Religious affiliations

[Brovo]

This is just a poll to figure out what the general religious (or non-religious) faiths of Iwaku are, for my own curiosity. Here's a quick hitlist of what this thread is, and what this thread isn't.

• This thread is not about debating the merits of one spiritual choice over another. See that thread tag up there? "Poll." Not "debate." If I catch anyone trying to attack someone else for their religious beliefs, I'll call the hammer squad. You'll feel the results, guaranteed. You can feel free to explain why you came to believe one thing over another, but consider this thread a sanctuary: No fighting here.
• To the end of sanctuary, I will be refraining from posting my own beliefs (save voting in the poll) unless otherwise requested, and will act solely as a neutral arbitrator to prevent debates.
• The poll's results will be hidden from view until you vote, vote-changing is disallowed, and voter identity concealed. This ensures that you vote for what you believe, rather than what the majority believes.
• There are hundreds of beliefs on Earth. Some beliefs will be categorized together (ex: Protestantism and its hundreds of offspring), and others may not make it on the poll. There will be an "other" option to reflect this. Feel free to explain further in a post below, if you wish.
• Below, you can find a list of questions to answer, if you desire to further enunciate your views.

I've tucked away additional questions you can answer in this spoiler tag below. It's all nicely formatted for you too.

Copy-Paste Questions

[b]--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?[/b]
Answer here!

[b]--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?[/b]
Answer here!

[b]--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?[/b]
Answer here!

[b]--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?[/b]
Answer here!

[b]--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?[/b]
Answer here!

[b]--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?[/b]
Answer here!

[b]--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?[/b]
Answer here!

[b]--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?[/b]
Answer here!

[b]--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?[/b]
Answer here!

[b]--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?[/b]
Answer here!

[b]--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?[/b]
Answer here! (Agnostic - Without absolute certainty of one's beliefs. Gnostic - Absolute certainty of one's beliefs. Ex: "Agnostic Atheist", "Gnostic Atheist", "Agnostic Theist", "Gnostic Theist.")

[b]--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it![/b]
Answer here!

 

[Firemind]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Agnostic (Categorised under Atheistic) - I am open to the concept of religion, but have yet to be swayed one way or the other. I sometimes prescribe to a personal idea of faith that suit my morality (Sheilaism.)

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
I was born into a mildly Protestant Christian family, but my parents were liberal and didn't mind when I expressed my lack of faith. Ever since, I have found myself drawn between a number of Shielaism type pseudo-faiths that work for me.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
A fairly weak belief. I am aware that there are so many religions that I have not explored, and I am open to the idea of faith, but I have yet to be convinced.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
I have nothing to convert others to. I think people have the right to explore whatever code of morality they seek to explore. Religions are like Penises - It's great if you have one, just don't jiggle it in my face.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
See above.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
Again, see above. I was born and Christened as a member of the Church of England, but I moved away from it.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
No! Non-intrusive Sheilaism, ho!

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
Yes.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?

Yes. This is probably the most interesting question on this list, so I'd like to rationalise the bluntness of the answer. I am a humanist at heart. I believe everyone should have the right to pursue whatever faith/moral system they want to as long as it does not impede on another's right to do so. As such, if someone were to attempt to stifle my belief system as immoral, or wrong, or unnatural, I would naturally rebel against that. My belief system is an expression of my right to free speech, and under extreme enough circumstances I could see myself committing an act of violence to protect my beliefs.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
No, See above questions about non-intrusive Shielaisms.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Agnostic Atheist.

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!
No, Thank you. Have a picture of a Red Panda. It is like the asian cousin of the Ferret, or something.

 

[KayLove |-/]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Atheist

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
I'm more of a realist and just don't believe in all that

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
To the point where I question people's reason to believing in it.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
No, because even though I strongly disagree with people's religion, I still respect what they believe and keep quiet about it.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
No, they're Christians. I have yet to tell them I'm an atheist and don't think I will any time soon.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
I used to be Christian, but shit happened and made me see none of it's real, plus, eh, science.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
No, because I don't admit it often.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
Set in stone v.v

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
No.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
No

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Gnostic

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!

 

[dragonesper]

My affiliation is complicated to explain.

I was signed in the state church so I had a protestant baptism.

My coming-of-age ceremony opened to opt for an atheistic course the year I turned fifteen. I opted for that and would've dropped it otherwise because churches make me sleepy.

I'm still a member of the state church, but it's mostly because I haven't really bothered with signing out of it and being a member affected your taxes. I don't remember how and right now it's not something I honestly care about.

As for personal beliefs... *prepares shield*
I find it hard to believe in an almighty and all-powerful god *peeks up over the shield*
While it's to certain degree admirable that people can believe in a god, personally I don't find it a valid enough reason to excuse and decide your conduct *makes the shield bigger*

Ethics =/= belief

Still, if you do follow the ethics of your belief and find them right then those ethics are most likely yours.

 

[Minerva]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Catholicism

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
Family. I like the traditions.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
Fairly casual, but some parts I follow more than others.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
A bit. It's not really my place.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
Some of them do share, and those who don't either approve, or Don't care that I know.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
Yes.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
Not really. I've dated an atheist, and a Protestant,. We've all gotten along well.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
set in stone

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
Eh, I don't know

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
Nope.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Gnostic, though it really depends on the use of Gnostic here.

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!

