sophinisba | religion meme

A religion meme, from

baranduin:

1. Take the Belief-o-matic quiz. Answer as honestly as you can.

2. Post to your blog these instructions, and answers to the following questions:
--- a. What faiths did you agree with more than 75%?
--- b. Of these, choose the three that you would be most likely to convert to, and list them in order.
--- c. How strongly does this quiz say you agree with your current faith (if you have one)?

a. What faiths did you agree with more than 75%?
1. Secular Humanism (100%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (92%)
3. Theravada Buddhism (89%)
4. Liberal Quakers (85%)
5. Nontheist (78%)

b. Arrange these faiths in the order of how likely you would be to convert to them.
1. UU
2. Secular Humanism

I've been to Unitarian churches before and I tend to get along with the people there and like the ministers and the things they have to say. It's possible I might join a Unitarian church at some point for the community and fellowship, but it's not something I miss in my life right now.

I grew up Lutheran and I occasionally visit an ELCA or other Protestant or Catholic Church. Christianity didn't show up on the list but I'm usually comfortable in those churches and I like singing hymns.

ETA: And I mean, it's not just about the hymns and the ritual of it either. It's also that because of the way I was raised Christian messages still have a lot of meaning for me, and even doctrinal differences between denominations make me more comfortable in some churches than others (kissing icons freaks me out, for example). That stuff doesn't show up in the quiz because I ended up checking the atheist answer to everything, but it does make a difference in how I think and especially how I feel when I visit one religious service or another. /ETA

I'm not especially interested in getting involved with an atheist or Secular Humanist community.

c. How strongly does this quiz say you agree with your current faith (if you have one)?
It worked pretty well! I usually identify as atheist, but I think Secular Humanist sounds nicer and another religion meme I did a while back (also gacked from

baranduin) also gave me the Humanist result.

I've seen people say that atheists are just as sure about the non-existence of God as Christians and Muslims are about the existence of God, which would make me more of an agnostic. I used to say agnostic but that felt to me like saying I hadn't decided yet. I have decided what I believe, I'm just not sure I'm right. :)

I am surprised that I got such a high agreement score for Theravada Buddhism, which I don't know anything about.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I attended a UU church for about 3 years. I really liked it, but not enough to continue to get up on Sunday mornings. My religion is Sleepodists.

LOL! Gimmee that old time sleepigion!

There is also that. And the Unitarian church I would go to is way on the other side of town. Of course, I didn't go there regularly when I lived in the neighborhood either.

My friend L. whom you met has been involved with the Unitarian church in Seattle for years even though she also doesn't believe in God and has something like an hour bus ride to get to the church.

I have almost exactly the same results. There were a couple of questions, like pacifism and nature that I'd have liked to have a partial-agreement option. But Secular Humanist, say it loud, say it proud!

Yeah, "Not applicable" felt like a very strange way of answering. I didn't use it very much because, even though the quiz was asking what my faith or religion would say about all those issues and I don't have a faith, they are important to my beliefs. It's not that I don't care about anything, just that I think it's up to us as human beings to take care of it!

On the whole atheist thing... someone was talking about that earlier today. I found myself thinking that there's a difference between not believing in something and having a belief that that thing is not (i.e. that it doesn't exist.) If you really don't have beliefs one way or the other about God's attributes (inc. does He exist) - like if you don't care or just don't know - that's agnosticism to me. if on the other hand you have an idea of what God would be like but you don't think anything matches up with that idea, that's atheism IMO. And it does involve a definite denial about God.

Of course not everyone would agree with my definitions. And it's late so I know I'm not explaining them clearly. Whatever.

I'm glad you found this interesting. I found your responses very neat to read through.

I guess with that differentiation I'd be more of an atheist, but it depends again on what you mean by belief. I believe God doesn't exist but I don't have faith in that idea the way I think I would have faith in God's existence if I were a...a certain kind of Christian. Then again, back when I did consider myself a Christian I was never really sure about any of those beliefs either. :/

I am so disillusioned by all things religious right now that I didn't even want to take this quiz, lol! But I suspect that if I did, I would be more in the secular humanist or even neo-pagan (I enjoy those types of rituals) or something...

This is where I am, which is funny, because I'm flinging myself into all this Holiday stuff. But for me it's about making people happy, not about the Numinous.

*hugs you both*

I think I'm lucky in that the church I grew up in was full of very reasonable and nice people that I just...happen to disagree with on the whole question of whether God exists lol. What I mean is I never actually broke with the church and I like that it's still something I can go back to and get meaning and help from. But yeah, my holidays and the other things I do are way more about people than about God and I like it that way. *hugs*

I'm glad you decided to give it a try anyway because your response was interesting to read through. A whole lot of people on my f-list have had neo=Pagan up near the top of the list and I'm happy for them but that is SO not my thing omg.

I've seen people say that atheists are just as sure about the non-existence of God as Christians and Muslims are about the existence of God, which would make me more of an agnostic. I used to say agnostic but that felt to me like saying I hadn't decided yet. I have decided what I believe, I'm just not sure I'm right. :)

DING! That be me. ;) I'm starting to become more sure of it lately, however...

My sister has "agnostic, leaning towards atheist" on her Facebook profile. I'm probably close to that too but I also don't really like the idea of leaning. I'm there already, but then I don't have any proof (or faith) that I'm right.

I understand what you mean about hymns. I was raised Catholic, and there are some of the hymns that really hit a part of my soul like nothing else.

There is nothing like singing hymns in harmony. That was always the most spiritual part of going to church for me.

This is a super cool meme. I put my responses on my own journal if you're curious.

A whole bunch of people on my f-list did this yesterday. It is a nice way of getting to know more about each other. I actually liked that other religion meme I did a couple years ago even more though.

> I've seen people say that atheists are just as sure about the non-existence of God as Christians and Muslims are about the existence of God, which would make me more of an agnostic.

I don't think an "atheist" would say that. Most "atheists" are scientists, which mean being so positively sure of something is against their nature. I like the term "nontheist" much better, as I think it's closer to the truth.

I don't mind being around religious people. It's just not something that works for me. I have found memories of my childhood, but I do feel as if I've outgrown it. I'm happy as I am, being a nonbelieving do-gooder. :)

I hadn't really run into the term nontheist before. I guess it makes sense but I probably won't start using it either.

I like being around religious people and talking and thinking about religion a lot, but it is just not for me. And I like the idea that we non-believers have to do good because it's not like a higher power is going to come in and save us. :)

Yeah, there's no "get out of life free" card, so a non-believer has to put extra energy into making this world better. No virgins or well-oiled slaves for us in the afterlife, so we can't behave irresponsibly. We just have to suck it up, feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and smell the flowers. :)

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