Survey

[katya]

I have been thinking about this and that, and I made a survey out of it. I'm very curious to hear some answers to it. It does and does not have a specific purpose. It's more of a stepping stone to trying to find out what questions I should be asking in the first place. Most of the questions have to do with religion. I don't really want to start a discussion about it, I just want to know your answers.

Answer as many or as few questions as you want, and answers via PM are fine too. The more detailed answers, the more that helps me. Honesty is also important.

1. What is your religious upbringing?

2. Do you currently attend worship services?

3. Do you use any drugs including alcohol and tobacco (not caffeine)

4. Are you superstitious?

5. Do you censor your thoughts or ever worry someone can "hear" them?

6. What kind of music do you like? Do you ever sit down and listen to music (i.e. not background music)

7. Describe your loss (or lack) of belief in the Easter bunny or Santa or Sinterklaas or anything similar that exists in your culture

8. How is your relationship with your parents?

9. What do you want to happen when you die? An afterlife, or no? Details?

10. Do any of the following apply to you: homosexual/bisexual/etc., pro-choice, participant in sex outside of marriage

11. What do you like to read, or watch on TV?

12. How well you do deal with anger?

13. How much do you know about world culture/history?

14. Do you believe in a soul? If so, describe it.

15. How much have your religious views changed since you were very young? Have you converted to a different religion or to or from atheism/agnosticism?

16. What is your favorite and least favorite animal and why?

17. What is the most moving thing that has ever happened to you that is not explicitly religious?

18. Will you be disappointed if nothing happens in 2012?

[Gwaimir Windgem]

1. Nondenominational Protestant. Now Roman Catholic.
2. Yes.
3. Yes (alcohol and tobacco, occasionally absinthe, which I maintain is more than just alcohol)
4. Define superstitious. I would say no, but some definitions would probably place me as superstitious. Basically, I do believe in the supernatural, and I believe that divine intervention does happen, though much less often than some people believe.
5. If I think a line of thought is bad for me (like if it's unkind to someone, or something like that), then I'll stop it; I certainly don't think someone will "hear" them.
6. Mostly baroque opera, some chanson, and Nina Simone; ever increasing taste for Broadway (especially Sondheim), jazz, and fado.
7. Never had one; my parents thought it was wrong to "lie" to kids like that.
8. My father is deceased; I have a good relationship with my mother, though I prefer to keep it slightly less involved than she would like.
9. Hopefully, I will make it to purgatory, and eventually to heaven, to enjoy the Beatific Vision.
10. Homosexual.
11. I read literature, theology, and philosophy; the currently running TV shows I like are 30 Rock, Modern Family, and Doctor Who. I sometimes watch American Dad and Family Guy if I'm bored.
12. I don't tend to get angry easily, but eventually I do sometimes lose it.
13. This is really too vague a question for a person to answer about themselves.
14. Yes. The soul is the principle of life.
15. As noted above, I've switched from nondenominational Protestant to Catholic, and I've ranged a bit within the Catholic spectrum. My spirituality has been influenced in varying degrees by Orthodoxy and by Anglo-Catholicism.
16. Hmm...I suppose my favourite would be horses, because they are beautiful. Least favourite...Probably something like leeches, ticks, or what not, cause they're nasty.
17. Waking up, seeing my mother silhouetted against the doorway, and hearing her say, "Boys, get up! Your father is dead."
18. Heck no! There's too much left to do!

[GrayMouser]

1) Anglican (though I attended a Lutheran Sunday School for a while because there was no Anglican church nearby.)

2)No

3)Alcohol- though I would use marijuana except that it is strongly frowned on in Taiwan and would get me deported- but I miss it . In the past, tried pretty much everything except tobacco.

4)In theory, no- in practice, i never step on a crack, won't open an umbrella in the house and never let a penny lie.

5)No- though I try to guide them away from anger.

6)Boomer rock, jazz(bebop), folk/Americana/alt.country/blues

7) Can't really remember.

8)Father deceased, relationship with mother good- may be helped by her living 10,000 miles away . I was always close to both of them and my sister growing up. They were such wise, loving and understanding people that as a teenager I had to do some really stupid things to rebel.

9) Don't think my wants really count, as it ain't gonna happen. Dead is dead.

10) pro-choice, pro-gay-marriage; pre-marital sex, yay! (not extra-marital.)

11)Read- these days, mostly non-fiction: history, linguistics, philosophy, popular science.
TV: sports- Am.football, rugby, soccer (no hockey where I live )
series- Sopranos, Mad Men, Big Love, Tudors- basically only get HBO and movie channels where I live in Taiwan- though recently did get Family Guy I was shocked!

