NationStates Jolt Archive

Since today seems to be religion day, I have to ask: Do you follow the religion (if any) of your parents? If you do, then why? If you don't, then why? I'm interested in seeing why people would stray from their parents or why they would stick with their parents decision. Somewhere along your ancestral line, someone switched religions.

I follow the religion of my pants.

No, not at all. My parents are semi-christen/strong spiritual.

I'm a hardcore atheist.

Today is not a religious day. It is merely the recognition and acknowledgment of the many things we have in this life to be thankful for. Rather you are religious or not, it is a day that all can celebrate and reflect upon, for both our internal and external growth. There are so many dispicable and depressing events and situations in our world today, it's nice to have at least one day set aside to honor the good in our world. Today is about focusing on the positives, and lending a helping hand to those who have nothing positive to focus on.

That said, I wish everyone the Happiest of Thanksgivings.

My mother is agnostic, my dad is borderline atheist and I'm atheist...

Parents are extremely atheist. I was raised purely secular, never celebrated christmas or easter. They didn't take it too kindly to me converting to Roman Catholicism.

Today is not a religious day. It is merely the recognition and acknowledgment of the many things we have in this life to be thankful for. Rather you are religious or not, it is a day that all can celebrate and reflect upon, for both our internal and external growth. There are so many dispicable and depressing events and situations in our world today, it's nice to have at least one day set aside to honor the good in our world. Today is about focusing on the positives, and lending a helping hand to those who have nothing positive to focus on.

That said, I wish everyone the Happiest of Thanksgivings.

By "Religion Day", I mean that more than half the posts in NS General are about religion

both my parents are protestant. They go to church now and then. I am also protestant but does not attand church because danish church sessions are boring beyond what should be legal. But I'm religious.

No. My mother is a Bahá'í, but I subscribe to a more pagan viewpoint.

My parents are liberal Jews. I'm a militant atheist. So no, I don't.

By "Religion Day", I mean that more than half the posts in NS General are about religion

Ah, okay bro, i gotcha ; )


still, Happy Thanksgiving (and i mean that in the most nonreligious way possible..................or religious, depending on your preference)

Parents are both Presbyterians (although they are bad weather Christians)

I am atheist. My choices are a variety of being pissed off at being labelled by religion my whole life and because I simply don't buy it. The labelling just acted as a catalyst for the inevitable

My folks are both Christians. I'm a mystic agnostic, but the Christian mythology is the one which I've had the most exposure to. So we're generally quite complimentary in our views. I just don't like the established Church.

My mom is Catholic and my dad is a Christian but not of any particular denomination. I am Catholic, as are my brothers.

No. My mother is a Bahá'í, but I subscribe to a more pagan viewpoint.

What do you mean by Pagan? I was taught that Pagan is everything non-Abrahamic (the Baha'i Faith is somehow included).

Anyway, I don't subscribe to my parent's belief. They are Christian and I am Hindu. The rest pf my family (aunts, uncles, cousins) are Jehovah's Witnesses. Naturally, it's not a great relationship

My dad was a seriously lapsed Baptist. My mom was xtian by default, although in later life, she became Wiccan.

Meh.

What do you mean by Pagan? I was taught that Pagan is everything non-Abrahamic (the Baha'i Faith is somehow included).

Anyway, I don't subscribe to my parent's belief. They are Christian and I am Hindu. The rest pf my family (aunts, uncles, cousins) are Jehovah's Witnesses. Naturally, it's not a great relationship

That should make the holidays a blast! lol


Honestly, your situation sounds like it belongs on a network sitcom.

my parents are (as far as I know) those lazy Anglicans who don't really care type

I'm more lazy Atheist who doesn't really care type

What do you mean by Pagan? I was taught that Pagan is everything non-Abrahamic (the Baha'i Faith is somehow included).

