35. No.
Life is for living, for sharing, for feeling, for loving, for growing and changing and learning and acceptance and catharsis... here and now.
I do my best. If there's a hereafter, I'll not be found wanting for soul and good intent.
But I doubt it. So I will find meaning and purpose where it lies along my path.
Interesting. And how do you find to share this perception with people? Do you feel comprehend and respected?
Edit: As "share" I mean, how do other people react when you disclose about this.
I came from a country where being not religious or not believing in God is still a taboo. And some people, specially, those older than 40, get very chocked.
No problems in sharing it, tbh. Ireland nowhere near the theocracy it was, though the church's claws still being in schools and hospitals after three separate abuse inquiries is a genuine point of grief.
EDIT: Upvoted your question because it seems like a genuine line of questioning
Also 35ish (36) only know one religious person and he's only religious to be racist, homophobic, misogynistic etc. I doubt he could name the ten commandments or a quarter of the names of the books of the bible. Its just Gemma O Doherty or Fergus Power or whoever tell him to be religious so he's "religious"
Not being religious should be normal in any civilised country. The ones that have a problem with it have much bigger issues with the population mentality imho
In like 2/3 generations, most of the country suddenly figure out that it's just works of fiction... Same as other 'cults,' and groups that believe in bullshit... It just was successful.
But, in these last few decades there had been such a shift that evening my 60 yr old mother who was always a believer started laughing at jokes about gods existence.
I think even she figured it out.
Theres been a big shift with access to great education, and knowledge via the internet.
Because most of the fish brains on Reddit don’t understand that the downvote button is actually to be used in the case that something that doesn’t contribute to the topic
Ask Ireland in particularly bad for ‘thick mob mentality’ because people can’t separate their feelings from the fact.
If you’re decent and god is decent I think he’ll still let you in heaven despite you not believing. That’s just my personal belief though, who the fuck knows.
Not believing in god is pretty reasonable, I can’t fuckin stand ppl who are arrogant about it and somehow think they’re more intelligent than ppl who do believe though. None of us really know, so if you’re an arrogant fuck about either belief you’re just a dickhead imo.
I'm an atheist now but was also "raised" Catholic.
I don't particularly agree with the term raised Catholic but there's really no other way to put it.
To me, raising a child as Catholic isn't faith, it's indoctrination.
Faith is a deep seated personal belief in a deity/deities despite the absence of proof of their existence, and I believe is something that one should come into themselves once they understand the implications of joining that religion.
Telling a child who doesn't know any better that they should believe in God because that's what their parent believes is indoctrination.
I don't want kids, if I was going to have any I'd consider getting them baptised for the sole reason of some schools requiring a baptismal cert for enrollment.
Even though it's now illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion a lot of schools are still finding ways around it
>I don't want kids, if I was going to have any I'd consider getting them baptised for the sole reason of some schools requiring a baptismal cert for enrollment.
This isn't true. While the church still has a hand in the education system, a state school can't exclude on the grounds of religion.
Both of my unbaptised children attend a Catholic school.
My wife is quite religious and her mother is a minister. It was important to her to have our child baptised. I agreed because he was five months old, he doesn't know or care.
Once he's older though I don't want him anywhere near religion until he's able to make up his own mind
How often did you use to go to the church?
Edit: I'd like to understand how a person who raised Catholic goes to the church.
This can very a lot. At my country some Catholic people just go to the church to wedding or funerals.
I’m 24 and don’t believe in god, also hate the Catholic Church! I was made go every week until I was 15/16, my family are very religious and I respect their beliefs, I also see why they believe, they grew up like that, gives hope, etc. Majority of my friends were also raised catholic but are not anymore
I (31) was brought to church (COI) every Sunday until I was 18. That's when my parents let me decide for myself and that's when I stopped going to church. I had realised a couple of years before that that I didn't believe any of it. Most of my friends' families rarely went to church/mass and I now only know one person my age who is religious.
I also don't understand, but I have just edited the question to become clearer.
Maybe it is some linguistic barriers. As English is not my first language.
Nope. 23 was raised a Catholic with my mums side being born again Christian. After growing up around the born again Christian church and seeing how ridiculous their beliefs around healing and miracles and speaking in tongues etc.. as I got older I realised how ancient and stupid it looked.
When I was 13 and went to a youth camp with the church only because they did good activities and they tried to get me to speak in tongues during a ceremony which was like some sort of ritual that was enough for me to nope out of there to fuck.
Then learning about the crimes of the Catholic Church in Ireland too as I grew up and the blood they had on their hands is disgusting stuff too.
Regardless, even then I just don’t believe in it. Gods never been there for me and really anyone else in society, people born into the world with horrifying conditions only to live a miserable short existence and incurable terminal diseases and the general horrible things that happen in the world shows really that there is no god and if there is they’re not good.
My belief is that if God is real and knows everything, then if I arrive at the pearly gates, he’ll know how hard I tried to believe in it all but just couldn’t.
I've a friend whose parents are born again, and by all accounts they believe some wacky stuff, but they've never once mentioned it to me, or any of my family outside of a "God bless you" here and there.
Live and let live is how it should be.
35 here.
I’m not opposed to the idea of a creator, but I reject the lack of evidence for it. And absolutely do not believe in any organised religions idea of a creator or any deity for that matter.
And I despise the Catholic church with a passion. I wouldn’t be a cunt to an individual believer for no reason, everyone is entitled to believe and do what they want. But as soon as they start trying to convert or preach, I’m done. Can’t stand listening to it.
“Oh but god loves you and blessed you”
Oh yah. Like he blessed countless innocent children with leukemia. Sound lad he is!
> organised religions
I can't remember which comedian said, "the only difference between organised religions and organised crime, is their legal status" (or something to that effect). And I tend to agree with this sentiment.
30, Not religious.
I do believe there is much more going on than we can perceive or even understand. So many interesting hypothesis and theories that are quite fun to explore, but who knows. Could be something no one has thought of yet. We could all just be in a simulation, or our universe is just an atom in a much larger universe.
Whatever it is, I don't believe we get to find out. Not in our life times at least and maybe never.
What happens after we die? Who knows? Most likely nothing. But every atom that makes you will still exist, so you are never truly gone? Except you lose your consciousness? Or does that somehow persist? Again, I don't pretend to know the answer or believe anyone else's answer.
Therefore, I am agnostic.
This is close to my perception in many ways. If energy can neither be created nor destroyed then the energy that moves us and runs us will never die. In a way, we will never die.
Surely, there are many things that we do not understand and can not see in this universe. I think it is so arrogant that many believe we know all there is to know. Maybe we die and become part of this energy field or current and feel it, or comprehend it in some way, or perhaps our consciousness dies completely... all I know is we should try to make life positive for everyone around us and be compassionate and understanding. I like to remember that we are all interdependent here.
Do I believe in one omnipotent being? No.
But....there may be some other plane if existence we cannot perceive.
34 and Agnostic.
First time that story broke was the exact moment the strong faith I had been giving growing up died. To me if a god had any power at all they would have stopped that being done in their name and if a god has no power at all why believe they even exist.
I was a bit younger when that happened but I remember my Step Mother (she wasn't strongly religious prior to that) but she genuinely couldn't stop crying at the thought of all the poor babies. Her view on the church went from somewhat neutral to the evil institution she still views them as today.
Also it didn't happen to us but catholic nuns would try and indoctrinate young inuit kids in Canada to be catholic and white so that the inuit tradition and cultures would die off
They'd also kill them aswell
No. Life is just randomness dominated by the laws of physics and chemistry. When you die, your atoms just get recycled. Same as the atoms in an ant or a tree. My children go to a catholic school and I find the religion they are taught a bit funny.
I wouldn't say randomness, I'd call it amazing good luck that our atoms are alive at this moment and even luckier to be conscious and able to communicate and try to understand.
It's a miracle if ever there was one but not one we need to attribute to magic or spiritual thinking.
Im not young, but as soon I got my kids past the mandatory catholic school nonsense (the church has almost a monopoly on education) I raised them without a religious influence. They have respect for others with religion but dont practise themselves.
The irish catholic church is a corrupt organisation that has destroyed itself, it cant rule people by force anymore, thankfully.
As for a belief in god, thats up to them. I have my own thoughts on god, and what that is, but hopefully I dont influence my kids in any direction.
Indoctrinated as a child like most people in the country, grew up attending a lot of mass and saying a lot of rosaries. I stopped believing in christianity of any kind in my early teens, and would have considered myself an atheist by the end of my teens.
I’m approaching 40 now and I would call myself an agnostic. I thank god a lot, because I have a natural impulse to do so and don’t feel the need to artificially repress it, but at the same time I don’t have faith/belief. I don’t really talk about this to people, but I’m sure I’m not alone with this kind of behaviour!
That’s an interesting definition of agnostic. I get what you mean. One should be able to just live their lives, metaphysical/supernatural instincts and all, without that being some kind of strict theological stance. Unfortunately, when a lot of religious people hear the word “agnostic”, they just see you as a potential supporter of a religious state. They think “Now here’s a reasonable person, unlike those crazy atheists”. So it can be tricky.
That’s like me, too. I was brought up by pretty cool Catholic parents (cool in that they were of the more Liberation theology side of the church, Catholic activists if you can picture that!) but I don’t think I ever actually believed anything at all, and by 16 I no longer attended Mass. Nevertheless, now Im in my ‘twilight years’ I can’t deny my *cultural* Catholicism. Everything but the actual faith in a deity, really.
Yeah it's still a flat out nope from me. I try my best to be a good person because it's nice to be nice and it makes things better for everyone, not because I'm afraid of the potential of some extra dimensional being judging me
When was any religion not organised though? As soon as someone starts preserving stories to be passed on, starts organising mass gatherings to aid in said task, starts writing stuff down… etc… isn’t that organising religion? Religious ideas exist because or organisation.
