Bored and curious - religion clicky poll

kelly321

No real reason other than curiosity and an attempt to ignore my cold...
[Poll]

LadyMadrid08

I grew up Christian non-denominational, but now consider myself agnostic.  I'm always curious when people say they consider themselves a certain religion if they actually believe in the religion or if they simply choose it because they grew up that way/their parents are of that religion.  Here in Spain everyone is "Catholic", but really most people are atheist/agnostic and never go to mass.  

So, all you INs who voted, if you don't mind, could you also share why you consider yourself the religion you chose? 

anna7602

LadyMadrid08:

So, all you INs who voted, if you don't mind, could you also share why you consider yourself the religion you chose? 

I grew up Catholic, but haven't gone to mass regularly in years and married a Jew. However, while I am deeply mistrustful of organized religion in general (and have a lot of issues with the Vatican specifically), I do still consider myself a "faithful" person, just not a dogmatic person. I pray, I go to church on Ash Wednesday to get my ashes, and, hokey as it sounds, I believe in miracles and patron saints. I just have a hard time thinking there's a God who thinks it's more important to sit in a church pew every Sunday than to be out and about engaging with the world and being charitable with your fellow human beings. I know it's possible to do both, but I grew up around too many people who made a big display of how "Catholic" they were and seemed really mean-spirited and petty deep down. And for me, at least, I feel like I can find God/spirituality in other places besides sitting in Church every Sunday.

For the time being, we are raising our daughter in both religious cultures (ex. celebrating Passover, Easter, Hanukkah, Christmas, etc.), but are not members of a church or a synagogue. It's tough to figure out how we'll present actual beliefs to her when the time comes for that and is not something I think I'll suddenly have the answer to when she asks...

PittPurple

I'm Jewish, was raised in a religious household and my immediate family are all ver, very involved in their synagogues (my mom is a religious educator and my brother is a cantor, my father teaches Hebrew school from time to time). I was never as into it as the rest of them and ended up marrying an agnostic-Catholic. There are no Jews in Edinburgh so I'm not part of a synagogue and I miss it a lot which surprised me.

We celebrate Christmas/Chanukah but that's pretty much it. It's important to me that we have a plan for where we're moving next if we are able to have children since I really want to raise them with a Jewish community. I don't think I can do it all on my own. 

DH and I talked very early on in our relationship about children and we will raise any future children in the Jewish faith (although he holds tight to having a Christmas tree which doesn't bother me, Christmas is super fun!)

myblueangel19

I picked Christian because I agree with  most of the teachings of the New Testament. I don't understand the need for a savior, don't necessarily believe in an afterlife (but I'm not against the idea),  and don't have any real beliefs on whether Jesus is the son of God.  In a sense, I am a spiritual-leaning agnostic because I just don't have enough info for or against the religions. But I do agree with the idea that we should love one another, that eventually someone has to turn the other cheek, charity, kindness, patience, etc.  My father is a non-practicing Catholic and I was not raised in the church by my  family.

LadyMadrid08

Ana, I guess going to mass isn't what I meant (poor wording on my part).  I meant most people call themselves Catholic while at the same time saying they don't believe in God and not acting very Christian-like.  I completely agree that there are plenty of people who go through the motions, but are rotten on the inside.  You made a great point.

 

LadyMadrid08

myblueangel19:

 In a sense, I am a spiritual-leaning agnostic because I just don't have enough info for or against the religions. But I do agree with the idea that we should love one another, that eventually someone has to turn the other cheek, charity, kindness, patience, etc.  

I'd say I'm pretty much at this point as well. Nothing against religion, I just personally don't feel I can call myself a Christian when I don't know if I believe in some of the (what I consider to be) integral parts -- namely a savior and God as described by the Bible.  I can understand why other people do though and your explanation makes perfect sense to me.

Publius

I grew up in an Evangelical Christian home but was confirmed Catholic three years ago. For me Catholicism was a choice made as an adult and based entirely on theology. I think most people would consider me to be very Catholic.

myblueangel19

LadyMadrid08:

I'd say I'm pretty much at this point as well. Nothing against religion, I just personally don't feel I can call myself a Christian when I don't know if I believe in some of the (what I consider to be) integral parts -- namely a savior and God as described by the Bible.  I can understand why other people do though and your explanation makes perfect sense to me.

