# What is your faith/doctrine/religion (if any?)



## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

THIS IS NOT A DEBATE TOPIC!  If you want to debate, make your own thread!

What is your faith/doctrine/religion/guiding philosophy (if any?)


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## Mikazuki Marazhu (Dec 12, 2017)

I praise KEK


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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

Non-Denominational Protestant Christian


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## Crimcyan (Dec 12, 2017)

Grew up orginaly in a Catholic home (like barely even Catholic, like almost no praying or whatever Catholics do) Then joined families with a super Christian family, where they prayed and went to church all the time and mildly bible thumping.
I then split apart of from the Christian  family. At the moment I don't have the time or effort or anything really to do any religious things so I'm basically in the middle of all of it.


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## aloveablebunny (Dec 12, 2017)

I do not follow/practice a religion. I have never really done so since I was little. My parents and I used to go to church, but stopped when I was still a toddler. Mom tried really hard to make me read the Bible, but I outright refused. However, I am familiar with a good number of its teachings and scriptures.

My mom is religious though, and we have a mutual respect of each other's beliefs. Although I do have a lot of existential dread; I struggle with the idea of death and any 'afterlife'. It's a rather complicated thing for me, I guess. While I believe that living beings have souls, I am simply terrified of dying and ceasing to exist.

The things that I have learned about religion leave me with a lot of questions, and I guess I settle with the stance of an afterlife/god/divine being/deity not being able to be proven or disproven. I would rather spend time actively doing things to help people in need - putting in the effort to connect with someone - than to send prayers up to 'someone' I have never seen nor known to exist as a means to try to fix a situation.

I don't know that I believe in miracles, moreso I believe in coincidence, luck, and the resilience of people.

When it comes to death, I will attend funerals, but I usually do not pray aloud - rather I keep quiet and just listen.

I have absolutely nothing wrong with those who practice religion. I have a problem with people who use religion to justify the mistreatment of others.

I take a combination of morals and ethics from different religions that I agree with and apply those to my life. Rather than practice religion, I'd rather practice making good moral and ethical choices that do not intentionally cause harm to others.

I find that living my life with principles of realism in the forefront of my mind has been the most successful way for me to navigate through the challenges and struggles that I have endured (and will endure in the future).


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## BahgDaddy (Dec 12, 2017)

Atheist, sort of pagan at times, also spiritual. I think.

I was a Christian until a few years ago. Now I browse furry porn and fap with the devil!


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## Dongding (Dec 12, 2017)

I feel like everyone is universally connected to everyone else. The more science discovers about the universe, and the closer we look at things, more questions arise than are answered. There's so many inconceivably possible possibilities. The only thing anyone can count as a definitive fact is that they themselves exist. I don't limit myself to that fact; I do have a small small amount of faith in that there must be other people outside of my consciousness. You guys are messed up and I'd hate to be the one responsible for imagining you, but so little of the universe can be proven to be a tangible part of whatever reality is, that we aren't equipped to ever know. The universe is essentially made up of literally nothing if you consider what an atom is.


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## Deleted member 115426 (Dec 12, 2017)

I am agnostic but lean towards pagan every once in awhile. Christianity made me hate myself for years when I was younger and starting to learn I was gay. I remember how terrified of hell I was. It was the worst time of my life. Luckily I split and learned to hate it. Christianity and the rest of its ilk is a scourge set upon humanity. If it wasn't for that damn doctrine there would be more souls alive than dead. Suffice to say I have strong opinions about Abrahamic religions. Also, if the day comes I die and I get sent to hell, I'll gladly go while cussing God out the whole way for cursing me with all my problems and sending me to eternal damnation for the hate he embued in me.


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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

Ovi the Dragon said:


> I am agnostic but lean towards pagan every once in awhile. Christianity made me hate myself for years when I was younger and starting to learn I was gay. I remember how terrified of hell I was. It was the worst time of my life. Luckily I split and learned to hate it. Christianity and the rest of its ilk is a scourge set upon humanity. If it wasn't for that damn doctrine there would be more souls alive than dead. Suffice to say I have strong opinions about Abrahamic religions. Also, if the day comes I die and I get sent to hell, I'll gladly go while cussing God out the whole way for cursing me with all my problems and sending me to eternal damnation for the hate he embued in me.


Well... not mincing any words there! 

Hopefully your feelings towards God doesn’t extend to His followers.


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## Deleted member 115426 (Dec 12, 2017)

All of his followers seem to follow some "new-age" Christianity. Ones that skew bible verses to their own end. I know the Bible quite well. Women should be quiet in church. People should be allowed to own slaves and beat them as long as they don't die. Rebellious children should be stoned. But of course no one will out right defend these things and are in denial when someone brings up the verses. Like how I should be stoned for being gay and all of you as well for having an attraction to things not human. None of you are true Christians. Nobody is.


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## MetroFox2 (Dec 12, 2017)

Athiest, but open to the supernatural. While I have had bad experiences with religion, I do not blame religion for said experiences. I believe I said this in a different thread, but hate / violence in the name of religion is often the fault of an individual's interpretation of said religion, and not the religion itself. Of course, there are hateful religions, but they are often off-shoots created by hateful individuals. I've never turned someone away based on religion, only their actions. As for the bible (Since that's the only text I know well enough to comment on), it's perfectly fine to question it, as it was written after the fact, by a second party at a time when the mass production of scripture was virtually impossible.


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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

Ovi the Dragon said:


> All of his followers seem to follow some "new-age" Christianity. Ones that skew bible verses to their own end. I know the Bible quite well. Women should be quiet in church. People should be allowed to own slaves and beat them as long as they don't die. Rebellious children should be stoned. But of course no one will out right defend these things and are in denial when someone brings up the verses. Like how I should be stoned for being gay and all of you as well for having an attraction to things not human. None of you are true Christians. Nobody is.


Well, I obviously disagree but since this is not a debate thread that's where I'll leave it.  Ppl seem to be getting rather sick of debate so I'll open up a debate thread after the holidays if you want to discuss these things in detail.


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## Deleted member 115426 (Dec 12, 2017)

Telnac said:


> Well, I obviously disagree but since this is not a debate thread that's where I'll leave it.  Ppl seem to be getting rather sick of debate so I'll open up a debate thread after the holidays if you want to discuss these things in detail.


Whatever ya say man, I'll host the Bible study if you want.


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## RakshaTheCat (Dec 12, 2017)

Hmm, can it be religion I just came up with? This thread kind of inspired me to think of a good faith for me... :3

So my (the one and only true one) prophecy is that Space Kitty Gods will come to Earth to stop hooman vermin from ruining whole galaxy. However, those who worship Cats and can be tamed (like me), will get nice collars with bell and nametag and we will have honor to serve our Kitty Gods as their pets.

So, you all infidels and heretics, better convert and start worshiping Felines for your salvation! >:3


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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

RakshaTheCat said:


> Hmm, can it be religion I just came up with? This thread kind of inspired me to think of a good faith for me... :3
> 
> So my (the one and only true one) prophecy is that Space Kitty Gods will come to Earth to stop hooman vermin from ruining whole galaxy. However, those who worship Cats and can be tamed (like me), will get nice collars with bell and nametag and we will have honor to serve our Kitty Gods as their pets.
> 
> So, you all infidels and heretics, better convert and start worshiping Felines for your salvation! >:3


Hey, whatever floats your boat!  

[Edit]  My cat approves of your religion.


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## MetroFox2 (Dec 12, 2017)

RakshaTheCat said:


> Hmm, can it be religion I just came up with? This thread kind of inspired me to think of a good faith for me... :3
> 
> So my (the one and only true one) prophecy is that Space Kitty Gods will come to Earth to stop hooman vermin from ruining whole galaxy. However, those who worship Cats and can be tamed (like me), will get nice collars with bell and nametag and we will have honor to serve our Kitty Gods as their pets.
> 
> So, you all infidels and heretics, better convert and start worshiping Felines for your salvation! >:3



Your vile cat gods will never break my faith in the almighty:





Edit - Hey! Anyone here Suomenusko (Finnish Paganism)?


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## Deleted member 115426 (Dec 12, 2017)

Telnac said:


> Hey, whatever floats your boat!
> 
> [Edit]  My cat approves of your religion.


Lol


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## Scales42 (Dec 12, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> Now I browse furry porn and fap with the devil!



amen


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## Yakamaru (Dec 12, 2017)

Atheist, plain and simple. As for doctrines: I don't follow any.


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## Vitaly (Dec 12, 2017)

Gaben cult


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## Jarren (Dec 12, 2017)

Taoist/agnostic.
The philosophy makes the most sense to me, but I'm not sure of how much of the mysticism element I buy into.


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## Kit H. Ruppell (Dec 12, 2017)

I was raised Protestant, but religion never really made sense to me. I tried to read the Bible, and realized the inherent greed and cruelty of Abrahamic creationism. 

Now I’m an Anti-theist/New Atheist. I say meanie bad-bad things about religious beliefs/practices that I’m supposed to ignore, and faux-progressives get mad. They’d do well to listen to us.


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## Open_Mind (Dec 12, 2017)

I am a happy and unapologetic Athiest. I fear no Hell nor aspire to any Heaven.

Way back my family was religious, but I forget which flavor. My Dad thought it rediculous that any sentient being with infinite, intergalactic power would knowingly create a universe where pain, suffering, cruelty, heartbreak and hatred existed. If said being knew the suffering occured and did nothing, it is a sadistic entity unworthy of worship. I have known many people who are religious, and in my youth I even sampled several versions. Whatever allure they have to others, did not take hold of me.

We are accountable only to ourselves. We have only ourselves and bad luck to blame for misfortune. Success comes from hard work and good luck, not the whims or favors of an invisible deity. All the time we will ever have for pleasure, love and fun is right now.


Kit H. Ruppell said:


> Now I’m an Anti-theist/New Atheist.


I would have just said just 'atheist' for myself, but this term 'anti-theist' intrigues me. It implies active vs. passive stance... a sense that not only is participating in a theologic activity not for you, but that you actively campaign _against_ it. Like trying to get people to stop smoking. I'll have to explore that line of thinking further.

óÓÒò


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## Saiko (Dec 12, 2017)

I’m agnostic-atheist, so I don’t adhere to any explicit system. I grew up “reformed baptist,” though; so most of my behavior follows a superficially Christian pattern. The main difference is that I place a shit ton more emphasis on self-empowerment, while my family focuses on empowerment through Jesus and whatnot.


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## Ciderfine (Dec 12, 2017)

LeVay satanist who only cares for logic, common sense and fact. Thats my oath of office.


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## ellaerna (Dec 12, 2017)

Telnac said:


> Non-Denominational Protestant Christian


I was raised that too. United Church of Christ - the most liberal church that always wound up in the most conservative rural areas. 

Now I'm mostly just a Easter/Christmas Christian and have adopted a pretty lax Passover/Yom Kippur Judaism thanks to my boyfriend. Though we also celebrate Hanukkah and do Shabbat dinners at least one Friday a month so I guess technically I'm more Jew than Christian if you just go by the effort I put in.

Actual faith-wise, I'm not sure what I believe. I still pray from time to time. The services I go to for either religion still mean something to me. I like the idea of a higher power well enough. I just dunno. I've basically been agnostic since I was a teen, but old habits die hard, I guess.


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## aloveablebunny (Dec 12, 2017)

I'm glad that this thread has stayed on topic and that people aren't delving into fights.


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## BahgDaddy (Dec 12, 2017)

aloveablebunny said:


> I'm glad that this thread has stayed on topic and that people aren't delving into fights.



I can't believe you're not an atheist, exactly like me. Prepare to be converted to the Church of Neil Degrasse Tysonism!


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## aloveablebunny (Dec 12, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> I can't believe you're not an atheist, exactly like me. Prepare to be converted to the Church of Neil Degrasse Tysonism!


I'm all about that Bill Nye the Science Guy!


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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

ellaerna said:


> I was raised that too. United Church of Christ - the most liberal church that always wound up in the most conservative rural areas.
> 
> Now I'm mostly just a Easter/Christmas Christian and have adopted a pretty lax Passover/Yom Kippur Judaism thanks to my boyfriend. Though we also celebrate Hanukkah and do Shabbat dinners at least one Friday a month so I guess technically I'm more Jew than Christian if you just go by the effort I put in.
> 
> Actual faith-wise, I'm not sure what I believe. I still pray from time to time. The services I go to for either religion still mean something to me. I like the idea of a higher power well enough. I just dunno. I've basically been agnostic since I was a teen, but old habits die hard, I guess.


I was invited to celebrate Passover with the family of a Jewish friend from college. I loved it!  It was steeped far more in Biblical history & tradition than any Christian holiday celebration I’ve been to. I wish Christians celebrated Passover like that. Maybe there’d be far less anti-semitism if we did, but that may just be hopeful thinking. Ppl seem to no need no reason to hate.


