What sets you apart from common stereotypes of your religion/belief system?

Question

Katy- I agree, people shouldn't be so rigid.

Answer 1

I was raised up in the Way International Which was and is the pure definition of a Cult .They don't  believe in Trinity,me  either . Now i follow the Name it Claim it churches also ,Like the Copeland's ministry.

I don't believe that were are little gods either. I combined the two faiths and subtract some of they old traditions . I

GOD BLESS

Answer 2

Well, let's see.  I'm a Christian.  A lot of people seem to think that being a Christian entails being brainwashed, believing that the Earth was literally created in six days 6-10,000 years ago, hating homosexuals, being uneducated, never studying other religions, only believing what our pastor/priest tells us, and never having read the Bible.

I became a Christian almost two years ago, after having studied many different religions.

I may not have a college degree, but I've read many of the same books assigned to students in college.  I don't believe that a college degree is necessary in order to be educated.  Some of the most intelligent people of the last few centuries never went to college.  For example, Thomas Paine, who only had five years of grammar school.  Didn't Albert Einstein flunk out of school?

I believe in evolution, and accept the scientific theory on the age of the Earth.  I have no problems reconciling the Bible with science.

I do not hate anyone, least of all homosexuals.

I'm currently studying the New Testament.  I'll start on the Old (I've read the first five books, but I'll admit that I got stuck on Numbers for a time) when I'm done with the New.

I rarely attend church, and I've never been known for just taking what anyone says at face value, even if they're a priest or a pastor.

Answer 3

Whether you  are  Christian or not, you ARE my  Brother.  I, not Paul, am  the worst sinner ever.  It is d**n near impossible to lift my head when praying to my God.  I know I am forgiven,  but  my burden is very heavy.  I am ashamed to say  that I laid that burden upon My Lord and he had to carry  that burden on His shoulders.  However, I am ecstatic that He came up out of that tomb and said, "what burden?".  

Answer 4

Wow.  Ok, let's start:

I do not believe in a religion denominate specific.  I believe in Christ, but am essentially done with church.  This makes me mad, bad, and dangerous to know to many already.

I believe God gave us free will.  I also feel that we are not unchristian for smoking, drinking, having s*x with a person we love, and even dropping a few bucks on the horses.

I believe it's how we treat others based on their character, not their sexual orientation or race or belief that matters.  While I know Martin Luther King was a womanizer and not good to his own family, I liked his message.  It's true that character means more. The atheists who insult the christians are just as faulty as the zealot religious fanatics.  There may be jokes, but the behavior is hurtful and needless, just like the "god hates f--s" guy from Kansas who should be financially sanctioned and have his non-profit status removed.  That's the way you deal with people like him.

I believe that you do not go to h**l.  I don't even believe there's h**l.

I am primarily Catholic in upbringing, yet will not worship a statue.  I speak directly to the Lord when I pray.

There's a lot more, but I think this is a good start.

Answer 5

Well

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and

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including

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In case the previous link does not work

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And I talk directly with the Spirit that made all things.

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-7nW.GC8hd...

Try it. You might like it.

Answer 6

I have no problems with g*y people

or people of other religions

or people with no religion at all

I believe that it's entirely possible that none of the religions (including my own) have it completely right

I believe that it's possible that most people have taken everything all wrong when it comes to what it means to be a good Muslim, or for that matter a good person in general

I listen to punk rock

I curse like a sailor & a trucker combined...

I believe that it's our every day actions that matter, as opposed to specific rituals

and I believe that people do things "for God" or "for Allah's sake" far too often, when they should really just do it for the sake of being a good person

Answer 7

Yes but there are so many that I could go into detail on that I would write you a book by the time I was done.

