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Teach me about your religion/spirituality

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by NeonSocks, Jun 28, 2017.

  1. Islanzadi

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    I'm an atheist! I find my peace by making what makes me happy! :slight_smile:
     
  2. justin88

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    Well said, I wouldn't have said it better myself! :wink:
     
  3. Kodo

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    I was raised Protestant and have Buddhist influences. I still identify as a Christian, but in a more loose sense of the term. I recognize and value the simple veins of the faith which focus on love, hope, redemption, and grace.

    Overwhelmingly though I would say that my religion could described with one word: kindness. That is what I strive toward, no matter the shell or sect.
     
  4. ConnectedToWall

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    I was raised Christian. I'm sort of agnostic now. I question everything.
     
  5. ConnectedToWall

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    Oh also, being agnostic is about realizing the importance of knowing what you don't know and what you can't know. Is there a god? You can't ever really know. For the most part. Or can you ever really know? What would be "proof" of a god?
    Being agnostic is like that.
     
  6. Senpai25

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    I can certainly relate to that. I generally take an Agnostic view in some areas, but I still hold true to the basics of the Christian faith. This is in part due my strong propensity for diversity among people.
     
  7. Libertino

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    I feel that my own brand of religion/spirituality is probably not one conducive to teaching by its very nature: it's fundamentally idiosyncratic and personal. I'd call it "Libertinism", but that means something else. :wink:

    You could say that my brand of spirituality is a form of "universalism", but again, I eschew the label since it will not accurately cover everything I believe. But in this vein I believe that all religions are a reflection of an actual metaphysical presence, a creator, a Divine. Religions are an understanding of this Divine through a cultural lens. This is why some religions believe in one deity, some believe in multiple, some teach of special humans with special knowledge of the Divine, some teach that anyone can achieve this special knowledge through prayer and meditation, etc. And I do believe that some people can have experiences of the Divine, but it will be shaped by their cultural understanding of it. This means that I do believe there is some truth in the teachings of all religions, as well as fabrication. Some religions may be closer to the Divine than others (e.g. religions that violently spread are probably not particularly close when they do so) but I don't know that I can make that judgment.

    This is all well and good, but how does it affect my daily life? It gives me something to hope for. If people don't experience the Divine while on earth, they certainly will in death. It gives me an appreciation of the world, seeing it as Divinely infused. I don't subscribe to any one particular religion, but I believe they all have something to teach, and this is why I'm so fascinated by religious studies. Studying religions hasn't led me to decide that one is more "correct" than the others, but it has led me to understand better how humans think and feel through religion, which is an inseparable part of billions of people.
     
  8. NeonSocks

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    Religious studies is something I have always had an interest in for this very reason. I took a course on the Old Testament in college that brought together several religious beliefs and compared their stories to those in the Bible. It was interesting to see so many parallels and something I wish I would have studied more from a social and historical aspect.
     
  9. Patrick7269

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    NeonSocks,

    I find that interesting too. :slight_smile: I think those similarities in the Old Testament and other sources point to a mutual influence between them. It also could suggest that we're seeing archetypes and a mythology rather than literal events. To me this doesn't diminish meaning or value at all; it simply changes the perspective a bit.

    Patrick
     
  10. NeonSocks

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    Libertino-

    I just noticed my reply to you completely screwed up the quote bracket. Sorry about that, replying on a phone is not my forte. :slight_smile:
     
  11. kibou97

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    My beliefs are probably best described as agnostic. I don't really think any one religion actually has the full picture right but I do believe in something that created everything, I just don't know what it is. I feel like the afterlife will be some form of reincarnation if there is one but again, I don't really know for sure and won't actually find out until whenever death comes.
     
  12. Zima

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    I grew up in a family that believed in a god and didn't like non-theists so much, yet they didn't subscribe to a religion per say, just believed. They were like non-practicing Christians. I was still expected to believe what they believe in and question nothing. They were also right-wing. Now I'm agnostic (technically agnostic-atheist, although I feel like I align with the term "agnostic" more), and I don't really subscribe to any religion or type of spirituality. I think if I had to choose, I'd be a Unitarian-Universalist, as I've had very good experiences with those people. I don't really know what to say. I think learning about the universe, what our bodies are made out of, and what happens to all of our atoms after we die is sort of how I find meaning. I find my peace by doing what makes me happy, and trying my best to make a positive difference in this confusing world of ours.
     
  13. Shoei Loei

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    Here, here! :grin:
    I was baptized Christian as a baby, but I never grew up with church or religion. My family are all Christian and they believe in God, but they're not actively involved in religion outside of simply believing in God. I've been to church about 5 times in my life, never read the Bible or any religious texts, and religion was never forced upon me or anything like that. So I grew up with my own beliefs, and I can confidently say today that I'm an Atheist, and I too pursue what makes me feel happy, healthy, successful, and fulfilled in life :slight_smile:
     
  14. Loves books

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    I'm catholic which meant catholic school age four+. As I got older I realised how screwed up my religion actually was but would call myself agnostic now. I haven't gone to church in years I stopped going completely after I read about the churches stance on homosexuality. Also it's a completely patriarchal religion which seems to be based on some stories found in a cave. A lot of the stuff in the bible has to made up because stuff like that doesn't happen in real life. Also who tells kids some one was nailed to a cross and died for the sins and every church has a giant statue of said man nailed to the cross. Is creepy and disturbing and luckily I don't feel the need to pray to some god who may or may not exsist.
     
  15. Assassin'sKat

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    I'm an atheist and believe it's up to an individual to decide what the meaning of life is, and no one can tell an individual how to reach fulfillment.
     
  16. Dryad

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  17. KarenLyn

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    My mother is Wiccan and I grew up in a very open accepting environment. I identify as Wiccan and see the creative force and the divine as God and Goddess. My church has no walls, it's the stream flowing by a grove of oaks, the canopy of an ancient forest and the seclusion of a cave in the desert. All life is sacred and we are all connected. There is no ending or beginning, just life death and rebirth.