how important to you that the person have religous beliefs?

Alot of people will say they are baptist or catholic or hindu but you never see them practice.

How important is it that the person you are seeing practice their faith in a consistent overt manner?

 

It's important that she believe in something outside of herself.
It's not important that she be religious.
I'm Christian but she need not be however I think she should have some faith. Spiritual faith. But that need not be overt.

I find people without any sense of something greater self, very empty.
Just like I find people without any sense of community, rather pointless.

 

I can date someone who does not believe in god.

As long as there other beliefs that fortify this.

 

Re: how important to you that the person have religous belie

This is a very complex issue.

I was not raised to believe in God - you know how the USSR was. However I always had access to plenty of books. My personal philosophy is humanistic, if you will.

My husband believes in God deeply, and I like it. I think it's better to believe. Our future children, God willing, will be believers.

My nation has suffered tremendously at the hands of warrior atheists. In fact, it was predicted by Dostoevsky. I just don't like the fanatism that often goes along with religious belief, and exclusion of free thinking and questioning. Do I believe in God? Ask me something easier. All I can say is, I don't need to be harassed by religions into being a good person. I don't do enough good, but when I do, it's for the joy of it, not for fear of "eternal punishment".

 

I think that religion is a function of the human social system.

As living breathing beings with urges and selfish intent we strive for only three things in life:
1. Security
2. Safety
3. Predictability

Our social systems and communal life is an active organism striving for these 3 needs. It is why humans can adapt to varying circumstances as long as there is routine and assurance that this will happen next then followed by this.

look at the course of human history and you will find an attempt to make the world predictable safe. It is why we have religion.

Religion is not faith or belief but a set of practices, rituals and ideas about faith and belief. Religion tries to explain things that we do not know. You can believe in a God and not believe in a religion.

Ones beliefs are there own while there religion is a societal check that insures a certain level of conformity to the communal group. From this need to make the group conform came the condemnation phase that is prevelent in religions around teh world. It is the systems attepmpt to make sure people stayed lock step in soceities wish and needs.

 

Hey, we all have to believe in something one way or another, and doing so doesn't give anyone the authority to push their own individual ideals and viewpoints onto someone else, especially with tired coercive tactics (you're going to hell, you're a sinner, you're an infidel, etc.).

 

CO-SIGN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

THE YOKE...BELIEF

I must say that the Bible says not to be un-equally yoked...meaning one believes and the other does not.
A "yoke" is the guild for animals when plowing in the fields, it allows you to guide them in whichever direction you need them to go or to plain stop them. If your yoke with you and your mate was not even on the same row, when you should not go off in a certain direction then only one of you will know this and the other will keep going and not feel the tug or importance of where you should really be going..for instance one might want to still go to clubs and party but the other will not because you two are obeying two different orders.

 

I am Wiccan, however I do not practice with others who share my faith. To me, spirituality is more important than religion. Unfortunately, politics and religion go hand in hand, and no matter what god or gods people worship, there will always be those who think they are better than people of other faiths. I don't share this belief, which is why I choose to practice on my own, or with a select group of friends. I would have no problem dating someone of a different religion, or even someone who is atheist, as long as we could agree not to try and change each other's beliefs.

 

I find a woman that has faith to be extremely attractive. It's one of the first things that i look for. For me there's appearance, personality, and then faith. :wink:

 

It is the most important thing for me, more than race, economics, age, education etc

 

As long as she believe and if she GOES by the bible believes that he is black because that is what it describes in the bible (how you gonna go by everything in the bible except his race.) then we cool.

 

Ever thought about exactly why humans HAVE to believe in something? Maybe humans are generally too egotistical to believe that our lives don't have some greater meaning, there is no divine being leading or watching out for us, and after life we are just gone.

Every religion begins with a greater being and has some plan for the after life - even if it's just coming back and doing it again. Maybe the truly courageous are those who choose to believe in nothing at all.

Having said that, I do believe in God and would only be with a man who also did.

 

Religious Views,How Important........

Atheist over here. The most important thing that me and my ideal mate will share is a general sense of the same moral values. I usually get on well with Wiccans,Hindus, Buddhists, members of New thought, skeptics, agnostics, and other atheists.
I don't think a difference in cosmological outlooks between two people spells certain death;I just think that it would take a lot to bridge the chasm I'd feel with someone who takes a supernatural view of life, ie a Christian.
But to each his/her own.
Thanks.

 

Re: Religious Views,How Important........

I always try to respect other people's points of view, and I do respect yours, Wedlock. Undertanding where someone else is coming from is always nice, but not necessary. It's irritating to me how some people can't respect what they don't 'get.'

As far as a long-term relationship goes, then the understanding and even agreeing becomes much more crucial. There are some subjects that I don't want to argue and debate evey day - the value of monogamy for instance. A basic religious belief is the same.

Anyway, I think we agree on the importance of agreement - even if we wouldn't agree on the same thing! :wink:

Good to see posting - have missed hearing from you!

 

The Importance of......

Well hello there, and thanks for the warm welcome back. Yes, our cosmological reasons for moral behaviour would differ, but we 'd agree upon a chosen moral regardless of any other cosmological reasons if said relationship was going to survive and flourish.
It's wonderful seeing you again as well.

 

It's important that my partner has a sense of kindness, forgiveness and tolerance to me and to other people. His religious beliefs are less important because if someone is tolerant enough, religion won't become a sticking point. Ideally I'd prefer someone who thought analytically about religion and didn't accept any one dogma without giving it thought. I am a deist and can be quite mystical about it but my views are unconventional so I wouldn't expect to meet someone with exactly the same views, but they would have to have the same ethical priorities as me...tolerance, kindness to others, humility, forgiveness and courage.

 

For me its faith is the number one issue. I can't even consider dating someone that doesn't share my faith.

 

What is a diest? How did you become a diest? Just curious...

 

Religious Beliefs......Deism

:? I don't know how the previous poster became a deist.Only they can answer that for you, but roughly deism is:a religious philosophy and movement that became prominent in England, France, and the United States in the 17th and 18th centuries. Deists typically reject supernatural events (prophecy, miracles) and divine revelation prominent in organized religion, along with holy books and revealed religions that assert the existence of such things. Instead, Deists hold that religious beliefs must be founded on human reason and observed features of the natural world, and that these sources reveal the existence of one God or supreme being.

Many of the Founding Fathers of the United States were Deists.