Do you actively participate in a religion?

Interesting how overwhelming the 'no' results are.

I'm not going to get into any arguments here. I believe in anybody's right to practice whatever they want. I'm atheist. I grew up in a Christian home, and I think that has a lot do with why I'm now atheist, actually. When you spend the first decade and a half of your life being told you can't do things, you either find yourself accepting that or pushing back twice as hard. Seems like the minute I left home I realized how little of what I was practicing I actually believed in. I made the decision for myself to leave that stuff behind, and I couldn't be happier about it.

I have plenty of friends who are still practicing, various, religions. They mostly understand. There is, of course, the occasional drunken debates. But we're always civil. I think I've found a pretty good place accepting whatever makes people happy as long as they're not treading on the happiness of others.

Edit: Forgot the info bits. 26, male, Illinois. No longer in school, but majored in English/Writing, with many other areas of interest that didn't ultimately pan out.

Yup. I also actively participate in philosophical discussions with academics.

21, male, no.

Not sure how I feel about the existence of God, mainly because I think there's no real way to think about that question.

No, 20 Male, Washington state. Don't really see a point in religion. Also I've never went to a church as a kid so I really never saw the point of it.

My parents were christian fundamentalists.

No.

edit --- i suppose it's important to note I'm an athiest. I never believed, not even as a child being told these things were true. It never made sense to me. Especially not in light of what my parents did. But even without that history, I still don't think I could give up logic in order to throw in my lot with something that was and is indistinguishable, to me, from a fairy tale.

19, male, yes;Jehovah Witness, California

Never actively participated in a religion (Never been to church)

Consider myself a Pantheist

Male

19

London

Studying English Language & Literature at University

26, male, no, Washington State. One parent is Atheist and the other was brought up in a Christian house, but went with Buddhism later in life. So I was brought up in a house that allowed me to choose if I wanted to believe in a religion or not, as I got older I figured on my own that it just wasn't for me.

Nah. I am a devoted servant of Christ though.

I am an atheist, I do not participate in any religion nor do I believe any god exists. In theory I was raised a christian, but relgion was never really a thing in my family. I am 36 and from germany (which may make my opinion obsolete).

Until I was 17 or so, I attended church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. As a child, I was on a Junior Bible Quiz team that was the best in the state. I attended a Christian school until 9th grade, and spend 3 years with my missionary mother in various countries. I've studied the Bible a lot. I never really enjoyed it, but I always believed.

I think deep down I might still believe, I still feel a twinge of guilt when speaking things that are considered blasphemy, but as someone who's very interested in science, there's so much actual evidence that goes against the Bible that I feel pretty comfortable saying... There's probably no God.

...and there's that twinge of guilt again.

I'm religious. I've had my ups and downs but I've always maintained that side of me.

Male. 20. University of Sydney. Finance and Commercial Law.

Yep, try to go to Church every week. I'm 26, specifically Catholic, male and near Chicago.

Regardless of how chaotic life, work, and anything else gets, it's super calming to show up at Mass on Sunday morning. It also sort of puts me in the right mindset to get started with the week for the next day. I grew up Catholic and went to church a decent amount as a kid and then sort of stopped throughout high school. I ended up going regularly again near the end of college and continue to do so now.

@epicsteve Oh, sorry, I commented before actually reading the whole question. I'm 23, male, live in Michigan, and I graduated from Northwood University (a business school).

No. I've been an atheist for about 6 or 7 years now. I was never very active, though I believed, but as I became more knowledgable about the worlds around me, and more interested in the subject of history, I read up on the living nightmares that people were subjected to in the name of one religion or another and it infuriated me. I've calmed down quite a bit but I still get pretty heated whenever I hear arguments against LGBT rights or denials of evolutionary theory. I wish certain religions weren't so petty towards science. I totally respect people's beliefs but that won't keep me from criticizing said beliefs.

22, male, South Dakota. Studying History.

