What is your religion?

[CSTowle]

My answer would be similar to Don C's, don't really care. Wouldn't want a label if someone asked me if I believe in fairies or dragons and I said I don't (I don't), but given that more people believe in gods/souls/spirits/other realms/karma/etc. than believe in fairies or dragons these days (though in the long history of mankind, let alone the much longer history of the planet, belief in those things was commonplace not very long ago) I suppose we have to have a label.

Most religions/religious thinking I've come across in my life (and I haven't sought it out since I was a kid mind you) seems to be either wishful thinking (getting to see dead loved ones again, getting to live forever, good being rewarded and evil punished, etc.), a primitive attempt to explain things we once believed would never and could never be known, and/or systems to control the behavior of others (whether for the good of the population at large or the good of those in charge, or some combo of the two). It seems to have no basis in fact or logic and those arguing for it tend to try and use vague or nonsensical language to avoid rational discussion beyond "well why do you think we're here?" types of questions ("I don't know" apparently not being satisfactory).

I will say while I used to be hostile towards religion (and still am when someone tries to defend or deny some pretty ridiculous and horrible things that come with it if you really examine these ancient religious texts and take them seriously), I don't think religion itself makes people worse than they would be without it. I think for the most part people who are terrible and use their religion to justify it would be terrible in an atheist-dominated world. Just as those who volunteer to help the homeless or give blood because they say that's what their religion teaches them to do would be doing those things if they didn't have religion in their lives. Religion can color and shape your behavior, but I don't think it's the cause.

[Enigmatic Undead]

"I worship the Sun and pray to Joe Pesci."

[SuperCooper]

Was raised Roman Catholic, attended Catholic school, but felt disconnected to the religion itself fairly early. When I was in my teens I read up on Taoism philosophies which changed the way I looked at the world and examined myself, but it would be a stretch calling that religion. Now I waver between agnostic and spiritual humanist.

Or to misquote RuPaul, 'If you can't believe in yourself, how the hell you gonna believe in somebody else? Can I get an amen!'

[Jeff Brady]

"I worship the Sun and pray to Joe Pesci."

I was hoping someone else would say that.

Atheism, which is the absence of religion, not a religion itself.

[Michael P]

Conscientious objector.

[CSTowle]

I think if I were to choose a religion, Sun worship makes the most sense to me. Source of life and light, brings warmth and good feelings, feel bad when it's gone. Plus, I can see it. So it's got that going for it. Pesci's fun too, but doesn't have the staying power (been too long, what's he been up to?).

[Kirby101]

I am in what they now call the "none" category. I don't say I don't believe in God, I have no beliefs in that sense. I say I don't accept the existence of a God.

[DrNewGod]

Agnostic. Raised Southern Baptist, but I've become suspicious about the ability of man to correctly understand something as vast as divinity, and that casts suspicion on all dogma in my opinion.

[CSTowle]

I think if I were to choose a religion, Sun worship makes the most sense to me. Source of life and light, brings warmth and good feelings, feel bad when it's gone. Plus, I can see it. So it's got that going for it. Pesci's fun too, but doesn't have the staying power (been too long, what's he been up to?).

So I googled Pesci and the sun to see what that's from, and it turns out this thought was stolen directly from the same Carlin bit. Didn't remember it (long time ago), but I still am on board. Also, while I loved Carlin's humor on all subjects I am especially grateful for his bits on religion. Hearing them as a young, young man made me feel sane when everyone around me seemed to believe these things and I felt alone in the world. Hearing my own thoughts echoed back at me, only more intelligently and a heck of a lot funnier, was as close to a "religious" experience as I've come.

[Fenris]

I'm a Christian (of the Protestant subdivision.)

Why do I believe it? There are probably a dozen reasons; some positive and some not. Motivations are like that, especially when it comes to our deep values.

But if you mean, "What do I love about Christianity"- I love it because it shows me goodness in ways I don't see anywhere else.

õ
That's not for lack of looking!

[ultimate jezebel]

I pray to God.

[Ilan Preskovsky]

The short answer is that I'm Modern Orthodox Jewish, both because it is what I was raised in and because it (largely) makes sense to me. The long answer is much, much longer and too involved to get into here. But then, I think all of our belief systems are far more than whatever labels we happen to place on them.

[DebkoX]

Practising Buddhist, its interesting with me. I have a Muslim dad and Christian mum but have never ever been told what I should follow, its always been my choice. So until recently, I've been "floating" around. I previously identified myself as Christian but I'm leaning towards Buddhism now and i've decided to educate myself on it and see if it connects with me, thats my main issue with the others, I cannot "connect". Nonetheless, I still believe in God, but not sure how I want to approach it.

[Ilan Preskovsky]

So I googled Pesci and the sun to see what that's from, and it turns out this thought was stolen directly from the same Carlin bit. Didn't remember it (long time ago), but I still am on board. Also, while I loved Carlin's humor on all subjects I am especially grateful for his bits on religion. Hearing them as a young, young man made me feel sane when everyone around me seemed to believe these things and I felt alone in the world. Hearing my own thoughts echoed back at me, only more intelligently and a heck of a lot funnier, was as close to a "religious" experience as I've come.

I'm religious but I love Carlin's anti-religious rants. Perhaps it's because the kind of religion he spoke out against are the kinds that I tend to... distrust as well.

[InformationGeek]

I'm Christian. Not much to say other than that.