12) Pretty well, even when teaching kindergarten, though getting crankier in old age.

13)Agree with Gwai-how do you answer this?- more than most, anyway (not more than the Great Minds assembled in Moot, of course.)

14)No

15)Pretty pious when young, militant atheist 12-15, Zen Buddhist/general mystic 16 to early 20s, becoming more of an unbeliever from then on.

16) Like- Orcas/ killer whales; smart, social, beautiful,- growing up on the B.C. coast they were kind of iconic.
Dislike- cockroaches: come to Taiwan and find out why

17) First time I held my first-born

18)Things always happen every year

[katya]

I thought of making #13 more specific. Here are some suggestions for ways it can be answered, for future reference:

- I can point out India on a map but not Pakistan
- I got As and Bs in high school social studies but that's it
- I've taken History 101 but I mostly only know about the Roman Empire, because I find that period interesting
- I am a history professor at Ivy League University

(my answer was "Very rudimentary, but certainly more than the average American my age.")

Thank you GW and GM! Thank you in advance anyone else! <3

[GrayMouser]

And when are your answers coming out?

[GrayMouser]

Originally Posted by katya

I thought of making #13 more specific. Here are some suggestions for ways it can be answered, for future reference:

- I can point out India on a map but not Pakistan
- I got As and Bs in high school social studies but that's it
- I've taken History 101 but I mostly only know about the Roman Empire, because I find that period interesting
- I am a history professor at Ivy League University

(my answer was "Very rudimentary, but certainly more than the average American my age.")

Thank you GW and GM! Thank you in advance anyone else! <3

13) In that case, more than most, because I'm older than most . My degree's in history, I've travelled in 40+ plus countries and lived on four continents.

[BeardofPants]

1. What is your religious upbringing?

Non-denominational xtian.

2. Do you currently attend worship services?

I am a skeptic, and an atheist.

3. Do you use any drugs including alcohol and tobacco (not caffeine)

Yes.

4. Are you superstitious?

No.

5. Do you censor your thoughts or ever worry someone can "hear" them?

No.

6. What kind of music do you like? Do you ever sit down and listen to music (i.e. not background music)

Lots of different kinds of music. Predominantly classic & alt-rock, though I like heaps of other stuff too.

7. Describe your loss (or lack) of belief in the Easter bunny or Santa

I don't really remember. I think I figured it out myself.

8. How is your relationship with your parents?

We are estranged.

9. What do you want to happen when you die? An afterlife, or no? Details?

I rot. No afterlife.

10. Do any of the following apply to you: homosexual/bisexual/etc., pro-choice, participant in sex outside of marriage

I am probably bi-sexual in-as-much as anyone can be. I don't believe in marriage. I am pro-choice.

11. What do you like to read, or watch on TV?

My favourite genres are sci-fi & fantasy in both book & tv format. Favourite books are LOTR and Dune; favourite tv show is Buffy.

12. How well you do deal with anger?

Not well. I bottleneck it and then explode.

13. How much do you know about world culture/history?

A bit. Undergrad was anthropology & ancient history (near eastern).

14. Do you believe in a soul? If so, describe it.

No. We are meat-bags, that is it.

15. How much have your religious views changed since you were very young? Have you converted to a different religion or to or from atheism/agnosticism?

I believed in theism when I was very young, but "converted" to atheism when I was around 11.

16. What is your favorite and least favorite animal and why?

Fav is the cat. Cos they're cute & fuzzy. Least favourite? Don't really have one.

17. What is the most moving thing that has ever happened to you that is not explicitly religious?

Probably sex.

18. Will you be disappointed if nothing happens in 2012?

What is happening in 2012? You don't mean that whole end-of-world bullcrap do you?

[Aikanáro]

1. What is your religious upbringing?
Roman Catholic

2. Do you currently attend worship services?
No

3. Do you use any drugs including alcohol and tobacco (not caffeine)
Alcohol - rarely, and usually only one drink when I do. I tried khat once (it's legal over here) and that was interesting, but probably not something I'd do again. I've got a family history of addiction so I've got to be careful. Never tried tobacco.

4. Are you superstitious?
No.

5. Do you censor your thoughts or ever worry someone can "hear" them?
I used to worry about this *all the time* as a child, after I was told that God always knows what you're thinking. Now? I'll self-censor anything that's excessively negative towards others, but that's a moral rather than a spiritual decision.

6. What kind of music do you like? Do you ever sit down and listen to music (i.e. not background music)
I have very eclectic tastes in music, ranging from heavy metal to folk. It's usually just background, though.

