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earthcrone: Religion plays a lesser part in my life than when I was younger, while spirituality plays a much greter part. Although I respect and cherish my church and the things it stands for and the services it provides the community, I have felt very uncomfortable in the formal services over the past 10 years or so. I'm a slow learner, and I'm just now beginning to find out who I am and what I really believe, and some parts of the service don't fit me, and I feel hypocritical participating in those parts. I was raised in the Roman Catholic church and, after studying other denominations and religions, ended up an Episcopalian. I have a lot of trouble with the whimsical, punitive god of the Old Testament, as well as some of the epistles written by men who had their own agenda, based on their culture and beliefs. But I really like the revolutionary teachings of Jesus! I have found that I can accept the concept of God when I see the wonders of nature; birth, growth and death.

kirchfa: My belief in Deities is this: that they exist, as we will them. Not on an individual basis; rather on a societal one. They are created and held fast by the belief of their worshipers; they are shaped by our passions and desires. At some point, they become more than an instrument of human will, but free-willed entities with unfathomable powers. Certainly, though, I believe in a universal Creative Force - not a God, but the essence of creation, a non-sentient force which spawned existence, and provides the energy from which Gods and Goddesses are created. The same belief applies to the afterlife. Our souls may live forever in a paradise of our own making - or a hell, if we believe in such. Thus, Christians and Jews may rise to heaven, while Norse warriors may yet feast with Wotan in Valhalla and Wiccans live forever on the green fields of Summerland.

BrotherDavid: Religion, as formalized dogma or adherence to a specific CHURCH belief, no longer plays a major role in my life. Spirituality though, as the independent, personal search for understanding of my own nature and my relevance to the creator of all that is, continues to be a major part of who I am. I believe that each individual, in order to be truly happy, must find for themselves the path of understanding that best reveals their true spiritual nature, and their union to and partnership with the Divine, Creative force that most call God. God to me is a living and active force, but we have free will and are personally responsible for that which we experience. When we are in touch with our own soul natures, then the Divine essence called God, can move through us to assist us in improving our lives and living to the fullest. When we "tune out" that soul nature however, be become victims of "the slings and arrows of outragous fortune". God, in my opinion, can only intervene in our lives to aid us, when we are attuned to our own soul natures and learn to "recognize" ourselves as the "Children of God". Pleas and prayers for aid, when we ourselves do not strive for knowing our own divine spiritual selves, are meaningless. A God that we are not in touch with, cannot aid us, for our own stubborn natures prevent intervention. --- Brother David, Guardians of Light.

Meltdown: You know I look at this question and I see the word "religon"...that is where we go wrong in our look at things, and just for the record I am a church going bible-beliving, Christian. This is where a lot of my views come from. When we look at religon I see many different problems. 1)we are basing our behavior on a set of rules. 2)there is no covenet with your god 3)religon is phoney it's just like bolonga. Now that's out of the way...let's discuss Christianity. Sure it can be looked at as a religon(and rightfully so)because it meets my 3 critira. But the Born-Again Christian does not rely on Chrisianity he/she releys on Faith and Relationship with the SON jesus Christ(my Superstar)Rember that if you rember nothing else a Christian bases his/her look at life as a Realtionship and they are gonna have a walk with thier friend. jesus Doesn't make people change their behavior in order to accept them..They want to change their behavior AFTER accepting him.

Flavia: I am agnostic. I believe there is some higher power, but don't belive in Jesus or religion. I am COMPLETLEY against organized religion, and think that the only purpose it serves is to scare people. Everyone has a different god or belief, and why is it that a person can say..my religion is better than yours? My god is THE god, when the whole concept of god Love and peace and goodness... Who are we to say that jesus was the son of god, or allah, or buddah..or any other? I think that sprituality is a very important part of my life, but MY beliefs, My god, and everyone should be searching for their own answers...not following what 1000000 of people say.

Vixy: I attend regular worship services and am very involved in my church community. It is my way of giving back to God what He has given to me. I believe that there is a purpose for everything under the sun, and I want to be a part of that plan. God has been my support and my strength throughout many trials and tribulations, as well as many good times. When I thought I couldn't go on, He lifted me. He gave me wings to fly and a voice to sing and I will continue in His service until the day I die.

GeorgeTheRunner: I attend a Bible believing Christian church regularly. Why? To give creedence to faith, hope, and love. My faith in God is my life. My hope is the reason for living. My love is a gift from God for all. God gave us free will to choose. Thus, the many different thoughts expressed by those that have responded. Without free will, we would be merely puppets of God. Unfortunately, the price of free will is the fall of man. resulting in suffering, sin, and death. But the gift of God is eternal life through his SON. Death is swallowed up in victory. IN YOUR FACE, SATAN! Any Questions?

