Are you religious?

[Glow worm]

Crikey - a religion thread without any handbags between believers and atheists/agnostics. There's hope for the world yet!

 

[vernon]

I'm not but my daughter's a Beleiber.

 

[ComedyPilot]

Crikey - a religion thread without any handbags between believers and atheists/agnostics. There's hope for the world yet!

I did say this was a cafe thread, so we're more civilised.

 

[Moon bunny]

I was "brought up" as a Catholic in a village in Tyrone. Until the age of 7 when I Opened my eyes during prayers . Guess what? My eyes were not instantly burnt out, I was not instantly locked into an oven to stamp my feet for all eternity, nor was god watching us all with a spear in his hand, all things that small children were threatened with for the simple act of lifting an eyelid. Now I do not even call myself atheist as to me that implies that the existence or not of gods is worth arguing about. If the bible is so great how come it does not explain how magnets work?

 

[Maz]

I am a Muslim.
I like to put the fun back into fundamentalism, and the laugh back into slaughter.

 

[Kies]

Waheguru to that gurdwara brother!

 

[Moon bunny]

Hold on, how come Speicher and I don't get to be 'the girls in the tea thread' too?

Anyway, once you've taken us out, I think there's only one lady regular left... Unless you count Potsy, but he's not a girl, more a big girl's blouse.

Will Night Train not get jealous?

 

[mrandmrspoves]

Definite atheist. Some would argue that not believing is also a faith. I live my life by what could be described as Christian values....probably more so than many of the self satisfied hippocrites who attend church regularly. I do not like religion and don't think the world is a better place because of it. In my mind I find it hard to understand how intelligent people can believe in their Gods - and even harder to understand why they would be grateful to any force capable of creating our world in the way that it is.....I know the argument is that we were given free will etc.... so what about earthquakes, floods and so on? Having aired these views, I would not wish them to be any more offensive to believers than I find their beliefs.

 

[RedRider]

[QUOTE 2362953, member: 9609"]Not even remotely religious, and even a little suspicious of anyone that is. However I am a little fascinated by churches, often stop and have a look around any remote kirks or chapels that I pass when out on the bike.

I recently, on a particularly cold raw day, went and sat in a little chapel and had my coffee and piece - felt a little guilty that I shouldn't be doing that, was it disrespectful? or would god not mind me sheltering in his house? I bet anyone deeply religious would object, and that is what annoys me about religion, those that are very religious never seem to be very nice people.

He is my favourite little church, build over 600 years ago and designed to resist fire and flood with it's stone roof.

[/quote]
Nice pic! Did you listen to that Larki8n poem upthread?

I am a little fascinated by churches, often stop and have a look around any remote kirks or chapels that I pass when out on the bike

Sound just like him

 

[RedRider]

grew up in the Republic of Ireland, my whole life was dominated by religion amd the catholic church, I've seen to many people be "religious" because it was beneficial to their everyday lives rather than their spiritual lives...
I've seen how the churches beliefs destroyed, oppressed, discriminated against the poor of Ireland..
from about age 13 - 14 nothing seemed to make sense concerning religion, when I questioned it, I was made to feel like an idiot..
I'm an atheist, I try and not to overly influence my children but it's difficult as I don't allow them to do religion in school, they're not christened - baptised plus I've never been married and have no intensions of ever getting married ..... as I see marriage as something the church used to force it's beliefs...
there's so much I'd like to write but I afraid it would make war and peace look like a short story

My dad sounds like yourself and tho I do some`times feel I missed out on the rich experience of being farked up by priests and incense in the end I think I benefitted from his disbelieving outlook.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

[QUOTE 2363281, member: 1314"]...my hometown's Sikh temple is dedicated to whiskey and dogs. So what's not to like?[/quote]

Whiskey. And dogs.

 

[Herbie]

I was born and raised C of E, but have had almost zero contact, exposure or urge to have anything to do with the church.

I use the 'I don't bother them, and hope they don't bother me' approach that has seen me well for 40+ years.

People's perception of religion has killed more people in wars than anything else, yet religion is held in esteem by the 'faithful'

I generally don't diss religions, but do have a go when priests etc abuse young kids and their bishops/cardinals/popes cover for them.

Also, I have no beef with any other religion, but why their followers think it's ok to kill infidels, or murder millions because they don't follow the same make-believe 'god' is beyond me.

I personally feel 'creeped out' in church, and feel like an imposer being in the vicinity.

I find they are, although stunningly beautiful places, very uncomfortable places to be on a personal level.

I find my spiritual well-being is catered for in other ways, much prefering the natural world, adventure, music and travel to be my 'crutch' that I need to lean on and keep me sane.

I agree with everything you said

 

[Shortmember]

What puzzles me is that Christians regard Jesus and his band of merry men as peaceful, non violent members of Jewish society when, in actual fact, they were anything but that. Jesus urged his Apostles to carry weapons( Luke 22:35-38); He led them on a violent attack on the moneylenders in the Temple, and Peter, the first Pope, used his sword to cut off the ear of one of the men who attempted to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane .(John 18:10).What a bunch of sweet natured pussycats they were!

 

[Longshot]

I'm an atheist - devout but not fundamentalist. I believe in what I believe (contrary to what some think, atheism is not a lack of belief) and am happy to let others do the same. I think Richard Dawkins is as a big an arse as those from mainstream religions who try to force their views on others. He's also a hypocrite but that's another story.

I feel that anything the a person has faith in personally that helps them get through the day and, more especially, challenging times is no bad thing and would deign to criticise that choice. What I do have a problem with is organised religion and the numerous examples of people's faith being misled and twisted for a particular purpose.

 

[vernon]

[QUOTE 2363281, member: 1314"]And sorry to bore you all with this yet again but my hometown's Sikh temple is dedicated to whiskey and dogs. So what's not to like?

View attachment 20486 [/quote]

The Tesco own brand stuff.