7. Describe your loss (or lack) of belief in the Easter bunny or Santa
I never believed in the Easter Bunny, as it wasn't something my parents ever mentioned. Santa - the year I was 7, I couldn't sleep, and spotted my parents filling up the Christmas stockings from the stairs. I'd suspected before, as I took things rather literally and couldn't figure out how one man could visit every child in the world in one night, but this was when I got proof. I kept it very quiet, though, and when my parents decided to tell me the truth (at age 10) my response was a very calm 'I know.'

8. How is your relationship with your parents?
I don't get on well with my mother, our relationship is fairly distant. My dad is probably the most important person in my life, we're very close.

9. What do you want to happen when you die? An afterlife, or no? Details?
I don't know, but I want there to be *something,* because contemplating non-existence is a bit terrifying for me - I get the same kind of mental shutdown about it as I do when I try to comprehend infinity, only with dread rather than awe. But I'm aware that any sort of idea of an afterlife I have is based on wishful thinking rather than reason.

10. Do any of the following apply to you: homosexual/bisexual/etc., pro-choice, participant in sex outside of marriage
I'm pro-life and a supporter of gay marriage. I also don't know that I have much of a sexual orientation, unless 'not interested' counts. If you've ever watched 'The Big Bang Theory' I sort of share Sheldon's view of it. I often find myself feeling like an anthropologist from Mars when I try to make sense of the ways relationships make people act. I personally don't think sex outside marriage is a good decision (probably a leftover from my Catholic upbringing!), but I consider other people's personal lives none of my business.

11. What do you like to read, or watch on TV?
Most science fiction and fantasy, across all media. I also like historical fiction, and enjoy watching documentaries, mostly about history or social science.

12. How well you do deal with anger?
I don't believe anger is productive and I've been working on reacting more calmly to things. I don't often get angry now.

13. How much do you know about world culture/history?
More than the average person, less than the average well-educated or well-travelled person. I know plenty about particular cultures, times and places that I've taken an interest in over the years, but it's such a large field that my knowledge is very patchy!

14. Do you believe in a soul? If so, describe it.
I believe in a life force, the energy that gives us vitality of being. I'm not sure if that counts as a soul, it's more impersonal.

15. How much have your religious views changed since you were very young? Have you converted to a different religion or to or from atheism/agnosticism?
I went from Catholic through angry ex-Catholic, through Pagan, and now I guess I'm an agnostic with a spirituality strongly influenced by feminism and mysticism.

16. What is your favorite and least favorite animal and why?
I don't like most dogs, I tend to be a bit nervous around them, particularly the ones that like to jump up on people. There have been exceptions, though. I don't really have a favorite animal.

17. What is the most moving thing that has ever happened to you that is not explicitly religious?
I don't know. There's no one incident that really stands out for me.

18. Will you be disappointed if nothing happens in 2012?
I don't want anything bad to happen! I'd be quite pleased, though, if something of historical significance was achieved that year. It'd be fitting.

[Earniel]

1. What is your religious upbringing?
I went to a catholic school. As for the rest religion was unexistant at home.

2. Do you currently attend worship services?
No.

3. Do you use any drugs including alcohol and tobacco (not caffeine)
No drugs nor tobacco, which I personally find stupid and obnoxious habits. I occasionally drink a glass wine or jenever at a party, otherwise pretty much never. I just don't really like the taste of most alcoholic drinks.

4. Are you superstitious?
I doubt I am superstitious. I like to do certain things in a certain order or way, but not because I think something is going to happen if I do them differently.

5. Do you censor your thoughts or ever worry someone can "hear" them?
Heheh, no. I very much doubt anyone can deal with the stream of conciousness of another person's mind. Also, depending on the context, I found myself thinking in different languages.

6. What kind of music do you like? Do you ever sit down and listen to music (i.e. not background music)
I like a lot of different styles of music. Mostly pop music or instrumental film music, but I think I have something of everything in my CD collection. And not just only as background music.

7. Describe your loss (or lack) of belief in the Easter bunny or Santa
Culturally Easter Bunny or Santa weren't an issue, but concerning the Easter Bells and Sinterklaas, it went very gradually. I somehow got smoothely from believing they existed to knowing they weren't real, but without any feeling of loss or sadness. I ended up liking them just for the stories. Oh and hey, free gifts.

8. How is your relationship with your parents?
Very good. Otherwise I wouldn't still live at home. Although sometimes it feels more like living with a couple of housemates than with my parents.

