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Do you really believe in religion or do you conform for socioeconomic advantages?

Do you really believe in religion or do you conform for socioeconomic advantages?

  • Yes I really believe in religion.

    Votes: 20 83.3%
  • No I conform belief in religion for socioeconomic advantages

    Votes: 4 16.7%

  • Total voters
    24

Ryan5

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I know for a fact that I don't believe in religion at all but I'm officially a Christian for socioeconomic reasons.
 
I don't believe in religion itself. I have beliefs that are not very commonly socially accepted, and they have to do with life, meaning, right, and wrong, but no, it's not a belief in religion, and I get no social or economic benefits from it whatsoever.
 
yes l believe because l feel
 
I know for a fact that I don't believe in religion at all but I'm officially a Christian for socioeconomic reasons.

I don't really get what you mean by socioeconomic reasons. Unless you're running a church, what difference does it make?

(Didn't vote -- I'm an atheist.)
 
I don't really get what you mean by socioeconomic reasons. Unless you're running a church, what difference does it make?

(Didn't vote -- I'm an atheist.)



Whether or not you are religious can potentially have a big impact on your socioeconomic networking in life.



Another example would be I sleep with (and want to continue doing so) pretty Christian women. Obviously, me officially being a Christian helps that along nicely. :)
 
Whether or not you are religious can potentially have a big impact on your socioeconomic networking in life.



Another example would be I sleep with (and want to continue doing so) pretty Christian women. Obviously, me officially being a Christian helps that along nicely. :)

So you just got your driver's license or does mom still drive you around with your dates?
 
I am religious for the psychological advantages. There was a short period in my life that I considered myself an atheist, and I felt that it did nothing to improve my life; if anything, I felt depressed and pessimistic much of the time. I eventually got back into being a Christian (but not a member of any church or branch of Christianity, as I do not trust organized religion), and have found no reason to regret my decision. I've never felt the kind of sweeping passion for my religion that some people describe, but I take comfort in my religious principles; they make the bad times more bearable and the good times more enjoyable.

But as for socioeconomic reasons, no. Haven't considered those, actually. Guess it's an INTJ thing.
 
I am religious for the psychological advantages. There was a short period in my life that I considered myself an atheist, and I felt that it did nothing to improve my life; if anything, I felt depressed and pessimistic much of the time. I eventually got back into being a Christian (but not a member of any church or branch of Christianity, as I do not trust organized religion), and have found no reason to regret my decision. I've never felt the kind of sweeping passion for my religion that some people describe, but I take comfort in my religious principles; they make the bad times more bearable and the good times more enjoyable.

But as for socioeconomic reasons, no. Haven't considered those, actually. Guess it's an INTJ thing.




I hear ya.


I personally have found it's simply easier to conform and reap the societal benefits of being a Christian even though I'm extremely secular.



I can definitely tell that I advance more in my career, get higher socioeconomic status women and just in general get treated better when I wear a cross or advocate my Christianity subtly so on a social level. I do it strictly for the benefits of which there are many, that said, I could never believe in religion on a logical level ever.
 
I hear ya.


I personally have found it's simply easier to conform and reap the societal benefits of being a Christian even though I'm extremely secular.



I can definitely tell that I advance more in my career, get higher socioeconomic status women and just in general get treated better when I wear a cross or advocate my Christianity subtly so on a social level. I do it strictly for the benefits of which there are many, that said, I could never believe in religion on a logical level ever.

So you're a walking talking hypocrite?
Or would "liar" be a better description?
 
I hear ya.


I personally have found it's simply easier to conform and reap the societal benefits of being a Christian even though I'm extremely secular.



I can definitely tell that I advance more in my career, get higher socioeconomic status women and just in general get treated better when I wear a cross or advocate my Christianity subtly so on a social level. I do it strictly for the benefits of which there are many, that said, I could never believe in religion on a logical level ever.

You are a prime example of what I've always called the "social Christian". You don't really buy into the beliefs, you pretend to do so because you think it makes you look better to the neighbors. I think the vast majority of people who claim to be Christians are actually "social Christians". They don't care about the Bible, they have no idea what they're supposed to believe but wearing a cross or showing up at church for networking purposes now and then gets them somewhere socially.
 
I don't really get what you mean by socioeconomic reasons. Unless you're running a church, what difference does it make?

(Didn't vote -- I'm an atheist.)

I think you underestimate the importance of religious communal networks and social acceptance/stature. It's why a Jewish parent might go to Temple for the High Holidays and send his kids to Hebrew School even though he's an atheist, or why a Catholic might do the same for CCD and Mass. You do it to maintain the acceptance of your peers, the ease of networking with your religious peers, access to opportunities you might not otherwise receive, and avoiding the potential glare of being a non-believer.

What he's also really asking in a way is: Do you conform to the religion you were raised with because of the value of conforming?
 
I think you underestimate the importance of religious communal networks and social acceptance/stature. It's why a Jewish parent might go to Temple for the High Holidays and send his kids to Hebrew School even though he's an atheist, or why a Catholic might do the same for CCD and Mass. You do it to maintain the acceptance of your peers, the ease of networking with your religious peers, access to opportunities you might not otherwise receive, and avoiding the potential glare of being a non-believer.

What he's also really asking in a way is: Do you conform to the religion you were raised with because of the value of conforming?

There are plenty of other non-religious groups one can belong to, and not all peers are so judgmental that they'd dislike you because of your religion.

Any group gives you certain opportunities, and also takes some away (if you conform to it to such an extent that going outside of it is a non-option).
 
I think you underestimate the importance of religious communal networks and social acceptance/stature. It's why a Jewish parent might go to Temple for the High Holidays and send his kids to Hebrew School even though he's an atheist, or why a Catholic might do the same for CCD and Mass. You do it to maintain the acceptance of your peers, the ease of networking with your religious peers, access to opportunities you might not otherwise receive, and avoiding the potential glare of being a non-believer.

What he's also really asking in a way is: Do you conform to the religion you were raised with because of the value of conforming?

No. I do not conform to the religion in which I was raised. It didn't work for me. I do recognize that it does work for others and I respect that. Interestingly, family and friends and people in general have been very respectful on the decision I made to practice a different religion. They recognize (probably with great relief) that it works for me. All manners of Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism or whatever works at different levels in different manners and even at different times for the people who profess those religions. The same goes for atheism.

It would be damned nice if people could simply accept the religions and levels of acceptance of other people in or not in a specific religion and leave them alone.

I would add that professing a religion so that one might attract and bang other people of said religion is practicing a perversion not a religion.
 
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I'm an atheist, but at work and to my wife's family, I'm a Christian that doesn't attend church of any kind. They all buy it because I know far more about the Bible than they do.

At my previous job I was very good friends with my boss. He was my in-laws neighbor. We had a few nights where we hung out at his house and he had too much to drink and was talking about how great Lebanon was (He's a good ole southern boy but his wife is lebanese) because over there they bring the fags and the atheists in to the woods and you never hear from them again, and that's an easy way to deal with them. So needless to say, from there on out I've gone through great lengths to make sure that I'd never be out of a job simply because someone knew I was atheist. As of right now, a handful of close friends and my wife knows that I'm atheist and it's no big deal. But letting any co-workers now would be career suicide from where I'm sitting.
 
What he's also really asking in a way is: Do you conform to the religion you were raised with because of the value of conforming?

Kind of sort of for me. It largely depends on the situation in terms of who I'm talking to, what I'm talking about, and how much time I want to devote to it.

I kind of explained this in another thread recently:

That's the funny thing with discussions of Deism that I never guite got.

It's quite possible to be theologically a Deist, while claiming and even actively participating in an established religion for a host of other options.

In general, when asked my religion I say Christian, as its generally simpler in situations where I don't feel like getting in depth about it with the person. I was raised Christian, if I go to church currently it's to a christian church, when I generally think or offer a prayer to a "god" it's in the Christian mold, and in general I live my life guided by a moral code that was highly influenced by Christian morality. However, when I have time or desire to actually sit and discuss with people I'm probably far closet to a Deist or Agnostic as opposed to a true Christian.
 
I know for a fact that I don't believe in religion at all but I'm officially a Christian for socioeconomic reasons.

So you call yourself a Christian, even though you aren't.

I'll remember that you are a dishonest person.
 
Whether or not you are religious can potentially have a big impact on your socioeconomic networking in life.



Another example would be I sleep with (and want to continue doing so) pretty Christian women. Obviously, me officially being a Christian helps that along nicely. :)

You are either a Christian, meaning you are surrender to Christ as your Savior for exactly that reason, or you are not.
It is not a bargaining position for socio economic advantages.
 
I hear ya. I personally have found it's simply easier to conform and reap the societal benefits of being a Christian even though I'm extremely secular.
Have you ever heard of secular Jews? You're similar, but Christian.

Also to note: I hate secular Christians. Lol - :lol: But that's because I feel like moderates and conformers only serve to legitimize the behavior of the fundamentalists/extremists.
 
You are a prime example of what I've always called the "social Christian". You don't really buy into the beliefs, you pretend to do so because you think it makes you look better to the neighbors. I think the vast majority of people who claim to be Christians are actually "social Christians". They don't care about the Bible, they have no idea what they're supposed to believe but wearing a cross or showing up at church for networking purposes now and then gets them somewhere socially.

I definitely am.


I mean how can anyone blame young men of my generation honestly? Logically everyone knows religion is untrue. Most men are rational.



-All the women worth having in the looks department are on the mainstream "big yard, big house, two kids and we're going to church on Sundays or at least saying we do" grape vine.



You're either going to play along to put a smile on their face or you're going to settle for less attractive women, it's that simple. The ironic part is they're not even that religious. They just like the idea of being religious but with women they can't admit this as most men can. They wear their emotions and ideology on their sleeve.
 
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