ALright, cool

 

[Gwazi Magnum]

Why does Islam/Christianity get multiple branches in the poll, but other religions are all wrapped up/generalized?

Belief: Atheism

• How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?

Very Confident.

That being said if enough evidence (scientific evidence) can show me wrong then my position will change.
So if evidence showing *a* God exists were to ever pop up, I would become a theist.
But I would not follow any current religion until additional evidence would pop up proving that religion over any other religion.

However, even if I ever hit a point where I scientifically agreed _____ religion was true, depending on it's holy scriptures I might still not like the God in question.
That's what the last of my Christian days were like actually, "God, I believe in you... But you're an asshole".

• Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?

I'll engage in open discussion/debate about it whenever someone is willing to (and isn't simply shit throwing).
But no, I don't go out and about actively trying to convert people.

• Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?

My Sister shares the same beliefs, mostly.
She's also an atheist, but also believes in ghosts, the supernatural etc. Which I don't.

My Parents and extended family though (to my knowledge) are all Catholic Christian, and I'm very open/public about being an atheist so I'd be shocked if some of them didn't know by this point.
Mom's voiced mild disappointment on a few occasions about me being an Atheist, but other than that they haven't done or said anything about it.

Hell the only religious thing I ever heard from my Dad, in my entire life was when I was a little kid and he said I wasn't allowed to play Gameboy in the middle of a Church sermon (It was some extended families baptism, no one in my family ever bothers going to church weekly. Well, two grandparents used to. One's dead now though and the other one is stuck in a retirement home).

• Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?

I was raised a Casual Catholic Christian. Lasted that way for 14 years with no issue, but then one day three different things began to happen in my life.

1. I had started to attend a Youth Group for High Schoolers, ran and hosted by a Church.
2. I had started to get exposed to the world of YouTube, with channels like TheAmazingAtheist and ShockofGod being some of the first channels I ran across.
3. My most religious Grandparent had died.

These three things combined had sparked a strong curiosity and desire to dig further into my religion. The original intention mind you was to learn more about my Religion, and become a better Catholic.
Remember the "ShockofGod" channel I mentioned above? Well, he had an online Christian chatroom, which effectively functioned as an online Church. And that online church sucked me right in where I was known as "TheChristianCanadian".
It gave me a sense of community, it expanded my social circle, and it allowed me to constantly ask questions about Christianity (something my parents never did because they took a "You don't need the Bible" approach).

So for a little over a year I became a much more extreme/fundamental Christian. Even resorting to things such as denouncing climate change, evolution, and believing LGBT+ to be a sin.
And I very well might have ended up staying that way if not for the fact the first friend I had made in High School was an Atheist, one who I engaged in constant debate and discussion with on the topic.
It allowed me to hear other arguments and perspectives that I just wasn't seeing in the Online church, and gave me something else to ponder and think about.

Questions where when I came back to the Church and asked them for clarification allowed me to start seeing a more ugly side, suddenly I was now challenging their religion.
Their disposition changed quickly, getting far more hostile and aggressive. And most of their responses were either shame tactics or not even addressing the question being asked.

So by the time I had hit 16, I had now spent 2 years questioning and looking over the Religion. And having been exposed to both sides, seeing how the sides reacted to one another, and thinking it all through for myself I had hit a series of conclusions over the following year.

The first was that if one was to go by the Bible, God was an asshole. I might not like him, but that doesn't mean he isn't true. This what the "God, I believe in you... But you're an asshole" Christian days were referring to.

Then I found that scientifically nothing seemed to be really supporting Christianity, so I started calling myself an Agnostic (not according to the Gnostic-Agnostic scale. I was [wrongfully] using it as a substitute for Atheism at the time). I didn't believe in the Christian God anymore, but I felt there may be some kind of God out there somewhere.

Then lastly, by the time I hit 17 I decided that even that was scientifically invalid given our current evidence and knowledge, so I started calling myself an Atheist.
And have continued to do so ever since.

• Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?

Not to my knowledge.

As said above my Family really doesn't ever mention it other than my Mom on occasion.

My Friends are majority atheist so they already agree with me, and the few who aren't as mostly Casual religious folk so there's nothing to really clash about to begin with.
There's only one strongly religious friend I have, and I've never actually told him face to face that I was an atheist. But, he has me on Facebook where I am very open about my beliefs.
So the odds of him not knowing is minimal.

And then for relationships?

I've only ever been in the two, in the first one she was an Atheist. But it had started back when I was still a Christian, yet it was never something we clashed about.
And this relationship had actually lasted right up until the time I had became an Atheist, so she was there for a lot of the conversion process (we got together when I was late 15. Still a Christian, but the majority of the questioning had already taken place).
Now, the relationship was ultimately unhealthy for both of us and we had to break up in the end, but none of the issues we had were due to religious differences.

The second one, I was only with her for 2 weeks so I was never able to get a strong understand as to what she believed. But from what I gathered she was like my Sister, an Atheist but also believed a lot of the spiritual stuff.

• Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?

I believe I can change my views given the proper evidence.
But that evidence has yet to show up.

• Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?

Never.

• Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?

The only political views my Atheism influences are laws that have to do with religion.
Such as separation of Church and State, if Religious schools should be allowed etc.

And the way it influences it is that I don't think anyone's religion should be getting shoved down peoples throats, may it be in school or through laws.
Let science, reason and the integrity of one's character be the judge, not some book or church.

• Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?

Agnostic because I am open to being wrong.

But it still doesn't mean I'm not going to speak up if I think religion is doing something stupid.
Nor does it mean I'm not going to have my disagreements with religion.

 

[Kestrel]

As always; disclaimer-time: this post contains my opinion. My opinion may very well be offensive to you. Rest assured it is not intended to, but if you know you are easily offended, please skip to the next post. I do not seek to debate my views.

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
None.

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
I think what sealed the deal was actually reading the Bible. At highschool there were Jehova's trying to preach us into religion, waiting out of the gates. I accepted a Bible and started reading it. I did not like it. I asked. I argued. The more I learned about, the less I liked the faith. It became difficult to phantom for me how someone could base their life on such a circular argument. Which is, essentially, the essence of not contracting any other faith either. If a theory cannot be falsified, the theory in and of itself is flawed. Although I was nowhere near able to put it so eloquently back in highschool.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
I reject any claim of the supernatural until proven otherwise.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
No. I may not always respect someone's beliefs, but I respect their right to have them. Well, unless said beliefs are used to actively hurt another. To sum it up, I'm reminded of a somewhat crude, but accurate metaphor. Faith is like a penis. It is okay to have one. It is okay to be proud of it, but for the love of, don't whip it out in public and don't shove it down children's throats.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
Mostly. There are a number of religious persons in my family, but live and let live. It doesn't really come up, which is probably because generations before me dealt with it.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
Yes. It's been challenged, but it has not been changed.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
While I respect people's choices to believe what they believe in, I think this would be a very large hurdle to overcome in a romantic relationship. Not a tested hypothesis, admittedly, and I get along fine on a friendly level, but if I give myself to someone it has to be someone I trust and can rely on. I cannot confide this amount of emotion in a religious person. Not to even mention the idea of raising a child. I don't know how I'd handle that. Food for thought.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
Given sufficient proof.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
Atheism is the rejection of a claim of the supernatural. therefore this question does not apply to me.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
Yes. Very significantly.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Agnostic, as gnostic suggests one remains ignorant even in the face of proof. That is exactly why I am not religious. To answer otherwise would be hypocrisy, regardless of how low I consider the odds to be for sufficient proof to come along.

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!
Well, that'll do nicely as lunch.

 

[Darog]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Eeeeeeh, Agnostic.

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
Not born into it, I couldn't find a fulfilling enough answer from many religions. So I just went "I don't know, guess I'm agnostic then?" and that's really it.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
I suppose it's in the middle?

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
No, It's an individual's choice to believe in whatever they want to believe in.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
Nah, a lot of my family are Christian, aside from my dad, youngest brother, uncle and a few of my cousins.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
I guess I didn't care enough about religion when I was growing up to have an active belief?

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
If they want to make it impact them, I guess? I rarely talk about religion with anyone, although a former friend is a fanatic, the "if you're not with us you're against us" kind who believes in certain stuff too. Jesus Camp anyone? My wife's beliefs are not important to me, though I'm sure she's more atheist than me.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
Probably, kinda, maybe.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
No, but for other reasons, maybe.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
Not in the slightest, just look at David Cameron and tell me he's a sane man?

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Agnostic.

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!

 

[Drakel]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Jewish

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
That's a good question. To say the least I was more interested in Jewish culture due to a little social imprinting on my mother's side. To say the least it was a choice that I made since my father was christian as well. In the end my mother's beliefs intrigued me more than my fathers and they felt more proper as well for several reasons just by the traditions alone. As for any actual reasons on why I chose being Jewish over being Christian, I don't know and I do question it myself at times.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
I do not truly know what is god, nor do I go further than practice the belief privately. If my beliefs are proven false, I doubt it'll affect me too much. I will state however that I am a very strong believer that there is a deity of sorts, though of unknown origins and morality.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
No. I feel as though if others wish to join, they'll join on their own terms. I am cool with answering any questions on my religious beliefs but I do find attempting to convert others who are strongly set in their own beliefs to be wrong, mostly because of being on the other-side of the fence and for being pestered and even harassed relentlessly by other family members and some strangers to convert despite my comfort in what I already believe in. As close as I'm ever willing came to even attempt in converting someone would be answer questions on my own religion and, when asked, point said person to a synagogue.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
Not everyone in my family share the same religious beliefs. Sadly only my mother and I are the remaining two that still follow the Jewish belief. My father, as stated above is christian, as is my sister and my little brother is a fundamentalist atheist. My grandfather on my mother's side changed religious beliefs from Jewish to Christian after being converted by his second wife (there was a divorce between him and his first). Most of my grandparents on my father's side are christian and athiest and his sister, her husband and kids are also christian. I do not know about my father's father or any of his other stepdads due to have never had a chance to meet them.