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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

aloveablebunny said:


> I'm all about that Bill Nye the Science Guy!


Heretic!


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## ellaerna (Dec 12, 2017)

Telnac said:


> I was invited to celebrate Passover with the family of a Jewish friend from college. I loved it!  It was steeped far more in Biblical history & tradition than any Christian holiday celebration I’ve been to. I wish Christians celebrated Passover like that. Maybe there’d be far less anti-semitism if we did, but that may just be hopeful thinking. Ppl seem to no need no reason to hate.


I really do enjoy the Jewish holidays quite a bit. I imagine if we were raised Catholic, the tradition aspect wouldn't be so remarkable to us, but it really does add a lot of meaning and depth to the celebration. I feel like Christianity can lose sight of the history and meaning a bit, especially with something like Christmas. It can definitely feel like a lot of flash and no substance. Not that that can't happen with any religion.

If you want to check out more Jewish holidays, I'd suggest going to a Yom Kippur service (and Rosh Hashannah before that if you can swing it). It can be a long, drawn out service, but it's very interesting. And when they blow the shofar... it just reverberates in your chest and really hits you in the feels.


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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

ellaerna said:


> I really do enjoy the Jewish holidays quite a bit. I imagine if we were raised Catholic, the tradition aspect wouldn't be so remarkable to us, but it really does add a lot of meaning and depth to the celebration. I feel like Christianity can lose sight of the history and meaning a bit, especially with something like Christmas. It can definitely feel like a lot of flash and no substance. Not that that can't happen with any religion.
> 
> If you want to check out more Jewish holidays, I'd suggest going to a Yom Kippur service (and Rosh Hashannah before that if you can swing it). It can be a long, drawn out service, but it's very interesting. And when they blow the shofar... it just reverberates in your chest and really hits you in the feels.


I would love that. Unfortunately my friend’s family are very, very reformed. They do Passover but that’s about it.  I’d be afraid to just show up uninvited to a Yom Kippur service and end up doing or saying the wrong thing.


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## ellaerna (Dec 12, 2017)

Telnac said:


> I would love that. Unfortunately my friend’s family are very, very reformed. They do Passover but that’s about it.  I’d be afraid to just show up uninvited to a Yom Kippur service and end up doing or saying the wrong thing.


Clearly you just need more Jewish friends. 
I have no idea how old you are, but if you're in college or live close to a university, they typically have a Jewish student group that does very inclusive and open services for all the holidays. In my experience, they love new comers and sharing their traditions with others. Though it's not like I've been to any colleges other than my own, so grain of salt, I guess.


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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

ellaerna said:


> Clearly you just need more Jewish friends.
> I have no idea how old you are, but if you're in college or live close to a university, they typically have a Jewish student group that does very inclusive and open services for all the holidays. In my experience, they love new comers and sharing their traditions with others. Though it's not like I've been to any colleges other than my own, so grain of salt, I guess.


Alas, my college days are long behind me. I’m 44.


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## Deleted member 82554 (Dec 12, 2017)

I worship the sun, and sometimes Joe Pesci.


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## Diretooth (Dec 12, 2017)

I don't even know if I fit in anywhere specific. Starting with the huge stuff, I believe that there are infinite amount of universes within and equally infinite amount of multiverses all encompassed by some vague idea of an omniverse where all that is and ever will be exists. I believe that all things have some degree of life and/or energy to it, that all life is inherently sacred, but not to the point that life must not be extinguished. Hunting for food and foraging for survival, or raising cattle and growing crops, so long as you give respect to the land and the life within it and treat your prey or your food with honor and respect. People who mistreat animals for the sake of amusement or profit should not be in a position to do so. In the same manner, people who separate themselves from nature, be it through the idea of humanity being above animals, despite being animals themselves, or by rejecting their very nature through the abstinence of meat or artificial or natural medicine, or through the abuse of artificial or natural drugs, are, for lack of a better term, 'bad'.
Having a healthy respect for and relationship with the world, both physically and spiritually, is essential for personal growth.
As a Therianthrope, I identify as a Dire Wolf and a Dragon, though more spiritually than mentally. Due to this, I experience shifts into these animals, usually experiencing a mixture of mindsets and instincts depending on how strong the shift is, as well as experiencing phantom limbs associated with the animal. Alongside this, I keep a close grip on the physical reality that I am Human, and though I am ill-fit in my body, I am able to express this side of me through my writing and my art, as well as occasionally indulging in non-human behavior. (Right now, as I type this, I am experiencing a rather strong Dragon mental shift.)
I recognize the importance of science for the sake of understanding nature and bettering the lives of everyone, and disdain the abuse of it for selfish gains. Whether or not the dysphoria I feel regarding my species is spiritual or physically linked is something that interests me greatly.
I believe in magic, and lean toward paganism as a 'religion'. I disagree with Christian philosophy, especially when it is used for personal gain, but I like the concept of a good man who does good things for the sake of it (I.E. Jesus). I do not agree with the current concept of seven deadly sins, as they can stifle positive growth out of fear. For instance, Pride is a sin, but this stifles pride in one's work. Lust is a sin, but this stifles mutual physical love with a significant other. Sloth is a sin, but this stifles the necessary time in which one may need to rest for long periods of time to heal.
The closest thing I have come to actual sins in the world are apathy (In a lack of care for the plights of others), cruelty (Willing harm for the sake of personal enjoyment or spite), duplicity (Dishonesty and lies), hypocrisy (Professing a virtue, but acting against it, saying not to do something, but doing it anyway), false morality (Wherein you use the trappings of a moral code as a disguise from your real actions,) abuse of power (Using an elevated position to force others to do what you want), and cultivated ignorance (Willfully ignoring truth for the sake of maintaining ignorance in a subject).
In all of this, I recognize most of all that I do not, and cannot, understand everything in the world, that our current understanding of science barely scratches the surface of the greater universe, and that matters of the spirit can change. In this, I strive to honor all who act in an honorable fashion, regardless of their spiritual affiliations.

And just because I'm in derg mode. *Typing in this manner fulfills a need to, well, be a large, noticeable Dragon.* Unfortunately, most people seem to dislike such a use.


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## BahgDaddy (Dec 12, 2017)

I've been trying out different pagan rituals. Some of them are a lot of fun, and it's all about nature and life and stuff, soxthat floats my boat.


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## MetroFox2 (Dec 12, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> I've been trying out different pagan rituals. Some of them are a lot of fun, and it's all about nature and life and stuff, soxthat floats my boat.



Have you looked at Suomenusko? Neither have I, maybe we should do a pilgrimage to the great Finnish homeland where we shall get on our knees and worship reindeer!

Seriously though, Suomenusko is an interesting religion, from my knowledge.


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## BahgDaddy (Dec 12, 2017)

MetroFox2 said:


> Have you looked at Suomenusko? Neither have I, maybe we should do a pilgrimage to the great Finnish homeland where we shall get on our knees and worship reindeer!
> 
> Seriously though, Suomenusko is an interesting religion, from my knowledge.



I'm open to anything! I like reindeer, but I'm not really willing to worship anything, prnbaly has to do with my pride. 

I'm usually interested in Irish folk and Scottish pagan religions, with the likes of Druidism and whatnot. 

But there's also some interesting tribal religions as well. 

All most people know about is Christianity, Islam and Buddhism though.


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## MetroFox2 (Dec 12, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> I'm open to anything! I like reindeer, but I'm not really willing to worship anything, prnbaly has to do with my pride.
> 
> I'm usually interested in Irish folk and Scottish pagan religions, with the likes of Druidism and whatnot.
> 
> ...



There's a great little turn-based game, similar to Civ V, set in... I think it's the mythology of the Romuva faith of the Baltic.


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## Kellan Meig'h (Dec 12, 2017)

Okay, I'll spill it. I'm Mormon. Yeah. I was born and raised Pentecostal, lost my faith in the church as a young man. The pastor of the Pentecostal church got involved with the calling card scams of the '80's and '90's, went to jail and the Church headquarters closed our church. Some years later, my wife (who had been LDS since a teen) got me involved with the LDS church. While the church has done a few things I'm not happy with (supporting anti-gay legislation) I find my local ward to be a great collection of people.

I believe in a higher power, the afterlife be what it may and the concept of Hell. I do believe in The Bible, the Book Of Mormon, The Doctrines and Covenants and The Pearl Of Great Price. I do take all of these works with a grain of salt, since they were either wrote after the fact or penned by the Mormon Prophets. I use them as a guideline in my everyday life.

I also follow the teachings of the Native Americans, being part Choctaw and Creek. Honor the land and protect it for Mother Earth, Father Sun, the Rain and the Wind will will feed and nourish you. Hunt only what you need to sustain you and thank that animal for giving you life. I give thanks at the Summer and Winter solstice, thanks for my health and prosperity.


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## RakshaTheCat (Dec 12, 2017)

MetroFox2 said:


> Your vile cat gods will never break my faith in the almighty:


Cats spoke to me in my vision and I was told you will actually be free to worship nukes!

When Kitty Gods come, extra violent breed of hoomans like you will be put on some barren 'natural reserve' planet where you will be free to nuke each other to your hearts desires. Kitty Gods will only intervene for conservation reasons if you happen to decimate yourselves so much that there will be danger of you becoming extinct... >:3


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## Akartoshi (Dec 12, 2017)




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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

Akartoshi said:


>


*Lol* I was wondering when the FSM would make an appearance!


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## ellaerna (Dec 12, 2017)

It's rare that there's an oglaf strip that is both relevant and safe enough for me to post. Enjoy.






Also, be aware that the overwhelming majority of Oglaf is NSFW.


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## Sarachaga (Dec 12, 2017)

ellaerna said:


> It's rare that there's an oglaf strip that is both relevant and safe enough for me to post. Enjoy.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oooh boy! I love Oglaf <3!

I'm agnostic, but I was raised a protestant.


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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

ellaerna said:


> It's rare that there's an oglaf strip that is both relevant and safe enough for me to post. Enjoy.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


*lol*. The all-hating god. That’s an interesting twist.


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## ellaerna (Dec 12, 2017)

Telnac said:


> *lol*. The all-hating god. That’s an interesting twist.


If you like that, they also show up in another strip:


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## ellaerna (Dec 12, 2017)

Sarachaga said:


> Oooh boy! I love Oglaf <3!
> 
> I'm agnostic, but I was raised a protestant.


Oglaf is the best. <3


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## BahgDaddy (Dec 12, 2017)

I worship myself because I'm that fucking awesome.


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## Belatucadros (Dec 12, 2017)

I was lucky and never had religion pushed on me. My mother was raised Catholic, but always thought it was a bunch of bullshit. Growing up my father was agnostic. They gave us the choice to believe in whatever we want, or nothing at all. Over the years my family became spiritualist, and is what I believe myself. Spiritualism isn't a religion, it's really just a laid back system of beliefs. There's no church, and none of that stupid sin stuff, thank god. To be honest, most of the time I forget I even have a belief.


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## ditta_ragdoll (Dec 12, 2017)

Family tried really hard to start me as a Baptist. I never got why everyone had to yell. Wound up wandering towards Taoism when I was a teen, and it kinda meandered further to I guess you could say gentle paganism?   I appreciate my tarot cards mostly, use them to get nosey about other people, and I still wind up keeping tenants of Taoism for some reason. Just being polite to everything seems the right to me.


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## Telnac (Dec 12, 2017)

I find it interesting how few ppl stayed with the religion of their parents, when statistics show that a vast majority of the general population stays with the faith they were raised to believe.  I certainly wasn’t raised Protestant.


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## Deleted member 115426 (Dec 12, 2017)

Telnac said:


> I find it interesting how few ppl stayed with the religion of their parents, when statistics show that a vast majority of the general population stays with the faith they were raised to believe.  I certainly wasn’t raised Protestant.


Honestly it might be because we are so diverse now and everyone has access to everything. When you're forced to believe only one thing you start to get curious. Or people have the guts to approach others nowadays. I mean a few hundred years ago, good luck saying a certain god isn't real. I remember when I deconverted my brother from Christianity. He knew right from wrong and when I told him about the verses about beating a slave, he changed. So I think it might be a mix of the times changing and people no longer being scared to speak up.


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## ellaerna (Dec 12, 2017)

Telnac said:


> I find it interesting how few ppl stayed with the religion of their parents, when statistics show that a vast majority of the general population stays with the faith they were raised to believe.  I certainly wasn’t raised Protestant.


I started dating a Jew. 
And my church was racist af, but mostly the jew thing.


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## Kezi Avdiivka (Dec 13, 2017)

There is a creator

there is an afterlife

and I believe we are in a simulation


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## Sagt (Dec 13, 2017)

Haven't ever considered religion as an option. My parents were atheist, and so I ended up being one pretty much by default. I'm not an anti-theist though, that shit's not cool.

