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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am relatively religious (about a once a month church goer) but not sure whether / to what extent I believe in God, Jesus, etc. I am open to it though. We go to a church that encourages questions. (We recently had a sermon around Christmas -was Mary a virgin? Probably not but that's not the point). I have gone from a GWB-type conservative prior to becoming a regular church attendee to a relatively progressive person. I have become much more empathetic and engaged in the community. I like learning about Jesus, having time to meditate/reflect, gathering in a multigenerational group, having built-in volunteer opportunities, giving my kids a religious foundation, the rituals, setting the example to go to church when we'd rather sleep in or for the kids just watch cartoons- helps build discipline and attention span, etc. I am skeptical of anyone who claims to "know" the truth or take the Bible literally - but I also think Jesus' example was so revolutionary and his teachings so foundational to the development of western civilization and the idea of the inherent worth of each individual human being, there just might be something to it. Maybe Jews or Buddhists are closer to the truth.  Who knows. But I was raised in a Christian tradition and I find meaning in that faith and enjoy the holidays and rituals, so I don't feel the need to explore other faiths too deeply (other than knowing Islam is not for me after my intro to Islam course in college).

As noted in this Atlantic article, unlike much of modern life, "the religious ritual is typically embodied, synchronous, deep, and collective," which has salutary effects on society overall. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/04/america-religion-decline-non-affiliated/677951/ [/quote]

Sounds like you've found a liberal religious outlet that works for you and your family and that belief itself is not very important. Possibly it's not something that you think about much.[/quote]

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