Do you still follow the religion you were raised with?

[OdoWanKenobi]

I was raised Jewish, but I find myself more of an agnostic than anything else. This is not really to do with my thoughts on Judaism, but on religion as a whole. I don't really see a need for it in my life. I guess I consider myself Jewish in heritage, but not Jewish in faith.

 

[RandyS]

Other than an occasional visit to church once in a blue moon, or for Christmas services (also once in a blue moon), my family never really practiced religion, and I still don't.

The concept of God was, to put it mildy was not a welcome subject in the homes in which I was raised.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Other than an occasional visit to church once in a blue moon, or for Christmas services (also once in a blue moon), my family never really practiced religion, and I still don't.

The best was the guilt trip the priest would always lay on the people who only showed up for Easter or Christmas services.

"Lots of new faces here today..."

 

[Mark de Vries]

^^^^^
But again, I think it can make you wonder about ancient man -- did souls just appear at some point in our species' evolution, or did they "evolve" along with us? I'm probably over-thinking this, but it does kind of go back to the idea of whether science and religion are necessarily in conflict with each other.

Don't forget that the Christian faith teaches us that humans (and therefore their souls) were created by God (I know, I'm being Captain Obvious here ). Now, how exactly He did that, the Bible doesn't say. Perhaps He allowed evolution to lead to us and then endowed us with Souls. I don't know. All the same, it would be very hard to provide evidence as to whether or not earlier human species had souls and, if so, what kind of souls. The same as ours, or different?

The Catholic Church does make a distinction between the physical and the non-physical, saying that the physical very likely is the product of a long evolution, but that the soul is unique and created by God. It did not come forth out of some evolution of the body.

I'd hoped that it would spawn some interesting discussion rather than degenerate into name-calling and ranting (which is one of the reasons I put it here instead of in TNZ... plus I thought I'd get a more varied response here). It looks like my hopes were fulfilled.

Thanks people!

Yeah that's fantastic, isn't it? I haven't been in TNZ in years, but the stories I sometimes hear make me glad I can't see it.

 

[Loupjo]

My father was an atheist (born and raised) while my mother also came from a non-religious family but often attended catholic church in later life. I myself was not baptised or raised with any religion untill I attented a catholic school when I was 10 years old. My parents dit not chose this school because of its religion but simply because it was the school with the best reputation in our area.

I learned a lot about catholicism during my time in school as well as Christianity in general. I started regularly attending church when I was student and finally converted to catholicism. I attended catholic church on and off but would always refer to myself as a christian or when pressed a catholic. I also attented other Christian churches for a while but never found a church where I felt I really belonged.

The catholic church pleasantely suprised me when I met and married my husband. Although my husband is a muslim this was never an issue for the church. Although we obviously could not have a real church wedding given that he isn't even christian our local priest did bless our marriage and we had a ceremony in church. This has really moved me and has made it even clearer to me that real humanity and faith can be found in the church.

Nowadays I go to a catholic church most sundays. I don't necessarily believe everything the catholic church teaches nor do I think that it's important I do. I am Christian before a Catholic or maybe the two are the same. I can feel at home in another church if I have to but I feel the most comfortable with catholicism.

I read a lot a about religion and I also often attend inter demonational and protestant events. I enjoy talking and sharing about my religion with other people.

One thing I have noticed is that especially the more traditional and conservative protestant churches often have more difficuly accepting differences in faith and ways faith is perceived than the catholic church. The catholic church indeed has a very conservative message and on the outside seems this immense structure with no room for being different because of the strict hierarchy. However within the church I have found so many different ways of thinking, worship etc. This diversity for me is one of the things which appeals my in the catholic church. I think in protestant churches because there are so many different ones people that don't agree with the mainstream or majority of their church's teaching leave their church for another more easily then do catholics.

Strict protestant churches also seem to have more difficulty accepting an interfaith marriage such as mine then does the catholic church.

 

[RandyS]

Other than an occasional visit to church once in a blue moon, or for Christmas services (also once in a blue moon), my family never really practiced religion, and I still don't.

The best was the guilt trip the priest would always lay on the people who only showed up for Easter or Christmas services.

"Lots of new faces here today..."

Yeah, I know.

 

[Trippy]

I wasn't raised in a religion by my parents, but summers spent with my grandmother, who was a Sunday school teacher, and whose father had been an Anglican minister. So, I was baptised in the Anglican church, and attended every summer Sunday of my life until I was 16. Then I said 'no thanks' to my grandmother (a little teenage rebellion). I went back to the church on my own in my early 20s, and baptised my son in the Anglican church when he was born.

That said, I lapsed big time! I'm not really into organized religion with its rules and 'dos' and 'don't dos'. So no, I don't follow the Anglican church any longer, or any organized religion.

 

[msbae]

A little something I made for the 'Thread Bombs' thread...

 

[Mark de Vries]

Yeah, I already saw it there. Why post it here again?

 

[Newski]

I was born and raised Catholic. But my life was kinda hectic, so I became one of "those guys" who grasped religion like a crutch... Until I was seventeen, and I began hating everything..... Became a typically whiney teen pagan...

That shit ended relatively fast..... And over the past few years (I'm in my mid twenties now) I've found myself becoming more and more religious. I'm a Christian who prays daily, reads the bible, but never goes to church.....

So I guess you can say yes, albeit I'm not a catholic.... I'm still within the same "Christian" blanket group but not that specific branch.

Actually, I've been going to churches recently, trying to find one to go to... BUt often times I just want to scream at the Pastors....

 

[msbae]

Yeah, I already saw it there. Why post it here again?

I thought it would get a few laughs here from the people who haven't seen it yet.

Actually, I've been going to churches recently, trying to find one to go to... BUt often times I just want to scream at the Pastors....

I had a similar experience with the church I was attending until January. Those people were nice but, I don't like left-wing politics mixed with my spiritual life.

 

[Newski]

Actually, I've been going to churches recently, trying to find one to go to... BUt often times I just want to scream at the Pastors....

I had a similar experience with the church I was attending until January. Those people were nice but, I don't like left-wing politics mixed with my spiritual life.

See, I'm quite the opposite... I don't like the right wingers.... Though in general, I don't want any politics in my services. I'll work out my leftist agendas elsewhere.

 

[msbae]

Actually, I've been going to churches recently, trying to find one to go to... BUt often times I just want to scream at the Pastors....

I had a similar experience with the church I was attending until January. Those people were nice but, I don't like left-wing politics mixed with my spiritual life.

See, I'm quite the opposite... I don't like the right wingers.... Though in general, I don't want any politics in my services. I'll work out my leftist agendas elsewhere.

I don't care for any politics from the pulpit. The church I was going to was fairly Left-wing, though. That's why that wing was mentioned.