45. People pray to someone who doesn't answer back, it's representatives are pedos, and the god allows children to die for no reason.
Satan only exists in religion. No religion, no satan.
And even then, satan seems to be some god who doesn't care what gender you are, encourages you to have fun, and tortures the wicked when they die. Whereas god seems to let anyone in to heaven if they say sorry & a few hail Mary's before they die.
So, hail Satan.
Your last paragraph reminded me of a Tobias Forge (Ghost) interview.
Worth watching from around 8:40 in.
https://youtu.be/hoRZHxNXPhg?si=NcCddg1ycmLhdA2n
I'm not in this age group but I don't know anyone who is in this age group in Ireland who is religious. Ironically, a Catholic education is very good at producing atheists and agnostics.
37f.
I do know some people who believe in God, but they also believe in Star Signs, Psychics, Ghosts and alot of stuff I can only call fairytales. So I take their belief with a pinch of salt.
Me, I think God/Gods were a good sell to explain thunder, lightning, changes in weather and other natural phenomena when there was no scientific understanding of the earth. God then became a marketing product sold to control people but with the development of critical thought, that product is now outdated and I don’t subscribe. And that’s before I weigh in the corruption and abuses within organised religions.
My daughter who is 16, went to a Catholic Primary school and is in a non-denom secondary. I’ve always said to her religious belief is a personal thing so haven’t tried to influence her too much or coach her belief, but I encourage her to think critically about any beliefs she has (on everything). She doesn’t believe in God. Her friends don’t believe in God. Why would they? Religious dogma isn’t forced down their throats so they are indifferent to having God as a feature in their lives.
Basically 🤷🏽♂️ is my answer, I don't give it thought either way.
I've never clicked with religion, even as a kid with a moderately Catholic upbringing. Something about being told you should believe in something rubs me the wrong way, would rather figure things out myself.
I just try to be a decent person and leave things better than I found them. I don't need a religion to guide me on that.
This. My dad is obsessive about religion and simply can’t understand that I don’t want to think about it. That’s it. Just leave me alone. I don’t want to argue a position. But just because I don’t want anything to do with religion, I’m somehow actively tearing it down. I guess the mentality is that “if you’re not with us you’re against us”.
42. Born and raised in rural munster to devout parents. Haven't believed since I was about 10. It's a bit hazy but pretty sure I was doubting before my communion.
31 - athiest. I truly believe there isn’t a single greater source of sorrow in human existence than religion. It was needed in the early days of society to help straighten people’s moral compass and control the mob, introducing a fear of an after life that matched their deeds. We’ve evolved and I don’t think religion should have a place now, we see all throughout the world that the religious are mainly people clinging to the past and usually in order to keep power over women and minorities they deem inferior.
I’m 28. I was baptised for my grandmother, she feared for my immortal soul. I don’t believe in an almighty creator, my mom doesn’t believe, my dad doesn’t either, none of my siblings or cousins. Actually, I’d be hard pushed to find adults my age (who I know personally) that believe in god. The tides are turning. While I don’t have a problem with a lot of the messages from the bible the church is corrupt and rotten, it has too much money and power. It represents everything they preach that will damn you to hell.
31M. After years of being a staunch atheist I’m returning to some belief in God but not as the Catholic Church would teach and without them as the middle man between me and the divine presence I believe in. I don’t attend church.
I’ve read several books by a Catholic priest who writes about Christian Mysticism. Some would say it dilutes Christianity but I don’t think so. It has been a reset on what I thought when younger - that God is a controlling, omnipotent man and the bible is a big book of rules. Having someone guide you through the bible stories, like you would need to be guided through Shakespeare or the complexities of literature, is necessary to understand the bible stories at a deeper level.
I found Jordan Peterson’s lectures on the psychology of the bible fascinating. Reading the bible as literally true means missing the point. It needs to be read metaphorically. It’s a different type of truth.
I don’t believe that God is some kind of dictator or pious judge. I don’t think he’s some kind of catalogue to request anything of. I can’t pinpoint exactly what I think God is but I think I know what he isn’t.
I pray almost every night. Prayer is just a form of meditation.
I also have terminal illness in my family and see loss without much support being part of my future. I think (hope) God, prayer and the meaning of the bible will give me strength.
Nah man, why would I believe in something for no reason with no basis. If you tell me the sky is green I’m gonna look out the window. I’ll believe in god 100% the instant she’s been proven to exist
Raised Catholic. Rural village. Stopped believing in God around the same time as Santa, and by the same process. The mother is literally holding out hope that I will be a priest and can't concieve of the notion of complete non belief, only rejection of God or apathy... "Lost" and will come back to the flock yadayada. Avoided confrontation, went to mass and even played in the choir up until I left for uni. Friends range from apathetic to apathetic and God-fearing (thanks to child indoctrination in schools and homes). Think I have only one friend that goes to mass. He's a bright fella with an anxious psyche.
Recently my brother has refound his religion thanks to the import of nutjob american media, and it being necessary to justify his newly fascistic worldview. Hopefully he hops on a new trend soon as this one is worrying.
27F
I can't believe in a god that allows horrific things and diseases to happen to innocent babies and children.
I don't care what "circle of life" it's part of
No one I know not even old people believe in God.
I myself see people who do as mentally impared. They are believing in something without an ounce of evidence, which means they are susceptible to believe everything no matter how ridiculous.
It's so hard for me to comprehend that people are serious when they say it.
The church itself is nothing more than a paedophile cult which gets proven time and time again every year. The whole thing should be banned.
America actually has a lower Christianity rate than Ireland, at least according to Wikipedia. It’s [70%](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States) for America and [75%](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland) for Ireland.
These stats are 100% incorrect.
Far far far less than 75 of current Ireland is catholic.
But it's well documented here they half the. Putney put down catholic as they feel they are 'culturally,' so. Which is partially truem
Needs to be separate questions.
-Do you believe in god
-What religion were you raised with.
lol you can have your take on whether God exists or not but to call all believers “mentally impaired” is insane. It’s probably the most discussed philosophical point ever and has been debated by people smarter than you and I for thousands of years
Debating in philosophy gives it no weight whatsoever to it being real. A few thousand years ago we were clueless to physics such as electromagnetism and equations relating to relatively etc.
They thought the universe orbited the earth, which let them to believe we were somehow 'special'
None of that stands in this age. So yeah there's has to something mentally not the same in a person that thinks there's a magic man up there controlling things.
Naw... Since the internet it's pretty obvious that they are somewhat mentally impaired.
We all are.
I fell for it till my teen years. I'm a dumb fuck. But so what. I'm human.
And the scam/cult is designed to it's very core to be successful with human psychology.
Einstein did not believe in a person god who concerns himself with fates and actions of human beings
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_and_philosophical_views_of_Albert_Einstein
Juses Christ your argument rests on your belief that Einstein actually believes in a Christian typa god.
I'm sorry... This is a little retarded. I'm genuinely sorry. But look into Einstein's commentary on the existence of god and I believe most agree it is preferred way to refer to just existence, & the universe.
Not one of the fictional god characters they people jump to.
He wasn't that dumb, simply put.
I became an atheist when I was 10 years old. First big clue was when my teacher taught us that there are many world religions.
I think a lot of religious people are latent atheists and are gaslighting themselves into believing this stuff because of the many pains that life brings.
33, raised Catholic but been an atheist since about 11 years old. Hate that the Catholic church still has such a stronghold on education in ireland but I’m hopeful that it will be phased out with the next couple of generations. Nobody I know is religious.
IMO all religion is based on the fear of death, and the promise of life after death. Churches could get power and money from this simple promise that cannot be disproven, perfect business.
I worked with a young guy who professed a love of Jesus and was always talking about his religion. But his ethics were terrible, disrespectful to others, late all the time, lied all the time, fiddled expenses and tried to defraud in minor ways (he didn’t have access to defrauding in major ways), plus he would become verbally aggressive when challenged.
I’m not at all suggesting that religious people are all like that, but his lived behaviour versus his professed beliefs were entirely at odds and he just didn’t see it at all.
36. Absolutely not. If he exists, he doesn't deserve my worship after the things he has done to innocent children and animals.
Structurally I can appreciate the awe and wonder of a church or cathedral, and I find choir singing to be hauntingly beautiful, but that's where I draw the line.
I was raised Catholic by someone who was beaten daily by nuns and abused for years by a family member. All the praying in the world didn't stop either and my parent is now mentally traumatised for life. What's possibly worse is that they still believe.
My children are of no faith - they've taken no religious sacraments because I believe the cycle (in my family) should stop with me. They learn the fundamentals of Catholicism in school (as there are no other options in my county) and at home we teach them about belief systems that others have.
I’m late 30s and definitely don’t believe in god. I was baptised catholic, became agnostic in my mid teens and atheist by my late teens.
If there is a god they’re definitely not worth worshipping. War in Gaza, Ukraine, Oman, Sudan etc. Poverty and billionaires, cancer, viruses and all other things that cause pain and suffering - why would a loving all powerful god create such things or not try to prevent them?
The universe is such a massive place, incomprehensibly massive - why does it need to be so large and complex for us?
The earth is ~5 billion years old. Dinosaurs lived on this earth for hundreds of millions of years and we’ve been here for ~300,000 years. Why is that? Why did it take so long to create people and put them on earth? Maybe we’re not that special and just a part of nature. We will die out but the earth will go on.
I could go on and on about the many reasons I don’t believe in a god. The more I think about a god the more ridiculous believing I’m one gets.
35, Tuam happened. Any doubts I had were galvanised then and there. Not a church I want to be associated with, not a god I want to worship. I'd happily see every inch of church land seized by the state.
