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- Feb 3, 2013
Personal Religious Practices
- Thread starter Konstantinos
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- Jun 29, 2013
Raised Catholic but I'm currently Agnostic. I don't like to argue about religion because it's a waste of time. I had both sides of the extreme tell me I should stop being a fence-sitter and either be a full Christian or a full Atheist. To that, I say "mind your own fucking business".
Protestant (Methodist), I go to church on sundays and sometimes on thursdays when I'm on the mood.
Yes, you could say I'm a practicing Christian even though I'm not a religion nutter, lol.
Yes, you could say I'm a practicing Christian even though I'm not a religion nutter, lol.
I agree with you, people tend to mind other people business often but can't take care of their own.
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- Oct 31, 2013
When I was younger I had autism, but my parents, being the good true Christians that they are, soon beat it out of me, and I am proud to say that I managed to overcome the sin of autism.
Seriously, raised fairly heavy catholic,now I'm kinda Agnostic but I figure a code to live by is not a bad thing at all.
Seriously, raised fairly heavy catholic,now I'm kinda Agnostic but I figure a code to live by is not a bad thing at all.
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- Feb 3, 2013
When I was drifting away from religion, I felt the same way. Ultimately, I went back to the church. My family didn't care much because I live in a house full of very liberal Catholics, of which I am one of again.
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- Oct 31, 2013
In all seriousness I am leaning that way myself a bit, I'm not a believer, more I'm an old cunt and the way of life seems more appealing.
Don't know if that's blasphemous or not.
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- Feb 3, 2013
I feel like nobody really knows who or what god is. Some say he's a person, I feel it's a force, but religion requires a lot of looking into things and over analyzation rather than direct answers and facts. But even then, you don't have to be a part of it or believe in a god to appreciate the way of life or morals.
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- Oct 31, 2013
I guess right now I can see the appeal of the way of life ,and I can maybe see God in the world but not the book ?
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- Dec 7, 2013
This, sped up by 2 years, and the Church of Christ instead of the baptists. Also, anyone involved in the Family or the New Apostolic Reformation needs to be destroyed.
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- Feb 3, 2013
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- Apr 11, 2014
Ah, but we do believe in plural marriage - we just don't believe that we are to practice it at this time. Even if we don't practice it, the principles behind it are still important.
I'm also a Latter-day Saint, but don't entirely fit into the culture surrounding the religion in particular ways (for example, I prefer to keep my religious practices private while the Mormon culture tends to emphasize the "community of believers" in a way that is very uncomfortable for me). Unfortunately, many Mormons fail to distinguish the religion from the culture surrounding it.
I also am inclined to say "no" from time to time when people ask if Mormons are Christians simply because the definition of "Christian" has acquired a significant amount of theological baggage with it. To be "Christian" no longer means simply to follow the teachings of Jesus - it also carries doctrines such as the Trinity, apostolic succession and saving grace which simply are not a part of LDS teachings as well as cultural norms which are incompatible with our views (or that are just really annoying). In my view, Mormons could be considered non-Christian in the sense that Christianity is more than simply a sect of Judaism.
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- Apr 18, 2014
I wasn't raised in any religion, my dad was raised Jewish, mother raised Catholic. My mother has a crazy feminist view of organized religion (super patriarchal bad bad bad bad) and my dad is now pretty much Catholic. I believe in God but in a very personal way that's kinda hard to explain. And yes I do believe in the Christian Male God (sorry mom!)
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- Sep 28, 2013
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- Jun 13, 2014
I'm a Discordian Agnostic. In my opinion organized religion is the worst thing humanity has ever produced.
(edit, on back-reading thread)
"I believe that neither the laws of god, nor the laws of man will protect you from the laws of physics"- Some JERK
Left click, save. That's pure gold.
(edit, on back-reading thread)
"I believe that neither the laws of god, nor the laws of man will protect you from the laws of physics"- Some JERK
Left click, save. That's pure gold.
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- Feb 3, 2013
I was raised in a pretty lax household religion-wise, but I was pushed into Catholicism by my grandmother. I never liked going to church or religion classes because they made me feel bad or otherwise uncomfortable (confession was the worst because I really wasn't a bad kid but I felt like if I didn't tell the priest anything he'd think I was lying so I would have to embellish things that I thought I did wrong). By the time I was 9 or 10, I was pretty disenchanted by the whole concept of religion. To me it was silly that so many religions could exist at once - how could mine be the "right" one? I mean I had other friends at my public school who I knew practiced other religions and who's to say they were wrong? I couldn't wrap my head around the concept of an absolute God if others were believing in a different concept of religion.
