Are you religious?

[JohnC60]

If you are not religious then what exactly do you do at church? Do you abstain from songs of worship and prayer?

And surely a belief in a God goes hand in hand with a religious persuasion of some kind?

Not being funny but I just do not get that.

I have a relationship with God and have a set of beliefs which are bible based and do not involve having to perform certain rituals. We do pray and worship God with songs but on a much more informal basis than CofE or RC for example. We are lead by the spirit.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I have a relationship with God and have a set of beliefs which are bible based and do not involve having to perform certain rituals. We do pray and worship God with songs but on a much more informal basis than CofE or RC for example. We are lead by the spirit.

In which case you are religious.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Never knew that, socialism is an atheist ideology, I thought that was communism.

You're correct. Christian socialists were amongst the most active and important groups in the early history of socialism.

 

[Flossyrockstar]

Ever heard of the concept free will

That hoary old chestnut makes yet another appearance.

 

[JohnC60]

In which case you are religious.

If that's what you think then that is fine with me. God does change lives. I didn't go looking for God, he found me, showed me what an idiot I'd been and promised me a brighter future, which 12 years on he is still keeping his promise.
Two caterpillars are having a chat when a butterfly flies past overhead - One caterpillar turns to the other and says "You'll never get me up in one of those things!"

 

[Minotier]

Christ died at Magdeburg between November 1630 and May 1631. Allegedly.
The murders and atrocities committed here are mainly responsible for every instance of Christian ideology Vs Christian dogma (Protestant Vs Roman Catholic) that has ended in bloodshed ever since.
That and man's desire to kill anything he doesn't agree with.
If God is our caring Father, he must be beside himself with grief at what he created.

 

[clarion]

Except Marx would argue that Christianity and socialism are incompatible. Socialism is essentially an atheist ideology - even going back to de Rouvroy. So Christian socialists would be an oxymoron.

That said, I know some Christians who have socialist tendencies but know where to draw the line...

That said, 'socialism' has become such a wide ranging tag used to address so many variants (almost reverting back to its pre-Marxian definition) that it has become something of a throwaway description.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

 

[Melonfish]

I'm going with YES in capitol letters. i am indeed religious.
but i don't hold to any of the major organized faiths.
and no, I'm not a wiccan either.

 

[ColinJ]

I can put my 'no' in block caps - NO!

I came very close to dying last summer and a couple of times almost suffocated due to my useless, failing, clotted cardio-vascular system. On one occasion, having literally blacked out in mid-stride and face-planted on the floor, I lay there unable to move or even cry out for help.

I remember thinking that my time was up and one other thought that flitted through my failing brain was that if ever The Lord were going to make a guest appearance, this would be A Very Good Time. He had my attention, no JW's foot in door needed - just make me feel that I was not dying alone.

Not much to ask really, one would think? I had been a good boy, never fiddled with kiddies or even fiddled my taxes. I have been generous when I could be, often kind. But of course, I had never flattered with the Magic Words in the Special Building. My punishment was to be abject terror, utter helplessness and a realisation that I was alone on death row. Thank you God - thank you very much!

But then I survived. Clearly The Lord moves in mysterious ways but if He thinks that I am going to say thank you for Him deciding to let me live then He has got another Divine Think coming - He must have signed my death warrant in the first place!

NO! (I am still open to proof though - just take this tablet computer from my hands, Lord, spin it 100 times in mid-air and glide it back into my hands with the words 'Oh ye of little faith' emblazoned on the screen in an impressively large font, and you'd have yourself another loyal follower!)

NO!

 

[Fnaar]

...and for those who think atheists must lead very miserable lives, the answer is NO WE DON'T (though individual happiness may differ, of course!)
I really don't have a problem with the realisation (and for me the truth) that there is nowt after you go. Not even a feeling of 'phew! that was a bumpy ride!" or "phew! glad that's all over!" or "phew! that was fun!". You won't feel anything. You will merely cease to exist as a thinking being, and become a dead body, hopefully leaving behind happy memories and good influences on others. We are an organism. We come into the world, we live, we procreate (or most of us do) and we die. We are thinking beings, conscious of ourselves, so that consciousness brings with it the realisation of our own ultimate demise.
I personally genuinely have no problem with that at all

 

[400bhp]

I try not to confuse religious followers with the religions they claim to follow. I consider most religions to be at heart frameworks of self improvement through personal disciplines, tools if you will to make us better happier people. Tools in the hands of wise men (and women) can do great good. Consider the scalpel in the hands of the surgeon saving lives. The same scalpel in the hands of a idiot could take life and do great damage. I don't blame the scalpel/tool but the man who wields it.
I personally have found Buddhism to make the most sense to me and I am a Buddhist. I am a very crap Buddhist and the harmful mistakes I make are mine alone and not due to, but in spite of my religious affiliations.

^^this^^

Really excellent post.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Feels to me like folk often confuse religion and Religiosity, in the sense of excessive devotion to the external practises of religion. some people get psychologically addicted to religion in the same was as others get hooked on fags, booze, sex, the interwebs, etc..

For the record I have a faith and I choose to express that as a practising Roman Catholic. One day I might even get good at it. I live in hope.

 

[JtB]

No I’m not religious but I do have a Christian faith.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

If that's what you think then that is fine with me. God does change lives. I didn't go looking for God, he found me, showed me what an idiot I'd been and promised me a brighter future, which 12 years on he is still keeping his promise.
Two caterpillars are having a chat when a butterfly flies past overhead - One caterpillar turns to the other and says "You'll never get me up in one of those things!"

Who was responsible for you being an idiot in the first place then? Presumably God is off the hook?

 

[Fnaar]

...if I can add to my atheist leanings (then I'm butting out of this thread) is that I think it's important to tolerate/appreciate/not denigrate another person's belief system, be that religious or not. I can appreciate what it can do for individuals on a psychological basis (his religion helped my own father greatly when he was on his deathbed, and knew that his time was near...not a deathbed conversion, but a lifelong belief that got stronger towards the end), it's just that I don't share that or want that or need that system myself.
Where I have a problem with religion is when it starts impinging on the lives of others, either personally (in yer face religion) or politically... I really don't think the bishops or whatever they are deserve to be in the Lords, and I detest religion's involvement in our education system. Having said that, I've got close relatives who are either serving or ex priests/nuns/vicars. All are well aware of my views