Religious Beliefs/Affiliation?

[Spirit]

This system you are describing is one which rewards delusion and punishes those who go by what actually seems to conform to reality.  So while I get nothing, a guy that deludes himself into believing that by killing enough "infidels" in this life, he'll get to be god-like when he dies, this guy gets massive rewards?

It's not really punishment, because you're dead. How can you say "Darn, I really wish I could have gone on to the afterlife" once you're dead if you didn't? Plus, killing infidels? I already pointed out that I don't care what religion you belong to. If you murder somebody, any logical god would send you to hell. And this is all my belief anyways. I know there's no convincing you, and I'm really not trying to. I just wish you would at the very least understand my views.

[Kobuk]

Since this thread was actually started as a "survey" by having people answer 14 different questions, Perhaps it would be better if we continued as such. Therefore, please continue all debates via PM. Thanks.

[Spirit]

Since this thread was actually started as a "survey" by having people answer 14 different questions, Perhaps it would be better if we continued as such. Therefore, please continue all debates via PM. Thanks.

Well, it's in the debate club section, but this is a survey no matter where it's posted. Okay. 

[Yip]

If there isn't suppose to be debating here it shouldn't be in the debate section regardless of how it was started.

It's not really punishment, because you're dead. How can you say "Darn, I really wish I could have gone on to the afterlife" once you're dead if you didn't?

And likewise, they same could be said for people that believe in an afterlife and get nothing.  That's a moot point, and fails to address the problem I was pointing out.

You are entitled to your beliefs, I'm just letting you know that what you are saying is not logically consistent. What you choose to do with that is up to you.

[Corvus Corone]

I am an individual a part of the Christian sect dubbed "Protestantism," specifically belonging to the loose denomination named "Non-Denominational."

But, to be honest, I hate Protestantism. I hate everything about it, and I wish with all of my heart and soul that I could escape this living Hell (and speaking of Hell, more on that later) of religious chaos that is the Protestant sect. What I want to truly be is Roman Catholic. I'd even settle for Eastern Orthodoxy or Islam. It is in those that my heart truly lies, and I love them very deeply. I would give anything in the world to be Catholic.

Alas, it is not meant to be.

But why do I hate Protestantism so much? Several reasons.

First and foremost, Protestantism is (to me) tantamount to religious anarchy. I have heard many people say on many occasions that they hate organized religion. In response, I always laugh heartily and ask them what about Protestant theology is organized. As a Protestant, I can believe almost anything I want, as long as I retain three basic tenants:

1) I believe that I am a sinner damned to Hell.
2) That Jesus Christ is the son of God.
3) That Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, so that I may gain entrance to Heaven.

Other than that, as long as I can find evidence to support my beliefs, then I can believe almost anything I want. I have seen every kind of Protestant under the sun, and all of them will radically different belief systems from each other. You can a gay, pro-abortion, feminist and an anti-gay, anti-abortion, chauvinist sitting right next to each other in the same religious service, and both will claim that they are true-blooded Protestants who worship God and try to live out his tenants.

It doesn't make any sense to me. How can such a thing be allowed? Why can two people have radically different beliefs and still be happy and say they are part of the same organization?

It bothers me, obviously, and I hate it. I hate the disorganization. I hate that two Protestants can be part of the same denomination, part of the same specific church, and believe completely different things.

Which brings me to my next point: forgiveness.

I loathe the New Testament. The Old Testament God was a real god. He was harsh and unforgiving. He made people suffer for their wrongs. He made them scrape into Heaven by the skin of their teeth. He punished the Hebrews for their transgressions. He would slaughter them in mass. He made them suffer for things they had done. He damned Adam and Eve to mortality for disobeying him. He drowned a world for their sins. He denied Moses entry into the Promised Land for disobeying Him. He wouldn't let David built His temple because Daniel had blood on his hands. He made the Jews be conquered and enslaved for their wrong-doings.

This was a God who believed in punishment. This was a God who believed in justice.