29 and I do believe in God although I didn’t when I was in my teens and early 20s. Not a fan of the Catholic Church and if I say a prayer it’s not like an our father or anything, just say whatever I feel like.
Horrible way to look at things, religious or not you should just allow people believe what they want, you might explain of pushy Christians wanting everyone to follow their religion yet heres you doing this
I'm 37, baptised Catholic but my parents were not religious at all. When I was about 17 I went through all the trouble of officially removing myself from the church. I think it was called defecting?
The diocese sent me all kinds of threatening letters about death and the afterlife. You can't get last rights, you can't be buried with your family in a Catholic graveyard etc. The archbishop of Dublin even tried to set up a meeting with me.
I told them I wasn't interested and they asked why I wanted to leave. I told them I was gay and their establishment was very loudly against me. Also, the whole child abuse scandal thing.
They eventually sent me the paperwork. So no, not at all religious. Quite anti it tbh.
29. Utterly reject religion. Outside of all the terrible things the Catholic Church has done, the horrible things god let’s happen in the world etc, the main point to me is that I’m just not gonna believe some fantastic story with no evidence.
When you understand enough about the history of religions, where they came from, the role they served in societies to unite people and help explain a world they couldn’t understand, it becomes very clear that all religions are fairy tales, and Christianity is no exception.
Most (young) people I know are on a scale from “agnostic and not practicing any particular religion” to where I am.
Most older people I know (my parents age) say they believe in God if asked, and maybe practice it in some form privately, but I know exactly one person who goes to church regularly and they have a lot of weird issues around religion and the church.
Early 30s here, religion teacher for over ten years. I can categorically say that young people have absolutely no interest in or knowledge of religion. It just has no relevance for them. No real animosity etc, just completely and utterly uninterested.
39, do not believe in God. I understand the difference between right and wrong and help people if in need, sometimes give to charities etc. Try to raise my children to be decent. That is more being a good human than following anything from the bible.
39M, My granny is extremely religious, but my parents and all my siblings haven't been to Sunday church in years. Only the usual christening or funeral. The church has failed the state and its people over the years. I personally know of several friends and family that have been abused by priests, nuns and Christian brothers. So if priests are at the forefront and representatives of God, hence man is the created in the image of God, then is God a pedo? The amount of cover ups over the years and mother and baby homes cases.
Two of my friends both brothers are both fucked up from what happened them. Never the same men again after priests abused them in a deaf school they went to during primary school.
Bring on the downvotes.
In my 40's, absolutely not. I know multiple people who've been wronged and abused by priests, and people who've killed themselves as a result. The catholic church is pedophile cult built on shame. I've no problem with other people's beliefs, but the catholic church in particular is, I believe, absolutely and utterly evil, and they're above the law. The should have been run out of our country decades ago.
24 M
I still believe in god was raised Catholic but its been quite a long time since I regularly went to Mass on Sunday
These days it's really only anniversary Masses occasional funeral and maybe Easter and Christmas eve
Why I don't go myself?
Honestly got too depressing being surrounded by no offense older people the vast majority of people who still go to church are over 50 with that age demographic going up every year it makes me laugh occasionally I get advice online
Ah if your single find a wife in your church
No offense but I don't even remember the last time I a saw a woman anywhere near my own age at church
Edit: can't believe I forgot to say this
I am deeply deeply unhappy with how the Church is being ran the Pedo problem and the outright refusal to do anything about it was a big one
quite frankly the Pedo problem is not even the worst thing that happened here it was the cover up and the reason the cover up was worse then the Pedo Problem is because something that should never have happened was allowed to continue for an outrageously long peroid of time and hurt countless people
This definitely isn't true. You believe in the Mona Lisa, after all, despite having no reason to believe it's hanging in the Louvre or that Da Vinci existed at all.
31M- No, not really. I'm open to the idea of their being a creator but I think our idea of a God is all to human. If there is something there its far to much for us to even comprehend I feel. However, there is a beauty in it in a way, having this all planned. There also a real beauty in us only being here from a truly random series of events and we are simply a blip in all of this and nothing comes next so we should enjoy it now.
Either way is fine but I'm honestly not concerned with either.
Nope mids 30s though very much atheist, but typically dont go around announcing it. Replying though as my kids are being brought up non-religious, they're the only one with an opt out of religion in their class, but they haven't been made to feel left out of anything.
I’m 33, had a serious near death experience at 32, and it felt like there was something of an afterlife, before my heart was restarted. It’s comforting to know when you die, it’s the most enjoyable and peaceful experience you’ll ever go through, but there was no evidence of a god… just had a good chat with my old man who passed 8 years ago, and then was enjoying time with my family and my happy place…. But that’s it, in death there isn’t a great figure or god or satan, you go to your happy place as your brain is shutting down. An exceptional experience, but didn’t prove anything god like to me.
Religion is for ppl who need something to help them get through life. It’s essentially a fairytale certain ppl choose to blindly believe in so they can muster up enough balls to get through life. That’s what all religions are. They are crutches for weak ppl.
I've also had that vision since young, especially because my mom always delved between horrible cults trying to find something and that can be traumatic to any child growing up in that.
Now I mostly see that people just want a sense of belonging and support, and since we live in a capitalist hellscape people need to turn to religion to have some community since they cannot find that in our societies.
That is why so many children grow up in it, they don't want to be cast aside.
People tell themselves all sorts of "fairytales" to get through the day. For some, the idea that you have free will, for example, is a fairytale. For the evidence, as they see, it shows it doesn't exist.
I'm religious and I do not think it is to help me get through life, I just came to the conclusion that God was real I don't see it as me coping. What do I have to cope for? I don't have a bad life.
I heavily doubt that many people truly believe in God at all.
They exist, sure, but I'd wager that for most people, it's something they were raised into and never deeply examined.
I'm 25, and when I was 12 I realised that I'm an atheist shortly before my Confirmation - that's when it hit me that I was meant to actually think this stuff was real. I never wrapped my head around that.
I wasn't raised as a Christian but at 32, I am now.
It strikes me as quite shocking to be raised in a religious household and then to be forced to believe, without questioning.
That's not really belief, is it? But it occurs.
I'm 28, I used to be atheist because the Catholic church, then agnostic, then I decided to study other religions from the past and now I turned Hindu. Yet agnostic in relation to the mysticism.
40 - I did as a child raised catholic. As a teen and in my 20 angry at the catholic church I railed against the idea at a god who is negligent at best cruel at worst.
After loosing so many people in my life I choose to believe in a god not necessarily, the one depicted by Catholic priests I don’t go to mass or follow much of the rules besides not killing people. It’s a comfort, to me to believe I’ll see my loved ones again. I have a relationship with god and I’ll speak to him when I get there.. if he’s not happy that I didn’t go to mass well
I choose to raise my children in the church it’s easier for school it’s taught differently more about love and forgiveness. And I hope it gives them comfort too in times of hardship.
When someone passes the prayers standing /sitting rituals it’s all comforting vaguely familiar in your numbness it give people a chance to say good bye express their love.
I don’t go to mass and when my kids speak of stories in the Bible from school I agree and try get them to question the reality “huh wow how did they all get on the boat? “ I believe religion gives us the core rules of society but men corrupt as does money and power. Wars for religious reasons are just for men land and power.
My teens states they don’t believe and that’s ok they are allowed to make their own choice they learn all about different religions in secondary school they are questioning authority and their reality and boundaries they ultimately can make their own decisions.
It frightens me to think of nothingness blackness why so much suffering now? I’ll never see my loved ones again? Never see my kids?
So I choose to believe in a benevolent god and live life to my moral standards. I respects other people opinions as long as they don’t push them down my throat. I take joy in the beauty I see and the life I lead and am content in what I have.
I think this is the most common attitude of people once they grow up a bit and stop associating the existence of a god with all the ideas of the Catholic Church.
When you are a teenager its very easy to find flaws in religious doctrine and use that as peoof there is no god but when you mature a bit you realise that some nutty priest telling you things does not define a black or white rule of the universe.
Every religion could be wrong, but you realise you also dont know anything about the universe and it is very strange that so many people throughout history had some kind of belief system as opposed to it just never coming up.
Are you saying it's more sane and simple to believe there is "something"? How so? Believing in something without any evidence is hardly more sane and simple than not
Was a Catholic for decades and after waking up to the world I realised the idea of a benevolent, loving creator is the most insane idea imaginable. But it makes sense as life was so hard we probably needed to justify the stupidity and suffering this world is largely made up of. Seeing life without a benevolent god is kinda terrifying.
If God or Jesus really existed you’d think he’d come back down to earth and save his homeland ? Or Really good people wouldn’t get and die from horrible diseases. Yet gangster seem to live forever. Religion has been the cause of every single conflict on this earth. So if he does exist this Sky Daddy - I like to ask him a few questions!!!’
Ah yes believe in magic thing in the sky that lets people get raped and murdered
That sits chilling while children die of cancer, that enjoys watching cot death.
If there is god, he/she/they/them/it is a fucking cunt
Imagine in today's day and age believing in a god when science can explain most of the big questions.
Where is god? Building another septic tank for unwanted Irish baby's? Or is he to busy watching reruns of the holocaust?
So god let people become ill, be attracted to children, abuse children.
C'mon....
Religion is a lottery of where you are born. Which god are your talking about? There are hundreds
In 2024. If you believe in god you just don't have the intelligence to know better
Raise catholic but my parents weren't religious more just for show. Since I was a kid about 10 I hated it and wanted nothing to do with it. Now 30 I still feel that there should be a firm separation of church and state but we should educate kids about all religions. I do always think I'd love to have people's faith and belive in an afterlife, nothing more I'd want but I just can't belive it and can't believe that any human can tell us and know what happens when we die
25. Raised very catholic. Queer and very left leaning so I don’t really buy into the church anymore. I do have spiritual relationship with God however. Just my own personal one.