My mother and sister both approve and accept my choice and my father, mother's side grand father and step-grandmother and both of my father's side grandparents all feel nothing about it. Only my aunt, her husband and kids and my little brother are not so supportive about it and disapprove for one reason or another.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
While I was always Jewish, I can't say I had the exact same beliefs as I did a few years ago. In a sense as I aged my beliefs adapted more and more as I questioned them. Some aspects grew stronger, others grew weaker or were tossed aside for newer, more suitable beliefs.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
Sometimes with family. Otherwise I never truly had much of a problem when it came to making friends or having any form of romance due to religion. In fact I'm impressed to say that at times, because of my religion's uniqueness in where I lived at the time, I gained friends more easily than others thanks to their curiosity on the subject.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
As stated before, as time progresses I am slowly still changing and rearranging some beliefs that I hold as I further question them. While I will admit that it is set in stone that I do believe in a deity, there are still many questions I've yet to answer. In all honesty, 21 is still very young in my opinion so I've got quite a bit of time before I could honestly say that I'm done questioning my own beliefs and arranging them to better suit what I truly think.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
Yes.
"Why?"
To quote Brovo quoting Voltaire: "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it."

The same aspect applies here. It doesn't matter if it's my religious belief, or other people's.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
No. When it comes to politics, my goal is to know who is most suitable for the job in general. Religion, sexual affiliation, ethnicity and sex/gender have no part to play in it.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?


I'm an Agnostic Theist. Thing is though, I do have some certainty in some aspects of my belief like "there is a deity" though I do question what it's origins and morals are. My beliefs may change, some that I already know will, and others will without me even knowing it as time progresses. I can't be certain in most aspects though I can in some, and I am.

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!
Answer here!

I'll be sure too do such. This was actually a bit more fun than expected too. Also don't you have any dragon ferrets instead? Like so?

 

[Jorick]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
I am an atheist.

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
I was raised sort of Christian, and I kind of believed it in my early years, though never fervently. I went to church semi-regularly until I was about 8, when we moved away from the church my mother had gone to. After that I never really bothered with going to church again until this group came round and promised kids candy for going to their Sunday school thing. I know, it sounds really pedo, but it was just classic bribery. The candy was great, didn't care much for the religion stuff.

When I was somewhere in the 13-14 age area I started investigating religious things other than Christianity, because I'd always thought it was kind of silly. Looked into pretty much everything listed specifically in the poll, plus some things like Taoism and Satanism (which is vastly different than you might imagine), and in the end I came to a simple conclusion: I am not prone to having faith in things. I require evidence and proof and so on, and those things are not to be found in religious beliefs. Thus I became non-religious, and I have been that way ever since.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
Eh. Very, I guess? Hard to say how strong a lack of something is. It would require damned solid evidence for me to change my mind, so I guess pretty strong, but nowhere near fanatical levels.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
Not really, nowadays. I went through a phase of trying to do so, but after a while I realized that it was pointless. When someone's beliefs are attacked they just entrench themselves and get defensive, which means they pretty much reject everything the opposition says. I'll still discuss and debate religious subjects with people, but never with the goal of "I'm going to change their mind about this," because now it's more a matter of exposing myself to opposing ideas and challenging my own beliefs (or lack thereof). I know I can't change other people's beliefs, but if I go into things with an open mind there is always the chance that I'll change my own.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
Most of my family holds some kind of religious beliefs. Some of my siblings are also atheists, and a few cousins and the like. They range from not giving a shit to approving, barring my alcoholic aunt who changes her stated religious beliefs every few months and says anyone who believes otherwise is awful and stupid. She's fun like that.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
Already answered this in the second question.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
Yes, sometimes. Anyone who holds strong religious beliefs and is not okay with others questioning and challenging them tends to have issues with me, because I like to question and challenge people on all sorts of things. I enjoy debating for the act of debate, so I get into more arguments than may be healthy. Anyway, those strongly religious folks and I get into arguments about it whenever the topic comes up and then drifting apart inevitably happens. It's probably for the best.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
I could absolutely change my views. One piece of solid evidence for the existence of any kind of deity would be enough to bump me from atheism to falling under unspecified theism, or if it was a religion-specific bit of evidence I'd probably go with that. I've based my atheism on the evidence thus far, meaning the grand lack of it despite endless searching, so if the evidence changes so too will my beliefs.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
I suppose, but it would have to be somewhat extreme circumstances. If my country (the US) were to become a violent theocracy that tried to exterminate unwanted belief systems, I'd take up arms to fight against that bullshit. If some kind of more local thing happened, say a gang of extremely zealous fundamentalist Christians started going around lynching atheists, I'd be cool with pummeling and/or killing them for it. The thing about that though is I'd do the same thing even if it were an atheist "theocracy" or a violent atheist gang, so it's more about defending the rights and well being of myself and others than about the beliefs themselves. I can't imagine a situation in which I would commit an unprovoked, non-defensive violent act in the name of my beliefs.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
Sort of. Not so much my specific religious views, but my views on religion as a whole does affect my political views. More specifically, I'm of the opinion that religion should mix with politics only so far as there are laws and such saying "you can believe what you want and nobody can legally discriminate against you for your beliefs" go. Anything after that, like trying to insert religious values into the law, annoy the crap out of me and I tend to vote against measures and politicians that try to do so. It's pretty significant I guess, because I could never bring myself to vote for someone who says bullshit like "this is a Christian nation and we need to embrace Christian values." No thanks bro, it was founded on freedom of religion, not a specific one, go read the US Constitution and the attached Bill of Rights if you think otherwise.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Agnostic, though if it were laid out as a spectrum I'd be right at the middle point on the agnostic side. I can't help but think that the grand lack of evidence for any religion despite hundreds of years of searching seems to indicate that it's not out there because it doesn't exist. I kind of creep up to the line between agnostic and gnostic and poke my toes over it, but then I remember that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence and I shuffle back a couple inches. I'm pretty much as close to gnostic is you can get without actually crossing that line.

