Religion...

[immense]

Are you religious? If so, what religion do you follow? If the answer is yes to the first question but it's more something personal to you then feel-free to define being religious in your own words and explain.

[Bun]

yeh, football

[Special]

no although i was christened

[Mathew]

As much as I'd like to believe there is a nice old man in the sky, looking over me and guiding me through life; I can't see it happening as such. Religion has been the cause of hundreds of wars in the past and a part of me thinks it does more harm than good.

I'm not part of any religion and I haven't been brought up in one, but some things just happen which are unexplainable and can lead me to think differently. Honestly, I really don't know what to think and I'm sure my life will shape my opinion of religion in the future.

Rather unrelated, but just a couple of days ago I was laid in bed and reflecting on the universe in general. I just find it amazing how everything we know was created, somehow. Galaxies, planets, solar systems; all so far away. Natural things. Who put them there? Why are they there?

[Eoin247]

Im catholic but at the moment im unsure wether i believe in God or not.

I'm sure theres somthing out there, and that when we die it's not the end...

....But what is it????

[Inseriousity.]

slightly unrelated but I love that quote in your signature eoin. :D

Right, okay, I'm not religious. I don't belong to any organised religion because to me, organising religion takes away from the individual faith. I disagree completely with Matt, I don't think religion does more harm than good, I think we just know more about the bad side of it through the media and things but actually if you were to really look, you'd find people doing good things as a result of their religion. That's not saying all atheists are bad people who should rot in Hell but there is good out there. Something I learnt today, in fact, is that there's the Papacy in 'Constantipole' (probably spelt that wrong) better known as Istanbul nowadays, which is still standing. Still standing even though it's a predominantly Muslim country and with western media constantly condemning Islam, it's proof that they can be as civilised and don't bomb every building that goes against Allah.

[immense]

I think religion does much more good than bad too and I think things are exaggerated. Maybe, that's because we have studied sociology extensively Mike ;)

[Inseriousity.]

Yes, we've converted Matt to Sociology as well so in a year's time, he may have different views ;)
I've already seen Marxism coming through!

[immense]

Aha, Mathew the filthy Tory, he will never be like us.

[Mathew]

True, I can see where you're coming from with the media "bigging" things up.

While on the subject of Sociology, we're doing about changes in Divorce / Birth / Death rates in the 1900's... which is surprisingly rather interesting. I must admit, I first heard about Sociology on HxF, probably by one of you :P:P

Jake, shut up dissin' the Tories before I shove your red rose where the sun don't shine.

[myke]

no im not strictly religious but i do have some beliefs

[immense]

Sociology is so underrated, it's so fascinating and I have so much better general knowledge because of it :P Most enjoyable A level.

[Conservative,]

I'm a liberal Christian. And no this does not refer to my political beliefs.

Liberal christians are people who follow the teachings of God and Jesus in a modernised way. For example they accept marriages can breakdown and therefore allow divorce. They also acceptyou cannot choose your sexuality and therefore do not shun gays. Basically it's a Christianity with modernised views.

[Inseriousity.]

Sociology is so underrated, it's so fascinating and I have so much better general knowledge because of it :P Most enjoyable A level.

It is, we should be hired by government to advertise sociology. We seem to do it so well :P

lol tories matt. if I knew that, you wouldn't be on my (non-existant) hxf christmas list.

errr yes on topic so oli doesnt tell me off, religion? yes very good, yes carry on.

[immense]

It is, we should be hired by government to advertise sociology. We seem to do it so well :P

lol tories matt. if I knew that, you wouldn't be on my (non-existant) hxf christmas list.

errr yes on topic so oli doesnt tell me off, religion? yes very good, yes carry on.


I think people forget how useful religion is. It gives people hope, it keeps people going and it answers so many of the things that we can't. For these reasons, I think there is still place for religion in our society. Popular to contrary belief, religiosity is also increasing. Christianity is decreasing slightly but Islam is increasing and is the fastest growing religion. Guess where I learnt this lolz!

[Mathew]

Sociology is so underrated, it's so fascinating and I have so much better general knowledge because of it :P Most enjoyable A level.
Oh tell me about it. The other day, my Sociology teacher told us that "many people's parents don't let them take Sociology because they see it as a crap subject. I bet you get ribbed for taking it in the common room." Well thanks, that's all I want to hear when I've been studying it for a term! But yeah, I do agree it makes you see things in a different way. It's odd.

ok and yeah religion is ok in small doses. It groups everyone with common values and beliefs to do something together.

