BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / POLL: What's your religious denomination?

**Posted by saturnR** April 5, 2013 5:14 am

Take the poll. Please indicate what religion you are.

I am a Gigglist. Long live the Great Giggly Puff!

Last edited by saturnR (April 5, 2013 9:04 pm)

**Posted by saturnR** February 7, 2014 10:26 am

Coming from a non-religious background and growing up in your standard secular Christian country, I never realise just how much religion is embedded in the history and culture of Western society. I don't think someone coming from the East will ever be able to fully understand it. The Pope could command kings for most of that history. People went to have crusades (properly armed as well, Eastern religions did fight with each other but not in armies as far as I can tell). When you marry, you don't just get married by the government, you also get married by your church.

All of those concepts and ideas would be completely alien in societies where Eastern religions operate like Buddhism or Taoism. I sort of get it since I kind of live in a country where the Western (actually let's just call them Middle Eastern = coz they are) religion does operate but not as intrusively as some other nations.

When you look at the history of the world where the Judaic religions have eventually settled, that makes us Easterners like being stranded on a desert island. We seem to be the anomaly that the Judaic religions didn't touch until much later. So a lot of the thoughts and ideas of both sides will forever be lost in translation.

**Posted by This Is The Phantom Lady** February 7, 2014 10:38 am

I think I am an agnostic.

I grew up a protestant, christened and even had my confirmation when I was 14 despite my doubt at the time.I didn't do that just to get all the presents it came with like most of my school mates; but it was my last test of my personal beliefs.

Soon after that I lost my faith. Things had happened in my life and it didn't fit with the image I had of God and especially not his worshippers. The older I get the bigger I feel that rift is getting. It especially have to do with LGBT rights...

For a while I didn't even feel comfortable entering a church; but I did it for my friend when she got married in October. It was a really Christian wedding and I was a little worried how my very alternative group of friends would be accepted. Turns out they were extremely nice to us, and they ought to be! We were all there for her wedding and her happiness.

I can't say I am an Athiest though; it's mostly because I need an explanation to how everthing started. No matter what anyone tell me about Big Bang and what happened before that I always feel that something must have started it.

I just no longer believe in a higher power saying what is right and wrong and deciding what happens to who.

I do have a great respect for people who have strong beliefs and stick with them; without judging others or trying to convert them.

**Posted by SpiralStaircase** February 7, 2014 10:38 am

I picked the giggly one!

But as for my religious background, I grew up believing in God, going to Sunday School out of choice because I enjoyed it. I used to have chats with God while sitting on the loo - ha ha.
When I was 17 my sister (aged 9) died in a tragic accident. My faith in everything was gutted in one day.
I was angry with this so called God for a long time and we've never been friends since!
As I grew older (I'm 41 now), I became interested in Buddhism. It just seemed to click. But I never converted or anything, I just try to follow some of its principles.
Now I'm athiest, but hoping there might be something when we die. It would be nice to see sis again, and not to end as a consciousness. Maybe there is a consciousness 'collective' which we will re-connect to. But who knows until it happen.
I must also add that I do like churches. There is a strong spiritual side of me. When I enter a church I feel something but it has nothing to do with religion.

**Posted by Dramagod** February 7, 2014 9:50 pm

Was born evangelic-lutherian but resigned from the church a couple years back and haven't cared about church and religion stuff half my life. I just have no use for it. So I ticked the box at the bottom saying agnostic/atheist. In my opinion the best thing about the church is its acoustics.