Moved around a lot between countries for the most of my childhood, and so I've been exposed to many religious people of different faiths, and of varying levels of devotion. When used as a guideline for living a selfless, kind life, I think it's very respectable, but I'm not a fan of the dogma sometimes involved. That nastiness isn't intrinsic to religion though; I've met plenty of religious people who are very lax about their faith, and even know a guy who uses religion as a way to cope with mental illness. In those applications it's fine as far as I'm concerned.

Edit: Fixed an annoying typo


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## PaintedMica (Dec 13, 2017)

I generally follow the Asatru religion. Well, Pagan for short haha. Just thought I'd drop by. Have a nice day!


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## Sabrewulf (Dec 13, 2017)

My parents were raised Catholic and Protestant respectively, but neither really cared about it. So my sisters and I were raised without religion in the household at all. I didn't even fully understand the concept of religion until we learned more about it in school. I had no idea what churches were even there for until I was like 13 (and didn't set foot inside one until another decade later).

At the same time, I grew up in an incredibly diverse neighborhood, and one of my childhood friends was Muslim. We would often play video games at his place, and his mom would always go through a prayer ritual at specific times of the day. It never really struck me as odd. It was just something they did. Same with their Ramadan fasting.

I guess I'm somewhere between atheist and agnostic.


----------



## Telnac (Dec 13, 2017)

Sabrewulf said:


> I guess I'm somewhere between atheist and agnostic.


Word definition nitpik time!

Theist/atheist/polytheist states whether or not you believe in God (or gods in the case of polytheists.) Gnostic/agnostic states how certain you are in that belief. So in your case you’re likely both agnostic and atheist. In common use, most ppl just day they’re agnostic when they mean they’re agnostic atheists. It is possible to be an agnostic theist or polytheist, but most theists/polytheists would claim to know for certain that God(s) exist.


----------



## P_Dragon (Dec 13, 2017)

Kezi Avdiivka said:


> I believe we are in a simulation


Truf


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## Deleted member 111470 (Dec 13, 2017)

Money.


----------



## Tao (Dec 13, 2017)

I follow a lot of native beliefs, as I'm Cherokee myself. But I also follow a bit of Taosim and Buddhism. Overall though, I live life by a simple philosophy: Don't be a shitty person.


----------



## MetroFox2 (Dec 13, 2017)

Tao said:


> I follow a lot of native beliefs



I need to do some research on Native American religion, it all seems interesting but I've just never got around to it. It's on my bucket list of religions to research alongside Romuva and the religions of pre-Russian Siberia. Anyone got any recommendations of where I could start?


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## Tao (Dec 13, 2017)

MetroFox2 said:


> I need to do some research on Native American religion, it all seems interesting but I've just never got around to it. It's on my bucket list of religions to research alongside Romuva and the religions of pre-Russian Siberia. Anyone got any recommendations of where I could start?



Honestly, I haven't been able to find much on it when I've attempted to research. I learned all I know from a few books given to me by my medicine man that I'm sure are out of print now. Just books of legends and such. You can read a little bit about Cherokee culture on the Cherokee Nation's website though.

www.cherokee.org: General


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## MetroFox2 (Dec 13, 2017)

Tao said:


> Honestly, I haven't been able to find much on it when I've attempted to research. I learned all I know from a few books given to me by my medicine man that I'm sure are out of print now. Just books of legends and such. You can read a little bit about Cherokee culture on the Cherokee Nation's website though.
> 
> www.cherokee.org: General



Thanks, I'll still have a look for the books, they'd be a nice addition to the collection of foreign culture and religion I'm making. Starting with the Kalevala.


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## ChapterAquila92 (Dec 13, 2017)

Transhumanist with Catholic roots, and a bit of a Hobbesian Nietszchean to boot.


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## P_Dragon (Dec 13, 2017)

Tao said:


> Don't be a shitty person.


For me, this is the real answer. As far as I'm concerned, it's that simple.


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## Telnac (Dec 13, 2017)

ChapterAquila92 said:


> Transhumanist with Catholic roots, and a bit of a Hobbesian Nietszchean to boot.
> 
> View attachment 25220


I never thought of transhumanism as a religion.   Interesting. I’m a big fan of transhumanism myself but I see of it more like a philosophy I embrace in addition to my Christian beliefs.


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## Deleted member 115426 (Dec 13, 2017)

I am quite interested on how this hasn't gone downhill when talking about religion. Of course this is a good thing. Everyone give themselves a pat on the back. Good job everyone


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## BahgDaddy (Dec 13, 2017)

Telnac said:


> I never thought of transhumanism as a religion.   Interesting. I’m a big fan of transhumanism myself but I see of it more like a philosophy I embrace in addition to my Christian beliefs.



You can turn anything into a religion if you're dogmatic enough. Sports, TV stars, fandoms, money, atheism, etc. can all be _de facto _religions if someone wants them to be.


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## Telnac (Dec 13, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> You can turn anything into a religion if you're dogmatic enough. Sports, TV stars, fandoms, money, atheism, etc. can all be _de facto _religions if someone wants them to be.


Good point!  I can totally see that.



Ovi the Dragon said:


> I am quite interested on how this hasn't gone downhill when talking about religion. Of course this is a good thing. Everyone give themselves a pat on the back. Good job everyone


That’s the reason I said this isn’t a debate thread right at the start of the first post. The moment anyone enters into debate about religion the thread turns into a dumpster fire & the original point is forgotten. I’m genuinely curious what ppl believe. We can debate our beliefs later.


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## ChapterAquila92 (Dec 13, 2017)

Telnac said:


> I never thought of transhumanism as a religion.   Interesting. I’m a big fan of transhumanism myself but I see of it more like a philosophy I embrace in addition to my Christian beliefs.


Granted, people generally don't see the many branches of humanism (liberalism, socialism, and evolutionary humanism) as religions, even though each one possesses their own inherent dogmas involving a superhuman quality or entity (i.e.: human rights) whose existence is backed by a human authority (i.e.: the UN), maybe also inscribed into some sacred document as decreed or supported by that authority (i.e. the Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

For the sake of argument, there's nothing wrong with synchretism, not least of all since we have a tendency to practice it all the time. The animist belief in spirits, the veiled polytheistic nature of saints, the monotheistic belief of an omnipotent deity, and the liberal belief of individualism all mark the modern Christian Westerner to varying degrees for instance, and much of that rides on each religion co-opting elements from previous ones.

Transhumanism is simply a continuation of that tradition as a pacifist solution to evolutionary humanism. With that said, I don't take kindly to machine cultists - those who would sooner create a digital god to worship than help their fellow man transcend their limitations.


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## SSJ3Mewtwo (Dec 13, 2017)

Atheist, myself.





PaintedMica said:


>


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## Telnac (Dec 13, 2017)

ChapterAquila92 said:


> Granted, people generally don't see the many branches of humanism (liberalism, socialism, and evolutionary humanism) as religions, even though each one possesses their own inherent dogmas involving a superhuman quality or entity whose existence is backed by a human authority, maybe also inscribed into some sacred document as decreed or supported by that authority.
> 
> For the sake of argument, there's nothing wrong with synchretism, not least of all since we have a tendency to practice it all the time. The animist belief in spirits, the veiled polytheistic nature of saints, the monotheistic belief of an omnipotent deity, and the liberal belief of individualism all mark the modern Christian Westerner to varying degrees for instance, and much of that rides on each religion co-opting elements from previous ones.


I had to look up synchretism:
www.merriam-webster.com: Definition of SYNCRETISM


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## BahgDaddy (Dec 14, 2017)

I don't believe turning something into a religion is a bad thing. It simply means we're devoted to its cause. Denying that we're dogmatic is less honest and ethical than admitting to our inherent proclivity to cling to _something._


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## Telnac (Dec 14, 2017)

BahgDaddy said:


> I don't believe turning something into a religion is a bad thing. It simply means we're devoted to its cause. Denying that we're dogmatic is less honest and ethical than admitting to our inherent proclivity to cling to _something._


Agreed, so long as you’re not taking it to the point where you’re passing out the Kool-Aid...!

Many ppl have idols in their lives that they’re completely blind to.


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## Casey Fluffbat (Dec 14, 2017)

Some form of agnosticism. As far as I see supernatural or spiritual beings, they'd be best explained as advanced beings beyond our universe. So maybe, maybe. I also think the boundaries to define us are little more than useful to us. We like to seperate and identify outstanding features of our enviroment. It helps scientifically, but I see the universe seldom thought of as a whole with the components of concious brains. We're part of the universe, so do we see or does the universe see? Who knows.

A little on my past, I was a non-denominational Christian until age 15, and started questioning myself a year before that.


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## n1ghtmar3w0lf (Dec 18, 2017)

im kinda spiritual but always wonder and think about possible scientific explinations to supernatural occurances


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## backpawscratcher (Dec 19, 2017)

I don't have one really.  Just try and treat people as I'd like to be treated.  I know I swear too much, and there are times when I can be a bit selfish, but all in all I've never felt the need for religion in my life.  I'm even quite comfortable with the idea of death, since in my view the chances of any of us being born in the first place are so hugely against we should all just feel extremely fortunate to even be here at all, however brief our time may be.


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## Black Burn (Jan 14, 2018)

I just do what I think is right, I just don't know how I can call it...


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## Black Burn (Jan 14, 2018)

Oh and there's one more "Freedom of one person ends when the freedom of other person begins"


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## dragon-in-sight (Jan 14, 2018)

I'm quite spiritual but not in a religious way. I don't belive in higher beeings or black & white morals. My worldview is mostly an Animistic one. I belive that everything existing is spirit and information. The material world to me is an ematation of these taking form as many different things like men, animal plantlife or even objects we would perceive as lifeless. Every spirit and every form is equal in quality. There is no higher and no lesser being to me. And anything can be communicated with. I also don't belive in a central force of creation. I see the whole existence as self-organizing system, in which every little part is an attractor giving rise to new patterns of form and causality.

As for an Afterlife I belive in an eternal cycle of death and rebirth, with no tangible ending or beginning. I don't belive in something like Haven, Nirvana or even a need to break out of this cycle. On the contrary I belive that this eternal journey is the motor of creation, and that the whole purpose of life is to generate new possibilities and forms out of the given circumstances.


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## BahgDaddy (Jan 15, 2018)

dragon-in-sight said:


> I'm quite spiritual but not in a religious way. I don't belive in higher beeings or black & white morals. My worldview is mostly an Animistic one. I belive that everything existing is spirit and information. The material world to me is an ematation of these taking form as many different things like men, animal plantlife or even objects we would perceive as lifeless. Every spirit and every form is equal in quality. There is no higher and no lesser being to me. And anything can be communicated with. I also don't belive in a central force of creation. I see the whole existence as self-organizing system, in which every little part is an attractor giving rise to new patterns of form and causality.
> 
> As for an Afterlife I belive in an eternal cycle of death and rebirth, with no tangible ending or beginning. I don't belive in something like Haven, Nirvana or even a need to break out of this cycle. On the contrary I belive that this eternal journey is the motor of creation, and that the whole purpose of life is to generate new possibilities and forms out of the given circumstances.



That's a neat perspective, thanks for sharing.


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## Yakamaru (Jan 15, 2018)

Pretty sure I've stated my doctrine/faith/whatever in here somewhere. 

Atheist, and I don't follow any doctrines.


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## pippi (Jan 15, 2018)

Nothin.  I go by facts and experience


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## borders4life (Jan 15, 2018)

I would consider myself to be a nondenominational Christian, but i don't seem like it to other people. I don't preach my beliefs to other people or shame other ones just because they aren't mine. I have my own real life reasons to believe in a higher being. But I also believe in the existence of ghosts, aliens, and other supernatural creatures. I believe in reincarnation and people having past lives too. I also think the out if bidy experiences and near death experiences people have gone through are true. Maybe that doesn't make me a Christian with my beliefs, but it's still my base ideas.

Sure, there's no proof of a higher being or if the God from Christianity is actual a god or gods from any of the other religions. I've taken classes of comparative religion and studied the different types of religions to know that other cultures have their own Gods and beliefs. I've studied the parallelisms between them all as well as the "Hero's journey" that every main leader in each religion as gone through in some way. It's probably another reason why I'm open and accepting of all the different views. But at the end of the day, nobody really knows for sure until they're dead.


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## DarkoKavinsky (Jan 17, 2018)

I'm a pagan. A warlock. I have an affinity to the norse god Odin. Talked him myself a few times before I even knew who he was. Stumbled across his symbolism and lore and realized what I saw was him. 

I hold a faith and belief system that follows natural energies and is so old it is now unstructured. Many of things I do aren't easy to explain where they come from, as well as my natural abilities to channel. I can do tarot cards with ease and I've been able to see things that have come true. Family has a blood line of this stuff. It's saved my family more than a few times.We need all of the luck we can get considering our crazy history!


