The Closeted (or not) Religious

[ReligiousAgnosticAtheist]

From a conversation with a self-confessed Christian at a club night it was revealed that there is a substantial number of similarly minded folk in the society, which shocked me. So this poll is to gauge just how much faith there is at RockSoc for nothing other than satisfying my curiosity.

> for "religious" read: believes in a (or more) god(s)/higher power(s) <

[Dark_Soul]

I noticed that while I had the "light of the world" in my life, I was still an outsider. I could not adapt to the cookie-cutter Christian model...Now I am a Shadow Dweller, lurking with a candle, holding it out to others...sharing the light and the love of God to those who are also living in the shadows. The world is dark to me, that it saddens me greatly because it's so far from God's holy plan and design...lost, hellbound and full of people in complete denial...So I wear black and tell others that the world is empty and bleak. Yet it does not have to be. - Pastor Ed Carter of Sanctuary.

I think this, more or less, shows where I stand.

[hr]

Who will take care of me my love, my dark angel, when you are gone?

[Scurve Kano]

I believe in men. I believe we should all be good to one another (or at least not be tossers), and let whatever force guides the universe judge us upon that.

Do I believe in God? Yes. Do I believe he is a Semitic gentleman with a big beard and a voice like James Earl Jones? No. Do I believe that any organised religion has a monopoly of truth? No.

I believe that religion has too often been an excuse for repression, whether of the poor, outcasts, homosexuals or women (generally especially women), but that it has also inspired immense charity, personal development, social bonding and cultural creativity. The same, incidentally, could be said for many political philosophies and, for that matter, atheism.

I believe the universe has a design, and we may call that designer God. I am not so arrogant (well, at least I try to not be! ) to assume I know what form She takes, save that it is beyond our comprehension. I hope that one day I can stand before my Maker and have performed adequately. Until that day, I don't really let it control my life. Because I do know that the world exists, so we should make the most of it, and that people exist, and should be treated right.

Of course, like most of us here I can't abide hypocrisy- and I'm sure no one's faith has ever been shaken by reading Dan Brown or listening to Slayer.

This is becoming a speech, I do apologise!

[hr]

"Take me to the Gardens of the Sinner,
Bury me and let me rest in peace
Now the time of truth has come for everyone
The fallen angel stands in victory"
-Gamma Ray, "Gardens of the Sinner"

[angel_kohaku]

Quoting Scurve Kano from 20:52, 16th Jan 2008
Do I believe in God? Yes. Do I believe he is a Semitic gentleman with a big beard and a voice like James Earl Jones? No.

Only because everyone knows God is James Mason.

[hr]

I may be a pretty sad case but I don't write jokes in base 13

[Haunted]

It is possible to be described as an atheist without being "vehement".

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Now with 100% more corn

[Scurve Kano]

Quoting Haunted from 08:19, 17th Jan 2008
It is possible to be described as an atheist without being "vehement".

Likewise it is possible to be deeply spiritually aware without "practicing".

[hr]

"Take me to the Gardens of the Sinner,
Bury me and let me rest in peace
Now the time of truth has come for everyone
The fallen angel stands in victory"
-Gamma Ray

[angel_kohaku]

Quoting Haunted from 08:19, 17th Jan 2008
It is possible to be described as an atheist without being "vehement".

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Now with 100% more corn

Unless they're pimping for the Douglas Adams reasoning: He went with "Radical Atheist" to prove he HAD thought about it, because he said when he described himself as "an atheist", people assumed he meant agnostic.

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I may be a pretty sad case but I don't write jokes in base 13

[Haunted]

I could be wrong but I think he was trying to explain the difference between strong and weak atheism.
A strong atheist knows there is nothing supernatural while the weak atheist says there is no evidence for anything supernatural and thus lives accordingly. It's easy to confuse weak atheism with agnosticism and I think Douglas considered himself to be a strong atheist.

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Now with 100% more corn

[Haunted]

Quoting Scurve Kano from 20:58, 17th Jan 2008
Likewise it is possible to be deeply spiritually aware without "practicing".

and I believe that option is covered with "Yes, non-practicing"?

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Now with 100% more corn

[Dark_Soul]

Yeah but he is asking if it is *possible*

And yeah I think it is. Depends on what you mean by practicing. Dr Robert Beckford (google him) is one of my heroes. He's a Christian but not in the typical sense. He believes in Christ but challenges popular Christian beliefs and the Bible. I believe in Christ but I don't always go to Church or act in the way that *proper* Christians are meant to. Maybe that means I'm not really Christian or that I just don't believe every word I hear. I'm very undecided with my beliefs (one of the reasons I'm studying theology). I do, however, maintain my belief in Christ. Decide from that what you will...

Quoting Haunted from 12:09, 18th Jan 2008

Quoting Scurve Kano from 20:58, 17th Jan 2008
Likewise it is possible to be deeply spiritually aware without "practicing".

and I believe that option is covered with "Yes, non-practicing"?