Then comes Jesus, giving a new face to God. No longer does God believe in punishment and justice. Now, He preaches things such as "forgiveness" and "love." He wants you to have a loving, personal relationship with Him. He wants you to go out and love your fellow man with all your heart. If a man kills your family, you are required to forgive and love him. If a man mocks you and your beliefs (which is a regular occurrence for any Christian on the internet), you are not allowed to hold a grudge and hate him back.

We are obligated, as Protestants, to love and respect everyone around us, regardless of what they believe and do.

We must Love.

And I Hate it.

I hate this new God and this New Testament. I hate Jesus Christ and His message. I hate belonging to a religion that makes me do these things. Yet, people have the gall to say that my religion is so hateful and unforgiving. "Open-minded" people tell me on a regular basis that *I* am close-minded and adhere to a close-minded philosophy. I have Atheistic friends who mock God and Jesus and my religion right in front of me and tell me that my beliefs are stupid, and that I worship voices in my head, and that I am illogical and emotional, because a logical and rational person would never believe any religion.

And yet, my own religion requires me to continue to love these people and be their friend. Because God forgives us for our transgressions. We must forgive other people for theirs.

I had a Muslim tell me one time, "How can your paradise be so cheap?"

And its true. Heaven is cheap. A man can hate God and be an atheist his entire life and repent on his deathbed and be allowed entrance into Heaven. It's ludicrous. A man can kill an entire family and rape their corpses and beg God for forgiveness (and get it). Muslims and Catholics spend their entire lives wondering where they will go when they die. Yet, us Protestants can know for a fact that when we die, we will all go to Heaven, regardless of how we lived our lives.

Some of my same atheist friends who mock my beliefs tell me that they were Christian when they were younger, yet they all had some "intellectual awakening," and they don't believe it anymore. When they say this, I wipe my brow and breathe easy, because I know that, while they aren't Christian now, they won't be damned to an eternity of Hell when they die.



So, there you have it: my religious beliefs. I belong to a loving, kind religion where it is very easy to get into Heaven. I belong to a religion where its adherents aren't allowed to hate anyone, regardless of what they believe or what they do. I belong to a religion where I am allowed to have a personal and loving relationship with God, where I can live my life knowing that He will forgive me for any wrong that I do. I belong to a religion where I am required to love everyone and anyone and forgive them for whatever they may do to me. I belong to a religion devoid of the concept of "Justice," because it opts to believe in the concept of "Love."

And I hate it.

[Drake Blackpaw]

I am an individual a part of the Christian sect dubbed "Protestantism," specifically belonging to the loose denomination named "Non-Denominational."

But, to be honest, I hate Protestantism. I hate everything about it, and I wish with all of my heart and soul that I could escape this living Hell (and speaking of Hell, more on that later) of religious chaos that is the Protestant sect. What I want to truly be is Roman Catholic. I'd even settle for Eastern Orthodoxy or Islam. It is in those that my heart truly lies, and I love them very deeply. I would give anything in the world to be Catholic.

...

And I hate it.

Okay, I'll bite.  Why don't you just convert to Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy?  With Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy you would still be in a Christian religion.  I could understand not wanting to convert to Islam since it leaves Christianity, but why not go to one of the other two you mentioned?  I'm sure they would welcome you with open arms.

[Corvus Corone]

Okay, I'll bite.  Why don't you just convert to Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy?  With Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy you would still be in a Christian religion.  I could understand not wanting to convert to Islam since it leaves Christianity, but why not go to one of the other two you mentioned?  I'm sure they would welcome you with open arms.

It's not a question of acceptance. I'm sure that if I went to a Catholic church and spoke to the priest about converting to Catholicism, he would love to help me. Also, since there are more Catholics in the world than Protestants and Orthodoxes combined, the community would be larger. No, the question isn't about acceptance.

Twice, I've tried to convert to Catholicism.

Both times, I just couldn't do it. As much as I love Catholic beliefs, I cannot believe all of the things they believe. Their apologies and arguments are not sufficient enough to convince me that they do not have some erroneous beliefs. I've tried, though; I have an entire shelf of books about Catholicism and its theology and history. There are plenty of Catholic apologetic books that give very potent arguments, but they are still not enough to bring me over.

