When do you stop being religious....?

[Axeman]

This is a question that has always fascinated me , now I am not talking about your overall belief in religion but in specifics of the religion , for example if a christian never goes to church is he still a Christian? How far are we off to stray? No overly religious people I know throw stones at people for working on Sundays , so...

How far off from original practices and interpertations can you go and still be considered religious?

[Jams79]

It depends who you let judge, technically if you believe in God you are religious.

[The Count(er)]

No overly religious people I know throw stones at people for working on Sundays , so...

my neighbors would, when Christmas landed on a sunday they didn't celebrate it....it seems kind of odd thinking about what that holiday is supposed to be(maybe they just waited a day and celebrated it on monday, although it might of been a birthday they didn't celebrate I can't remeber now), but that's certainly why I'm not religious, I don't want to be associated with religious fanatics like that.

[Cúchulainn]

if a christian never goes to church is he still a Christian?

Depends on what type of christian s/he is.

If they're catholic then they are never not catholic.

They're only a bad catholic.

[Bovril]

I don't think belief in the existence of God is a necessary aspect of religion. Religion it seems to me is the state of having faith in the existence of something which is both ultimate and transendent, and the practice that goes along with it. This, like all definitions of religion, is thoroughly unsatisfactory.

[Vladimir Lenin]

This is a question that has always fascinated me , now I am not talking about your overall belief in religion but in specifics of the religion , for example if a christian never goes to church is he still a Christian? How far are we off to stray? No overly religious people I know throw stones at people for working on Sundays , so...

How far off from original practices and interpertations can you go and still be considered religious?

You are always religious if you believe in a god, or higher being or power. Whether you be Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic, Heretic, Atheist Humanist, Agnostic, etc.....

Then again I am a Heretic so I can't tell you much of Official Church Stances and Doctrines...

[Ardruire Iacób]

I'm fairly religious, though I haven't been to church in quite a while. I never really enjoyed mass (except for one particular mass that was in Irish and Latin [EPICNESS]), but I actually don't go because of a peculiar health issue.

[Mathais]

Well you stop being religious when you stop practicing your faith really when you truely no longer believe in it. I still believe that someone can come back and start a new if they have real intent of wantting to believe again rather than say it but show it.

[dqualk]

This is a question that has always fascinated me , now I am not talking about your overall belief in religion but in specifics of the religion , for example if a christian never goes to church is he still a Christian? How far are we off to stray? No overly religious people I know throw stones at people for working on Sundays , so...

How far off from original practices and interpertations can you go and still be considered religious?

You must believe in the Scriptures and the Nicene Creed. You must participate in the sacraments. If you did these at one time but have fallen into a time where you arent active in the church etc. its up to God's mercy and His mercy is great. I belive if you are baptised and you do not openly forsake God and you believe the basic things about God or at least do nto dispute the basic understanding of God then you are essentially a Christian.

[Bovril]

You must believe in the Scriptures

What does this entail?

[dqualk]

What does this entail?

well reffering to Christianity not necessarily relgious people, but to be a Christian you must believe that the Holy Scriptures at least have what is necessary in them to attain salvation i.e. that the scriptures when they say Jesus is the only way to heaven He is precisly that. With regard to Christianity from an orthodox view point...

[Axeman]

Ahhh yes , but "practicing" is a subjective term. Many religious texts say you should pray X ammounts at any given time or you go to hell , and all religions say crime is bad , but does that mean the murderer in lockdown on Rhodden Island saying prayer a practicing christian?

[The Dude]

This is a question that has always fascinated me , now I am not talking about your overall belief in religion but in specifics of the religion , for example if a christian never goes to church is he still a Christian? How far are we off to stray? No overly religious people I know throw stones at people for working on Sundays , so...

How far off from original practices and interpertations can you go and still be considered religious?

Tbh, I'm not religious but to me religion is a pretty personal thing. The whole institutionalising of religion that has been going on for millennia now is just odd, don't you think?

To me there is no limit. Or well... the limit is at the point where you claim not to believe in god.

[Axeman]

Tbh, I'm not religious but to me religion is a pretty personal thing. The whole institutionalising of religion that has been going on for millennia now is just odd, don't you think?

To me there is no limit. Or well... the limit is at the point where you claim not to believe in god.

I am also not religious at all , I guess my question is based on the asumption you believe in a certain religion.

[chamaeleo]

...when you realize that, even if there is an almighty God, the likelyhood that he's got the attention span or interest to take a personal role in your life is close to nil. Upon reflection, you also realize that any God who would be so intrusive does not deserve having your lipstick on his ass...if that's even what he wants, in which case why the insecurity?

[dqualk]

...when you realize that, even if there is an almighty God, the likelyhood that he's got the attention span or interest to take a personal role in your life is close to nil. Upon reflection, you also realize that any God who would be so intrusive does not deserve having your lipstick on his ass...if that's even what he wants, in which case why the insecurity?

Is this an example of biggotry? Maybe... maybe not I dont really care but I think we can all agree that he has not furthered any postive line of thought but has rather shown his ignorance in the fact that he knows nothing about God or what others believe about God.

[chamaeleo]

Is this an example of biggotry? Maybe... maybe not I dont really care but I think we can all agree that he has not furthered any postive line of thought but has rather shown his ignorance in the fact that he knows nothing about God or what others believe about God.

Fair enough, you can believe what you will about me, God, or anything else you want to...you have no proof for my ignorance, nor do you have any proof for God, but this surely won't stop you.

I apologize if my comments seem bigoted. I hadn't realized that you were looking for positive vibes, if I had, I certainly wouldn't go off on the moment when I stopped being religious. Silly me.

I stand by my earlier post, if there is a God then why does he insist on our adoration? Too much for me to buy, not to mention: church was boring, the crackers were stale, I hate waking early on Sundays, priests are creepy, the music is dull and repetitive, and too many old people fart waaay too often.

[The Good]

From what I know, if you say you're religious, most people will just believe you. I probably would make that assumption too, as I don't know where the person would really be thinking.

[André Masséna]

That's between the person and God. No one else.

[Vladimir Lenin]

That's between the person and God. No one else.

Well said. +rep