mega thread Everypony's Religion And Why?

[Dr_Waveband 745]

I was raised in catholic family, but I consider myself to be an atheist. I've been thinking about it for a long time and I came to the conclusion that the whole idea of God is pointless for me. I'm rationalist, so I also don't believe in afterlife.

When it comes to religion's influence on the world I'm a bit confused. Some people claim that religion gives them strenght and hope, but on the other hand, religion fanatics can be very dangerous - suicide attacks etc., so I find it really hard to classify religion as "good" or "bad".

 

My views are pretty much the same. My family is Lutheran, but not really very religious. Religion was a distant concept for me as a child, and when I grew up I was just too much of a rationalist to believe in anything like that. I'm now an atheist.

 

As to whether religion as a whole is good or bad... I'd say it's more of a good thing to exist. It ties people together, gives meaning to their lives, encourages to act in kind ways and so on. Much of humanity's progress has been motivated by religion. Of course, there are less pleasant aspects to it, as you mentioned. Even if we're not talking about deadly fanaticism, many fundamentalists' ideas can be counterproductive and harmful to others.

[FlareChaser0096 142]

I don't really know what I am. I'm in the light gray/silver area between agnosticism and some form of Christianity and/or spirituality.

[Mrhnhrm 5]

While the whole concept of god seems like not provable and not deniable, I prefer to classify myself as an atheist for opposing religion as such. For it containing too many inner contradictions and usually turning out counterproductive for society.

[~WhiteHawk~ 186]

Agnostic. As a kid, my grandmother always took me to church, so I have that sort of influence, though I hardly believe in anything from the Bible. I wouldn't consider myself an Atheist because I do believe in some things, like I still skirt on the edge of Shamanism a bit, but I don't dedicate myself to one religion. Every religion I've seen has something I disagree with, so I remain open to everything as well as questioning it.

[Thunderstorm 120]

Christianity. Not all Christians are crazy like some others okay??

Why? Well I always believed in it when I was a baby

[eggnut 7]

I don't have a human religion but I have a religon called Celestia.

Too bad the devil/changeling, Chrysalis defeated her in the last episode of Season 2.

[spaghettinoodles 298]

Agnostic, leaning on atheist. I'm very skeptical, and there are so many religions, thousands that have been recorded, so how would you know which is the "right" one, especially since science can't back it up?

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

I'm a Catholic and of this fact I'm quite sure. I was born into it and it made sense to me. It seems the majority of the people on here (or at least the ones who visited the threads) are athiest.

[XUNUSEDXXX 3,459]

I'm a Christian, and go to a Baptist church. So yea, I'm a baptist Christian. Nothing much else to say about me.

[PlunderSteed 1,252]

I'm a Catholic and of this fact I'm quite sure. I was born into it and it made sense to me. It seems the majority of the people on here (or at least the ones who visited the threads) are athiest.

 

Maybe not a majority, but somewhere between 30-45% of respondents to the poll (since voters can select multiple options, and "agnostic" and "atheist" are both available). It's hard to say if this number is higher than average, because "average" is difficult to define...a mix of nationalities are present, for instance. Also, it seems to me that younger people tend to be more liberal, both within the framework of their professed philosophy, and within society in general.

 

Anyways, I'm no sociologist, but it's no surprise that a group of young people involved in something of a "counter-culture" (bronydom) would be similarly distanced from other mainstream aspects of society (like organized religion).

[CharlieManson 38]

I'm an Atheist, and I can't wait to be maggot food when I die. I was raised to be an Atheist, and I will live as such.

[Envy 6,162]

It seems the majority of the people on here (or at least the ones who visited the threads) are athiest.

 

If you add all of the Christian groups together, Christians still have the majority by over 50. So, that's not true.

 

In real life a lot of atheists are silent, for whatever reason. I, myself, am like that. Mostly for the sake of my family. So, anyway, you shouldn't be shocked. Nonbelievers are a growing minority, and on the internet we don't have to remain silent about it, so that's where our presence is learned.

 

Christians are still in the majority, either place.

[Tol'Satha 163]

Probably shouldnt say this, but... LaVey Satanist

Dont hate me, im not evil

 

Its actually a more of a philosophy then a religion, since we dont actually worship any god/deity

[PlunderSteed 1,252]

In real life a lot of atheists are silent, for whatever reason. I, myself, am like that.