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!
This is not a question. How dare you.

 

[Jerelin]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
In simple terms, you can say Agnostic or something?
I'm in between religions, so to speak. That sounds completely ridiculous. I grew up Protestant, began to identify as Atheist when I was 15, and the past year and a half I have been researching Paganism and Wicca. Although those religions speak to me, I am not comfortable enough with my knowledge on them to say I am a believer. I know. Sounds ridiculous.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
Middle-Ground.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
No. It's none of my business what others believe and I don't completely know myself.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
Absolutely not! Goodness, they blew a complete fuse when I told them that I was atheist those many years ago. (They are a miscute of Church of Christ and Baptist). They would probably burn me at the stake if they even suspected I was studying "witchcraft".

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
As I've said before, I'm in the process of conversion, if you could call it that. I grew up in a religious family, but because one side was Church of Christ and the other was Baptist, there was this constant "tug-of-war" for where my sister and I would go and what we believed. From a young age, I was always confused because both denominations worshiped the same lord, but that lord seemed to be two sides of the same coin. One was hateful and the other was kind. I didn't understand that. Growing up, I started to learn more about the world and began to question more things. My family became enraged. How dare I educate myself in religion. I would be going to hell for sure. I started to become desensitized(?) and my heart slowly grew from loving this man in the sky to hating him and his influence on people. From there it grew to an understanding but I no longer called myself a Christian and as the years progressed, I came to realize that I never believed in what my family wanted me to, but I would go along with the punches to avoid conflict. Now that I am in college and completely separated from my family, it's easier for me to study and learn more about what I believe or don't. (Woah wall of text of rambling)

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
Not anymore.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
I wouldn't say they are changing. Evolving, to be sure.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
No.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
No.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Agnostic whatever I guess. Lol

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!
you're welcome? :D

 

[Summer Rain]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation? Christian - Catholic to be specific

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it? I'll admit that I was born into it. My parents were not particularly religious, but my grandparents were. I was confirmed, baptized, had my first communion. I saw the way that my family was and enjoyed the religion. We are definitely not bible-thumpers. I wasn't really religious when I was younger, but now that I'm older, it's just a choice for me. I am Catholic and Christian because I believe in the good that the Bible and Jesus taught us, and I believe that religion is a wonderful thing that can help people get through very hard times.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief? I'm not a Bible-thumper, and I definitely don't follow everything the Bible teaches. Instead, like many Modern Catholics, I take the studies as something to consider and follow, but not to take literally.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not? No way. I would never press my religion, praying, or anything of that sort, onto anyone. I belief in the freedom of religion and everyone is entitled to what they want to believe in (or believe in).

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it? My entire family is Catholic. Sometimes my mom, sister, and I say little prayers together to make us feel better. I've never had a boyfriend or significant other, or friend, have a problem with my religion, either.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change? For awhile I think I was Agnostic, believing in something but unsure of what at the time. As I grew older, I began to believe in God as I had learned (I went to church as a kid and went to the Catholic school) about. To be honest, there were a lot of things that led me to believe in God, things that I can't really put into words. One of them was that I needed strength and faith in some hard times, and looking up gave me a purpose. Also, I have a hard time believing we are atoms all moulded together - of course, we are physically... yet, I believe we have a heart, soul, and purpose on this Earth. So I began to explore my religion again where I found faith, hope, and answers.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs? Not at all. I don't force my religion onto others and never will, and I hope that no one will do the same for me. I've never had an issue.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again? I'm always open to change and listening to the views of others. Never say never, because you never know what sort of experience you are going to have in life that might change the way you see the world. Of course, right now I firmly believe in God and think it would take something very great to change that. I wouldn't say they are set in stone, though - of course, none of us REALLY know what/who is watching, why we are here, and what our purpose is.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions? God no. I hate what religion has become for many - a sign of violence and prosecution. As I said, I would never push my religion on someone else. Just as I believe in my God, you can believe in yours, or nothing at all! Violence is not the answer.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly? To be honest, I don't really have political views... so the answer would be no.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic? I believe in God that the Bible tells us about, I believe in Jesus. Yet I said, none of us can be 100% sure about the truth, and therefore... I am not 100% firm in my beliefs. How can I be when, aside from what's in my heart, there is no core proof? I would consider myself gnostic, but would never say "my way is rights and yours is wrong."

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!

 

