually I will vote Christian but for me its not that straightforward, at least not where beliefs are concerned. I am fascinated by religion, I like it and I want to practice it. I used to believe in a supernatural God and that Jesus was God/Human at one and the same time. I've lost that belief entirely. I don't believe in anything supernatural (anything considered supernatural that was proved to be real would then become natural). I've even given up my panentheist view that there is an ultimate reality (pantheism = God is in everything; panentheism = God is both within and without everything). However, I do think we (humans) have a natural tendency towards religion and I enjoy practising one. I am an Anglican (in America I believe this is called Episcopalian) and a very active one at that. I usually go to church twice on Sundays and I serve on my Parochial Church Council. I tell people I am very liberal, but not that I don't believe in God. I prefer a very tradtional worship despite my very radical views.

I might seem unusual but I am not the only Anglican to believe that religion and God were created by humans and as such fulfil a human need and that religion can be a good of itself without any supernatural element. In this sense I am a Christian Atheist (a Christian who does believe there is an actual being that is "God"). And this is why I agree with Eddie7sf that "Atheism" is not a religion; atheism is defined as not being a theist. Technically, an atheist is someone who does not believe in the god or gods that the society they live in believe in (or they conceive of them in a different way, like Socrates did in Classical Athens). Therefore you can be an atheist but still believe in the supernatural, or the spiritual and I understand this is not uncommon. There really needs to be a better term for people who have no supernatural beliefs whatsoever and don't practice any religion. Nica Lalli uses the term "Nothing".

[Kamtoad]

I'm not sure I go under 'new age' or 'other', as a LaVeyan Satanist. That specific branch was only founded in 1966, but the 'tree' of Satanism has been around for much longer. It does not come under 'Pagan'.

Ditto. I ended up putting other, but I consider myself to be a LaVeyan Satanist. Other than that, the closest is atheist which also comes under other, I suppose. At a push.

[Snap-Dragon]

Atheism isn't a religion, so none there that fits me.

Pfft, stop mincing words. Nitpickers. It's your "position as concerns religion". :P

Anyway, yeah, I'm an atheist.

[Eddie7]

Pfft indeed. In more than one place it asks "what religion do you follow?" Which really doesn't work as it's certainly not a religion and I don't follow atheism. I just don't believe any particular groups stories.

But yeah, I'm being awkward too.

[LonePiper]

But, parody religion...I don't think there's such thing as one of those, personally.

Obviously you haven't heard of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster...

http://www.venganza.org/

[EeptheSheep]

I'm a Taoist, however I'm a Philosophical Taoist, not a Religious Taoist, so Taoism is moreso my philosophy than my religion, depending on how you look at it... Does that make sense? Anyway I'm Taoist because I prefer to believe in an impersonal force rather than a deity. I also share certain Shinto beliefs (like I believe in kami).

[Guest]

I didn't vote. I'm an atheist, but I certainly don't consider it my religion

lol me neither, but i still voted ;]

well, to be 100% correct i am a "pastafarian" (lonePiper posted a link) hihi....

[Rix]

I'm a Catholic Christian.

I used to be an atheist but eventually found my way via the high Anglican church to Catholicism proper. I suppose having studied the historical claims of the different Christian groups the Catholics seemed to have the most legitimate claim to being the original Church.

Rix

[stormwind]

Protestant Christian. I went to the Methodist church as a kid, but now I'd say I'm non-denominational.

I believe in Jesus and everything the Bible says about him.

I couldn't imagine myself not believing in God. Too many things have happened to me throughout my life for me to ever consider that he doesn't exist.

[smellincoffee]

I didn't vote. I'm an atheist, but I certainly don't consider it my religion

Ditto, although I may vote Unitarian. Why am I that way? I see no reason to believe in any sort of deity, and don't find any religious figure particularly inspiring. I seek the truth through the use of free reason and evidence, and live my life by compassion. The label I am most attached to is "Humanist".

[pikku]

I am Jewish, but so not religious that I barely am reformed.

I don't even know if I believe in God, but I do agree with some of the beliefs. I really don't think much about religion, because it doesn't make too much impact on my life.

So, why am I Jewish? My father's Jewish, I was raised Jewish, and I converted (after I joined a Conservative temple for my Bat Mitzvah). I don't see it so much as a religion as something I just am. I was just taught as if my being Jewish was like my eyes being brown. That's all.

[Sally]

What's a Unitarian? I've asked Unitarians but they just tell me what they DON'T believe and then they say you can believe anything. So why does it have a name if it's not anything in particular? Someone tell me. They seem to be really cool people.

[Roy(Banned)]

What's a Unitarian? I've asked Unitarians but they just tell me what they DON'T believe and then they say you can believe anything. So why does it have a name if it's not anything in particular? Someone tell me. They seem to be really cool people.

According to an online quiz, I'm a Unitarian, so I'll have a go at explaining (even though I'm quite clueless on the matter myself):

Everything everywhere is connected. Everything everywhere is God. God is the Source of all everything. We come from the Source. We are God. Our cats are God. The grass outside is God. Everything that stems from the Source of everything is God.

[Ghizwiz]

OMG, OMG, OMG!!!! No, I've got that wrong, it should be OMFSM, OMFSM, OMFSM!!!! Cuz I finally see the light!!!

I answered "agnostic" for the poll, but after following the FSM link and letting the power of the truth finally sink into my soul - I am converted!!!

(Big sigh of relief) Yes, it's true - I just spend some of my carefully budgeted monthly $'s on some T-shirts & other insignia to declare to the world my, um, declaration...

I am an official Pastafarian!!! May He bless me tonight in His noodly way.

And may others of you find the TRUTH as I did tonight!!

Hugs to fellow wannabe Pirates,

Ghizwiz

[Forensic]

;) I pay homage to the FSM as well, myself...

So bring on the grog! (And candy!) Yay Halloween!