Therefore, since I cannot adopt all of Catholicism (and trust me, I've tried), I can adopt none of it. I will not simply tailor my belief system to accept things that are easy and convenient for me to believe. I will believe what I perceive is right, even if that is not necessarily what is easy to believe.

[Cimarron]

1.) What do you consider your religion to be?
I consider myself a backsliding Christian.

2.) What beliefs do you hold that are consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")
For the most part, I follow the "treat people how I would like to be treated" rule.  I try to be an honest, giving, helpful person.

3.) What beliefs do you hold that are NOT consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")
I do not like how (in my opinion) close minded religious people can be. I also do not atend church, I personally do things that I know most Christians look down upon... I use horrible language, frequent bars etc... Now, I really don't consider those things to be terrible, as Im doing them with no real consequences to anyone but myself.  

4.) Do you disagree with any of the beliefs or practices that your religion is based off of? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")
See answer #2

5.) Do you not follow any particular religion? If so, what are your beliefs?

6.) Would you consider yourself monotheistic? (Believe in one God) Why?
Yes, I guess, I've never really thought about it though, I guess its just how I was raised... and it seems to be working so far!

7.) Would you consider yourself Polytheistic? (Belief in more than one God) Why?

8.) Would you consider your beliefs more akin to monolatry? (Belief in a God that is one and many. In other words, many Gods that come from the same one force. Examples: Hinduism, Kemetic Orthodoxy) Why?
No, but honestly, I really don't know too much about other religions.

9.) Which God/Gods do you worship?
Christ

10.) Do you consider yourself Pagan, or not Pagan?
Not pagan

11.) Do you find you do NOT fit into any particular religious group? If so, why?
I may, like I said above, Ive never really looked into it very much.

12.) What is your political standpoint? Is it influenced by your religious beliefs in any way?
I originally wrote a HUGE paragraph, and then I reread it, and knew I would get flamed... so Im just gonna insert this little smily, K? Enjoy it.    

13.) Do you have a particular belief about how creation began?
I believe in a more scientific approach to creation.

14.) Did you convert, or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what were you originally?
I was born into a VERY strict Christian family.  I have been disowned (sad but true) by several family members because they do not think I lead a Christian life. I think that there is a ton of good things about Christianity, but also a lot of bad ones.  I tried to take the good points out, and apply them to my interaction with others, and left the bad ones behind.

[Drake Blackpaw]

Since this thread has arisen anew, I might as well add my religious views as well.  However, I'm going to skip the survey format as most of the questions don't fit me.  I'll hit the ones that do.

Religiously, I consider myself an agnostic.  That is, I don't believe in any one religious paradigm and I truly believe that if there is something beyond this mortal coil, it is something us mortals cannot perceive or comprehend. That said, I lean towards being an atheist, but I'm open to the idea that there is something more.

I was raised Christian, Lutheran, to be exact, but I began to question the religion I was raised in during my late teenage years and in college.  As a young teenager, I read the bible and studied my religion quite studiously, but as I got older, there just seemed to be so many inconsistencies between the bible and itself and the bible and reality that I no longer believed in Christianity.

I did look for a substitute for awhile and ended up attending a Unitarian Unversalist church for a time.  It's a church with no dogma, just ethical principles, so they are fine with you being an agnostic, atheist, pagan, or Christian and being a UU at the same time.  I enjoyed being part of the UU religion while I was there, but I eventually drifted away from it.  More from the church I was attending changing then from changes in me.

Ironically, I would say that my early Christian views do impact my political views.  I'm a proud Democrat, and it comes from the focus the version of Christianity I was taught placed on helping and looking out for others.  Becoming agnostic has not changed my political views.

[Kobuk]

1.) What do you consider your religion to be?

2.) What beliefs do you hold that are consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")

3.) What beliefs do you hold that are NOT consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")

4.) Do you disagree with any of the beliefs or practices that your religion is based off of? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")

5.) Do you not follow any particular religion? If so, what are your beliefs?

6.) Would you consider yourself monotheistic? (Believe in one God) Why?