 

There are a couple of simple reasons why a lot of atheists are fairly quiet about it. The most straightforward explanation is that there is no atheist bible telling us to spread the good news, as is the case with major religions. Many atheists feel that they have no vested interest in opening a dialogue about it all, so they don't.

 

Also, in many cultures there are considerable misconceptions and stigmas associated with it. In some Islamic nations (Iran, Pakistan and Saudi come to mind), "converting" from Islam to atheism is punishable by death. No kidding. Granted, these extreme laws aren't often enforced, but that's their official stance nonetheless.

 

In the US there are some more subtle things going on.

 

Pressure from the government: In the US during the Cold War, atheism was associated with communism, since the USSR's official stance was to all but outlaw organized religion (which was believed to compete with and undermine the Soviet government). Over time, among many Americans it became a sort of "common knowledge" that atheism and communism were the same thing, or at least different sides of the same coin.

 

Pressure from conservative/traditional values: to a lot of Christians in America, atheism is akin to Satanism. And by that I mean the literal worship of Lucifer, including black magic, consorting with demons and all kinds of other funny business. It's silly, but a lot of people actually think of atheists in these terms.

 

So yeah...those are just a couple of the more basic reasons why a lot of atheists remain quiet on the matter, and why the anonymity of the internet tends to draw us out more readily.

[Modphase 1,271]

Ugh. I'm an atheist because my family is catholic and I refuse to be Catholic. But in all honesty I want to be Islamic but my family would not approve.

[PlunderSteed 1,252]

Ugh. I'm an atheist because my family is catholic and I refuse to be Catholic. But in all honesty I want to be Islamic but my family would not approve.

 

Interesting. What do you see in Islam, that is missing in Catholicism? You have piqued my interest.

[Modphase 1,271]

Interesting. What do you see in Islam, that is missing in Catholicism? You have piqued my interest.

 

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but as a whole, not pointing at any individuals, Catholics have had a history of violence and hypocrisy. A huge example of this was during the 1500's when the Spanish Catholics were conquering Central and South America. Not only did they kill or enslave the indigenous population, they either destroyed or melted into gold their religious relics. Another example would be the corruption in the holy Roman Catholic church. The important church people, like the pope, cardinal, and Arch Bishops used their religion only to maintain their individual power. They cared nothing about the actual beliefs of Catholics. I apologize if I have offended anyone, I'm stating that as a whole group Catholics don't appeal to me. Islam, on the other hand, is different. There are no historical records of Islamic leaders using their religious influence to manipulate the people and make themselves more powerful, and Islam has a history of being tolerant to most minority religions. Sure, they fought the Catholics during the crusades, but with good reason. They, unlike the Catholics, didn't consider Catholics as, "heathens", but as an honorable enemy. But now I'm getting way too much into history. I find much wisdom in the words of the Qur'an, and I even follow the teachings in there. It astonishes me how much Islam does for the poor, and how equal everybody is treated, no matter their social status. You can't forget Ramadan, which is a noble tradition to make one live as the hungry.The most important thing, it's hard to be an inactive Islamic. In order to get into heaven, you must follow the five pillars of faith, and at least make one pilgrimage to Mecca in your life. It seems as though in Catholicism, you can do nothing to get into heaven. Prove me if I'm wrong, these are just my thoughts.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

There are a couple of simple reasons why a lot of atheists are fairly quiet about it. The most straightforward explanation is that there is no atheist bible telling us to spread the good news, as is the case with major religions. Many atheists feel that they have no vested interest in opening a dialogue about it all, so they don't.

 

Also, in many cultures there are considerable misconceptions and stigmas associated with it. In some Islamic nations (Iran, Pakistan and Saudi come to mind), "converting" from Islam to atheism is punishable by death. No kidding. Granted, these extreme laws aren't often enforced, but that's their official stance nonetheless.

 

In the US there are some more subtle things going on.

 

Pressure from the government: In the US during the Cold War, atheism was associated with communism, since the USSR's official stance was to all but outlaw organized religion (which was believed to compete with and undermine the Soviet government). Over time, among many Americans it became a sort of "common knowledge" that atheism and communism were the same thing, or at least different sides of the same coin.

 

Pressure from conservative/traditional values: to a lot of Christians in America, atheism is akin to Satanism. And by that I mean the literal worship of Lucifer, including black magic, consorting with demons and all kinds of other funny business. It's silly, but a lot of people actually think of atheists in these terms.

