Religious people: what is your level of observance?
 

Quick and simple question for any person on here who considers themselves religious.

What is your level of observance? For the purposes of this thread, this includes the following:

- following halal/kosher/vegetarian diets, or any other special food requirements.
- attending services at a place of worship.
- practicing religion within the home (praying, scripture/study of holy books, grace/blessings at meals, bedtime prayers etc.)
- giving to religiously-based charities/causes (time, money, resources)
- keeping Shabbat (if Jewish)
- fasting on prescribed days (such as Ramadan, Yom Kippur or during Lent).
- following any rules on clothing, hair, bodily hygiene and cleaning.

The list is not exhaustive though.

So, post away! Poll coming...

There's no anal beads option...

And for that reason - I am out.

My faith is better than I am. I pray and feel that I have a strong belief in God and all that, but I'm a lot less Godly than I'd like to be. :(

I observe religious people fairly often I guess. They're all over the place!

I have few but strong beliefs. Im not an overly crazed religious fanatic. Im pretty lax on this topic. It suits my life.

I'm a little observant, but am aiming to be much more observant. The last couple of years I have carried out Lent which is a way to fast during the Christian holiday's up to the rise of Jesus from the tomb (Easter Sunday). I will be doing it this year too.

Just move! Then you'll be cool to covet.

I forgot to add my own answer to my own damned thread.

I'm wanting to convert to Judaism, and am in the process of converting. I keep kosher as much as possible, try and attend a local Orthodox synagogue, keep the Sabbath as much as possible and I also try to pray with my siddur (prayer book).

And what made you want to go the orthodox route?

Partially due to the influences I've had from my local Jewish community, which is mostly Orthodox, but also my own personal choices as to how I feel that, if I am to be Jewish, I should practice my faith.

I know you said you were in the process of converting to judaism but when is all is said and done do you consider yourself orthodox then?

I consider the Orthodox form of Judaism to best reflect my religious beliefs.

So what are you converting from?

I was a Baptist Christian.

same here

So whats the best thing about being a Jew and whats the worst?

I'm Jewish, but don't really do all the religious stuff. I had a Bat Mitzvah when I was 12 (it's 13 for boys), but that's about it, lol! My family celebrates Hanukkah and Passover but more for the celebration and being with family more than for religious aspects. We're Reform Jews, in case you're wondering. I'm pretty sure I'm also agnostic. I don't think there's just one divine being overlooking all of us. I'm not even sure if there's any at all to be honest.

What made you decide to switch religions?

I haven't even been baptized.
Which, even in the Netherlands, is a bit rare.

Yes. And there's another option: to be coveted by the neighbor's wife. Commandment only says "do not covet your neighbor's wife", so I guess it's OK for a woman to covet her neighbor. I think a man could be highly "covetable" without sinning. In fact, I could be "coveted" by the entire neighborhood. :laughing:

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/7...ncesbrides.jpg

Me neither, which is probably even more rare over here. :beer:

I was baptised and confirmed

but I'm an atheist

Yay!
Only I'm having whiskey.
Doesn't matter
*kling*

Huh, that picture was taken in 1925, so you want to be coveted by supercentenarian women??

this, kind of. More agnostic than anything else.

I haven't been baptized or confirmed, I don't see those as being necessary, ESPECIALLY not confirmation. But I guess that boils down to me not believing in infant baptism.

Been drinking bourbon all night tonight. :)

Jim Beam?

Cheap ass blend. Let's switch bottles.

Best: There's an incredible sense of empowerment among Jewish women (I'm female), and unlike the straitjacket of my old church and indeed the prevailing attitude of the Church in general, there is a sense that being a woman in Judaism is nothing to be ashamed about. Indeed, in the old synagogue I attended before moving away (I moved house a couple of months ago) women took part in the social activities and running of the synagogue possibly more than the men, and even outside, they wielded some serious power.

Worst: people often misunderstand what I believe, or simply don't know. I've also had people actively insult me or give abuse because of my beliefs.

Prime example: i try and follow the laws of tzniut (modesty) fairly strictly and this usally means I end up wearing long skirts/dresses and tops with long sleeves. Needless to say, this can look pretty weird in comparison to what anyone else my age is wearing, but it's also singled me out for criticism, weird looks, active disapproval or even abuse. People seem to think I'm being unnecessarily prudish or old-fashioned, without understanding the spiritual reasons I have for doing what I'm doing.


Mostly my study into what the Jewish notion of the Messiah actually was. Part of my problem was that not ONE person has bothered to explain to me what was actually meant by the term 'Messiah'....not just the 'Jesus Christ is the Messiah' stuff that was being taught to me, but what the Bible ACTUALLY said were the qualifications for the Messiah and whether or not Jesus fufilled them.
I also did a lot of study into the actual historical inconsistencies of the New Testament, including the confusion as to when Jesus was born, where he was born and his lineage, as well as comparing the story of Jesus to the theology of the Old Testament.

In short, I did the research and satisified my own mind enough to throw out the New Testament completely as any sort of revelation/scripture, and by extension, the Qur'an.

As you can imagine, doing this sort of research led me to read a LOT of Jewish material, including a prayer book (siddur), a Tanakh (in Hebrew!), a number of different Jewish articles and I found myself agreeing with most, if not all, of what was being talked about and taught in these articles. Some of the stuff on the Torah and science was a real eye-opener.

So this is pretty much why I am planning to convert. I'm learning Hebrew now, and teaching myself about Jewish theology. I'm in the process of finding a rabbi who is local enough for me to discuss conversion and (hopefully) start conversion classes/attend synagogue.

Don't dismiss the 1920's girls... ;)

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/5...xlouisebro.jpg

I thought of Buster Keaton in Seven Chances, but if you want an update...

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/1...9701medium.jpg

don't go to church, don't read the Bible now

still believe in Jesus, that's about it

used to be knee-deep in that **** and ended up being suicidal - never going there again

edit - oh and I was baptised in a swimming pool and has a cert for that

Double snap for me too.

So you have a torch burning for Louise Brooks?

Forgot to mention that we also do Purim, with all the candies and costumes and whatnot. March 19th this year!! It's like Jewish Halloween :laughing:

Louise Brooks, Lillian Gish, Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, Carole Lombard, Marlene Dietrich... All those able to give rise to sinful thoughts. :D Thus begin the long and lustful road to perdition. :laughing:

i'm completely contemplating being Rastafarian but no salt and fish and cigarettes?

and only weed leaves, not resin?

how can I survive?

They don't smoke resin? Why?

And since Rastafarianism is so big on Jamaica, which is an island, isn't it kind of hard for them to not eat fish?