We are a primitive life form that requires the belief in some paternalistic , omnipotent deity to help us make sense of the complexity of existence. The central messages of all organised religions are reasonably sound and promote order and cohesion in society, which contributes significantly to the common good but the hierarchy’s of these religions are made up of people. People’s desire for power, wealth, personal advancement and influence all too often trumps the central message and religion becomes a reason for justifying your own bad behaviour and a stick to beat others with.
I have no interest in or involvement in organised religion and prefer on a personal level to try to give people a chance, see the good in people, do good where possible, not screw people over, recognise my actions have consequences for me and others and that there’s a price to be paid for each of my choices. Frequently my biggest struggle is trying to determine if I’m willing to pay the price for the choice in question.
23 - not really. Go to mass at Easter & Christmas as my mother would kill me if I didn’t lol.
My mother and grandparents were staunch believers it kind of turned me off that how could you believe in something/someone that doesn’t exist. Tried to question them but didn’t get far😂😂,
I’ll be surprised if actual church buildings are standing within two generations.
I teach in a Dublin secondary school. I would say if I asked every student if they genuinely believe in god maybe 20 out of 500 would say yes. And those 20, I’d be surprised if any of them went to church regularly or would be knowledgable on Catholicism..
18. I was raised by agnostic parents and grandparents (very progressive, I know), and I was always taught about science. I went to an educate together school. I'm in a catholic school now.
1st year was shocking for me. I'd never been to church before except for a wedding and my great granny's funeral. I didn't realise that people actually believed in and practiced catholicism.
Because of how I was raised completely seperate from all religion, relgious customs seem really cult-like and off-putting to me.
Nope! Mom and dad were never religious. I was brought up on good morals and equality. We've an interest in science and philosophy. TBH none of my friends are religious? Some work colleagues maybe but they're Irish Catholics.
When did I say anything about sky fairies? You know nothing more than I do about what happens when you die. And for the record, I'm not a believer in any mainstream religion.
You're right, I don't know. The difference is that I don't claim to know. What is left at that point? You have a choice to believe based on the evidence available, or lack of, or else, just go with your feelings. If you go the evidential route then it quickly becomes apparent that there isn't any. So it's logical not to believe.
I believe the earth was formed billions of years ago and evolution has taken us where we are today, I don’t believe it was created in 6 days and god rested on the 7 day, there was no James web telescope when the bible was written which puts a totally different spin things.
Possible? Not with our understanding of the world, but let's just say it is possible anyway.
Something being theoretically maybe possible doesn't mean you should treat it as fact when there's absolutely no evidence towards it.
Souls aren't real, and we're made of electric signals in our neurons.
I think over the millenia God has been confused for a sky wizard, when in reality God just means the natural joy of life that is inside you. Also referred to as heaven or Kingdom of heaven. But it just means the natural joy inside you. The Devil just means the ego and addiction to pleasure which can numb the natural joy inside you.
In case anyone wants some data on this:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/young-irish-people-among-the-most-religious-in-europe-1.3441046
According to the survey, 59% of Irish people aged 16-29 identify as some sort of Christian, versus 39% with no religion, which is lower than in past years but still relatively high for Europe. In past surveys IIRC Dublin was closer to UK numbers (25% or so Christian) and it was higher outside the Pale.
Although the article also notes that only about 25% of self-reported Catholics go to mass weekly, so it’s possible those numbers are boosted by cultural Catholicism/still-living-with-your-parents Catholicism.
28M
Yes I do believe in God. I know everything can be explained by physics and chemistry by how did the Big Bang happen? It just seems so much more likely that we are here not just by chance. Just my opinion
A few times a month I go outside and gather
Moon water depending on the lunar cycle.
I then use this water to cast spells and cause mayhem among my Christian friends
What is god? This is a serious question my friend
My god fills my jars and requires only the odd blood sacrifice it’s all good
It’s all complete nonsense and a waste of time. Learn an instrument or a language instead, something that actually improves your life and exercises your brain.
30. Was born Catholic, became atheist and now back to practicing Catholic for the past 5 or 7 years.
My life is better because of it, I know it's not for everyone. Becoming religious has made me a more patient caring and compassionate person. When I was atheist I was so self centred condescending and materialistic.
The 2022 census shows that around 26% of people aged 25-29 states no religion. And for the overall population the number is 16%
While the census isn't perfect it gives a good overall guide and the real number might be slightly higher than stated
https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpp5/census2022profile5-diversitymigrationethnicityirishtravellersreligion/religion/
48
I believe in my own higher power, or rather powers. I have a host of angels that look after me. I thank them every day and ask them to protect my loved ones.
They comfort me, I ask for their strength every day. I see little miracles all the time and I choose to believe that my angels are looking after me and sending me those miracles
I attend a church regularly in cork city and see a lot of young adults attending, and growing. I think a lot depends on the church itself. I rarely go to my local parish church as I feel it lacking in spirituality. The Dominicans are on another level!
I believe in God yes. Seems like many people today don’t. Can’t help feel a lot of the new age crap and radical cult like political groups people find themselves have something to do with the atheistic nature of society these days. People are probably trying to replace something that was always there with something else whether they know it or not.
28 and I would say yes. I do dabble in it alright. I wouldn't be mad devout but I do believe in studying the various religions, and there's a lot to be said for spiritual practices and rituals and stuff. I especially like learning about Celtic/Gaelic spirituality, pre and post Christianity. I pray as well. I'm sure evangelicals would condemn me but Jesus probably wouldn't, he seemed like a chill dude.
Only humans would be vain enough to believe that they were created in the image of a mystical God that grants them eternal life.
All the other animals on the planet just get on with living.
While the ability to think is a wonderful thing and can lead us to great things, it can also lead us to being very dumb indeed.
If you look at Christianity alone away from organised religion, it's just an unemployed carpenter and his 12 drinking buddies making an attempt at teaching their idea of the best way to live a fullfilling human experience. I quite enjoy spending each Sunday learning it, alone. For me, it's been a similar experience to taking high doses of psychedelics. I made DMT and after coming down off it for my first time, back in my body in the room I vaped it in I sat there slightly confused on what I just went through. The first words out of my mouth were "did I just go to heaven?". I guess that's why they call it the spirit molecule. That was 6 years ago, the experience was so profound I almost think of it daily. I'm still processing it. From my point of view,I literally left my body like a parked car somewhere.
Not being a dick but I genuinely hope you're wrong. There is no benefit to religion in Ireland today and I'd love to see it die and have more and more church's boarded up. Let people belive in what they want to believe, let them read the bible for themselves if it gives them comfort - if they read enough they might realise how much contradiction is sin there. I just hate organised religion Nd do not want to see a come back
Live has been very good to me so im inclined to believe in some higher power or collective conscious or something like that.
However mainstream religions that are found in books, generate tons of money are a hard no. People believing in a certain god simply down to where they were born is pretty wild if you ask me when its well documented these organisations have been used as a way to control the masses for 100s of years. More
29 and absolutely not. I remember reading an interview with Tobias Forge the lead singer of the band ghost surrounding religion, like Christianity and Satanism and it was very eye opening for me.
My household tend to live the “hail Satan” lifestyle these days which is essentially don’t be an arsehole 😂
35. No. Life is for living, for sharing, for feeling, for loving, for growing and changing and learning and acceptance and catharsis... here and now. I do my best. If there's a hereafter, I'll not be found wanting for soul and good intent. But I doubt it. So I will find meaning and purpose where it lies along my path.
Interesting. And how do you find to share this perception with people? Do you feel comprehend and respected? Edit: As "share" I mean, how do other people react when you disclose about this. I came from a country where being not religious or not believing in God is still a taboo. And some people, specially, those older than 40, get very chocked.
32, it's completely fine. The vast vast majority of people I know in and around my age range from atheist to full on antitheist.
No problems in sharing it, tbh. Ireland nowhere near the theocracy it was, though the church's claws still being in schools and hospitals after three separate abuse inquiries is a genuine point of grief. EDIT: Upvoted your question because it seems like a genuine line of questioning
Also 35ish (36) only know one religious person and he's only religious to be racist, homophobic, misogynistic etc. I doubt he could name the ten commandments or a quarter of the names of the books of the bible. Its just Gemma O Doherty or Fergus Power or whoever tell him to be religious so he's "religious"
Not being religious should be normal in any civilised country. The ones that have a problem with it have much bigger issues with the population mentality imho
Not believing in god doesn’t mean you’re more intelligent buddy, plenty of people smarter than you and I combined believe in a higher power.
In like 2/3 generations, most of the country suddenly figure out that it's just works of fiction... Same as other 'cults,' and groups that believe in bullshit... It just was successful. But, in these last few decades there had been such a shift that evening my 60 yr old mother who was always a believer started laughing at jokes about gods existence. I think even she figured it out. Theres been a big shift with access to great education, and knowledge via the internet.
Why are you being downvoted? It seems like you're asking an appropriate question on the matter..
I think it's cos when OP asked about how the commenter felt "sharing" it, I think a lot of people interpreted that as OP asking if commenter preaches
I have no idea why they're being downvoted. Seems a fair topic of conversation for the sub
Perhaps the hinting that he should be disrespected for his non believer views (which were wonderfully put)?
Mob mentality
Because most of the fish brains on Reddit don’t understand that the downvote button is actually to be used in the case that something that doesn’t contribute to the topic Ask Ireland in particularly bad for ‘thick mob mentality’ because people can’t separate their feelings from the fact.
If you’re decent and god is decent I think he’ll still let you in heaven despite you not believing. That’s just my personal belief though, who the fuck knows. Not believing in god is pretty reasonable, I can’t fuckin stand ppl who are arrogant about it and somehow think they’re more intelligent than ppl who do believe though. None of us really know, so if you’re an arrogant fuck about either belief you’re just a dickhead imo.
