Do You Have Different Beliefs from Friends and Family?

  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    I feel like spirituality is often discussed with my friends. They vary from atheist to catholic to pagan. But the common thread is they are all open-minded. If they weren't, they wouldn't be my friends.
    August 1st, 2013 at 03:11am
  • Shirrin

    Shirrin (100)

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    My family is Christian, my friends are Wiccan and Atheist, and I am Discordian. Honestly, I feel no rift between us due to our religions. Sure there's the occasional debate and superiority moments, but I can always turn to them. They're all really accepting. In fact, my family knows for a fact that me and my friends have a pastime of bashing psycho-Christians. And they're fine with it, sometimes they join in.
    August 2nd, 2013 at 11:56pm
  • Eunoic

    Eunoic (100)

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    My mother is a hard-core Catholic, and so is my sister after my mom. My dad converted to just spiritual it seems with no particular denomination association after the divorce, and I would consider myself an Agnostic Atheist.

    I believe that there is no way of really knowing whether or not a God exists, but I would like to think that God does not exist.
    August 5th, 2013 at 10:21am
  • DA7X6661

    DA7X6661 (100)

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    I sometimes blame the religions and end up strongly disliking the catholic and christian religions. although pagans dont hate on them. Then I realized its not the religion itself. Ive just mostly met people who are taking their religion and preaching something that is the complete opposite of what should be and just being plain hypocrites. Although I was born Catholic, I have found that the beliefs dont fit me. And thats fine. What upsets me is when I meet certain christians or catholics who are extremely judgemental and basically to me try to make us believe something that doesnt seem holy at all. I dont want people who havent actually done anything THAT bad but for some simple "sins" to be punished. I thought was very harsh. Very rarely have I met a true christian or catholic. I know theyre out there but theres just too many who to me dont deserve to consider themselves that term when they are very unkind towards others for different reasons.
    August 7th, 2013 at 01:58am
  • wxyz

    wxyz (240)

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    Why do people differentiate Catholics specifically from other Christians? Think Catholicism is a branch of Christianity, as is Protestantism, etc.
    August 7th, 2013 at 02:41am
  • WondrousSerendipity

    WondrousSerendipity (100)

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    @ Alex; periphery.
    I think it's more to do with the fact that Catholicism is the only branch of Christianity that follows the Pope and believes in the whole papal infallibility thing. Apart from that, the differences between the Catholic Church and other branches of Christianity, such as the Church of Ireland, aren't that many; as far as I understand it anyway.

    ****
    I'm a Catholic and my friends are a mix of Agnostics, Atheists, Catholics, and Protestants. We discuss religion sometimes, but it's never really a topic we argue over. I think we're all just really curious about what different churches teach XD I've been through 14 years of Catholic education, but despite that I'm still very open minded. I'd like to think that I should be able to think for myself and still have a strong faith y'know? Some of the stuff the Catholic church teaches I'm not big on whatsoever, the whole stance on gay marriage for one thing. Rolling Eyes I think the bible is very open to interpretation and sometimes people can use this to discriminate against others...which isn't very Christian at all.
    August 8th, 2013 at 01:52am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    @ WondrousSerendipity
    Differences include the existence of purgatory, confession, mortal sins, saints, confirmation classes, the entirety of the worship experience, the relationship between you and your religious leader, the things a non-Catholic spouse must do to marry a Catholic, etc.

    There are A LOT more differences than I ever thought. My boyfriend is Catholic so I'm learning a lot about it.
    August 8th, 2013 at 04:54am
  • WondrousSerendipity

    WondrousSerendipity (100)

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    @ dru vs. slut shaming

    I know right? It's amazing how diverse one branch of religion, like Christianity for example, can be. I was talking more about the church structure than in depth beliefs, since beliefs vary widely across the entire spectrum.

    It really depends on the individual church, I was actually discussing this with one of my friends a while ago, he attends the Church of Ireland which is (I think?) the church most similar to the Catholic church. I find it all really interesting (I'm a bit of a nerd) for example, in his church they do practice the sacrament of confirmation. Even though they practice Holy Communion, they don't believe in transubstantiation as far as I know. (My friend was a bit freaked out by that one XD ). Some churches hold quite similar beliefs and practices, but what what really differentiates the Catholic church seems to be the papal infallibility and the immaculate conception (among other things of course Smile ).

    But yeah, my aunt converted when she married my uncle and it was incredible the amount of things she had to learn. Shocked
    August 8th, 2013 at 05:33am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    @ WondrousSerendipity
    The Pope is only infallible with the support of the cardinals. (I learned that one, literally, two or three days ago.)

    My boyfriend's mother also converted and explained it all to me. My aunt didn't convert when she married her ex-husband and had to take six months of classes.

    Most Christian denominations practice Communion, as far as I know. We did, but we believed it was a metaphor, as well, not literally turning into blood and flesh.

    I consider Catholics Christians, but I think they need to be differentiated because the differences are SO different. I think the same thing about Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. Both Christians, but different enough to need specified.
    August 8th, 2013 at 05:59am
  • WondrousSerendipity

    WondrousSerendipity (100)

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    @ dru vs. slut shaming
    Yeah, the entire vatican thing can get pretty complicated XD
    That's true, most Christian communion services are symbolic more than anything, I was just using that particular church as an example. I totally agree though, Christianity is such a broad term for so many completely unique belief systems.

    I think my aunt's lasted a little longer? She had to recieve all the sacraments as well though, it's really heavy going. Surprised
    August 8th, 2013 at 01:14pm
  • ButterballBaker

    ButterballBaker (100)

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    I'm a Unitarian Universalist. Most of my mom's side of the family are Baptists and most of my step dad's side of the family are Pentecostals. My dad's side of the family kind of keep to their selves but most of them are Catholic. My parents don't mind it much so that's okay, but sometimes when they go to church and stuff I feel left out. What I really hate is that I have to explain it to everyone that asks me about my religion.
    September 7th, 2013 at 02:46pm
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    @ ButterballBaker
    I have a friend who is one is well. The only thing that confuses me about UU as a religion is there seems to be no creed or dogma, just a general understanding of all religions. I don't understand the religion aspect of it.
    September 7th, 2013 at 06:00pm
  • ButterballBaker

    ButterballBaker (100)

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    @ gonna hear dru roar.
    gonna hear dru roar.:
    @ ButterballBaker
    I have a friend who is one is well. The only thing that confuses me about UU as a religion is there seems to be no creed or dogma, just a general understanding of all religions. I don't understand the religion aspect of it.
    There are ideas that we live by, it's not a very strict faith. http://www.uua.org/beliefs/principles/
    October 3rd, 2013 at 03:12pm
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    @ ButterballBaker
    That is so helpful, thank you. That makes a lot more sense now.
    October 3rd, 2013 at 03:59pm
  • liam payne.

    liam payne. (250)

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    My mom is Christian, and always has been, although she does a bible study with our family friends who are Jehovah's Witnesses. It's always interesting to listen to their discussions.

    However, my mom never instilled religion in me or my siblings. She told us about her beliefs, and then told us about a few other religions as well, and then let us figure it out for ourselves.

    My siblings and I, however, don't follow any religion. My mom doesn't mind it at all, and I thank her greatly for that because I have friends who get in a lot of trouble if they don't believe in what their parents do.
    October 19th, 2013 at 08:20am
  • open water.

    open water. (105)

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    My mom, and to extent my dad, are quite a bit more religious than me. I do identify myself as a Christian and believe in God in a way, but my mom is quite a bit more spiritual. We went to church when I was younger every so often, but fell out of habit since we're not morning people, but I did go to sunday school as a young child and then again in when I was a bit older for awhile. It's the same church my mom and dad grew up going to every Sunday, a smaller methodist church that my parents actually got married at. I also did orchestra for a short while at a very large baptist church with a friend back in high school, it was pretty cool. (They had a Starbucks inside the church. It's insane, that place is huge.)

    Even though they're more religious than me there's never been really big issues, though I am a lot more skeptical than she is. I probably through a bit more of a fit when I was younger, but that's just because I like sleeping in on Sundays. Shifty

    I have no clue what my brother considers himself as. To be honest, he probably doesn't even remember going, I don't think he really cares at the moment.

    My friends are a mix, ranging from very religious to very anti-religious in some, since I'm in the middle it doesn't offend me too much. I don't have very pushy friends towards me, but I've heard some debates between them before (especially now that I live with two friends with very differing views, my goodness). I just generally stay out of it or sometimes little comments. I don't like to argue that much.

    Also, my boyfriend is not religious at all, but I think he's been more open to my idea of God since we started dating almost two years ago. When we first started dating I heard a few scoffs hear and there if the idea of religion came up, but it's definitely not as common now. He was never down right your beliefs are wrong with me and I never tried to "convert" him, we just got more used to it. He's never with my parents much though, so I haven't really hit that issue yet.

    But overall (tl;dr) not really any big issues myself, but I'm not very extreme against or for religion.
    October 20th, 2013 at 07:43am
  • eyesofalice

    eyesofalice (100)

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    hi. well my religion is pagan. i believe in the old ways..i used to be a christian but from personal things i converted to paganism. i will say im very open minded to others beliefs, and i ask the same for me. not everyone understand, and theres more accusations than facts about it. i'm a very nice person and totally willing to be friends with anyone Very Happy
    November 1st, 2013 at 10:26am
  • Queen of Suburbia

    Queen of Suburbia (315)

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    My Dad is a Lutheran, and my mom is a Christian but she's skeptical about most things. She's open-minded to almost anything, probably because her family has Catholicism, Judaism, Spiritualism, Voodoo, and Athiesm in their background.

    I'm a pagan. My views are pretty much a mixture between philosophical beliefs as well as spiritualism.
    November 4th, 2013 at 10:07pm
  • EmmeliaM

    EmmeliaM (100)

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    I've got a couple atheist friends, Mom's spiritual, boyfriend is spiritual/agnostic, I'm a Wiccan, Dad and all his family are Christian. It hasn't really caused any problems or anything like that, although I was surprised when one of my atheist friends said that religious people made him uncomfortable. He didn't know until that moment that I'm religious, and when I told him I am, he said he had always been comfortable around me. I hope that doesn't change, since that was a bit of an ignorant statement on his part (especially when not every religion is going to be alike, and conservative Christianity =/= religion as a whole), and I'd hate to lose a friend over religious differences.
    November 9th, 2013 at 09:10pm
  • solo sunrise

    solo sunrise (260)

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    edit: old post
    November 16th, 2013 at 05:38am