What religion do you identify with, if any?

From the Age newspaper (Melbourne) and the Sydney Morning Herald yesterday:

A hit in the US, but local [Australian] audiences shun religious epic

Cinema distributor Mike Vile has learnt the difference between religious devotion in the US and Australia. While Son of God took $64 million in North America, ... [it] has opened with just $78,000 from 90 screens in this country, despite a strong faith-based marketing campaign that included preview screenings for pastors and advertising in religious media. "We're a little bit stunned,'' says Vile, who intended no pun when he added: "We expected it to do a hell of a lot more than it's done.''

^^^^ Yep, that about sums it up in Oz.

The U.S. is a bit of an anomaly in the western world. Most western nations are dropping out of churches like flies and proclaim non-denomination, spirituality or agnostic or atheist affiliation. The U.S. is deeply conservative and religious in much of the country. The coasts make up the progressive and non conservative theological bend but the whole middle is the bible belt.

More Pagan than anything else.

I was raised very strict in a religious household, family, it has followed me all my life.

nogutsnoglory said:

The U.S. is a bit of an anomaly in the western world. Most western nations are dropping out of churches like flies and proclaim non-denomination, spirituality or agnostic or atheist affiliation. The U.S. is deeply conservative and religious in much of the country. The coasts make up the progressive and non conservative theological bend but the whole middle is the bible belt.

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Sad

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Raised protestant - attended the United Church, no longer attend church but still believe in most of what I was raised with, definately believe in God - I have lost some important members of my family and close friends and I would like to think that someday I will see them again - so I'll believe in that

ronroush7 said:

I consider myself a devout Christian and it helps to turn to God when I have trouble with the Crohn's. I don't know if I might be experiencing a flare right now but my stomach has been sensitive lately.

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I am too Ron. Devout Catholic all my life. I am having issues now about attending Mass with the impending flu season. I've just learned I have several immunodeficiencies ( IGA, IGG and the subclasses) and make no antibodies to the flu and pnuemonia vaccines. So now I feel I need to remove myself from large crowd situations so I can stay healthy. This would include not going to church. I am very sad about this.

Christian, I believe in The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

Amen, pink&green

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Atheist.

I am a strong Christian, also believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I do not follow "religion", but we are members of a local church serving Christ. My hubby and I have raised our three now adult children in church. I have personally seen God's protection over one of my daughters as she nearly died from a blood disorder that mimics leukemia. I am a Youth Group leader for tweens/teens...and I try my best to live my life each day so that others can see Christ in me. Am I perfect? BAHAHA absolutely not. I have no right to judge, am too busy cleaning up after my own messes to worry about cleaning up others. Most of life's circumstances that bite us in the hiney are the ones we allow into our lives. But I am a compassionate person who believes and has complete faith in her Savior and is always looking at ways to help make our world a better place to live. Love thy neighbor is a worldwide thing, not one just for those who are Christians, and I see that from many posts here.

I don't believe in anything. I was raised Catholic but once I started to be able to think for myself I found myself wondering why I had to follow stupid rules set down by a bunch of old men who had no idea what was going on in my life or, it seemed, in the real world.

I think religion is awful. It makes people do stupid things like murder other people in the name of *insert god here* and they somehow think saying it was for religious reasons excuses them from the act. Crusades, anyone?

Religion is rubbish, I think. Most of the problems in the world at the moment are basically down to 'my god's better than your god, nyer nyer nyer'.

It's a way of controlling people. Controlling them by fear - if you don't do x then *insert god here* will punish you. And I think that people who blindly follow a religion are probably scared something bad's going to happen to them. I don't believe in anything and I'm still standing. I can walk into churches and not get struck down by vengeful gods. Funny that, it's almost like they don't exist.

*vanish*

spiritual, not religious.

I only believe in good or evil,of which mankind is the sole perpetrator.
But I respect others religious views,even though there are sooo many of them.

I am an atheist. I believed in God till sometime back, but after reading Richard Dawkins, I am a confirmed atheist.

I'm confused when it comes to religion...I want to believe in God and all he stands for but I just can't seem to accept it. As a child I went to church and Sunday school, I was expected to blindly believe and I did, it was just one of those things. As I matured and began thinking for myself I wanted badly to have that connection with God and the Church but I couldn't find it. I found that most of the "Christians" were very judgmental and very pushy with their beliefs.

I've lost even more faith in the Church recently, my teen daughter who has chosen on her own to go to Church and follow the Christian faith was turned away at the door due in part to her being gay. She had done nothing wrong while attending services, she helps out with Sunday School and also attends the weekly youth group. I am appalled that a a group whom supposedly "loves and accepts all" would turn away a young girl that was looking for love and acceptance while trying to find herself. Yes she has brightly coloured hair and several piercing but she is also a quiet, mild mannered young lady who now has a broken heart.

