What Religion Do You Most Identify With?

My mother is Catholic and my father is Jewish. They didn't raise me as either, but I lean more Jewish...basically because I think the traditions are pretty cool and Jewish humor has always appealed to me.

What about you?

are different from chrisitans?

Just kidding.

I've always scratched my head in confusion over that one...

they started self-labelling as "christian" maybe 10 years ago, and now it's become accepted usage.

Whenever you hear somebody going on about being "Christian" you KNOW they are not talking about Catholics--or Orthodox or Episcopalians. Some consider Lutherans & Methodists a bit suspect. Of course, Ian Paisley founded the "Free Presbyterian" church, since the mainstream Presbyterians were far too liberal!

Though I am a catholic no religion nails it perfectly (nor can they, they are human institutions and therefore flawed). Spirtuality is better than religion

Hmm, interesting. :evilgrin:

even though I'm agnostic these days, I find it rather offensive to count them as separate from other Christians. Guess what? Catholicism is the original Christian faith.

:evilgrin:

The funny thing is that I met my husband's family they acted as if I wasn't a christian because I was a Roman Catholic....first time I ever had that happen.
They asked me the stupidest questions like "how are you with Jesus?"... and "Do you agree with that Pope man?

hahahhahaha

so when I go up to visit them I act more catholic than I really am...
I wear a Marian medal and cross myself alot...it unnerves them...

I am Christian and do not really want to consider myself a Catholic. I find that there is a HUGE difference in attending Catholic church and attending a non-Catholic christian church. The ideals the Catholic church holds do not appeal to me, whereas some of the more liberal factions of the Christian faith that are not Catholic do. I think it's fair to count them as two seperate categories.

By considering yourself Christian but not Catholic, you risk lumping yourself with the various Eastern Orthodox churches. Their roots go back very far, but you would probably find them even less appealing than the Papists.

Catholocism is the first orthadox Christian faith. What came before it was much more varied. It took stomping out those other systems to put the Catholics on top.

I think Zorothustra beat them to it. I guess it depends on how far back you wanna go.

Actually Zorothustra wasnt a Christian, but Catholoism wasnt the first Christian church. It was a political stomping of all other Christian based religions. If I remember correctly, Gnosticism was well before Catholism. I could be mistaken on that point, but the history of the early Christian based religions is a pretty interesting study.

I don't know its link.

Even though I was raised a strict Catholic, I skewed only about 30 per cent towards Catholicism and 100 percent toward liberal Protestant.

www.beliefnet.com

And I got a 93%, I believe.

I have always been very spiritual. I was raised Catholic, but I raised my kids in a middle of the road Protestant church. Now I no longer go to church but have a strong pull toward the spiritual that doesn't fall neatly into a specific religion. I just have a deep faith that there is more to life than what we see and the answers are not as simple as religion makes you think they are.

became liberal Episcopalian. Not a huge leap.

dinner?



HaHa...

a fellow follower of ML

My father is of Jewish descent but he doesn't practice (although I think his parents did). My mother is of both Catholic and Protestant religious background but she practices neither.

My parents enforced no religious doctrine upon me growing up and I've gradually drifted from agnosticism to atheism.

Pretty obviously.

I was baptised Catholic and christined in a Christian church, but do not practice Catholicism... though a lot of my extended family attend Catholic church. When I go to church, I go to a small non-denominational Christian church that my family now belongs to.

on edit:
Though a lot of different things influence me religiously, not just Christian values... I'd say I'm a mix. on most forms that ask religion I don't specify it because I don't exactly feel comfortable calling myself a christian.

how can someone call themselves liberal while at the same time believing anyone who isnt christian will be punished? Your "god" is not all loving or forgiving. Oops I forgot, most churchies dont even read the bible or they would be atheist.

liberal. The God that I pray to is all loving and forgiving, no exceptions. It isn't a good idea to make sweeping generalizations just because of a few.

Sorry if you had bad experiences with fundies. Don't worry, they think Episcopalians are going to hell, too, especially since the U.S. church approved a gay bishop.

because I'm in a different synod of the Lutheran Church. Sheesh.

