I am just curious as to what everyone considers there religion? I hope I am not stepping out of bounds by asking, I am just curious. I like talking about religion with people, and am not affended by others beliefs as long as they aren't trying to push theirs on my (like my grandmother :rolleyes: ).

Me, I am agnostic. I do believe there is some form of higher power which we will never understand. But I don't pray to a god or anything. I think if there is a God, then he knows what we are thinking, and I don't think that you have to pray or go to church just to prove that. I do have to go to church every other Sunday because my family is all christian, and they make me. But that's ok, whatever makes them happy. I believe in being deeply connected with nature, which doesn't seem to be a main priority in most religions, however I feel it is such an important aspect of belief.

But yes.. that is just some of what I believe. I am hoping this doesn't offend anyone. As I said, I am just curious as in what everyone believes in. :)

well i was bathtize Roman Cathlic.. but i dont go to Church at alll

I'm Catholic all though I don't go to Church either. I just believe in being a good person. :)

:innocent: Wellll.......I was raised Pentecost (not the snake carrying kind) but hubby is Baptist and that's the church i attend when I attend a church.

I have been to a Penecostal church before. I found it very interesting. Although, it kind of freaked me out when people started talking in tounge (this was like..4 years ago, LOL). :confused: I the church I am "attending" now is Baptist.

I am also agnostic. Also, I firmly believe in peoples right to believe in whatever they feel is appropriate (as long as they dont hurt others).

Exactly. :D

Well I was not really churched as a child but I did attend a Church of the Nazarene and a methodist church some but not often at all.

I knew when I was about 16 I wanted to join the Catholic church.

I met hubby and his being a cradle Catholic was a definite plus in his column and his beliefs in how we would raise the kids Catholic as well... etc.,

I had Lexi in 1995 and I was babtised for the first time on the night before Easter 1997. I had to go to classes every Monday for like 8 mos and then do some other stuff.

I took 4 sacrements in one night.... babtism, confirmation, communion, marriage... maybe another one but I can't remember all of them right now.

I am a Christian.

I am not forcing it on anyone or critisizing anyone, nor am i down on anyone who is not a christain, but i know that it is true that there is one God and his son Jesus Christ did die on the cross and rise again in payment for my sins. i have a personall relationship with Him and that accepting christ is your savior is the only way to receive eternal life.

it has helped me the past few weeks to learn to be more respectful and christ-like online. for instance i considered seriously bashing C on the RO forum but realized that even if she is a lunatic :innocent: it wouldn't be exactly christ like. (but btw, i dont think anyone did bash her, nor did they do anything wrong)

:coolbun:

I've researched alot of religions, and even though my parents were christened and baptised, mum into protestant, dad into Catholicism, they didn't bring me up in any religious kind of way.
In late primary school (about age 10), I joined Scripture Union at school which is a Christian organisation at our school where we read bible stories, sang hymns, etc and learnt about the religion.
I did it because I wanted to learn and see if I did believe or not... I came to the 'not proven' conclusion. But I did come second a the end of the year in the competition, I still remember the books of the New Testament by heart! Dan has even learned some of the songs I did at school! LOL Poor thing! The song book Mission Praise has alot to answer to!
I've also studied some eastern religions at school, none of which appealed to me... My gran was brought up as Catholic but doesn't believe in it. Her mother died at a very young age of breast cancer and my gran lost all faith after that. :( She still had my dad and Uncle Neil baptised though, I think this was one of the things she was expected to do since she and my granddad were married in the Catholic chapel... my granddad isn't Catholic and got a dispensation to be allowed to marry in the chapel. I've ruled out Catholic because I don't believe in the no-contraception rule, have pretty much quashed the sex before marriage thing LOL (we live in sin coz it's cheaper than paying for a wedding!), and Dan's had a lot of bad experience from his Catholic upbringing, so I wouldn't want to put him in that situation again.
LOL I've really rambled here... I think everyone can do what they like as long as it doesn't hurt others and if that means you have faith in an omnipotent power, then why not?! I do however believe that there is an afterlife but on what kind of supernatural level that is, I don't know.
When I asked my dad why he didn't get me baptised, he said he felt it was my decision to choose, not his... I kind of think he was right, I'd probably have rebelled just for the sake of it anyway! :D Though I think calling me 'Angela' was slightly religious, it's Greek meaning Angel! Even if it was after the Rolling Stones song Angie!