I stopped believing in god along time ago. You can pray all you want, but it won't change nothing. I remember I had a online friend that was fucking nuts. He kept telling how Jesus was returning, and the rapture was going to take place in 2012. He said if I didn't believe I was going to be left behind to die and go to hell when the world ends. I blocked him from my friend list and he still sends messages to me, hell this is what I got afew months ago.

I regret video chatting with him. One time he just invited me to a video chat crying because his girlfriend left him. After that he kept saying he was going to kill himself. Then I decided to turn my ps3 camera on to talk and calm him down. Now that I think about it I shouldn't have even bothered and let him went through with it. I known him since I first started gaming online back in 2006. He was cool for afew years, but then started acting fucking weird later on.

27, Male, Alberta.

No. Grew up with religion in my family and still get bothered to this day by family members about my lack of faith but I remember Grade 6 my Public School even had a bible class that was put into our daily regime. I even remember that man that they would bring to our class would actively try to tell us about all the usually extreme "Christianity Claims" like how the planet is still young, Dinosaurs were fake or ruse, all the usual. It's been awhile.

But I was in grade 6, it was the early nineties and I was In Love with stuff about Space and Dinosaurs! Some kids bought Nintendo Power I bought Science Today I was a pretty big nerd. Also the strangeness of having a bible class and a Science class usually a period or so after it felt like I had one adult try to tell me in the morning about how things are like this because of god and if I'm bad I'll be spanked in hell and through out the day I'd have a science/history class teach me that the world is relatively young in our Universes long time of being around, the vastness of space, or about Dinosaurs. It all seemed weird and a bit confusing.

I don't have issues with Adults participating with religion cause they can make their own choice and come up with their own conclusions but with children it just seems unfair. How many other things from 2,000 years ago do we still consider to be true?

Also, the Abertosaurus was one the coolest things to me as a kid!

I believe in the Helix Fossil.

I was raised in a non-denominational Christian church, but am now Atheist.

I'm 23, white/male/CIS, Ontario, Canada.

Male, 36 years, Denmark.

All religions are fairytales, I don't believe in any of them.

How oddly in character.

I'm from the UK and I did when I was younger, but now I'm a firm atheist. Also, as is customary for these threads: Atheism and agnosticism are not opposing views.

Used to. Now I'm so Athiest it hurts. Was Seventh-Day Adventist for the first like 18-21 years of my life. Don't remember when exactly, but that's kind when I threw in the towel. I was becoming quite jaded about the whole thing in my mid teens so it was all but inevitable.

I'm not completely opposed to joining another religion or anything, but man those years took a lot out of me. Just so much bullshit. For me it was a combination of church politics (pastors muscling other good pastors out, people doing/talking some craaaazy shit behind other people's backs and sometimes to their faces then getting up to say how much they love Jesus and what not) and I never really found a congregation I could truly enjoy.

Half of the church services I went to were so geared toward older people to the point that people over 30 outnumbered all the people under 30 about, and I shit you not, 20 to 1 and sometimes more. It was boring as fuck going to church and having literally no one to talk to in your age group. The other half of the services had a lot of younger people, but they seemed to be very, for lack of a better word....excessively ceremonial to the point I would just get tired and leave.

And this is kinda important so I probably should have mentioned this first, there's also the fact that as I went to college and got meet more people from different walks of life and payed more attention to the world around me, the concept of God as he was taught to me made increasingly less sense as time went on.

edit: Oh yeah, I guess I should mention I also went to a Seventh-Day Adventist school all my life up until college and the same bullshit that I saw in church, I saw in school. I couldn't really get away from that environment if that makes sense. It was just a constant almost 24/7 feed of people telling me "the world" is a bad place, yet all I saw as I looked around "inside the church" was a bunch of walking contradictions.

I used to, until my early 20s. If you ask me what denomination, I don't honestly know. Haven't for about the last 5 years or so though, partly due to the church I attended in Wisconsin for a short while being far more dogmatic in its teachings and practices than the one I used to attend in NYC. It simply grew far too stifling.