Yea, the Jesus bit tends to be a big part of Christianity   lol It doesn't bother me to consider myself Christian even with my doubts because I am not saying I don't believe it could be true, I just don't understand it. I think any religious person who has no doubts about facts or anything is probably not being honest with themselves (please don't flame me!). I think that doubt is an integral part of faith. So I am a Jesus-doubting Christian. ha!

ktkl09

I was raised in a Protestant house, we went to church, etc but we weren't very religious. I went to Catholic high school and really liked the Catholic church, thought about becoming Catholic but have never got around to it. DH is very anti-organized religion but was raised Catholic. We celebrate Christmas and Easter, but not the religious aspects of them.

ukyankee

I grew up going to a combined Methodist/Presbytarian church (my grandfather was a Methodis minister).  I no longer go to church but have fond memories of the community that was there.  I decided to leave the church due to the fact that there were too many anti-gay things going on - not my church itself, but the Methodist church in general.  I don't see myself as being religious, so call myself Agnostic, but I do feel my moral sense came originally from the teachings of the church.

ooolalalolo

I grew up attending evangelical churches, which has really put me off the whole thing.

I voted 'atheist' because I would consider myself 'without belief in God.' That whole capital letter God? That's the one I don't believe in.

While perhaps one day I will find myself believing in some sort of higher being, I have a hard time seeing myself ever being a part of the kind of organizations I grew up in. 

glitterfart

ukyankee:

I grew up going to a combined Methodist/Presbytarian church (my grandfather was a Methodis minister).  I no longer go to church but have fond memories of the community that was there.  I decided to leave the church due to the fact that there were too many anti-gay things going on - not my church itself, but the Methodist church in general.  I don't see myself as being religious, so call myself Agnostic, but I do feel my moral sense came originally from the teachings of the church.

The Methodist/Presbyterian thing would be interesting. I grew up in a Presbyterian church and wish there was a Presby church here to go to. The PCUSA just decided last year that gays and lesbians could become ordained ministers.

dorothyinAus

I grew up in a lapsed Catholic household, though until we were in high school, we did go to Mass for major feast days.  My brothers and I went to Catholic high schools run by religious orders -- nuns and brothers were not only the administration, but teachers in major subjects.  It made enough of an impact on my younger brother for him to join an order.

I have always considered myself Catholic, though my faith is influenced by Methodist, Presbyterian, and Jewish ideals.  I am not a practicing Catholic, and there are many areas where church doctrine and I disagree, but still Catholicism comes closest to my beliefs.  And, there is the fact that in NOLA, I contend that you are a Catholic by default, if only because the social and cultural calendar revolve around, what are at the most basic, church feast days.

kelly321

LadyMadrid08:

So, all you INs who voted, if you don't mind, could you also share why you consider yourself the religion you chose? 

I grew up Lutheran, attended Catholic mass while going to my private Lutheran college, and married the son of a Lutheran pastor. There are some tenets of Lutheranism that I don't completely agree with, but that's the case with every Christian denomination I've run across. So I'm definitely Christian and Lutheran by default. When the kid(s) are older we might switch to the Baptist church here in town (if we're still here) because it has a better youth program and rooms. But we're strongly for infant baptism, which the baptists obviously aren't, so we'll have to wait until the kids are baptized, at least. Basically, I'm a very practical Christian :-)

welshgirl

anna7602:

I just have a hard time thinking there's a God who thinks it's more important to sit in a church pew every Sunday than to be out and about engaging with the world and being charitable with your fellow human beings. I know it's possible to do both, but I grew up around too many people who made a big display of how "Catholic" they were and seemed really mean-spirited and petty deep down. And for me, at least, I feel like I can find God/spirituality in other places besides sitting in Church every Sunday.

This exactly. I am also distrustful of organised religion. H was raised Catholic and I've been to mass with his family and it really upsets me - for example, you have to pray for the pope and bishops before you pray for the poor and sick. I also think that any God that cares more about church or temple or whatever attendance isn't a God that I can understand.

For the record I was raised without any organised religion. If I was forced to pick one, I'd chose Quaker, for its basis on individual spirituality and relationships with God - my dad was rasied Quaker, and my mom a similar faith. But I describe myself as a humanist.

welshgirl

Also, for the record, I have not been baptised. My parents grew up with anabaptist or anti-baptism churches, so I wasn't baptised at birth. I am not allowed to be a godparent and H has sinned in the eyes of the Catholic church as a result. Our children can't be baptised (even if I wanted them to, which I don't - I dont' see the need, God surly isn't that controlling?).

myblueangel19

welshgirl:

Also, for the record, I have not been baptised. My parents grew up with anabaptist or anti-baptism churches, so I wasn't baptised at birth. I am not allowed to be a godparent and H has sinned in the eyes of the Catholic church as a result. Our children can't be baptised (even if I wanted them to, which I don't - I dont' see the need, God surly isn't that controlling?).

why? I have known tons of different christian denominations and they are all over baptizing. Do you mean they cannot be baptized as children?

