Do you actively participate in a religion?

Man, this thread sure has gotten heated since the last time I checked on it. I guess it could've gotten a lot worse faster on other parts of the Internet.

@leebmx: I celebrate Christmas because of family but we don't celebrate Easter and put much more emphasis on Chanukah and Passover.

I never meant to say that you weren't a Jew, I'm just pointing out some of the illogical beliefs that some people in the Jewish community have. I've been fighting the whole, "you're not Jewish because you believe Jesus is the Messiah. But if you don't believe in God, that's okay, you're still one of us thing for years." It's frustrating but I've kind of gotten over it by now.

If your parents or one of your parents is Jewish, I believe that you are Jewish by bloodline no matter what beliefs you have. The religious part of it gets very complicated.

Muslim beliefs have some basis in the old testament but the Quran and Bible are completely different and we share completely different beliefs.

no, i dont belive in what they are selling. im fine with people having there beliefs as long as they are not hurting anyone and not trying to ram it down my throat. so im a open minded atheist. most of my country and therefore most of the habbits and customs are of christian protestants but nothing really major. and neither of my parents, actually none in my family that i know of believe in any religion.
in school i had a project that lasted 2 weeks. and i chose religion where i thoroughly studied all kinds of religion and i diddent find anything i could commit to. althought i was forced to it would be zen Buddhism an ofspring of regular Buddhism
dont know if that part helps

M 27, Denmark. job: hard to explain since its a multitude of things combined in to one. so there is really not a direct word for it. but roughly it would be plumber
i have only been to church when im forced to. like babtism, weddings and funerals.

I would say I'm an atheist. I have come close to eating those little discs of bread in a church though. I wonder what those are like.

I am a confirmed Catholic who used to go to church regularly. In the past few years, the participation kinda lost its meaning to me, and I don't feel like I belong in any religious community anymore. So I stopped going. That said, religion is still a big part of my culture (not just Catholicism), and strangely I think I now care about religion more than I ever did when I was an active participant.

edit: forgot to say: early 20's, M, currently studying computer science in VIC, AU

Atheist, 31 (aged out of your study?), male, Los Angeles, went to CSULA for general music before burning out on department politics.

I spent a long section of my late-teens/early-twenties really wanting to believe in religion because of that whole mortality thing. It was more of a coincidence, but during that time I dated three very religious women, the kind that don't just attend service but help lead it. So I spent my fair share of time in church, some of it in front of the congregation helping lead everyone in song. None of that changed me though. I didn't grow up atheist. Religion was something we never talked about in my household. But the more and more I became exposed to it over time it just became clear to me that it was all made-up, just like the Greek and Roman stuff we learned about in school. Even now as I feel my old-ass hurtling towards oblivion and lay awake at night paralyzed by the reality of it all, sometimes I think to myself "boy I hope I'm wrong about this afterlife stuff" even though I know I'm not.

Maybe I'll find religion when I'm 60.

No, Age 24, I'm a server at an Italian Restaurant and living in Auburn Hills, MI, United States. And to fully answer your question I do not actively follow a religion in my adult life. I mean I was raised as Baptist and went to church up until around the age of 17 or so when I started working. I really didn't have the time to go to sunday service. I believe in god and do my best to be a good person but most of my religious views kinda have a spiritual lean to them. Long story short I believe in doing good deeds for the sake of doing good deeds and nothing more.

Nope, I don't have time for such nonsense.

Late 21, currently studying design and living somewhere in Asia. To answer you question yes. Here comes the short story.

My family when I was growing up are nominal muslims; just as many others in the state. We participate here and there but not what you call as active participants.

I was never forced going to the mosque,read the Quran or pray. Perhaps in twist of fate, I come to do those things anyway, but out of choice rather than being told to do them.

Through that I fostered my faith in Islam little by little that eventually yes, I do practice Islam. Avoid the intoxicants, prohibited meals, actually fasting depriving myself meals till sundown. Of course currently living around with Muslims from different parts of the Earth; different peoples and language but unified by the same faith certainly helps maintaining that religiosity.

Hope that helps with your research.

No, I don't actively participate in a religion.

23, Male, Texas, A&M, Computer Science.

23, Male, Utah, LDS, BYU, Business Management (Marketing)

Haven't been to church in a while. I should fix that.

No. 20, male, Ohio, Youngstown State University Electrical Engineering

I was an atheist at 14 when I read a story about a kid leaving church getting shot. I didn't know him, but a coworker had some friends who knew the kid and he was great I heard. I've always questioned religion because even at a young age it didn't make sense to me, especially the stories I heard from the bible. My family are all believers, but not really into all the church stuff. But they pray and all that, just don't really talk about it which I respect. I started reading more information online because I wanted to learn, after reading topics regarding religion and science for years, I'm a firm atheist now. That's all I guess.

No. I was not raised in a religious household. I went to a Christmas service once when I was 21 or so, and was pretty weirded out by it. It was like being in a big room where everyone claims to have the same imaginary friend.

I consider myself agnostic. I don't believe that anyone can prove there is a higher power, and I've seen nothing that compels me to follow one faith over another. I suppose that makes me effectively atheist. I certainly don't believe that there is an all powerful being performing miracles on a daily basis, or revealing itself to humans through prophecy.

I celebrate Christmas and Easter, but in a non-religious way, like Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July. I just like holidays for the sake of celebration and tradition (so long as those traditions don't hurt anyone). It's nice to give and receive gifts, and it's nice to see family and friends.

25, male, Wisconsin, graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2011

In Sweden the Easter celebrations have more to do with the Witch trials of the 16th century than any direct Christian traditions, at least in the public mind, I think.

Kids dress up as witches and go around the neighborhood asking for candy, like how you seem to celebrate Halloween, and there's something vague said about the Witches flying to Blåkulla/the Blue Virgin island to hold a sabbath with the Devil.

Then there's of course a whole bunch of Easter rabbits and eggs which I don't think anybody has any idea of what they have to do with anything.

As for Christmas, we celebrated that before the country was Christianized, under a pagan name and celebrated it largely the same way (our "santa" isn't a Christian saint, but traditionally the spirit of a deceased family member or former owner of the house who still watches over the residents). Even the Christians here use the pagan name Jul, even if they apply their own theistic ideas on it, with going to church, talking and singing about Christ and all that stuff.

Yep, Roman Catholic 30 and Aussie. As for why I am, it's just as part of me as being brown haired or male, it's me. Gay too, which I assume isn't relevant, but just who I am too.

Andrew Ryan had it right on the gates leading into Rapture. "No gods or demons. Only man." I don't believe in Santa Claus or the Peter Pan. Why should I believe in a God? Even if I did, which on is the correct one? The one your parents said it was?

Here's the story on religion I ended up writing. Check it out, comment on the story.

I'm kind of shocked at the amount of non-religious on here. I expected us to be a majority, but damn that's quite a big one.

No

26

male

Norway

Political Science

University of Agder

No, 28, male, Defiance Collage, Comp Sci, Ohio. Had the preacher at my church proceed to go on an anti gay rant after finding out a member of the congregations kid had come out as gay (a friend of mine), walked out and never went back, fuck bigots.

Although I can say I'm in churches quite a bit as I do wiring and IT installs in churches and nursing homes a whole lot so I can play the part if need be.