Poll: How religious/observant are you?

[briann]

Poll: How religious/observant are you?

I don't think Ive seen a poll like this recently, and I am interested.

[muman613]

I am becoming more and more observant each year. I have taken on several mitzvahs a year...

[Dr. Dan]

I don't know what is meant by "Somewhat religious" or even "secular but still a believer".

I know that I'm somewhere in the middle, however to some who are ultra religious they'll look at me as if i'm secular and vice versa for those who are non believers.

[briann]

I don't know what is meant by "Somewhat religious" or even "secular but still a believer".

I know that I'm somewhere in the middle, however to some who are ultra religious they'll look at me as if i'm secular and vice versa for those who are non believers.

I can change the options if you like.  Let me know of a descriptive alternative... that isnt leading in any way.

[briann]

Wow.  Im amazed.  We really have the whole spectrum here.

[takebackourtemple]

   I'm bad at retelling stories, but here was one that I heard a while ago. A man walks into the chambers of a king and tells him about a dream that he had. He was walking up a building that had 100 stories and had reached the 50th floor. The king was impressed and offered him some of the kingdoms riches.
   Someone else heard the story and went to the king to tell him that he had a dream where he had reached the 100th floor. The king got angry and threw him in jail.
   The moral of this story is that we are all climbing up these steps and are goal is to get as high as we can, but we will never be at the top, because that leaves no room to climb any higher. As I mentioned, I'm bad at telling stories, but even if we are not religious and observant, we have the ability to climb. In fact we have a greater ability to climb than those who are observant because they are much closer. Let's not be proud of not being religious. Lets strive to be.

[Zionist Revolutionary]

I am becoming more and more observant each year. I have taken on several mitzvahs a year...

Thats me too.

[Rubystars]

I don't really enjoy being around church people but I do have strongly held religious beliefs. So I chose "somewhat" because I don't go out of my way to fellowship with people of the same faith but I do believe in my faith.

[Zelhar]

I believe in G-d. I don't believe the Bible or parts pf it are literally the word of G-d, although I think it pretty reliable as a historical source.

PS- I don't think my belief fits any of the pole's options. I suggest an option- "Critical Theist".

[AsheDina]

I am not into 'religion'  Its all too much for me. I believe and love G-d with all my heart and soul, and only wish to do things to make Him happy and pleased with me.

I am always Mitzvah-oriented, or 'good-deeds' etc. I fight everyday for right-wing Jews and Israel, righteous gentiles, born-again believers. I am not 'intolerant' of peoples faith in G-d as long as they dont act like huge hypocrites.  I am just as much comfortable with born-again believers as I am with Orthodox Jews.

[IsraeliGovtAreKapos]

Very religious (chose somwhat religious by mistake), are there secular Jews here?

[TruthSpreader]

I'm a secular Christian but I still believe in god and the holy ghost.

[muman613]

I'm a secular Christian but I still believe in G-d and the holy ghost.

Oy Vey!

[TruthSpreader]

I'm a secular Christian but I still believe in G-d and the holy ghost.

Oy Vey!

There's nothing wrong with being secular.

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

It is always preferable to live for G-d rather than this world. I try to do the former, but often end up doing the latter.

[ProudAndZionist]

I chose somewhat religious.

[SW]

Mostly secular, but still a believer

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Very religious.

[Moshe92]

I chose "somewhat religious" because I'm not yet fully observant. I've been trying to be more careful about shabbat and other mitzvot, but it's difficult to be fully observant because my family isn't. However, it will probably be easier to be more religious when I go off to college next year. I will definitely go to a college where there is an Orthodox Jewish population.

[briann]

Wow, very diverse.  It looks like I'm not the only somewhat secular member. 

[New Yorker]

I'm mostly secular, but I know the difference between right and wrong, and following that, my values are far more in line with truly religious people than with secular people. So while I don't actively practice, I don't live a disgusting life of debauchery and dishonesty either, as a matter of fact I think I live a far more decent life than a lot of people that call themselves "religious" but then act like immoral bastards in their daily lives.

[takebackourtemple]

I don't really enjoy being around church people but I do have strongly held religious beliefs. So I chose "somewhat" because I don't go out of my way to fellowship with people of the same faith but I do believe in my faith.

   Some places have food after services. It is always nice to sit down with everyone, tell stories, sing songs, get up and dance and do L'Chaims. Especially when services are not meant for personal conversations, the sit down Kiddush provides an opportunity to speak.
   I like the sit down ones where food is brought to the table better than the mad rush to grab everything where everyone has to push each other or else they won't get any food.
   There is something special about everyone staying quite after washing hands to wait for the rabbi to do hmotei(blessing of the bread).
   I don't know if church experiences are similar.   

[Rubystars]

I don't really enjoy being around church people but I do have strongly held religious beliefs. So I chose "somewhat" because I don't go out of my way to fellowship with people of the same faith but I do believe in my faith.

   Some places have food after services. It is always nice to sit down with everyone, tell stories, sing songs, get up and dance and do L'Chaims. Especially when services are not meant for personal conversations, the sit down Kiddush provides an opportunity to speak.
   I like the sit down ones where food is brought to the table better than the mad rush to grab everything where everyone has to push each other or else they won't get any food.
   There is something special about everyone staying quite after washing hands to wait for the rabbi to do hmotei(blessing of the bread).
   I don't know if church experiences are similar.   

A lot of times church groups will have separate study groups, like women's groups, or Sunday school for kids, or Bible study groups, which will have trips to go to fun places together or hold pot lucks. I'm not exactly a social butterfly although I can see why this kind of thing would be a positive learning or bonding experience. The last time I went to church they invited me to go to a social function with them but I declined because I was getting fed up with the whole thing.

[Manch]

I don't know what is meant by "Somewhat religious" or even "secular but still a believer".

I know that I'm somewhere in the middle, however to some who are ultra religious they'll look at me as if i'm secular and vice versa for those who are non believers.

Same here. However, I am becoming much more observant. I truly enjoy it.

[Secularbeliever]

How interesting that Chaim, the leader, is in the small minority on this website.  I think it is a good thing that secular and religious people can work together with mutual respect.