Yes.

In really enjoy some religious traditions. Plus religious music can be amazing. Religion inspires some beautiful things, but then there's that other side of the coin.

I believe in God, in a way that most people would identify as Christian. I hesitate to label myself as such, however, because I don't know what people mean or think of when they say "Christian."

I'm not a fundamentalist who believes long hair, rock music, and so on is evil. I'm not an evangelical who wants to spread the good news about Jesus to people who aren't interested. Nor am I a progressive Christian, because I'm not a progressive.

I read the Bible and pray, but not on a schedule or according to any ritual. I don't attend church, because my (diagnosed) PTSD makes that next to impossible. I abhor Christian art both on artistic and theological grounds, for the most part.

If you look at my life, you probably can't tell the difference between me and a non-Christian, because I don't feel the need to wear my religion on my sleeves. You'd have to ask me about my specific beliefs, which I can summarize in very general terms with the following:

I'm happy to tell you my specific beliefs if you ask, but remember, don't ask questions you don't really want the answers to. I also remain skeptical about my beliefs, enough to remain open to civil discussion.

I'm no one's keeper but my own. I don't have to agree with your decisions to let you make them.

I'm 100% atheist, but I respect religious people. If nothing else, I realize that life is hard and that we're all looking for some way to cope. Years back, I used to be way more militant in my atheism, but now I feel like I just want to find a way to let life slide by with minimal friction. I don't believe in an afterlife, but I'm not going to call you a fool for maybe doing so.

Sorry to hear about your PTSD btw. Can't imagine what that's like.

It would be a comfort to believe that there's something better waiting around the bend, but I just can't believe that. I've accepted my mortality. Just trying to use it as a motivation to make the most of my time and be more kind.

lol, id love to read a list of my beliefs as told by elph. I bet you get most of them wrong.

I wear a fetter to remind me I'm a slave. I put it on August 15th and don't plan on ever taking it off.

What follows in this post may trigger some with issues related to abuse.

Thank you for your comment about PTSD. I appreciate the sentiment.

Obviously you and I disagree about the existence of God and much of what follows after, but I don't blame people for their hostility toward Christians. If I'm pushed to label myself, I'll say I'm a Christian who doesn't like Christians.

My PTSD is from child abuse; part of my trauma comes from professing Christians who molested me. I was brainwashed into guilt-based faith, where "if you feel like crap, you're probably saved." I always tried so hard to be good, to do right, and yet I always felt like God was mad at me.

Religion like that is a means to control others, not uplift them, and I have zero tolerance for people who try to peddle that crap in my direction. I really try to be civil when dealing with followers of such religion, but when I run into the leaders who perpetuate that bull****, they tend to get an earful.

:soapbox: :ar_15s: :bonkhead:

Christian here. I only attend church a handful of times per year, such as Christmas and Easter.

What is "middle-of-the-road observance"?
The worship of roadkill?

Color me "flabbergasted"...

Locals flabbergasted after VDOT simply paints over dead raccoon in road