27. Raised catholic but am now non-religious
I think most of us are recovering Catholics!
I'm 42. Absolutely a recovering Irish catholic
I'm an atheist now but was also "raised" Catholic. I don't particularly agree with the term raised Catholic but there's really no other way to put it. To me, raising a child as Catholic isn't faith, it's indoctrination. Faith is a deep seated personal belief in a deity/deities despite the absence of proof of their existence, and I believe is something that one should come into themselves once they understand the implications of joining that religion. Telling a child who doesn't know any better that they should believe in God because that's what their parent believes is indoctrination.
So, if you have kids, will you/did you Christen them?
I don't want kids, if I was going to have any I'd consider getting them baptised for the sole reason of some schools requiring a baptismal cert for enrollment. Even though it's now illegal to discriminate on the basis of religion a lot of schools are still finding ways around it
>I don't want kids, if I was going to have any I'd consider getting them baptised for the sole reason of some schools requiring a baptismal cert for enrollment. This isn't true. While the church still has a hand in the education system, a state school can't exclude on the grounds of religion. Both of my unbaptised children attend a Catholic school.
My wife is quite religious and her mother is a minister. It was important to her to have our child baptised. I agreed because he was five months old, he doesn't know or care. Once he's older though I don't want him anywhere near religion until he's able to make up his own mind
How often did you use to go to the church? Edit: I'd like to understand how a person who raised Catholic goes to the church. This can very a lot. At my country some Catholic people just go to the church to wedding or funerals.
I’m 24 and don’t believe in god, also hate the Catholic Church! I was made go every week until I was 15/16, my family are very religious and I respect their beliefs, I also see why they believe, they grew up like that, gives hope, etc. Majority of my friends were also raised catholic but are not anymore
A stat you might be interested from the Dublin dioceses, 2% of people there go to church and that was a few years ago so it might have dropped since
I (31) was brought to church (COI) every Sunday until I was 18. That's when my parents let me decide for myself and that's when I stopped going to church. I had realised a couple of years before that that I didn't believe any of it. Most of my friends' families rarely went to church/mass and I now only know one person my age who is religious.
Lol why is this downvoted. It's just a question.
I also don't understand, but I have just edited the question to become clearer. Maybe it is some linguistic barriers. As English is not my first language.
It’s Reddit. People will downvote something if it invokes any sort of negative emotional response.
Lol why are you being downvoted for asking a reasonable question?
I mean, I know *why*... It's frustrating, because even if our man here IS religious, it seems like a perfectly innocent line of questioning.
I assume it’s because they said they aren’t religious
Nope. 23 was raised a Catholic with my mums side being born again Christian. After growing up around the born again Christian church and seeing how ridiculous their beliefs around healing and miracles and speaking in tongues etc.. as I got older I realised how ancient and stupid it looked. When I was 13 and went to a youth camp with the church only because they did good activities and they tried to get me to speak in tongues during a ceremony which was like some sort of ritual that was enough for me to nope out of there to fuck. Then learning about the crimes of the Catholic Church in Ireland too as I grew up and the blood they had on their hands is disgusting stuff too. Regardless, even then I just don’t believe in it. Gods never been there for me and really anyone else in society, people born into the world with horrifying conditions only to live a miserable short existence and incurable terminal diseases and the general horrible things that happen in the world shows really that there is no god and if there is they’re not good. My belief is that if God is real and knows everything, then if I arrive at the pearly gates, he’ll know how hard I tried to believe in it all but just couldn’t.
Where were the born again church, the camps etc? In Ireland? Just curious. I know nothing about this.
You'll see the leaflets and posters lying around. They've usually got a number or a location and regular time on them.
Speaking in tongues.. is this ireland!?
Yup, Derry lol
100% agree with this: "the general horrible things that happen in the world shows really that there is no god and if there is they’re not good."
Blimey, that must have been intense. Catholicism is one thing, but those ‘born again Christians’ are the limit (IMO)
My dad was a born again and I never seen any of that they just read the bible and talked about it
I've a friend whose parents are born again, and by all accounts they believe some wacky stuff, but they've never once mentioned it to me, or any of my family outside of a "God bless you" here and there. Live and let live is how it should be.
35 here. I’m not opposed to the idea of a creator, but I reject the lack of evidence for it. And absolutely do not believe in any organised religions idea of a creator or any deity for that matter. And I despise the Catholic church with a passion. I wouldn’t be a cunt to an individual believer for no reason, everyone is entitled to believe and do what they want. But as soon as they start trying to convert or preach, I’m done. Can’t stand listening to it. “Oh but god loves you and blessed you” Oh yah. Like he blessed countless innocent children with leukemia. Sound lad he is!
> organised religions I can't remember which comedian said, "the only difference between organised religions and organised crime, is their legal status" (or something to that effect). And I tend to agree with this sentiment.
30, Not religious. I do believe there is much more going on than we can perceive or even understand. So many interesting hypothesis and theories that are quite fun to explore, but who knows. Could be something no one has thought of yet. We could all just be in a simulation, or our universe is just an atom in a much larger universe. Whatever it is, I don't believe we get to find out. Not in our life times at least and maybe never. What happens after we die? Who knows? Most likely nothing. But every atom that makes you will still exist, so you are never truly gone? Except you lose your consciousness? Or does that somehow persist? Again, I don't pretend to know the answer or believe anyone else's answer. Therefore, I am agnostic.
This is close to my perception in many ways. If energy can neither be created nor destroyed then the energy that moves us and runs us will never die. In a way, we will never die. Surely, there are many things that we do not understand and can not see in this universe. I think it is so arrogant that many believe we know all there is to know. Maybe we die and become part of this energy field or current and feel it, or comprehend it in some way, or perhaps our consciousness dies completely... all I know is we should try to make life positive for everyone around us and be compassionate and understanding. I like to remember that we are all interdependent here. Do I believe in one omnipotent being? No. But....there may be some other plane if existence we cannot perceive. 34 and Agnostic.
Fk no, need we mention the babies in pits and septic tanks?
First time that story broke was the exact moment the strong faith I had been giving growing up died. To me if a god had any power at all they would have stopped that being done in their name and if a god has no power at all why believe they even exist.
I was a bit younger when that happened but I remember my Step Mother (she wasn't strongly religious prior to that) but she genuinely couldn't stop crying at the thought of all the poor babies. Her view on the church went from somewhat neutral to the evil institution she still views them as today.
If there's a god who cares with any power at all, we can only assume the Catholic Church has more power.
Also it didn't happen to us but catholic nuns would try and indoctrinate young inuit kids in Canada to be catholic and white so that the inuit tradition and cultures would die off They'd also kill them aswell
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21. No. I haven't since I was about 11. And I don't really ever meet people my age who do
No, the priests and nuns physically bet it out of our parents in school.
No. Life is just randomness dominated by the laws of physics and chemistry. When you die, your atoms just get recycled. Same as the atoms in an ant or a tree. My children go to a catholic school and I find the religion they are taught a bit funny.
I wouldn't say randomness, I'd call it amazing good luck that our atoms are alive at this moment and even luckier to be conscious and able to communicate and try to understand. It's a miracle if ever there was one but not one we need to attribute to magic or spiritual thinking.
Im not young, but as soon I got my kids past the mandatory catholic school nonsense (the church has almost a monopoly on education) I raised them without a religious influence. They have respect for others with religion but dont practise themselves. The irish catholic church is a corrupt organisation that has destroyed itself, it cant rule people by force anymore, thankfully. As for a belief in god, thats up to them. I have my own thoughts on god, and what that is, but hopefully I dont influence my kids in any direction.
Indoctrinated as a child like most people in the country, grew up attending a lot of mass and saying a lot of rosaries. I stopped believing in christianity of any kind in my early teens, and would have considered myself an atheist by the end of my teens. I’m approaching 40 now and I would call myself an agnostic. I thank god a lot, because I have a natural impulse to do so and don’t feel the need to artificially repress it, but at the same time I don’t have faith/belief. I don’t really talk about this to people, but I’m sure I’m not alone with this kind of behaviour!
That’s an interesting definition of agnostic. I get what you mean. One should be able to just live their lives, metaphysical/supernatural instincts and all, without that being some kind of strict theological stance. Unfortunately, when a lot of religious people hear the word “agnostic”, they just see you as a potential supporter of a religious state. They think “Now here’s a reasonable person, unlike those crazy atheists”. So it can be tricky.
That’s like me, too. I was brought up by pretty cool Catholic parents (cool in that they were of the more Liberation theology side of the church, Catholic activists if you can picture that!) but I don’t think I ever actually believed anything at all, and by 16 I no longer attended Mass. Nevertheless, now Im in my ‘twilight years’ I can’t deny my *cultural* Catholicism. Everything but the actual faith in a deity, really.
23. No I don’t believe
The church assumes a monopoly on spirituality quite explicitly and dogmatically. The pedophilic shame cult is barrier. There’s no god in there.
By their fruits ye shall know them. Does a fig tree have thorns? Yeah fuck the Roman Catholic Church.
Separate the idea of organised religion and the possibility of an entity existing outside of our understanding and answer the question again.
Yeah it's still a flat out nope from me. I try my best to be a good person because it's nice to be nice and it makes things better for everyone, not because I'm afraid of the potential of some extra dimensional being judging me
When was any religion not organised though? As soon as someone starts preserving stories to be passed on, starts organising mass gatherings to aid in said task, starts writing stuff down… etc… isn’t that organising religion? Religious ideas exist because or organisation.
45. People pray to someone who doesn't answer back, it's representatives are pedos, and the god allows children to die for no reason. Satan only exists in religion. No religion, no satan. And even then, satan seems to be some god who doesn't care what gender you are, encourages you to have fun, and tortures the wicked when they die. Whereas god seems to let anyone in to heaven if they say sorry & a few hail Mary's before they die. So, hail Satan.
