What does your religion provide you?

[dine with the games]

I'm Christian, I am very dedicated and serious about it, but I slip up everyday.

It does provide security for my soul, in the way that I feel like I am forgiven for all the wrong that I've done and I feel that I have hope, and I feel safe from the evil that is in this world. I do have troubles too such as sinning, doubt.

I don't have proof. The reason I believe in it is that I don't want to be evil, and when I trust my own self without faith in God/Jesus I always end up hurting everyone I love. I've also been addicted to a bunch of drugs and I found out that there is undeniably an unknown universe to me, and I get a STRONG UNDENIABLE gut feeling that it doesn't care about me at all and that it wants me to get hurt, and when I trust that God loves me and forgave me, then I can take shelter in that. I feel love comes from God.

[coffee for thought]

^-^goapple^-^

The title of the thread is self explanatory, but to help other readers...

What religion do you practice?
How dedicated/serious are you about your religion?
What does your religion provide you? Ex. Security, peace, troubles?
What proof do you have for your religion?

1. formally, greek orthodox (christian)

2. depends on what exactly you mean. i don't go to church every single week. but i probably think about "religion" every day. that said, i maybe don't define religion the same way others do. people have their own definitions of it, i think. and this can lead to misunderstandings, no matter if i'm talking to the supposedly religious or the supposedly atheist.

3. see sig.

4. the same kind of proof everyone else has that intangible things you can't actually see (truth, beauty, numbers, etc) exist.

[Generic Brand Waifu]

What religion do you practice? I am a Christian more or less
How dedicated/serious are you about your religion? Depends on the day, really. Some days I want nothing more that to escape this religion, and other days I'm so connected to Christ that I'm perfectly happy.
What does your religion provide you? Ex. Security, peace, troubles? Security in heaven is the big one, but it also provides me with a peace here on earth...and other times it just makes me angry.
What proof do you have for your religion? None.

[shadow22cat]

What religion do you practice?
Reform Judaism, and thinking of exploring modern orthodoxy. (I was born and raised Jewish.)
How dedicated/serious are you about your religion?
I want to be more observant, but it's kind of difficult for me at the moment. But, I do what I can, and stick pretty closely to it. I observe every Shabbat, keep semi-kosher, celebrate other holidays, etc.
What does your religion provide you? Ex. Security, peace, troubles?
What an odd question. sweatdrop I'm not exactly sure what you mean. I don't 'ask' much from it.
What proof do you have for your religion?
Again, another odd one. It's a set of ideals, values, culture, etc. You can even be atheist and still be Jewish. Do you mean on how most of us view G-d? G-d is beyond comprehension, beyond gender, not corporeal, etc. The evidence we find is with what's around us. Many of us become scientists in order to better understand this 'evidence'. We're very to ourselves and try not to 'prove' our religion to others. It's hard to even convert.

[nitznitz]

^-^goapple^-^

What religion do you practice?

None. Even though some consider atheism a religion.

^-^goapple^-^

How dedicated/serious are you about your religion?

Nope.

^-^goapple^-^

What does your religion provide you? Ex. Security, peace, troubles?

No religion, no benefits. It does mean I have to deal with things on my own without the morale boost of a belief system, and that can go both ways.

^-^goapple^-^

What proof do you have for your religion?

That's the question I wanted to see.

[nitznitz]

Mea quidem sententia

I am non-religious, so I suppose the question doesn't apply to me. I suppose for some, it's a peace of mind, which I then must conclude that for me, peace of mind comes from Elsweyr elsewhere.

Khajit feels warmness from your presence.

Gold Can Stay

What religion do you practice? reformed hellenic polytheism

CuAnnan

^-^goapple^-^

What religion do you practice?

Broadly speaking, I am a Gaelic Reconstructionist hard-polytheist.

Really??? That sounds fascinating!

shadow22cat

What religion do you practice?
Reform Judaism, and thinking of exploring modern orthodoxy. (I was born and raised Jewish.)
How dedicated/serious are you about your religion?
I want to be more observant, but it's kind of difficult for me at the moment. But, I do what I can, and stick pretty closely to it. I observe every Shabbat, keep semi-kosher, celebrate other holidays, etc.
What does your religion provide you? Ex. Security, peace, troubles?
What an odd question. sweatdrop I'm not exactly sure what you mean. I don't 'ask' much from it.
What proof do you have for your religion?
Again, another odd one. It's a set of ideals, values, culture, etc. You can even be atheist and still be Jewish. Do you mean on how most of us view G-d? G-d is beyond comprehension, beyond gender, not corporeal, etc. The evidence we find is with what's around us. Many of us become scientists in order to better understand this 'evidence'. We're very to ourselves and try not to 'prove' our religion to others. It's hard to even convert.

