Religious/Philosophical Profile Thread

[cfmonkey45]

Born into, at first, a very nontheistic family. My parents were sort of into religion, mainly because of my mom. My dad for most of his life was essentially an agnostic who never really gave any thought to religion, and my mom was raised Catholic, but went to church out of tradition.

I don't know the whole story, but apparently, some time around the birth of my sister, who has a terminal illness, they became born again Christians. My dad described his first encounter at Church as "seemingly uneventful, but the pastor always had this way of talking about whatever was on my mind."

I was brought up in a Protestant Christian household. It wasn't forced upon me, and I didn't accept it blindly. I eventually reasoned that it was more rational for me to believe in a Creator than nothing at all.

Currently, I am 17 years old and a Senior in High School. At school, my closest friends are an atheist, a cynic, a Jew, a Christian Scientist, and a myriad of agnostics. I have a sister with a serious illness who is finishing up college. I have a brother who was a missionary to Bosnia-Herzegovina, who is starting college. My dad is a Senior Partner at a Tax Firm, First Generation Dutch Immigrant.


As for Philosophy, I'm a capitalist with libertarian and conservative leanings. I'm open to the ideas of socialism and other forms of government and society as long as they do not impede anyone's rights. I also feel, as a Christian, that beliefs should not be forced onto people, but rather that they come to decide for themselves, especially from honest and reliable sources, which I strive to be.

[Beanbee]

My father is Catholic and my mother Protestant and I grew up in England. From a very early age I felt like I did not fit in at church, even showing cynicism to the storys we were told in Sunday School by the time I was 8. When I was 11 I summed up the courage to tell my father I didn't want to go to church which made him damned angry and me very scared but I stuck to my guns and after a few uncomfortable weeks I think he accepted my choice was not a childish one.

I continued playing along in the catholic traditions, being confirmed when I was 14, to make sure my Gran didn't catch on. After all she was convinced my mother was going to Hell for not converting. Eventually she suffered a double heart attack and a stroke and forgot all about it. I took care of her for little over a year when I was 18, staying at home most of the time.

During this entire time I suffered depression from around the ages of 5 to 20 till I decided I was really just upsetting myself for fear of living without it. I didn't seek help but I did make a concious effort to let go of all the little things that I let bother myself. I'm currently learning swedish and creating a portfolio of webdesign to attempt to get a job in England, before returning to Sweden.

Politically, I'm a socialist but I do accept that a politician is about as poor a manager as a CEO. I would currently prefer decentralised local offices together with international government agencies were all members have to agree. I feel like the EU is currently a strong source of humanity and partially immune to politican interests due to its slightly withdrawn position from the public. My ideal state would be high tax, strong public services and keen social/environmental/economic awareness with minimal military forces.

Philosophically I am athiest, humanitarian but open minded to others ideas and view points. I always enjoy discussion but hate arguement. I tend to be alittle scathing of conservatives, capitalists and those who put their religion before people.

[ciprianrusu]

I was an orthodox Christian, from the beginning (FROM BIRTH), then went through an agnostic phase, and then i read a book (not The holly Bible), written by a orthodox monk, who was born in a Jewish intellectual family in Romania, and who was a political prisoner during the 1950 communist persecution. There in the prison he found God, and after he was released he entered a monastery, an started writing books. That book is called "Jurnalul fericirii" (a rough translation would be The Diary of Happiness,). The book had answers ,strangely , to all my questions about religion. It was an epiphany to me.

My favorite philosopher is Emil Cioran.

[Meister Sibrand]

I am Catholic. My parents are Catholic but I wouldnt say my father practices. My mother is pretty religous. My brother is an agnostic/deist (he doesnt like to talk about his beliefs) and I would say my father would fall into the same field. I wish I could go to church more but I'm usually busy. I still pray on a pretty regular basis. My favorite Philosphers are Marx, Plato, and Socrates.

[The King Of Peasants]

I am a protestant christian but care more about following the bible then any denomination my parents had a large part in shaping my religious view not necessarily by teaching but by example and due to a faith in God that has never wavered regardless of circumstance.

Though rather conservative I am open to others views while not letting my opinions be swayed except through thorough investigation of the subject.

My faith in my God has come from seeing him change many lives and help me along my way.

I am in my opinion pretty well read for my age(16) but lean strongly towards history and need a bit more philosophical learning.

