Is anyone really religious?

[removeduser_426582376423734]

The question is quite a vague question, but is anyone really religious? For example, someone says that they are a Christian, and then do not give to charity, or see a bleeding man and do not help him. Is this person religious? He may believe in Jesus, and pray to him every day and every night, but is he just kidding himself? Is he just an armchair Christian?

BTW, this is not a thread asking if anyone is really religious, it is a thread on people being religious

[Publius Scipio]

I'm far from religious but I got basic beliefs.

[Hader]

I am not in any way religious, but that doesn't mean that I wouldn't help the bleeding man or give charity (although I never have). I have my own beleifs, and that is how it is. Religion could never tell me what to do.

[David Deas]

The vast majority of humanity is religious even if they aren't a member of any organized religion. Religion is inherent to us because it is natural for humans to wonder about their existance and its purpose, as well as where the universe came from and why. It is the purpose of religion to provide an answer to these questions. To be religious merely means to believe in something beyond oneself. And even those who many would qualify as atheists are religious in the strict definitional sense that they believe in some higher power. It just may not necessarily be Yahweh.

[Ó Cathasaigh]

I doubt there is a human on earth fit to judge who is and who isn't a real christian.

[Denny Crane!]

No, I know exactly what you mean.

I have vague delusions of trying to become a buddhist. I am materialistic, ruthless, violent, angry and make very bad very slefish decisions. Most people have similar flaws. You do occasionaly meet people who are very calm very nice people and usually not religous who live up to the ideals I want to.

I would care to mention though that the nature Vs nurture debate is leaning in towards the nature position. Therefore some people are more genetically disposed to violent tendencies and such and therefore cannot be judged by action but rather by intent and rational judgment. Huh reminds me of a thread....

PEter

[Zenith Darksea]

Yes, there are religious people. Just go along to any Christian Union, and you'll see the nutters... I mean religious people, there.

[shenmueguru]

Yes, there are religious people. Just go along to any Christian Union, and you'll see the nutters... I mean religious people, there.

I take offense from that...

Anyway, yes there are. Probably too few, but yes.

[Tom Paine]

Given their actions Zenith are they really religious? Is it religious to sin in the week and then confesson the Suday, or is it religious to not sin at all, or as little as possible?

[Ummon]

The question is quite a vague question, but is anyone really religious? For example, someone says that they are a Christian, and then do not give to charity, or see a bleeding man and do not help him. Is this person religious? He may believe in Jesus, and pray to him every day and every night, but is he just kidding himself? Is he just an armchair Christian?

BTW, this is not a thread asking if anyone is really religious, it is a thread on people being religious

Each man is what he can be. This question, albeit in a sense good, has no answer.

[Zenith Darksea]

Sorry if I offended you. It was a little light-hearted humour at their expense. As it happens, I'm a practising Christian myself.

[Sétanta]

I wish I were a better Christian.

I go to mass, I take communion but I don't live my life the way Jesus says too


I would be a priest but that involves giving up my life to the church, something I can't do even if I feel the spiritual need

[krazykarl]

I view my religion (I am catholic) as a set of guidlines to live by. I do not take the bible literally, I believe in evolution, I take most of the bible as metaphorical stories (except genisis - they made that up, and its mostly a story of who begat whom, and revelations - that was just made up to scare people) I generally try to be nice to people, and I dont steal (downloading is not theft despite what the RIAA thinks) I dont rape or murder and am a firm believer in the policy of 'what goes around comes around'. And in the end that is the basic point of religion, a common set of courtesys that says everyone should be nice to each other, and thus everyone will be nice to them. I do not donate to charity in large amounts (Ill give the Cancer society and Heart and stroke foundation a few bucks when I have it) but this is mainly due the fact that I dont really have any disposable money. But then again, chairity is not really about the money (and our modern society forgets this) any schmuck can write a cheque, but how many of those people would be willing to donate an afternoon to cook hotdogs for the hungry or somesuch?

[Clibby]

The question is quite a vague question, but is anyone really religious? For example, someone says that they are a Christian, and then do not give to charity, or see a bleeding man and do not help him. Is this person religious? He may believe in Jesus, and pray to him every day and every night, but is he just kidding himself? Is he just an armchair Christian?

BTW, this is not a thread asking if anyone is really religious, it is a thread on people being religious

What you are really asking is: Is anyone perfect? The pupose of religion is to help guide us to do the right thing. Human beings are flawed and religion is a means to fix that flaw. We follow religious guidelines in order to do what is right, but if we followed them perfectly all the time then we would be perfect, like God, and would no longer have a true human nature. What being religous means is having or showing belief in and reverence for God or a deity, even though you will fail to follow through with the teachings at times. The key is to recognize those failings and attempt to do better next time; that is reverence.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

What you are really asking is: Is anyone perfect? The pupose of religion is to help guide us to do the right thing. Human beings are flawed and religion is a means to fix that flaw. We follow religious guidelines in order to do what is right, but if we followed them perfectly all the time then we would be perfect, like God, and would no longer have a true human nature. What being religous means is having or showing belief in and reverence for God or a deity, even though you will fail to follow through with the teachings at times. The key is to recognize those failings and attempt to do better next time; that is reverence.

Yes, I agree, therefore someone who prays to God, gives money to the Church, but doesn't give to charity, or takes revenge upon someone, is not religious?

[Clibby]

No they still can be religious, they just would be having more trouble than another. Now if that person didn't believe in God, even though he goes to church, then he wouldn't be. Just because someone isn't a good follower does not mean they arent religious. Being a "not so good Christian" (for example) and not religous at all are two completely different things. Like I said before, if we did everything exactly right, then we would be just like God, or gods. Religon helps us to follow the right path even when we are led astray.

[repman]

So religious means christian belief?
There are thousands of religions scrap in the world (including christian, buddhists, islam, hindu, esoterics, new age,....). In a modern secular society as in Germany any advance of religion influence should be fighted against. We live in 2006 and no more in the middle ages.

repman

[Zenith Darksea]

I imagine that the religious members of German society might not agree with you there, however. Actually, it's an interesting idea, the one that we live in a 'secular' society. To the extent that few of us have official state religions these days, that's true. However, simply because there are fewer Christians, Jews, Hindus etc etc than there used to be does not mean that our society is totally secular. You often find people's 'unchanneled' spiritualism escaping in different ways.

On a final note, do you think there will be a time when people say, "Any advance of atheism should be fought against. We live in 2674, not in the Industrial Ages." ?

[I Have a Clever Name]

To classify oneself as a Christian or Muslim does not guarantee that your beliefs will be uniform with the rest of the members of your particular faith.

Theology is open to a wide spectrum of interpretations, it is a matter of perception, and this disagreement has created the large religious schisms we're familiar with today. However, even on a personal level, each individiaul usually has their own specific set of beliefs and morals - it would be a very strenuous and arduous task to find two people with perfectly coinciding beliefs.

[Bwaho]

I think most christians only believe in what they want to believe in. They pick and choose to make their lives more comfortable.