RCarlson: Religion currently plays a very small role in my life. It just seems like more clutter to an already amazing amount of clutter I have to deal with.

jimeast: Yes I go to church but not every week. I am a Christan and morals play a big part in my life. But I do not judge others by what I believe in. Others are responsible for their belief and actions. I believe in a life here after but I like it here and am not in a hurry to leave.

Courtly: Most of us who behave well, and responsibly, have found our own God(dess), where (s)he is most visible to us. Some of us have found several such. The finding is the key, not the figure itself. Some people require a guide, a priest, a wise man of sorts, to assist them, but those who rely on a human or book to dictate what they should find and what they should think, are lazy and deny themselves the glory of the true search. Personally, I eschew organized religion; it bears far too many similarities to organized crime. But I do go to church, from time to time, because the rituals and observances of the many religions of our planet are beautiful and steeped in wonder and majesty. They have no hold on me except their profound art. My personal search has found me on a path of "environmentalism" for lack of a better word. This is a 'religion' gaining much acceptance with the youth of today, because it serves their needs, which many forms of Christianity (most especially Catholicism) are largely failing (obstinately refusing) to do. Comments? Questions? [email protected] --Peter Westergaard

reitnau: No, It is hard to believe that a loving and caring God would create us for such self serving reasons. I believe that every church on earth is misguided in their views of our creator. I do believe in the value system that the church created ie. no smoking, exessive drinking, adultry, but I should not have to pay money to be in good favor with my creater. God is whatever put us here on earth, could be the spark of the Big Bang that created us or it could be the God portrayed in the bible. But I know our God is not able to effect the happening here on earth. Why would such a loving and caring God allow so much pain and suffering to take place (NO IT IS NOT A TEST), would you allow your child to suffer if you had the power to stop it??? Nobody would!!! The Bible's God is the strongest most powerful thing in our universe HE COULD STOP IT!!...but does not? Religion plays a big part in my life but I must say I have my own kind of religion. Religion to me is being at peace with yourself

JJSchutte: I belive in God the father, who gave his only begotten Son to die for our sins, Jesus Christ. I think the world needs to take a swing back towards Religon, or at least a belief in a higher power. Religon is actually a tool used to learn of God and the bible and each other. What Religon has become is a ridicule as to what Jesus envisioned years ago. We do not need set Religons, just a healthy belief in God.

Kaleb: Yes, I do go to church. There is a basic motivation behind everything a person does and there has to be a basic motivation for the belief in God. If there is no basic reason why I believe in God, then to believe is useless for me. This basic reason, for me, is salvation. To prove or disprove the existance of God is the question. However, has anyone seen, smelled, touched, tasted, or heard God's voice? To be honest with you, I personally haven't. I really admire scientists because it is through their research that we can come to a better understanding of our suroundings and our physical bodies and I respect their skepticism when it comes to relgious matters. After all, science relies heavily on observation and experimentation. "Where science ends, religion begins," someone once said. Religion has to do with the metaphysical. So what is the basis for my belief in God? Basically it is Truth. For something to be true it has to fill a certain criteria. First, truth has no contradiction and second, truth gives life. 2+2=4 is true, it has no contradiction, but will it change my life? In the same way, people claim the Bible to be the inspired Word of God and it to be true. I put it to the test and found that it has no contradiction and that it holds the secrets of life. If to believe in God makes you a better person, then by all means, believe in God. On the other hand, if to not believe in God makes you a better person, then don't believe in God. I don't think it is fair for me or for God for someone to come and ram some doctrine or teaching down my throat in the name of God!

tony: You feel sad for me because I think that life might be meaningless? I feel sad for you because you're living an illusion. Do you realize how foolish you people sound when you say that Jesus was God in the flesh, etc. Some of you say that not accepting Jesus amounts to hell. If you can't be considerate of people who don't believe anything, at least be considerate of people who believe something else. If you people were born in another culture you'd be saying the same thing about another set of beliefs. These answers are perfect examples of how christians can be the most unthinking of any religious people. Sorry, but it really is all relative. Do you really think that the gods chose you over anyone else to be in the "right"religion? If you do, then you're a big fool. Too bad there isn't some sort of afterlife, if only so that you will see that all of us will be wormfood in the ground together -- nothing more. I grew up Catholic, but I thank fate everyday for giving me parents, teachers, and even priests who encouraged me to search for answers to the most difficult questions. I admit that my search is far from done. But every time I read a naive "you must accept Jesus" response, I realize why I went on the search in the first place.