Currently 26, male, Wisconsin, grad student and part time high school teacher.

Yep. I am very religious and go to church every day. Every day after school I load up my holy Steam and pray to the Lord, Gaben. I pray for my own well being and I pray in hope that one day the peasants might seek the salvation of Gaben. Are there any other followers of the Church of PC on Giant Bomb?

It shouldn't be all too surprising if you consider what we already know/can reliably presume about the user base of a website about video games.

I 100%ed Fez without a walkthrough. There is no God.

I'm 28 and from Sweden. I guess the term that fits best with my view is apatheism - for me religion is irrelevant, it's a non-issue in my everyday life and I've seen no reasons to grasp for any supernatural answers to any questions I've encountered in my life at this point.

I am actively opposed to religion. I think it does more harm than good and only serves to perpetuate ignorance, prejudice, and more often than not stands in the way of social and scientific progress. I do not believe in god and firmly identify as an atheist.

Male, 24, Massachusetts.

Shocking results. (Here's to hoping sarcasm carries in text...)

Twenty-four years old, male, Seattle. Yes, but not because I believe God puts any stock in one traveling to a building and folding one's hands. Rather, because the only way to build any relationship with any relational being is to spend time with that being. I also believe in the scientific method, inductive reasoning, and that religion is not a prerequisite for--or the cause of--the drive to do good.

EDIT: I felt the need to throw in the unrequested last bit because, holy mackerel, do atheists and fundamentalists have their skewed views of the other!

21, Utah, LDS

No.
But I'm all for beliefs, if something makes you happy then who am I to say anything?
I don't like it when people try to force their beliefs on you though.

I'm friends with a girl who is extremely Christian to the point that I keep her at an arm's length because some of the stuff she says and what gets puts on Facebook creeps me out. I know she is a nice person and means well but I can't tap into her mindset at all and it makes me uncomfortable.

I just think it's a waste of time and if there is a god I would never want to follow someone who can let such horrible and barbaric things in this world happen day after day. I hate it when religious people say "everything happens for a reason" especially if someone is on their deathbed, yeah thanks my loved one got cancer so the big man upstairs can see him sooner, what a beautiful and selfless act.

The only comeback religion has for not being a work of fiction is "But you can't prove otherwise!". It's not very compelling is it?

Nope, but i have nothing against people who are religious. I'm not one of those bitter angry internet athiests who complain about religion everytime its mentioned.

Well, I used to... I was raised Catholic and went to a Catholic school. I suffered through some years of depression in my teens which was tied to religion. I was really scared of a lot of religious stuff and thought that my relatives were going to die if I didn't pray for them every night. I felt like a horrible person and had terrible thoughts. This depression ate like 5 years out of my life. It's the worst thing that has happened to me and my family. Depression sucks a bunch.

Anyways, around 2008 a couple of relatives did die, and that sort of made me snap out of it, I realized that religion wasn't for me, because it made me scared to live my life normally. I gave up on the whole religion thing, my parents didn't approve but they did realize that this was actually helping me. So, that's that I guess... I don't encourage people to give up on religion like I did, it just wasn't for me at all. I'm 24, female and I live in the Caribbean.

Yes I "attend and do" but I don't believe it. 28 year old. Social Worker. Greater Chicago area, IL.

I was raised in a Christian house, and participated in religious activities. I don't belive in this anymore but I attended service because it makes my wife happy.

Laviticus is a fascinating chapter to read, like why does god care about how I maintain my roofing skills..... how does that handle with city ordinance in 21th century. Every now and then I read the bible for a good laugh, like I rebuilt a roof recently..... and I forgot the goats blood..... so I'm going to HELL!!!

But I'd love to start a cult, like just say it right up "this cult is a scam." Like not trying to hide it.

No I don't, I guess if I had to attach a word to my 'stance' on religion it would be Agnostic.

Male. 17. West Midlands (UK).