Angie...... Annnnngie.....

Didn't they write that song for David Bowie's wife?

We lived in sin and all that before too.... I also don't agree on the no-birth control thingy... stupid!

Im catholic but I attend a Christian youth group. Other than that I dont go to church, i did my holy communion when i was younger but thats all

Becc

LOL I think they did! Our cat was called Jagger, appropriate, but you can see how my dad's 'Stones obsession developed in the early 80s! He loves Bowie too!
I think with the horrifying number of people with HIV and AIDS nowadays, it's just irresponsible to protest against birth control. Africa now has millions with the disease, and it's just going to increase if people do not protect themselves against it! The number of babies contracting it from their parents is just devastating... :( So much could have been done to prevent it's spread... such a simple thing too!

I was raised Lutheran but now call myself simply "Christian". I don't believe that Christianity should be divided. My goal this summer is to get back into going to church again. It's just so hard to find a church.

Oh Lissa, I wish you lived here. I can just tell you would love this one church in my area. It's a non-denominational church and it's very liberal in that some of the members are like Goth and stuff, but there are also the older more conservative types too..... it's completely mixed! Some of the Goth people that go there (I know from my son's barbershop lol) they work with street kids in Indianapolis and the street kids go there with them too...... It's a very very welcoming place! If we didn't go to our parish and school, I know I would go there.

I think it's interesting how we all have different beliefs but we all sort of have the same philosphy as well.... when it comes down to it... just try to be a good person. I think that's why we all get along so well :) Open-mindedness is such a good thing to have.... it allows you to learn and grow so much!

Ang, I agree on the birth control stuff and it is one issue I am not pleased about with the new Pope. He's very archaic on that issue.

BumperBunny,
I am so glad for you! I feel the exact same way!

I am a christian and I believe there is only one God and Jesus died for our sins and I too have a personal relationship with him. God created our wonderful little furry creatures! :P

That's seriously awsome!

you know, that was the first time that flatly sharing my faith and it's so encouraging to get youre response! I always love to find out who else is a christian on forums. :pinkbun:

You know, when people hear i am a christian they are often like...oh. and they act really careful around me, trying not to cuss or anything... they don't understand that i don't the heck care what they say--it doesn't bother me!

:happybun:

Hey, these Catholic people are Christians too ya know! ;)

People do the same thing to me.... "ooo she's so religious she speaks of it!!!" :shockbun:


:haha:

haha i know--but when talking to other christians/catholics it has the opposite affect.

:) glad you are too. B) i know most catholics are :happybun:

I don't get why people would even care, yet I know that they do. Let me reiterate my stance, as long as you aren't hurting others, you should be free to believe whatever you'd like, and be free to express it without fear of ridicule, etc

I don't have a problem with people telling me about their faith, in fact, I'm very interested in all the different views and stuff. Like I still don't know how they elect the Pope... is it by ballot or is it by years of service, etc, etc? I find it really interesting! I like finding out about traditions and how they originated.
What I don't like is people, who claim to be their faith, play on it and use it to the detriment of others... That, in my opinion, is unholy and is far from pious. If you believe in the Lord then you should not use his name in vain - the third commandment isn't that?! No-one here is like that, but I have had experiences of it before. :confused:
Found the quote from Leviticus 19:
Lev 19:12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
Yes I do own a Bible or two! :)

They vote on the pope. It's a conclave of Cardinals who pray and pick by a vote.

I think they probably have some deciding factors and some in mind when they go in, but it's not by age, years of service, or whatever....

i was surprised to see this here.. it can be such an inflammatory subject! :)

me? i'm atheist.. and the more i read, the more convinced i am..

zen, most of the people here currently can discuss a lot of stuff and have it not get too heated!

If it does start getting that way, someone usually backs off or something. It's unusual but it's nice.

I don't know as the boards pick up steam if it will be the same. For now we'll enjoy our conversations on such things! :)

Have you always been atheist? or were you raised in a faith?

i wasn't actually 'raised in a faith' as such, my mother is atheist, my dad was a non practicing catholic.. parents compromised by sending me off to the local church of england sunday school, but by the time i was around.. argh.. 10-12.. something like that, i'd 'seen the light' and decided it wasn't for me.. i'd tried a methodist and a presbyterian church with friends by then as well.. (like maybe a different god would be a better one?) then read up on buddhism.. then figured i didn't really need a 'path to enlightenment' at all, i could just follow my own heart...

read a fair deal since of course.. and i just -love- the internet for info! there's so much of it available out there.. i'm still following my own heart..