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## JinxiFox (Jan 21, 2018)

Pagan. Mainly the Irish Celtic traditions., but I do walk other paths including Voodoo, Egyptian and Norse.


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## DarkoKavinsky (Jan 21, 2018)

JinxiFox said:


> Pagan. Mainly the Irish Celtic traditions., but I do walk other paths including Voodoo, Egyptian and Norse.View attachment 26848 View attachment 26848 View attachment 26848


I like that pentacle. Lovely to see another pagan.


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## Zhalo (Jan 22, 2018)

I was raised Protestant but started to question my faith when I was about 12 years old. I remember that I brought up my doubts with my parents and they freaked out about it and I had a big argument with them about it with them telling me why I should believe in God and how it was sinful to question my faith. It ended with me pretending to reafirm my belief in Christianity because I did not want further any conflict with them... So, now im a closeted Atheist because, my family would disown me if they found out I am not Christian.


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## BahgDaddy (Jan 22, 2018)

DarkoKavinsky said:


> I like that pentacle. Lovely to see another pagan.



We pagans have to stick together.

I'm thinking of starting a pagan church so I can talk loudly, snitch millions of dollars from my followers, get caught in scandals, and paganism can finally be considered a real religion!


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## MetroFox2 (Jan 22, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> We pagans have to stick together.
> 
> I'm thinking of starting a pagan church so I can talk loudly, snitch millions of dollars from my followers, get caught in scandals, and paganism can finally be considered a real religion!



Speaking of Pagans, auto-correct may have done something that, uh, I don't know how the college is going to react to.


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## Black Burn (Jan 22, 2018)

Wow so much pagans here... Perun approves


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## DarkoKavinsky (Jan 22, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> We pagans have to stick together.
> 
> I'm thinking of starting a pagan church so I can talk loudly, snitch millions of dollars from my followers, get caught in scandals, and paganism can finally be considered a real religion!


I've thought about the same. Not for the  satirical reasons in which you post, but because the traditions and old beliefs don't really have a church anymore.

Granted not so sure exactly how the world would react to some of the Druidic elements, but hey all leaders of every religion must wear hats that look silly.

Also it'd be nice to have an area to practice the old traditions, an area to set up things and go from there.


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## Massan Otter (Jan 22, 2018)

Atheist or Humanist for me - I don't have absolute certainty or faith in any one idea, but that feels like the best working assumption for me.  I had a Humanist wedding ceremony and was a paid-up member of the Scottish Humanist Society for a few years.  
I do find the ideas and imagery around Paganism fascinating, though I couldn't call myself a believer in any literal sense.  It's something I often enjoy seeing explored in art or writing though.


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## MetroFox2 (Jan 22, 2018)

_Whew _My teacher seemed to understand when I explained that my phone auto-corrected to Atheist to Suomenusko... Seriously, it did that, if anything, that should tell you what I search up on my phone.



DarkoKavinsky said:


> I've thought about the same. Not for the  satirical reasons in which you post, but because the traditions and old beliefs don't really have a church anymore.
> 
> Granted not so sure exactly how the world would react to some of the Druidic elements, but hey all leaders of every religion must wear hats that look silly.
> 
> Also it'd be nice to have an area to practice the old traditions, an area to set up things and go from there.



I would support the idea, though mainly because I find the many different Pagans of the world fascinating, both as a historian and a fan of myths and legends, I may not believe in it, but I'd take any opportunity to broaden my understanding of Pagan beliefs, especially experiencing it first-hand.


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## DarkoKavinsky (Jan 22, 2018)

MetroFox2 said:


> _Whew _My teacher seemed to understand when I explained that my phone auto-corrected to Atheist to Suomenusko... Seriously, it did that, if anything, that should tell you what I search up on my phone.
> 
> 
> 
> I would support the idea, though mainly because I find the many different Pagans of the world fascinating, both as a historian and a fan of myths and legends, I may not believe in it, but I'd take any opportunity to broaden my understanding of Pagan beliefs, especially experiencing it first-hand.


Yeah I'm a bit different from most modern pagans, I've had some experiences and I am a mystic. My mother did dabble in mediumism but that caused issues.

I've noticed with my discipline shamanism is easy, and I've even had other people search their own minds using techniques I've innately known, and have had things he exactly as I've experienced. I've even left out things on purpose and they're descriptions of things and colours are dead on.

I can see auras with ease and when I use tarot cards and physically see and feel the energies. I've even been able to see things in crystal balls, which is a feat my mother has not luck with. She herself is opposed to me "dabbling"

I feel this is more or less due to her experiences as a medium and causing some early hardship in her life that lead to releasing something nasty upon the house.

Don't try to open portals or fuck around with Ouijia boards. Unless you want to deal with a demon.


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## Yakamaru (Jan 22, 2018)

Black Burn said:


> Wow so much pagans here... Perun approves


Perun always approves. :3


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## BahgDaddy (Jan 22, 2018)

DarkoKavinsky said:


> I've thought about the same. Not for the  satirical reasons in which you post, but because the traditions and old beliefs don't really have a church anymore.
> 
> Granted not so sure exactly how the world would react to some of the Druidic elements, but hey all leaders of every religion must wear hats that look silly.
> 
> Also it'd be nice to have an area to practice the old traditions, an area to set up things and go from there.



I'm also thinking dress up in leathers and headdresses and flowing robes of some sort, we can have dragon statues in the foyer, and let me take care of the ceremony. Well have people dancing in circles and chanting Druidic runes to the ceiling in no time.


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## MetroFox2 (Jan 22, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> I'm also thinking dress up in leathers and headdresses and flowing robes of some sort, we can have dragon statues in the foyer, and let me take care of the ceremony. Well have people dancing in circles and chanting Druidic runes to the ceiling in no time.



Wait, you need religion to do that? That just sounds like a good Friday night up Avebury to me.


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## BahgDaddy (Jan 22, 2018)

MetroFox2 said:


> Wait, you need religion to do that? That just sounds like a good Friday night up Avebury to me.



Rly? Where can I sign up?


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## MetroFox2 (Jan 22, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> Rly? Where can I sign up?



Hey, unlike Stonehenge, Avebury let you go up and climb on the stones, so, you kinda just turn up, like most Pagans I see down there.

And if that doesn't take your fancy, there's always the White Horse, that's not too far away.


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## Junkerfox (Jan 24, 2018)

*I worship at Mount Yellowstone so that when it finally erupts the volcano spirits may grant me power and dominion over man and beast to rule for 100,000,000 brahma years*


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## backpawscratcher (Jan 24, 2018)

MetroFox2 said:


> Hey, unlike Stonehenge, Avebury let you go up and climb on the stones, so, you kinda just turn up, like most Pagans I see down there.
> 
> And if that doesn't take your fancy, there's always the White Horse, that's not too far away.


We're so lucky in England when it comes to pagan/druidic monuments.  My favourite has always been Castlerigg.  Amazing scenery around it.  In every direction there's a glacial valley heading towards the circle.  You can see why they considered that place so special.


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## Telnac (Jan 24, 2018)

Zhalo said:


> I was raised Protestant but started to question my faith when I was about 12 years old. I remember that I brought up my doubts with my parents and they freaked out about it and I had a big argument with them about it with them telling me why I should believe in God and how it was sinful to question my faith. It ended with me pretending to reafirm my belief in Christianity because I did not want further any conflict with them... So, now im a closeted Atheist because, my family would disown me if they found out I am not Christian.


I’m sorry to hear that. IMO it’s not a sin to question one’s faith. All ppl have doubt from time to time. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.


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## Fiesta (Jan 24, 2018)

Celtic Pagan right nyah


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## BahgDaddy (Jan 24, 2018)

Telnac said:


> I’m sorry to hear that. IMO it’s not a sin to question one’s faith. All ppl have doubt from time to time. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.



I dunno, I always got told questioning my faith was wrong/immoral/slapping God in the face by my church...


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## Telnac (Jan 24, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> I dunno, I always got told questioning my faith was wrong/immoral/slapping God in the face by my church...


And I’m betting that’s a big reason why they drove you away. 

There is a HUGE difference between questioning one’s faith and turning your back on your faith. Churches & parents who don’t see that will drive away believers who have reasonable questions. 

Questioning your faith and finding answers to those questions strengthens your faith. To those who say asking such questions is sinful I say this: 
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.”
Matthew 23:13 - Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 23:13 - New International Version


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## Stealtheart (Jan 24, 2018)

Fiesta said:


> Celtic Pagan right nyah


hot


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## Stealtheart (Jan 24, 2018)

Telnac said:


> THIS IS NOT A DEBATE TOPIC!  If you want to debate, make your own thread!
> 
> What is your faith/doctrine/religion/guiding philosophy (if any?)


I  was raised  Protestant but at 13 became an Atheist. I was a big fedora tipper until high school. Now religion is one of my favorite subjects.


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## BahgDaddy (Jan 24, 2018)

Telnac said:


> And I’m betting that’s a big reason why they drove you away.
> 
> There is a HUGE difference between questioning one’s faith and turning your back on your faith. Churches & parents who don’t see that will drive away believers who have reasonable questions.
> 
> ...



Ironically I've started to have a much more lenient tolerance of various faith groups as a spiritual atheist, and enjoy learning about the various aspects of all of them. 

As far as my interpretation goes, I think someone trying to live by Christ's example will simply strive to be a good person.


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## Telnac (Jan 24, 2018)

Stealtheart said:


> I  was raised  Protestant but at 13 became an Atheist. I was a big fedora tipper until high school. Now religion is one of my favorite subjects.


Fedora tipper?


----------



## Zhalo (Jan 24, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> I dunno, I always got told questioning my faith was wrong/immoral/slapping God in the face by my church...


This^ except with my school. So, around the same time I was first starting to question my beliefs in Christianity. I in the wonderful innocent 12 year old mind I had, thought it was a good idea to not be private about my beliefs. It was brought up in conversation at my middle school one time and I effectively spilled the beans about my beliefs at the time which did not end well for me at all.  So soon with in like a week practically everyone knew in my grade that I was atheist (I was probably closer to agnostic at the time but I did not know that word) in my small middle school which only had something like 800 students in total. Keep in mind I lived in the upstate of South Carolina at the time so virtually everyone in my middle school belonged to some denomination of Christianity. Because of this I was outcast by most of the student body at the time as the "weird socially awkward atheist kid" So the kids I ended up hanging out with were the only other atheist in my grade (Who I later realized about 2 years after I met him that he was a complete A hole), and the 2 kids that happened to be more socially awkward than me. The whole thing ended blowing over by the time I got to High School, because the High School was a combination of 3 different middle schools.

But the funny part is my best friend then became the most Christian kid possible who was the son of a pastor, he knew what my beliefs were but instead of shunning me he was concerned about me and actually wanted to "help" me which honestly outside of the fact that I did not really want "help" was really really nice. Anyway I ended up pulling the same thing I did with my parents my sophomore year after he wanted to have a heart to heart talk with me about my beliefs. Once again I faked believing in Christianity which looking back on it was wrong morally but at least I can understand why I did it (1. I was extremely passive at the time and did not like any kind of conflict still don't but to a lesser degree and 2. He was the only friend In this STEM program I was in at the time so I did not want to harm our friendship in any way.)

Anyway, I moved the summer of my sophomore year to a more liberal part of NC where it is pretty much okay to be open about my beliefs soooo it all turned out okay I guess.

Sorry for the rantey post I got carried away.

Edit: 
I want to make sure what I said is not taken the wrong way because I could see it being taken the wrong way.
I do not hate Christians in any way because of my experiences. What I took away from those experiences was that religion does not determine if someone is a good person or not. What is a thing is people being discriminated against by there religion especially if there is a vast majority of one religion, and that if you hold a minority belief like I did it is probably best to keep it to yourself.


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## BahgDaddy (Jan 25, 2018)

Zhalo said:


> This^ except with my school. So, around the same time I was first starting to question my beliefs in Christianity. I in the wonderful innocent 12 year old mind I had, thought it was a good idea to not be private about my beliefs. It was brought up in conversation at my middle school one time and I effectively spilled the beans about my beliefs at the time which did not end well for me at all.  So soon with in like a week practically everyone knew in my grade that I was atheist (I was probably closer to agnostic at the time but I did not know that word) in my small middle school which only had something like 800 students in total. Keep in mind I lived in the upstate of South Carolina at the time so virtually everyone in my middle school belonged to some denomination of Christianity. Because of this I was outcast by most of the student body at the time as the "weird socially awkward atheist kid" So the kids I ended up hanging out with were the only other atheist in my grade (Who I later realized about 2 years after I met him that he was a complete A hole), and the 2 kids that happened to be more socially awkward than me. The whole thing ended blowing over by the time I got to High School, because the High School was a combination of 3 different middle schools.
> 
> But the funny part is my best friend then became the most Christian kid possible who was the son of a pastor, he knew what my beliefs were but instead of shunning me he was concerned about me and actually wanted to "help" me which honestly outside of the fact that I did not really want "help" was really really nice. Anyway I ended up pulling the same thing I did with my parents my sophomore year after he wanted to have a heart to heart talk with me about my beliefs. Once again I faked believing in Christianity which looking back on it was wrong morally but at least I can understand why I did it (1. I was extremely passive at the time and did not like any kind of conflict still don't but to a lesser degree and 2. He was the only friend In this STEM program I was in at the time so I did not want to harm our friendship in any way.)
> 
> ...



