Ranking Your Religious Label

[Kilgore Trout]

Whatever your religious label is - christian, muslim, uu, mormon, atheist, agnostic, etc. - how important is that label in actually describing you and your self-identity? Where would this label rank in relation to other labels that apply to you?

For instance, for me, on a scale of identity relevance, the label 'atheist' would be pretty far down the list. Labels like 'intelligent', 'musician/composer', 'math guy', 'rationalist', 'artist', 'computer person', 'hates hypocrisy', and 'someone who enjoys arguing', along with others, have far more relevance in describing who I actually am, as a person, than the term 'atheist'. Even labels such as 'drives fast', 'drinks Jack & Coke', and 'avid poker player' would have more relevance in describing something about me than 'atheist'.

I could probably come up with 50 labels that would say something more meaningful about me than the label 'atheist'.

So, how important is your religious status in defining who you are?

 

[Storm]

I'm not really sure.... Put them together, and my theology and UU pretty accurately sum up who I am. But I'm not sure how well people understand either, so I don't know how useful those labels are.

Also, I don't think of "labels" as broadly as you seem to. I'd label myself as "white, bi, female, [religious stuff], liberal." (In no particular order.) Of those, the religious stuff is most comprehensive, with the caveat of "if you know what the hell I'm talking about."

 

[ChristineES]

I follow Jesus and His commands, that is what is important- not the label "Christian". Labels are never what a person truly is.
What I am is determined by more than 1 thing (not in any order) 1. how I was raised 2. my experiences in school 3. my time in the Navy 4. my children and husband 5. my friends 6. and my faith is included, too. and there is a lot more.

 

[3.14]

chaotic neutral enigma

 

[Mister Emu]

Being Christain, and what that means to me, is pretty much alone at the top... nothing near it...

 

[Charity]

When you look at a bottle the label tells you what is inside but it doesn't tell you what the product can do until you try it for yourself....A label tells what you are suppose to be, contents prove what you really are.....
There's usually more to a person than meets the eye and sometimes labels are misleading......

 

[Zephyr]

Putting Heathen at the top tells a lot more about me than just my religion, so it's pretty well up there.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Don't focus too much on the term 'label'. The question is really about how important your religious views are in defining who you are, as compared to other aspects of your life and personality.



Every time I try to ask a question using broad terms, it turns into a semantics nit-pick fest.

 

[Storm]

Don't focus too much on the term 'label'. The question is really about how important your religious views are in defining who you are, as compared to other aspects of your life and personality.

Every time I try to ask a question using broad terms, it turns into a semantics nit-pick fest.

:sorry1: I can be a bit anal about words.

I just don't know how I would rank them, honestly. I'm me, all my traits. How do you decide which is more important?

 

[Ringer]

Well since I label myself as a Christian, things like "intelligent", "rationalist", or "normal" aren't part of my vocabulary.

But to be serious, I like to be identified as a Christian and even though nobody likes to be labeled, if people remember me as the Christian guy who was always pleasurable to be around, I guess it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. There are other things about me I could be labeled as but, in the end, I don't think being known as the guy who loved playing computer games would be as meaningful as the guy who changed at least one person's perceptions on Christianity. I'm still striving for that label.

 

[Buttercup]

I could probably come up with 50 labels that would say something more meaningful about me than the label 'atheist'.

So, how important is your religious status in defining who you are?

I couldn't care less with having any labels attached to my persona whatsoever. Just when someone thinks they have me nailed with a certain characteristic, I'll let them know in some way that they could be wrong.

 

[ChristineES]

Generalizations can always occur with any label. I call myself a Christian, and someone could picture me in a way that is not me. I don't roll in the aisles, I don't go around spouting verses for answers, I don't scream out "repent or die" at bars,

 

[J Bryson]

My religious views do not define who I am, but who I am defines my religious views. So it's hard to say. Is the apple more important than the seeds, pith, stem, and flesh?

 

[MoonWater]

I'm half in the same boat as J Bryson is. I say half because while who I am affects my religious beliefs, my religious beliefs also affect who I am. It goes back and forth because my religion IS me and IS my spiritual journey and thus they are intricitly intertwined in such a way that it's difficult to determine which one changes the other. As for labels I prefer to avoid them but the label I use for my religion defines me very well if one knows what the label means. If you don't know what it means then just think of me as "an eclectic, walking contradiction who always seeks the middle ground."

 

[J Bryson]

I don't scream out "repent or die" at bars,

I do, but not as a Christian, and only after the fifth drink.

 

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

I'm a Baha'i, and I would say this is very important!

Best regards,

Bruce

 

[Beaudreaux]

Whatever your religious label is - christian, muslim, uu, mormon, atheist, agnostic, etc. - how important is that label in actually describing you and your self-identity? Where would this label rank in relation to other labels that apply to you?

For instance, for me, on a scale of identity relevance, the label 'atheist' would be pretty far down the list. Labels like 'intelligent', 'musician/composer', 'math guy', 'rationalist', 'artist', 'computer person', 'hates hypocrisy', and 'someone who enjoys arguing', along with others, have far more relevance in describing who I actually am, as a person, than the term 'atheist'. Even labels such as 'drives fast', 'drinks Jack & Coke', and 'avid poker player' would have more relevance in describing something about me than 'atheist'.

I could probably come up with 50 labels that would say something more meaningful about me than the label 'atheist'.

So, how important is your religious status in defining who you are?

I am an atheist and that label ranks VERY low on my list. I have said on RF before that it is silly that we have to have a special name for people who do not choose to believe in God. We do not have a special name for people who don't assert the validity of astrology, nor do we have a special label for people who don't believe in alien abductions. It is simply understood, in these realms anyway, that choosing not to believe an unfounded assertion is normal and does not need special labeling.

 

[BucephalusBB]

I adapt labels because other people give them to me as person. Here on this forum I might say the label "atheist" is pretty important. In reall life though, I can also cough up 50 labels wich are more important.

 

[Dream Angel]

Whatever your religious label is - christian, muslim, uu, mormon, atheist, agnostic, etc. - how important is that label in actually describing you and your self-identity? Where would this label rank in relation to other labels that apply to you?

For instance, for me, on a scale of identity relevance, the label 'atheist' would be pretty far down the list. Labels like 'intelligent', 'musician/composer', 'math guy', 'rationalist', 'artist', 'computer person', 'hates hypocrisy', and 'someone who enjoys arguing', along with others, have far more relevance in describing who I actually am, as a person, than the term 'atheist'. Even labels such as 'drives fast', 'drinks Jack & Coke', and 'avid poker player' would have more relevance in describing something about me than 'atheist'.

I could probably come up with 50 labels that would say something more meaningful about me than the label 'atheist'.

So, how important is your religious status in defining who you are?

When I work out what my religious label is I will let you know!

Personally if we are talking about defining who you are here...the only important label is "ME" or "YOU" (depending on if you are looking out or in).

Everyone is different, everyone is unique, everyone has their own qualities which make them who they are! Labels can get people into trouble, I tend not to like labels, the most important label is "ME" and "YOU" as you then cant group people into different boxes and start the whole "we're better than you" etc

Labels can cause hostility. Take the label "Gay"...many people are very hostile towards gays simply because of their label of being "Gay". If people would just see their label as "YOU" understanding that everyone is different and is made up of different qualities, the world would be a much better place!

In short....there are too many labels and too many boxes!