[Dead Sun]

I am a theist, but not a religious theist. I believe that God exists because he cannot be all powerful, nor omniscient or benevolent. He is God because he is an amazing being, but our definitions have so obscured him that to even suggest that God cannot be omnieverything is almost defining a new God.
I study Philosophy in College, and although im definitely not the best, im certainly not the worst. So if anyone has an argument for any reason, ill be happy to give the other view
In my reing, id say im not well read, but moderately cultural. Ive read The Art of War, The Iliad, The Odyssey, Three Kingdoms, Knights of the Black and White, Standard of Honour and Aristotles Ethics amongst other things more fictional things.

[Nutsack]

I don't believe in fairy tales. My Swedish family is also ridiculously non-theist. The only religious person in my Swedish family is my grandmother, who sadly is about to die (she just had a stroke). However most of my American family are Protestant Christians.

My political views are not very heated. I am basically fine with most policies except the extremes (Communism and Laissez Faire).

[Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh]

I'm a non-theist. The theoretical existence of God or a pantheon of Gods is now not necessary for me to uphold my moral code, and thus is made defunct in my personal definition of religion.

You may have mentioned 'now' in the previous sentence. I hold no doubts to the matter, that the forced belief, or at least reverence to God was critical to my moral development, and I personally believe that were I not raised in the religious family I was, I wouldn't be the same person in terms of what I thought about religion.

I wonder whether at any point I could be said to have believed in God. I don't know where the zealous fervor many people have over their religion comes from, but I guess I must attribute that to the way they were raised. But my lack of belief in God is not proclaiming atheism, like so many of my peers would have me think. I am not saying God does not exist, but for me, the theoretical possibility of God's existence has played its part for me.
I love that my life can be so far altered not by something, but by the chance that something exists. It blows my mind and I love thinking on it.
If somebody believes that God exists, and another believes that God doesn't exist, I am not forced to side with either side of them. Non-theism places me into a special position where I am able to observe the bitter fights (squabbles would be more appropriate) between atheists and theists (commonly Christians) and find out more about what they believe, and understand the underlying principles that hold together their faith, or lack thereof. I am not dogmatically biased to one result, and so I am able to learn more, and understand more. I feel non-theism is exactly what I need to continue my pursuit of the truth, or of wisdom.

I side with one side of the war when one party is beginning to show signs of dogmaticism and are denouncing the other team and throwing their beliefs forcefully in the others face. I dislike it when they get petty, the atheists denouncing the theists for having faith in a deity that they don't know exists (which, ironically is often the most incredible and respect-worthy part of a theist) and the theists in turn denouncing the atheists by proclaiming that they will be residing in heaven, whist the atheists wither and gnash their teeth outside.

One may presume that my religion is buddhism. Buddhism does not rely on the existence of God for them to provide a moral code for themselves. Ingeniously, they do not deny the existence of a God, but they, as far as I understand, do not take it upon themselves to explain our creation and our maker, but accept it as it is, providing a clever system with which they can maintain the moral code that others can enforce with a God. Some people say that buddhism is not a religion, even buddhists suggest this. This is petty, and subjective. Personal definitions of religion redefine certain faiths as being a religion. My personal definition is that Religion is the presentation of a particular moral code. Very simple. I may define it further in the future, but not at the present.

However, Buddhism, being a religion (in my eyes) has this 'presentation' aspect that I mentioned. It has it's tradition and its ceremony. Now that I have gleaned data, I feel safe that at present, I can renounce formal religion and accept non-theism as I create information as my mind processes the data and knowledge and finally wisdom as I relate this information with what I have understood previously and what my experiences teach me.

Though I am non-theist, God has done an incredible lot for me, possibly, without ever existing.


As for my philosophies, I am at present researching philosophies. I am presently reading Plato's Republic and Langland's Piers Plowman, and I have many other historical philosophical and political books to learn from in the future.
Thanks for reading; however, although I posted this in a place where a 2nd grader with dial-up could access it, I doubt many people (perhaps 1 person in the remainder of this year) will read it.

Chris.

[IeyasuTokugawa]

my parents were thetis the neried and peleus, i was dipped into the river styx

[MaximiIian]

Oi, I thought that was Achilles, not the first ruler of a unified Japan.

[Schattenmeister]

my parents are protestant chrisians, but none of them a parcticing one, and i think they also dont believe in god. ans so i was raised.

i am ignostic, bit with buddhist tendencies, especially zen.

Philosophy wise, i have a small nihlilist and humanistic leaning, but im mostly a free thinker^^
i like classic philosophy, creek stuff, but also diffrent things like confuzius or marx.