I made the decision not to believe in anything out there. I mean, I guess some kind of higher power could exist; I just haven't convinced by anything thus far. I still try to be a decent person and I have friends from many religious backgrounds and sometimes that bothers me because I can't figure it out but mostly it doesn't.
I made the decision not to believe in anything out there. I mean, I guess some kind of higher power could exist; I just haven't convinced by anything thus far. I still try to be a decent person and I have friends from many religious backgrounds and sometimes that bothers me because I can't figure it out but mostly it doesn't.
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- Jun 19, 2014
Mom was Christian and dad Jewish. I went to both synagogue and church. I was very confused. When I started talking about Jesus in synagogue my dad told me to just be a Christian since America is a "Christian Country." Around age 11 my mom descended into this Christian science nonsense and stopped going to church so I was left religiousless since I would go with her. Ultimately I married a Christian girl but since we moved a couple years ago we haven't found a new church.
I think believing in something greater than myself keeps my ego in check.
I lived in Utah for several years. I came to know and respect many Mormons. In many ways they are better Christians than most. While I do not believe Joseph Smith was a prophet and I doubt the book of Mormon to be true, I have a great respect for people who can follow a faith that many doubt (that's why it's faith) and unapologetically live their lives in pursuit of it. I do not know any LDS members who fail to live happy, wholesome, and productive lives due to their religious faith.
I actually feel bad for the missionaries because I know that often times they have very little money and they don't get to talk to their families much. I usually buy their food or drinks if I am behind them in line somewhere. It's a great thing because I get to talk to them a bit and since I am so supportive they assume I'm LDS and don't try to convert me.
In all seriousness though the only other group I do that for are people in the uniform of our armed forces.... which, btw, are way cooler uniforms than the Elders wear.
I think believing in something greater than myself keeps my ego in check.
I lived in Utah for several years. I came to know and respect many Mormons. In many ways they are better Christians than most. While I do not believe Joseph Smith was a prophet and I doubt the book of Mormon to be true, I have a great respect for people who can follow a faith that many doubt (that's why it's faith) and unapologetically live their lives in pursuit of it. I do not know any LDS members who fail to live happy, wholesome, and productive lives due to their religious faith.
I actually feel bad for the missionaries because I know that often times they have very little money and they don't get to talk to their families much. I usually buy their food or drinks if I am behind them in line somewhere. It's a great thing because I get to talk to them a bit and since I am so supportive they assume I'm LDS and don't try to convert me.
In all seriousness though the only other group I do that for are people in the uniform of our armed forces.... which, btw, are way cooler uniforms than the Elders wear.
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2014
I'm not sure what exact type of Christian I am, but I'd like to give an explanation for why I am what I am, mainly because of my grandmother and her church. Sorry if it sounds more like a pity party or life story.
My grandparents decided to start going to church and stop being alcoholics when they had their firstborn, my mom. They both then were incredibly strict on raising their six children and my grandma told my mom when she was pregnant with me that she had ruined her life and I was a lost cause because my mom and dad weren't married. My mother was pressured to marry my father, and the two had a horrible divorce when I was 4 or 5. My mom was also not allowed to bring anyone she was dating with her inside my grandparents house if she was living with them, because my grandma was against people living together before being married. My grandmother also would not allow my mom into her house sometimes, even when she was babysitting us. My mother then was forced to marry a horrible man out of pressure again because my grandma threatened that if she didn't, none of us would be allowed back in her house.
Years passed, my grandmother loved my sister and I very much and never took any anger out on us, but as new grandchildren came around, she never tries talking to us much or just tells us what we're doing wrong. During her time in Slovakia for missionary work (and to see her other grandkids), she never once Skypes me or my sister when she video chats, but when she's here she'll contact the Slovak family every morning and evening. Very recently, when my mom posted a harmless Facebook image of Marilyn Monroe with a quote about enjoying life, my grandmother commented, "And look how she turned out: she died alone and afraid. Might be something to think about." This is all because my mother married and divorced twice, because my grandmother doesn't believe a single mom can support or raise her children without a father, even though she doesn't even like my dad because he was negligent in some ways. She believes my sister is sinful and too far gone because she has tattoos and piercings; she doesn't like that I'm very open-minded to things that I may not even agree with and is so certain that I'm having premarital sex with my fiance, but believes that both my aunts were virgins until they were married in their 30s. She thinks we are a broken little family because we don't go to church and we don't read the bible too much and we don't do old-fashioned stuff to handle situations. My aunts and uncles do these same exact things that we do and she turns a blind eye to it.
