Religious survey

I was raised Calvinist. I generally refer to myself as a Zen atheist. Although I don't think it's possible to know definitively if there is a god or not, I see no reason to believe that there is. And if you throw out all the "woo" from Buddhism (karma, reincarnation, etc), I think you are left with a pretty good guidebook for living a good life. Ergo, Zen atheist.
 
Positive or "hard" atheist, but I have theist friends and am respectful of their views.
 
I was raised Catholic. About 5 years ago, I was probably what most would consider a devout/radical Catholic.

Ironically, it was my godfather, who ended up leaving the church and becoming an atheist, who started asking me questions. He said that according to my answers, I was a "cafeteria Catholic" (one who takes what they like, and leaves the rest). I was mortified! I thought if I learned all the rules, and followed them, life would be simple, and I would be....perfect(?!) I was NOT picking and choosing, I was determined to follow it all, to the letter.

My mother -- another devout Catholic -- said, "Honey, we're ALL cafeteria Catholics!"

My godfather had the Dawkins book, "The God Delusion," and I asked him about it. He said, "Well, basically Dawkins is the devil."
I asked him if I could borrow it. Then I asked, "As my GODFATHER, can you in good conscience recommend I read this???"
He said, "If your faith is strong, this will strenghten it; and if it's not, you will question it."

And that was the start of me, thinking for myself. When I started questioning one thing, that led to another, and another, then it all crumbled! (Thanks, Dawkins!)

It's lonely out here, without a religion, without a church full of people to meet up with. So, we finally checked out UU, and so far we are loving it. It's kind of like going to a philosophy meeting once a week!

AND -- UU has a polyamory "division" (for lack of a better word - ?) I found something about it online a few days ago. Interesting! (However -- it is kind of controversial, even within the UU community, from what I read).

Once I was brave enough to question my religion, I think it paved the way for me to question other institutions and conventions, as well. Monogamy was next, haha! I love being a freethinker, and I'm happy to see most of the people on this forum are freethinkers as well! :D
 
I was raised Roman Catholic. Much of my family is either Roman Catholic or Born Again Christians. I am the black sheep of my family because I'm secular. I don't think I've ever quite *believed* in what the bible said, even as a child. My parents didn't take me to church much and what little "faith" I had quickly crumbled once I hit high school. I spent my freshmen year as an Agnostic and by my sophomore year I was an Atheist. Honestly, at the time most of the aspect of my Atheism was an act of rebellion, and I didn't have much of an argument for my Atheism, I simply was pissed off at the Christian god for making my life *hell* and disliked the fact that the bible condemned homosexuality (I was just figuring out I was bisexual at the time and was obsessed with a female classmate, who I believed I was madly in love with. HA.)

Anyway, nowadays my Atheism is built on the back of science and reasoning rather than teenage rebellion. My partner is split on his views. He's Agnostic, borderline Atheist, but he's much more spiritual than me.

I'm pretty happy there's a lot of secular poly peeps out there :D It's also interesting to see so many Burners, Wiccans, Buddhists, etc. It's a pretty diverse group and I don't think the Atheist/Wicca stereotype necessarily holds true.
 
Ironically, it was my godfather, who ended up leaving the church and becoming an atheist, who started asking me questions. He said that according to my answers, I was a "cafeteria Catholic" (one who takes what they like, and leaves the rest). I was mortified! I thought if I learned all the rules, and followed them, life would be simple, and I would be....perfect(?!) I was NOT picking and choosing, I was determined to follow it all, to the letter.
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"cafeteria Catholic"! I love that! I may just have to steal it if you don't mind :p
 
marz said:
"cafeteria Catholic"! I love that! I may just have to steal it if you don't mind :p
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Please steal away! :D

Funny, I sang at a First Communion today. I used to sing at church and they keep begging me to come back, at 3 parishes! I loooovvvveee to sing, and I'm very experienced and I have a nice high soprano voice with little vibrato. I've stayed away for several years because I felt weird singing without conviction. I'm trying to find a nice compromise (which would be terrific if that compromise was..... MONETARY, ha!!) I really do miss the music. I recently joined a (secular) band, so we'll see. But singing at church was very rewarding; lots of people were inspired by my voice, plus I booked many paid jobs singing for weddings.

So maybe I'll go back thru the cafeteria line and just take the music, thank you :rolleyes:!
 
But it's really hard to sit through (and SING) the old "Unless you eat.... you shall not have everlasting life" stuff. I have a tough time with the idea that if I don't believe, I am condemned. For now I identify myself as a Doubting Thomas. I figure Jesus wouldn't turn him away -- in fact he let him stick his fingers in his side, right?

I don't believe in the Bible but I do believe some of the stuff they say Jesus said and did was pretty nice. So yeah, I'll pick and choose, if that's ok. (Um, I'm pretty sure it's NOT, though :(. How black and white IS the Catholic Church, anyway?? :confused:)

At least they're trying to get away from the "He" pronoun... My "god" would be closer to the idea of Mother Nature. :)
 
That's great you felt ok with going back to church to sing for a family member... and that you got some paying jobs out of it!

I bet more people than you think do (and always have in 2000 years) go to church just for the music and to see their friends. I think it's hilarious Xtians use the word "fellowship" to fancy up and somehow make sacred, the act of chatting and playing with friends. Playing with as per church suppers and fundraisers, etc.

I'm allergic to sitting in rows facing an altar and being preached at on whatever random topic the pastor thinks s/he feels like talking about that week.