Bob_W: I feel sad for all those people who feel that the meaning of life is truly meaningless. If it is so, why live? Be brave and enter "the undiscovered country" of death and all the pains of life will be over. If death is the real end-all and the world is a truly random, miserable place without fairness, then prolonging one's existence and trying to do great deeds is completely useless. No matter how many lives you save or help, they will still die later on. In fact, even when the entire human race has gone extinct on planet Earth, the universe will still go on as usual. If there isn't a judgment of righteousness after deathy, then aggression, opportunism, hedonism, and selfishness would be completely acceptable. If there wasn't a transcendant plan for my life, then running the gauntlet of life would be for nothing. Therefore, I believe in a loving Heavenly Father who has the paln and purpose for my life. Wihtout a Supreme Being, the chaos called life would have absolutely no appeal for me. I regularly attend church. I know there are many who are against organized-religion: so am I, in a way. I believe faith is a personal search and a personal relationship with God. However, gathering with fellow searchers can expedite and encourage us on this trek. We need all the love and support we can get while surviving through this world. I know many people have bad experiences with churchs, but let's not let that stop us from our search for truth and meaning. I believe in God, and I believe Jesus was God in the flesh who came out of love to die for us; to find us and lead us back to God. God does not condemn people to hell; rather, He lets us choose for ourselves. God's option was to have His own Son be nailed to the cross even after living a perfect life so that whoever acknowledges what He has done for us and believes will be welcomed back to the family of God. Hell is but a place isolated from God, and the mere regret of not accepting what God has generously offered us while we have the chance will be punishment enough. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt 11:28. As you search for truth, be sure to check out Jesus and His words before you call it off and move on. "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

BPage: It really doesn't matter if there is a God or not if believing in Him makes people treat each other better. That is why I get so tired of the different denominations saying if you don't believe their way, you'll go to Hell. I was raised Presbyterian, actually my father is a Presbyterian minister. He says, and I sort of like the idea, that Hell is not an actual, physical place, but the total absence of God in ones life. So you can't actually send anyone to Hell, and since God is supposedly all-loving, why would he choose to totally separate Himself from us. People need some form of organized belief to keep our society from complete chaos. No matter how people believe in God or what God they believe in, if it helps them know right and keeps them from doing wrong, then the world is better for there being a God to believe in.

Caughey: I believe in God, in Heaven and in Hell. I believe I have a soul as well as a body. I believe in a Divine General Judgement and in a Devine Person Judgement and that my place in Eternity depends on the result of this. My religious beliefs are of profound importance to me. A person who does not believe in something, will fall for anything.

TheRat: I am a practising Pagan, and I attend Masses on all the Feast Days. it is one of the most important things in my life, and gives me something to cling to so that I can survive day to day.

Crespo: Not very often, in answer to your first question. Hypocrisy on the most part, in answer to your second question. Absolutely, to your third question. To your fourth question, religion plays a very large part in my life. Just because I don't attend church on a regular basis I have a great belief in God. Having faith has helped me get through alot. I've learned to be broad minded on many levels. It keeps me focused on the good instead of the bad, and believe me that is hard to do at times. The hypocrisy I spoke of in the beginning was in reference to the so called "Christians" who say they preach the word of God and then will turn around and shoot a doctor because he performs abortions or condemns homosexuality, etc. It's not for us to judge. Live your life as honest and loving and treat you fellow man the way you want to be treated. Keep the faith......'cause it does work.

christabel: I am a scientist and my view of the universe, the understanding of the laws of nature and the origins of life is very objective. But - one very respected astronomer in my country said once: "At the last frontiers of the science arises the beginning of the religion..." And I am his greatest fan!

Deathknight: I do go to church, and try to go at least occasionally. Religion doesn't play a really big role in my life, but I try to make religion part of it. God I think does exist, and I respect him for what he has done. I am Catholic, by the way, and try to stay with the faith. During school, I will often think of things related to my faith, and what I belive in has been quite affected by my faith. I know that I am not the only one who feels this way, but most just don't say it.

Manson: I believe in god...but i also believe your relationship with god should be on a more personal one on one level and churches are not needed

DMcMillen: I do not attend any type of church or other type of religious event, because I do not believe that we were created by a higher being. I believe that we evolved. I don't think the because we are humans, it gives us the right to control the world, because it doesn't. This world has been around 4.5 billion years longer than us, and it certainly does not care about what we, the atoms of the moment, are doing. I think it is a waste of time to believe in God or any other higher being. I believe you should just concentrate on living your life and being the best person you can be without religion. I also think religion is the cause of a lot of the world's problems. Dispute me or want to debate? email me: [email protected]

barton: I disagree with Christians more than any other group. I myself am a Christian. You can have a relatinship with Christ without agreeing with other Christians on all issues. I struggle with my faith all the time, I don't agree with many fundamental beliefs of my fellow Christians but that is not going to spoil my love of Christ. All Christians fail at times,but Christ never did.

