Are you religious?

No. I'm not religious because the burden of proof lies on religion.

 

I dont know. Im agnostic (thats the word i think)

 

I'm not religious.

Why not? To me that's an odd question, but since you asked, because like everyone I was born without a religion, however, unlike a lot of people, I was never pushed into a religion by my parents. BTW, for those of you who have become religious perhaps you could explain how and why you did so , I'm curious.

 

I'm very Religious. I'm Catholic, although I'm starting to feel unwelcome at the Church, so I'm thinking of becoming an Episcopalian. They have female priests and marry gay people.

 

No I'm not because there is absolutely zero evidence to support religion and often evidence to the contrary. As evidence and reason are the actual pathway to truth, a lack of such is enough to conclude that a belief in religions and god is unjustified.

Faith itself is definitely not a pathway to truth and is nothing more than gullibility. All the evidence so far points to a naturalistic universe and not one willed into existence by magic from some hidden sky daddy. Where there are gaps in knowledge, I'm happy to say I don't know for the time being rather than trying to resolve the mystery by appealing to a higher mystery. I don't need to pander to the laughably ridiculous beliefs invented primitive desert dwelling ghost herders in Bronze Age Palestine who knew very little about how the world really is and how it came to be.

I get my information from peer reviewed scientific research and verifiable historical records. This is instead of using holy books based on copies of copies of translations of copies of which don't match any other historical records and were written by anonymous others decades after the purported events based on here-say and anecdote.

I hope that makes my position clear.

Happy days

 

No. I'm agnostic. I came out to myself as an agnostic at age 14. Despite being raised around religious people, I was never religious, and the idea of praying always baffled me. Technicially, I've always been an agnostic.

I lean towards agnostic atheist, but I usually say agnostic for simplicity.

On the Dawkins' Scale, I'm a de-facto atheist.

 

I'm a rational, logical person who needs to see evidence of some sort to get behind something. Many of the concepts common in religion--afterlife, higher power(s), etc--are completely unfounded. While I think religion might serve a social purpose or give some people hope or what have you, I also know the worst wars sprung from differences in beliefs. Whole groups have been eradicated because of their faiths.

So I find religious to be a dangerous, irrational cop-out. Having said that, even though I'm an avid nonbeliever (a less abrasive term than atheist, which tends to be stigmatized) I still fully support freedom of belief and respect the beliefs of others. I'm not saying I'm right and believers are wrong. Rather, I ascribe to science, reason, and evidence and, therefore, cannot believe in any religious notions. That doesn't mean I look down on anyone who has reached a different conclusion by other means. Although I think blind faith is scary...

 

I may just mention here, agnosticism and atheism/theism are not the same question. Agnosticism is about what you know where atheism/theism is about what you believe. As such they are not mutually exclusive.

I'm an agnostic atheist as I can't know for sure, but as there is no evidence I identify as an atheist. Remember atheism doesn't assert god doesn't exist. It states there is insufficient evidence to convince you and therefore justify belief.

So those who say agnostic, ask yourself are you convinced there is a god. If you say I don't know, then clearly you are not convinced, so you may want to consider your actual position.

Of course, you are free yo choose how you want to identify, but I just though I'd mention that.

Happy days

 

I am religious. I am a Christian (my denomination is Anglican/Episcopalian).

I grew up in a non-religious home and only went to Church for family weddings, funerals, baptisms. I was never indoctrinated but chose to follow this path some years after coming out. While many LGBT people turn away from religion, I turned to religion and my life is enhanced by it.

 

My dad is a strong atheist, and he hates religious people, so my family doesn't go to church or anything (my dad even refuses to step into churches). So I guess I was sort of raised atheist. Only time I ever go to church is when my grandparents are visiting and I'm forced to go along with them, and I don't like church; it's boring. I'm sort of uncomfortable around religious people because religion isn't something I'm used to. When I was a little kid and started school, I was surprised when I found out that most of my classmates were Christian, because the thought of someone believing in a religion just seemed so weird to me. Before then, I'd thought, "Everyone knows God doesn't exist." Yeah, I'd say I'm basically an atheist, but I don't think about it much and I don't really care whether or not there is a God.