But im only 16 anyway, so thinkgs may change^^

[Reynolds]

I'm an atheist but would like to think myself tolerant of all faiths

i live in a completely christian community, im pretty much the only non-beleiver

[Jonathold]

I was the first atheist in my class. I became an atheist in 7th grade. Everybody called me 'atheist'. Some people still do.

.....Others call me poop.......

But that's besides the point.

Now I'm a senior in high school and am waiting to go to Ohio State next fall.

My dad is an atheist and my mother is a Lutheran. However I never inherited any religion from either of them.

I started going to church with my grandparents, up until I became atheist. My older brother convinced me. Now I realize I really didn't understand why there wasn't a God, but I was just following my brother's example. Now, of course, I know better, and am still an atheist.

I'm pretty cynical about people in general. I feel that every year, the kids get worse and worse. Lower morals, less respect.. It really sickens me. I really, REALLY hate the freshmen class.

I believe in Justice (not necessarily that the current justice system here is good, but that there should BE justice) and patriotism. I am a firm believer in the American Republic and its virtues, among them courage, loyalty, respect, and decency.

Other than that, I can't think of much else to say.

[jbersie]

I was born and Raised Catholic. My fathers side of the family is diehard catholics who never miss a mass and my moms side of the family is non practicing protestant christians for the most part. I am leaning between becoming an agnost and remaining Catholic. And for extended family a very traditional Irish Catholic Family

[Shams al-Ma'rifa]

i try to follow the true qur'anic interpretation to the best of my abilities + some sufi teachings meaning i do not support terrorists or any sort of any violence caused by the misinterpretation of arab fanatics or western misinterpretation due to arab fanatics.

but i believe god will reward and punish anyone fairly no matter who u r, even if ur atheist. a good atheist is better than a martyr terrorist.

[Alkarin]

My father is a faith finder (always trying to find which one is right. he is probably a deist id say) why my mother is fanatically christian. i like my father is used to constantly try to find which faith is the true faith. my mother always wanted me to become christian but while in church or hearing a pastor or reading religious text it never made any sense nor did i agree with the absolute good and absolute evil view of theirs. I myself am an atheist but yet an agnostic. for i find it ignorant to say there is absolutely no god, but i am quite sure none of the human gods are the right one same goes for the books of faith.

[familyguy1]

Born into a Catholic Family. Father is agnostic, Mother catholic. Siblings are agnostic. I would characterize myself as a Deist("Deists typically reject most supernatural events (prophecy, miracles) and tend to assert that God (or "The Supreme Architect") has a plan for the universe which he does not alter either by intervening in the affairs of human life or suspending the natural laws of the universe. What organized religions see as divine revelation and holy books, most deists see as interpretations made by other humans, rather than as authoritative sources.").

Currently I am half Deist, Half nothing.

[tree151]

I was born to an all-Jewish family, though all my family, including I, are secular. Nowadays, I tend to slide from Judaism to Christianity, and I think of myself as more of a Messiahnic Jew. (A person who follows the Jewish aspects, but belives in Jesus Christ)

[zachattack]

Mother: Buddhist
Father: Muslim

Me: Scientific logic atheist.

Simply put, I grew up in a secular environment. My parents never mentioned the word religion until I was at least 12, and the school I attended K-12 was a private secular school with mostly non-religious kids. I never even knew how many people were christian in america until a year or two ago.

When I was 12, I was told that if I didn't accept Jesus I would burn in hell. Naive, I picked up the bible and joined a study class. I became religious for about one year, then I took a biology class in 8th grade and gave up religion instead for a pursuit of knowledge.

Evolution, Gravity, Relativity, and Energy are all facts, and I accept them all to be true.
The Theory of Evolution, Gravity, Relativity, and Energy are all theories, as said, and I ASSUME them to be true. For instance, evolution theory is natural selection. Gravity theory is large object = gravitational pull.
Abiogenesis and big bang theory are two non-confirmed theories that I do accept. I did not accept big bang for a long time, however with new information I feel there is a seemingly nice amount of evidence on how it COULD have happened. Abiogenesis makes sense to me, so I accept that too.

When I grow up, I wish to do science in these fields.

[hitokiri2486]

Protestant Christian, but very interested in Catholic theology and traditions.

I am particularly interested in the historical roots of Christianity, the evolution of Christian thought over the past 2000 years, and the historicity of Christ. I am an ardent fan of Augustinian thought, although when it comes to salvation history I prefer Karl Barth. I also like C.S. Lewis a lot.

That's about it.