What is your birth religion and current religious status?

[backline]

...even different Christian denominations claim Jesus to be one way and another denomination will claim that he is something else...

There can be some leeway in unimportant things, but I find quite a bit of consistency in the basic ideas of the Christian faith.

Maps of the territory (descriptions of "reality") are only maps, they are not the territory.

Using Biblical truths to try and map out geography or things that science delves into may seem inaccurate.

Many persons describe an "inner" journey of values and belief systems. I find the Bible full of all sorts of wisdom about these states, and so prefer it as a map of that territory.
There are others, including psychology, which is an art, or psychiatry, which claims to be science based.

I still prefer the wisdom of the ancients generally, when sojourning in such locales.

[lichtrausch]

It's professors like that that should be kicked out on their keyster. How dare they laugh at other's religious beliefs. It makes my blood boil.

Science does not violate religion unless you believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. I don't. The Bible is a work that reveals our relationship to God. It is humanly written but Godly inspired. Science is God's handiwork and what science reveals is God in His manifestation. God is science. [Of course these are my beliefs.]

It's quite understandable actually. By definition an Atheist sees believers as believing in a made-up entity. For them God is as real as Snow White or Zeus. If someone told you in dead earnest that they believed in Zeus would you be able to take them seriously?

Note: I'm not expressing my own views, just trying to understand the reasoning of Atheists.

[JuniperWoolf]

Even a simple survey-style thread becomes a stupid, seemingly never-ending debate. Arguing about religion is pointless. What does this conversation have to do with religous texts?

[lichtrausch]

Even a simple survey-style thread becomes a stupid, seemingly never-ending debate. Arguing about religion is pointless.

You may be intimately familiar with the topic of this debate and therefore find it pointless but I'm sure others are being introduced to some new ideas and interpretations and are profiting from the thread.

What does this conversation have to do with religous texts?

Many of the ideas being espoused in this conversation originated from or are influenced by religious texts.

[MissTwain]

Many persons describe an "inner" journey of values and belief systems. I find the Bible full of all sorts of wisdom about these states, and so prefer it as a map of that territory.
There are others, including psychology, which is an art, or psychiatry, which claims to be science based.

I still prefer the wisdom of the ancients generally, when sojourning in such locales.

I completely agree, I hope it didn't seem like I took the bible literally... But yes, the way I write my own moral code is much like what Jesus taught.

I bring up these things because sometimes I feel so lost in making up decisions about my spiritual identity that it gets frustrating for me and I never know what to settle on... so far you all bring up really interesting points and thanks... feel free to message me if you have any suggestions of books or doctrines you think would be useful I love knowledge

[Bark]

This is my first post here, I'm just gonna kind of go with the title. My father is a Sunni Muslim who immigrated to the US. My mother was the daughter of a Southern Baptist Preacherman. Before I die, I will prove that the three books of the monotheists are Godyallahweh's true religion.

[backline]

...I will prove that the three books of the monotheists are Godyallahweh's true religion.

This should be good (pulls up chair, gets popcorn).

[Bark]

It is easy. a society is built upon a multitude of factors, economic, social, legal, the three books give the total, one alone does not.

[grotto]

That’s great! A simple question asked turns into another debate over how my ism is better than yours by folks who need to validate their uncertainty.

[Bark]

I guess your right. The suffix ism means basically a school of thought, some people learn at school. some are home educated.

[VenusInFurs]

For how I was raised it's a little hard to say. My mom tried on a few religious 'hats' when I was growing up. We went to an Anglican church for a while but then she sort of lost interest and became more spiritual, and left the rest up to us to figure out for ourselves. My parents are still married, but I don't really consider my dad an influence on my religious life because he's not a spiritual person at all. Basically, at the end of the day I was left with good values and manners but no religion so to speak. I was interested in Eastern religions for a while, then decided to sit on the fence before I became Neo-Pagan.

As for my ethnic makeup, I grew up in Canada, and my mom is German and my dad is Irish-Canadian (well, he had a grandmother from Scotland). Pretty standard North American haha.

[Dr. Hill]

Catholic, atheist.

[TurquoiseSunset]

Christian (Reformed), Christian (non-denominational)

[amarna]

Parents protestant, me irreligious.

[blazeofglory]

I have no religion but not irreligious.