My grandmother is a devout Christian who only likes remembering certain things the Bible says. She doesn't like to remember the fact that we should not judge others without being judged, we should not covet, not be greedy or materialistic, and we should show love and open arms to everyone without preaching about Jesus if they don't ask for it. My mother stopped going to church because they quit her program to go and personally feed the homeless and hang out with them, because the church is run by a lot of rich white older people and homeless people smell and are weird and they don't want to hear about God every time we come over. I chose to stop going to church because the one my family is devoted to is greedy and only raises funds for itself so it can get bigger. Their youth group made my sister have a relapse and bounce back into PTSD because they pressured her to 'forgive' our stepfather for the things he had done and made her remember some past memories. They also were rude to her Catholic friend and telling her that she was wrong.
I will probably never go to a church again, and I do not like to mingle religious communities. Despite all of this, I believe in a God and I believe in helping others and being a good person without shoving my beliefs into other people's throats. Jesus did not hang out with a bunch of pretty rich people in a coffee shop and mock the homeless or the less fortunate. I only tried giving religion a second chance through my mother's own teachings, not my grandmother's, because my mother has never used emotional or opinionated guilt and blackmailing against me.
I fucking love science, I love questioning everything, and I certainly do not care if the people I associate with believe in the same things I do. I am hoping to volunteer at a soup kitchen and save up some money to buy presents for orphans and abused children on those donation trees this Thanksgiving and Christmas. I keep a lot of change in my glove box for the homeless I see on my regular routes. My grandmother and the church helped me realize your religion does not make you a better or worse person, but it certainly can influence people to avoid you and your beliefs if you're a horrible person about it.
My grandparents decided to start going to church and stop being alcoholics when they had their firstborn, my mom. They both then were incredibly strict on raising their six children and my grandma told my mom when she was pregnant with me that she had ruined her life and I was a lost cause because my mom and dad weren't married. My mother was pressured to marry my father, and the two had a horrible divorce when I was 4 or 5. My mom was also not allowed to bring anyone she was dating with her inside my grandparents house if she was living with them, because my grandma was against people living together before being married. My grandmother also would not allow my mom into her house sometimes, even when she was babysitting us. My mother then was forced to marry a horrible man out of pressure again because my grandma threatened that if she didn't, none of us would be allowed back in her house.
Years passed, my grandmother loved my sister and I very much and never took any anger out on us, but as new grandchildren came around, she never tries talking to us much or just tells us what we're doing wrong. During her time in Slovakia for missionary work (and to see her other grandkids), she never once Skypes me or my sister when she video chats, but when she's here she'll contact the Slovak family every morning and evening. Very recently, when my mom posted a harmless Facebook image of Marilyn Monroe with a quote about enjoying life, my grandmother commented, "And look how she turned out: she died alone and afraid. Might be something to think about." This is all because my mother married and divorced twice, because my grandmother doesn't believe a single mom can support or raise her children without a father, even though she doesn't even like my dad because he was negligent in some ways. She believes my sister is sinful and too far gone because she has tattoos and piercings; she doesn't like that I'm very open-minded to things that I may not even agree with and is so certain that I'm having premarital sex with my fiance, but believes that both my aunts were virgins until they were married in their 30s. She thinks we are a broken little family because we don't go to church and we don't read the bible too much and we don't do old-fashioned stuff to handle situations. My aunts and uncles do these same exact things that we do and she turns a blind eye to it.
My grandmother is a devout Christian who only likes remembering certain things the Bible says. She doesn't like to remember the fact that we should not judge others without being judged, we should not covet, not be greedy or materialistic, and we should show love and open arms to everyone without preaching about Jesus if they don't ask for it. My mother stopped going to church because they quit her program to go and personally feed the homeless and hang out with them, because the church is run by a lot of rich white older people and homeless people smell and are weird and they don't want to hear about God every time we come over. I chose to stop going to church because the one my family is devoted to is greedy and only raises funds for itself so it can get bigger. Their youth group made my sister have a relapse and bounce back into PTSD because they pressured her to 'forgive' our stepfather for the things he had done and made her remember some past memories. They also were rude to her Catholic friend and telling her that she was wrong.