9. What do you want to happen when you die? An afterlife, or no? Details?
It's not like I will be getting a choice in picking what happens afterwards, but I don't think there is anything. My only hope is that I leave something worthwhile behind, here on earth.

10. Do any of the following apply to you: homosexual/bisexual/etc., pro-choice, participant in sex outside of marriage
pro-choice.

11. What do you like to read, or watch on TV?
I read a bit of everything, mostly fantasy, a bit sci-fi, historical detectives, adventure stories, non-fiction books on science, history or art. My TV habits usually reflects that.

12. How well you do deal with anger?
Probably not quite as well as I should. I find it is very easy to be angry often. I don't bottle or explode, but it sorts of sinks to the bottom and forms a solid sediment.

13. How much do you know about world culture/history?
Enough to occassionally sound smart, but not nearly enough to my liking. The term 'what I don't know can fill a warehouse' applies. But that's the beauty of the world! There is always some interesting thing beyind that horizon that you haven't seen, and life is all about finding them out.

14. Do you believe in a soul? If so, describe it.
Don't really believe in a soul, can't think of how it would be any different from a personality. So at best, I guess I believe in a distinct electrical and chemical process in the brain. Which probably doesn't sound quite as romantic, but it works for me.

15. How much have your religious views changed since you were very young? Have you converted to a different religion or to or from atheism/agnosticism?
I tried to be a good believing catholic when I was young, but then I started to learn just what religion can do and what it has done, and for a while I think I was very angry at that. But eventually I decided I did not have as much a problem with the concept of gods, as with religion itself. So agnost seems to be the current stage right now.

16. What is your favorite and least favorite animal and why?
I have far too many favourite animals. It used to be just the penguin. But since I took an interest in frogs, over time there were just too many fascinating animals to pick only one. But ticks and mosquitoes range quite high on the least favourite list.

17. What is the most moving thing that has ever happened to you that is not explicitly religious?
You're probably going to laugh: seeing Hubble's Deep Field for the first time. The scale of the universe is awesome.

Although that experience may just be topped later today, if they can convince my first niece/nephew to come out...

18. Will you be disappointed if nothing happens in 2012?
There will be more than enough good and bad things happening in 2012, as they do every year. But the end of the world is not one I'll be counting on, though. I guess I have issues with believing that ancient peoples like the Maya could know things like that better than we do.

[katya]

Ok my answers. I wonder if any of them are surprising?

1. My parents were both Catholic. My father doesn't talk about his belief, my mother is now loosely Christian. I was made to attend church and youth group, and received the sacraments until I was a teenager.

2. Very infrequently, out of curiosity. I would attend soto zen services if there were any here.

3.I drink in moderation. Infrequently smoke.

4. Somewhat superstitious. I have to consciously remind myself that it's alright to step on the cracks in the sidewalk.

5. Yes. Trying to convince myself with absolute certainty that no one can read minds is a constant struggle. Also The Truman Show.

6. Mostly visual-kei and electronic music. I listen to music pretty constantly, sometimes I just sit down and only listen to it but not that often.

7. I went from "yes I believe" to "no i don't believe" when my mother asked me "Where do you think the easter candy comes from?" and I said "you?"

8. My dad has started over with a new wife and son and we talk amiably but infrequently. My mom is crazy. I honestly do think she's crazier than most moms.

9. I really hope there's no afterlife and that time is as linear as it seems.

10. yes.

11. Quality literature, manga, philosophy, science, history. anime.

12. I don't get angry much. I blame myself for everything. I am alright at dealing with it and it's not much of a problem for me.

13. Very rudimentary, but certainly more than the average American my age.

14. Do you believe in a soul? no?

15. They've changed gradually from belief in the bible as literal truth to atheism with a few lingering doubts and fears.

16. Wolf or house cat. Because they're cool, because they're cute and easy to take care of. Least favorite, I don't know. I don't like large insects or monkeys.

17. What is the most moving thing [...] I'm not sure.

18. Not so much 2012 but I half wish a meteor would hit the earth in my lifetime and fulfill my Jenova prophecy. I want to feel like our generation is special.

[EllethValatari]

1. What is your religious upbringing? Presbyterian until 12, Anglican from then on

2. Do you currently attend worship services? Yes. Morning Prayer once a week and Sunday Communion every week.

3. Do you use any drugs including alcohol and tobacco (not caffeine)? No.

4. Are you superstitious? No.

5. Do you censor your thoughts or ever worry someone can "hear" them? Well, someone can. God knows all my and everyone else's thoughts.

