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How can you tell it's Friday....
Feb. 20th, 2009 01:47 pm1. Do you consider yourself religious? Spiritual? Neither? Something else? What do those words mean to you?
None of the above. To me, to be religious, or even spiritual, requires a more or less unquestioning belief in forces outside of you that are unknowable by their very nature (and discourage enquiry into same, lest the whole structure collapse).
2. How would you describe your system of beliefs about the world? Does a commonly used term (Muslim, humanist, Pagan, agnostic) fit comfortably for you or have you had to develop your own way of thinking about and describing this?
I guess I am an atheist, in that I don't believe in Invisible Space Daddies that made all, see all, know all, and especially punish all. I will admit there are many things in our world that aren't readily explainable right now, but I think they will be one day - just as 2,000 years ago they had no idea just why people got sick, but we now know all about bacteria and viruses (though properly that's virii, I suppose).
3. Were you raised in a family that participated in a religious tradition? Either way, how do you feel about that? If you were raised in a particular tradition, what's your relationship to that tradition now?
My parents never went to church. I think my sister and I were made to go to Sunday school a few times. I fully understand and appreciate the value of religious rituals and traditions in human society, it's just not for me, no matter how much dignity or history it might have.
4. What factors have influenced your decision to affiliate -- or not -- with an organized religious tradition?
When I was a little kid, I never thought much about God, though when I was 8 or 9 years old I got locked outside the house in the middle of winter and my fingers started to freeze. I do remember invoking His name and promising to believe in him if he would open the door. A neighbour helped me out instead, and that helped my doubt. Not long after that I had pretty much come to the conclusion that we humans were pretty much on our own.
5. Whether or not you consider yourself religious or spiritual, are there things you consider to be sacred? What are they?
Books. Don't let me catch you writing in a book, for I will take it away and hit you with it. Yeah, me and Lt. Bookman, we'll give you a good going-over....
None of the above. To me, to be religious, or even spiritual, requires a more or less unquestioning belief in forces outside of you that are unknowable by their very nature (and discourage enquiry into same, lest the whole structure collapse).
2. How would you describe your system of beliefs about the world? Does a commonly used term (Muslim, humanist, Pagan, agnostic) fit comfortably for you or have you had to develop your own way of thinking about and describing this?
I guess I am an atheist, in that I don't believe in Invisible Space Daddies that made all, see all, know all, and especially punish all. I will admit there are many things in our world that aren't readily explainable right now, but I think they will be one day - just as 2,000 years ago they had no idea just why people got sick, but we now know all about bacteria and viruses (though properly that's virii, I suppose).
3. Were you raised in a family that participated in a religious tradition? Either way, how do you feel about that? If you were raised in a particular tradition, what's your relationship to that tradition now?
My parents never went to church. I think my sister and I were made to go to Sunday school a few times. I fully understand and appreciate the value of religious rituals and traditions in human society, it's just not for me, no matter how much dignity or history it might have.
4. What factors have influenced your decision to affiliate -- or not -- with an organized religious tradition?
When I was a little kid, I never thought much about God, though when I was 8 or 9 years old I got locked outside the house in the middle of winter and my fingers started to freeze. I do remember invoking His name and promising to believe in him if he would open the door. A neighbour helped me out instead, and that helped my doubt. Not long after that I had pretty much come to the conclusion that we humans were pretty much on our own.
5. Whether or not you consider yourself religious or spiritual, are there things you consider to be sacred? What are they?
Books. Don't let me catch you writing in a book, for I will take it away and hit you with it. Yeah, me and Lt. Bookman, we'll give you a good going-over....