Some of which jibe very well with our Western outlook. Buddhism OTOH, is very difficult for Westerners to apprehend.

I think I am like LPFF only I still consider myself Catholic, although if you spoke with me you could consider me Uniteran or Agnostic. I dont care really.

We pray to plastic plants.

wasn't brought up under any religious sect - they all seem mega suss to me.

Particularly with reference their habit of taking some parts of their "book" (bible/koran it doesn't seem to matter which) as the exact literal command of God yet other bits of it are not supposed to be taken literally.

Perfect example being played out around the world now by conservative Anglicans and their oft spouted fondness for Levitcus - most bible thumpers will quote Leviticus 18:22 to justify their hatred/discrimination of homosexuals... "that man "shalt not lie with mankind" very few of them also rail against the wearing of blended cloth or working on the sabbath which are also a problem according to the Bible but I don't see anyone toting signs outside 24/7 business telling workers their all off to hell.

Is there a special "preacher guide" to the Bible in which God specifies which bits are literal and which aren't??

So I put "no religion." My parents raised me to choose for myself; my dad is a former Baptist-turned-agnostic/atheist, my mom a very liberal Xtian who doesn't believe in the whole church thing. So I am what I am... I suppose I have some "Xtian" values (in quotes, 'cause I know they aren't exclusive to Xtianity) instilled in me. If I knew more about it I'd probably be a Secular humanist. I believe religion can be a positive thing if we focus on helping others and the like, but I just can't buy into any mythology/belief system w/ certainty.

Sadly, there aren't many good pagan jokes.

n/t

:hi:

who described himself (and those who CONSERVE his teaching and example in the original meaning of the word "conserve"): {Luke 4:18}
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me;
he has appointed me
to preach Good News to the poor;
he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted
and to announce that the blind shall see,
that captives shall be released
and the downtrodden shall be freed
(i.e. liberated) from their oppressors."
Ever since the "conversion" of the pagan Emperor Constantine, in 325 A.D., Christianity has been embraced by the rich and the powerful. But as part of the bargain, Christ's "Good News to the poor" has been twisted to mean that the brokenhearted, the captives and, the downtrodden would all have to wait for "the next life" for relief. And anyone who suggested otherwise was a troublemaker, a "rabble-rouser", a "heretic" or, more recently, a "Communist".

http://www.LiberalsLikeChrist.Org/Christlike


See what Christ might say about the "Christian Coalition" & "Religious Right" imposters.

I probably relate to Buddhism the most these days.

Truthfully, my home is there, but I wonder all over the spiritual map. I love learning about different expressions of faith and connectedness with the universe: native american, buddhist, wiccan, etc.

So I'm just out there exploring all the time.

My dog tags said: "No Religious Pref." I believe if there is a God he/she ain't real thrilled with Bushism!

n/t

This sounds weird, but bare with me.
I like the idea of helping the needy from Catholism.
I like the idea of Jesus and the notion that we're all on the same playing field.
I like the idea of Allah and Jihad (Jihad is personal, INTERNAL struggle, not external)
I like the idea of meditating and non-violence of the Buddah
I like the Jewish humour as well and for the traditions.
But I hate what organized religions has done to the ideas of these religions...
And I don't believe in god. But I love the social parts of religions- the ideas, not the way they are carried out.

It is not catholic, but the orthodox church and the catholic church have a lot of similarities.
I am Russian orthodox, and they are the only church that has more ceremony and more incense than the catholic one.

...Assemblies of God (that's right, me and John Asscroft), decided that was too intense for me, so gave Catholicism a try as an adult, but moved away from that within a couple of years. My adult life seems to have been one slow, prolonged slide away from organized religion.

And believe me, all the protestant fundies view Catholicism as a seperate religion. As far as they're concerned, it's a cult, like the Mormons, only older and bigger.

Tried many religions, even Wicca, but none of them suited me.