I will probably never go to a church again, and I do not like to mingle religious communities. Despite all of this, I believe in a God and I believe in helping others and being a good person without shoving my beliefs into other people's throats. Jesus did not hang out with a bunch of pretty rich people in a coffee shop and mock the homeless or the less fortunate. I only tried giving religion a second chance through my mother's own teachings, not my grandmother's, because my mother has never used emotional or opinionated guilt and blackmailing against me.
I fucking love science, I love questioning everything, and I certainly do not care if the people I associate with believe in the same things I do. I am hoping to volunteer at a soup kitchen and save up some money to buy presents for orphans and abused children on those donation trees this Thanksgiving and Christmas. I keep a lot of change in my glove box for the homeless I see on my regular routes. My grandmother and the church helped me realize your religion does not make you a better or worse person, but it certainly can influence people to avoid you and your beliefs if you're a horrible person about it.
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2013
I'm an atheist but I sometimes like to go to church and am interested in theology.
Heh, we like to joke on here about "cultural virginity." Richard Dawkins says he's a "cultural Christian" so maybe I am too.
Heh, we like to joke on here about "cultural virginity." Richard Dawkins says he's a "cultural Christian" so maybe I am too.
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2014
MrRascal, that's quite a story. I believe there is some wrong on both sides. It's clear your grandmother is very set in her ways and very strict. However, your mom probably should have distanced herself from the grandmother a while ago. I think succumbing to pressure to marry someone just to use her house is not a good thing. If she really needed the help (and that's another discussion) then your grandmother, as a good Christian, should offer it without strings attached.
I think you are not necessarily moving in a bad direction. You may want to try church again at your own time. I'm ready to try again and there's one here I want to go to but I'm moving soon and there's one there I want to go to so it's easy to make excuses about just waiting until I move. I love science and question everything as well. I believe God gave us free will and intelligence so that we would question everything and find answers for ourselves. I believe He tests our faith regularly and science is one way to do that. Faith is the act of believing for the sake of belief. Either because you know it's right or you want it to be right doesn't matter. The more science says there is not a God (and I'm not convinced it is saying that) the more the faithful will (and should) cling to that belief because that is what makes them faithful.
I will say that to be an atheist I feel you must believe something can come from nothing. I read an interesting article explaining that though... that essentially the expanding universe has at its center (the origin point) 0 net force because isotropic expansion yields an equal pull in all directions on that point. Therefore the universe is really 0 energy and thus didn't have to exist before it "existed." Someday the universe will reach its point of expansion and spring back until it again becomes nothing.
I think you are not necessarily moving in a bad direction. You may want to try church again at your own time. I'm ready to try again and there's one here I want to go to but I'm moving soon and there's one there I want to go to so it's easy to make excuses about just waiting until I move. I love science and question everything as well. I believe God gave us free will and intelligence so that we would question everything and find answers for ourselves. I believe He tests our faith regularly and science is one way to do that. Faith is the act of believing for the sake of belief. Either because you know it's right or you want it to be right doesn't matter. The more science says there is not a God (and I'm not convinced it is saying that) the more the faithful will (and should) cling to that belief because that is what makes them faithful.
I will say that to be an atheist I feel you must believe something can come from nothing. I read an interesting article explaining that though... that essentially the expanding universe has at its center (the origin point) 0 net force because isotropic expansion yields an equal pull in all directions on that point. Therefore the universe is really 0 energy and thus didn't have to exist before it "existed." Someday the universe will reach its point of expansion and spring back until it again becomes nothing.
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2014
I was raised Jewish and still practice the major (mainstream) holidays. I have a nontheistic/pantheistic/dystheistic/polytheistic/animistic worldview and sometimes pray to Ganesh. I want to be a Taoist, but I can't get into that frame of mind. I'm fascinated by Tibetan Buddhism, but I can't devote myself to a teacher that much. I don't know if I believe in a god or not, but I do believe that all gods of humans have realness in some regard. You could say my beliefs currently match that of Discordianism, but I don't know.
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