I've never even told my religious freinds what I am now. I think they kind of picked up on the vibes after a while, though. 

And in America it's harder to get elected if you're an atheist than if you're gay.


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## Zehlua (Jan 25, 2018)

A... hybrid? I love Jesus, but I communicate with God via tarot cards and other forms of divination. So, some kind of Christian witch? I view God as an Author, and my life as a story. It's how I cope with it all.


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## Telnac (Jan 25, 2018)

Zehlua said:


> A... hybrid? I love Jesus, but I communicate with God via tarot cards and other forms of divination. So, some kind of Christian witch? I view God as an Author, and my life as a story. It's how I cope with it all.


Really?  That’s an interesting combination.


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## Deleted member 115426 (Jan 25, 2018)

So many pagans.


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## MetroFox2 (Jan 25, 2018)

Ovi the Dragon said:


> So many pagans.



The Spanish Inquisition is good and all, but they'd never beat Japanese Warrior Monks, even the Japanese couldn't beat Japanese Warrior Monks.


----------



## Stealtheart (Jan 25, 2018)

Telnac said:


> Fedora tipper?


It's a meme, a fedora tipper is one of those aggressive atheists who think they're smarter and better than everyone because they've rejected religion. They mock those who follow religion and are just all around scummy people. 
They put regular atheists like me in a bad light.


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## ChapterAquila92 (Jan 25, 2018)

MetroFox2 said:


> The Spanish Inquisition is good and all, but they'd never beat Japanese Warrior Monks, even the Japanese couldn't beat Japanese Warrior Monks.


Granted, the Japanese didn't need warrior monks to stamp out Christian missionary activities when the latter started showing up on their shores.


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## Telnac (Jan 25, 2018)

Stealtheart said:


> It's a meme, a fedora tipper is one of those aggressive atheists who think they're smarter and better than everyone because they've rejected religion. They mock those who follow religion and are just all around scummy people.
> They put regular atheists like me in a bad light.


Ah!  Thanks for the clarification!


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## Pansymoron13 (Feb 11, 2018)

I'm Christian but I believe that everything interlocks and can co exsist


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## Junkerfox (Feb 17, 2018)

Ive had my nose rubbed in bullshit before. Dont believe in no religion.


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## defunct (Feb 17, 2018)

a rather flexible and ideological rather than literal version of Roman Catholicism


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## defunct (Feb 17, 2018)

Open_Mind said:


> I would have just said just 'atheist' for myself, but this term 'anti-theist' intrigues me. It implies active vs. passive stance... a sense that not only is participating in a theologic activity not for you, but that you actively campaign _against_ it. Like trying to get people to stop smoking. I'll have to explore that line of thinking further.


I strongly recommend you stay away from antitheism. It's just atheism, but with more getting into angry debates online that result in nothing but spite and not a single changed mind. Comparable to flat-earthers in their reputation. Not trying to start a debate, that's just in my experience.


----------



## Deleted member 115426 (Feb 17, 2018)

Nastala said:


> I strongly recommend you stay away from antitheism. It's just atheism, but with more getting into angry debates online that result in nothing but spite and not a single changed mind. Comparable to flat-earthers in their reputation. Not trying to start a debate, that's just in my experience.


*gags as he hears about flat earthers*


----------



## BahgDaddy (Feb 17, 2018)

Nastala said:


> I strongly recommend you stay away from antitheism. It's just atheism, but with more getting into angry debates online that result in nothing but spite and not a single changed mind. Comparable to flat-earthers in their reputation. Not trying to start a debate, that's just in my experience.



There's a possibility I'm an anti-theist, then, lol.


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## Sarachaga (Feb 17, 2018)

I tend to gravitate more towards paganism these days.


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## defunct (Feb 17, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> There's a possibility I'm an anti-theist, then, lol.


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## SuperNaturalHorse (Feb 17, 2018)

I'am a Satanic Pagan but I also worship The Morrigan/Hekate/Nemesis /Lilith/Badb/Bastet/The Triple Moon Goddess/Nyx and more.


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## ResolutionBlaze (Feb 17, 2018)

I abide by Christian values for the most part, however I do tend toward Agnostic.

I guess my deal is that I don't know if I believe in God, but I fear the existence of God.  I want to act as though God exists; as though there is a moral authority over me, so that I can set my actions straight with confidence.


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## BahgDaddy (Feb 17, 2018)

Nastala said:


>



I will perish when I die, yes, and that will most likely be the end of me, which is fine.


----------



## Deleted member 115426 (Feb 17, 2018)

SuperNaturalHorse said:


> I'am a Satanic Pagan but I also worship The Morrigan/Lilith/Badb/Bastet/The Triple Moon Goddess/Nyx and more.


One of these things is not like the other lol


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## SuperNaturalHorse (Feb 17, 2018)

I know that most of them are a tied to darkness except for Bastet who is tied to cats/women/luck/fertility/mystery and I have kitties and I love them cuties.


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## SuperNaturalHorse (Feb 17, 2018)

It's not a religious crime to love cats and I have a thing for pro female deities.


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## Deleted member 115426 (Feb 17, 2018)

SuperNaturalHorse said:


> I know that most of them are a tied to darkness except for Bastet who is tied to cats/women/luck/fertility/mystery and I have kitties and I love them cuties.


I was talking about Satan XP


----------



## Deleted member 115426 (Feb 17, 2018)

SuperNaturalHorse said:


> I know that most of them are a tied to darkness except for Bastet who is tied to cats/women/luck/fertility/mystery and I have kitties and I love them cuties.


And only a third of triple moon is dark.


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## SuperNaturalHorse (Feb 17, 2018)

I get alot of hate for worshipping Satan but I don't care what people think of me and I do not shove my religious views down other people's throats and I may be bored but I will not get into a fight over religion okay all spirits and souls have emotions good or bad whether human or nonhuman they react to things to and sometimes it's not what we want.                  I believe the light and the dark can exist together sometimes and without one there can not the other one because every story needs a hero and a villain but sometimes the story changes and the villan becomes the hero and the hero becomes the vilain.                                 Some people can not deal with this and in order to utilize your fate you need to understand this or you will be left behind seasons change and time moves on this teaches us to except that the moods of deities and gods/goddesses do change and we humans are often tone deaf and do not love unconditionally and things that are dark are not always evil.                Lilith is my mother and the mother of sucucubuses and Insucubuses and vampires some say she is Mara or Amara even Pandora who is the mother of dream/nightmare demons and most men only think of sex and sexual fantasies when hearing her name but she and her children are not for most people.                                                    It is true she liberated women sexually  and was the first woman created and not Eve who married Adem after Lilith ran away with the angel of duality and tricks/illusions.       
She can be both light and darkness like women are both full of light and darkness and each one is different like a flower so are her moods and demeanor so don't be fooled by beauty and femininity beacuse she can be very cruel to the foolish.             The Morrigan is a goddess who is made up of three goddesses and is a triple moon goddess who is solely connected to war/death/women/femininity /youth/childbirth/witchcraft/the battle field.                                                               She is may appear as a crow or maiden or older woman and they are very mysterious and are known for tricking people who are foolish.                                   They are sisters and may appear as a woman with a crow or woman with crow features and they have been linked to King Arthur's Knights Of The Round Table and they are believed to be The Lady Of The Lake Deity and they offer protection to females and may be linked to sirens and valkaries along with water spirits.     They are very beautiful and have be known to enchant soldiers especially dying soldiers who they will take to their realm where they will fight for show but the one's who committed crimes against women and other injustices will be tortured to live all of their worst battles and experiences over and over again for eternity.                                                        Nyx is the goddess of night who birthed Death/Sleep/Darkness and is a very mysterious deity.                                               Hekate mysterious mother of witchcraft/ghosts/the dead/witchcraft/necromancy/zombies.       Nemesis the avenger of the poor and tormentor of wicked rich.                       Celot the is goddess of the sea and sea monsters.                                              Nauhut egyptian  goddess of  justice and revenge    .All Goddesses listed here  are know for their beauty (writer's note) are written in this post thanks for reading.


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## Okami_No_Heishi (Feb 17, 2018)

I dont believe in fairy tales or burning bushes.


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## Ciderfine (Feb 17, 2018)

Satanism, pretty nice stuff when I can read, logically think and view the world without being forced to pray or do the same things for the rest of my life over and over again and expecting some magical VIP pass to some villa in the clouds.


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## SuperNaturalHorse (Feb 17, 2018)

I don't know who think you are coming at me like this you could have messaged me night everyone.


----------



## MsRavage (Feb 17, 2018)

I live my life off the idea by Marcus Aurelius..." If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based off the virtues you've lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, you will be gone but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones."


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## ResolutionBlaze (Feb 17, 2018)

Okami_No_Heishi said:


> I dont believe in fairy tales or burning bushes.



O shit we got an atheist edgelord over here.

He's comparing religion to fairy tales.  This madman can't be stopped!


----------



## Simo (Feb 17, 2018)

I'm a Jew, more or less, non-practicing. I believe in deeds, actions. What I can do, in this life.


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## ResolutionBlaze (Feb 17, 2018)

This is my religion:


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## BahgDaddy (Feb 18, 2018)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> O shit we got an atheist edgelord over here.
> 
> He's comparing religion to fairy tales.  This madman can't be stopped!



I like the fairy tales better


----------



## Rochat (Feb 18, 2018)

EDIT: Sorry, I must have missed the "not debate" part. My belief isn't based on religious texts, I would like to think that I am guided by reducing suffering the world. If there does exist a God, I think that is what they would like. 

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.  Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.  Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?  Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”- Epicurus


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## defunct (Feb 18, 2018)

-Epicurus


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## Rochat (Feb 18, 2018)

Nastala said:


> -Epicurus


EDIT: I'm sorry, I done goofed. 
lol, very funny. I like the quote, but ok - there can exist both a God and bad actors. I get that. I think if God does exist, he or she will excuse my ignorance and judge me based on what I did for those around me - I think, I could be and am often wrong. I hope they wouldn't judge me based on arbitrary rituals or my incredulity that something so wonderful (heaven) exists.


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## defunct (Feb 18, 2018)

Rochat said:


> lol, very funny. I like the quote, but ok - there can exist both a God and bad actors. I get that. I think if God does exist, he or she will excuse my ignorance and judge me based on what I did for those around me - I think, I could be and am often wrong. I hope they wouldn't judge me based on arbitrary rituals or my incredulity that something so wonderful (heaven) exists.


I strongly believe that God's judgement of character is based on how closely a person has followed in the footsteps of Jesus, regardless of whether or not they did so specifically because of Jesus. TL;DR just love everyone as well as you can it's not the easiest thing in the world but it's no arbitrary concept either


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## defunct (Feb 18, 2018)

uh oh almost getting into debate territory


----------



## ResolutionBlaze (Feb 18, 2018)

Rochat said:


> EDIT: I'm sorry, I done goofed.
> lol, very funny. I like the quote, but ok - there can exist both a God and bad actors. I get that. I think if God does exist, he or she will excuse my ignorance and judge me based on what I did for those around me - I think, I could be and am often wrong. I hope they wouldn't judge me based on arbitrary rituals or my incredulity that something so wonderful (heaven) exists.



That's gonna be difficult, because in reality the average person is moderately evil.  Quite a ways away from pure evil but that's still not a ground to start suggesting you've already earned your ticket to Heaven.

We like to think of ourselves as the hero of our own story, the individual saviors of the world.  But we can't even keep our bedroom clean on a daily basis.  We can't even sort our own families together.  We can't even look within ourselves to see the monsters we are capable of being.

Read "Ordinary Men" sometime.  It shows just how evil normal men are capable of being.


----------



## BahgDaddy (Feb 18, 2018)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> That's gonna be difficult, because in reality the average person is moderately evil.  Quite a ways away from pure evil but that's still not a ground to start suggesting you've already earned your ticket to Heaven.
> 
> We like to think of ourselves as the hero of our own story, the individual saviors of the world.  But we can't even keep our bedroom clean on a daily basis.  We can't even sort our own families together.  We can't even look within ourselves to see the monsters we are capable of being.
> 
> Read "Ordinary Men" sometime.  It shows just how evil normal men are capable of being.



I do not believe we are moderately evil. What is evil, even?