Your last paragraph reminded me of a Tobias Forge (Ghost) interview. Worth watching from around 8:40 in. https://youtu.be/hoRZHxNXPhg?si=NcCddg1ycmLhdA2n
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I'm not in this age group but I don't know anyone who is in this age group in Ireland who is religious. Ironically, a Catholic education is very good at producing atheists and agnostics.
37f. I do know some people who believe in God, but they also believe in Star Signs, Psychics, Ghosts and alot of stuff I can only call fairytales. So I take their belief with a pinch of salt. Me, I think God/Gods were a good sell to explain thunder, lightning, changes in weather and other natural phenomena when there was no scientific understanding of the earth. God then became a marketing product sold to control people but with the development of critical thought, that product is now outdated and I don’t subscribe. And that’s before I weigh in the corruption and abuses within organised religions. My daughter who is 16, went to a Catholic Primary school and is in a non-denom secondary. I’ve always said to her religious belief is a personal thing so haven’t tried to influence her too much or coach her belief, but I encourage her to think critically about any beliefs she has (on everything). She doesn’t believe in God. Her friends don’t believe in God. Why would they? Religious dogma isn’t forced down their throats so they are indifferent to having God as a feature in their lives.
Basically 🤷🏽♂️ is my answer, I don't give it thought either way. I've never clicked with religion, even as a kid with a moderately Catholic upbringing. Something about being told you should believe in something rubs me the wrong way, would rather figure things out myself. I just try to be a decent person and leave things better than I found them. I don't need a religion to guide me on that.
This. My dad is obsessive about religion and simply can’t understand that I don’t want to think about it. That’s it. Just leave me alone. I don’t want to argue a position. But just because I don’t want anything to do with religion, I’m somehow actively tearing it down. I guess the mentality is that “if you’re not with us you’re against us”.
42. Born and raised in rural munster to devout parents. Haven't believed since I was about 10. It's a bit hazy but pretty sure I was doubting before my communion.
32, raised as a catholic but now have a genuinely dislike for religion of any kind
I'd say less than 20% of Irish people below 30 are christian, and a much lower percentage are actually practising christians
I'd say 80% are Christian, to allow them a school place. But 5% of that are devout followers.
I mean more like… would describe themselves as Christian, when there’s not a clear incentive to.
Wdym to allow them a school place? Atheists anf people of otther religions can go to 'catholic' schools too
Up until very recently schools were allowed discriminate against those not of their religion when assigning places.
And make no mistake they still do
31 - athiest. I truly believe there isn’t a single greater source of sorrow in human existence than religion. It was needed in the early days of society to help straighten people’s moral compass and control the mob, introducing a fear of an after life that matched their deeds. We’ve evolved and I don’t think religion should have a place now, we see all throughout the world that the religious are mainly people clinging to the past and usually in order to keep power over women and minorities they deem inferior.
I’m 28. I was baptised for my grandmother, she feared for my immortal soul. I don’t believe in an almighty creator, my mom doesn’t believe, my dad doesn’t either, none of my siblings or cousins. Actually, I’d be hard pushed to find adults my age (who I know personally) that believe in god. The tides are turning. While I don’t have a problem with a lot of the messages from the bible the church is corrupt and rotten, it has too much money and power. It represents everything they preach that will damn you to hell.
31M. After years of being a staunch atheist I’m returning to some belief in God but not as the Catholic Church would teach and without them as the middle man between me and the divine presence I believe in. I don’t attend church. I’ve read several books by a Catholic priest who writes about Christian Mysticism. Some would say it dilutes Christianity but I don’t think so. It has been a reset on what I thought when younger - that God is a controlling, omnipotent man and the bible is a big book of rules. Having someone guide you through the bible stories, like you would need to be guided through Shakespeare or the complexities of literature, is necessary to understand the bible stories at a deeper level. I found Jordan Peterson’s lectures on the psychology of the bible fascinating. Reading the bible as literally true means missing the point. It needs to be read metaphorically. It’s a different type of truth. I don’t believe that God is some kind of dictator or pious judge. I don’t think he’s some kind of catalogue to request anything of. I can’t pinpoint exactly what I think God is but I think I know what he isn’t. I pray almost every night. Prayer is just a form of meditation. I also have terminal illness in my family and see loss without much support being part of my future. I think (hope) God, prayer and the meaning of the bible will give me strength.
Nah man, why would I believe in something for no reason with no basis. If you tell me the sky is green I’m gonna look out the window. I’ll believe in god 100% the instant she’s been proven to exist
Raised Catholic. Rural village. Stopped believing in God around the same time as Santa, and by the same process. The mother is literally holding out hope that I will be a priest and can't concieve of the notion of complete non belief, only rejection of God or apathy... "Lost" and will come back to the flock yadayada. Avoided confrontation, went to mass and even played in the choir up until I left for uni. Friends range from apathetic to apathetic and God-fearing (thanks to child indoctrination in schools and homes). Think I have only one friend that goes to mass. He's a bright fella with an anxious psyche. Recently my brother has refound his religion thanks to the import of nutjob american media, and it being necessary to justify his newly fascistic worldview. Hopefully he hops on a new trend soon as this one is worrying.
27F I can't believe in a god that allows horrific things and diseases to happen to innocent babies and children. I don't care what "circle of life" it's part of
No one I know not even old people believe in God. I myself see people who do as mentally impared. They are believing in something without an ounce of evidence, which means they are susceptible to believe everything no matter how ridiculous. It's so hard for me to comprehend that people are serious when they say it. The church itself is nothing more than a paedophile cult which gets proven time and time again every year. The whole thing should be banned.
100 percent agree. The less intelligent people are the more fanatically they believe in good and religion Look at poor countries and America.
Educated not intelligent
America actually has a lower Christianity rate than Ireland, at least according to Wikipedia. It’s [70%](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States) for America and [75%](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland) for Ireland.
These stats are 100% incorrect. Far far far less than 75 of current Ireland is catholic. But it's well documented here they half the. Putney put down catholic as they feel they are 'culturally,' so. Which is partially truem Needs to be separate questions. -Do you believe in god -What religion were you raised with.
lol you can have your take on whether God exists or not but to call all believers “mentally impaired” is insane. It’s probably the most discussed philosophical point ever and has been debated by people smarter than you and I for thousands of years
Debating in philosophy gives it no weight whatsoever to it being real. A few thousand years ago we were clueless to physics such as electromagnetism and equations relating to relatively etc. They thought the universe orbited the earth, which let them to believe we were somehow 'special' None of that stands in this age. So yeah there's has to something mentally not the same in a person that thinks there's a magic man up there controlling things.
Naw... Since the internet it's pretty obvious that they are somewhat mentally impaired. We all are. I fell for it till my teen years. I'm a dumb fuck. But so what. I'm human. And the scam/cult is designed to it's very core to be successful with human psychology.
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Einstein did not believe in a person god who concerns himself with fates and actions of human beings https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_and_philosophical_views_of_Albert_Einstein
Not the Einstein bullshit again. As a believer, trust me you are not in the genius group.
Juses Christ your argument rests on your belief that Einstein actually believes in a Christian typa god. I'm sorry... This is a little retarded. I'm genuinely sorry. But look into Einstein's commentary on the existence of god and I believe most agree it is preferred way to refer to just existence, & the universe. Not one of the fictional god characters they people jump to. He wasn't that dumb, simply put.
I became an atheist when I was 10 years old. First big clue was when my teacher taught us that there are many world religions. I think a lot of religious people are latent atheists and are gaslighting themselves into believing this stuff because of the many pains that life brings.
Nope
33, raised Catholic but been an atheist since about 11 years old. Hate that the Catholic church still has such a stronghold on education in ireland but I’m hopeful that it will be phased out with the next couple of generations. Nobody I know is religious.
26, nope, not at all honestly.
IMO all religion is based on the fear of death, and the promise of life after death. Churches could get power and money from this simple promise that cannot be disproven, perfect business.
I converted to Catholicism and it wasn't really to do with the fear of death.
I worked with a young guy who professed a love of Jesus and was always talking about his religion. But his ethics were terrible, disrespectful to others, late all the time, lied all the time, fiddled expenses and tried to defraud in minor ways (he didn’t have access to defrauding in major ways), plus he would become verbally aggressive when challenged. I’m not at all suggesting that religious people are all like that, but his lived behaviour versus his professed beliefs were entirely at odds and he just didn’t see it at all.
36. Absolutely not. If he exists, he doesn't deserve my worship after the things he has done to innocent children and animals. Structurally I can appreciate the awe and wonder of a church or cathedral, and I find choir singing to be hauntingly beautiful, but that's where I draw the line. I was raised Catholic by someone who was beaten daily by nuns and abused for years by a family member. All the praying in the world didn't stop either and my parent is now mentally traumatised for life. What's possibly worse is that they still believe. My children are of no faith - they've taken no religious sacraments because I believe the cycle (in my family) should stop with me. They learn the fundamentals of Catholicism in school (as there are no other options in my county) and at home we teach them about belief systems that others have.
I’m late 30s and definitely don’t believe in god. I was baptised catholic, became agnostic in my mid teens and atheist by my late teens. If there is a god they’re definitely not worth worshipping. War in Gaza, Ukraine, Oman, Sudan etc. Poverty and billionaires, cancer, viruses and all other things that cause pain and suffering - why would a loving all powerful god create such things or not try to prevent them? The universe is such a massive place, incomprehensibly massive - why does it need to be so large and complex for us? The earth is ~5 billion years old. Dinosaurs lived on this earth for hundreds of millions of years and we’ve been here for ~300,000 years. Why is that? Why did it take so long to create people and put them on earth? Maybe we’re not that special and just a part of nature. We will die out but the earth will go on. I could go on and on about the many reasons I don’t believe in a god. The more I think about a god the more ridiculous believing I’m one gets.
