What's your religion ???

[Crazy Quilt]

I did not vote, as my religion is not listed on your poll.

If you must know, I'm a Wiccan.

I complained about the poll not being more inclusive. I said it should include an option for Wiccans/Neopagans.

I'm a Sufi Muslim. I understand your faith. I'm not one of those idiots out there who associate Neopaganism with Satanism. It has more in common with Eastern religions like Hinduism. Actually, Neopaganism has a lot in common with my interpretation of Islam as a Sufi. Sufism is the esoteric branch of Islam and it contains a lot of the same spiritual concepts as Neopaganism and Hinduism such as meditation, chakras(which are called Lataif in Sufism), astral projection etc.

 

[Thundarr]

I complained about the poll not being more inclusive. I said it should include an option for Wiccans/Neopagans.

I'm a Sufi Muslim. I understand your faith. I'm not one of those idiots out there who associate Neopaganism with Satanism. It has more in common with Eastern religions like Hinduism. Actually, Neopaganism has a lot in common with my interpretation of Islam as a Sufi. Sufism is the esoteric branch of Islam and it contains a lot of the same spiritual concepts as Neopaganism and Hinduism such as meditation, chakras(which are called Lataif in Sufism), astral projection etc.

That's very interesting. I did not know that about Sufism. In fact, I didn't even know that there were different factions of the Muslim faith until reading many of the posts on this thread.

 

[C. Lee]

I complained about the poll not being more inclusive. I said it should include an option for Wiccans/Neopagans.

Did you ever watch the TV show BABYLON 5? It's been years since I saw it, but I remember in an episode where there was some discussion about religion with someone from an alien planet....the alien asked Sinclaire if he could meet some practioners of Earth's religions. Sinclaire said sure, I'll set it up. The episode ended with Sinclaire introducing him to a line of hundreds of people....and he started naming off all their different designations.

In other words....a poll that gave a separate choice for every possibility would be too long to put here. I personally feel there shouldn't have been a poll....just each person give their answer.

 

[Crazy Quilt]

That's very interesting. I did not know that about Sufism. In fact, I didn't even know that there were different factions of the Muslim faith until reading many of the posts on this thread.

Did you ever watch the TV show BABYLON 5? It's been years since I saw it, but I remember in an episode where there was some discussion about religion with someone from an alien planet....the alien asked Sinclaire if he could meet some practioners of Earth's religions. Sinclaire said sure, I'll set it up. The episode ended with Sinclaire introducing him to a line of hundreds of people....and he started naming off all their different designations.

In other words....a poll that gave a separate choice for every possibility would be too long to put here. I personally feel there shouldn't have been a poll....just each person give their answer.

That makes the most sense.

 

[S.A.A.D.]

I was a Muslim when this thread first started and I'm still one.

I take it that you're a fake Muslim like myself.

 

[Crazy Quilt]

I take it that you're a fake Muslim like myself.

What are you talking about?

 

[CJ]

I'm a Catholic.

I get annoyed when I talk to other Christians online and they say Catholics aren't Christians because they Worship Mary.

Catholics do NOT worship Mary. (I don't anyway) We worship Jesus Christ the Lord. We just acknowledge the fact that Mary was his mother and have reverence towards her. But mass is always about Christ Jesus and his teachings. We do say the Hail Mary prayer, but that's it. She's not our God or anything. Jesus is.

 

[Sloth7d]

I'm a Catholic.

I get annoyed when I talk to other Christians online and they say Catholics aren't Christians because they Worship Mary.

Catholics do NOT worship Mary. (I don't anyway) We worship Jesus Christ the Lord. We just acknowledge the fact that Mary was his mother and have reverence towards her. But mass is always about Christ Jesus and his teachings. We do say the Hail Mary prayer, but that's it. She's not our God or anything. Jesus is.

Yeah. When I was a Catholic, I always had to go over this with girlfriends and new friends. It really frustrated me they couldn't understand that Catholicism is just another different sect of Christianity like their Baptists and Methodists sects.

 

[moviedoors]

My mom still believes that Catholics believe that when they take communion that the bread literally becomes the flesh of Jesus, the wine literally becomes the blood of Christ, as they chew and swallow.

Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know too terribly much about Catholicism, but I kinda doubt that they literally think that they are eating Jesus when they take communion.

 

[Scourge2099]

I don't even know what I am any more since I've been taking this class called History of World Religions this semester. It's brought to light many things I never knew.

 

[CJ]

My mom still believes that Catholics believe that when they take communion that the bread literally becomes the flesh of Jesus, the wine literally becomes the blood of Christ, as they chew and swallow.

Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know too terribly much about Catholicism, but I kinda doubt that they literally think that they are eating Jesus when they take communion.

During the Last Supper, Jesus took some bread and said to his disciples:

Matthew 26:26-28
"Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body.' And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, 'Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'

The bread and wine are meant to symbolize Jesus' body and blood. So because of that, it is very sacred.

 

[Thundarr]

Did you ever watch the TV show BABYLON 5? It's been years since I saw it, but I remember in an episode where there was some discussion about religion with someone from an alien planet....the alien asked Sinclaire if he could meet some practitioners of Earth's religions. Sinclaire said sure, I'll set it up. The episode ended with Sinclaire introducing him to a line of hundreds of people....and he started naming off all their different designations.