7.) Would you consider yourself Polytheistic? (Belief in more than one God) Why?

8.) Would you consider your beliefs more akin to monolatry? (Belief in a God that is one and many. In other words, many Gods that come from the same one force. Examples: Hinduism, Kemetic Orthodoxy) Why?

9.) Which God/Gods do you worship? Jesus Christ

10.) Do you consider yourself Pagan, or not Pagan?

11.) Do you find you do NOT fit into any particular religious group? If so, why?

12.) What is your political standpoint? Is it influenced by your religious beliefs in any way?

13.) Do you have a particular belief about how creation began? Big Bang theory. I don't believe that the universe was created by a "higher power".

14.) Did you convert, or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what were you originally?

I do believe in God, and I do have a Bible. But other than that, I really can't answer the rest of the questions because I don't belong to any particular denomination and I haven't been to church in a long, long time. It's not that I don't believe in anything. It's just that I haven't found a particular group I like. IMO, sometimes the best way to practice religion is in your own home. That way, you aren't offending anybody and can practice whatever you like.

[J. March OHare]

1. What do you consider your religion to be?

I sometimes go to the Unitarian Universalist church, but really my answer has to be that I'm spiritual but not religious.

2. What beliefs do you hold that are consistent within that religious group?

Unitarian Universalism has no creed beyond spiritual seeking. The beliefs of its members vary.

3. What beliefs do you hold that are NOT consistent within that religious group?

See #2.

4. Do you disagree with any of the beliefs or practices that your religion is based off of?

See #2.

5. Do you not follow any particular religion? If so, what are your beliefs?

Taoism, Buddhism, Native American spiritualism and some Earth-magic-based faiths resonate strongly with me. I don't see how one can improve on "The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao. The name that can be named is not the eternal Name."

6. Would you consider yourself monotheistic? (Believe in one God) Why?

Yes. I am a nondualist. I believe not only in one God/Tao/Cosmic Muffin/Whatever, but that we are all literally a part of It. "Thou art God," and so am I, and so is the Universe. To use a pop-culture example, it's not unlike The Matrix, except instead of an evil computer we have the Mind of God.

7. Would you consider yourself Polytheistic? (Belief in more than one God) Why?

No. See #6.

8. Would you consider your beliefs more akin to monolatry? (Belief in a God that is one and many. In other words, many Gods that come from the same one force. Examples: Hinduism, Kemetic Orthodoxy) Why?

I can see how it would be a useful symbolic system for breaking down certain arbitrary aspects of reality, but ultimately... no. I'll hasten to add that I'm not dissing symbols. I think they possess their own reality, and perhaps even their own awareness.

9. Which God/Gods do you worship?

I can't say I "worship" so much as acknowledge the Tao that cannot be told.

10. Do you consider yourself Pagan, or not Pagan?

Yes, I'm Pagan.

11. Do you find you do NOT fit into any particular religious group? If so, why?

I don't fit into any major Western religious group (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). They're too hidebound and dogmatic for me. In fact, I could easily be convinced that the Big Western Three are evil. "Ye shall know them by their fruits"? Well, they've borne some pretty rotten fruits.

12. What is your political standpoint? Is it influenced by your religious beliefs in any way?

Left-libertarian, and in a sense it is. It's influenced by my sense of ethics and morality.

13. Do you have a particular belief about how creation began?

About 14 billion years ago there was this big explosion.... but that only tells us about this universe. It says nothing about the multiverse, and as the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics seems to be catching on, that's where the real show is. Apparently, "when" and "how" are irrelevant. Time and causality are local phenomena. The Tao simply is.

14. Did you convert, or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what were you originally?

I was raised in a branch of United Methodism that was so liberal, it was practically indistinguishable from Unitarian Universalism. I don't believe most of that congregation even took things like Virgin Birth or Resurrection seriously, but as myths and metaphors. However, I threw off the last shackles of Christianity by the time I was twelve. I was basically an atheist until I was about eighteen, but then spiritualism began slipping back into my life. Some of that was a powerful moment of epiphany I had when I was twenty, and part of it was due to my realization of the... connectedness of reality. I have had experiences that were flat-out paranormal, except that I don't believe in the paranormal. It's all normal; it's just weirder than we think.