Somewhat of a mix of various inter-compatible Druidic, Wiccan, and Ásatrú views, with a couple of Taoist philosophies included. The extremely abridged (and thus somewhat inaccurate for brevity's sake) version is that I consider nature Herself to be a deity, and that the balance between us and Her is very important.

That should make the holidays a blast! lol


Honestly, your situation sounds like it belongs on a network sitcom.

There are certain...ways that a Hindu can deal with such situations. Idol worship is pretty hectic, though.

I am a Lutheran. My parents have no religious persuasion, though you might be able to term them agnostic. My grandparents also agnostic, on my mother's side, my father's side, liberal Anglican, and on my step-father's side, Lutheran. They never exposed me to any kind of faith as a kid, but through a strange series of events, I ended up in a church for six months before I realised that my step-grandparents were also members of that church, but went toa different service than I did.

There are certain...ways that a Hindu can deal with such situations. Idol worship is pretty hectic, though.

LOL, i feel for ya. Still, i would SO love to be a fly on your wall : )

I'm an atheist, sorta raised a Presbyterian, my mom is one of those Christians who could have easily passed off as heretics/witches in the olden days for her noncomittal to any established view about the nature of God except that Jesus was a pretty cool guy and I have absolutely no idea what my dad is: He was raised in some denomination of protestantism but I honestly have no idea what he is today. He could be worshiping Zeus and I would have no idea.

This reminds me that I need to go ask him what his religious views are, someday later, though, I don't know if Turkey Day is really the best day for that.

My parents are Catholic, I am an agnostic atheist, but what they are has no effect on my decisions. I don't understand why people feel any reason to follow something just because their parents do. Think for yourself, make your own decisions.

both my parents are protestant. They go to church now and then. I am also protestant but does not attand church because danish church sessions are boring beyond what should be legal. But I'm religious.

I'm intrigued, what do you mean by "...are boring what should be legal"?

My father is God. Allah to friends.
I did not follow into his Buddhist footsteps.

I'm intrigued, what do you mean by "...are boring what should be legal"?

Intrigued by your own inability to read? :p

My mother is strongly Southern Baptist while my father is a lapsed Lutherin. I usually call myself an Agnostic Deist, but sometimes I say I'm a Philosophic Satanist or member of The Order of the Envoy of the End just to get people to argue with me.

When I finally told my mother I was Agnostic, she cut me off from the rest of the world for a few days. None of my grandparents on either side know because my faith is apparently some dirty little secret that will go away if ignored.

My parents didn't talk about religion, and so all my religious background was to be had at school - the hardcore Christianity of the private school.

So I guess I follow the religion of my parents. They are agnostic, leaning towards atheistic, but untroubled by it. Same here. If religion is something you're only pressed into at school, you never form the mental link between religion and your actual life, because at the end of the day, it goes away.

My grandparents are all religious Church of Englanders, but they never bothered telling me about it either.

My father is agnostic. My mother believes in God, or at least some creative spiritual force, but does not believe in organised religion. I'm an atheist.

Intrigued by your own inability to read? :p

Having never been to church in my entire life other than to Notre Dame and De Katheedral because I was curious, I can't say I got your meaning. Enlighten me or else! :p

My family were not religious. I grew up nominally Muslim, but not now. I feel it's hypocritical to hold a "lapsed" religion you don't truly believe in, so I went for something I can. It is important to make peace with your family though. I am still close to them all, and we can all talk about religion and philosophy openly together.

My parents were Christians, but I never believed because it simply wasn't reasonable to do so.

I've actually convinced my parents of this, for the most part, so they (over the past 5 years or so) also appear to have abandoned religion.

Good for them.

Christianity isn't a religion, Jesus was probably the most anti-dogmatic, anti-clerical socialistic historical figure ever. These days 'Christianity' isn't about what Jesus said, it's about what the far-right bigots wanted him to say, two totally different things.

Christianity isn't a religion, Jesus was probably the most anti-dogmatic, anti-clerical socialistic historical figure ever. These days 'Christianity' isn't about what Jesus said, it's about what the far-right bigots wanted him to say, two totally different things.