Eddie Izzard talking of the history of Christianity:



[speaking as an Anglican priest:]"Now the sermon today is taken from... a magazine that I found in a hedge. Now lipstick colors this season are in the frosted pink area and nail colors to match... And... this reminds me rather of our Lord Jesus! Because surely, when Jesus went into Nazareth on a donkey, he must have got tarted up a bit…”

Christianity had split into many different areas - Catholicism still has the fire and brimstone, [beating drum] "Row, you bastards!” You know... Original sin! What a hellish idea that is! People have to go,

"Father, bless me for I have sinned, I did an original sin… I poked a badger with a spoon."

"I've never heard of that one before! Five Hail Marys and two Hello Dollys."

"Oh, all right..."

"Bless me, Father, for I have slept with my next door neighbor's wife."

"Heard it! I want an original sin."

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!"

The Anglican faith doesn't have that. You'll never go,

"Vicar, I have done many bad things."

"Well, so have I."

"What shall I do?"

"Well, drink five Bloody Marys and you won't remember."

...

So... yeah. So the Pagan religion had very big festivals, remember, on Easter and Christmas. The Christian religion came along and had very big festivals, at Easter and Christmas. Jesus died on one and was born on the other. [doubting sounds] ‘Cause Jesus, I do think, did exist, and he was, I think, a guy who had interesting ideas in the Gandhi-type area, in the Nelson Mandela-type area, you know, relaxed and groovy; and the Romans thought, "Relaxed and groovy?! No, no, no, no, no!" So they murdered him.

And kids eat chocolate eggs, because of the color of the chocolate, and the color of the... wood on the cross. Well, you tell me! It's got nothing to do with it, has it? You know, people going, "Remember, kids," to the kids who're eating the chocolate eggs,

"Jesus died for your sins."

"Yeah, I know, it's great!”

“No, no no, it's bad, it's bad!”

“No, it's bad! It's very bad. It's terrible! ...Whatever you want, just keep giving me these eggs."
 
I'm Jewish, though a convert - I was born and raised a Christian (C of E), but it's never managed to fit with my beliefs.
 
wow, I read through this whole thing and I saw so many things I wanted to quote because they were right on.

my favorite saying which is similar to what ghandi said is "church would be great if it wasn't for the christians" they talk the talk but they don't walk the walk. not all of them, I know some great christians out there, but the majority of them.

I saw something about fellowship. Jesus said if two or more people gather in my name I am there. he didn't say go to the big brick building on the corner with the flashy sign and new christian rock band.

he also said love everybody. I can't say he meant it in a poly kind of way, but who is to say he didn't? is it adultery if your spouse approves of it??
I find it hard to find sexual sin if it's done out of love for one another.

I do consider myself christian. someone else said it. I am a follower of Christ. I read the bible, I pray, I believe in god. I am still learning how to love everyone. it's not as easy as one would think.

something about Jews thinking god was for them and them alone. that is why jesus was sent. to profess that god was for everyone not just the jews. he ate with gentiles, he healed the sick and he lived with the poor.

I'm no bible thumper. I cant quote most scripture and I sure as hell won't try and push my beliefs on anyone else.
 
My family never really "practiced" anything, we did do the traditional Christian holidays growing up, but they were never really about religion or god for that matter, although I am pretty sure both my parents would identify as some sort of christians....I have never believed in god, or gods or anything of that nature from as far back as I can remember. I definaltely identify as an athiests.
 
Why Buddhism

I'm a Buddhist minister and have been poly all my life. Born Catholic, fast passage through protestantism, and 28 years as a neo-hindu. Finally it was Buddhism that reconciled my intense spiritual life with my poly nature. Theologically is the only religion that doesn't go against any sexual\emotional orientation, as long as lived ethicaly.
 
suriananda said:
I'm a Buddhist minister and have been poly all my life. Born Catholic, fast passage through protestantism, and 28 years as a neo-hindu. Finally it was Buddhism that reconciled my intense spiritual life with my poly nature. Theologically is the only religion that doesn't go against any sexual\emotional orientation, as long as lived ethicaly.
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Well, Wicca and neo-Paganism in general, I'd argue, are even more open to polyamory and sexuality. Some Buddhists are anti-sex/desire.
 
I'm practising the Buddhism of Nichiren Daishonin and have for years, and polyamory is not only in complete accord with this teaching, but can also lend another dimension to spiritual development, if practised ethically.
 
I too was raised by Catholic Christianity beliefs, but I more or less branched out of it out of my own interest. I think the fact we stopped going to church all together (except for Easter and Christmas) helped, and now I'm old enough to find the fallacies and annoyances of most 'holidays' and practices.

I still have SOME belief and spiritualism, but nothing extreme.
 
Quaker agnostic

I am a Quaker agnostic.

Not the sort of agnostic who doesn't know (or doesn't care), but the sort of agnostic who finds myself sometimes believing in God and sometimes not. Yet strangely I find that what I desire for myself, my friends, and my planet is the same in both states of belief; as are my views about how I should live.

Years ago, as a mainsteam Christian, I used to agonise about my 'lack of faith'. Now I don't agonise any more, I have discovered that both belief states add something valuable to my life. The non-credal format of Quaker worship allows me to access both these states in a spiritual way, from within the same religious setting, and on some days during the same time of worship.

How does being a Quaker relate to being poly, to believing in poly? Short answer: very well. Long answer here:
www.polyamory.com/forum/showthread.php?p=97485#post97485

River~~
 
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