[Seba]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Roman Catholic

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
I was born into it, but have since accepted it on my own after contemplating other forms of Christianity, other religions, and simply not having a religion.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
I believe in my interpretation of Catholicism. I don't follow the Catechism completely. I don't always agree with what the Pope says. However, I believe it strongly enough to find comfort in it.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
No I'm not about that life. I don't want to offend anyone else. If someone asks me about my religion I will gladly explain it to the best of my ability and direct them to better resources.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
Yes. One of my family members converted to another religion before marrying someone of that religion and parts of the family are still displeased. My grandparents have openly said I am higher in their will because I am a practicing Catholic.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
I have had my doubts and for awhile I considered converting to Lutheran or something similar. Eventually I resolved to remain Catholic because... I did. It makes me happy.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
Friendships, no. My friends are all of different beliefs and I love them for it. It helps me learn more about them and the world around me. Romances can get a little rockier as I have a certain outlook on relationships due to my religion and my upbringing (though this has rapidly changed in the last ten months or so). There are some beliefs that stem from my religion that I would hold regardless of my beliefs, though, and treading on those will result in issues no matter who you are.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
I could change my views if I was presented with compelling evidence that fit within my internal belief system. I won't deny facts, but I also won't let them make me unhappy in the way I view myself and my existence.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
In the name of Catholicism itself? No, probably not. I would not go on a crusade. If someone of my religion was being harmed because of their religion and I was able to defend them, then I would. I don't know if I'd call that violence in the name of my religious beliefs. I'd do the same for anyone being persecuted because of their religion. Live and let live.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
Yes, I suppose. The whole "What Would Jesus Do" occasionally comes to mind when I'm watching politicians argue, but I won't vote for someone because they're Catholic or because they hold up the Bible or the Catechism and say they'll do everything the text says they ought to. Updates ought to be made. The world is changing, people are thinking, speaking, and acting differently.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Agnostic. I have great belief in my religion, but sometimes I have to simply push the "I believe button". Some days I'm simply having a rough go of it and nothing makes sense, let alone something I have to have faith in. I begin to doubt the things staring me in the face. Something I have to simply accept becomes very, very foggy. Because of days like that I don't think I could call myself gnostic in good conscience.

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!
Dook dook dook dook dook dook dook dook dook dook dook.

 

[Cpt Toellner]

Alright, I'm going to go into some explanation before jumping into the actual questions posed by the topic. So if you find yourself not giving a damn about some random person's history with religion then I recommend scrolling down.

My mother came from a small and quiet Catholic family that took (and still continues to take) their religious devotion very seriously. My father came from a very large, very loud Lutheran family that never really had time for serious commitment to religion, but always considered themselves to be religious if only in their own way. As far as my own family went, it was decided that us kids would be raised Catholic. We always went to church, participated sporadically in church events (mostly volunteering for the Church Rummage Sale and some fair-type things.) Both me and my sister spent our entire school years in CCD (Sunday school.) However, as we got older, church visits dwindled down to 4-5 times a year, then Christmas, and now it's been 6 years since I last stepped into a church and at least 3 for anyone else in my family.

You see, all those years in Sunday School kind of ruined it for me. Church, and everything with religion attached became a chore for me, something that took me away from my friends and fun for 5-6 hours on a Sunday. Nothing I ever did or learned there stuck, and I spent 10 years seeing a whole number of different attempts of reaching children with the message of religion. The whole time I was just really disinterested, they failed to ever convey what religion ever really meant, what it should mean, or how it could help my confused teenage mind.

However, despite my occasional doubts, I still felt like there was...something, even if I had no idea what. I would always make fun of myself because of the fact that I would yell or bargain with the sky whenever anything went bad for me. I thought that If I applied belief, really tried to see this through, that I would find some answers within myself. I finished the long path started with Sunday School and became a Confirmed Catholic (took the name Stephan because I was edgy.) Then it was off to Basic Training for the army, less that a week after High School graduation and I was on my way. During my training I was very diligent with my Sunday visits to the church, I tried to find answers, actually paid attention during service, and reflected on what I heard. During my 7 month long occupational training, I continued going to service, but I was really grasping for anything at this point, really trying to trick myself into thinking that I needed to keep doing this despite all of the stupid crap happening to me. And when the living conditions lead me to develop a dangerous infection, causing me to miss days of classes, fail a modular test, and get held back from the friends I knew ever since Basic Training, that's when I finally stopped trying with Christianity.

Flash-forward a year and I'm working active-duty on a military base, never lingered on the issue of religion at all. I looked into a few idealogies, but it was a interview with a new-age Buddhist that really had an effect on me. He was asked to explain his interpretation of reincarnation and death and his answer was; "Every moment, every second, every time we make a decision our old self dies and our new self is reborn, shaped and formed by the actions of our previous selves. If you look at things this way, the traditional views of reincarnation become less of a stretch." I would never actively identify with another religion since my Catholic days, but Buddhism always served as a terminal for philosophical thought to me.

College had it's effect on my entire life, bringing me to Agnostic views, then straight-up atheism. I regret to admit that I even had a breif moment of that "zealous atheist" view, that any and all religion is bad, that anyone who willingly worships is ignorant. I went to a bible-study group mostly out of curiosity, had mixed results until they tried forcing their own beliefs down my throat. I even had an email conversation with a Chaplain about Christianity, but it never went anywhere. Now I'm in the workforce, leaving college unfinished until I can sort out my shambled life again, and in the end; i'm Agnostic.

I believe that life, Humanity, and society were all formed from a fortunate and rare mix of coincidental conditions coming together to form something truly unique. I recognize that there are many things we don't know, and even a few I believe that science will never be able to explain. And so I will continue to live my life as I see fit, and if there is some kind of afterlife (which I hope there isn't, I just want to rest after living, not live some more,) then I can only hope that whatever being receives my soul can see that I tried my best to live a meaningful life. And if they choose to condemn me to an eternity of damnation simply for not worshiping them, then they are not anything I'd want to worship in anyway.

I have some controversial and unpopular opinions, my general view of ethics is well....not very strong. I wont go further along that line unless asked, but I will just say that the best way to descibe myself now is; "Darwinist."