Apparently, random is not random.

[Foxpup]

1.) What do you consider your religion to be?
Atheist.

2.) What beliefs do you hold that are consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")
N/A

3.) What beliefs do you hold that are NOT consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")
N/A

4.) Do you disagree with any of the beliefs or practices that your religion is based off of? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")
N/A

5.) Do you not follow any particular religion? If so, what are your beliefs?

6.) Would you consider yourself monotheistic? (Believe in one God) Why?
No.

7.) Would you consider yourself Polytheistic? (Belief in more than one God) Why?
No.

8.) Would you consider your beliefs more akin to monolatry? (Belief in a God that is one and many. In other words, many Gods that come from the same one force. Examples: Hinduism, Kemetic Orthodoxy) Why?
No.

9.) Which God/Gods do you worship?
None.

10.) Do you consider yourself Pagan, or not Pagan?
No.

11.) Do you find you do NOT fit into any particular religious group? If so, why?
No.

12.) What is your political standpoint? Is it influenced by your religious beliefs in any way?
Left-libertarian minarchist.

13.) Do you have a particular belief about how creation began?
The bing bang, although I've read about J. Richard Gott's theory that the universe travelled back in time to create itself and it's... interesting.

14.) Did you convert, or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what were you originally?
Well, my parents are atheists, but I really think I'd still be an atheist even if they weren't.

[ominipotentgoldfish]

1.) What do you consider your religion to be?
Agnostic Atheist

2.) What beliefs do you hold that are consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")
N/A

3.) What beliefs do you hold that are NOT consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")
N/A

4.) Do you disagree with any of the beliefs or practices that your religion is based off of? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")
N/A

5.) Do you not follow any particular religion? If so, what are your beliefs?
That if we have so many good people on this planet suffering, there's one of two things going on with god. (Note: I don't capitalize god on purpose.)
1: Either he doesn't really care about all his children, and is in fact, the biggest troll ever.
or
2: He doesn't exist.

6.) Would you consider yourself monotheistic? (Believe in one God) Why?
Kinda hard when I don't believe in any.

7.) Would you consider yourself Polytheistic? (Belief in more than one God) Why?
Nope.

8.) Would you consider your beliefs more akin to monolatry? (Belief in a God that is one and many. In other words, many Gods that come from the same one force. Examples: Hinduism, Kemetic Orthodoxy) Why?
Nope.

9.) Which God/Gods do you worship?
None.

10.) Do you consider yourself Pagan, or not Pagan?
Not.

11.) Do you find you do NOT fit into any particular religious group? If so, why?
Yes.  Explained with a quote. 
"Religion is a crutch, something there for those too weak to face life on their own."
-Kerry King (Guitarist for Slayer)

12.) What is your political standpoint? Is it influenced by your religious beliefs in any way?
Democratic Party, if anything, simply because the Bible Belter's going around.

13.) Do you have a particular belief about how creation began?
One day there wasn't.  Then science happened.  CERN is figuring it out.

14.) Did you convert, or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what were you originally?
I never really had much religion in my life.  Every single attempt to get it to me resulted it in it being shoved down my throat.  After so much, one gets fed up.

[Sigurd Volsung]

1.) What do you consider your religion to be?

Nordic Heathen, with slight modifications

2.) What beliefs do you hold that are consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")

That sometimes violence is the only answer for a problem, and that there are times when diplomacy is more important then anything else.

3.) What beliefs do you hold that are NOT consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")

I have great respect, verging on worship for Gods from other Pantheons.

4.) Do you disagree with any of the beliefs or practices that your religion is based off of? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")

I will not preform animal sacrifice. Though I have been more then a little tempted to preform human sacrifice on occasion depending on who I'd use for the sacrifice.

5.) Do you not follow any particular religion? If so, what are your beliefs?

N/A

6.) Would you consider yourself monotheistic? (Believe in one God) Why?

Not a foxtroting chance

7.) Would you consider yourself Polytheistic? (Belief in more than one God) Why?