If I had a womb, I would offer to bear your children.

As it is...

My mother was a devout methodist, later a devout nondenominationalist, later a hands-off Christian. No church.
My father was a devout baptist, later a hands-off Christian.
My stepmother has always been a hands-off Christian.

I am an atheist. I'd say agnostic in a good mood...but I'm really not. I don't believe in the unexplainable unless it can be observed. I have absolutely no reason to believe there is a higher power, so I simply don't.

This is a concept completely and utterly alien to my family, except for my 2 brothers (one a liberal bisexual agnostic and the other a libertarian gay Wiccan...go figure).

Both of my parents are agnostic and so am I. My brother and sister are as well.

My parents were baptized Catholic, because their parents were baptized catholic, because their parents where baptized catholic, because their parents where baptized catholic, because their parents where baptized catholic....


As an Atheist baptized as a catholic, aspiring to parenthood within the near future, I'm taking it upon myself to stop forcing religion down the throats of my children and the future generations in my family. Enough!

I don't follow the same religion as my parents. My dad is an atheist, my mum is agnostic. I'm a neopagan.

Christianity isn't a religion, Jesus was probably the most anti-dogmatic, anti-clerical socialistic historical figure ever. These days 'Christianity' isn't about what Jesus said, it's about what the far-right bigots wanted him to say, two totally different things.
I would argue then that what the far-right bigots preach isn't Christianity.

But I don't see how that makes Christ's teachings areligious.

No, my parents are actually rabidly anti-religious of all kind. Which led to some rather heated discussions following my conversion to Islam.

my parents are athiest, as am i. they made sure i felt free to follow whatever religion i wanted to, and that they would support me in doing so (drive me to church/temple/whatever)... i chose to stay athiest.

however, at uni, while severely depressed, i wanted to find god. i wanted - and tried - to speak to god and have that purpose in my life. but i could not find him/it, or he/it did not find me. i don't know how it works. but no matter.

No, my parents are actually rabidly anti-religious of all kind. Which led to some rather heated discussions following my conversion to Islam.

Do you believe in killing Islamic Apostates?

Do you believe Muhammad ascended to heaven on a winged horse?

These are central tenets of Islam, and it's quite beyond me how any rational and decent human being could after growing up free from religion, then freely choose to believe in such nonsense.

No, my parents are actually rabidly anti-religious of all kind. Which led to some rather heated discussions following my conversion to Islam.
Of course. Religion is irrational; any reasonable parent would be appalled to see a child turn to it.

I would argue then that what the far-right bigots preach isn't Christianity.
It isn't, when I refer to 'Christianity' I refer to the modern organized construct of religion, which in itself is hierarchical and dogmatic, something which Jesus rejected in the Jewish religious authorities. Jesus was in favor of good works and material benefit over meaningless faith and ideals not attached to meaningful action. 'By your works you will be judged'. This is totally different from the crazy and downright obsession of the evangelical right in 'soul saving'.

But I don't see how that makes Christ's teachings areligious.
They are areligious, religion in itself is organizational, commandist and dogmatic construct. Jesus was totally against religion. But Jesus was not 'aspiritual', he was very spiritual (which I define differently than religious), but instead to Jesus spiritual worth was found not in blind thought but in positive good works to others.

Religious is innately 'commandist' because it sets up a dogmatic textbook of what you must believe specifically to belong to this religious group, and therefore gain 'entry to Heaven'. These 'interpretations' of the Gospel (closer to fabrications) are usually the work of intolerant chauvinistic far-right bigots, who believe what they think so they warp the view of historical spiritual sources so it seems to followers that this divine figure supports their bigotry.

Atma's parents are borderline jewish. Atma used to be (very) borderline jewish, but is now atheist.

I don't know and I'm not religious.

My mother is a catholic, and my father is presbyterian or something like that.


I've never felt any affinity toward any gods or goddesses that might exist, and because I'm inherently skeptical of most things anyway, I'm an atheist. Only militant when people stuff their religion down my throat.