FPO: I think religion is a joke, and is too out of touch with people today. The number of religious people will continue to decline.

Rockle: I thank Goddess every morning that I wake up, then I start to curse because my damn neighbor and his damn dog are raising six kinds of hell again. As always. I consider myself a very spiritual person, but I only go to church when I have to (i.e., Christmas and Easter, when not going to Mass equals no gifts). Mostly I find Goddess in the trees and the air and the sunshine and stuff - what little of it there is in Syracuse. I believe in a higher power, but only because SOMEBODY has to be blamed for traffic on I-81.

Kanaheik: I believe that there is a higher force which is known as God, Allah, Lord, etc. But I do not believe that the way to God is through organized religon. I do not attend church or any other function because I believe that the way is through your own self-discovery. There is no one way to reach God, and so I incorporate many different religons into one cohesive belief. The role God plays is that of a presence or guide. I don't know what He/She/It/Other plans, but it seems to be benevolent.

TYOUNG: Religion and Christianity are two different things. Religion is man's attempt to reach God. But Christianity is God's way of reaching man. Is there a God? Certainly -- how does one suppose that this universe came into being? The THEORY of evolution does not explain it, because we see the LAW of entropy at work every day. Christianity is having a personal relationship with the Creator. It is not a set of dos and don'ts, and church is not meant ot be a chore. If you love someone, you would do anything to spend time with that person, to do whatever you can to make that person happy, to get to know the person better and to share your life with that person -- and this is what Christianity is about. In a nutshell, it is being loved by God and loving God in return. Unfortunately, sin separates us from God, so He had to send is o Jesus as an atoning sacrifice that man can approach the throne room of God with boldness. This is the good news that started from Jerusalem and went out to Judea and Samaria.

ARomero: Was-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah... (May you all go with the peace of God, under His Enveloping Mercy...)

jasond: I belive in God and that Jesus came to the earth to die on the cross so that I can live forever. "For God so loved the world, he sent his only begotton son, that whosoever beliveth in him, shall not perish but have everlasting life", John 3:16.

Opperman: Religion plays a major role, and it should. Nothing matters here on Earth in the long run except whether or not you are a Christian and how you live the Christian life. If you aren't a Christian, you will burn in the eternal fires of Hell , and if you are you will have eternal paradise. Easy decision? It was for me.

mikos: I don't go to church, nor do I follow any particular religion. I feel that there is a greater power in my life and that my prayers are answered. While I am a spiritual being, I am not religious. My connection with the Higher Power that some refer to as God cannot be governed by what other people tell me is "the right way".

KC5FM: I am a Christian. Jesus is either the biggest hoax played on man or He is who He claims He is. I chose the latter because of the evidence. If you don't know Jesus, check out my page at HTTP://www.angelfire.com/free/Godsplan.html Christianity is not the church (Catholic or otherwise). Christianity is the relationship with Jesus. Anyone can go to church; not everyone is a Christian. I can put a lot of things in your garage; not all of them are cars. Why do I believe God exists? First, if God does not exist and I believe in Him, I am not hurt. If, on the other hand, He does exist and has a Hell prepared for those who do not believe, I am in trouble. Second, if Jesus was not the Son of God, why did he rise from the grave? Why was He crucified in the first place? What about the prophecies of the old testament? Why is He still changing lives today? I guess I am just lazy. It is easier to believe in God than to spend all my living hours contemplating these questions. Anyway, I have a computer that demands most of my free time. :) Thanks for letting me take part in this. This is fun!

jilted1: Religion does play a part in my life as I feel that there is a higher power out there (this due to the fact that I don't believe Man could of evolved from a primordial soup). This higher power therefore deserves something back off of us. He/She created us therfore the least we can do is to search for them. This to me is what religion should be about THE SEARCH FOR GOD. My faith is based on the fact that i believe that i have found the creator in the christian God and in Jesus Christ. He is the person who I base my life upon and lookm to him for answers. I believe that he is the only one worthy of my praise. Organised religion is quite often wrong in that the people running it have tried to fit God into a human mould as this is the only frame of reference we have to base our ideas upon. Therefore in my opinion Christianity is following the right path but that we must each seek to worship God in ourselves and not base our worship on the ideas of others

jethropu: I was raised Lutheran,but as I grew older,I began to question the authority of the answers to life that were given to me by the church. I then began to dabble in metaphysical beliefs,and also came to the same point I was at when I attended a Christian church. The answers that were given to me made no logical sense,but using the psychological glue "faith" everything came out clean in the wash! This is where I seriously began a deeper investigation into the evolution of religion and society,and realized for the most part that various religions were created for 2 reasons. 1.)To deal with the ever changing world around them;used as a psychological crutch to deal with human suffering, and 2.)To control the masses of people undertaking criminal activities in the ancient world. Almost every religion has evolved from one god to the next (including Christianity),with religion trying to keep up with the change of society. An excellent book is on the market by Karen Armstrong called "A History of God"