1. In my opinion, reform Judaism is best Judaism. But that's maybe cause as an Israeli I've only been exposed to secular and ultraorthodox.
2. Wait...Isn't reform basically just being monotheistic and in a community? I thought reforms didn't believe in all that Kosher and Shabbat stuff.
3. She means what do you think your religion benefit you, such as comfort, guidance, a community(which is, from what I know, a huge part of every kind of Judaism, from ultraorthodox to secular)
4. Really? I consider myself an ex-Jewish atheist(born secular, turned atheist at 14). How can you be both atheist and Jewish religion wise?

[shadow22cat]

nitznitz

shadow22cat

What religion do you practice?
Reform Judaism, and thinking of exploring modern orthodoxy. (I was born and raised Jewish.)
How dedicated/serious are you about your religion?
I want to be more observant, but it's kind of difficult for me at the moment. But, I do what I can, and stick pretty closely to it. I observe every Shabbat, keep semi-kosher, celebrate other holidays, etc.
What does your religion provide you? Ex. Security, peace, troubles?
What an odd question. sweatdrop I'm not exactly sure what you mean. I don't 'ask' much from it.
What proof do you have for your religion?
Again, another odd one. It's a set of ideals, values, culture, etc. You can even be atheist and still be Jewish. Do you mean on how most of us view G-d? G-d is beyond comprehension, beyond gender, not corporeal, etc. The evidence we find is with what's around us. Many of us become scientists in order to better understand this 'evidence'. We're very to ourselves and try not to 'prove' our religion to others. It's hard to even convert.

1. In my opinion, reform Judaism is best Judaism. But that's maybe cause as an Israeli I've only been exposed to secular and ultraorthodox.
2. Wait...Isn't reform basically just being monotheistic and in a community? I thought reforms didn't believe in all that Kosher and Shabbat stuff.
3. She means what do you think your religion benefit you, such as comfort, guidance, a community(which is, from what I know, a huge part of every kind of Judaism, from ultraorthodox to secular)
4. Really? I consider myself an ex-Jewish atheist(born secular, turned atheist at 14). How can you be both atheist and Jewish religion wise?

1. Reform Jews do seem to be in a happy medium. The thing with reform is you can choose what level of observance is comfortable for you, or as many say 'makes sense'. But, Shabbat is a huge thing that all Jews do.

2.There's a lot more to it than community, and being monotheistic. It's just a more liberal form than the others. Many keep kosher. In fact, that's making a huge comeback. Again, that follows under how observant you feel you are. Some say that we're a more 'rational' version of Judaism.

3. I know what she meant, but thought it was odd, because I don't expect, ask, want comfort, etc. from it. It just is for me. Although, I do enjoy studying Torah. The intellectual parts of it can be very fulfilling. It does feel like I'm apart of an interesting community, but I don't really equate that with the religion itself. It just seems very oddly worded to me...It's a way of life, really. Not all Jews have the same views on things either. Especially across movements.

4. Interesting thing about this one. I took a Jewish philosophy class, and the first thing we were asked was: "do you have to believe in G-d to be Jewish?" Of course, most of the class said yes, but he told us that wasn't exactly the case. You can adhere to the laws and principles, do mitzvot (good deeds), hold the values, etc. without believing in G-d. And, still have a very fulfilling Jewish life. The only things we're supposed to really do is repair the world and seek out justice. (That's the very bare bones of it.) You don't have to believe in G-d for that. This all of course seemed controversial, but he had the sources to back it up. It's very interesting. And, there are many reform Jews who are atheist. I'm personally not one of them.

I personally am looking closer at modern orthodoxy, because I feel like I want to become more observant than most reform tend to be. Also, I feel that I tend to know more than many other reform Jews. Kind of tired of teaching them the same basic stuff, and want something 'more' for myself. Sorry if this sounded all over the place on this...

