[Discussion/Religion] So, what's your religion?

[Lee Haruin]

athiest

I heart Darwin!

 

[Foxy Grampa]

Buddhist. Souka Gakai International Buddhist, to be exact. O:

We have a leader, named President Ikeda, and it started in Japan. It was a Buddhism that was kind of constructed to be something for poor people to chant, and that welcomed women and such. We had a large Kaikon (basically church) in Japan, but it was destoryed when Japan got all crazy.

That's my vague knowledge of the practice. It's just basically chanting for empowerment--our 'inner buddha'. You aren't forced to become pure or anything, it's something centered around just having a happy life. A lot of members are poor, sick, former drug and alchohol abusers... ect. It also teaches total pacifism and reincarnation, like most other buddhisms. Karma is also something that's in it. 3nodding

I was born into it. @w@ My mom has been practicing for 23 years, and shakabukued (intoduced the practice) my dad and his sister.

I have my doubts about the practice. I like most of the things it teaches, but I feel most members get power hungry and enforce perfection for the practice, which is totally against the whole thing anyway. Also the total pacifism thing is iffy for me, since I feel that's just an impossibility. Not to mention a paradox of sorts, since they also talk about balance in the world. I believe in the chanting thing, but not all of it is for me. I'd rather be something of an agnostic, questioning all religions. Or just create something for myself. But my mom wouldn't ever want me to... the one thing she used to say to me was "I dont' care what you grow up to be, who you marry, if you're gay or whatever. Even if you end up a smoker and a drinker; but you hafta stay with buddhism." Or something pretaining to that.

So... yeah. xD

 

[Sweet Toxine]

I don't feel the need to name what I feel is my religion but if I had to it'd be something along of the lines of liberal buddhist jew.  

[Bloodyblade666]

Loose Pagan, with some native themes in my outlook.  

[Ichigohiko]

Christian, almost atheist. *shrugs* I'll forever say I'm a Christian, but I don't fully believe in everything the Bible says. The newer versions are basicly half lies. The Bible was written by man, and when translated things were taken out and fixed. It should only be used as a guide line.

..........Hm...yeah....first half of life raised as a Catholic, baptized as a Catholic, then raised as a Baptist, then saved as a Baptist and now...I'm just here. I have my own view point on a lot of things....funny how it fits.  

[Kojimon]

I am a Gnostic Christian and I have a great interest in philosophy and religion.

I plan to go to school to study it and eventually earn a degree.

I will become a minister in my church within the next few years; it is accepting, loving caring and compassionate. That is why I love it so.

Our congregations come together to church not out of fear or guilt, but because we understand each other and want to grow together. We think of ourselves as lights that gather and become brighter.

I am a gay male who wants to adopt kids and marry my (future) partner in the future, my friends in my study group know all about me and are very supportive.

I don't dislike religion anymore. I was born in to a catholic family, but wasn't really raised in a religious home. I eventually started reading up on Gnostic christianity when I was 16 and have been in love with it ever since. It is a religion that accepts and studies all religions.

Everyone has their own path to take to God and every path is the correct one to God because everyone needs to connect with their own God.

I think that it is important to have a positive mind-set about God. Most people try to look for God on the outside, when they should look for an inner light.

People dislike/hate the church/God because organized religion is too elitist; saying things like "Join us now or be damned" is not going to get anyone to join but the most desperate and scared.

We have got to keep our own personal God close to us and talk openly to our God every day. That is how one can re-establish a relationship with the divine. God loves us and wants us to know that he/she is with us-- is an actual part of us. We feel uncomfortable, lonely, left out, sad and depressed because we imagine God to be this strange, distant and psychotic deity that plays russian roulette with our lives. I don't believe this to be true. Religions have changed "God" to suit their own goals: money, power- whatever it may be.

This is what I believe, and this- despite whatever life throws at me- keeps me happy; it really keeps me going. It keeps me moving in a world that can be sickening and cruel, but I can't give up; I cannot turn back; I cannot have regrets. Everything happens for a reason.

My beliefs and my knowledge that God is with me every moment of my life, is what keeps me going and is what keeps the fire inside me alive.


It is very sad to hear that some people do not believe in God because of what organized religion has done to us.

My church (Novus) does not damn, judge or hate anyone. We all come into life to accomplish a mission for God and for ourselves: it is to love God, love each other, love ourselves and get through our life's lessons.

This may sound simple, but so many can't seem to do it.

Novus is a very practical, very logical and very interesting bunch.

If you have any questions about it PM me or go to this site; it has alot of good answers for many of you questions:

http://www.novus.org/home/index.cfm

Scroll down to the "links about Novus" section of the page. You may just find the discussions and arguements quite interesting.

Sorry to go on for so long. For all of you that read the whole thing: Thanks for listening to me!

--Kojimon  

[Ace of Blue Spades]

I'm a non-practicing Southern Baptist. I figure since I live in Texas the Southern part is a given, even though I never heard anyone at church really refer to our demonination or any other by really specific names. In any case, my mom stopped going because some of the kids in our church were also her students at one time (she teaches in high school, she needs God T-T) and one was a real jerk. I continued to go through most of high school, until I finally got tired of the kids in my youth group. I'm not dissing on organized religion, it's just that the group I was with had kind of snotty jerks in it that outwieghed the kids I liked.

So to sum up again, I'm a non-practicing Southern Baptist. I believe in God, but don't go to church or read much of the Bible. Although my recent World Lit class has sparked some interest in certain parts of it.

I'll stop rambling now, as I'm getting more incoherent as I go.  

[Kimatsuhara]

I think religion is pointless.  

[[-blooberry-]]

Agnostic

 

[Asteren]

~I'm and atheistic pagan to put it simply. Pretty much my own religion.  

[Sayaka Tenoh]

I am a catholic who was just baptised, confirmed, and had first communion at Easter last month...^^ Anyways I don't agree with certain things in the bible like some of you mentioned but I'm still a strong follower in God and Jesus. 3nodding  

[Raenefxx]

i want to say i'm atheist because the more i think about it the less sense religion makes, but i'm scared of being wrong....the whole 'if you don't believe in jesus you go to hell' part  

[Yumi_Kirei]

I don't really have one.  

[EriksShadow]

I follow alot of Buddhist philosophy and practices.. so.. I guess that's what I would fall under.  

[Drakon_Luther]

I don't know really. It doesn't feel like a new religion, but something I've believed in for many lifetimes. I do believe in reincarnation. So over a long time I have always followed a goddess. A white dragon goddess to be exact. She has shown up in my dreams a lot, so it is kind of odd because I don't hear about many people who can claim the one they follow actually contacts them in some way that is more personal then scripture. Again it is strange, but normal to me because I feel like I've known her for a long, long, long time. All I know her as is mother.

Lets see a describtion is most likely in order.
Long brown wavey hair
Green eyes
Slightly Tan skin
Fair features
Usually is wearing a plain tan/white colored dress that is almost down to her feet
No shoes
Loves to smile a lot
Just your general motherly type person
Has this look of being young but old at the same time
She isn't fat or anything, just well build or medium build.

Yeah that is her. She can also appear as a White Eastern Dragon, you know the one with the long serpent like body. But, most of the time she just appears as a woman and sits listening to my tell how my day was and gives advice every now and then. Usually she just sits and listens though.