Poll: Was your religion influenced?

[robinkom]

I just don't think he/she/it/they has any bearing on my life or the world in general.

I don't think someone who demands worship deserves it, and someone who deserves it doesn't need it. And most of all, I don't think someone who's omnipotent and omniscient needs crazed people on Earth to step in to defend them. If I offend God, then I trust he'll go old-school and smite me; until then I'll just be me. As the old saying goes - "I don't mind God, it's his fan club I can't stand."

Now look at the world.

If God exists, he's either not all-powerful, or he doesn't deserve to be worshipped. And religion is a really bad reason to kill people.

People matter; gods don't. They can take care of themselves.

I love your views. Quite interesting and, I must say, insightful to my own reasoning as well. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[cuddly_tomato]

Absolutely. And when they do, their young are pretty much on their own. They don't, for want of a better word, worship their parents. It's the idea that God won't intervene in the big things, but we can pray to him to get a new car that annoys me. If he won't fix the Arab-Israeli conflict, why should we expect him to fix my ingrowing toenail?

Basically, if someone is very rich but doesn't use their wealth to help anyone else, we'd censure them loudly and vehemently; they have the power to do good but refuse. And yet, the Abrahamic religions tout a god with absolute power, and make excuses for why they're not doing good. It's the ultimate double standard.

Naah. If there was a god who went around fixing everything in sight then human progress would halt overnight. People would become dependant on this god for everything and anything, then start asking the unreasonable before long (please kill my enemies.) Didn't you ever read Gulivers travels? What happened when he helped the little people? He had the best motives, but his actions resulted in the little people demanding more and more from him.

Also remember that chaos, conflict, pain, death, suffering, and danger are all tests. Whether you are atheist, Christian, or Buddhist, you have to admit that those things are what temper life. Think about it - how would life evolve without it? How would people learn how to deal with life if they didn't suffer? And just desirable would a perfect existance be?

Agent Smith: Did you know that the first Matrix was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program. Entire crops were lost. Some believed we lacked the programming language to describe your perfect world. But I believe that, as a species, human beings define their reality through suffering and misery. The perfect world was a dream that your primitive cerebrum kept trying to wake up from. Which is why the Matrix was redesigned to this: the peak of your civilization.

 

[Taerdin]

People are a product of their environment... everyone's religion was influenced in my opinion. :S

Even if you don't believe what your parents raised you to, you were influenced in some way to what you do believe...

 

[Baby Tea]

Technically I 'stuck' with the religion I was taught, but I went back to it after much searching. I looked at many different religions and worldviews, but I found that, to me, Christianity made the most sense. So after dabbling in new-aged spirituality, Buddhism, agnosticism, and atheism, I find myself back where I started and more richer for the experience.
I respect the rights of others to believe what they like, and always enjoy healthy discussion about worldviews, but I'm a Christian through and through.

 

[Vlane]

My religion wasn't influenced by anybody. I chose it myself because it was the most logical and best one in my opinion.

 

[Baby Tea]

My religion wasn't influenced by anybody. I choosed it myself because it was the most logical and best one in my opinion.

Was it the religion of grammar? If so you are a SINNER!

 

[Xaryn Mar]

I was taught to be a free thinker and make my own decisions, so yes it influenced me. The fact that my parents and most of my friends aren't religious just reinforced my view on religion: I do not believe. There is no god. (my opinion, not meant to flame).

 

[Baby Tea]

I was taught to be a free thinker and make my own decisions, so yes it influenced me. The fact that my parents and most of my friends aren't religious just reinforced my view on religion: I do not believe. There is no god. (my opinion, not meant to flame).

Also not meant to flame, I find it odd that people say they are a 'free thinker' when they are claiming to be atheist or agnostic or anti-theist or something 'non-religious'. I was raised Christian, and I was always encouraged to ask questions, question what was taught to me, question the pastor, question everyone! And I did, much to the dismay of my bosses and teachers.

But why is there this presupposition that people who have a faith, like my faith of Christianity, aren't 'free thinkers' or the people who ask the 'tough questions'?

 

[Vlane]

My religion wasn't influenced by anybody. I choosed it myself because it was the most logical and best one in my opinion.

Was it the religion of grammar? If so you are a SINNER!

No I'm a sinner! I have to hurt myself!

 

[Grimm91]

I was raised with like 5 different religions at once and I disagreed with all of them and I found my own way. I got back into my religion when I got my new girl that held the same beliefs as me.

 

[Xaryn Mar]

Also not meant to flame, I find it odd that people say they are a 'free thinker' when they are claiming to be atheist or agnostic or anti-theist or something 'non-religious'. I was raised Christian, and I was always encouraged to ask questions, question what was taught to me, question the pastor, question everyone! And I did, much to the dismay of my bosses and teachers.

But why is there this presupposition that people who have a faith, like my faith of Christianity, aren't 'free thinkers' or the people who ask the 'tough questions'?

Mostly, seen from my point of view that is, a free-thinker is one that, well thinks for him/her self. This actually has nothing to do with religion as religious people can easily be free-thinkers, although religion does put some dogma of how to view the world into the process. This can be both good and bad, as can the opposite.

 

[Bakery]

Well I was never taught about the FSM but...

 

[Lullabye]

Well I was never taught about the FSM but...

omg, another pastafarian! WE are everywhere!

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

I became a committed Skeptic and Agnostic because my parents always displayed a remarkable disinterest in religion, and severely disapprove of certain belief systems, Mormonism most notably. My best friends growing up were Mormons and Catholics so I was exposed to a variety of religious beliefs but I didn't actually become an "atheist" or whatever you want to call me until I hit age 15, when I had a big argument with a street preacher over the Automatic Condemnation of non-believers. Talking to him was a big eye opener and that was pretty much when I turned my back from "God" and figured that either he doesn't exist, or humanity is better off without him.

 

[Kintarius]

Raised Catholic.

I'm Spiritualist now, all my own beliefs, not really a Religion.

 

[SteinFaust]

i was raised to be a practitioner of Roman Catholicism, but i ended up hating it, finding the people to be corrupt and hypocritical.
the only remaining thing that ties me to Catholicism is the socially-ingrained urge to yell "Jesus Christ" when something bad or surprising happens.

 

[Gamine]

My Dad was a Muslim, My mum was Catholic...

My Dad joined AMORC My mum became a Pentecostal..

My Dad became a Pentecostal, MY mum still the same..

We were influenced for sure! we were confused but it was fun growing up Christian...

Right now. . .

I am not into any organized Religion because i see the nonsense, the hurt and pain it delivers

Some may still call me a Christian, all well and good..

I believe in God and i do as Jesus asked...

Love God

Love your neighbour..

theres nothing greater than these.

 

[Gamine]

the only remaining thing that ties me to Catholicism is the socially-ingrained urge to yell "Jesus Christ" when something bad or surprising happens.

Funny man!!

Funny also that the so-called Atheists would still celebrate Christmas and say THANK GOD!!

 

[Captain_Ne-San]

My mom's parents are Catholic. My dad's mother is Pentecostal Christian. I'm atheist.

 

[Altus]

F*ck it, I had a damn paragraph going and decided to scrap it.

Raised as a Catholic, straying away from the herd (aka, family) as we speak. I'd rather find my own path with a clean slate than be influenced from something that was created before my time. That doesn't stop me from being a good natured, respectful person, but my religious beliefs (or un-beliefs) are my own personal business, mostly.