6. What kind of music do you like? Do you ever sit down and listen to music (i.e. not background music). Yes, all the time! I like Classic Rock, Pop, Rock, and a couple country songs.

7. Describe your loss (or lack) of belief in the Easter bunny or Santa. I'm confused about how someone could believe in the Easter Bunny, but I do not believe in Santa...I believe that there was a St. Nicholas, but not the supernatural Santa that represents Christmas now.

8. How is your relationship with your parents? They are my authorities under God.

9. What do you want to happen when you die? An afterlife, or no? Details? What do I want to happen? Well, I don't control what happens when I die; I believe that God will bring his people to new eternal life with him, and all others he will send to eternal death.

10. Do any of the following apply to you: homosexual/bisexual/etc., pro-choice, participant in sex outside of marriage? No, and I believe all these things are sin.

11. What do you like to read, or watch on TV? I love reading the works of Tolkien, and the ancient works on Philosophy and Logic (i.e. Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Isaac Watts, etc.) As far as TV shows go, I like The Office, 24, and SNL

12. How well you do deal with anger? My own anger or others' anger? To both my motto is forgive and forget.

13. How much do you know about world culture/history? I have studied history from Creation to the Present, and I do my best to follow along with current events.

14. Do you believe in a soul? If so, describe it. Man's soul is what distinguishes him from animals, and what makes him in the image of God. It is our spiritual nature apart from our bodies.
As the Westminster Catechism states,
The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory;and their bodies, being still united in Christ, do rest in their graves, till the resurrection.
and
At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.

15. How much have your religious views changed since you were very young? Have you converted to a different religion or to or from atheism/agnosticism?. I went from being Presbyterian to Anglican. My views changed slightly after that conversion.

16. What is your favorite and least favorite animal and why? Favorite-dogs, because they are loyal, great companions, etc. Least favorite-rats, their tails gross me out!

17. What is the most moving thing that has ever happened to you that is not explicitly religious? The only thing I can think of at the moment is religious....

18. Will you be disappointed if nothing happens in 2012? No, the world could end in 2012 but I do not expect it to.

[katya]

I want to comment on things but I'm afraid of a real discussion because if not conducted properly religious debate gets real messy real fast. >< But I had to make a couple comments anyway. I won't get mad if you do either but no trying to tell people they're wrong about something- this is a place you can tell your opinion and not be challenged on it. It's just about exploration.

Originally Posted by Eärniel

1
7. Describe your loss (or lack) of belief in the Easter bunny or Santa
Culturally Easter Bunny or Santa weren't an issue, but concerning the Easter Bells and Sinterklaas, it went very gradually. I somehow got smoothely from believing they existed to knowing they weren't real, but without any feeling of loss or sadness. I ended up liking them just for the stories. Oh and hey, free gifts.
[...]
You're probably going to laugh: seeing Hubble's Deep Field for the first time. The scale of the universe is awesome.

Sorry, how culturally insensitive of me!

And that's not something I would laugh at, either. I can't even look at those pictures because I can't wrap my mind around how big it is. I think it's somewhat comforting, though, but I've talked to someone who says it makes her feel like she's going to have a nervous breakdown.

Originally Posted by EllethValatari

7. Describe your loss (or lack) of belief in the Easter bunny or Santa. I'm confused about how someone could believe in the Easter Bunny, but I do not believe in Santa...I believe that there was a St. Nicholas, but not the supernatural Santa that represents Christmas now.

I've been thinking about it a lot since I posted this and I'm not really sure if I believed or not (the same goes for Christ, incidentally). When I was very young and trying to form a picture of how the world worked, I think it made more sense that I believed pretty much whatever anyone told me, but I still have a feeling maybe it was more of a willing suspension of disbelief. I'm afraid if I think about it to much I'll just recreate all my early memories and I'll never really know. But I think my belief in Santa and E.B. declined gradually as I got a better picture of how the world really worked, and I probably didn't really believe after maybe 1st grade at the latest. I'm not sure.

[EllethValatari]

I find it sad that there are so many atheists on here who were once Roman Catholics...are there only two Christians on here? Are there at least any other theists?

[katya]

Actually there are a lot of Christians on here. They just haven't done the survey, so don't worry too much. (I know the feeling, I used to worry about atheists a lot too.) But for the record, I didn't go straight from Catholic to atheist. There was a lot of searching and exploring in between. I considered myself a Quaker for a while. A lot of my family who were raised Catholic don't practice anymore though. I think their Catholic schooling actually did drive them away from it. And I didn't have a great experience with Catholicism either but I don't think that's why I stopped believing. It was just that the more I learned and questioned the more I lacked the ability to believe, and trust me, I did try (to believe).

