For those of us - such as myself - who belong to no religion, and who perhaps are even Atheists, I'd like to pose a speculative question:

If you were religious, which religion would you be part of and for what reasons?

I myself would most likely be a Hindu. Why? Because I do assert that Hinduism - specifically in some parts of the Upanishads - represents a religion closest/exemplifying truths of philosophy, specifically as regards pantheism. One day in the philosophy section, I shall go into why I consider myself a Pantheist demi-Atheist.

if you want to be hindu be hindu but if yo just want to live like a hindu then just live like a hindu

None. Religion generally implies belief/worship in some kind of invisible sky fairy or some other nonsensical garbage. I am an atheist because I do not believe in such things and as such cannot answer the question any more than that.

None. But if you held a gun to my head I'd be a Hindu. They seem to at least have some quite balanced sensible views on life.

None. But if you held a gun to my head I'd be a Hindu. They seem to at least have some quite balanced sensible views on life.If you held a gun to my head I'd probably be anything you wanted me to be - until I had the opportunity to remove myself from the situation. :D But in answer to your question - NONE. I just don't need any to live my life.

budism i guess, they seem to have a reasonable set of values

Yeah budism is what I meant, I want that one!

Probably Russian Orthodox. I like the acappella music.

I'll put it another way. Which relegion would I choose, if I had to be born into one? That question sounds okay.
Answer: Hinduism. But only because it's easier to get out of it than most other relegions. I mean, it doesn't seem to be very strict, and it doesn't make you stunt your thinking, if you yourself don't choose to. So it probably is easier to get out of Hinudism. I'm not sure though.

For those who answered with none:

Come on, guys. Don't just answer that way. I am not asking if you are an Atheist. I am asking if you -had- to pick a religion right now, which would you pick and why? PUrely hypothetical.

Satanism. Why? Well, if I had to, I'd want the one that would piss off the most people possible of other denominations. Plus, the fun. Yeah... the fun... :cool:

Bzzzz. Wrong. Atheist is not a religion.

Better.

Nogod? The greatest of all!

Ok - I'd choose one of the ancient Celtic pagan religions.
For no other reason than it sounds interesting. :D

My apologies James, but I just cannot provide an answer you seek. There is simply no religion I would be a part of or want to be a part of. If it were forced upon people then I would be part of the underground resistance.

Whether the question is hypothetical or otherwise does not in any way change the only answer I can give.

I'll go for the religion (or interpretation thereof) that embraces debate, questioning and openess, accepts difference, doesn't blame women for all the ills of the world and doesn't call for harm to be done any other human regardless of their sexual orientation, marital status, nationality or religion and does not encourage the indoctrination of children.
Give yourself a wine gum if you can name one.

Satanism? (Some form of it).

But I'm not sure you can call it a relegion. It's like an 'anti-relegion' relegion.

Watch out you'll burn in hell for suggesting that one. I don't think you could say that Satanism does no harm to others or wouldn't indoctrinate children. As for encouraging openess or debate - skating on thin ice there. No you're going to have to try harder.

Snakelord:

My apologies James, but I just cannot provide an answer you seek. There is simply no religion I would be a part of or want to be a part of. If it were forced upon people then I would be part of the underground resistance.

Understood, but ultimately useless to the thread. But yes, thanks for clearing it up.

Sniffy:

I'll go for the religion (or interpretation thereof) that embraces debate, questioning and openess, accepts difference, doesn't blame women for all the ills of the world and doesn't call for harm to be done any other human regardless of their sexual orientation, marital status, nationality or religion and does not encourage the indoctrination of children.
Give yourself a wine gum if you can name one.

Buddhism? Taoism? Wicca?

Flying Spaghetti Monsterism.

Understood, but ultimately useless to the thread. But yes, thanks for clearing it up.


I wouldn't go so far as to call it useless. You asked a question and I answered it honestly. Can't ask for more than that really.

Prince James Buddism does indoctrinate children - how old was the Dalai Lama when instigated/identified as such? Is Wicca regarded as a religion? Does it have a diety or transcendant power? Texts or 'prophets' to which followers can refer?
You might just get that wine gum with Taoism...but I wouldn't really want to be a follower of any religion that would have me
Except perhaps Flying Spagetti Monsterism

If I had to, either Norse or Buddhism, or a combo.

Sniffy:

Prince James Buddism does indoctrinate children - how old was the Dalai Lama when instigated/identified as such? Is Wicca regarded as a religion? Does it have a diety or transcendant power? Texts or 'prophets' to which followers can refer?

Theoretically, if the child, even if he was the Dalai Lama, did not want to be the Dalai Lama, the monks would not have been able to force him to be so. Moreover, Tibetan Buddhism is but one school of Buddhism, and as many religions which have different sects, others may disagree with their practices.

Wicca is regarded as religion, yes. It has two deities: The Horned-God and the Triple-Goddess, also known as the Lord and Lady. There are Wiccan myths, such as which recall the yearly cycle of death and rebirth the God (representing nature) undergoes, each time being reborn as the son he produced with the Goddess, who in turn becomes him in the next year, as well as stories of the creation of the world, and other such things. Gerald Gardner (the founder) certainly wrote stuff on Wicca, as have various other people on the matter, and thus there can be consisdered to have some prophets. Wicca also has a clergy of High Priests and Priestesses who preside over covens.

ye see PJ that's what I'm here for to learn from enlightened debate. OK Wicca is a religion. I think Taoism might be regarded as a philosophy rather than a religion but that's the one I'd probably go for. Not that I would really.

Sniffy:

I am quite glad I was able to offer you some information, then!

Though as to whether or not Taoism can be considered a religion: It is generally conceived as such, and more religious-aspects of Taoism which go beyond simply Lao Tzu's Tao Teh Ching and Hua Hu Ching, do take on a more traditionally religious sense. But yes, Taoism, like most Oriental religions, skirt the line betwixt religion and philosophy.