Do you subscribe to a predefined lifestyle (rules, morals, beliefs) or do you pick the things you like?

I freelance, baby.

I’m a Christian who is too lazy to fully answer this question, but I think you can get the answer from the answer I gave :)

I fly like an eagle!

yeah, if you treat religion like a buffet, how can you go wrong?~

I try to live by the things that make sense to me, won’t get me arrested, and that do as little harm as possible to other people, animals or the environment. To do that I may have to visit the buffet to some degree, but I try not to overdo it.

I do what feels right to me. If I find that what I feel good doing is in line with a group’s set of rules, I do more research into that group and maybe start considering myself part of it.

I wouldn’t belong to any group that would have me as a member.

If you’re going to pick the things you like, there’s no sense joining a religion. To answer you question, I’m a Christian Baptist and try my best to conform to that b/c it’s what I believe is right.

I definitely live by my own rules.

@PandoraBoxx ack! you stole my answer!

Seriously though, I invented my own religion because the other ones had too many stipulations. No religion says that it is okay to not follow what that particular religion teaches. Evelynism does. Evelyn accepts everyone, no exceptions. Evelynism also accepts no donations, no tithes, no money or funding of any kind. Evelyn is probably the only free religion in existence. It does not need tax exempt status because there is no money involved. Ever.

Does this sound like a guy that subscribes to a predefined lifestyle?

@evelyns_pet_zebra I hate to tell you, but there are already “religions” like that out there. You didn’t invent it.

There’s a set of rules I try to follow.

@BBSDTfamily, so I didn’t invent a free religion. I did however invent Evelynism. Evelyn is a 300 foot tall black woman with six breasts. She is black, but that isn’t her race; it is the color of her skin. How many other religions worship a deity that looks like that? Evelynism is the worship of that particular deity, who is immortal, is the not the creator of the universe, but does take credit for enforcing some of the laws of nature, sees humans in much the same light as we see our pets, and has many wonderful stories to tell about her adventures among the other races that exist out in the universe. She also says that humans are the only species to invent patriarchal religions. Only humans worship male gods, and that’s just illogical, in her words. If you don’t believe me, just ask her. =)

@BBSDTfamily and I think your saying that you hate to tell me sounds almost like something pleasing to you.

Subscribing to any “belief system” just seems outright insane to me. Sure there may be similarities in thinking, but an abject adoption of all of the principles?

If you need to “think” exactly as others do in a group, then you really aren’t thinking at all are you?

If any group of people (since time began) ever got it right don’t you think we’d know by now?

People have opinions, people lie, people can be mislead, people wrote the bible, people are all that we have to rely on as far as history goes, people are fallible, people forget things, people manipulate and distort facts to suit their own agendas, people start bullshit cults and religions.

Everyone you’ve ever known is a person, and is subject to scrutiny about the above statements. Unless you created a belief system/religion/political party all on your own, you were presented with the initial idea by a fallible, possibly biased, possibly influenced, possibly etc…. human.

Dear people,
here’s a reminder that this topic is not about religion but lifestyle.. yes religion can be part of that. But not everything you act upon is based on a relgion

@evelyns_pet_zebra hmmmm…. and how many people join you in this religion?

@Inofaith Good point. I’ll re-answer for you. The actions that are mentioned by my religion, I let my religion influence them. Other things, I use my own judgement. Don’t we all?

@Inofaith Actually, everything I act upon is based on my religion

Apart from religion and politics, where would one even find a set of “rules, morals and beliefs” to base their life on?

@Facade We don’t interact much, but that’s more than likely bullshit.

“I am what I am.”
—Popeye T. Sailorman

lol…

@Facade that can be true yes. (but you don’t consult a bible for every step you take right? but assuming the things you do in general, you try to fit in your religion)

@dnooman You don’t find it. You think of it yourself. Some people want to be lead, some want to decide for themselves.

I have a set of rules/beliefs that I live by, but they are entirely my own. I’m not a member of any group except Flutherites and humanity.

I make it up as I go along. My idiosyncracies are what make me so unique and likeable and appealing.

Well, if you find it yourself, how are you part of a group?

@dnooman plz read the full question again.
It’s about being part of a group OR deciding for yourself, Thus not belonging to a predefined group.

most groups make you actually do stuff… I’m not really big on that.

I was raised with a preset lifestyle, but when I got out on my own, I modified it a lot. I pretty much decide by this “If I wouldn’t like it, I won’t do it” Sort of the restating of the Golden Rule.

@BBSDTfamily it’s a way of life, not a popularity contest. Just because the Middle Eastern religions of Desert gods are popular, that doesn’t make them the right one for everyone. I used to be Baptist, and I discovered that the only thing worse than a Baptist is a…well, there isn’t anything worse than a Baptist, except maybe a Wahhabi Muslim.

Yep, I missed those two letters. My bad.

i do what feels right, and i don’t understand living a life any other way.

I have rules in my head, ideals for what brings me maximum joy and fulfillment but reality dictates I be more flexible, enjoying whatever for however and doing the least amount of harm along my way.

@YARNLADY: I like that philosophy.

My specific beliefs, moral code, etc. comes from a variety of places and has evolved with time and experience.

I know that logic and critical thinking play a big part. Beyond that, I feel like I have a “moral compass” of sorts that let’s me know if it “feels” right. That being said, I try to decide nothing based on feelings alone (dangerous in my opinion).

Now if my particular beliefs completely align with some group or another, I wouldn’t know. I would never trust any group or organization enough to completely subscribe to them.

I’ve never been a joiner, but I do generally surround myself with people who have similar morals and values, not to be confused with people who have similar religious beliefs.

I agree with @Darwin

I have yet to make a conscious decision to do anything.

I don’t necessarily belong or not belong to any particular group – I try to stay open-minded, see many different perspectives and try to equal the playing field for people

I pick out things in life and live by every individual thing that feels right to me.

You’ll never catch me with these guys.

I am however the proud owner of an Orgasmic Church of Evelyn bumper sticker.

I have been doing that all of my life even though I went to Catholic school. The good thing about studying religion is that the more you learn, the better able you are to separate truth from superstition.

The nuns told of a lot of things, probably 90% was pure b.s. That precious 10% was hard to come by but it boils down to “treat others like you want to be treated” and “do no harm”.

You can wipe your but with the rest of it.

It is a little of this and a little of that.
Knowing, that at the end of the day. I am responsible for my actions.