Trip: I used to go to church regularly until I married a man who didn't go. However, he practices spirituality. There's a difference between religiosity and spirituality. Both of us are members of a 12 step program that encourages belief in a Higher Power. We both believe in God and that Jesus was his son. I believe Jesus was his only Son. However, I'm not sure if he's the only path to God. It is the path that I have chosen. I haven't been to church in several years. I pray and I try to live my life according to the spiritual guidelines of "Do unto others...." I have faith in a supreme being, God/Jesus and I believe we all have guardian angels. I'm not by any means a "holy roller" or a Bible thumper, but instead try to live my life what I believe for the most part would be acceptable to God. I believe He forgives me when I fall short of being my best. I try not to waiver too far off what I consider to be my own spiritual parameters. I also try not to judge others because I cant know what God has in store for them nor have I "walked in their shoes". Each of us that are on this earthly plane are all "in school". I have begun to lean toward the fact that we may be given chances at living more than once, but I don't have proof of that. All I have as proof that there is life after death is the belief that Jesus did indeed return to earth after he was crucified to prove to us that there is life after death.

xcalifor: I agree with a lot of the things others have said on this survey; that Christianity (re: the CATHOLIC church) has gone down the tubes. It's corrupt. Preists molesting children is not a good thing for the church. However, I have a PERSONAL relationship with Jesus Christ. For some, this is a thought that is too weird or just plain silly. But, yes, there is something greater. He made me in his own image, he loves me unconditionally, and he has a plan for my life. This is the joy in my life. Initrested?: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2102 (look at bottom of page)

aruathite: I'm not sure about God but I don't believe in churches or prayer. I think it is rather egotistical of us to say there is this all powerful god out there creating universes and (he) is going to stop and listen just because my car won't start. I have a more Eastern-Karmic view of spirituality.

GreatSerpent: I am High Priestess of a snake worshipping cult. My web pages aren't completed yet, but you can find out a little bit about us by checking out what we have up so far. http://pages.prodigy.com/Confusion/greatserpent/greatserpent.html and http://www.tripod.com/~GreatSerpent/zombies.html You'll find that the followers of the Great Serpent choose not to take life too seriously. But we're a good bunch of people, so come along and join us.

Kimmy: I was raised to be agnostic so never really had any opinions on the subject of religion. Then I went to a Catholic high school and discovered a deep and profound objection to religion and decided to be atheist. However, over the last five years, I felt a void spiritually and have since filled that void with some very strong beliefs about the nature of the universe. I believe that we are all one, that this physical realm is just one of many realms we exist in and at once are creators of. I think now that spirituality is one of the most important aspects of my life, but, religion has no part in that. I still have no respect for religions, I find they are all too concerned with labelling things and consequently create divisions, hatred and misery. The collective unconscious, in contrast, is made up of love, understanding, beauty, connections, and joy. I have no objection to those who choose to practice traditional religions, as long as they truly have considered why they practice it and have an unders

swampgirl: I suppose I consider myself a spiritual agnostic. I'm pretty sure there's something "out there", but I don't presume to know what it is, and I would never presume to tell someone else what it is. I have no proof for my beliefs, nor do I feel the need necessarily for proof. Faith is, after all, faith. I have some faith in the dictionary sense of the word (a sense of the existence of something without direct proof of it), but not in the religious sense of it. I'm not consumed be a zeal for my particular flavor of God. I don't really have a flavor. Life/Existence just is. The idea that there is a spiritual realm to this life resonates with me at some deep level, but my brain has nothing to do with that. My brain is what keeps me an agnostic. I feel the spiritual resonation, but since I can't prove anything (and don't believe it's possible to prove), I maintain an outward agnosticism, while maintaining an inward sense of being completely comfortable with the idea that I personally believe the

Sarah2: I am an atheist so religion plays absolutely no role in my life.