And so;

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Agnostic, however I am still a confirmed Catholic Christian and hold high levels of respect for organised religion.

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
See above, this belief is a result of a very exciting and educational life that I continue to live every day. It allows me to acknowledge my lack of complete certainty in Atheist views as well as my admiration for science and practical thought.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
I am firm in my belief, but I accept that I, (like everyone,) could be very, very wrong. Considering my dismal and pessimistic views of life, I do kind of hope I'm wrong.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
Nope, never will. I'll hapily explain my beliefs whenever asked, but I see no need to be proving myself to anyone. It's not my business to tell others what they should and shouldn't think. To be blunt, I don't give a damn about other people enough to care about what they think.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
A few years back I came out to my my Catholic mother as an Atheist, she took it very well. Since then I occasionally explain my beliefs, with her never saying much about the topic. She finds Christian history to be very interesting, and I enjoying sharing what I know. My dad never took religion seriously, I think he just doesn't care at this moment in his life.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
See above.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
Well, kinda.... My ex-fiance always bounced between beielf and athiesm, but she constantly encouraged me to try become more in-touch with religion. We ended up breaking up due to a massive list of issues, but religious belief was not one of them. Twice in the dating game i've had women break away from me as soon as they find out what I belive, neither of them were worth any convern over the matter.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
Not only do I belive that, I expect it.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
Never, I would never willingly commit an act of violence in general, got a oath of pacifism tattooed on my body.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
Nope, at least I don't think they do. I tend to be very conservative/neutral despite having a very left-leaning belief.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
"Agnostic Atheist"

 

[Temet Nosce]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Atheist.

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
There are 19 major world religions, and over 270 large religious groups. This is not taking into account the countless smaller factions that occasionally arise with their own weird and zany take on the spiritualistic side of the world. Each one is convinced that they are right, and everyone else is wrong. There seems something inherently wrong about that. I was raised Catholic, but the whole 'repent or fire and brimstone' thing really turned me off of the whole thing. That sounds less like something a merciful God would say and more like blackmail to me.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
Pretty strongly.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
No. I don't really consider religion to have a big part in my life, so honestly I don't even mention it outside of internet forums.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
No, they are both Catholic. They are unaware of my choice, as they should be. No need for my mother to worry about my soul's damnation when such a thing most likely doesn't even exist.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
I used to be Catholic, but I lost faith. My beliefs changed when I started to question things that I held sacred, and the rest is history. I think that the LGBT movement played a major role as well as I couldn't comprehend the sense of damning something as stupid as two guys/girls/trannies/whatever pronoun you want to use getting it on. It always just seemed like their own damn business.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
Sort of. Nearly dated this one girl but then she discovered I wasn't really religious and it went downhill from there. She even attempted to convert me back.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
Anything is liable to change eventually.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
Nope, got better things to get riled up over.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
Sort of. I definitely don't support Republicans due to their views on Church and State.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Agnostic. Nothing is certain. My views are limited by my perception. Perhaps I'm missing something that will open my eyes later.

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!

 

[Diana]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
I guess I am Atheist. That's the nonreligious thing right?

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
My family was non practicing Christian until my mom converted over to Jehovah's Witness. I am pretty sure she did it just to piss off her mom. >> In any case I learned about about Witnesses, Christianity and other religions in the process and found that I really agree with the original message of a lot of them - I just hate the nonsense rules and the Institution that many religious have become. (And well, I don't believe there are sentient beings creating and controlling life. >>;)

I LOVE the purpose of religion. The sense of community, the sense of morals, etc. But I find that the Institution that many religions have become ruins these values. :( This is just a sad part of religion throughout history.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
I am open to the possibility that there COULD be a god or gods out there, but I can't really put my faith in it!

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
No. Because why? A good person is a good person, regardless of their religious standing. A bad person is a bad person, just the same too. It's none of my business what their religion is, and even less of my business to convert them.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
It was only a big deal when I was a kid and my mom and grandmum were at war with each other. Now it really doesn't have any affect on our family.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
I was always very resistant to the idea of a God controlling things. @___@ Mostly because the stuff my mom and grandmother would tell me made NO SENSE. So I have been consistantly non-aligned.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
Nope! The only time it has ever been a problem for me is when people try to convert me. That is very rare.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
Show me a god and I will change my mind! O__O

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
No, because that's stupid.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
No. 8D

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
I don't really need one of those labels. >> I am perfectly confident in what I believe, but I am open to change.

 

[King]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Agnostic

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
I went to a Chrstian school and we learnt a lot about God and stuff. It was more of a 'Jesus will always love you' rather than a 'REPENT YOUR SINS OR GO TO HELL' sorta place, so I was allowed to ask my questions. Now I study philosophy and physics, it's getting me to ask all the questions. So now I can viably argue for atheism, or God.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
Obviously I will always ask questions, so I don't believe strongly in anything yet.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
Nobody likes that. So no.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
Fathers a Catholic, Mother is also Agnostic, but we don't discuss religion in depth.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
I think until the age of like 7 I definitely believed in god. When my school allowed me to question certain things, that's when I began moving away from a strong faith.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
I've clashed with atheists who think they're intellectually superior to me, and Christians who think they're morally superior to me,both who have tried to convince me very rudely to one faith. Besides that, I'm lucky to have a very accepting Atheist boyfriend and a group of mixed faith friends.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
I'll always be fluctuating I think.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
Nope

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
Nope, I keep my politics separate.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
An obvious Agnostic.

