What's yours?

[arwcuw]

I wondered about the distribution of religions in this forum. What's your religious orientation, if any?

I, myself, am a Unitarian Universalist Eclectic Neopagan. A long name for a complicated concept. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

[Silke]

erm...yeah!! Please explain!!

[arwcuw]

Okay. Unitiarianism and Universalism used to be two liberal Christian denominations, but they eventually departed from the rest of Christianity because they didn't require that their members believe in Christ, or pretty much anything. Then they realized that their two organizations were pretty much alike, so they joined forces to create the Unitarian Universalist Association, or UUA. While UUs can pretty much believe whatever they think is best, there are certain principles that we uphold collectively: the inherent worth and dignity of all people, the individual search for truth, the democratic process, and respect for the interdependant web of life. We're united as a community for fellowship and service, if not because we all believe the same thing.

As for the Eclectic Neopagan part, since UUs are encouraged to follow whatever religious beliefs and practices they feel the most drawn to, I've chosen to follow an animistic and polytheistic path that is most often referred to as "Pagan" or "Neopagan"; Eclectic because my beliefs and practices come from several sources.

[scabrat]

Okay. Unitiarianism and Universalism used to be two liberal Christian denominations, but they eventually departed from the rest of Christianity because they didn't require that their members believe in Christ, or pretty much anything. Then they realized that their two organizations were pretty much alike, so they joined forces to create the Unitarian Universalist Association, or UUA. While UUs can pretty much believe whatever they think is best, there are certain principles that we uphold collectively: the inherent worth and dignity of all people, the individual search for truth, the democratic process, and respect for the interdependant web of life. We're united as a community for fellowship and service, if not because we all believe the same thing.

As for the Eclectic Neopagan part, since UUs are encouraged to follow whatever religious beliefs and practices they feel the most drawn to, I've chosen to follow an animistic and polytheistic path that is most often referred to as "Pagan" or "Neopagan"; Eclectic because my beliefs and practices come from several sources.

Well I used to athiest, but this is so close to the way i think, I might have been converted.

[maddie]

Lutheran upbringing, though my parents had the sense to allow me to decide if I wanted to go to church or not. Theirs had made them, and they learned from that.

I went faithfully for years, then realized that knowing the liturgy by heart meant I wasn't paying attention to it and not thinking about it. That and some church politics led to me leaving the church. Haven't gone regularly since then, and that's before we got married in the early '90s.

Now, I tend to identify myself as Lutheran with Quaker tendencies. I'm comfortable with the Lutheran catechism, but I like that the Quakers encourage followers to explore a variety of belief systems and don't dictate what you should believe.

[Silke]

Thank you for adding some flesh to the bone, arwcuw. I'll be back with more questions once I've digested this one and have a little more time on my hands. Very interesting, indeed...

[Ozme52]

Frisbeetarian... I believe that when we die, our souls are thrown up on the roof...

[cariad]

Frisbeetarian... I believe that when we die, our souls are thrown up on the roof...

I guess that is 'other' then.

[Goldear]

I am in that " other " category. Raised Roman Catholic, somewhat strict, heated arguements in our house when I was a young teen.
I believe in a supreme being, the galactic gardner, planting seeds across the universe. For lack of a better word I call him God. I tend to stay way clear of religions and disagree with most of their tenents. I view them as lines in the sand, them and us, put simply.
I always like that line in the old John Lennon song.."Imagine" .".imagine no reglions..i wonder if you can. "
My beliefs, I feel, are also science based since the first time I pointed a telescope upwards, in that, I do believe in life elsewhere.
Not trying to open a debate, I rarely debate beliefs with anyone.

[submissivewife]

Frisbeetarian... I believe that when we die, our souls are thrown up on the roof...

Damn Oz, you are so funny! I loved that one!

[StillBehindBlueEyes]

Frisbeetarian... I believe that when we die, our souls are thrown up on the roof...

I love this one!!!!

Ok I'm a non church going Holy Roller. Find church and religion offensive. Love Jesus with all my heart. Get a high that can't be matched when worshiping. Yes I was one of those crazy ladies who danced in church. Giggle.

[Warbaby1943]

I love this one!!!!

Ok I'm a non church going Holy Roller. Find church and religion offensive.

Saw an actual Holy Roller service once from outside looking in. Interesting to say the least.

Raised and still a practicing Catholic.

[StillBehindBlueEyes]

Saw an actual Holy Roller service once from outside looking in. Interesting to say the least.

Raised and still a practicing Catholic.

Was raised Catholic myself.

[Warbaby1943]

Was raised Catholic myself.

You know the secret hand shake then, don't you?

[Rhabbi]

Ok I'm a non church going Holy Roller. Find church and religion offensive. Love Jesus with all my heart. Get a high that can't be matched when worshiping. Yes I was one of those crazy ladies who danced in church. Giggle.

Great, I am one of those crazy guys who did the samr thing.

[His_pita]

Ok I'm a non church going Holy Roller. Find church and religion offensive. Love Jesus with all my heart. Get a high that can't be matched when worshiping. Yes I was one of those crazy ladies who danced in church. Giggle.

I read the three pages of this thread and this answer from StillBehindBlueEyes is the closest fit to what I believe in.

I would dearly love to find a church that accepted me with Christian love. However, I don't think that will happen anytime soon and I don't plan to conform to what they think makes a good follower of Christ.

[vistana]

I was raised atheist, and have never seen a reason to change. My great-grandfather was from Ireland and after growing up in poverty and seeing them take what little his family had in the name of God, saying that if they didn't give they'd go to hell he immigrated to Canada and turned his back on organized religion entirely.

So that's my religious background. I've attended a regular church service twice in my life, one was Catholic on Palm sunday and I can't remember which church the other was. One wedding thrown in there, and that's my sum direct experience with organized religious ceremony. Didn't much like it either.

[Rhabbi]

I was raised atheist, and have never seen a reason to change.

Never seen a reason to change. It makes me wonder, have you looked. Organized religion has doen some despicable things, or at least men have done them in its name, but I daresay that God feels the same about it as you do.

[the_wanlorn]

I checked Pagan and Other, because I have a homebrew (to use a gaming terminology) faith that most closely aligns with paganism.

[poetic_justice]

Wiccan.

Voted as Pagan, closest thing to it on the poll
I enjoyed reading the many responses here.

[seriouslynosn]

I'm an atheist, although I like anti-theist just because it is outrrrrrrrrrrrageous!

I am officially banning me from the religion topics. If it is possible to do so officially you may want to do so. I tend to say things like religions are primitive explanations of things not explainable by known science and comfort for those afraid of death.

<---that's for me

[isabeau6]

i was raised Lutheran but don't go now to any church...i don't need a church to believe

[arwcuw]

I'm a little surprised at how many of us are Christian. I don't come into contact with many Christians in my everyday life; I still sometimes catch myself thinking they're a bunch of sexually repressed conservatives, though I know that isn't true. And this poll is proof.

[Ozme52]

Lol

[StillBehindBlueEyes]

Giggle, hummmm Warbaby, I think Oz is listening again.

[Warbaby1943]

Giggle, hummmm Warbaby, I think Oz is listening again.

Yeah. We'll have to start whispering. Problem is, Oz probably has better hearing than I do. Huh?

[cariad]

He probably has a bugged Frisbee sitting on your roofs

[StillBehindBlueEyes]

Oh that's what that thump was?
Smiles

[vistana]

Having proclaimed my staunch atheism, i feel I must add that I do feel a certain reverence towards the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
I have been touched by His Noodly Appendage

[Ozme52]

Thump