soulmates: "One is often told that it is very wrong to attack religion because religion makes men virtuous" So I am told: "I have not noticed it" --- Russell. The Christian religion has been a major influence in promoting violence, sexism, culture inperialism, white supremacy and ethocentrism for over 1000 years. This is the legacy of Christiany that continues to this day in the US and around the world! Has religion made any useful contributions to civilization? I believe that Bertrum Russell answered that question quite accurately. "It helped in the early days to fix the calander, and it caused some priests to chronicle eclipses with such care that they became able to predict them. These two services I am prepared to acknowledge, but I do not know of any others"

jcole: Religion ["Religion", capital "R"] plays almost no part in my life, and is truly the "opiate of the masses." There has been and today continues to be, more harm done in the name of "Religion", than anything else I can think of, including 'love.' The hypocrites who would tell us what to think, what to teach our children, what we can see, and what we can do with our own bodies, all in the name of "Religion", give spirituality a bad name. Now, spirituality, 'religion' [small "R"]: that's a different story: to me that [which is a combination of many "Religious" beliefs, ethical values, simple human decency, courtesy, and empathy] is the core of one's ability to be a decent person who is willing to live his or her own life and to let others have the freedom & opportunity to do the same [no, I don't like Steve Forbes & I hope I don't sound like him, or any Republican]. In that sense, I am very 'religious.' I know what my spiritual & ethical values are, and they guide my life, my work, and my play.

GrandAdmiralPetry: As a courtesy, I invite the members and visitors of tripod to read my project 'lambhorn' ... succinctly put: we (mankind on Earth) have a common past connected future: we must regard the Bible as evidence that this has always inspired prophet and preaching of the Word of Truth ... a brotherhood leading not into dark ways of mortality and vanity, but to life and light (wherein all things real are substantial).

BigNev: I am not a religious person, per se. A priest at my former parish was convicted of molesting and raping young boys. How can "God's special chosen people" do such a terrible heinous act? I do believe their is a greater power, one who helped create the world and universe, but who now sits back and does not interfere: the "watchmaker theory." I guess this is sort of like Native American religion. I agree with Marx: "religion is opiate for the masses." Also, I think human beings developed religion out of our conceited nature. We cannot accept that we are so small and insignificant as compared with the universe, so we make up an omniscient being who is all-powerful, and we are created in "His Image."

oonagh: I go to the forest and listen to the trees. Where there are no statues made by men. No people telling me who and what I should be believing in. The trees never made people believe in them They were just there since the beginning of time when mother nature evolved. Organized religion, more like Christianity, Catholicism, is what I was brought up in. As I got older I realized that I did not like it's patriarchial ways. I also did not like what I learned from history books about the need for missionaries to rape cultures of their own religions. Right now, I feel more spiritual than I ever have...

cmhamilton: My favorite quote - "God created man in his own image and man promptly returned the favor..." Enough said.

Applecheeks: I find "organized" religion to be very stifling and, in most cases, extremely paternalistic. Having been raised (and schooled) in the Catholic church, at age 16 (I'm 48 now) I began questioning supposedly great thinkers in the Catholic system, and they told me everything EXCEPT the answers to my questions! At that point I began to dis-believe a LOT of what I had been taught up to that point. After years of reading and searching, and years and years (since I was 12) of one psychic experience after the other, I found the perfect philosophy for me. At present and for the last 25 years, I have been a practicing witch. No, we do not commune with the devil! In the first place, the devil is an organized religious creation, and not someone I even believe exists. I do believe in the existance of a positive and a negative force in the universe (ie. yin and yang), and I definitely believe in reincarnation. I believe in a higher power that we can ALL tap into if we only believe we can.

Jazmyn: I have no religion. I agree that the real meaning of life is there is no meaning. I wish that I could believe in a "God" and eternal life and have something to make sense of the world and help me through the difficult times which are so numerous, but because there are so many different religions I would find it hard to believe that any one was "right". The whole thing seems to me to be a case of where you were born and how your parents raised you. To me religion is too illogical, and hypocritical a concept to hang on to. I will have to make do with my self and my belief that I can control my own life completely - hopefully making as much of my short time on this Earth as possible.

lfife: My religious beliefs are as ecclectic as I am. I was raised Mormon (LDS), and I am convinced that fundamentalist Christianity is not the way to find true happiness. I have "dabbled" in many religions including reformed Christianity, Jungianism, Buddhism, Hare Krishna, and various metaphysical pursuits. My most incredible "spiritual" experience did actually occur at a Christian church. I am convinced there is no higher power except my own psyche.

