Religions of APS Members

[freedom lover]

I'm curious to find out what the members of this board believe in and why they believe. I'm only a theist because I believe that someone had to create matter. I was raised as a Protestant, though.

Some further questions:
If you are an atheist or agnostic are you also a social Darwinist?
If you are a pagan are you also an animist? I would like to know what type.
Do you just not care about religion or what might be the answer to life's questions?
Do you follow a religion I did not list?

I shouldn't have to say this, but try to keep the discussion civil. Try not to put down others or their religions. Remember, no educated person is going to convert just because someone posted a link on a message board, they will do research for themselves. Besides that, I won't believe anything so important as a religion without proof I can see for myself, I don't know how anyone can.

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

Do you folow a religion I did not list?

Yep. Southern Baptist.

[cosine]

Practicing Roman Catholic.

[Scout26]

Norse (Reformed) 

[MicroBalrog]

If you are an atheist or agnostic are you also a social Darwinist?

Social Darwinism is a term applied by Hofstadter and his cronies, post-facto, to everybody they didn't like in the 19th and early 20th century, especially Spencer and some other guys like him.

[Bogie]

I'm an Existential Buddhist, and my father is a Druid.
 
I contemplate the tree as a source for a comfortable fire as my father dances around it...
 

[freedom lover]

Social Darwinism is a term applied by Hofstadter and his cronies, post-facto, to everybody they didn't like in the 19th and early 20th century, especially Spencer and some other guys like him.

Really? Are you saying hitler and Margaret Sanger were not Social Darwinists? What else would you call someone who lets their belief in natural selection determine their moral views up to the point of killing people to help the species?

I notice you didn't choose Paganism, Scout.

Is their some other Norse religion, or are you joking?

I'm an Existential Buddhist, and my father is a Druid.

Do any modern Druids practice human sacrifice, or am I confusing them with other ancient British pagans?

[MicroBalrog]

I recommend that you look at this article here. The author is a professor at Princeton University.

And I quote:

The term “social Darwinism” owes its currency and its association with free markets to an unresolved tension in Richard Hofstadter’s (1944) influential Social Darwinism in American Thought, 1860-1915 (SDAT).

[Fjolnirsson]

I marked "Paganism", as you don't have Asatru on the list. And yes, Asatru is a Norse faith. Not so much a religion as a culture.

[AJ Dual]

Ex-Roman Catholic.

And right now I suppose I am a Theist, pending any scientific determination of a quantum multiverse and how that applies to the strong and weak anthropomorphic principle.

Essentialy, the physical constants of the universe, namely things like the ratio between the attraction of gravity, and the charge of the proton are way to finely balanced and seem biased towards "life as we know it". If these ratios were different, even by a thousandth of a percent, no fusion, no stars, no supernovae producing heavier elements, no planets etc. Tweak them the tiniest bit and you have a cold dead universe of Hydrogen devoid of any stars or galaxies, or the other way, and stars burn at a ferocious rate, lasting a few thousand years, or even further, and everything just falls in on itself into one supermassive black hole before anything interesting even got started.

It almost regrettably puts me in league with Intelligent Designers, however we differ greatly in that I think they're looking a few billion years too early.  

However, if scientific experiments bear out that there is an infinite multiverse, each with any number of physical constants and laws, we're only here because we happen to be in a universe with such laws as allows stars, planets, and life. Buy enough tickets, and  someone wins the lottery. Although I am not so arrogant to let that push me any further than agnosticism.

And no, I'm not joking about any of the above.   It's what I believe.

[freedom lover]

Why would anyone think you were?

[Regolith]

Really? Are you saying hitler and Margaret Sanger were not Social Darwinists? What else would you call someone who lets their belief in natural selection determine their moral views up to the point of killing people to help the species?

I'm curious as to why you think that simply because someone is an atheist or an agnostic, that they are also likely a "social darwinist" who believes in genocide/eugenics (otherwise you probably wouldn't have asked the question).