And taoism as well, something my wife's uncle is really into. One of the tao te ching verses, #11, about the use of space or emptiness, is very Quakerly. Anyway, Quaker is a seeking religion, rather than revealed - the point is the looking, not getting to a designated goal. Very unusual among western religions....I understand some aspects of judaism and catholicism have this as well, and the sufis. but still, we are unusual - the usual term for such religions is 'mystic'. Also, we do not separate the world into parts - we believe there is that of "the light" in all the creation, and that's where our beliefs about peace, equality, simplicity, truth-speaking, come from. It also means we don't divide people up into 'holy' people (ie, clerics, ministers) or books into especially 'holy' books. All people, all books, have that of the light in them, granting of course that you might get more guidance for your life out of the Dalai Lama than Stephen King, but, who knows. We tend to have a lot of people from organized religions (as opposed to our disorganized religion) join us, especially in times of war, and while our practice is odd, once you're used to it it's difficult to go back. Sort of like my recumbent bike. And there is a _lot_ of variety in what Quakers feel is important in their beliefs. A number of Quakers consider themselves christians in the sense that they consider Jesus to have been God incarnate, and unique. I regard Jesus more as human potential, what he said he was, but not unique. And I tend to be very leery of church writings, especially including the bible, both christian and jewish, because there's a lot of politics in there. Don't forget, for several hundred years Europe was essentially a theocracy, and there was a lot invested in certain belief structures, especially beliefs that supported a ruler at the head of the church with authority descended from Peter - just as an example.

And there are such things as Quaker jokes: some of them you have to be a Quaker to get, but here's a couple that work even if you're only passing familiar with us.
>
Once in the 1850s, an Ohio Friend was returning by train from an abolitionist convention when a group of ministers from Kentucky boarded his car. One of them, noting the Friend's plain garb and guessing his antislavery convictions, began to bait him: "Are you one of those Quakers who wants to free all the niggers?" he demanded. The Friend nodded affirmatively.
"Well, then" badgered the minister, "why do you preach your antislavery doctrines up here in Ohio? Why don't you come try it over in Kentucky?"
The Friend was tired and a bit out of sorts, so he responded with a question of his own: "Is thee a preacher?" he asked.
The other said he was.
"And does thee want to save souls from hell?" the Friend continued.
Yes, the minister allowed that he did.
"Well, then," concluded the Friend wearily, "why doesn't thee go there?"
>
One World War II Quaker conscientious objector had been a professional
wrestler. Once when he and some other inmates
of the Coshocton CPS camp in Ohio made a trip into town,
they were hassled about their pacifism by some local youths,
who insisted that only force could change the German's views.
In response, the ex-wrestler took off his coat, challenged
one of the local boys to a match, and promptly threw the
townie across the room. He then asked the youth, "Now do
you believe that force won't change people's views?"
"Heck no!" the local boy hollered back.
"That's exactly my point," said the Quaker, who put on his
coat and left. "
>
This one is a little more obscure:
Scene is a Friend's Memorial Meeting, a Quaker funeral, which is held just like any other Meeting for Worship. Basically silent, with people standing and speaking as moved by the spirit. So one elderly
Friend stands up, remains standing in silence for several minutes, concludes, "as our late Friend so eloquently said,"
and sits down.
>
Now that you know we use unprogrammed worship, if you're also aware we don't proselytize, this joke from my friend Gary B. makes sense:

What do you get when you cross a Quaker with a Jehovah's Witness?
Someone who comes up to your door, knocks, then when you answer the door stands there in silence.

covers most bases.

Atheist in the sense that I find the existence of the Judeo-Christian/Islamic god(s), the hindu Pantheon, the Greek/Roman gods, the Great Turtle A'Tuin, the notion that world is controlled by a gnome livimg in my garden to be equally plausible and there is no reason to believe that any exist.

I do bleive that spirituality is important but does not require any supernatural component, and am attracted to the teachings of (non-religous) Buddhism.

non-Christian UU'er.

Damn proud of my Judaism. Jewish holidays are the best.
BTW, Magic Rat, Shabbat Shalom!

Or whatever you're supposed to say when a jew greets you like that.

:)

As you can tell, I come from the ultra-reform wing of the Jewish Party.

Jewish Party?

Jewish faith.

<---------------

Figured it out yet?

than a religion. I ID as a secular humanist.