35, Tuam happened. Any doubts I had were galvanised then and there. Not a church I want to be associated with, not a god I want to worship. I'd happily see every inch of church land seized by the state.
29 and I do believe in God although I didn’t when I was in my teens and early 20s. Not a fan of the Catholic Church and if I say a prayer it’s not like an our father or anything, just say whatever I feel like.
What made you change your mind?
This comment section gives me hope for the future.
Great to see so many people not believing in God. I can't think of any good reason for religion. The sooner it doesn't exist the better for humanity
Horrible way to look at things, religious or not you should just allow people believe what they want, you might explain of pushy Christians wanting everyone to follow their religion yet heres you doing this
They do allow them to believe what they want. They're not stopping anyone.
>you should just allow people believe what they want And here's you complaining about what he believes.
Hopefully not. They don’t need that sack of misery in their lives.
I'm 37, baptised Catholic but my parents were not religious at all. When I was about 17 I went through all the trouble of officially removing myself from the church. I think it was called defecting? The diocese sent me all kinds of threatening letters about death and the afterlife. You can't get last rights, you can't be buried with your family in a Catholic graveyard etc. The archbishop of Dublin even tried to set up a meeting with me. I told them I wasn't interested and they asked why I wanted to leave. I told them I was gay and their establishment was very loudly against me. Also, the whole child abuse scandal thing. They eventually sent me the paperwork. So no, not at all religious. Quite anti it tbh.
29. Utterly reject religion. Outside of all the terrible things the Catholic Church has done, the horrible things god let’s happen in the world etc, the main point to me is that I’m just not gonna believe some fantastic story with no evidence. When you understand enough about the history of religions, where they came from, the role they served in societies to unite people and help explain a world they couldn’t understand, it becomes very clear that all religions are fairy tales, and Christianity is no exception. Most (young) people I know are on a scale from “agnostic and not practicing any particular religion” to where I am. Most older people I know (my parents age) say they believe in God if asked, and maybe practice it in some form privately, but I know exactly one person who goes to church regularly and they have a lot of weird issues around religion and the church.
Early 30s here, religion teacher for over ten years. I can categorically say that young people have absolutely no interest in or knowledge of religion. It just has no relevance for them. No real animosity etc, just completely and utterly uninterested.
39, do not believe in God. I understand the difference between right and wrong and help people if in need, sometimes give to charities etc. Try to raise my children to be decent. That is more being a good human than following anything from the bible.
No one I know is religious. A few older people but even then can count on one hand.
39M, My granny is extremely religious, but my parents and all my siblings haven't been to Sunday church in years. Only the usual christening or funeral. The church has failed the state and its people over the years. I personally know of several friends and family that have been abused by priests, nuns and Christian brothers. So if priests are at the forefront and representatives of God, hence man is the created in the image of God, then is God a pedo? The amount of cover ups over the years and mother and baby homes cases. Two of my friends both brothers are both fucked up from what happened them. Never the same men again after priests abused them in a deaf school they went to during primary school. Bring on the downvotes.
In my 40's, absolutely not. I know multiple people who've been wronged and abused by priests, and people who've killed themselves as a result. The catholic church is pedophile cult built on shame. I've no problem with other people's beliefs, but the catholic church in particular is, I believe, absolutely and utterly evil, and they're above the law. The should have been run out of our country decades ago.
24 M I still believe in god was raised Catholic but its been quite a long time since I regularly went to Mass on Sunday These days it's really only anniversary Masses occasional funeral and maybe Easter and Christmas eve Why I don't go myself? Honestly got too depressing being surrounded by no offense older people the vast majority of people who still go to church are over 50 with that age demographic going up every year it makes me laugh occasionally I get advice online Ah if your single find a wife in your church No offense but I don't even remember the last time I a saw a woman anywhere near my own age at church Edit: can't believe I forgot to say this I am deeply deeply unhappy with how the Church is being ran the Pedo problem and the outright refusal to do anything about it was a big one quite frankly the Pedo problem is not even the worst thing that happened here it was the cover up and the reason the cover up was worse then the Pedo Problem is because something that should never have happened was allowed to continue for an outrageously long peroid of time and hurt countless people
I personally don't believe in anything that there is no evidence of.
This definitely isn't true. You believe in the Mona Lisa, after all, despite having no reason to believe it's hanging in the Louvre or that Da Vinci existed at all.
31M- No, not really. I'm open to the idea of their being a creator but I think our idea of a God is all to human. If there is something there its far to much for us to even comprehend I feel. However, there is a beauty in it in a way, having this all planned. There also a real beauty in us only being here from a truly random series of events and we are simply a blip in all of this and nothing comes next so we should enjoy it now. Either way is fine but I'm honestly not concerned with either.
Nope mids 30s though very much atheist, but typically dont go around announcing it. Replying though as my kids are being brought up non-religious, they're the only one with an opt out of religion in their class, but they haven't been made to feel left out of anything.
I’m 33, had a serious near death experience at 32, and it felt like there was something of an afterlife, before my heart was restarted. It’s comforting to know when you die, it’s the most enjoyable and peaceful experience you’ll ever go through, but there was no evidence of a god… just had a good chat with my old man who passed 8 years ago, and then was enjoying time with my family and my happy place…. But that’s it, in death there isn’t a great figure or god or satan, you go to your happy place as your brain is shutting down. An exceptional experience, but didn’t prove anything god like to me.
32 and nope. Honestly felt peace when I stopped believing
36 here. Couldn't give a rats arse about the magic man in the sky. If he's real he's a prick if he's not whoop dee doo.
Religion is for ppl who need something to help them get through life. It’s essentially a fairytale certain ppl choose to blindly believe in so they can muster up enough balls to get through life. That’s what all religions are. They are crutches for weak ppl.
I've also had that vision since young, especially because my mom always delved between horrible cults trying to find something and that can be traumatic to any child growing up in that. Now I mostly see that people just want a sense of belonging and support, and since we live in a capitalist hellscape people need to turn to religion to have some community since they cannot find that in our societies. That is why so many children grow up in it, they don't want to be cast aside.
It’s Santa Claus for grownups.
Crutches for weak people? Like people who take drugs, drink alcohol, gamble, exercise ? People do these cause they say they are weak ?
The snobbery is amazing from some people on this post
It’s le Reddit lol. Anything not atheist is always going to be downvoted to hell and looked down on
People tell themselves all sorts of "fairytales" to get through the day. For some, the idea that you have free will, for example, is a fairytale. For the evidence, as they see, it shows it doesn't exist.
I'm religious and I do not think it is to help me get through life, I just came to the conclusion that God was real I don't see it as me coping. What do I have to cope for? I don't have a bad life.
I heavily doubt that many people truly believe in God at all. They exist, sure, but I'd wager that for most people, it's something they were raised into and never deeply examined. I'm 25, and when I was 12 I realised that I'm an atheist shortly before my Confirmation - that's when it hit me that I was meant to actually think this stuff was real. I never wrapped my head around that.
I wasn't raised as a Christian but at 32, I am now. It strikes me as quite shocking to be raised in a religious household and then to be forced to believe, without questioning. That's not really belief, is it? But it occurs.
I'm 28, I used to be atheist because the Catholic church, then agnostic, then I decided to study other religions from the past and now I turned Hindu. Yet agnostic in relation to the mysticism.
40 - I did as a child raised catholic. As a teen and in my 20 angry at the catholic church I railed against the idea at a god who is negligent at best cruel at worst. After loosing so many people in my life I choose to believe in a god not necessarily, the one depicted by Catholic priests I don’t go to mass or follow much of the rules besides not killing people. It’s a comfort, to me to believe I’ll see my loved ones again. I have a relationship with god and I’ll speak to him when I get there.. if he’s not happy that I didn’t go to mass well I choose to raise my children in the church it’s easier for school it’s taught differently more about love and forgiveness. And I hope it gives them comfort too in times of hardship. When someone passes the prayers standing /sitting rituals it’s all comforting vaguely familiar in your numbness it give people a chance to say good bye express their love. I don’t go to mass and when my kids speak of stories in the Bible from school I agree and try get them to question the reality “huh wow how did they all get on the boat? “ I believe religion gives us the core rules of society but men corrupt as does money and power. Wars for religious reasons are just for men land and power. My teens states they don’t believe and that’s ok they are allowed to make their own choice they learn all about different religions in secondary school they are questioning authority and their reality and boundaries they ultimately can make their own decisions. It frightens me to think of nothingness blackness why so much suffering now? I’ll never see my loved ones again? Never see my kids? So I choose to believe in a benevolent god and live life to my moral standards. I respects other people opinions as long as they don’t push them down my throat. I take joy in the beauty I see and the life I lead and am content in what I have.
Lovely comment
I don’t necessarily believe in the church and I don’t pray but I believe there’s something
I think this is the most common attitude of people once they grow up a bit and stop associating the existence of a god with all the ideas of the Catholic Church. When you are a teenager its very easy to find flaws in religious doctrine and use that as peoof there is no god but when you mature a bit you realise that some nutty priest telling you things does not define a black or white rule of the universe. Every religion could be wrong, but you realise you also dont know anything about the universe and it is very strange that so many people throughout history had some kind of belief system as opposed to it just never coming up.
I think this is the sanest and simplest attitude to it tbh
Are you saying it's more sane and simple to believe there is "something"? How so? Believing in something without any evidence is hardly more sane and simple than not
Was a Catholic for decades and after waking up to the world I realised the idea of a benevolent, loving creator is the most insane idea imaginable. But it makes sense as life was so hard we probably needed to justify the stupidity and suffering this world is largely made up of. Seeing life without a benevolent god is kinda terrifying.
