Religion

[scubasteveE]

Originally Posted by Lord Khajmer

Budding religious scholar man incoming. You aren't technically Wiccan based on belief alone, it's a religion of practice. And since you can't learn the practices of Wicca except by being part of a coven, and since it's against the rules to initiate someone under the age of 18 due to the sexual aspects of it, no one can actually have always been Wiccan. You do have to actually join.

Notice: This is based on my personal research into the Wicca religion. There may be some covens out there who do initiate minors, however I do not know of them.

Well I didn't know that. She's ten years older then me so yeah. :P But that's interesting to know. She's told be some things about it and it's actually pretty interesting, but she hasn't gone into much depth though, I'm guessing she can't or something. *shrugs* But I'll ask her if she had to be 18 to join.

[Lord Fedora]

Originally Posted by Near

Khaj, no one likes a smart ass.

You're right, they don't. So get out.

[Larvinator]

Originally Posted by Near

Khaj, no one likes a smart ass.

Originally Posted by Lord Khajmer

You're right, they don't. So get out.

Well, that didn't take long at all!

I used to be a serious jerk of an atheist, the sort of person who'd want people to bring up religion with me so I could chew out their beliefs. Thank God (hah) I got over that phase; nobody likes that kind of person in anything, especially not religion! Now I'm just a content, neutral agnostic who likes learning about other faiths because it's interesting.

I went through a bit of a Buddhist phase, but meh, I'm really just too lazy to get into religion. Too lazy to care, too lazy to practice, that sort of thing.

[NTT]

I am an agnostic atheist. A lot of my immediate family are religious though, so I tend to shorten this to "agnostic" =P. I'm not one of those annoying, in-your-face anti theists that goes looking for arguments, but I'm unlikely to keep my mouth shut in the presence of a creationist (:

[Kenny_C.002]

I'm pretty nonreligious myself, but I was brought up a Buddhist. I'd probably still pick Buddhism if I have to choose right now as well. The irony, of course, is that technically speaking Buddhism is an athetistic religion.

[Doodlebop]

Christian. I've already made this pretty obvious in other parts of the forum.

My entire family is Christian. Also, I live in the bible belt of the U.S. and all, so..

[MaskedJackal]

Christian. If I had to choose a denomination, Calvinist.

[Lusankya]

Originally Posted by Kenny_C.002

I'm pretty nonreligious myself, but I was brought up a Buddhist. I'd probably still pick Buddhism if I have to choose right now as well. The irony, of course, is that technically speaking Buddhism is an athetistic religion.

Depends on where you are... I know at least in China Buddhists have a crapton of deities.

[Kenny_C.002]

Originally Posted by Lusankya

Depends on where you are... I know at least in China Buddhists have a crapton of deities.

I know, which is why I said "technically" and not "literally", because for the Chinese we tend to treat them as deities. It's interesting, since I remember commercials in Chinese radio that actually promote Buddhism as a philosophy rather than a religion.

[!CeMAn]

I've come to know all too well that sometimes religion chooses you. And, when such a thing happens, you better stand up and accept the offer. Free will goes so far but every now and then we'll get a nudge.
Just don't take anything too seriously.

Also, i feel it's best not to actually settle into anything until you've grown up and have a much better understanding of yourself and what you want, from life and the world around you. Not that you can't change your mind, but let's face it: who wants to look stupid in front of a deity?
Also, no religious tattoos!

[Alonso]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv9IvCpiHxA

An interesting video

[Retro-Smasher]

I'm atheist because I think it's a ridiculous and stupid thought that theres some otherworldly all powerful being out there... But I do believe in spirits xD

[Team_Edward019]

I'm an athiest....nuff said....I guess I should give you reasons though....

1. The way the men in the bible treat women is disgusting
2. There is too much pain and suffering in this world for there to be a God
3. Ehem....evolution!? There's plenty of proof; MONKEYS FTW!
4. At my primary school, we had a religious education class....I got mama to excuse me from it permenantly >_>
5. I don't want to become one of those mindless drones that would apparently give up their life for some dude that prolly doesn't exist

Now please pardon me if I have greatly offended anyone, but we are all entitled to opinions and this is mine. I have absolutely have no doubt there was a guy named Jesus, but there is no proof he had any of those said powers of providing miracles.