I don't believe in good or evil, they're black and white ways of seeing the world that miss the many nuances about why people behave the way they do. There is a very simple metric upon which all actions should be placed - do no harm. It follows that one should try to do as little harm as possible, since absolutely no harm isn't possible, but it the goal to which to aspire. 

People always do what they do for a reason, unless they are completely irrational. We can blame brain chemistry sometimes, but most people retain enough control over their faculties to continue making wise decisions. Or at least, what they believe are wise decisions. We should always be in a state of continuous self examination to figure out what our goals and expectations are. That way we make sure we are acting in accordance with our intrinsic ethics and behaving logically, rationally, and doing things which benefit the world, which ultimately means we're good.


----------



## DarkoKavinsky (Feb 18, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> <lots of fucking words>.


Sooo bill and ted's be excellent to one another?


----------



## ResolutionBlaze (Feb 18, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> I do not believe we are moderately evil. What is evil, even?
> 
> I don't believe in good or evil, they're black and white ways of seeing the world that miss the many nuances about why people behave the way they do. There is a very simple metric upon which all actions should be placed - do no harm. It follows that one should try to do as little harm as possible, since absolutely no harm isn't possible, but it the goal to which to aspire.
> 
> People always do what they do for a reason, unless they are completely irrational. We can blame brain chemistry sometimes, but most people retain enough control over their faculties to continue making wise decisions. Or at least, what they believe are wise decisions. We should always be in a state of continuous self examination to figure out what our goals and expectations are. That way we make sure we are acting in accordance with our intrinsic ethics and behaving logically, rationally, and doing things which benefit the world, which ultimately means we're good.



What is evil?  How about evil is dragging a pregnant woman out in the middle of an empty field and shooting her in the back of the head.  Courtesy of "Ordinary Men".

How about evil is Unit 731.  Or Auschwitz.  Or the Soviet Gulag.

If you wanna see Unit 731 you can look it up.

But I wouldn't suggest you do, it makes Auschwitz look like a cake walk: Unit 731 - Wikipedia

How about evil is rounding up the resentful people in your community, convincing them to overthrow the successful farmers that held anything up in society simply because they happened to have more, rape them, then ship them off to Siberia to freeze to death, resulting in the starvation of 6,000,000 Ukrainians during the Soviet era due to a lack of competent farmers?

How about a killer watching two unarmed policemen begging for their lives while the man simply shoots them both in the head.

You may see these as extreme examples.  Perhaps.  But so quick we are to detach ourselves from things like Nazis or experiment camps.  The truth is, the Nazis were human, and you happen to be a human.






See, I think you're confusing moral greys with moral subjectivity.  Ironically, people who aren't moral objectivists tend to make morality seem more stagnant and unchanging than it really is in their arguments, as though moral objectivists believe that something is wrong all the time no matter what.  I haven't heard a single moral objectivist make the claim that morals are always always always consistent and stagnant and unchanging.  It's a strawman; good and evil are black and white but that doesn't mean they are stagnant, or aren't circumstantial.  Just because good and evil exist doesn't mean good and evil aren't dependent on circumstance.  Idk where anyone gets that idea from, and they confuse it with subjectivity.

"You can doubt whether or not good exists.  But once I'm done telling you about the things I know about human history there won't be a single person in this room who thinks that evil doesn't exist."  - JP


----------



## BahgDaddy (Feb 18, 2018)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> What is evil?  How about evil is dragging a pregnant woman out in the middle of an empty field and shooting her in the back of the head.  Courtesy of "Ordinary Men".
> 
> How about evil is Unit 731.  Or Auschwitz.  Or the Soviet Gulag.
> 
> ...



I am neither an objectivist nor a relativist, which I think might be what you mean by subjectivist. If not correct me.

And yes, you did pull extreme examples that most of us can readily call evil. And it's quite appalling that these people so willingly committed so many crimes, or did they? Lots of things become seemingly rational if people are threatening to kill you if you don't do x, y and z, and those people are also afraid of punishment, all the way to the top to Hitler.

Of course by now we haven't even had a real philosophical discussion and we've already both invoked Hitler, which basically means ammunition [sic] is a tad low.

What about other acts? I think a corporation that raises the price of epipens 609% overnight is evil. Except, I won't use that moralist word, and will instead use more precise terminology, such as "extremely unethical crony capitalist pigs raising prices on life saving drugs in an improperly regulated free market system that encourages corruption."

Of course the immediate shortcut is to simply call it evil, whereupon we can demonize the people we disagree with and kill them off, because they were evil, but we weren't... right?


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## ResolutionBlaze (Feb 18, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> I am neither an objectivist nor a relativist, which I think might be what you mean by subjectivist. If not correct me.
> 
> And yes, you did pull extreme examples that most of us can readily call evil. And it's quite appalling that these people so willingly committed so many crimes, or did they? Lots of things become seemingly rational if people are threatening to kill you if you don't do x, y and z, and those people are also afraid of punishment, all the way to the top to Hitler.
> 
> ...



Well, if we are going to talk about the nature of good and evil, why can't I give examples of evil of the obvious form then?  Because it's too self evident? I need a more vague or "smart" example?

Either way, your arguments just seem confused.  It seems like you're avoiding using the term evil because you don't wanna be in the ranks of "those gosh darn moralists" that you seem to be quite accusative of... for some reason.

It's as though in the act of calling something evil you too will become evil.  And somehow, but demolishing the definitions of both good and evil, the world would be better... how?  Am I mixing up your philosophy?  It just seems confused to me.

Furthermore, why would you attribute the highest good to the people who committed atrocities?  Perhaps you would want that control; after all, Hitler came to power because he acted as a voice to the people for the most part.  That's why he was considered so charismatic to Germans. Again, I urge you to study "Ordinary Men"

www.goodreads.com: Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland by Christopher R. Browning


----------



## DarkoKavinsky (Feb 18, 2018)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> <Words>


Evil does exist, and there is also good.

(I've written what i had to say in a spoiler as I feel this is off topic.)


Spoiler



Extreme examples are just that the extreme end. Its when you go down to the real life day to day examples, or situations in where things are easily skewed or could go both ways.

Large entities and small time psychopaths are able to do what recognize as evil.
Its when you get into actions done for just causes do things become odd.

Like a man stealing medicine he could never afford to keep somebody from dying from an illness it can treat.

Or killing in self defense. Or during a break in.

There are many things in the middle ground that are hard to say.

Like say a person who deals drugs in order to help his little brother pay for college so he can hopefully get out of the life.

When you get into that middle ground section of grey things become less clear.

Of course according to most monotheistical religions everything is a sin, therefore evil. But this is a topic that is best Not discussed here. I've put a lot of thought into subject because where I grew up was arguably filled with evil people who viewed they were just due to political notions and ideologies of blind acceptance.

If we want to duke this out I suggest we go create a new thread to spark this dumpster fire


----------



## ResolutionBlaze (Feb 18, 2018)

DarkoKavinsky said:


> Evil does exist, and there is also good.
> 
> (I've written what i had to say in a spoiler as I feel this is off topic.)
> 
> ...



Agreed.  This discussion is best kept in DMs.  In which case, DM me if you're interested I love arguing this.


----------



## DarkoKavinsky (Feb 18, 2018)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> Agreed.  This discussion is best kept in DMs.  In which case, DM me if you're interested I love arguing this.


I personally don't as I grew up  in a area so skewed I think my views on life are forever tainted therefore I am inherently evil.

Because I've been treated like a freak and a monster my whole life 

So you tend to gain some _*dark *_outlooks on things and I'd rather not get into these types of religious/ moral debates as I'm in the pessimistic ball park of humanity is for the most part utter shit who will fuck you over in a heart beat and leave the dagger in your back while walking away whistling.

I've only had a few rare examples that proves otherwise in my life.

This isn't a topic i love discussing as it flashes back moments in my life I'd rather not relive or think about.


----------



## ChapterAquila92 (Feb 18, 2018)

Where good and evil are concerned, this is one of the few times where I'm in agreement with BahgDaddy from the outset, if only in principle.

Good and evil are human constructs whose meanings to the relevant masses are heavily reliant on inter-subjective contexts, and even these presumably crystal-clear ideas are muddied in light of the moral contradictions inherent in all societies. To use a modern example, the values of individualism and equality, perceived as being good in and of themselves in Western society, are mutually and fundamentally incompatible without a socially-enforced dissonance or compromise that reconciles both that people are respectively different and yet somehow also the same. In this particular case, the end results are concepts such as _equitability_ and _equality of opportunity_.

Another example, coincidentally enough, was the dissonance between chivalry and Christianity in Medieval Europe, whose own ad hoc reconciliation coalesced as the adoption of _just war_ theory and the crusades among other things.

It would similarly hold that values we consider to be evil can equivocally be just as contradictory.

Ultimately, the only concepts of _good_ or _evil_ that we can acknowledge fall under the domains of the personal subjective and the inter-subjective common-type, with the caveat that they must be defined in specific detail or else take on the nebulous pretense of the so-called "greater good".


----------



## Stealtheart (Feb 18, 2018)

Although I'm an atheist I don't deny my being raised by an American Midwest Christian family didn't shape my moral beliefs. But I don't have qualms with that.
I do hold tightly to my political, social and moral views and do have strong opinions on certain psychological and metaphysical subjects and subscribe to most scientific theories on the creation of the universe, the world, and life. A lot of my beliefs take a good amount of faith so in my own way I'm a faithful man.


----------



## Ciderfine (Feb 18, 2018)

SuperNaturalHorse said:


> I don't know who think you are coming at me like this you could have messaged me night everyone.



Bitch what the fuck, are you on drugs?
Im sure I was a satanist longer then you are, sorry if that bothers you.


----------



## Inkblooded (Feb 18, 2018)

well im atheist but i was raised catholic. i dont remember much just that they made me dress up like a cow and put me on a stage and i was terrified


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## Saiko (Feb 18, 2018)

Ciderfine said:


> Bitch what the fuck, are you on drugs?
> Im sure I was a satanist longer then you are, sorry if that bothers you.


I thought she was talking to Ovi?


----------



## Deleted member 115426 (Feb 18, 2018)

Saiko said:


> I thought she was talking to Ovi?


I'm not a satanist?


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## Saiko (Feb 18, 2018)

Ovi the Dragon said:


> I'm not a satanist?


But you were the only one picking at her posts. What else would “coming at me” refer to? I’m so confused.

This is why we use quotes!


----------



## ResolutionBlaze (Feb 18, 2018)

ChapterAquila92 said:


> Where good and evil are concerned, this is one of the few times where I'm in agreement with BahgDaddy from the outset, if only in principle.
> 
> Good and evil are human constructs whose meanings to the relevant masses are heavily reliant on inter-subjective contexts, and even these presumably crystal-clear ideas are muddied in light of the moral contradictions inherent in all societies. To use a modern example, the values of individualism and equality, perceived as being good in and of themselves in Western society, are mutually and fundamentally incompatible without a socially-enforced dissonance or compromise that reconciles both that people are respectively different and yet somehow also the same. In this particular case, the end results are concepts such as _equitability_ and _equality of opportunity_.
> 
> ...



Well no, you seem to be assuming that good and evil, like all who make these arguments, are not dependent on circumstances or that our understanding of good and evil can't change based on the discovery of new values.

This doesn't mean morals are simply subjective, but it means that morals are certainly circumstantial; that is to say, you can often find yourself in a situation where something that would be strictly considered evil under normal circumstances, like killing someone, would be morally justifiable if that someone was attempted to murder you or someone else.  Or perhaps you're in a situation where there are simply no good decisions left to make, and you're only stuck with wrong decisions, and the only "right" decision is to choose the least wrong choice; then all you can do is look back and think how did you get to this point?

It seems the argument you and Bahgdaddy is making is that the concept of good and evil allows for more evil because of it's vague nature, but that's not necessarily true.  Good and evil aren't too vague, it's only as vague as the people pretend it is; otherwise it seems pretty clear to me that in most situations and levels of analysis, you can figure out pretty easily what is good or evil in circumstances, it takes minimal analysis usually.

TL;DR - Good and Evil are circumstantial, and because of that the argument that they are too vague doesn't hold water because it really just takes simple analysis of situations to figure out what is the good and bad decision.


----------



## Deleted member 115426 (Feb 18, 2018)

Saiko said:


> But you were the only one picking at her posts. What else would “coming at me” refer to? I’m so confused.
> 
> This is why we use quotes!


Lol Sorry. I dunno what is happening. I'm not a satanist. I don't care if someone is. I just don't like rudeness is all. ^_^


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## BahgDaddy (Feb 18, 2018)

Short and sweet - good and evil are lately religious terms. A whole lot of bloody carnage has been caused by religion waging war on those who are supposedly evil. If someone is evil, it becomes easier to see them as less human, and then easier and easier to kill them. 