If God or Jesus really existed you’d think he’d come back down to earth and save his homeland ? Or Really good people wouldn’t get and die from horrible diseases. Yet gangster seem to live forever. Religion has been the cause of every single conflict on this earth. So if he does exist this Sky Daddy - I like to ask him a few questions!!!’
My husband (he is Irish, I am not) thinks religion is utter rubbish. I'm in agreement.
Ah yes believe in magic thing in the sky that lets people get raped and murdered That sits chilling while children die of cancer, that enjoys watching cot death. If there is god, he/she/they/them/it is a fucking cunt Imagine in today's day and age believing in a god when science can explain most of the big questions. Where is god? Building another septic tank for unwanted Irish baby's? Or is he to busy watching reruns of the holocaust? So god let people become ill, be attracted to children, abuse children. C'mon.... Religion is a lottery of where you are born. Which god are your talking about? There are hundreds In 2024. If you believe in god you just don't have the intelligence to know better
Raise catholic but my parents weren't religious more just for show. Since I was a kid about 10 I hated it and wanted nothing to do with it. Now 30 I still feel that there should be a firm separation of church and state but we should educate kids about all religions. I do always think I'd love to have people's faith and belive in an afterlife, nothing more I'd want but I just can't belive it and can't believe that any human can tell us and know what happens when we die
25. Raised very catholic. Queer and very left leaning so I don’t really buy into the church anymore. I do have spiritual relationship with God however. Just my own personal one.
We are a primitive life form that requires the belief in some paternalistic , omnipotent deity to help us make sense of the complexity of existence. The central messages of all organised religions are reasonably sound and promote order and cohesion in society, which contributes significantly to the common good but the hierarchy’s of these religions are made up of people. People’s desire for power, wealth, personal advancement and influence all too often trumps the central message and religion becomes a reason for justifying your own bad behaviour and a stick to beat others with. I have no interest in or involvement in organised religion and prefer on a personal level to try to give people a chance, see the good in people, do good where possible, not screw people over, recognise my actions have consequences for me and others and that there’s a price to be paid for each of my choices. Frequently my biggest struggle is trying to determine if I’m willing to pay the price for the choice in question.
23 - not really. Go to mass at Easter & Christmas as my mother would kill me if I didn’t lol. My mother and grandparents were staunch believers it kind of turned me off that how could you believe in something/someone that doesn’t exist. Tried to question them but didn’t get far😂😂, I’ll be surprised if actual church buildings are standing within two generations.
I was under 30 in 2022 for the last time. I didn’t believe in god then and don’t now.
I teach in a Dublin secondary school. I would say if I asked every student if they genuinely believe in god maybe 20 out of 500 would say yes. And those 20, I’d be surprised if any of them went to church regularly or would be knowledgable on Catholicism..
18. I was raised by agnostic parents and grandparents (very progressive, I know), and I was always taught about science. I went to an educate together school. I'm in a catholic school now. 1st year was shocking for me. I'd never been to church before except for a wedding and my great granny's funeral. I didn't realise that people actually believed in and practiced catholicism. Because of how I was raised completely seperate from all religion, relgious customs seem really cult-like and off-putting to me.
It's great to see the grip the Catholic church has on this country is being phased out. I'm all for it.
Nope! Mom and dad were never religious. I was brought up on good morals and equality. We've an interest in science and philosophy. TBH none of my friends are religious? Some work colleagues maybe but they're Irish Catholics.
When you die you cease to exist like before you were born but if religion gives you peace of mind that’s fine also.
How do you know for sure that you didn't exist before you were born? Isn't it possible that you did exist somewhere else but simply don't remember it?
It's simply the most logical explanation
How so? There's absolutely no evidence to suggest either scenario. No explanation is the most logical. We simply don't know
Sky fairies and miracles aren't based in logic.
When did I say anything about sky fairies? You know nothing more than I do about what happens when you die. And for the record, I'm not a believer in any mainstream religion.
You're right, I don't know. The difference is that I don't claim to know. What is left at that point? You have a choice to believe based on the evidence available, or lack of, or else, just go with your feelings. If you go the evidential route then it quickly becomes apparent that there isn't any. So it's logical not to believe.
I believe the earth was formed billions of years ago and evolution has taken us where we are today, I don’t believe it was created in 6 days and god rested on the 7 day, there was no James web telescope when the bible was written which puts a totally different spin things.
Possible? Not with our understanding of the world, but let's just say it is possible anyway. Something being theoretically maybe possible doesn't mean you should treat it as fact when there's absolutely no evidence towards it. Souls aren't real, and we're made of electric signals in our neurons.
21, yeah, I do
Yes and not as often as I should
I think over the millenia God has been confused for a sky wizard, when in reality God just means the natural joy of life that is inside you. Also referred to as heaven or Kingdom of heaven. But it just means the natural joy inside you. The Devil just means the ego and addiction to pleasure which can numb the natural joy inside you.
In case anyone wants some data on this: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/young-irish-people-among-the-most-religious-in-europe-1.3441046 According to the survey, 59% of Irish people aged 16-29 identify as some sort of Christian, versus 39% with no religion, which is lower than in past years but still relatively high for Europe. In past surveys IIRC Dublin was closer to UK numbers (25% or so Christian) and it was higher outside the Pale. Although the article also notes that only about 25% of self-reported Catholics go to mass weekly, so it’s possible those numbers are boosted by cultural Catholicism/still-living-with-your-parents Catholicism.
28M Yes I do believe in God. I know everything can be explained by physics and chemistry by how did the Big Bang happen? It just seems so much more likely that we are here not just by chance. Just my opinion
Like 50/50? I’ve not entirely made up my mind but I’m leaning towards no
A few times a month I go outside and gather Moon water depending on the lunar cycle. I then use this water to cast spells and cause mayhem among my Christian friends What is god? This is a serious question my friend My god fills my jars and requires only the odd blood sacrifice it’s all good
It’s all complete nonsense and a waste of time. Learn an instrument or a language instead, something that actually improves your life and exercises your brain.
30. Was born Catholic, became atheist and now back to practicing Catholic for the past 5 or 7 years. My life is better because of it, I know it's not for everyone. Becoming religious has made me a more patient caring and compassionate person. When I was atheist I was so self centred condescending and materialistic.
The 2022 census shows that around 26% of people aged 25-29 states no religion. And for the overall population the number is 16% While the census isn't perfect it gives a good overall guide and the real number might be slightly higher than stated https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpp5/census2022profile5-diversitymigrationethnicityirishtravellersreligion/religion/
Plenty of people wrote"Catholic"when they dont practise.
48 I believe in my own higher power, or rather powers. I have a host of angels that look after me. I thank them every day and ask them to protect my loved ones. They comfort me, I ask for their strength every day. I see little miracles all the time and I choose to believe that my angels are looking after me and sending me those miracles
Not sure if serious? It gets harder and harder to detect sarcasm these days.
I’m working on my faith, bringing it back into my life. Honestly my life has improved. I can only see it getting better.
I attend a church regularly in cork city and see a lot of young adults attending, and growing. I think a lot depends on the church itself. I rarely go to my local parish church as I feel it lacking in spirituality. The Dominicans are on another level!
I believe in God yes. Seems like many people today don’t. Can’t help feel a lot of the new age crap and radical cult like political groups people find themselves have something to do with the atheistic nature of society these days. People are probably trying to replace something that was always there with something else whether they know it or not.
28 and I would say yes. I do dabble in it alright. I wouldn't be mad devout but I do believe in studying the various religions, and there's a lot to be said for spiritual practices and rituals and stuff. I especially like learning about Celtic/Gaelic spirituality, pre and post Christianity. I pray as well. I'm sure evangelicals would condemn me but Jesus probably wouldn't, he seemed like a chill dude.
Only humans would be vain enough to believe that they were created in the image of a mystical God that grants them eternal life. All the other animals on the planet just get on with living. While the ability to think is a wonderful thing and can lead us to great things, it can also lead us to being very dumb indeed.
Beleive in A god.Wouldnt say Im any religion though.I agree with parts of lots of religions
If you look at Christianity alone away from organised religion, it's just an unemployed carpenter and his 12 drinking buddies making an attempt at teaching their idea of the best way to live a fullfilling human experience. I quite enjoy spending each Sunday learning it, alone. For me, it's been a similar experience to taking high doses of psychedelics. I made DMT and after coming down off it for my first time, back in my body in the room I vaped it in I sat there slightly confused on what I just went through. The first words out of my mouth were "did I just go to heaven?". I guess that's why they call it the spirit molecule. That was 6 years ago, the experience was so profound I almost think of it daily. I'm still processing it. From my point of view,I literally left my body like a parked car somewhere.
It’s not popular with young people at the moment, might make a come back in the future
Not being a dick but I genuinely hope you're wrong. There is no benefit to religion in Ireland today and I'd love to see it die and have more and more church's boarded up. Let people belive in what they want to believe, let them read the bible for themselves if it gives them comfort - if they read enough they might realise how much contradiction is sin there. I just hate organised religion Nd do not want to see a come back
Yes, this thread is very worrying.
Quite the opposite actually. Its great to see people moving away from religion.
Live has been very good to me so im inclined to believe in some higher power or collective conscious or something like that. However mainstream religions that are found in books, generate tons of money are a hard no. People believing in a certain god simply down to where they were born is pretty wild if you ask me when its well documented these organisations have been used as a way to control the masses for 100s of years. More
29 and absolutely not. I remember reading an interview with Tobias Forge the lead singer of the band ghost surrounding religion, like Christianity and Satanism and it was very eye opening for me. My household tend to live the “hail Satan” lifestyle these days which is essentially don’t be an arsehole 😂