Just curious how many of guys are religious? What do you think about religion? I’m no longer religious myself, growing up in a very conservative Muslim household turned me away from Islam. That’s when I stared doing my research and generally thinking about Islam and that’s when I became completely irreligious. Curious to hear what you all think.
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catholic there
Based
there?
Scientologist
Nice. What goes on in that church of yours?
All they do is just have orgy with Tom Cruise. My view on Scientology aligns with that of South Park.
We have giant orgys and chant prayers. I usually get high so I don't remember too much.
Grew up Catholic. Came to the realization in high school that it was bs.
Pretty much the same. Though, when I realized it might not be true, I became even more religious for like a year and than finally left it all behind.
Then, why would you send your kids to a catholic school if you think it is bs.
They're affordable, teach good values, and you can get a quality education.
delete
Practicing Catholic but don't agree with some of the social teaching that I feel is outdated. I'm somewhat religious for the following reasons:
That being said, I like some of the messages in other religions, namely Buddhism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and ancient Christian mysticism. I try to integrate those into a compatible set of beliefs.
practicing catholic, as I've gotten older have done a lot more research into the history and teachings of the church thats actually strengthened my beliefs, little bit contrary to a lot of peers my age who seem to gradually distance themselves from it, but still am not as knowledgeable as I want or need to be though.
Funny thing is the when I first questioned my beliefs as a 14 year old, I became very religious afterwards. There were a few pretty girls in high school I didn’t go out with cause of my beliefs. I was very much a fundamentalist (not a terrorist thought lol) but I didn’t know anything and when I did my research it just became clear I was deluding myself.
however, Christianity I find very interesting, I’m not sure the various metaphysical claims it makes but it’s ideas I love. That’s become a moral framework for me. Still I haven’t read or know as much as I want too.
Grew up in a very devout Protestant household. Supposedly, my family couple generations ago were among the very first Protestants in the country. I have way too many relatives who consider religion as an important part of their heritage.
We have a big family gathering at a country club once or twice a year. Very first thing all the family elders ask you is "So where are you now, and have you found a good church in your area?". They even bring in a pastor to do a quick sermon before we eat dinner. We have to sing at least 2 hymns. You get the point...
I'm not very religious. But I still do the minimum requirements, going to church on Easter. But I'm finding myself gradually becoming more religious.
I'm Hindu. Still figuring out my views on the religion itself (I'm not sure I believe in it), but I wouldn't give up the sense of community and belonging I get for anything. Even if I find later on that I truly don't believe in God, I'll clench my teeth, respect the statues at temples, and get the pleasure of being a part of this kind of society.
This is something I forgot to mention that I think is really important, especially the historical aspect. It does make some people feel connected in a way that's otherwise hard to recreate.
I wouldn’t mind being a “cultural” Muslim the way people are cultural Jews or Christians, however, it’s gonna be tough with the Muslims I know haha. Gonna miss Eid and Ramadan with family and friends. There are certain things i want to do with my life that I can’t if my family still thinks I’m a Muslim, in my case they are too controlling. My family and my community is very distrustful, can’t open yourself up to the outside too much, don’t be talking to western girls they’ll corrupt you. The hypocrisy is what I hate the most though, i haven’t met as many racist Americans as I have racist muslims who live in America and get all the benefits of this country while hating on it and saying how terrible it is with the amount of “liberalism” it has compared to say Pakistan.
sorry kinda made this post to rant a little bit and see if some others are in similar situations.
I grew up with Hinduism, but I didn't really believe in all the stuff with gods. I do like the idea of reincarnation though.
I don’t subscribe to a particular belief system. I generally think it makes sense that there could be a higher power, but I don’t necessarily see why it has to be true. I also don’t think it’s impossible that this divine power could reveal itself to us, but since I’ve never experienced something like that I’m left choosing between what other people tell me.
I think it’s the height of man’s arrogance to believe that we (or the prophets or holy men we subscribe to) have some special knowledge that makes us correct and all the other belief systems incorrect, and it’s crazy to me to think that because my family had a certain belief or because a plurality of modern people have a certain belief that it’s somehow “more right” than others.