And as @DarkoKavinsky pointed out, there are a lot of grey areas in life. Sometimes people lie, cheat and steal to survive or help a loved one. Sometimes they do it for personal power. 

Sometimes people go to war to stop Nazis. Sometimes people go to war to get a nation's resources and rape and pillage. Sometimes people go to war and then afterwards nobody has a flipping clue why they were fighting. 

I don't  reject the terms of good and evil, but I do asset that they're a false dichotomy and create an overly simplistic way of viewing the world.


----------



## ResolutionBlaze (Feb 18, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> Short and sweet - good and evil are lately religious terms. A whole lot of bloody carnage has been caused by religion waging war on those who are supposedly evil. If someone is evil, it becomes easier to see them as less human, and then easier and easier to kill them.
> 
> And as @DarkoKavinsky pointed out, there are a lot of grey areas in life. Sometimes people lie, cheat and steal to survive or help a loved one. Sometimes they do it for personal power.
> 
> ...



Ironically, that's an unfair simplification itself; every concept ever made before science was developed was likely religious or philosophical.  Even the Greeks weren't scientists; great philosophers and rational thinkers but we didn't really have science until about 500 years ago.

Does that mean we have to dispense with any knowledge gathered at that time because they were discovered before science was even a thing?  Evil remains whether you want to redefine it because it's """too religious""" or not.


----------



## *＊✿❀Monae❀✿＊* (Feb 18, 2018)

I've been practicing Wicca for about half a year now. It's unfortunate that so many people have the wrong idea about what our morals and practices.


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## BahgDaddy (Feb 18, 2018)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> Ironically, that's an unfair simplification itself; every concept ever made before science was developed was likely religious or philosophical.  Even the Greeks weren't scientists; great philosophers and rational thinkers but we didn't really have science until about 500 years ago.
> 
> Does that mean we have to dispense with any knowledge gathered at that time because they were discovered before science was even a thing?  Evil remains whether you want to redefine it because it's """too religious""" or not.



Of course evil remains. Who said otherwise?


----------



## Telnac (Feb 18, 2018)

Guys STOP THE DEBATE!  If you want to debate make your own thread.


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## defunct (Feb 18, 2018)

^


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## KiokuChan (Feb 19, 2018)

Possibly catholic. Really religiously struggling. Generally fairly depressed and unsure about how to feel about anything in life right now. It's how it is for now I suppose. nyu nyu.


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## ChapterAquila92 (Feb 19, 2018)

ResolutionBlaze said:


> Well no, you seem to be assuming that good and evil, like all who make these arguments, are not dependent on circumstances or that our understanding of good and evil can't change based on the discovery of new values.


That's quite the assumption yourself, as I have never made such a claim.


> This doesn't mean morals are simply subjective, but it means that morals are certainly circumstantial; that is to say, you can often find yourself in a situation where something that would be strictly considered evil under normal circumstances, like killing someone, would be morally justifiable if that someone was attempted to murder you or someone else.  Or perhaps you're in a situation where there are simply no good decisions left to make, and you're only stuck with wrong decisions, and the only "right" decision is to choose the least wrong choice; then all you can do is look back and think how did you get to this point?


It is abundantly clear that you and I have very different ways of communicating the same idea, whether or not you are actually aware of it. I'm rather surprised that you haven't already clued in yourself.


> It seems the argument you and Bahgdaddy is making is that the concept of good and evil allows for more evil because of it's vague nature, but that's not necessarily true.  Good and evil aren't too vague, it's only as vague as the people pretend it is; otherwise it seems pretty clear to me that in most situations and levels of analysis, you can figure out pretty easily what is good or evil in circumstances, it takes minimal analysis usually.


Again, I have never made such a claim, and as much as I find it amusing that you're willing to lump me together with BahgDaddy of all people over this on the grounds that the both of us respectfully disagree with you, it does leave me wondering if that's the same degree of care you put into discerning good and evil for yourself. Suffice to say, I'm not impressed.

P.S.: PM me if you want to carry on this debate.


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## BahgDaddy (Feb 19, 2018)

Never expected to get lumped in with you, Bronze Dragon.


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## ChapterAquila92 (Feb 19, 2018)

BahgDaddy said:


> Never expected to get lumped in with you, Bronze Dragon.


That's what strange bedfellows are for.


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## BahgDaddy (Feb 19, 2018)

ChapterAquila92 said:


> That's what strange bedfellows are for.



Quit stealing the comforter.


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## BahgDaddy (Feb 19, 2018)

ChapterAquila92 said:


> That's what strange bedfellows are for.



Hey at the end of the day we're all just people. I find myself caring less and less about whether or not I agree with people and just whether or not they're nice or tolerant and aren't jerks to people.


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## WolfyAmbassador (Feb 19, 2018)

Leaning Atheist at this point. God and the Devil seem like the exact same thing in my opinion.


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## ShadowofBucephalus (Feb 27, 2018)

Telnac said:


> THIS IS NOT A DEBATE TOPIC!  If you want to debate, make your own thread!
> 
> What is your faith/doctrine/religion/guiding philosophy (if any?)



Confirmed Heathen, an' proud of eet!
;-)

Grew-up Baptist.  Studied theology during my time in Boot (no choice about attending Sunday services, so I went to all of them! (on different weekends)), and for all the years that followed.

The human capacity for theology is amazing.

Folks can say there is/is not a 'God/Gods'.  I think that's perfectly o.k..

The fact that most of humanity throughout all of recorded history indicates a strong theology?

Did 'God' make Man, or did Man make 'God'  (Ponder that awhile.  Take a couple aspirin for the headache it is likely to cause!)

:: diabolical laughter... ::


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## Sergei Sóhomo (Feb 27, 2018)

My philosophy is simply YOLO


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## docwhitelowpelt (Feb 28, 2018)

i'm wiccan - a translation, a nature loving male witch, i practice witchcraft and guide people true hard times with spiritual guidance. if you want more info just ask


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## DivinePrince (Feb 28, 2018)

I am an atheist, aka not religious. But some religions are pretty interesting like Japanese Shinto.


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## Skychickens (Mar 1, 2018)

Pagan. I do tend to have a bent towards Norse and Native American, (the latter because it is my heritage) but I incorporate from many different systems in my own practice. I go to a circle once a month that does something similar, and it is always amazing the community and togetherness that happens when so many different views work together. Lots of Wicca brought in.


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## Telnac (Mar 1, 2018)

Skychickens said:


> Pagan. I do tend to have a bent towards Norse and Native American, (the latter because it is my heritage) but I incorporate from many different systems in my own practice. I go to a circle once a month that does something similar, and it is always amazing the community and togetherness that happens when so many different views work together. Lots of Wicca brought in.


Norse & Native American combo. Sweet! Hate to meet you on the opposite side of a battlefield!


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## Skychickens (Mar 1, 2018)

Telnac said:


> Norse & Native American combo. Sweet! Hate to meet you on the opposite side of a battlefield!


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## Kayva (Mar 1, 2018)

Pagan, but I follow a eclectic Wiccan path.


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## LuciantheHugmage (Mar 1, 2018)

Spiritual Christian. I don't put much stock in the Bible, but I believe wholeheartedly in God and Jesus. I don't think we'll ever know the full truth, so I am fairly open.


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## Joshua Kaleb (Mar 2, 2018)

I’ve been a Christian ever since I was a young child, despite me having a couple of questions that I’ve been thinking a lot about recently. I respect everyone’s beliefs even if it’s something that I personally disagree with. It’s not only a thing that God would want me to do, but it’s also a morally good thing to do in general.


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## AnarchyLynx (Mar 3, 2018)

I've basically arrived at the conclusion that there is something like God but there's no way any one religion can perfectly understand what that is. Which is kinda sad, cos I miss the surety of believing in one true religion.


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## Leah (Mar 4, 2018)

I'm a Protestant Christian. I grew up in a Christian home & have been a part of several different denominations over the course of my life.


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## Shadow of Bucephalus (Mar 7, 2018)

Raised Southern Baptist.
Became Atheist at a very young age (I'm gonna guess:  '7''ish?).
Joined the Corps., had no choice about going to Sunday worship, so attended different Faiths to see what they were about.
While in Active Duty, I continued studying theology, and got into ancient mythos.  Fascinated me then, fascinates me still.
Discovered what 'Pagan/Heathen' was, and never looked-back!
Now a happy miscreant, enjoying being out-of-doors amongst the flora and fauna, over crowds of people.

Got me a nice burial spot picked-out, and hope to spend whatever's left of eternity haunting anyone who trespasses!?  (or, come back as something else, just to cause more mischief!?)


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## JinxiFox (Mar 7, 2018)

I'm Pagan.
Daughter of Morrigan.
I also follow a few paths that come close to my understanding of the Universe.
I also follow Tacos, Tacos don't judge.


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## Infrarednexus (Mar 9, 2018)

I consider myself a moral Christian. While I don't believe in the spiritual aspects so much, I follow the biblical teachings to help me be a better person.
Love your neighbor 
Forgive others
Make sacrifices for the ones you love
Avoid violence
Don't corner camp with a shotgun in COD


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## paris (Mar 11, 2018)

I'm a Christian, sort of? I take the Old Testament of the Bible as more of a "history of my faith" part, and use the New Testament as more the foundation for my beliefs, but even then, I get sort of wonky.

Essentially, I believe that we are all placed on this earth to love, and that when Jesus said to "love thy neighbor," that's really what he meant. The bastardization of the church by the neo-conservatives who mince the words of the Bible and the Bible-slamming "you'll go to hell if you don't do this and do that!" types make me so incredibly sad, because I hate to identify with a religion that has that userbase as such a strong, core part of it. I don't agree with that side, at all--I simply agree that no matter who the other person is, or what they believe, we should spread love, kindness, and positivity as much as we are able. Empathy, open-mindedness, and love can go such a long ways.

So, in short, to answer your question, I'm a Christian, and I was raised as such. However, agreeing with a lot of modern churches makes me uncomfortable, so I have taken my faith and what I believe to be true and made it my own.


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## Izzy4895 (Mar 12, 2018)

I am an outright atheist.


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## light tear drop (Mar 12, 2018)

Eh if there is a god ill meet him when im dead


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## ZaqonDauna (Jul 5, 2022)

I am an Orthodox person and therefore I go to church. I have never missed a single service in the church in my entire life, and I am now 20 years old. I live in Portland and we have a lot of churches in portland. I attend the church of love, I like it because it looks very modern and I like the atmosphere here. I treat other faiths calmly and accept any of your thoughts and feelings. I am not an opponent of other faiths, I love all faiths in the world, but I am committed only to Orthodoxy. Are there Orthodox people here? It is very interesting which church you attend. Share your stories to me. Peace and good luck to all!


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## RachelTheFictionkin (Jul 5, 2022)

Hmm... well there's not really a term for it...

I used to consider myself a theistic satanist but I think that was more because my ex-boyfriend was one. I'm more of someone who just believes in the multiverse and the supernatural like ghosts, demons, gods and such. I do not follow any set rules or guidelines and go by my own values and those spoken of by my husband's.

If I were to pick someone/something I worship then it would be husband/headmate, ZackTheGoblin. I believe he's a god capable of doing many things and is the one will guide me as I transfer over to my ethereal self when I die.


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## Inferndragon (Jul 5, 2022)

When i was growing up I was "protestant" christian. When i was 3-4 I went to a nursery school that heavily brainwashed me and my brother forcing me to believe that Jesus died for my sins. Me & My brother came home crying believing it. (I literally don't remember it. But my mother said that it happened).

Went to a youth club with my class mates to a place called "The Junction" which was a christian gathering. Where we'd do activities like building marble runs, cardboard robots and so on. It was surprisingly fun even if it was an excuse to get children to go to Church (as soon as I reached a certain age that the youth club tried to get people to go to the higher age bracket club which I didn't go to).

As I started to think for myself I started to look at other religions. Budhism, Islamic, Judiasism, Paganism and so on. Believing the reason why religions exist was to give an answer for why things existed in such a way or how the world evolved.

In the end I don't believe in religion. We just exist because we are built from the most common elements. Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, etc.
There might be a higher force that exists that created the building blocks...
The closer we get to making actual simulations that resemble real life. And if we can't tell the difference. It could prove that we might be in a simulation ourselves.


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## Average_Lurker (Jul 7, 2022)

I'm Lutheran. Mostly because of religion helping me during some dark times of my life. It's also the dominant religion in my country.








						Lutheranism - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


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## QueenSekhmet (Jul 7, 2022)

i'm...questioning. i believe in LOT'S of different things but i don't really worship any of them nor do i live my life by them.


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## TrishaCat (Jul 7, 2022)

Christian Protestant of no particular denomination. Frequently struggle with my faith and find myself questioning but try to hold onto them.
Brain kinda forces me to anyways


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## Troj (Jul 7, 2022)

I've been a Church of Satan member for over twenty years. My overall life philosophy is partly informed/influenced by existentialism, Buddhism, my undergrad education in Comparative Religion, and my psychological education and training.