[nitznitz]

shadow22cat

nitznitz

shadow22cat

What religion do you practice?
Reform Judaism, and thinking of exploring modern orthodoxy. (I was born and raised Jewish.)
How dedicated/serious are you about your religion?
I want to be more observant, but it's kind of difficult for me at the moment. But, I do what I can, and stick pretty closely to it. I observe every Shabbat, keep semi-kosher, celebrate other holidays, etc.
What does your religion provide you? Ex. Security, peace, troubles?
What an odd question. sweatdrop I'm not exactly sure what you mean. I don't 'ask' much from it.
What proof do you have for your religion?
Again, another odd one. It's a set of ideals, values, culture, etc. You can even be atheist and still be Jewish. Do you mean on how most of us view G-d? G-d is beyond comprehension, beyond gender, not corporeal, etc. The evidence we find is with what's around us. Many of us become scientists in order to better understand this 'evidence'. We're very to ourselves and try not to 'prove' our religion to others. It's hard to even convert.

1. In my opinion, reform Judaism is best Judaism. But that's maybe cause as an Israeli I've only been exposed to secular and ultraorthodox.
2. Wait...Isn't reform basically just being monotheistic and in a community? I thought reforms didn't believe in all that Kosher and Shabbat stuff.
3. She means what do you think your religion benefit you, such as comfort, guidance, a community(which is, from what I know, a huge part of every kind of Judaism, from ultraorthodox to secular)
4. Really? I consider myself an ex-Jewish atheist(born secular, turned atheist at 14). How can you be both atheist and Jewish religion wise?

1. Reform Jews do seem to be in a happy medium. The thing with reform is you can choose what level of observance is comfortable for you, or as many say 'makes sense'. But, Shabbat is a huge thing that all Jews do.

2.There's a lot more to it than community, and being monotheistic. It's just a more liberal form than the others. Many keep kosher. In fact, that's making a huge comeback. Again, that follows under how observant you feel you are. Some say that we're a more 'rational' version of Judaism.

3. I know what she meant, but thought it was odd, because I don't expect, ask, want comfort, etc. from it. It just is for me. Although, I do enjoy studying Torah. The intellectual parts of it can be very fulfilling. It does feel like I'm apart of an interesting community, but I don't really equate that with the religion itself. It just seems very oddly worded to me...It's a way of life, really. Not all Jews have the same views on things either. Especially across movements.

4. Interesting thing about this one. I took a Jewish philosophy class, and the first thing we were asked was: "do you have to believe in G-d to be Jewish?" Of course, most of the class said yes, but he told us that wasn't exactly the case. You can adhere to the laws and principles, do mitzvot (good deeds), hold the values, etc. without believing in G-d. And, still have a very fulfilling Jewish life. The only things we're supposed to really do is repair the world and seek out justice. (That's the very bare bones of it.) You don't have to believe in G-d for that. This all of course seemed controversial, but he had the sources to back it up. It's very interesting. And, there are many reform Jews who are atheist. I'm personally not one of them.

I personally am looking closer at modern orthodoxy, because I feel like I want to become more observant than most reform tend to be. Also, I feel that I tend to know more than many other reform Jews. Kind of tired of teaching them the same basic stuff, and want something 'more' for myself. Sorry if this sounded all over the place on this...

It didn't, and thank you so much for all the answers. They mean a lot to me.

One last question though: Where are you from? If not in Israel, have you been here? What is your opinion on the seculars' and ultraorthodox's views of each other, you and other movements in Judaism? What do you think about the ultraorthodox's monopoly on Israeli religion?

[shadow22cat]

nitznitz

shadow22cat

nitznitz

shadow22cat

What religion do you practice?
Reform Judaism, and thinking of exploring modern orthodoxy. (I was born and raised Jewish.)
How dedicated/serious are you about your religion?
I want to be more observant, but it's kind of difficult for me at the moment. But, I do what I can, and stick pretty closely to it. I observe every Shabbat, keep semi-kosher, celebrate other holidays, etc.
What does your religion provide you? Ex. Security, peace, troubles?
What an odd question. sweatdrop I'm not exactly sure what you mean. I don't 'ask' much from it.
What proof do you have for your religion?
Again, another odd one. It's a set of ideals, values, culture, etc. You can even be atheist and still be Jewish. Do you mean on how most of us view G-d? G-d is beyond comprehension, beyond gender, not corporeal, etc. The evidence we find is with what's around us. Many of us become scientists in order to better understand this 'evidence'. We're very to ourselves and try not to 'prove' our religion to others. It's hard to even convert.

