Religious Nerdfighters?

[Neko]

I was just interested in the cultural and religious demographic of Nerdfightaria, I'd like to hear what everyone's cultural and spiritual back round is. Of course if you're not comfortable revealing anything, then no pressure :) My parents are both middle eastern but I was born and raised in the US.

[Vicky Rose]

I've just been in NZ for a year but I wouldn't say Christians are a rare breed! Maybe at uni... But even backpacking through the country and living in Auckland I've met loads of Christians.
Just wanted to send a msg to say - don't lose faith. I know it feels awful when you feel like there aren't many people around you with the same beliefs.

[Richard (T.A.F.K.A.T)]

Brought up Church of England Englishman,

Now an Agnostic Atheist Englishman.

[Clive-φ-Davidson ImagesNM]

I was brought up Pagan but I'm sort of leaning towards my own personal religious philosophy based on Terry Pratchett's strata and Teapot Agnostic ideas.

[Neko]

Terry Pratchett FTW!

[Daniel]

I'm a religious, orthodox Jew. Born and raised in the Republic of South Africa. My mom's American. (And both sides can be traced back to Lithuania. Or there-about).

[Clive-φ-Davidson ImagesNM]

Lithuania? Wow... Wow, I love that word for it's almost symmetricality.

[Feral-Faerie]

Sikh form the UK

[Maggie Baker]

I am an atheist, and occasionaly a Pastafarian. I am as northern european as you can get (bascially if it is below England, I don't have any blood from there!) My dad was raised Roman Catholic, and I'm not sure about my mother. I have no problem listening to religious people tell how I "don't belive in anything" and "I'm going to hell" because I just argue back. I apoligize if I just stereotyped anyone.

Pastafarian = http://www.venganza.org/

[Neko]

That's cool. I was just wondering, (and I'm not trying to be inflammatory, this is just based from what I've heard), how many Pastafarians take the whole idea seriously? Just asking because I've met people who say they believe in it but that really it's just more of a joke. It seems like it could be to me but I really just don't know who takes it seriously.

[Maggie Baker]

I take it as a joke, because the FSM was found to prove against religious teachings in school (the page explains it better than I can). I normally say that I am a Pastafarians when people won't stop bugging me about being Atheist. As long as it sounds vaguely relgious, the people stop bugging me, not even bothering to question what Pastafarian really is.

The Invisible Pink Unicorn is also fun the believe in. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invisible_Pink_Unicorn

[Chris E]

I suppose that could be an effective route to stave off questioning until you try to explain the correlation between Piracy and Global Warming, eh?

[Neko]

yes, yes, i totally understand. it's an interesting idea.

ah yes, the invisible pink unicorn thing. have you ever heard escape pod? it's a podcast of science fiction stories read aloud, and the guy who hosts it actually invented that religion. the funny thing is that he did it offhand and only just realized about a year ago that there was a following.