IKE: Religion is a system which atempts through Dogma and ritual to attain to GOD. Jesus came to us. True Christianity is belief that Jesus is God, that he came in the Flesh to pay the price for the sin of all mankind. This is God coming to us to save us, religion attempts to save people by working up to God. An impossible task. Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to those who believe in him as Lord and Saviour so that they might have his Life in them. This is not religion But faith in the Loving God's very life in us. The Church is a group of sinners who come together to worship their Saviour and to learn about Him. The Bible is God's revelation of Himself to us ( once again God coming to us ). We are all sinners "But God, being rich in mercy, because of and to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He has loved us, Even when we were dead in our own short- comings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ." (EPHESIANS 2.4-5)

MANUELC: I think religion is just the way men over the times have represented the the idea of a god, of a stronger and higher force. But I've come to realize that our spirituallity depends on our intelligence and our feelings rather than on a image or a prayer. A man is more valuable when he does something better to himself and to the society in the search for peace, commonwealth or freedom; not when he goes to a church or he judges the morallity of everyone else. I prefer to aprecciate, respect and enjoy life and nature in a more personal way than giving it a form or a name.

Brian: Yes I go to a Christian church regularly. It is important to gather with fellow believers in Christ to encourage and support one another as well as learn more about God. Also, the church (the gathering of believers, not the building itself) has a focus of worshipping (giving praise and honor) to God. Is there something greater than this world? I'm not sure that you could ever find anyone who by the end of their lifetime could honestly say that they never felt there is something greater. The desire to restore our relationship with God is built into everyone. It's just that many people don't understand what it is they're looking for. Religion means many things. What plays a role in my life is God -- He's at the center of it. He is loving and patient but also demands justice. He has given us a free will to choose our own path. He has also given us His rules along with the consequences of adhering or breaking those rules. God does not condemn those who reject Him to hell (eternal separation from God after first briefly experiencing the glory of His presence). Those people condem themselves. He carries out the sentence. Those who have believed and accepted that God's son Jesus died to pay the price for humanity's rebellion against God and then rose to life again to provide the bridge for us to God receive the consequences of adhering to His rules, namely an eternity with God vs an eternity alone without God for those who reject Him. One of the great tragedies of humanity is that so many people spend their lives searching for a meaning to life when the answer has been in front of them all along.

JEmbleton: I believe the ultimate meaning of life is that there really is no meaning. I think the nature of the universe is a lot more chaotic than many of us would like to believe. The only thing I know for sure is that I'm sentient or "aware". So, even though I don't see any huge "meaning" to my existence, I still realize that I need to create "meaning" wherever I can. I have emotions, passions, and all that other shit that makes me human. So I try to satisfy them and understand them the best I can.

secesh: God is. He has revealed Himself through Jesus Christ, and continues to reveal Himself to those who honestly seek Him. Since God is God, He deserves our service and worship. And since God represents Objective Truth, then any honest quest for truth must be a quest to know Him. God is the Source of all life and light. To move toward Him is to move toward peace, truth, and happiness. To move away from Him is to move toward misery, darkness, and death. That's why Paul of Tarsus says "in [Him] we live and move and have our being. Jesus Christ said "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me." All we need do is follow Him.

dawnh: I go to an un-Baptist Baptist church. We don't go by the normal rules of Baptists. I go because there is something greater. There's a God out there who loves me and has got a hold on my life, and has kept me alive many times. Religion doesn't play a role in my life, God does. I try to live a lifestyle reflecting Him, no matter what anyone else thinks, but I know that when I mess up, He's there to forgive me and get me back on my feet.

shail: I do go to a temple occassionaly.I am a born Hindu.I like going to and have gone inside a few churches also. I would like to go inside a mosque also.But have not done so far. There is certainly some thing greater than this world. Whatever is dynamic in this world pulsates with the dynamic divinity says one of the ancient scriptures. This divinity is very difficult to realise.Those who initiated world religions are contributed to the development of religious idealogy must have realised divinity. Later based on their teachings and subsequent interpretations rigidity and orthodoxy gets in the religious teachings and practice.Divinity begins where religion ends. In the formative years of civilisations religion plays a role of bringing order, of making people follow certain accepted norms of behaviour etc. In todays world self realisation which trancends religious faith is perhaps more required than ever.Although, it is a difficult path to follow.

mremmler: My husband and I go to church infrequently since we got married almost a year ago--although I believe in the role of the church, synagogue etc. in strengthening ties within the community, I believe in it less and less as some sort of conduit for speaking to God. I also sometimes feel that the pressure to donate money to support the church overwhelms the underlying reason for being there.

buzpearson: Religion plays a very important role in my life. I am one of those folks that believe that the Bible is the Word of God. And yet more I put my trust in the King James Version only. I believe that my relationship with Jesus Christ is personal. I trust that He will return again to this earth and that very soon!