In other words....a poll that gave a separate choice for every possibility would be too long to put here. I personally feel there shouldn't have been a poll....just each person give their answer.

True. However I believe this site allows you to create a poll with as many as 40 choices. So leaving off things like Wicca or Neopaganism, for example, is a huge oversight. I'm not saying you have to use all 40 slots, but more than the six or so choices we were offered would be nice.

 

[moviedoors]

During the Last Supper, Jesus took some bread and said to his disciples:

The bread and wine are meant to symbolize Jesus' body and blood. So because of that, it is very sacred.

Oh, sure. I get that. But do Catholics believe that when they eat the bread and wine that it transmutes into the literal flesh of Christ?

Basically, my mom believes that Catholics believe they are engaging in cannibalism.

 

[Sloth7d]

Oh, sure. I get that. But do Catholics believe that when they eat the bread and wine that it transmutes into the literal flesh of Christ?

Basically, my mom believes that Catholics believe they are engaging in cannibalism.

I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist posting this.

But for a serious answer;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucharist#Ritual_and_liturgy

 

[CJ]

Basically, my mom believes that Catholics believe they are engaging in cannibalism.

Well, actually.. kind of.

It is said that Jesus is the sacrificial lamb, who died on the cross for our sins.

Jesus said that life is in him, and if we feed on him, we will live. I'll have to look up where these verses are from, but I recall reading it many times.

 

[enterthemadness]

Looking up stuff...I'm confused. Technically I would be a Pagan, many definitions of Pagan. I believe animals have souls/spirits. But the few times I pray it's to Christian God and Jesus, but I believe other Gods are up there. Just learned that technically Hindu's are Pagan.

 

[Art_of_Crime]

I'm a Catholic.

I get annoyed when I talk to other Christians online and they say Catholics aren't Christians because they Worship Mary.

Catholics do NOT worship Mary. (I don't anyway) We worship Jesus Christ the Lord. We just acknowledge the fact that Mary was his mother and have reverence towards her. But mass is always about Christ Jesus and his teachings. We do say the Hail Mary prayer, but that's it. She's not our God or anything. Jesus is.

I'm still a little surprised at the amount of animosity felt between some Baptists, Catholics and other followers of the bible (I'm not labeling as Christians because I feel like that has come to represent a group withing a group). I don't condone anyone persecuting another person for their religion( (within reason, if your morning devotion is to go out and strangle someone with your shoelaces you are on your own), but its hard for me to understand how a few groups with the same basic foundation, scripture, deity and dogma can see each other as so separate.
My grandparents are Baptists and they act like Catholics are from the moon.

 

[Spider-Kid]

My mom still believes that Catholics believe that when they take communion that the bread literally becomes the flesh of Jesus, the wine literally becomes the blood of Christ, as they chew and swallow.

Maybe I'm wrong, I don't know too terribly much about Catholicism, but I kinda doubt that they literally think that they are eating Jesus when they take communion.

That's what it is. It's the body and blood of Christ, which makes us pure, and will help us to go to Heaven.

Also, there's no such thing as no religion...Athiesm is a religion. Belief of no God.

 

[Sloth7d]

That's what it is. It's the body and blood of Christ, which makes us pure, and will help us to go to Heaven.

Also, there's no such thing as no religion...Athiesm is a religion. Belief of no God.

A religion is a set of beliefs. Even if we count atheism as a belief rather the default position (thus not a belief), it would still be but one belief. In the same vain, theism is not a religion by itself. Christianity is a religion, and theism is apart of that belief system. As is the case with Hinduism. As is the case with Islam.

 

[Bat-Mite]

That's what it is. It's the body and blood of Christ, which makes us pure, and will help us to go to Heaven.

Also, there's no such thing as no religion...Athiesm is a religion. Belief of no God.

Do you believe that not collecting stamps is a hobby?

Is disbelief in leprechauns its own superstition?

 

[SuperFerret]

Well, ****. I got hopeful when I just read the start of this page.


I'm Buddhist, by the way (or rather learning to be).

 

[Schlosser85]

I consider myself an agnostic, as I believe it most accurately reflects myself. I've previously variously called myself an atheist, a non-denominational Christian, and a Free Methodist. I've attended a Free Methodist church and a Catholic church, but I'm not officially affiliated with any church or religion.

Re: what you guys said about some Christians not acknowledging Catholics as Christians, one of my Free Methodist friends refers to Catholics and Mormons like they're separate religions from Christianity, and I always think it's weird and a little annoying when he does that.

 

[Sloth7d]

I can understand differentiating Mormons. They're religion adds enough to Christian lore to separate it as it's own thing. By comparison, not doing so would be like calling Christians Jews.

But yeah, that whole Catholics aren't Christian thing is wrong, and stems from left-over, inherited resentment back from when the Catholic Church was persecuting the Protestants as heretics.

 

[Bat-Mite]

I've been a Buddhist for about ten years. I don't really affiliate with any particular sect and just read up on a little bit of everything here and there. I haven't really practiced Buddhism for a few years now though, because it's always been hard for me to make meditation a routine part of my life. I'm planning on trying to get back into it, though. I've also been putting a bit of a focus on Zen lately, so maybe I'll learn something in my studies that will help me stay focused.

 

[bullets]

Is Buddhism a hobby?