 

I don't believe in a God, at least not a literal one. But it is so deeply ingrained into culture, at least in my case, that I'd feel it a lie to call myself anything other than Lutheran.

To me, Christianity isn't about a possibly fictitious God and praying. I have a lot of problems with many atheists, especially given the way many deride and disrespect entire cultures and peoples because of their religious practices. I feel that most fervent atheists base their beliefs on science they don't understand. Some are more intelligent, but even the really smart ones like Richard Dawkins can be absolute ***** about it.

I think it really should be a requirement to be agnostic about everything. Believe what you believe, either in a God or not (like me), but accept that our judgement is often flawed, and it might be a bad idea to believe so strongly in something that you can't understand why others don't share your beliefs.

 

^^ Dawkins scale 6. I can't know one way or the other, and identify as an agnostic atheist.

My reason is that there hasn't been any sign to me. I've asked too many times to count. I've had the worst streak of luck for my whole life an when I looked for reasons, I got none. There isn't a reason to believe in it. I have great morals, from myself~ not religion. I lead a good life, I'm not afraid of death, and I take care of my own happiness. I've reviewed and studied all major religions at some point or another, and nothing seemed right. It was all so....for lack of a better word, stupid. They all popped up when whatever part of the world was having tough times, and their rules were whatever would make more people join their religion or make more babies they could teach it to.
I've been put in the wrong body, taunted, beaten, estranged from my own family, gone to 8 different grade schools trying to escape bullying, harassed, threatened with rape, shunned by my parents, have chronic pain that is at a level 6 constantly- even with medicine, and left without anyone in my life who cares about me.
Now tell me how great your god is.

 

If Christianity isn't about praying to God, what is it about to you?

 

It's worth pointing out that although Professor Dawkins presents science and religion as sworn enemies, there are some very learned people within the the scientific community who are also persons of faith. Science and religion do not have to be mutually exclusive.

I do find it somewhat offensive when Dawkins derides people of faith and insults their intelligence, as though he exists on some higher intellectual plain.

 

im not religious no, but thats just because of what i personally believe and think.

I don't believe in religion because i cant pull myself to think of something or someone that is greater than any other person, that can be everyone and anyone, and be everywhere. I'ts something i just dont believe. There is no proof supporting that the facts of religion are actual facts, nor any proof that it isnt real.

Also, leading of some religions, it seems to me that some things just contradict each other, leaving the words and rules of that said religion pointless and confusing, let alone able to be interpreted in multiple ways. To me, it seems like a waste of time, and I don't want to shape my life within guidelines and thoughts already drilled into my head of whats right and whats wrong. I want to live life how i want, and be able to base my own thoughts off of what i personally feel and think, with no restrictions and influences of something else.

However, I feel my life has some part to play in the fact that i dont believe. I grew up in such bad conditions, and have faced a lot of evil in my life time.. and when I needed to be saved most when I was a child, and I had nothing left to do but pray and hope that someone would help, there was no God to save me, there was no one ever there for years and years, so i lost the small bit of belief that i had. No one made the bad go away, and no one helped nor saw my crying pleads for help. And honestly, if there was a god, why would he or she or whoever that may be, put me in that position in the first place? It wasn't fair to put a child through what i was put through.

I dont believe in a God, nor any superior being, I believe in the right to believe anything anyone wants, and thats their choice, and i have no say in that. I personally, just don't follow a religion, nor believe in a religion.

 

I am, although I generally would describe myself as more spiritual than religious. But then, for me, at least, the words "religion" and "religious" carry a lot of negative baggage.

I don't have any formal church ties. I suppose I am probably closest to Christian, but I am probably too liberal to be considered a "real" Christian by many.

And I find myself appreciating the idea of being somewhat interfaith. Perhaps other religions can teach one something, and it would be nice we could get along better.

 

Because as we all know, Christ was chief campaigner for American Republican ideals.