Trying to avoid hypocrisy here by pretending that I know something anyone else doesn’t; to the contrary, I’m acknowledging that I know too little to profess truth. I’ll strive to live a good life as it makes sense to me, and hopefully that will be enough
This. Absolutely this. My family both immediate and extended are incredibly religious. Every time we gather together, everybody talks like they’re scholars. It’s a very much circle jerk. Nobody actually knows I’m not religious if they did I’d get disowned pretty quickly and since I’m still in school I need the support. Ik how that sounds, but once my working FT, I can tell them gently and from a position where I’ll have more leverage. Thing is I don’t deny the idea of God, there might be one, it’s the suffocating nature of Islam I don’t like.
I think it's the intense dogmatic beliefs of the Abrahamic religions in general that can feel stiffing and something that I don't like at all either. It doesn't feel as introspective which is more of that I think a lot of people are after.
Both my parents were raised catholic, but neither are now, so I was raised with nothing. I don't believe in anything, and I think it's very very unlikely that there's some higher power, but I think religion has historically served as a way to create a shared sense of community and make sense out of a confusing world. It helps to feel that there's some greater purpose and meaning to things. Many people today argue that religion is no longer necessary or useful given scientific advances that answer a lot of the questions religion was created to address. But personally, if I could flip a switch that would make me believe in religion, I would, for the sense of community I could find with others who follow it and for the comfort that comes with believing that my life has some intrinsic purpose and meaning. I just can't convince myself, though.
Neither can I. I wonder what world without religion might be like. Without religion, where do we find that sense of community? Idk, I’m no where near knowledgeable enough to attempt an answer but it’s something interesting to think about.
From how is sounds, you already have that community, no? You can still exist in the Muslim community without believing yourself or practicing (once you move out), right?
As to where that community comes from outside of religion, I don't think there's a single answer. Some family, some friends from school, some friends from work, maybe a group you play basketball with on Sundays or go golfing with. Or maybe nothing, since loneliness levels are higher than ever. Maybe it gets replaced with mindless scrolling of social media or news, or an online forum about financial careers.
I grew up with no religion, then found religion for about 5 years and now I am not religious.
I am Christian, non-denominational Protestant. Religion is an important part of my life and drives a lot of my decisions / values. Kind of veered off course for awhile in college but came to a realization that when I live my life aligned by my values and my beliefs, I am much happier than when I live like everyone else. I think everyone can have different thoughts of religion (even within my own family) but what is most important for me is having a close relationship with God and living my life in a moral, positive way.
I respect that. Honestly, I’m not truly an atheist, but I’m not a regular mosque goer and I have questions on the metaphysical claims of religion. For me, meaning and my relationship with God, rather the idea of God, is much more personal and introspective. I can’t bring myself to relate to or believe in the dogma of Islam.
To Bobby Axelrod, fees are religion and money is his God. This makes him the perfect shepherd for you in the material world. And at least when you pray to his God, you get another f***ing Bentley out of it.
I go to church every Sunday. I support and am active in my religious community, although still rough around the edges, haha. My religious community helped me develop significantly and helped me get where I am today. Very appreciative to many people that mentored/supported/and advocated for me through the years. Always trying to pay it forward. #blessed
I originally grew up Catholic, went to church every Sunday and went to an after school program to learn more about it. When I was about 8 or so, I was the kid who always asked, “Why?” I guess one day my teacher snapped and told me I was going to hell. My parents stopped taking us there but we still went to church.
The Priest who was really good left and then some other guy was spouting off about how gays go to hell, we stopped going to church.
I think both of my parents sort of resented religion and that passed down to me. I’ve learned to be a bit jaded about it and never really got into it. My sisters both went through a time when they reconnected with it but I just never did.
My wife is very devout Catholic, church every Sunday, her mom goes to church 3x + per week. Thankfully my wife is incredibly understanding of my views and I respect hers. I’ve gone to church with her and really gave it another shot as best as I could (I even liked the Priest at her church) but she knows I just can’t get behind/ believe in most of the things Catholicism teaches. I’ve read the Bible and the Quran, I’ve studied through quite a bit of the history of a few religions.
These days I bounce between sort of agnostic and considering going to a Reform Jewish Temple with the possibility of converting. Most days I believe in God simply because I want to. I’ve gotten halfway through a podcast with Eric Weinstein and a Rabbi out here in LA and actually found I agreed with a lot of their conversation (which is ironic since Eric is an atheist Jew).