Of course there are more then a few Gods

8.) Would you consider your beliefs more akin to monolatry? (Belief in a God that is one and many. In other words, many Gods that come from the same one force. Examples: Hinduism, Kemetic Orthodoxy) Why?

No each God is power unto themselves

9.) Which God/Gods do you worship?

I worship the Old Viking Gods. Even though Odin is the All Father I focus my worship more on his wife Freya.

10.) Do you consider yourself Pagan, or not Pagan?

Um what do you think *Looks at above answers*

11.) Do you find you do NOT fit into any particular religious group? If so, why?

N/A

12.) What is your political standpoint? Is it influenced by your religious beliefs in any way?

Left-wing Socialist with an added piece of Fascism. Yes my beliefs modify my political view point. Unlike many people who feel that capital punishment should be gotten rid of I feel its use should be increased. There is crime far worse then murder which is rape, I whole heartidly believe that rape should be punishable by death. I also feel that corpral punishment should be reinstated, cruel and unusual punishment should be the norm as without it no one will learn their lesson. Prison while having its own dangers is overly used for minor offenses which could be more easily be punished with a good caning. (If you want to know where my ideas came from that fit in so well with my religion read 'Starship Troopers' a book that should be taught in every civic class in high schools)
At the same time all people should be dealt with respect. The government has no reason to be involved with peoples personal relationships. While people may find same sex relationships distasteful it should be respected with the  same status as any other loving relationship.

13.) Do you have a particular belief about how creation began?

That is kind of hard for me to answer. You see that while I believe to some extent in the big bang, the legends of my faith show a memory that go back as far as the last ice age, even arguably as far as the first. In these stories man was molded from the ice and given life by the All Father. I have recently come to wonder that if the religion has memories that go back as far as the ice ages is it possible that more of the story is true.

14.) Did you convert, or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what were you originally?

I did convert in a winding way. First I was a rabid atheist who hated all religion. Later I became a bit of a spiritualist. After that I became a fluffy crystal waver Wiccan. Then I was on to following the Celtic beliefs (kept a few traditions from that one). When I realized that I had a more violent personality I changed to an Arthurian believing that King Arthur would eventually return to save man kind, which gave me the core values of Chivalry. After a while I gave up on that one as being to heavily influenced by Christianity. Now I have come to worship the old Norse Gods.

I will add my own question here as I feel that should have been put in at the beginning.

15.) What have you learned from other religions?

I can some up what I have learned from the Abrahamic Faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) in one word "HATE". I am not trolling on this one it just happens to be what those faiths have taught me over the years of dealing with too many of their believers who have wanted to burn me at the stake, stone me, or kill me in a variety of other horrible ways.

[tibaltfox]

1.) What do you consider your religion to be?
Atheist with borrowings from Laveyan and Objectivist philosophies.

2.) What beliefs do you hold that are consistent within that religious group?
N/A. But in terms of philosophies (religion is, after all, largely just philosophy with gods attached) -- Individualism, rational self-interest, etc

3.) What beliefs do you hold that are NOT consistent within that religious group?
Again, in terms of philosophies -- irrationality, herd mentality, lack of individualism or intelligence.

4.) Do you disagree with any of the beliefs or practices that your religion is based off of?
N/A. Hence why I don't consider myself a member of any particular philosophical body -- it is of my opinion that no predetermined philosophical or religious framework can lead to man's fulfillment as individual self. Therefore and similarly, I do find contention not merely with the idea of following a singular preset philosophy, but also with some aspects of those philosophies I choose to borrow from. Every man is different, I believe in tailor-made ideologies.

5.) Do you not follow any particular religion? If so, what are your beliefs?
I do not. My beliefs include the belief in a 'God' only insofar as a metaphor or state of being, or perhaps as some sort of (non-conscious) force. 'God' being a metaphor for a variety of things, such as the act of creation (therefore, when man is creating, he is becoming his own God), etc.

I do not believe in the supernatural and propose no God of the gaps arguments.