Deist

I worked in healthcare for 22 years. Critical, trauma, medical intensive care units. I have seen the hand of God work his mercy. Situations that even doctors can not explain but definitely were the result of a higher authority. The end of life and the days leading up to it are very life changing. You may not see or feel his presence in your soul at this stage of your life. But you will still have a chance to feel HIS love, HIS mercy, HIS peace as your life here on earth comes to an end. I only pray you non believers, those bitter with the church, those confused and self absorbed, could know HIM before you get to your final hour.

Secular Humanist by way of Judaism, which is actually pretty Jewish in a roundabout way. Radicalized agnostic.

If there's someone in charge of this thing (IDK) I'm sure he/she/it would like us all to do better by each other. That includes leaving other people ALONE about their experience and their beliefs, but as mentioned I came out of a religion that forbids proselytizing. We got a few things right, for sure.

I also like a lot of Zen teaching, because it has made me completely happy with IDK as a mindset. Not-knowing and not-being-sure and living in mystery rather than certainty is awesome.

Realist.
I was raised/programmed to be a Catholic.
I de-programmed myself as soon as I grew a modest-sized brain.

For those people who would like a good myth to spice up their reality, I suggest that they re-discover the ancient Greek/Roman mythology/religion. It has the advantages of having a fuller cast of characters and of being less sexist than the currently popular Abrahamic religions. For example, it is inclusive of important female characters in leading roles such as God-the-Mother and many Daughters-of-God.

The Son-of-God character, Hercules, who is born from God-the-Father's affair with a virgin mortal woman, has the advantages of having a more legendary arsenal of superpowers and more epic conquests/miracles than the hero in the Christian story.

"Faith is believing what you know ain't so."
Mark Twain

"Give logic a chance."
"Give me logic or give me death."
"In Logic We Trust"
BlindLogic/JohnLennon/PatrickHenry/UncleSam

#LogicWins

I'm a Hebrew Catholic (so yep, I have some of the Ashkenazi genes). Currently not actively practicing the Mass due to my health issues. However I still get a lot of consolation and support from my faith community. I also do a lot of interreligious research in my work (I lived in a majority Muslim country for a while, and studied Buddhist-Hindu-Muslim relations)

My partner is in seminary with the UCC (probably the most progressive strand of Protestantism) though he was raised Catholic as well. We get a good laugh during our theological discussions

jlanier said:

Im a follower of Jesus Christ.

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Amen

I was brought up as a Christian and went to a church of England primary school. I have not done the going to church thing for years. As I feel that God is all around not just in a church. I have asked for help from Him over the years and feel that I have had my prayers answered many times. So I do believe I just don't do going to church. I think that whatever religion you follow it should be for good not evil. I respect everyone's religion. May your God bless you if you have one. If not may the universe bless you.

Raised Hindu.. And then became an Atheist around 16.. hindu religion has lotta stories which are impossible to believe in.. Well , its a very old religion , so its obvious..

I am a blood bought Christian.

:ywow: Looking at the polls... Crohn's attack christians a lot .. Just kidding .. :shifty:

I was born into a Christian home, and accepted Jesus at a young age. I have remained faithful all of my life.

I'm a Reform Jew. For the past few years I've been gravitating a bit towards Modern Orthodox Judaism, though. (I won't go Ultra-Orthodox.) I tend to be more observant than many other Reform Jews. I was born and raised as a Reform Jew. My mother's side is Jewish to as far back as we can trace. Ashkenazi Jews to be precise. (They're from Germany, Russia, Romania, and Belarus.) Dad's side is mainly Irish Catholic. (They also came from Scotland, a little bit of Wales, and a tiny bit came from Canada.) Dad doesn't really feel she belongs in any religion, although she leans a bit towards Buddhism. Interesting thing is the only other relatives I know that have Crohn's are from my dad's side. They say it's more prevalent with Ashkenazi Jews. But, then again, neither side of the family talks much to each other. My parents wanted to first raise me Jewish, but I always had a choice. If I felt more 'at home' with other religions or none of them, they still would have supported me. I don't think my mom would have been happy if I did become Orthodox, though. I think she felt weird about it ever since her sister became Ultra-Orthodox.

I believe in all religions and the lessons they teach.

Religions are all about having faith and believing in a greater power.

This can help when you're going through bad periods caused by poor health.

The greater power for Crohn's is science and one-day science will find a cure, you just have to have faith and persevere in the meantime.