Your story seems like a strange one in that you grew up catholic, married a devout catholic and now you are heading toward Judaism. Why are you interested in Judaism?
Yeah my experience with religion isn’t that unique but can be weird. Judaism because I’m ethnically Jewish (family came from Russia), I know it’s a grey area. I’ve also read quite a bit about Reform Judaism and found it to align with what I inherently believe in. I’ve honestly struggled with the belief of Jesus, just personally.
As far as my wife goes, I won the lottery. Her personality isn’t just her religious beliefs and she understands how other people can have different views. She has a very strong faith, which I respect. To me, if believing in the Flying Spaghetti Monster makes you a better person and treat others better- go worship that marinara sauce and I won’t say a single word against it.
I’ve been a sort of religious nomad. I struggle to believe things naturally work out, I’m the “if it’s meant to be, it’s up to me” type of person. I think I’d have a more stable life if I found something to actually believe in.
Grew up Catholic but my parents eventually turned to spiritualism and tried to push it on me a little bit but I just moved away from all of it.
I consider myself Christian. Although I personally think I’m not a religious person. I simply have a relationship with God and I try to deepen that relationship everyday. Whether that is from praying to learning about him by reading the Bible. I go to church to learn about how I can deepen my relationship and how as a Christian I can improve. I’m not a fanatic or anything because I don’t like religion and how much of a routine it can be. IMHO Christianity is supposed to be a journey with your relationship with God. Not praying 7x a day and going to church to sing some songs 3x a week for the fuck of it. It’s a real relationship that I can’t really describe to someone else that doesn’t have one. And honestly things have happened in my life that without God there is no fucking way I would be here or be the person I am today. I would be either in jail or dead.
This is basically what I want. I’m not interested in dogma, just my personal relationship with God, and by god I don’t mean Allah or some other God. I mean that idea of something bigger than yourself and an ideal to live up to. The spirituality left in me is more introspective, I try to better myself with it day by day. You mention that without God there isn’t a way, are you a Jordon Peterson fan by any chance? He often makes that claim, that without God there is not any meaning.
I was raised Christian. Converted to Islam. Came back to Christianity then skated off with Catholicism until I eventually stopped believing in God and put all that energy into myself. I'm what they call a Religious whore.
Sounds like an interesting journey.
Lol. I still have a ton of respect for the bottom-line of religion but I'm over it.
I'm very fond of Islam. Murder is warranted. It's in the Quran. Catholic church is the quickest. They sing a few songs, read a few scripts, collect your money, pray for you and send you on your way. A good business transaction.
I consider myself first as a monotheistic believer. I believe in a creator God and God that is active in our everyday lives. I view monotheism as the gateway to religious world peace. Anyone can disagree about the specifics of one religion versus another, but I believe we are stronger if we come together where we share the same religious beliefs.
The prime belief being that there is a God and we are here to be good to one another. Also, God = Love. Where good acts or works of mercy take place, God is there.
Specifically, I am a Roman Catholic and was born into the faith and left the faith for a number of years and came back to it. When I came back to the faith, I decided I wanted to be more involved in the church and was exposed to the inner workings of many parts of the Catholic church and was very disappointed to see that members of the cloth could act as they did. The Catholic church has one main problem: it is human. Satan has snipers up and down the ranks to take out people in as high of positions as possible. He has succeeded in many ways within the Catholic church.
But, I believe the Catholic church is the 'fullness of the truth'. In life, when we seek the full truth, we must make choices about where to go and what that means to us. I believe that Islam and Judaism have elements of the truth, but after a long life and many different experiences, I believe in most of the core Catholic beliefs and still go to church every Sunday.
