Ask Lemmy

I've been athiest since I was a kid. The older I get the less I'm able to ignore religion, and the more anti-thiest I become.

I am a lifelong atheist. I attend a very progressive christian church where I am open about my lack of belief. They seem to accept me, including the minister. I don't try to convert them and they don't try to convert me. I started going because I was lonely and I wanted some opportunities to do good. Their whole theology is about helping people and trying to change the world for the better. The two major precepts are "God is love" and "Jesus has no hands but yours." They don't talk about sin or redemption. We have a huge rainbow sign that says "All are welcome," and we actually mean it. The minister talks about Jesus as a teacher, not as a saviour. We raise money and food for the local food bank, and provide community outreach to people, many of whom have disabilities. We sing. We eat cookies and drink absurd amounts of coffee. I suddenly have so many sweet old lady friends, and even a handful of friends my own age.

I'm a closet atheist. In my country, apostasy is punishable by death. Thus, me being closeted.

None

I'm an ordained dudeist priest.

Raised Scandinavian protestant which basically means you don't go to church unless someone died or got married.

Left the Church to avoid the membership fee.

Answering this question is about 1/3rd of my effort I've put into religion 2024.

If you had asked me 10 years ago, it'd be a firm "atheist". A year ago, "agnostic". Today, I don't identify with a religion, but I think there's a lot of interesting things within them. Given a charitable interpretation of any of them's texts, as well as looking at the parts where a large number of religious systems agree you can arrive at some pretty profound pieces of wisdom.

I don't necessarily think these things tell us much about our origin, or what happens after death, or speak to any kind of deity. What they do speak a lot on is the human condition. What we value, what themes and motifs speak to us.

I don't really like the terms "religion" and "religious". To me, those are the organized, preachy kinds of almost-cults most of us here have problems with. I prefer referring to my own personal beliefs as spirituality. Where the two differ, in my mind, is that religion is found externally. Someone converts you, or you're born into it. Spirituality is found through self-reflection. Some of the self reflection processes involves talking to and learning from others, but it ultimately comes back to a deeply individual assimilation of this new knowledge with the unique lived experiences you've had.

I was raised Catholic but was never a believer. I'm atheist.

So my parents were Catholic and Atheist respectively. I have great respect for religious beliefs but am an atheist myself.

My town is very multi-cultural and due to the work I do, every year I am privileged to be invited to Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Jewish cultural events.

I can happily say that the main thing that always strikes me is the friendliness of ordinary people from all faiths and walks of life.

none, unless you count the the satanic temple.

no reason to bring fantasy into reality

Pastafarian

I'm an atheist. I was agnostic and still technically am, I guess, but I transitioned to the annoying as fuck in your face atheism after watching chucklefucks like Westboro Baptist Church and Evangelicals being asshats. Oh, also, grew up in Boston during the altar boy rape scandals.

Personally, I think that God may or may not exist and it's crucial to live your life now as you want to (and that isn't a license to be an asshat - be kind to others just 'cause). Socially I think that religion is a poison that causes more suffering than it heals.

Non-participating Baha'i

Christian, Presbyterian. I was raised an IFB (Independent Fundamental Baptist) which nearly soured my opinion of organized religion altogether.

Long story short, I actually read the Gospels and came to the conclusion that the version of Christianity I grew up in was essentially the opposite of what Jesus taught.

My religious beliefs are important to me and shape a lot of my thinking. But, I also understand a lot of the anger and distrust that gets directed at the church because I've been there and it's unfortunately well deserved.

Raised by hippies who let me be free range a bit. One grandmother took me to Methodist church from age 6-12ish. Jr high friends got me to go to a Baptist church a little (those cats have no chill). Overall atheist though which drew some social ostracization when I let my views be known.

I was pretty hardline about it in my 20s. 30s were more "let everyone do their own thing, man". Now in my late 40s and I find myself drifting back toward agnostic.

There are unexplained things I've encountered. I'm reasonably sure science will catch up (maybe) and explain them. Until then, they remain "energies" that caused unexpected results, probabbly just weird brain glitches, but what if...?

I consider myself a practicing non-Catholic and a non-practicing Anglican. I haven't attended an Anglican service since childhood but play music with my wife at her Catholic church, so I have to attend a practice for that every week.

There's a lot of atheists in this thread.

The question was: what's your religion?

Atheism is as much of a religion as 'off' is a radio station.