At the most basic level, I'm a materialist atheist; I follow the Golden and Platinum Rules as a general rule; and I'm simultaneously cynical and intensely critical of religion, while taking it very seriously, and frankly being offended when practitioners of other religions violate or disregard the core ethos or foundational principles of their faith.


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## Judge Spear (Jul 7, 2022)

Atheist but I dont really have any of the typical gripes with religion. Or at least if I do, I dont dwell on them. I think its a healthy thing for people to find for themselves if they need it.

My mother has been through a lot of hardships in life that would break many people. In my mind shes just an iron willed individual. But one day I asked her anyway how she was able to keep frame in the face of what she's had to go through.
She said "I have faith and He is with me. The Lord has a plan for me. Nothing can get to me when I remind myself that."

I stopped listening to the loud bickering of others against religion that day. If faith in the Lord is enough to keep my mother of sound mind and high spirits, I can only be at peace coexisting with the ideals as an outsider.

Aside from that I do really like Christian morals, aesthetics, and stories though. The ones I'm familiar with. I want to learn more about it.
I'm not an atheist because of some perceived cosmic slight. Just when I put certain things into perspective, it seems hard to buy. I cant wrap my head around it.


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## Thrashy (Jul 7, 2022)

Heavy Metal.


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## Fallowfox (Jul 7, 2022)

No religion.


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## Rimna (Jul 7, 2022)

Money and power


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## Kit H. Ruppell (Jul 7, 2022)

Anti-Abrahamic atheist.


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## Casey Fluffbat (Jul 7, 2022)

MadKiyo said:


> Some form of agnosticism. As far as I see supernatural or spiritual beings, they'd be best explained as advanced beings beyond our universe. So maybe, maybe. I also think the boundaries to define us are little more than useful to us. We like to seperate and identify outstanding features of our enviroment. It helps scientifically, but I see the universe seldom thought of as a whole with the components of concious brains. We're part of the universe, so do we see or does the universe see? Who knows.
> 
> A little on my past, I was a non-denominational Christian until age 15, and started questioning myself a year before that.


Wow I forgot I posted on this thread. My ideas have expanded a lot since then, though I don't know if I'll spend the time writing it all out just yet. XD
I will say this train of thought was a big part of my years-long depression, often fighting in my head about perceived reality and disassociating on a regular basis. I think my conclusions now have put some closure on that pain in my head. It also made me a better person I think.


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## Marius Merganser (Jul 7, 2022)

I suppose I still fall under the Pagan umbrella, but disavow the supernatural and New Age-y fluff. 
If you're wondering what's left, I'd say it's largely symbolic and philosophical.


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## MaelstromEyre (Jul 7, 2022)

I grew up in a loosely Catholic home, meaning we went to Mass and did traditionally Catholic things on Christmas and Easter.  My brother and I did First Communion and Confirmation as kids, but went to a public school instead of one of the many local Catholic schools.  It never really interested me, it was a thing I had to do because my parents made me.  I just got really bored sitting there in church, I'd just look at the art or imagine if the whole building was upside down and I had to walk along the arches in the ceiling.
By the time I was in high school, my parents didn't make us go to church except on Christmas and Easter.  There was a ministry group called YoungLife that hosted events and camps for high school kids in the area, and I got involved in that purely for the social stuff.  I went to some of the weekend camps, and even one of the week-long camps, as well as joined in with friends who went to the local Presbyterian church.  We went to Christian music festivals, Bible studies, all that stuff.  Kind of fell out of that when I went off to college.  I still held on to some of the beliefs but I wasn't actively involved in any groups or churches.
It wasn't until my early twenties that I started getting involved again, mostly just because I just craved some sort of community.  Found a small non denominational church where I really fit.  At that time, they were so open and welcoming to everyone, it was a great mix of people.  As more people found out about it, more people started coming, and the church moved to a much larger building to accommodate the membership.  That was great. . .except that more and more "traditional" families got involved and began pushing for more "traditional" values.  It got to the point where many of the people who joined the church because it was accepting no longer felt accepted, where young, single adults were once again treated as being in a "phase" before having inevitable marriage and children.  
I was very active there, not just as a member but as a volunteer, and although there are a lot of aspects of the community and music I love and miss, I don't have that faith anymore.  There's no actual faith I follow at this point, I don't identify as anything spiritually.


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## JuniperW (Jul 8, 2022)

Agnostic, and I’ll probably remain that way. Religion is one of those things I can never make my mind up about.


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## Fallowfox (Jul 8, 2022)

Has anybody posed Patrick Star asking if mayonnaise is a religion yet?


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## Average_Lurker (Jul 8, 2022)

Fallowfox said:


> Has anybody posed Patrick Star asking if mayonnaise is a religion yet?


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## Mambi (Jul 8, 2022)

I'm comfortable calling myself Wiccan (nature worship). Been practicing since my 20's and happily so.


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## Pomorek (Jul 8, 2022)

I was raised as a Catholic, in the locally-typical outwardly strict, restrictive and close-minded strain. It was... boring on a good day, traumatizing with crushing guilt on a bad one. Not my thing, very decidedly, but I had to become like 25 to be able to stop associating myself with it - where I'm from, looks like  90% of people are into it and the pressure to comply is strong.

It's somewhat difficult to describe but nowadays I'm basing my beliefs on a body of writings known as Seth Material. It's more of a spiritual philosophy than any cult or religion, and as such It resonates with me strongly - I find my need for cult and rituals to be exceedingly small. In a nutshell, it's pretty radical pantheism and kind of renewed animism, with consciousness rather than inert matter being the source and basis of existence. 

Funnily enough, this cohabitates within my mind together with strong interest in science. But maybe that's the thing, huge parts of the Material remind me more of a measured university lecture than typical New Age fluff.

Additionally, I'm certain that in a more tribal culture I would have been a shaman. And if Cthulhu Mythos was real, I'd find it difficult not to fall for it and start worshiping Azathoth, for instance - I'm sufficiently insane already as things stand...


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## Firuthi Dragovic (Jul 8, 2022)

Given how ready I am to scream when someone gets the doctrine wrong, I'm starting to wonder if I'm drifting back into Christianity.

There'd have to be a form of it that does not involve going to church in order for me to really go there at this point, though.

Aside from that, I... find it nearly impossible to care about faith.


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## Miles Marsalis (Jul 8, 2022)

I was raised Catholic, went through sacraments and all, but never really believed. I'm an atheist, but I still belong to the parish where I was confirmed and volunteer there when they need a hand since I still have ties to the congregation.


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## AniwayasSong (Jul 9, 2022)

I belong to the Religion of curiosity and keeping an open mind while maintaining a very firm grasp of my own sense of morality.
Anything that doesn't rub me the wrong way is something I take a keen interest in (theologically.  some things are FUN when they rub the 'Wrong way'!)  ;-P
If I had to Label it, I'm going with 'Taoism/Animism' but hell, there's so many layers from so many Paths I wouldn't know where to being listing/sharing them all?!


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## Baud (Jul 9, 2022)

Atheist, but I enjoy researching ancient religions out of curiosity, plus I don't care about anyone's faith as long as they don't interfere with someone else's life, I firmly believe we should all have the right to do what we like with our lives unless it harms someone else's, so I don't care much about my country being mostly populated by religious people, I do care very much when they use that religion to limit everyone else's freedom though. If your faith makes you feel safer or has made you a better person then I'm happy for you and we'll get along.


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## Filter (Jul 14, 2022)

Quaker


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## Chaosmasterdelta (Jul 14, 2022)

Whatever means that I believe that I have no idea what, if anything, comes after death.


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## Sodasats20 (Jul 14, 2022)

The giant spaghet monsta


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## YAYBANANA (Jul 29, 2022)

Agnosticism, currently. This doesn't mean I'm undecided, but I find that the answer to whether or not God is real is unimportant and impossible to prove. Though I do believe that religion can have an important part in our lives both as a moral guide and as a way of understanding ourselves and reality. Am thinking of learning more about Hinduism and Buddhism; Hinduism as I understand it is one of the most tolerant religions in the world and requires no conversion (you can even have atheist beliefs and be a practicing Hindu).


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## Minerva_Minx (Jul 29, 2022)

Satsuki15 said:


> The giant spaghet monsta


Arghh, avast the sail, ye fellow Pastafarian and wear the collander of our Lord with the pride of the pirates  before ye

What noodle cast revivify on this here necro thread?


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## Sodasats20 (Jul 29, 2022)

The noodle that be around the globe, changin places so that a scallywag can neva get hold o’ it


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## SirRob (Jul 29, 2022)

I masquerade as a Catholic as that's how I was raised. It pleases my parents and the people around me in real life. I attend church and follow the rules. I personally am not arrogant enough to believe that my species is special enough to have some exclusive admittance to an eternal paradise, though. We can only speculate whether some higher power is at play in the reality we find ourselves in, but I'm pretty sure humans haven't figured out the answer to that.

Also I want to stress that I have no problems with religion in general. All the major religions teach good values for the most part and I'm certainly not smart or learned enough to disprove any of them.


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## Kope (Jul 30, 2022)

Christian/Agnostic


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## TyraWadman (Jul 30, 2022)

I was going to be witty and say I worship Me but even I don't believe in myself!


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## ConorHyena (Jul 30, 2022)

TyraWadman said:


> I was going to be witty and say I worship Me but even I don't believe in myself!


I appreciate this post for so many reasons


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## Yakamaru (Jul 30, 2022)

TyraWadman said:


> I was going to be witty and say I worship Me but even I don't believe in myself!


Pffft. Well, lets make it a religion then. 

Spread the word of the angery emote!


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## Hollowsong (Jul 31, 2022)

RakshaTheCat said:


> Hmm, can it be religion I just came up with? This thread kind of inspired me to think of a good faith for me... :3
> 
> So my (the one and only true one) prophecy is that Space Kitty Gods will come to Earth to stop hooman vermin from ruining whole galaxy. However, those who worship Cats and can be tamed (like me), will get nice collars with bell and nametag and we will have honor to serve our Kitty Gods as their pets.
> 
> So, you all infidels and heretics, better convert and start worshiping Felines for your salvation! >:3


Can I join the cult?


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## Smityyyy (Jul 31, 2022)

Agnostic. 

I am my own god. I create my world, perception, and purpose. I take care of myself and those who are dear to me. 

On a more genuinely spiritual note; I’m not closed-off to the idea of a deity or greater purpose existing. I’m just skeptical of it. I have never seen good evidence of it and most religious texts are full of contradictions alongside things that I find morally abhorrent. I doubt that the “organized” religions we know today are real — too many contradictory and illogical texts. However, I would not be surprised if there were something greater than us that spans the whole universe — or that perhaps some form of reincarnation is real.

My only thing is, I cannot believe anything which I have no empirical evidence for. So until we can more definitively say, I will remain belief-less.


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## Mike Lobo (Aug 3, 2022)

Agnostic. Grew up in a Jehovah's Witnesses family (on my mother's side), and briefly flirted with Islam later on.


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## Kinguyakki (Aug 7, 2022)

Passive-aggressive atheist.  I don't have issue with people practicing their own religions.  I don't want those beliefs pushed on me, though.  I don't want to live according to what their religion dictates I can or cannot do.  I specifically don't want them to try to convince me or convert me in any way.  I won't be rude about it. . .I mean, I won't criticize or ridicule or mock people who are just doing their thing.


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## Yastreb (Aug 7, 2022)

Kinguyakki said:


> Passive-aggressive atheist.  I don't have issue with people practicing their own religions.  I don't want those beliefs pushed on me, though.  I don't want to live according to what their religion dictates I can or cannot do.  I specifically don't want them to try to convince me or convert me in any way.  I won't be rude about it. . .I mean, I won't criticize or ridicule or mock people who are just doing their thing.


I like the "Religion is like a penis" rule: It's fine but don't wave it around in public and definitely don't put it in children.


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## Mambi (Aug 8, 2022)

Yastreb said:


> I like the "Religion is like a penis" rule: It's fine but don't wave it around in public and definitely don't put it in children.



I like that rule! "Religion is like a penis" seems to fit the following statements too:


"If it brings you joy and comfort, you don't _have _to explain it to anyone...just feel it deep inside you and let your spirit soar"
"You don't need it to be happy, but to many it's a big part of who they are and their life revolved around it"
"Those that seek it out know where to find it...those that don't want it need places to be free from it"
"Nobody has the right to tell you you have the wrong one as long as it isn't damaged or harming anyone"
"It's not that you _have_ it but rather what you _do_ with it that defines you"
"One does not need it to be a good or complete person"

Last one..."If you're willing to deal with the messy parts, you'll find there's often a lot to be discovered by exploring it"


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