6.) Would you consider yourself monotheistic? (Believe in one God) Why?
N/A

7.) Would you consider yourself Polytheistic? (Belief in more than one God) Why?
N/A

8.) Would you consider your beliefs more akin to monolatry? (Belief in a God that is one and many. In other words, many Gods that come from the same one force. Examples: Hinduism, Kemetic Orthodoxy) Why?
N/A

9.) Which God/Gods do you worship?
Intrinsically, my personal philosophy steers away from worship not merely because I do not believe in it, but because I believe it hinders man's development as an individual self (keep in mind that's in my case, I'm not generalizing. Religion in some ways, I think, if applied properly, can lead to greater personal development, depending on the person. Just not me.)

10.) Do you consider yourself Pagan, or not Pagan?
N/A. I consider myself as myself.

11.) Do you find you do NOT fit into any particular religious group? If so, why?
Yes. Reasons previously stated.

12.) What is your political standpoint? Is it influenced by your religious beliefs in any way?
Fluid and situationally dependent, although admittedly left-leaning in many instances.  Not influenced, as there is nothing there to influence me.

13.) Do you have a particular belief about how creation began?
Big bang. Surprise!
As for where that big bang came from and all the little details, we don't really know. And we may not know for a very long time, if ever. But, as stated before, I don't believe in god of the gaps arguments. Almost every large scientific breakthrough was essentially unforeseen. Think: a heliocentric universe.

14.) Did you convert, or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what were you originally?
I don't believe any of those terms are accurate. But that's a whole other dissertation on a priori concepts, the development of beliefs, etc.

Although I do believe there is some sort of gene (or speculation as to) that governs or helps govern whether someone will believe in a god (empirical vs faith-based reasoning).

[Kr2i]

1.) What do you consider your religion to be?
No religion but not an atheist
2.) What beliefs do you hold that are consistent within that religious group?
N/A
3.) What beliefs do you hold that are NOT consistent within that religious group? (If you don't follow any particular religion, put "N/A")
N/A
4.) Do you disagree with any of the beliefs or practices that your religion is based off of?
N/A
5.) Do you not follow any particular religion? If so, what are your beliefs?
well I believe that any religion as well as scientific theories could easily be true or they could even be all wrong because I really can never know till I die     
6.) Would you consider yourself monotheistic? (Believe in one God) Why?
N/A
7.) Would you consider yourself Polytheistic? (Belief in more than one God) Why?
N/A
8.) Would you consider your beliefs more akin to monolatry? (Belief in a God that is one and many. In other words, many Gods that come from the same one force. Examples: Hinduism, Kemetic Orthodoxy) Why?
N/A
9.) Which God/Gods do you worship?
N/A
10.) Do you consider yourself Pagan, or not Pagan?
N/A
11.) Do you find you do NOT fit into any particular religious group? If so, why?
yes I can't really fit into any religious group that knows for sure that their right because even if you can provide evidence to prove it how  do you know if the evidence is reliable 
12.) What is your political standpoint? Is it influenced by your religious beliefs in any way?
my political standpoint is not influenced by my religious beliefs
13.) Do you have a particular belief about how creation began?
No
14.) Did you convert, or were you born into this religion? If you converted, what were you originally?
well my parents hardly ever talked about religion in general so I stayed very open minded and haven't changed 

[Spirit]

If there isn't suppose to be debating here it shouldn't be in the debate section regardless of how it was started.

It's not really punishment, because you're dead. How can you say "Darn, I really wish I could have gone on to the afterlife" once you're dead if you didn't?

And likewise, they same could be said for people that believe in an afterlife and get nothing.  That's a moot point, and fails to address the problem I was pointing out.

You are entitled to your beliefs, I'm just letting you know that what you are saying is not logically consistent. What you choose to do with that is up to you.

Kobuk, excuse me for starting this up again, but I wanted to explain this and I figured out how to say it best. People believe different things, as we all know. Why do they think the way they do? Because they have proof enough for them that their religion of choice is correct. They have proof, no matter how faulty, and above that they have faith. I'm not the type to say "Oh, you're wrong because I think this and I'm always right". I think about all the people's viewpoints that differ from my own, and consider them. I am still a christian, but other religions do have their reasons for thinking what they do! So is it wrong and illogical to say "Maybe we're both right in a way"?