I would however, love to learn about any of those slightly 'darker' as many say, religions and cults. Like those who worship the goddess Nyx, or any of the pagan or previously said wiccan groups. Buddhism is also quite an interesting belief, and many of the mythologies like the Greeks and Romans are sorta cool.

Now to those Christians/Catholics who are gunna flame me; I concede that we are both atheists, because once you realize why you dismiss all the other possible religions; you'll understand why I dismiss yours. Because out of all other religions, what makes you so sure yours is the only right one.

Pardon the short story, you may now leave

[Kenny_C.002]

Originally Posted by !CeMAn

I've come to know all too well that sometimes religion chooses you. And, when such a thing happens, you better stand up and accept the offer. Free will goes so far but every now and then we'll get a nudge.
Just don't take anything too seriously.

Also, i feel it's best not to actually settle into anything until you've grown up and have a much better understanding of yourself and what you want, from life and the world around you. Not that you can't change your mind, but let's face it: who wants to look stupid in front of a deity?
Also, no religious tattoos!

Shows your age amongst the youngsters around here, old man. ;)
The issue with religion choosing you is simply that you perceive this to be the case. Whether or not you have that kind of perception is literally a product of who you are as well. That is to say that certain people are more likely to become religious than others. I honestly don't think religion itself is bad; certainly its teachings (whichever one) are to direct people to good. It is only the people who do things under the name of religion that is bad.

Originally Posted by Retro-Smasher

I'm atheist because I think it's a ridiculous and stupid thought that theres some otherworldly all powerful being out there... But I do believe in spirits xD

What's the difference between one supernatural phenomenon against another supernatural phenomenon?

Originally Posted by Team_Edward019

The way the men in the bible treat women is disgusting

Perhaps. Then again we recognize that gender inequality will pretty much always exist. Even now.

Originally Posted by Team_Edward019

There is too much pain and suffering in this world for there to be a God

Certain religions claim that "to live is to suffer", such as Hinduism. This is consistent with their claims, thus there is no cognitive dissonance. What may cause cognitive dissonance in one religion doesn't mean there would be in another.

Originally Posted by Team_Edward019

Ehem....evolution!? There's plenty of proof; MONKEYS FTW!

Evolution is a natural phenomenon. It does not conflict with religion, which is a supernatural phenomenon. Just because evangelical Christians doesn't accept evolution as a straight fact, doesn't mean the existence of evolution disproves religion as you seem to imply.

Secondarily, monkeys have the same ancestor as we do. That has nothing to do with anything.

Originally Posted by Team_Edward019

At my primary school, we had a religious education class....I got mama to excuse me from it permenantly >_>

Why? I mean, even I did a bit of Christianity in elementary school despite not being one. There's no real harm in trying to understand a religion even if you don't believe in it.

Originally Posted by Team_Edward019

I don't want to become one of those mindless drones that would apparently give up their life for some dude that prolly doesn't exist

To be fair, more than half of the Christians are normal people like you and I. Yes it is unfortunate that we do have a heavily religious cult in America that has a stranglehold on a large number of the states (i.e. red states). Yes it is unfortunate that they happen to preach the same thing as a large number of people who aren't part of this same cult (i.e. the rest of the Christians). That doesn't mean they are entirely representative to the population.

Secondarily to that, there is nothing stating that you can't live a full life and still work under the mindframe of whichever religion one chooses.

Originally Posted by Team_Edward019

I would however, love to learn about any of those slightly 'darker' as many say, religions and cults. Like those who worship the goddess Nyx, or any of the pagan or previously said wiccan groups. Buddhism is also quite an interesting belief, and many of the mythologies like the Greeks and Romans are sorta cool.

Christianity is as dark as any other religion. It ranks in the top 3 for "bloodiest religion" in terms of sheer number. Heck, what's wrong with Hinduism, Muslim, etc. either?

Originally Posted by Team_Edward019

Now to those Christians/Catholics who are gunna flame me; I concede that we are both atheists, because once you realize why you dismiss all the other possible religions; you'll understand why I dismiss yours. Because out of all other religions, what makes you so sure yours is the only right one.

Pardon the short story, you may now leave

They'd still be theists, because they dismiss other religions specifically because there is only 1 God in their mind. Therefore, the reason they dismiss other religions is different from yours due to a different starting position.

[WatchMeBeQuieter]

Until a few years ago, I was a Christian Protestant, but I switched faiths to Unitarian Universalist because it's so much nicer and more believable.