Potato Pie

I'm a born and raised Roman Catholic, as is DH. I consider myself a religious person; go to Mass most Sundays (though I don't kill myself about it), and I believe strongly in God, saints, Virgin Mary, Providence, miracles...etc.

But in the end, I really am just a spiritual person. I think the idea of God is universal idea and that many other religions are beautiful (and similar) examples of faith.

Mostly, I appreciate the tradition and community of one faith. I like the art, music, and peacefulness that I find through Catholicism. 

Publius

welshgirl:

Also, for the record, I have not been baptised. My parents grew up with anabaptist or anti-baptism churches, so I wasn't baptised at birth. I am not allowed to be a godparent and H has sinned in the eyes of the Catholic church as a result. Our children can't be baptised (even if I wanted them to, which I don't - I dont' see the need, God surly isn't that controlling?).

I'm not sure where you heard your kids couldn't be baptized, but it's not true. Kids with one Carholic parent get baptized all of the time--actually, when a Catholic marries a non-Catholic to get the marriage recognized by the church the Catholic party has to sign a paper promising to bring their children up in the Church, which includes baptism. Having your marriage recognized by the Church isn't a requirement for having a child baptized either. H's parents were never married, his father was Jewish, and he was baptized as an infant with no issue.

welshgirl

Publius:

welshgirl:

Also, for the record, I have not been baptised. My parents grew up with anabaptist or anti-baptism churches, so I wasn't baptised at birth. I am not allowed to be a godparent and H has sinned in the eyes of the Catholic church as a result. Our children can't be baptised (even if I wanted them to, which I don't - I dont' see the need, God surly isn't that controlling?).

I'm not sure where you heard your kids couldn't be baptized, but it's not true. Kids with one Carholic parent get baptized all of the time--actually, when a Catholic marries a non-Catholic to get the marriage recognized by the church the Catholic party has to sign a paper promising to bring their children up in the Church, which includes baptism. Having your marriage recognized by the Church isn't a requirement for having a child baptized either. H's parents were never married, his father was Jewish, and he was baptized as an infant with no issue.

I should have said, they can't get baptised Catholic - according to PIL's priest. I konw they could get baptised Church of England or prob most others, which I offered to DH is he wanted them baptised, but he wasn't bothered. 

Hmm. Maybe they assumed I wouldnt' raise them Catholic? I'm nto sure! That's just what we were told when we got our blessing (RC, so H could get a sacrement)...

Publius

welshgirl:

Publius:

welshgirl:

Also, for the record, I have not been baptised. My parents grew up with anabaptist or anti-baptism churches, so I wasn't baptised at birth. I am not allowed to be a godparent and H has sinned in the eyes of the Catholic church as a result. Our children can't be baptised (even if I wanted them to, which I don't - I dont' see the need, God surly isn't that controlling?).

I'm not sure where you heard your kids couldn't be baptized, but it's not true. Kids with one Carholic parent get baptized all of the time--actually, when a Catholic marries a non-Catholic to get the marriage recognized by the church the Catholic party has to sign a paper promising to bring their children up in the Church, which includes baptism. Having your marriage recognized by the Church isn't a requirement for having a child baptized either. H's parents were never married, his father was Jewish, and he was baptized as an infant with no issue.

I should have said, they can't get baptised Catholic - according to PIL's priest. I konw they could get baptised Church of England or prob most others, which I offered to DH is he wanted them baptised, but he wasn't bothered. 

Hmm. Maybe they assumed I wouldnt' raise them Catholic? I'm nto sure! That's just what we were told when we got our blessing (RC, so H could get a sacrement)...

Something seems really off there. I don't know if something is missing or if your PIL's priest is senile and losing it, but that's not the RCC's teaching at all (not baptizing the children of someone who isn't baptized themselves). I could see them refusing if neither parent was Catholic, but of one is it's not a problem. All I'm saying is that if you actually wanted to have them baptized in the Catholic church (which I realize you don't) you could.

NLfoodie

I answered SS as I couldn't choose between Christian, Agnostic and SS. I consider myself Unitarian Universalist (but ask me again tomorrow ) and am ' iffy' on the whole God thing. I can't say I surely believe there's nothing, but I'm not sure if I believe it's God and/or I'd want to call it God. UU to me is mostly connected to Christianity though, so that's why I couldn't choose.

I was never baptised in any Church. My dad was baptised protestant and never ever did anything with that and my mom wasn't baptised (big deal in her family - her aunt couldn't marry the person whe wanted with her parents consent because he was a different religion, her brother's response to that was not baptizing any of his children including my mom) but she actually is pretty religious (mostly protestant, but she goes to Cahtolic churches too. My stepmom's family is Quaker and DH's family is Catholic (dad's side Roman Catholic (Dutch) mom's side Ambrosian Catholic (Milanese). DH is actually a baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic, but doesn't care about religion at all.