[Yip]

... So is it wrong and illogical to say "Maybe we're both right in a way"?

In the case of the particular thing I objected to, yes. However, I'll PM you more about it so as to not derail the thread.

[Corvus Corone]

... So is it wrong and illogical to say "Maybe we're both right in a way"?

In the case of the particular thing I objected to, yes. However, I'll PM you more about it so as to not derail the thread.

Excuse me, mods, but I have something to say about this thread:

I think that this conversation needs to happen in this thread.

Yes, the thread is a "survey", but it's in the debate section. What's the point of having a thread where we just extrapolate on our religious beliefs systems (or lack thereof)?

If the point of this thread is just to answer a questionnaire, then this thread does not belong here and should be moved to another section.

[Mooshi]

I'll just say this as I'm on a mobile. While religion has some positive aspects, it ultimately divides mankind and controls us. The least religious nations tend to be the ones that make more progress in the world. Compare that to the heavy religious MiddleEast. If you believe in a higher power (I do) that is perfectly fine, but organized religion is bad. Too much hypocracy. Saying only God can judge while constantly judging others by saying such rubbish as "you're going to hell for X" Personaly, I hope the world gets rid of it sometime in the future. Individual beliefs > Organized religion/Cults. The supreme gods in religion aren't all mighty if they require mear mortals graveling at their feet. Seems pretty pitiful to me. A real supreme being wouldn't need so much self gratification and have much more important things to do.

[Kobuk]

@al-Kateb: Before I move this thread, I'll contact the OP of this thread and ask if she'd like to keep it in this forum or have it moved to a different forum.

[Corvus Corone]

I'll just say this as I'm on a mobile. While religion has some positive aspects, it ultimately divides mankind and controls us. The least religious nations tend to be the ones that make more progress in the world. Compare that to the heavy religious MiddleEast. If you believe in a higher power (I do) that is perfectly fine, but organized religion is bad. Too much hypocracy. Saying only God can judge while constantly judging others by saying such rubbish as "you're going to hell for X" Personaly, I hope the world gets rid of it sometime in the future. Individual beliefs > Organized religion/Cults. The supreme gods in religion aren't all mighty if they require mear mortals graveling at their feet. Seems pretty pitiful to me. A real supreme being wouldn't need so much self gratification and have much more important things to do.

In the past, some of the most sophisticated and technologically advanced nations were the Muslim empires of the age. They also had strong policies of religious tolerance that led to most of the populace in those empires being non-Muslims.

Surely, knowing things like this, you can't make broad blanket statements like the kind that you are making.

[Mooshi]

I hope you aren't implying I'm anti-Muslim. If so, you missed the point. The past is the past and when you look at the 2 wars going on and the religious tension between Islam (Radical Islam in the extreme case)  and the other religion in that region - It's really hard to see this "tolerance" you speak off. I'm going by modern standards, not the ancient bronze ages. It's cool to believe in what you want. When it's "Us vs Them" then it's a problem.

[Corvus Corone]

I hope you aren't implying I'm anti-Muslim. If so, you missed the point. The past is the past and when you look at the 2 wars going on and the religious tension between Islam (Radical Islam in the extreme case)  and the other religion in that region - It's really hard to see this "tolerance" you speak off. I'm going by modern standards, not the ancient bronze ages. It's cool to believe in what you want. When it's "Us vs Them" then it's a problem.

Of course I don't think that you're anti-Muslim.

But, the basis for your assertation that organized religion = bad is erroneous.

[Mooshi]

I guess I never liked it's appearence. Glossy and pretty on the top, but ugly once you dig deeper. I also never liked the my god is better than your god complex, either. Some people are geniune and practice what they preach. If only everyone could do the same. You don't need to be in a religion to be a righteous person, though. That's why I'm anti-religion, but pro faith. I believe that there is more to the universe than we'll ever know and I will not submit to a book written by man to be some merit of truth. That's just how I feel about the matter of religion. :3