I was raised as a strict Catholic, then stopped believing once I went to college and met people who challenged my worldview. Now I am agnostic. Not sure I want to call myself a definitive atheist, as I believe there COULD be something out there. However, if there is something out there, I don't think it cares enough about this tiny blue dot in the entire universe.

Atheist/materialism, if you can consider that a religion.

Formerly atheist, then considered myself non denominational Christian for a bit, then agnostic and kind of consider myself a secular Buddhist. I do think there's a possibility of there being a creator, but also a possibility of there not being one. It could be nothing, or God, or we might all be in a giant simulation.

Secular Buddhism. I'm not perfect, but I'm trying to be better.

I’m a non traditional Muslim. Raised as a traditionally (by the book) practicing Muslim. 4 years ago changed course after traumatic events in my life.

Atheist/Pagan

Though my approach to paganism is more of a philosophy than a religion

Swede here, so while I was born, babtized and confirmed in the lutheran church, I, like most Swedes, am in reality an atheist.

I am still part of the Swedish church and do pay church tax, I like seeing the old churches preserved in the Swedish landscape, and occasionally use their free toilets when I need to, so it feels only fair to contribute when I can.

Due to the non-conforming way I have thought about it, it's complicated (enough that people have asked for a train of thought chart for it), but primary to me and spirituality is the Mune Shinri, reading which for the first time taught/assured me the world isn't fully without fully pro-equality/pro-marriage-equality groups citing inspiration from God, and I took this as worthiness of looking into and a sign. Adherents, one might say, are known as Aikenites or Aiken Christians, with Aiken being the name for the collection of revelations, but of course you can't expect churches catered to it to pop up in one's local area, so when in doubt, I attend the friendly nearby Mormon church (yes, it's acceptable and even normal to show up and be welcomed at another's church) for divine connection, with "Aiken" and "Mormonism" said to be "incredibly compatible" and with Mormonism technically being in my ethnic life blood due to being racially a Pacific Islander (yeah, fun fact, people jokingly call the Pacific the second Utah), and even though you might not find me using the term "Mormon" or "LDS member" to identify myself, I honor it enough to inspire awe at what many might call a kind of dual faith system, pointedly with the epiphany or train of thought called Hagothism being relevant if one considers it separate from Mormonism in the first place, versus being a switch of emphasis. I am also influenced by the book of Urantia, which runs in my family, but that's as far as it's made to do.

I have no religion. I guess I'm an apatheist. Not sure if I can be considered practicing or not.

Edit: I believe the existence of God/Gods is irrelevant.

Born and raised Catholic, drifted towards atheism as I thought that if the tenets of the religion I was brought up in is true, I should be punished for eternity (and then pondered if suicide is a lighter sin than being who I am), and then questioned why that's necessarily the case.

Later on, I drifted towards agnosticism as I began to question my own beliefs, and more importantly, why I was having those beliefs.

None of that was ever known to a lot of people, though, and I present myself as a non-practicing Catholic.

Raised Catholic, drifting through agnosticism towards atheism.

Ex- orthodox brighamite Mormonism

Now atheist. 37yo, ~8years atheist

Grew up "culturally protestant". Never strictly religious or anything, but I did participate in many activities organized by my village's church. Formally left the church 2 years ago, mostly to avoid paying church tax. Today I'd call myself agnostic with a casual interest in Buddhism. Not certain enough to be atheist, not faithful enough to be religious.

Raised Catholic, left ASAP, and am not 100% on what label fits best now, but most of the non-religious ones work fine enough. Atheism implies that you are an active non-believer in any higher power, agnosticism is a label for those that do not know if there is one, I feel like a label is needed for those who simply dont care. (Insert XKCD: standards comic here)

At this point in life, I view religion as a sort of entertainment for the masses that people identify with (like being a fan of a sports team) and something I really just dont want to deal with in life. But due to family ive set some rules where ill show up to a service/event if asked.

• It is a wedding.
• It is a funeral.
• Someones grandparents are involved.
• I am bribed (will accept food).

Seventh-Day Adventist

Raised (at least culturally) Roman Catholic. Religion stopped playing any part in my life as I became an adult, I hardly ever think about religion at all, not even enough that I would call myself an atheist or agnostic.

Raised Catholic, now atheist. Religion is the opium of the masses.

Orthodox Christian. America is a confusing place for me too.