1. In my opinion, reform Judaism is best Judaism. But that's maybe cause as an Israeli I've only been exposed to secular and ultraorthodox.
2. Wait...Isn't reform basically just being monotheistic and in a community? I thought reforms didn't believe in all that Kosher and Shabbat stuff.
3. She means what do you think your religion benefit you, such as comfort, guidance, a community(which is, from what I know, a huge part of every kind of Judaism, from ultraorthodox to secular)
4. Really? I consider myself an ex-Jewish atheist(born secular, turned atheist at 14). How can you be both atheist and Jewish religion wise?

1. Reform Jews do seem to be in a happy medium. The thing with reform is you can choose what level of observance is comfortable for you, or as many say 'makes sense'. But, Shabbat is a huge thing that all Jews do.

2.There's a lot more to it than community, and being monotheistic. It's just a more liberal form than the others. Many keep kosher. In fact, that's making a huge comeback. Again, that follows under how observant you feel you are. Some say that we're a more 'rational' version of Judaism.

3. I know what she meant, but thought it was odd, because I don't expect, ask, want comfort, etc. from it. It just is for me. Although, I do enjoy studying Torah. The intellectual parts of it can be very fulfilling. It does feel like I'm apart of an interesting community, but I don't really equate that with the religion itself. It just seems very oddly worded to me...It's a way of life, really. Not all Jews have the same views on things either. Especially across movements.

4. Interesting thing about this one. I took a Jewish philosophy class, and the first thing we were asked was: "do you have to believe in G-d to be Jewish?" Of course, most of the class said yes, but he told us that wasn't exactly the case. You can adhere to the laws and principles, do mitzvot (good deeds), hold the values, etc. without believing in G-d. And, still have a very fulfilling Jewish life. The only things we're supposed to really do is repair the world and seek out justice. (That's the very bare bones of it.) You don't have to believe in G-d for that. This all of course seemed controversial, but he had the sources to back it up. It's very interesting. And, there are many reform Jews who are atheist. I'm personally not one of them.

I personally am looking closer at modern orthodoxy, because I feel like I want to become more observant than most reform tend to be. Also, I feel that I tend to know more than many other reform Jews. Kind of tired of teaching them the same basic stuff, and want something 'more' for myself. Sorry if this sounded all over the place on this...

It didn't, and thank you so much for all the answers. They mean a lot to me.

One last question though: Where are you from? If not in Israel, have you been here? What is your opinion on the seculars' and ultraorthodox's views of each other, you and other movements in Judaism? What do you think about the ultraorthodox's monopoly on Israeli religion?

You're welcome! biggrin I'm from the USA, and yes I've been to Israel through the Taglit Birthright program a few years ago. Had a heck of a time getting there, and missed the first couple of days of the trip. But, I really enjoyed most of it. Especially Tzfat, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, etc. Met the Bedouins, went to an olive press, a kibbutz, and such as well. whee

Anyways, I really hate how the ultra orthodox have such a stranglehold on the religion in general there. I know the majority of the Jews are actually secular, so this doesn't really bode well for everyone. They treat reform (or I forgot to say some of the European ones call themselves 'progressive', which is still the same) Jews like crap. They treat women in general in the area that way too. They've set many restrictions on women there within the religion. (Can't pray directly at the Wall, can't hold the Torah, etc.) Whether they be orthodox or not. It's discriminatory. In the US, the majority of the Jews are reform. Also, the majority are Ashkenazic, which is what I am. I know there are even tensions between the Ashkenazim and the Sephardim. Which is silly to me. We should learn about each other, and stop the in-fighting. We get enough from other people outside of the religion for that. gonk

[Fullmetal Joestar]

Christian, not practicing. It never gave me anything.

All Christianity has given me is boredom.

[mnhnrnnyng]

What religion do you practice? Practice? I'm too lazy for that s**t.
How dedicated/serious are you about your religion? It's a box I have to check off on nosy surveys cuz apparently people still care.
What does your religion provide you? Ex. Security, peace, troubles? Christmas Presents and Easter Egg Hunts
What proof do you have for your religion? None, but I'll take anything as an excuse for presents and easter egg hunts, and really any kind of enjoyable event at that matter.