People say they are not religious even when they continue to practice religion. This seems to have two forms:
1. A Christian who feels their "relationship" with Jesus is beyond words.
2. A person who professes to be "spiritual" not religious. This person might also be a Christian but more often is someone who is involved in a New Age type of belief system.
In the first example I see an easy out for those that are confronted with the horrible legacy that Christianity has left behind. The sectarian violence, Crusades, genocide, the Inquisition. That can all be blamed on religion and the Christian can now eat his cake.
In the second example I see fluffy fairy tale religion for people who seek religious entertainment.
When I say I am not religious it is because I am not.
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Isn't there also a category 3?
3. People who "believe in something but doesn't quite know what" and just participate in the surrounding religion because of social comfort.
I think most people believe because someone told them to believe very early on.
Its just like teaching a kid something wrong. No matter how many times you correct them they will still find a way to justify their first learnt memory.
Yeah! The fact is that religious people are bald-faced liars and extreme hypocrites. They often describe themselves as "spiritual." What the hell does that mean anyway?
"Spiritual",is a copout. It's a lie they tell themselves because they don't want to commit to anything. "Oh, I'm a nice person because I'm spiritual." Fuck that. When someone tells me that they are spiritual, I see a person trying to deceive everyone, but mostly themselves.
Oh, and the whole "I have a relationship with god" bullshit. What a bunch of condescending garbage. What they are really saying is "I'm better than you." As if having an imaginary friend is somehow important.
Thank Non-Existent-God someone said IT!!!
While the label society would give to me is 'Christian' as that makes it probably simpler to describe in one word...I don't practice a religion, per se. You can be a follower of rules, and all that created by a religion, or you can simply feel a connection and love for God, and follow Jesus' teachings, which while can be outlined in the Bible, can also be something one feels connected to through a prayer life. God can't be contained in a neat little box or book, but many ''religious'' people feel that He can be. That's where the disconnect comes in, perhaps. When I was an atheist, I saw this distinction with Christian friends who never went to church, and rarely read the Bible, but led their lives as they felt guided by a higher power.
Deidre : "You can be a follower of rules, and all that created by a religion, or you can simply feel a connection and love for God, and follow Jesus' teachings, which while can be outlined in the Bible, can also be something one feels connected to through a prayer life."
Why not pray to Allah or Krishna? As outlined in the Koran or Bhagavad-Gita ?
If you are talking about morality then you are wrong. Following rules, is acting according to how society deems what is moral, not religion. Also, you aren't following jesus unless you are following the bible, because that is the ONLY reference to the jesus construct.
You are saying that you can follow jesus simply by a feeling. I put it to you that you would have never attributed any "feeling" to jesus unless it was taught to you by religion and specifically referenced to the bible.
Deirdre - You can be a follower of rules, and all that created by a religion, or you can simply feel a connection and love for God, and follow Jesus' teachings, which while can be outlined in the Bible, can also be something one feels connected to through a prayer life
Some how it seems that you are intent on believing whatever you want and ignoring everything else. A matter of convenience.
Jesus' teachings aren't outline in the Bible, It is the Bible along with everything Yahweh wants teach as well. You promote your brand of christianity here and then conveniently decide not to followthrough and claim that the teachings are an outline.
Stoning of homosexuals - is it a rough outline how to kill them or how they must be treated?
If you are labelled a christian and that is simpler but practise no religion what does that even mean? If you believe in the Bible teachings and in Jesus christ you are a Christian and you are religious and you prescribe to a particular religion.
Just because you don't think so does not make it true.
And finally Deidre - When I was an atheist, I saw this distinction with Christian friends who never went to church, and rarely read the Bible, but led their lives as they felt guided by a higher power.
These people followed human rights which were not a divine edict but made by mortal humans to safeguard our mortal rights. No higher power guiding it. Your higher power varies with human rights on many occasions and does not endorse equal rights to all. He is known to chose one tribe over the rest of humanity in his books.