[Shar]

Kinda I guess. I try to be..

[Jordan]

no, no im not

[immense]

yeah i got ripped for taking it but i am not ashamed!! everyone says it's an easy option but it was just as hard as my english lit / history imo

[Panda]

na i don't believe in anythang

[Mathew]

yeah i got ripped for taking it but i am not ashamed!! everyone says it's an easy option but it was just as hard as my english lit / history imo
As hard as English Lit? I wouldn't go that far! All this work on poems is taking it out of me :'(

[immense]

lit was a ball

[SirTezza]

I am a spiritual follower. I don't believe the conventional religions.

[RandomManJay]

I was christened as a Protestant Christian, but I consider myself an atheist. I don't think I've ever truely believed in a god, and I've called myself an atheist since was 11. This doesn't mean to say though that I don't believe in an afterlife, and I do believe that there are things in the universe which are above us and may even have the ability to create life, but I don't believe at a single or collection of celestial entities created and helped shape what we are today.

If I had to chose a religion to follow, I would chose Buddhism, as many of their philosophies, and their belief in transcendance and enlightenment is more appealing to me than the idea of spending an eternity in happiness with god, as personally I would get bored very quickly :P. Also I like the concept of reincarnation, but I hope we would have a choice in whether or not we want to do it. I'd like to think I can hold onto the 'life' I have after I die.

[GommeInc]

Sociology is so underrated, it's so fascinating and I have so much better general knowledge because of it :P Most enjoyable A level.
Is it bad of me to call some of sociology common sense? :P If anything, it exists purely to manipulate and gather statistical information and then regurgitate that information into study. I went to a Social Science lecture the other day for a second year module about children's behaviour and the media and it just seemed obvious really, the only thing that stuck out were the facts but even then it didn't really say much. The only thing I came out knowing from that lecture were the joys of brand ambassadors, the rest about how children have brains and see the world differently to adults didn't amaze me, and how the media reflect upon this with shows like Outnumbered, the Simpson and so forth. Law seems better, it feeds off social science by looking at how changes and the diversity of populations requires (in some cases, drastic) changes to the law.

But that's just how I saw it, and I'm doing a Social Science/Socialology module at the moment :P

[SirTezza]

I was christened as a Protestant Christian, but I consider myself an atheist. I don't think I've ever truely believed in a god, and I've called myself an atheist since was 11. This doesn't mean to say though that I don't believe in an afterlife, and I do believe that there are things in the universe which are above us and may even have the ability to create life, but I don't believe at a single or collection of celestial entities created and helped shape what we are today.

If I had to chose a religion to follow, I would chose Buddhism, as many of their philosophies, and their belief in transcendance and enlightenment is more appealing to me than the idea of spending an eternity in happiness with god, as personally I would get bored very quickly :P. Also I like the concept of reincarnation, but I hope we would have a choice in whether or not we want to do it. I'd like to think I can hold onto the 'life' I have after I die.

I think you should consider the religion Deism. My reason for this that as an Atheist, the typical notion is that they believe there is no afterlife and no creator. As you say you are not opposed to the idea of an afterlife, and you think there may be something that created us, then Deism is probably the right religion for you.

Check it out if you haven't heard of it.

- Spirituality is my chosen religion. No god except ourselves. There is an afterlife. We are the creators. :D

[immense]

Is it bad of me to call some of sociology common sense? :P If anything, it exists purely to manipulate and gather statistical information and then regurgitate that information into study. I went to a Social Science lecture the other day for a second year module about children's behaviour and the media and it just seemed obvious really, the only thing that stuck out were the facts but even then it didn't really say much. The only thing I came out knowing from that lecture were the joys of brand ambassadors, the rest about how children have brains and see the world differently to adults didn't amaze me, and how the media reflect upon this with shows like Outnumbered, the Simpson and so forth. Law seems better, it feeds off social science by looking at how changes and the diversity of populations requires (in some cases, drastic) changes to the law.

But that's just how I saw it, and I'm doing a Social Science/Socialology module at the moment :P

Sociology's main role could arguably be to question common sense :P

[Richie]

I'd like to believe in god but I'm a man of proof, what's to say its not made up. I find it hard to believe theres a man up in the skys with a big beard who determines what happens on earth. I could be wrong.

[Misawa]

I don't follow any religions - I hate them all.

[Jamesy]

I too dislike organised religion so absolutely not :)