All in all we're just a very mixed Christian family, with some agnostics in there.  

BlushingMama

I am a practising Methodist Christian. I go to Church every Sunday and volunteer at the toddler group on a Wednesday, I am also on the list for baking cakes for the Church, I don't do this because I believe it makes me a better Christian, I do this because it makes me feel part of not only a community, but a family too. My fondest memories from growing up was going to Church and being involved, be it Church camps, plays, Friday night youth, etc. Here is the shocker, my Mother hardly ever went to Church and never made me go either, I went by choice from the time I knew what Church was and I want the same for James.

We chose to go to the Church where we are now because if its a hot day then the leader will stand and preach in her boardshorts and a t-shirt, while a 90 year old can be in the same service and feel comfortable in her Sunday best dress and hat. James loves playing with the other kids, they run around screaming and chasing each other, if we at a Church lunch we hardly see the kids as they all off playing somewhere and everyone knows their names. The bigger kids look out for the younger kids like a family and if I have a worry or a problem then I can go to the Church in tears and I know I will have someone to share the problem with and someone to pray for me. I do strongly believe in the power of prayer and I think that has rubbed off on James as he likes to pray as well (without being asked - ask TofuMonkey). Going to Church for me as an Expat was especially important, and on our first Sunday in the UK we went to Church, it wasn't the right fit for us, so we tried a few others and after 3 years of looking we found the right one and I really do feel part of it.

As for the religious side, I am a firm believer in Jesus Christ and all that he has done. I also do believe that by going to Church does not make me a better Christian, praying, believing and spreading God's love, in other words, having a relationghip with God makes me a better Christian.

Ok, thats me done, sorry for the book. 

VABeach08

I was raised Catholic and would consider myself Catholic.  H was literally an altar boy and is probably more into the finer points of dogma than I am, but we're both Catholic.

Both of my siblings married non-Catholic Christians (Anglican and Methodist), so I'm familiar and comfortable w my neices and nephews being raised outside of the catholic church.   At the end of the day, if you're a good person, that's all that matters.  And quite literally, God knows, it's probably not my def of good .

 

That said, Welsh, not pushing, but as an FYI, your parents do not need to be Catholic (or even married( for you to be Baptised RC.  I'm not trying to be a jerk or a know it all, but really, I'm 100% sure.

bluegirl2006

I grew up going to a Christian church and I was baptised and married (the first time) in a Christian church. I am not a Christian, however. I spent most of my adult life trying to believe and just never quite made it.

I am not religious at all now. However, I do consider myself to be spiritual and not agnostic or atheist. 

allibally

I went to a United Church of Christ church growing up. I haven't been to a service in ages. DH is Catholic but non practicing. I've been to a few services with him and the practices just throw me off from wanting to switch. I've thought about looking for a UCC church now that we are back in the US but honestly I'm just not in the mood right now to attend. I like the message that UCC faith sends openness to all races and sexual orientations. I would prefer our children to be raised in a open and loving church vs. One that could make them feel guilty.

EnidFalcor

I voted atheist, but if I wanted to get picky I would have gone SS since I would say atheism is not a religion.

kelly321

EnidFalcor:

I voted atheist, but if I wanted to get picky I would have gone SS since I would say atheism is not a religion.

True. Perhaps "What world view do you have?" would have been more accurate? ;-)

Bananas0827

I picked Athiest because I don't believe in organized religion. I was raised Baptist.

MouseInLux

welshgirl:

Publius:

welshgirl:

Also, for the record, I have not been baptised. My parents grew up with anabaptist or anti-baptism churches, so I wasn't baptised at birth. I am not allowed to be a godparent and H has sinned in the eyes of the Catholic church as a result. Our children can't be baptised (even if I wanted them to, which I don't - I dont' see the need, God surly isn't that controlling?).

I'm not sure where you heard your kids couldn't be baptized, but it's not true. Kids with one Carholic parent get baptized all of the time--actually, when a Catholic marries a non-Catholic to get the marriage recognized by the church the Catholic party has to sign a paper promising to bring their children up in the Church, which includes baptism. Having your marriage recognized by the Church isn't a requirement for having a child baptized either. H's parents were never married, his father was Jewish, and he was baptized as an infant with no issue.

I should have said, they can't get baptised Catholic - according to PIL's priest. I konw they could get baptised Church of England or prob most others, which I offered to DH is he wanted them baptised, but he wasn't bothered. 

Hmm. Maybe they assumed I wouldnt' raise them Catholic? I'm nto sure! That's just what we were told when we got our blessing (RC, so H could get a sacrement)...

I was christened C of E, DH catholic, E has been baptized into the catholic church with no questions asked.