[johnnyrod]

I'd be intrigued to know where this takes you but as an avid attention seeker...

1. Roman Catholic
2. about once a month, not sure the frequency bears up to any logic
3. booze, yep, cigs, used to, others, nope
4. no, it just seems daft
5. no. I believe in God but he knows me enough not to blush.
6. Loads of stuff except jazz, which is almost proof of the existence of the devil. Metal is my mainline but have been known to buy trance and folk. If you don't have anything by Beth Orton, you wanna go shopping.
7. When I was really tiny I wanted it all to be true, but it turned out that nothing comes on a plate.
8. Mother - don't ask. Father - still building bridges. I think he'd say the same. Nothing too unpleasant, just one of those things.
9. I'd like to go to heaven.
10. No. I used to want my cake and eat it, but I'd like to think I'm a bit better than that now. I might be wrong, who knows. Homo/bi etc. nope, just never appealed.
11. Hardly ever watch TV. I like thought-provoking stuff, or Americas Most Smartest Model. Avoid the purge!
12. Stamping around etc., depends how hungry I am. See 5., have said some colourful things in my time.
13. a fair bit, and by gum is some of it eye-popping what people do to each other. Remember the I-raq threads we used to have on here?
14. Yep. It's a bit like a flame without a candle.
15. Much omphaolskepsis (comtemplating one's belly button). I count myself as a Christian and still a Catholic but perhaps with more open eyes than many.
16. er... tough one. I like most animals, and not just to eat. I don't know, I liek dogs because they're social animals, and I hate them because they chase bikes and think poo is good. See what I mean?
17. Blimey, not asking much are you? I jumped out of a plane last year, believe me, that's an eye-popper. I dunno, things tend to occur to me slowly, like when I (sort of) figured out I probably wasn't losing it and just need a holiday. That sounds daft but it's only a few words. Smaller things have made me go "OMG" but the biggest ones took more time for it to sink in. Is this helping?
18. Nah, it's just a film. Would you be more disappointed if the worled ended sometime in 2011?

[Tessar]

1. What is your religious upbringing?
Roman Catholic.

2. Do you currently attend worship services?
Yes. Three Presbyterian services and one Catholic mass... the Presbyterian services are because I'm a paid choir singer at that church.

3. Do you use any drugs including alcohol and tobacco (not caffeine)
Alcohol from time to time.

4. Are you superstitious?
No.

5. Do you censor your thoughts or ever worry someone can "hear" them?
I censor my thoughts all of the time. Not because I'm worried that someone will hear them in my head, but the more you let yourself 'think' something, the more likely you are to blurt it out in a moment of shock. For instance, I don't like to curse because I'm around children so often... so I don't allow myself to 'think' curse words, and then I know I wont use them if I'm surprised. It works.

6. What kind of music do you like? Do you ever sit down and listen to music (i.e. not background music)
Being a music major, yes. I listen to a little bit of (almost) everything.

7. Describe your loss (or lack) of belief in the Easter bunny or Santa or Sinterklaas or anything similar that exists in your culture
My parents never taught us to believe in any of those things, so I never believed in them.

8. How is your relationship with your parents?
Good. I am trying to further improve it. I am probably the 'favorite child' simply because I am outgoing, and I am nice to my parents where my sisters tend to be very rude to them.

9. What do you want to happen when you die? An afterlife, or no? Details?
I would love a happy afterlife. Honestly if there is nothing after this life, I am not really afraid of that. I don't worry about the existence of a heaven, I just hope that there is one and that eventually I'll get to it . I mean if there isn't one... it's not like I'm gonna be around to regret having 'wasted my life' waiting for a heaven, you know?

10. Do any of the following apply to you:
Homosexual.

11. What do you like to read, or watch on TV?
Fantastic and science fiction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also funny sitcoms.

12. How well you do deal with anger?
When I get really angry, I internalize it as feeling hurt and I cry. But in general I think I deal with anger well...

13. How much do you know about world culture/history?
Meh. A bit? I would love to learn more, but I prefer to learn it from people who are in those cultures than from reading about it.

14. Do you believe in a soul? If so, describe it.
I do believe in a soul. I wouldn't venture to describe it myself without the use of some good theology books .

15. How much have your religious views changed since you were very young? Have you converted to a different religion or to or from atheism/agnosticism?
Hmmm.... my views have changed a fair bit. I am no longer entirely sure what I believe, and lately I have been drifting somewhat from being Catholic. I agree with 99% of what the Church teaches, but there are a few things that I don't think I agree with. Now... I do believe there is a God. That's one pretty unshakable thing for me, although I can understand why many people don't believe there is one. I never wonder why anyone would 'become' an atheist, although I am not even slightly one myself.