 

So yeah...those are just a couple of the more basic reasons why a lot of atheists remain quiet on the matter, and why the anonymity of the internet tends to draw us out more readily.

This is all very misleading.

 

First off is that atheism is very vocal. They don’t have a text that says to spread atheism, but they sure as hell do their best to spread it.

 

As a minority, a billboard or bus ad that promotes atheism is much less common than let’s say, a local church or a cross, but wherever atheism is most organized, it evangelizes just like any religion might.

 

While not the main reason I replied to your post, I must also correct you on the statement that death penalties for apostasy in Islamic nations are not carried out often. They are carried out very often, regardless of what the person converts to.

 

---

 

The second half of your post has merely promoted horrible misconceptions claiming many have misconceptions about atheists.

 

First, while there are many who hold communism (i.e. Marxist-Leninist ideologies) as atheist ideologies at its worst, very few actually consider the words “communism” and “atheism” interchangeable.

 

Second. Very few Christians actually believe atheists worship Satan. It is silly to think that atheists worship Satan. But it’s even sillier to think “a lot” or many Christians actually think atheists perform dark magic, witchcraft, etc.

 

---

 

Atheism on the level of the average individual is usually lukewarm and quiet. But to follow that up by claiming atheism is “silent,” even in America, is a rather outlandish claim.

[~Chaos~ 3,967]

I am a Christian, I have believed for as long as I can remember, I do belive there is a god, oh and sidenote, I respect all other beliefs

 

So that's about it for me.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

 

I don’t want to bash down on your interest in Islam, but come on, we need to be fair here.

 

If you are choosing a belief system based off its most colorful characters of history, then you are not going to find anything to believe. Neither atheism, Catholicism, nor Islam.

 

All have had their bad characters.

 

Bear in mind, there are on-going jihads in the name of Islam. Most of the stuff you can pull up on Catholics are from the 16^th or 12^th century. Most of the dirt you can pull up on Islam is from yesterday’s newspaper.

 

While more of a historical issue that isn’t very relevant in this thread, keep in mind that the Crusades were not a spontaneous “let’s go kill Muslims” parades the Christians thought of after a Sunday sermon. It was a response to centuries of Islamic assaults on Christian kingdoms in the Middles East, North Africa, the Iberian peninsula and Anatolia. In fact, it was the Byzantines Empire’s cry for help from the conquering Muslims that sparked the First Crusade.

 

Good luck to you on your interests in Islam, but don’t judge the truth of an entire religion based off misunderstood historical events and colorful characters.

Edited August 24, 2012 by Lady Rarity Pony

[PlunderSteed 1,252]

While not the main reason I replied to your post, I must also correct you on the statement that death penalties for apostasy in Islamic nations are not carried out often. They are carried out very often, regardless of what the person converts to.

 

This would be something for Lil Tokyo to consider. I'll argue about almost anything, but I would have to be feeling particularly creative and plucky to defend the practices of a theocratic state.

 

The second half of your post has merely promoted horrible misconceptions claiming many have misconceptions about atheists.

 

First, while there are many who hold communism (i.e. Marxist-Leninist ideologies) as atheist ideologies at its worst, very few actually consider the words “communism” and “atheism” interchangeable.

 

Second. Very few Christians actually believe atheists worship Satan. It is silly to think that atheists worship Satan. But it’s even sillier to think “a lot” or many Christians actually think atheists perform dark magic, witchcraft, etc.

 

You're missing the point. Whether or not those concerns are valid, they still stand as reasons why a lot of atheists prefer to just not engage. A lot of people do have unfounded concerns on both sides; my previous post was simply illustrating some of them. A lot of atheists just don't talk about it, and I was trying to articulate why.

 

Also, notice how I used the term "a lot", rather than "most" or any other term that would imply any number, or even a majority/minority. Nobody knows exactly how many people believe what, and it would be misleading for me to use weasel words in that manner.

[Modphase 1,271]

I don’t want to bash down on your interest in Islam, but come on, we need to be fair here.

 

If you are choosing a belief system based off its most colorful characters of history, then you are not going to find anything to believe. Neither atheism, Catholicism, nor Islam.

 

All have had their bad characters.

 

Bear in mind, there are on-going jihads in the name of Islam. Most of the stuff you can pull up on Catholics are from the 16^th or 12^th century. Most of the dirt you can pull up on Islam is from yesterday’s newspaper.