You have to realize, it's a bit like saying "Are you Jewish?  If so, are you a member of the Zionist conspiracy that controls the world's media and financial institutions?"  It's a pretty offensive assumption based on a crass stereotype.

It's also fairly humorous, given that at least one of your examples, Hitler, was neither agnostic nor atheist.

[Jamisjockey]

You forgot the only true religion
http://www.venganza.org/

[Regolith]

You forgot the only true religion
http://www.venganza.org/

All hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster (pbuh)!   :D

[AJ Dual]

Why would anyone think you were?

Because even I laugh when I read it.  

I know that APS is a uniquely well-read community, but that looks like bad Star Trek technobabble unless you've read the exact right things on astronomy, physics, and cosmology.

[bedlamite]

All hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster (pbuh)!   :D

May you be touched by his noodley appendage.

[digitalandanalog]

Where is the "Other" option?

I believe that there is a higher power that created the universe, but it doesn't really care about us in particular. It may check in from time to time...at least that is the best explanation I have for what could truly be considered a miraculous event that happen to various people.

I believe there is a "Plan", but we are probably not anything close to even being minor in it. I think humans overrate themselves. The whole of existence is too big for us to really be anything more than a drop in the ocean.

That said, I prefer to think myself as an agnostic leaning toward the "faith" that god exists while I try to be somewhat "zen-ish" or "buddh-ish" and accept the idea that if some dude named Jesus died to forgive my transgressions, then right on. If not, what is will be.

I was raised Lutheran (Missouri Synod) and lost my religious faith around the age of 18. I had a three hour discussion with the pastor about my loss of faith and he couldn't say anything to comfort and reassure me that my faith should stay strong.

The last time I was in church was for my mother's funeral...don't plan on going back for a long time.

You also left out my favorite religion...GUNS!!!!

[never_retreat]

I voted agnostic, but I grew up getting drug to sunday school. Roman catholic
I don't know why I didn't like it when I was a kid. I know now why I have no use for it.

[Bogie]

Oh yeah... I'm also the founder of the International Association of Online Ministers - Temporary Marriages Performed in all 50 States of Intoxication. Remember - what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but it's a lot more fun with a blessing from the International Association!
 

[BrokenPaw]

Pagan, but more as a philosophy and a way of life than as a religion, as such.

I believe that philosophy is the personal manifestation of our connection with the Divine, and that religion is the clothes we put on our philosophy when we want to go out among others.

Under most circumstances, my relationship with the Divine is no one's business, so I tend not to express much religion outside of the circle of people who share my path.  As a minister, of course, sometimes it's necessary to wear the notional trappings of religion for the benefits of others, rather than for myself.

I've studied Wicca, and Druidry (OBOD, not ADF), and Buddhism, among other pagan paths.  Many years as a jumping-up-and-down evangelical Christian gives me a certain breadth of perspective.

-BP

[Scout26]

I notice you didn't choose Paganism, Scout.

Is their some other Norse religion, or are you joking?

There is but One True Norse Religion.   

http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=15382.msg286057#msg286057

Jewish-Theist.....

IOW, The Old Testament is a good history book, told as best as those people who wrote it could describe.  But like all religions, once people start with "This is only way to believe or your going straight to hell." that's where the wheels come off.....   

[RoadKingLarry]

Atheist, but you can "guess" about the rest of your question. Your responses indicate you have a prejudicial position on beliefs you don't subscribe to.

[stevelyn]

Godless heathen.

[BridgeRunner]

Atheist, but you can "guess" about the rest of your question. Your responses indicate you have a prejudicial position on beliefs you don't subscribe to.

And he has that in common with everyone else.  Give the guy a break.

Catholic, as religion goes.  I babble about Jewish stuff because I was raised in it, as I've discussed ad nauseum.

[Scout26]

And he has that in common with everyone else.  Give the guy a break.

Catholic, as religion goes.  I babble about Jewish stuff because I was raised in it, as I've discussed ad nauseum.

Ahhh, that makes you a CaJew..... (You are the Eggman, You are the Eggman, I am the Walrus....)