16. What is your favorite and least favorite animal and why?
That's such a hard one. In "every day" terms, I think my favorite animal would be dogs, and my least favorite would be roaches or maybe mosquitoes. In broader terms, my favorite animal is mythical, cuz it's a unicorn.

17. What is the most moving thing that has ever happened to you that is not explicitly religious?
It has only happened a few times in my life, and only once that I can specifically and exactly remember the situation. It's always about music.

Some friends and I were singing a composition that another friend of ours had written... and at this one rehearsal, we had one soprano and one alto, and we were in a very echoing stairwell practicing.... and I remember the alto and soprano sang two words, and something about it was so incredibly perfect that it just stopped time dead.

The best way I can describe it is that for one split second, everything was perfectly still... like there was nothing but the present moment. It was like being caught up in such an incredible surge of emotional perfection that I felt like I could have literally hung there for eternity and never known the time had passed. It had everything... like the thrill of being right at the crest of a wave, but there was this perfectly peaceful serenity at the very core of the thrill, like I would never have to worry about that peak falling off... it was like the 'wave' could have kept rising forever. I know it sounds silly, but every time I think about it I get tears in my eyes. The feeling was so powerful and vivid that if I focus and think back on it, I can literally still feel the 'tail edges' of that same feeling.

I wasn't the only one who felt it... they only sang those two words because everything just stopped... there were five or six of us there, and when that moment had passed we all just stood there with our mouths hanging open.

I haven't told anyone but one other person about it, because I know it sounds ridiculous.... and if you don't believe in a heaven, you wont understand that that moment, and one or two others where I've had that same experience, is what makes me not afraid of death. I feel like I've had an experience of having everything that is 'me' just sweep away, and to just be 'nothing' for a second. And it's not so bad.

If not that, then certainly my car accident. That was a life changer for me, because in the second when I felt the impact, I remember the thought going through my head, "I'm about to die, this is my last split second on earth," and I wasn't bothered, I was quite relieved. It taught me not to be paranoid about how I was going to die because... just like the music thing... it didn't seem so terrible in that moment when I thought it was about to happen.

The things that get me really annoyed and worried now are the things that I think are going to happen while I'm still alive.


18. Will you be disappointed if nothing happens in 2012?
Nah. I'd prefer if the world didn't end then, because I'm quite certain I wont have really begun my singing career yet . The world can end after my Metropolitan Opera debut. But not before!!!

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by katya

Sorry, how culturally insensitive of me!

No worries, it's just the local variant. I would have been surprised if people outside the country would know about it. Just like we also do have the Easter Bunny, but we call it a hare, because that way the name rhymes in Dutch: Paashaas!

[Varnafindë]

Originally Posted by katya

Actually there are a lot of Christians on here. They just haven't done the survey, so don't worry too much.

I'm one of them, and I don't know whether I'll be doing the survey or not - certainly not very soon. My old aunt died earlier this week, and I'm responsible for the funeral, and partly responsible for clearing out her flat.

During her last days she was awaiting eagerly to go to heaven to stay with Jesus, and I believe that is what she has done. And I expect to meet her again eventually.

[Comic Book Guy]

1. What is your religious upbringing? Roman Catholic

2. Do you currently attend worship services? I don't waste my time trying to curry favour with supernatural beings.

3. Do you use any drugs including alcohol and tobacco (not caffeine) Oh yeah.

4. Are you superstitious? No.

5. Do you censor your thoughts or ever worry someone can "hear" them? No

6. What kind of music do you like? Do you ever sit down and listen to music (i.e. not background music) I good music. I don't believe in musical taxonomy.

7. Describe your loss (or lack) of belief in the Easter bunny or Santa or Sinterklaas or anything similar that exists in your culture. The Santa Claus falsehood was reasoned out of me by my schoolfriends.

8. How is your relationship with your parents? Fine

9. What do you want to happen when you die? An afterlife, or no? Details? Just oblivion please.

10. Do any of the following apply to you: homosexual/bisexual/etc., pro-choice, participant in sex outside of marriage It's not for me or anybody else to say how other people live their lives.

11. What do you like to read, or watch on TV? Most forms of Literature, plus books on Politics, History etc. Don't watch much TV. Love the Simpsons though.