Nahum: I grew up in a methodist church, which as a teenager I found very boring. Throughout high school I went to Christian camps, mainly for the girls! I was even a leader at some before I was a Christian. In 1989 I was 16 and went to a Youth for Christ camp, I gave my life to God then, but since then I have questioned that decision and I'm sure if that was when I became a Christian. I got baptised in the Holy Spirit, spole in tongues and did lots of prayer and bible reading, but a couple of years later I felt like a fake, I still didn't know who I was and really questioned God. The questioning was good, because I thionk it led me down certain paths that brought me into contact with people who had some answers, and if they didn't at least they were honest enough to admit they didn't have everything worked out. Now, I'm still confused, and I find more questions than answers everyday. But I know God loves me as part of creation and is working out the purpose for my being here. Jesus, to me is God in the flesh. God saying I love my creation so much that I will gove up my place of perfection to become one of you. Jesus is my role-model of total servanthood and unconditional love for people. I struggle with the reality that my Jesus is cultural, my reading of scripture is viewed through tinted glasses that distort who Jesus was and really is. That's what I'm working on, sifting through all the evangelical-liberal-pentecostal-charasmatic-orthodox dogma that restricts and narrows Jesus and the gospel. It's hard, but I'm confident that I'm on the right track following this Jesus and I can really do no other. This is the introduction to who Jesus is for me, I could carry on - but I'll wait to see what you have to say. My definition of salvation is taking a big long look at itself. I think I'm starting to believe that everyone goes to heaven in the end (blasphemy I know), but I can't see how a God of love and justice either pre-chooses some to be saved and the others have no choice, or if God let's people have free-will, how many people who truly knew Jesus and God (being perfection and total goodness) would choose to say "no thanks, I'd rather burn in hell and suffer eternally than enjoy perfect relationship with the One who knows me best and has the best plan for me"? So I'm starting to think maybe we are saved from ourselves, our own selfish, sinful idolatry, saved to serve Christ by serving others as he did, and saved to enjoy relationship with God through the Holy Spirit while we remain on Earth. I don't know is saved and who isn't, can I say a rapist will go to hell if he doesn't accept Christ? Why is that sin any worse than my own lust and greed? I blame a culture that alienates people and conditions them to be self I wonder how many people have been given a real, honest choice to serve and accept God (who by our definition is perfect, absolute love, totally just), knowing that God has our best interests at heart because we were created by God, knowing that if they did not choose God they will burn and suffer for eternity would ever really choose the latter? People are rarely ever given such an explicit choice, instead they don't choose God because the people who claim to follow God tell them that they will go to Hell if they don't and use meaningless language like "Jesus saves". I think we find a lot more of Jesus outside the church than in it, and I can't help but think that we have reduced the gospel to demanding a response based on fear, as you say about God in the Old Testament he destroyed cities that did not turn to him, and I don't think God asks for that kind of response to his love. How do I know the person who says they're born again will go to heaven? I don't. How do I know the person who says Jesus never ex Now I attend a small church 10-15 people on a Wednesday night at work. We're looking at the kingdom of God and how Jesus spoke about it so much (he only mentioned being "born again" once). The radical implications that this kingdom has for today and the future motivates us to serve the poor, heal the sick (with medicine/comfort and supernaturally, struggle for peace and justice all within a context of service to our community and the world. That's about all I can fit here - hoping it's not too boring/arrogant/ignorant.

mgjohnston: I was brought up in a fairly religious Episcopalean family. Even though I no longer believe in the Christian God, I must still go to church with my family whenever I am home from college. There is definitely a God. As to what He/She/It wants, I am not sure. Perhaps that's the purpose of this life: to find out what God wants and attempt to do it. Therefore, religion plays a guiding role in my life. I attempt to do what I think I'm meant to do and this is my way of praising God.

molinan: I'm a recovering catholic and am somewhat aprehensive of any established religion. But Catholicism especially, though it no longer has such an active "missionary" program as before, frightens me. Today it's the equvalent of a kind of "kinder, gentler" KKK!!!Who's history of violence and hateful rhetoric is dwarfed by the vastlyworse history of Catholicism, take your pick of examples, the native american genocide and plundering of a people's culture and religion, or perhaps the mass murders of protestants in the middle ages in Europe, I don't think it necessary to go on. Anyhow, just as I would be ashamed of being a part of a kinder, gentler KKK, I would be ashamed of being a part of today's Roman Catholic Religion and the history of hate, elitism, violence and intolerance that the Catholic religion brings with it into the 21st century.

LeticiaGP: Yes, I'm a practicing Catholic and always have been. While most of my friends have dropped out, I've always believed that someone "out there" cares about me - no matter how stupid I am sometimes. All this miracle of life stuff is too organized and systematic to be a random act of nature -- someone designed all of this and that someone really cared about doing it right.

Devilman: No I don't go. I work every day. Yes. It guides me and gives me a sence of belonging in a world where no one can make it alone.