I'm Lutheran but I don't hold anything against other religions and I don't attend church other than for weddings, funerals, and baptisms.

I haven't been to Mass since Christmas. :innocent:

I had no problem at all with people speaking about their faith. I rather enjoy talking to people, and finding out why they believe what they believe. It's a very interesting subject! People should feel free to talk about their religions wherever and whenever they please. If anyone puts someone down for what they believe in.. they aren't worth talking to.

Now, on the other hand, there are what I call "bible pushers". And not just christians, but other religions too, where people flat out tell you that what you believe is wrong, and you are going to fiddlesticks and whatnot. And they try their best to shame you into thinking what they think. Those people I cannot stand.

I had a guy from my grandmothers church show up at the house, un-invited. He started asking me all kinds of questions about my faith, and why I hadn't accepted Jesus. He then started praying for my soul, and gave me a copy of the bible, and told me to call him when I found the truth and was saved. I was trying to be nice, but I so just wanted to kick him out of the house.

slrabbits, if that had of been me, that guy would have been out of my house so fast, he wouldn't have realised it till he hit the front gate..

i have no problem with what other people want to beleive, it's up to them.. but even that figurehead of most christian religions, the one they call jesus, was against throwing it in people's faces.. i used to know a quote, but long forgotten now, something along the lines of showing faith by example, living it for all to see without making a big noise about it.. maybe more of -them- should read up and take what he actually said to heart.. altho, saying that, i know there's always a quote that could be used for and against the same things..

second time in almost the same number of days i have come across threads such as this, probably why i wrote anything at all.. does anyone else think there are more questions raised by more people on religion these days?

Hey not all Christian are "Bible Pushers!" lol. Those people who do that are called Jeova Witnesses. Ugh we all hate them. (In christan love of course) Yes some christians can be like that. But I believe there is only one way to heaven yes I to hate it when other christians always are preaching to you. But you know whats right and wrong by nature. Its just that Jesus did die for our sins. And I'm sorry If I sound like I'm preaching and all. I don't mean to offend you.

:lophop: <- haha I love this bunny!

I actually don't mind Jehovah's Witnesses coming round the doors, though every 3 months was a bit much at my old house, I'm not really going to change my faith in 3 months!
I spoke to 2 American women for ages and they asked me to join their 'prayer group', but I declined saying that I probably wasn't the type of person they'd want! (they were all suited and booted, zipped up to the neck and there was me in a vest top, cleavage maxed and jeans looking like a tramp! LOL) They really tried to talk to me into it... but even though I knew no-one in the area, I wasn't going to go on a farce to meet people! LOL
I think it's the one thing that I'd like to be part of a religion for... and that's having a sense of community... like minded people all around you and it's much easier than going to bars and stuff to make friends. :confused:

Its a great way to meet good loyal trustable friends. But don't join jeovah witnesses! lol I know they do it to be good and all. But they twist the truth a little. :(

You know I have no problem with anyone's personal beliefs but I really don't like people knocking on my door to advertise them all the time.... :P

:lol:

I know what you mean

"the worst advertising for christianity is often christians" or those who call themselves such.

nichole--if that guy did that to me it would have given him a lecture... :rolleyes:

not necessarily.. on another forum i post to, this religion thing has reared it's ugly head, one girl there said no one wants to know her at the church she's been going to since she moved.. some 8-9 months or so.. she's conventionally married with a couple of young children, she can't figure out why... she surely seems like a nice person, why wouldn't her fellow church goers give her a break? the advice was to go find another church!

Yes some churches can be like that. I've heard of some catholic churches doing that and some churchs that are like oh you must do what right! What kind of church was it?

The community thing can be good but it depends. Our church is in a very wealthy area and the snobs (who probably don't make more than we do) think they are above everyone..... if you aren't a snob in a snobby neighborhood (read living in the country) you are trash.....

It's a good thing everyone isn't like that or I'd be gone ....

Thats why you have us! :D :D :D

don't know what kind of church it was sorry.. the wrong kind maybe? :innocent:

maybe BoB Bunny's right in what she says re 'snobs' but it strikes me as being kinda un-christian like.. or is that just me? :evilbun:

It's very unchristian like..... it's also just rude! :lol: