What is your religion?

[silverraven0]

Was a former buddhist (both type of Buddhism). I kind of get the epiphany that god may or May not exist so I've been an Agnostic atheist for some years while living in my own moral value. Still have some of the Buddhist value in my life tho.

I'm a bit shocked that the majority here picked unaffiliated.

[Kiweevil]

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[MrAuto]

I don't think you understand the concept of religion. Shintoism is in fact a religion. All mythologies (Norse, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Aztec) were all once a religion. Unless of course you are referring to a typo that I did not see (Shinto vs Shintoism).

Personally, I was baptized Catholic at birth, confirmed (unwillingly as required by my Catholic school) at 12. Was called a Satanist by teachers and classmates in high school. Thought to be an atheist in college. And all because I believe in a complex interconnected web of a multiple religions mixed into one.

There is no true religion, but each one carries a tidbit of reality, morals, and good practice.

FYI, agnostic goes to unaffiliated.

[Grhe]

Well I've been living in in Japan for 5 years now, and from my experience Shinto is not a religion. It's more of a way of life, sure there are "Gods" called kami, but they inhabit everything like mountains etc. But it's used as a metaphor to treat all objects as living things not to pray to or treat as a deity. Pretty much all Japanese people don't consider it a religion in the western sense of things, there's no "Bible" and no central holy site like the Vatican/ Mecca / Jerusalem. It's often even fused with Buddhism, and many Japanese people mix traditions and customs from both. And believe me, as someone who lives in Japan. I can 100% tell you that most people do not consider it a religion. To call it a religion just blindly as you do, clearly shows you don't know anything about it and just pile it onto the other religions.

[vothnthorvaldson]

I don't know much about Shinto but your definition of religion is way too restrictive. You define a religion with a strong dogma like the Abrahamic religions. Not all religions are like that. Hinduism for example does not enter in your definition of religion.

[MrAuto]

Just because you live in Japan does not mean what you believe is correct. It is a religion by definition of what a religion is not by practice. I agree, that currently most people in Japan specially in urban locations do not consider Shinto as their faith and based on Japanese history and Buddhist influence, many of the practices and deities have been merged.

The way you are stating is as a matter of fact is bit tactless to people who consider this as faith. The very reason several shrines have gone to disrepair (some discontinued) is due to the fact that the following has decreased throughout the decade. Heck, Shintoism has been in decline since the Sengoku period and further more after WWII.

To put it simply, religion in its broadest sense means the belief in the existence of a god or gods, and the activities that are connected with the worship of them, or in the teachings of a spiritual leader. Shinto priests exists to this day and they still maintain the shrines and perform festivals related to their respective deities.

FYI, The Ise Grand Shrine to Amatersu is the the most important religious site for Shintoism, and the closest they have to a "Bible" is the Kojiki. Though yes, some practitioners consider it as a way of life but then again, so is Buddhism.

Another definition of religion is a particular interest or influence that is very important in your life. Which is to say justifies it as a religion even by way of life.

In fact, the worship if one's self or narcissism is a religion in it of itself.

You do realize that paganism,(worship of the elements, the seasons, animals, etc.) does not have any central text nor single religious site.

Narrow-mindedness is the bane of writers, I'd suggest to look things up before claiming 100% of anything. Also, most people is not 100%.

[Grhe]

Well since you've said living in Japan doesn't make you an expert, then reading facts on the internet has no weight either.

In fact, since I've lived here, experienced the culture, speak Japanese and have Japanese friends shows that I would have more insight than you just reading about it.

You're fusing two different words together faith and religion, which are clearly different. Sure some people may have faith in Japan but from my experiences with Japan and the Japanese people, they wouldn't ever say that they're religious.

You mentioned the Kojiki, which you referred to as "close to the Bible", which is really tactless to Christians. People genuinely believe in those scriptures, whilst even shinto priests have admitted on multiple occasions that the Kojiki are just fables. If you said that to a Japanese person they would literally think you're crazy.

The fact you call me narrow minded whilst clearly not knowing about Japanese Shintoism and clearly Christian as well, it's chalk and cheese.

If you want to see it as a religion then go for it, but for Japanese people I've met, they just don't. I'm really done with this, l guess I shouldn't have made an internet comment about Japan with a stranger obsessed about semantics on the internet.

[gempompadour]

Was shinto historically a religion to the japanese? Like did they believe the many kami were real or were they always atheists? Animism and simple nature worship are classed as religions even though they lack the rigid nature of organized religions. Japanese still have shinto priests, shrines and sacred rituals, but as I understand are mostly atheists. It's like christianity in Europe; people identify as cultural christians but don't believe in a god.

[jjfresh]

Was shinto historically a religion to the japanese? Like did they believe the many kami were real or were they always atheists? Animism and simple nature worship are classed as religions even though they lack the rigid nature of organized religions. Japanese still have shinto priests, shrines and sacred rituals, but as I understand are mostly atheists. It's like christianity in Europe; people identify as cultural christians but don't believe in a god.

Yes, to some degree it was genuinely practiced. Shintoism in modern day, however, is more cultural than it is a practiced religious system. Regardless, it's enshrined in culture and this is very evident, similarly to the Judeo-Christian influences of Western history

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I Didn't realize there was ridiculously unecessary debate going on. If you wanna fight over what's what and who knows what, start with how you are choosing to define religion.
According to Merriam-Webster

• a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs and practices

• a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

You wanna fight over something pointless, start with that.

OED's definition here

(I quite prefer OED so it's there if you wanna go through it)

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[TadxSarah]

Christian nondenominational

[jjfresh]

Was a former buddhist (both type of Buddhism). I kind of get the epiphany that god may or May not exist so I've been an Agnostic atheist for some years while living in my own moral value. Still have some of the Buddhist value in my life tho.

I'm a bit shocked that the majority here picked unaffiliated.

I find it funny you're shocked honestly lul.

There has been a trend with younger generations considering themselves areligious. Perhaps it's influence from peers, less stringent religious upbringing, who knows.
Lot of people do not associate themselves with any practicing religions as they just don't care, though they may not be so dogmatic to believe there is no God/creator or faith; they simply don't practice a religion.

They may not care either. Lot of people don't care so they put themselves under unaffiliated.

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Me blabbing

I personally put myself under unaffiliated but I thought through it a lot and have my own set of beliefs in a relativistic, idealistic perspective. Also nihilistic (but not in a pessimistic postmodern perspective) because these beliefs don't really have value except that which I create for myself.

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I would say I also have some Buddhist values too as I have some influence from Buddhism a well as Catholicism >:J

[indagold]

None. I used to be a sorta agnostic/pantheist and then realized it's all fluff. This life is all you get, better live it as it is and make the most of it. You get no extra lives on hard mode philosophy lol

No it doesn't affect my writing. I don't want every story to tip a fedora at you.

[ButterflyEmpress]

Unaffiliated now, but growing up we were Seventh Day Adventists. The difference was that we went to church on Saturday. The rules for eating meat were confusing, but it’s the reason to this day that I’m squeamish around pork.
I always hated going to church. It was boring and scary at the same time, with the whole missing my favorite kidsWB shows to get spooked about the 2nd coming of Jesus thing(Plus my dad was a chatterbox which meant being stuck in church for several hours).
Nowadays I don’t really feel like anything’s out there, I think life is just one big wacky coincidence, but who knows.

@KGBuchanan I had no idea quakers still exist. I remember reading the book “A Day No Pigs Would Die” a back in middle school. The protagonist and his family were quakers and our teacher said that quakers weren’t around anymore.

[silverraven0]

Yeah, I live in the place where most people is a Muslim so we got mosque everywhere and the expectation that most people is religious is kinda something. Guess it's just a shock because I don't expect that kind of result in a forum full of artists and writer.

...

I should have thought, lol.

[oshirockingham]

the place where most people is a Muslim so we got mosque everywhere

That sounds like... Indonesia?

[jjfresh]

Southeast asian countries or middle east, or certain African countries. Hell, communities within european countries. But indonesia came to mind for me as well.

@silverraven0
For me, most artists I've come across were unaffiliated (with Christian background). Of course that stuff is subject to culture but I'm less surprised a bunch of artists dont affiliate with any religion lels

[monotone_ink]

Hell yeah

[thecrystalrook]

Dragonball of course

[Freemints30]

Well religion, I would say Christian raised catholic (catholic schools until I was in community collage, catholic family). But more along the lines of Jesus was a cool dude and God exists but dang I don't trust any of his land daddies, if you know what I mean. (Priest, preachers, members who speak loudly of him and teachers)

I will say this I don't subscribe to a specific religion just a belief. The catholic pedo scandal and the amount of people I saw protesting to bring those priests back into the churches and victem blaming of those who came out. Even many blaming I shit you not "homosexuality for the scandal left a permeant sour taste in my mouth. Especially when my mom and dad states many have known this for years but religion is so engrained in the police nothing was or could be done about it, cus they where priests.

And alot of other things over the years (birth control, gay marriage, my hobbies being seen as satanic at some point), personally when religion and law mix I have rarely seen any good from it.

Does it affect my writing?

Not really I don't think so. But I guess occasionally some of my disillusionment of authority will slip in.

[Puck]

Once a jedi, always a jedi.
I was raised as a protestant though, I´m not a very spiritual or religious person