 

[Mu]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Agnostic.

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
The world is a big place, there's no way I can prove or disprove deities. I did go to a Christian primary school and spent at least a period a day studying Christianity, the Bible, even went to church every Friday. I don't really see it as the school forcing me into it, it was an experience in itself. I really like studying religions in general.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
I'm not sure how to answer this, but I guess I am pretty open-minded.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
Lolno. People can believe what they want to believe.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
My family on my mother's side are atheists. We don't normally talk about religion at home, so I don't even know if they know what my affiliation is. My family on my father's side is Buddhist (or maybe Taoist? Not sure here) and my grandmother made a point when I was younger to join her in prayer, but nowadays doesn't do so anymore.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
Actually, when I was younger, I identified myself as Buddhist, even though I didn't really follow that 'way'. My mother listed me as atheist on school documents. Either way, I just matured and figured out that I can't really disprove or prove that there's a god/s.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
So far no? Most of my friends are agnostic, but I've known a few Christians and we've gotten along just fine. A friend of mine often shares her thoughts on her Christian beliefs and strongly forbids herself from several things and has even told me to tone down my swearing (or change it into a similar sounding word). I respect that, of course.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
Open-minded here. Can change, but somewhat unlikely.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
Uh, no thanks.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
No?

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Aaaaaaagggnosticku.

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!
*huggles ferret*

 

[Koschei]

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?
Some vague hand movements and an "eh" sound. Agnostic, probably.

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?
It's more that I just don't care for religion on a personal level. It just isn't compatible with my world view, but I can't deny the possible existence of a God or several. We just don't know anything about it, scientifically speaking.

--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?
Until proven otherwise by overwhelming scienc-y evidence, I'm unshakeable.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?
No, my personal beliefs are mine and formed by me and what I've experienced. Shoving one's beliefs down somebody's throat is just a shitty thing to do. Let them believe what they want and form their own opinions, as long as they don't harm or mean to harm a group of people. If that's the case, we gonna have a big problem.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?
None of my family members are particularly religious, even the grandparents. Everyone sort of don't care that much, and while we were taken to church as wee shits, it was more for socializing and having something to do, rather than a religious reason.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?
Nope, always been sort of "eh" about religion. I've never held any other beliefs worth noting.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?
No, I've got religious friends, to whom it is very important, but if they're chill with my beliefs or lack of, I'm chill with theirs, as long as they don't push it on me, or are ridiculously over the top about it. Or, you know, dickbags.

--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?
Theoretically, they could. Probably won't ever happen, though.

--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?
No, only if it's self defense. I don't believe violence in the name of religion has anything with the actual religion to do. People are just fucking awful.

--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?
I'll admit, yes. I tend to move away from political parties if they're religious, or bring religion into politics. I can also be a bit judgemental at times. My experience tells me not to trust over the top religious politicians.

--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?
Answer here! (Agnostic - Without absolute certainty of one's beliefs. Gnostic - Absolute certainty of one's beliefs. Ex: "Agnostic Atheist", "Gnostic Atheist", "Agnostic Theist", "Gnostic Theist.")
Agnostic Atheist, probably? Something like that.

--Thank you for answering these questions! Here, have a ferret. Remember, if anyone harasses you in this thread about your beliefs, just let a moderator know and they'll take care of it!
Thanks for making this, it was a lot of fun to answer, actually.

If the wording doesn't make any sense, I haven't slept for two days. My excuses are weak, but yeah.

 

[Peter Feels]

Forgot to answer this business, so I may as well now.

--What is your (non-)religious affiliation?

I was born and raised Catholic. Now I claim Asatru, but I actually follow my own personal beliefs.

--Why did you choose this belief over others? Is there any particular reason, or were you born into it?[/]

Like any other person, I sought answers. Instead of finding them in something thought up by others, I came up with my own answers that I am comfortable with. My beliefs are only for me and what I think and feel. They don't work with others typically.


--How strongly do you believe in your (non-)religious belief?

Very much so. However should I find a better answer to things or reality simply can't support it, then my beliefs will change accordingly.

--Do you actively attempt to convert others to your beliefs? Why or why not?

Never. They are for me and me alone. I encourage others to find their own spiritual answers.

--Do your parents/family share the same (non-)religious beliefs? Do they approve of your choice, disapprove, or feel nothing about it?

They are Catholic and as far as they know, I am Atheist.

--Did you always believe in your present (non-)religious belief, or did you convert later on in life? If so, what did you used to belief? Why did your beliefs change?

Only for a few years now. I converted after I found Catholicism lacking in some respects and contradictory in others, so I pulled away from traditional Christianity and tried my own thing for awhile.

--Do your (non-)religious beliefs impact your ability to hold stable relationships (friendships, romances, et cetera) with others who do not share the same beliefs?

Nope.


--Do you believe you could change your views now, or are they set in stone, never to be changed again?

Nope.


--Would you ever commit an act of violence in the name of your (non-)religious beliefs? If so, under what circumstances or conditions?

My beliefs don't have answers for that. I don't get my morals from them.


--Do your (non-)religious views influence your political views? If so, how significantly?

Nope.


--Would you consider yourself agnostic or gnostic?

I guess agnostic.