I think Pascal's wager is a good way to look at the world. We are here, so why don't we just do good and give love to others? Faith is believing in God, but why don't we just act with goodness and lovingkindness anyway?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pascal%27s_wager
Also, I believe that we are responsible for what we have been exposed to. If someone grows up never hearing about God, why should they be responsible for believing in him? I believe God is a merciful God and will take many people who at their core show love and kindness. It all comes back to God = Love. I don't believe that 'most people are going to hell' and believe that each one of us has been exposed to elements of the truth and asked to follow the truth. We can treat our neighbor with a smile or a frown, but when it comes down to it - who among us is going to be hit by a bus in the state of mortal sin? I would bet very few people. In the words of Fr. Benedict Groeschel - he said that he only has heard true mortal sins in the confessional a handful of times. There are many signs one sees before actually committing a true mortal sin. Fr. Benedict Groeschel also had a Doctor in Education of Psychology from Columbia University. He was one of the founders of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal - which is an awesome group.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Groeschel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franciscan_Friars_of_the_Renewal
So we really only have two choices - we can do our time in purgatory on earth and suffer now, or do it in purgatory and suffer later, but I believe that most of us who are genuinely kind people and not rotten apples to the core are going to make it to heaven. To know love is to know God. To practice love is to praise God. There are many in the world who love good works and say they don't believe in God. To me, that's fine. I feel that they knew God all along.
AMDG
Highly respect your beliefs and attitude (and the AMDG - I think the Jesuits have a great approach to religious callings).
I’m interested in your thoughts on evangelism - if hearing about God opens the door to either salvation or punishment where before there was only salvation, then isn’t spreading the word one of the worst things we can do for those who haven’t heard it? God gave us free will to follow or not, which is his right as creator, but it seems like I should use my free will to help people get to heaven, which would entail ensuring that they actually don’t hear the word...
Maybe the answer is that taking away the choice is worse than ensuring the best outcome, but it doesn’t quite sit right with me...
I had a teacher in high school who gave me a very similar answer to what you posted. The two of us had some long convos on this subject, she really made me appreciate Catholicism. I’m not a part of any religious institution, but have remained spiritual in my own way. God=Love and when we do good things on earth God, or the ideal that god represents to me, is there, I believe that whole heartedly.
Athiest
Not spiritual at all? No soul?
Grew up Catholic but currently fellowship at a baptist church.
Religion has probably built me in many ways but broke me a couple of times.
You went backwards with that one.
Muslim woman here. Born and raised in Pakistan. Attending college in the US. I think some of the things that your family does and says that you mentioned above seem more cultural to me than religious. My parents have been amazing with religious education. My dad majored in comparative religion with a focus on Islamic history. He always told us to focus on the social side of Islam as opposed to the "religious" side of it aka looking after your family and neighbors, being a good person etc. No stress on praying/ fasting or dressing up in a certain way The rest of my family is super conservative and have very ignorant ideas about religion. They believe that good Muslim women should conform to specific gender roles aka cooking for their husbands and have babies. My parents actually showed me passages in the Quran that give equal rights to women. All in all, I had a lot of freedom growing up to study religion and interpret it on my own, instead of being forced to believe in what my family believes is right. I have learnt that the problem is in the way people interpret religion. They interpret in a way that would suit their purposes and allow them to control others because they know that religion is a fool proof facade that no one will question. "The Devil can cite scripture to suit his own purpose" according to the Bard lol. Even though I live in a different continent from my family now, I do feel pretty close to my religion. I pray/ fast/ read the Quran but what matters to me is that I do all that because I really want to, not because I have been forced to. I have all the independence in the world: wear what I want, go where I like, pursue my goals, be ambitious. Don't give a shit about my relatives calling me a bad Muslim. Religion is way to personal for anyone to comment on.
P.S: I love biryani too and miss my mom's every single day :)
That’s nice to hear, for sure a lot of it is more cultural than religious. Funny thing is, my parents became more conservative as they spent more time here. I began to drift years ago and just found it to be too much. I’m still spiritual in my own way but just don’t relate to the dogma of Islam. It’s also good that you have parents like yours, many girls in that part of the world don’t have the rights/freedoms you have.
*i was bit angry when I made this thread and was in a bad mood the whole day, my family isn’t that bad. I just have different outlook and it doesn’t align with theirs.
I am sorry that you've had a rough day!
I am not surprised that your parents have become stricter since they moved to the US. All of my Pakistani diaspora friends in the US/UK: Either their families seem to be way too "westernized" or just way too conservative. Some moderation would be nice lol. A lot of them assume that because I am from Pakistan, my family is crazy conservative which isn't the case for me and most of my friends back home.
If you don't mind me asking, what are your major disagreements with your family's cultural/ religious ideas?
Agree
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