That does sound like an interesting book, Wampus, considering that it pretty much mirrors my attitude towards religion.
I wasn't quite sure what to put for the answer to the poll, because, to be honest, I'm not entirely certain what my parents' religious beliefs are. I grew up going to church because they were both church musicians (at a United Methodist congregation), but I think they mostly just did it because churches tend to be steady employers of musicians. After they both stopped doing playing at the church, my mom attended Unitarian services a couple of times, but my dad never went back to church. I think they would probably both be considered deists, but we don't talk about religious beliefs very often.
Because I went to church and Sunday school every week when I was growing up, I considered myself a Methodist until I was (I think) 13. And at that point I kind of just stopped believing in God. I didn't have any particular experiences that led me to that point, I guess I just realized that I didn't see God the way others in my church saw God. In fact, I didn't see that there could be a God at all. I loved the social aspect of church, particularly my youth group, so I kept attending services and events until I finished high school. I tend to think that the social aspect is the main purpose of organized religion. I haven't been to my old church for many years, because I feel a bit like a fraud going to church when I don't believe in the religion. But I really miss the strong social outlet that my church provided. Often I think about going back or going to a new church just to get that, but I've never actually done so because I don't want to be hypocritical, or lie about my beliefs.
I wouldn't consider myself a devout atheist, but I tend not to think that any God or God-like force exists. I often
wish I was a strong believer in some sort of deity, but I guess you can't force yourself to believe in something that you just don't believe in.
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." - HDT