This, of course, means that the family gets pissed and whines over how I was baptized catholic and I really have no choice and I'm doing it just to be rebellious and all sorts of crap. Sigh.

My parents were agnostic as am I. I left agnosticism for a time, for reasons that today seem specious. As the years wore on, the early teachings of my parents came to have more meaning and eventually I came back into the fold. So, yes, after many fits and starts, I do follow the religion of my parents.

Since today seems to be religion day, I have to ask: Do you follow the religion (if any) of your parents? If you do, then why? If you don't, then why? I'm interested in seeing why people would stray from their parents or why they would stick with their parents decision. Somewhere along your ancestral line, someone switched religions.

Nope they are and still are RC

I have had some bad experiences with the RC church and over the years have just slowly lost my faith in Christianity as a whole

It just did not feel believable to me.

My father is a now-fairly-lapsed Catholic from a very devout family; my mother is an agnostic atheist. I sort of split the difference between the two sides of my family and believe in God but not in any organized religion.

My mother is Lutheran and my dad is a spiritualist.

I think the real reason I started on my path to Atheism was my parents forcing me to go to church. I always sat through it resenting Church and thinking how pointless all the sermons were, and what better things I could be doing with my like...3 hours of boredom.

Going into my teenage years, with my strong block to Christian teachings preventing me from being brainwashed, my misguided simplistic resentment for god evolved into Agnosticism (I thought about the world and how god had yet to be proven, thus it could be a toss up) eventually this went further and I became an Atheist (I didn't think god existed) and this continued to present day (I explicitly deny that god exists or could exist, and resent such strong catholic influence within America)

Christianity isn't a religion, Jesus was probably the most anti-dogmatic, anti-clerical socialistic historical figure ever.
Jesus being anti-religious and Christianity being a religion are not necessarily mutually exclusive. It is, after all, is a human invention, regardless of whether Jesus was God/influenced by God, and as such it is prone to whatever inconsistencies it can care to take on.

My parents are Catholic. I'm not.

Nope. My father is a Urantian. My mother is non-denominational...lets say christian. She's completely unreligious, really, but seems to be deathly afraid of me being an atheist. Me and my brother both are, and during one conversation, I asked her if she'd rather me be a militant muslim, or such. She said she would prefer it :/

Of course, I also follow the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Generic "go to church on Christmas and Easter" Protestants.

Do you believe in killing Islamic Apostates?

Do you believe Muhammad ascended to heaven on a winged horse?

These are central tenets of Islam, and it's quite beyond me how any rational and decent human being could after growing up free from religion, then freely choose to believe in such nonsense.

The central tenants of Islam are referred to as the "Five Pillars". These are as follows:

* The Shahadah - The declaration of faith. "I testify that there is no god but Allah (God), and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah (God)"

* Prayer

* Charity (Zakah)

* The Ramadan fast

* Hajj - Pilgrimage to Mecca

None of the above mentions killing anyone nor does it mention Muhammad’s (I would say this is not a literal physical event, but rather either a trance-journey or some other non-physical event) on the Buraq. Like Christianity or any religion, it is not something to be taken in the most literal sense.

Your bigotry and self-righteous attitude would do the most hardened bigoted religious fanatic proud.

Parents are Catholic, I am Atheist.

Why? I don't get that whole "I'm totally guilty and a sinner!" feeling like they do.

I'm intrigued, what do you mean by "...are boring what should be legal"?

Well I've one time been on a vacation to the US Virgins Islands and me and my parents attended a church going.. It was fun and felt like a celebration of God. I really liked it :cool: In Denmark however it feels like going to a regular ceremony is a funeral :( it feels depressing, there is no enjoyment going there.. It's old and outdated I think.. Only on Christmass Eve is church worth attending :)

My mother is Methodist, my father was an almost militant Atheist and I'm a Jewish ger tzedek.

It's an interesting household.