Edit: Well, to be extremely brief, I don't agree with a lot of what my own church believes and many Christians in general. So many pastors and youth pastors stray from teaching the Bible and get too into this "doom sayer" preaching if you know what I mean. I don't want to hear about the world and its problems. I want to hear solid teaching. My beliefs differ a bit because I don't believe that God's spirit is in a lot of places where people think that he is (example is speaking in tongues, shouting, falling out, etc.). I feel like many believers, as well as non-believers, have twisted the Bible out of context a lot. Also, I don't really care for worship services or prayer calls. I would love to go to church outside and sing to a piano. And sing until we felt like stopping. Then preach and if we felt like praying then we'd pray. My problem with many churches is that I feel like so many believers have become immune to a certain degree of..ah.."comfort". That is, they have become used to the routine of going to church, singing 3 songs, sitting down and listening to the sermon, going to the altar, and then going home. Rinse and recycle. It's so repetitive that sometimes they forget why they're there. Now, I'm not saying all believers, just those that really are like this. What I'm trying to get at is that, if it makes any sense, I had rather not have a set way of doing things. I suppose that I feel like many believers will get more out of a message if they are in a tranquil place, such as outside in nature. I guess I'm a hippie or something.

I said I would be brief but I was a bit long. Sorry if none of that made sense. My brain is scattered because I had a lot to say but didn't know how to get it all out.

By the way if I have errors then I'm sorry. I am tired. Peace.

Answer 8

I am not a man.

Answer 9

Well, I'm an evangelical and a democrat. A democrat and prolife. A calvinist and a charismatic (two theological views that very rarely go together). So...a lot, I think.  

Answer 10

Apparently it's wrong to be atheist and believe in the supernatural according to other atheists

Answer 11

Hmmm, well...whenever my friends ask about my theological beliefs, I tend to just say I am a "Satanic Buddhist" because it is so much easier than describing my beliefs to them with total accuracy.

To really summarise it as simply as I can, imagine combining the teachings and philosophies of the Church of Azazel (theistic Satanist movement - I tend to vary about whether I choose to believe in such a figure as "Satan" though), Theravada Buddhism, LaVeyan Satanism, a splash of philosophy regarding practice from Chaos Magick and a heavy dose of my own philosophical views on morality, knowledge, society, etc. I've always found no one belief system has what I would "need to convert", as with every single one there's just too much I disagree with in one way or another.

As a result, I've had to adapt and have my own theology - I even define my theistic beliefs between a mix of Agnosticism (more of a position of belief rather than a fixed position like Atheism or Theism), Polytheism and Pandeism. As a result I tend to refer to myself as a Polypandeist, but I'm also ready to accept that my beliefs run without concrete evidence and could well be wrong. But until such time as there is definitive proof I am wrong, I see no reason to change what I do believe. And I can't believe that all religions as right, but similarly I cannot assume they are all wrong either, they're just different belief systems.

In essence, I am closer to being an eclectic pagan than anything else, but unlike many pagans (yes I know its' an umbrella term) I have no fixed philosophy/theology, my practices always vary, my beliefs vary...very little about my theology by comparison is fixed.

So I guess I'm fairly different.

Blessings and Toodles

Answer 12

I'm a nudist.

I'm also a Bible believer.  There are lots of people who claim to believe the book, but the people who mostly take offense at my beliefs are other Christians.  When we get down to the nitty gritty aspects of the Bible, and they find that I actually believe it, they are appalled and they think I'm a heretic for it.  Never a dull moment, that's for sure, and I enjoy every bit of it.

Answer 13

I don’t consciously set out to set myself apart from my religion of my beliefs. The best and most interesting people in discussions and life in general are those with open minds and are free thinkers. People with too rigid a set of values, or no values at all prone to boarding any popular bandwagon of the time are tedious and boring. Innovators and those inspirers with infinite imaginations constantly seeking and finding new truths and perspective are a joy to be in the company of.

Answer 14

i think stereotypes usually only fit a small minority of the group in general.

im muslim but...:

not a terrorist nor do i support them

im far from cloistered

im not ignorant

don't drive a taxi or work at 7-11 loool

obviously i speak english

im not arab nor am i married to one

i could continue but wont :P

Answer 15

I would say no. I try yet make mistakes daily to follow the bible teachings. To live by its laws and standards. You would think that is easy just to be a decent person. But, it's not easy at all. With the way the world is now days. WOW! very hard. Have a great day.