 

While more of a historical issue that isn’t very relevant in this thread, keep in mind that the Crusades were not a spontaneous “let’s go kill Muslims” parades the Christians thought of after a Sunday sermon. It was a response to centuries of Islamic assaults on Christian kingdoms in the Middles East, North Africa, the Iberian peninsula and Anatolia. In fact, it was the Byzantines Empire’s cry for help from the conquering Muslims that sparked the First Crusade.

 

Good luck to you on your interests in Islam, but don’t judge the truth of an entire religion based off misunderstood historical events and colorful characters.

 

I respect your knowledge, and I think you made very good arguments, but the reason why I judge a religion based off of it's history is because, well, I love history. And not only that, we all have that religion that just seems to find to us, and it's hard to push it away. Islam is that. Yeah I know it sounds cheesy but it's true, at least in my case. And yes, all religions have extremists, and Islam has the most, but like I said, there weren't many Islam extremists during the 12th through 16th century, but very violent Catholics at the time, and I focus on things that happened a long time ago, not recently. It's just a side-affect of loving history. Edited August 24, 2012 by Lil' Tokyo

[NostalgicPony 310]

Well, Deism isint listed on the poll, but I suppose spiritualism is close enough.

 

I find myself connected with my own god, but I rely on reason and nature to decide a lot of my morals.

[Lady Rarity Pony 4,892]

This would be something for Lil Tokyo to consider. I'll argue about almost anything, but I would have to be feeling particularly creative and plucky to defend the practices of a theocratic state.

Well, I wasn’t requesting or expecting a defense of the actions of the Islamic theocracies. In fact I’d be rather disturbed if someone were to attempt to defend such actions.

I was simply making a correction.

 

You're missing the point. Whether or not those concerns are valid, they still stand as reasons why a lot of atheists prefer to just not engage. A lot of people do have unfounded concerns on both sides; my previous post was simply illustrating some of them. A lot of atheists just don't talk about it, and I was trying to articulate why.

 

Also, notice how I used the term "a lot", rather than "most" or any other term that would imply any number, or even a majority/minority. Nobody knows exactly how many people believe what, and it would be misleading for me to use weasel words in that manner.

Actually, I have not missed the point. You are trying to explain why atheists just “don’t talk about it” or are “silent.”

 

I must disagree on both the goal of your argument and the claims you use to support it.

 

If atheists are truly being quiet because they feel people think they are communists and Satanists, then that is rather odd. It also is not the case, or at least not on even a decent size scale.

Atheists are also not as silent as you claim them to be. They are by far the most vocal minority. Atheist organizations have rather large amounts of members. At least “large” when in comparison to the population size of atheists.

 

“A lot” also holds heavy implications to it. It implies a significant amount. To say “a lot” of Christians believe atheists are Satanists is not as ludicrous as saying “a majority” of Christians, but it is still not accurate in any sense.

 

I rather leave this right here. I don’t believe there is much more to say on the subject.

 

I respect your knowledge, and I think you made very good arguments, but the reason why I judge a religion based off of it's history is because, well, I love history. And not only that, we all have that religion that just seems to find to us, and it's hard to push it away. Islam is that. Yeah I know it sounds cheesy but it's true, at least in my case. And yes, all religions have extremists, and Islam has the most, but like I said, there weren't many Islam extremists during the 12th through 16th century, but very violent Catholics at the time, and I focus on things that happened a long time ago, not recently. It's just a side-affect of loving history.

 

Once again as a reminder, by this reply I am not trying to get at your interest in Islam. That’s none of my concern. But you do hold rather uneven views of Catholics throughout history.

 

First off is that Islam has had extremists since the very beginning. It’s how Islam grew. Muhammad himself conquered land in the name of Islam and massacred many.

Islamic extremists have existed consistently all through history. They did not appear recently. From the birth of Islam up until the Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, Muslims have been conquering in the name of Islam.

 

The only reason their advances and successes were slowed down after this point was because their navy was destroyed in the battle and they had no way of clearing a way for the invasion of Europe.

There were many extremists from Islam in the 12^th and 16^th centuries.

 

They also did not disappear after this point.

 

I’ll leave this here, because I don’t want to flood this thread with talk of history, but no belief system is clear of blemishes in its history.

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

I am here an happy I have no idea whats after death, and I do hope there is something, but If I had to say something I think everyone gets their own personal heaven and there isn't really a god more of an energy that your soul would join, but yea that's just what I think, I dont know, just think.