12. How well you do deal with anger? In a very healthy way.

13. How much do you know about world culture/history? Never been outside Europe, but I do know a lot about History.

14. Do you believe in a soul? If so, describe it. No, at least not mystical dualistic waffle anyway. Understanding human higher mental facilities still doesn't have a solid basis of inquiry and understanding, to progress in this area, we really have to cast off the legacy of Descartes.

15. How much have your religious views changed since you were very young? Have you converted to a different religion or to or from atheism/agnosticism? Had traditional Roman Catholic upbringing, discarded the chains of religion around the ages of 12-14.

16. What is your favorite and least favorite animal and why? Favourite: Cat Least Favourite: I like all animals.

17. What is the most moving thing that has ever happened to you that is not explicitly religious? Don't understand.

18. Will you be disappointed if nothing happens in 2012? I guess so, I wouldn't wish that to be an uneventful year.

[Midge]

1. What is your religious upbringing?
Christian - specifically Southern Baptist. I'm officially reformed now (you know, taking your upbringing and making adult decisions with it? That's how I got reformed).

Edit: After reading some of the others, I guess the word I'm looking for in place of Christian is Protestant. Although I AM a Christian.

2. Do you currently attend worship services?
Yes. I do.

3. Do you use any drugs including alcohol and tobacco (not caffeine)
Nope.

4. Are you superstitious?
Well, my husband saw me in my dress before the ceremony.

5. Do you censor your thoughts or ever worry someone can "hear" them?
Eh. It's often difficult to remember that God knows my every thought. When I remember that, I usually do have to censor my thoughts.

6. What kind of music do you like? Do you ever sit down and listen to music (i.e. not background music)
To my husband's chagrin, I like country music (don't worry, I won't ever make you listen to it). Usually, I have to be doing something. I'll listen to music while I'm at work, or while I'm cleaning house.

7. Describe your loss (or lack) of belief in the Easter bunny or Santa or Sinterklaas or anything similar that exists in your culture
I don't remember losing it. I don't remember ever having had it. I don't know if I'm going to actively encourage it in my children (when I have them), though I won't discourage it either.

8. How is your relationship with your parents?
Mmm... okay.

9. What do you want to happen when you die? An afterlife, or no? Details?
What I want to happen is what will happen - I will be brought before God and He will look at me and know I am His and that I am forgiven and I will spend the rest of eternity praising Him because I just won't be able to help it.

10. Do any of the following apply to you: homosexual/bisexual/etc., pro-choice, participant in sex outside of marriage
This is the question that made me take so long to answer this survey. As a Christian I stand against all the things listed, saying "That is wrong." However, as a sinner, I must say the answer to this question is a "yes".

11. What do you like to read, or watch on TV?
I like to read fantasy books, like Tolkien, or Lewis. Sometimes historical fiction can be fun. On TV, I prefer things that are clean. Basically. It can be as lame as it gets, as long as it is innuendo/crudeness/cursing-free.

12. How well you do deal with anger?
It doesn't take hold of me long before I remember that whatever I'm angry about is stupid. The Bible says even my righteous anger does not achieve God's purpose. So even if that guy DID cut me off, I don't have a right or a need to be mad.

13. How much do you know about world culture/history?
I know most of the big things that we go to school for 13 years to learn. You know, the battle of whatever it was in 1066, then "In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue". I'm particularly interested in early American history and have taken classes geared toward that, but nothing un-required.

14. Do you believe in a soul? If so, describe it.
C. S. Lewis said "You don't have a soul. You have a body. You are a soul." I guess as a Christian, there's no difference between the soul and the spirit. The spirit is what's important in a person. At death, the body perishes, but the spirit continues on to eternal death or eternal life.

15. How much have your religious views changed since you were very young? Have you converted to a different religion or to or from atheism/agnosticism?
As I said earlier, my core beliefs are much the same, but my theology has become reformed theology. It's one of the funnest things to think about because a lot of it is really different from what I heard growing up. One of the main differing points is what I heard growing up was that when a person becomes a Christian, they choose Jesus - they "accept Him" into their hearts. Reformed theology says the reason they "accept Him" is because He has first chosen them, accepted them. That's why they WANT to accept Him.

16. What is your favorite and least favorite animal and why?
I really like ducks. I really don't like cats. Ducks are cool, and cats aren't. It's that simple.

17. What is the most moving thing that has ever happened to you that is not explicitly religious?
Saying my wedding vows and hearing my husband say them to me. I actually had this amazing sensation during the rehearsal - committing your whole self to another person for the duration of your lifetime or theirs is quite something.

18. Will you be disappointed if nothing happens in 2012?
No, and I won't be surprised at that, either.