I think for a lot of people from my generation (not all obviously but a noticeable amount) religion has never really been something we've ever even given much thought to. Not because of any particular animosity towards it or anything, just because it's never been at the forefront of our minds. I, along with quite a few of my friends, went to a Church of England primary school. We sang hymns in assembly, recognised certain religious holidays and were read Christian stories every now and then. Despite being in this kind of environment from a very young (and malleable) age almost none of the people I went to that school with have gone on to have any serious stance on religion either way.

I didn't even particularly mind it. I thought the hymns were pretty nice!

No. Did all the things a good Catholic should do but I haven't been to church in 8 years nor am I really planning to.

27, male, Georgia.

23/Female/NY/Psychology and Graphic Arts major/No. I consider myself Agnostic. I'm also the only one I know so far whose former religion wasn't Christianity.

My parents were never super religious, and neither was I, but the concept of God seemed really comforting. When I had the worst several years of my life, my first instinct was to pray, and the more I prayed, the worse things became. I eventually gave up. Realizing my love of science, and the fact that I was bisexual sort of cemented my decision. Parents weren't happy, and still insist I'm just as religious as they are, even though they've admitted themselves that they've never been that devoted to it. I'd like to believe God (and the supernatural as a whole) exist, that God loves all people without questioning, and that religion can co-exist with science, but I severely doubt it at this point.

I'm a Christian, male, age 22, living in Florida, History major at Florida Southern College.

Agnostic atheist/43/Female/I live in Massachusetts but I'm from Western Canada/B.A. in Political Studies & Writing but I work in the restaurant biz (thus proving there is no god)

Sorry, but I answered your poll before reading the part about people in their 20-30s. My extended family were a mix of Jehovah's Witnesses & Presbyterians, but I was raised by an agnostic. I'm agnostic about the possibility of god(s) and I'm actively anti-religion.

I'm 28, male, living in Malaysia, and I'm a muslim. I took chemical engineering at the University of Queensland. I'd consider myself as an active participant. I pray 5 times a day, fast in the month of Ramadhan, the whole lot.

Being born in a Malay family in Malaysia means you're automatically made into a Muslim. Your identification card will say you're a muslim by default. Growing up I was taught about the religion by parents and teachers, but it was never really a choice that I had to make and there really was no justification as to why I had to subscribe to this religion apart from the " Because It's the right thing to do". It was only when I was in Australia in my Uni years that I took the effort into really understanding my religion. Nowadays, practicing Islam makes much more sense and I'm doing it more out of choice rather than because everybody else around me does it.

I'm 23, Catholic, live in the northeastern U.S., and am studying philosophy and theology in order to one day be a priest.

From my philosophical studies, philosophy in the 1800's went a bit crazy after most philosophers stopped actively believing -- Schopenhauer, Feuerbach, Nietzsche, etc. From a philosophical and historical point of view, even if I was not totally convinced in the existence of a God (which I am), I would still probably act as if I did.

On a somewhat related note, I've noticed that a great number of people are not actively "atheist" but rather call themselves "agnostic." Which means that they simply don't know if there's a God or not. So most then go and act as if there was not. What'd I'd find interesting, particularly for ethics, is if there were agnostics who don't know if there's a God or not, but more or less act as if there was.

I think in general gamers tend to not practice religion because a majority of us religious folks tend to be slow on getting on board with new stuff/don't like change.

Basically my thoughts.

nope. and never have. i think my mother is slightly religious but never pushed it on me or anything like that.

ill put my head down during christmas at my aunts during grace so not to be an asshole but thats as far as it goes.

27, agnostic, Denmark.

If I were to design the most annoying human being ever, he/she would be an Athiest Vegan Crossfitter. Just putting that out there.

No, 22, Male, Arizona, currently attending Pima Community College, but I'm going to transfer to the University of Arizona soon. My major is Creative Writing.

I don't go to church unless I'm spending the weekend with my grandparents or something, so I do not actively participate. I just think faith is a private thing, I don't even disclose what I believe in to close friends or family. It's a Lizard based Suicide Cult.