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Now with 100% more corn

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Who will take care of me my love, my dark angel, when you are gone?

[Scurve Kano]

Quoting Haunted from 12:09, 18th Jan 2008

Quoting Scurve Kano from 20:58, 17th Jan 2008
Likewise it is possible to be deeply spiritually aware without "practicing".

and I believe that option is covered with "Yes, non-practicing"?

[hr]

I'm not sure it is. "Non-practicing" implies "lapsed", which itself implies less belief than "practicing" what I propose is a spiritual position that 1. is strong but 2. does not require "practice", in the sense of observing ritual. For example, how can one be a "practicing atheist", without taking a lead from Metalocalypse:

"Dear God, who we do not believe in: let us all not pray to you who does not exist..."

Or similarly, how can one be a practicing humanist (which I suppose I am!)?

I am splitting hairs- I wouldn't expect any poll to cover every spiritual position, after all.



[hr]

"Take me to the Gardens of the Sinner,
Bury me and let me rest in peace
Now the time of truth has come for everyone
The fallen angel stands in victory"
-Gamma Ray

[Haunted]

Yeah but he is asking if it is *possible*

Rereading what he originally posted I still a statement and not a question.

I'm not sure it is. "Non-practicing" implies "lapsed",

Not at all
One can have an inclination to believe in the supernatural but simply do nothing about it.

I propose is a spiritual position that 1. is strong but 2. does not require "practice", in the sense of observing ritual.

Sounds like some forms of buddhism

For example, how can one be a "practicing atheist"

One cannot since atheism is merely a lack of belief in the supernatural. Though there a variety of atheistic/materialist philosophies that one can practice e.g. humanism.

Or similarly, how can one be a practicing humanist (which I suppose I am!)?

By observing the ethics and moral code that humanism teaches.

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Now with 100% more corn

[Scurve Kano]

Fair enough.

I'm curious as to whether anyone's personal faith affects their taste in music. Do Christians listen to black metal (hey, if Tom Araya is Catholic...)? Do atheists listen to Stryper (well, does anyone? )?

Thoughts?

[hr]

"Take me to the Gardens of the Sinner,
Bury me and let me rest in peace
Now the time of truth has come for everyone
The fallen angel stands in victory"
-Gamma Ray

[Power Metal Dom]

Some Christian listen to unblack metal. No seriously!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unblack_metal

Plus I like some Theocracy, a Christian prog-power metal band despite being atheist.

[hr]

Like flames on fuel...upon metal I drool

[Starla]

This may surprise you guys but I actually have a pretty firm belief in God/Higher Power/ Call It What You Want.

I am also no practicing. I believe that spirituality is a deeply personal thing, it's not easy to describe or talk about, so any truly outward displays will always ring hollow. It's something individual and internal. So I wouldn't say I'm part of any religion or anything, but I would definitely call myself religious.

Sorry Chippy, don't hit me.

Jez

[hr]

"We all live in our Fantasy and only endure our Reality..." - R.A.Wilson

[Dark_Soul]

Well my favourite Slayer song is Disciple. The lyrics mean a lot to me. Hypocritical I know, I'll figure myself out one day....

Quoting Scurve Kano from 16:39, 18th Jan 2008
Fair enough.

I'm curious as to whether anyone's personal faith affects their taste in music. Do Christians listen to black metal (hey, if Tom Araya is Catholic...)? Do atheists listen to Stryper (well, does anyone? )?

Thoughts?

[hr]

"Take me to the Gardens of the Sinner,
Bury me and let me rest in peace
Now the time of truth has come for everyone
The fallen angel stands in victory"
-Gamma Ray

[hr]

Who will take care of me my love, my dark angel, when you are gone?

[Haunted]

It's ok Jez, I'm just going to top deck you into brown oblivion.

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Now with 100% more corn

[Power Metal Dom]

Well, I will say this...

God Gave Rock and Roll to you...gave rock and roll to you...put it in the souls of everyone!

[hr]

Like flames on fuel...upon metal I drool

[Guest]

Im Christian and love black metal. Black metal is all about embracing nature, ancient ruins, respect of the pagan religions. Brilliant genre. Since when do personal beliefs affect enjoyment of art?

[Haunted]

Quoting from 23:44, 20th Jan 2008
Since when do personal beliefs affect enjoyment of art?

http://amboytimes.typepad.com/the_amboy ... ow-up.html
http://thebuddhistblog.blogspot.com/200 ... ay-at.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2005/ja ... .religion1
And that whole Golden Compass malarky.

Though I'm willing to accept that the cases above happened because the zealots in question were just morons who happened to be motivated by personal belief as opposed to the personal belief decreeing they destroy/protest art.
(Yeah, I know, but)

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Now with 100% more corn