[Salone]

First off, I would like to say welcome to the site! Good show engaging in serious discussion.

1. What religions do you find to be strange?

As long as 'strange' is the word we're going with here, I'm going to say 'most of them' however, if we're putting them on a measurable scale, I'm going to have to say Scientology is definitely topping the charts, as well as various versions of your newer Paganism, Wicca and the Esoteric Order of Dagon. One of those might not be real.

2. What religion (if any) do you conform to and why?

Pretty sure I'm agnostic, with leanings of atheism. When I was younger I was of Pentacostal denomination of Christianity, although looking at my behavior I only thought I was one, I didn't follow a lot of the practices and way of life that is required by most. I suppose you could say a lot of people do that with their religions. Anyway.

I was hateful. I was a bigot because it was fun and validating to hate, I was backed (supposedly) by my book (that I never actually read) and my congregation. I told one of the few people I grew up with that he was going to Hell for being gay. I am no longer that person, and I have apologized profusely, but I can't ever get over my guilt. But part of what swayed me away were just various events in my life and a slow realization that what little I did know of my own religion seemed very contradictory. Not to mention that the whole "speaking in tongues" thing never seemed to take me and I just ad libbed it to keep pressure off of me during services. So I slowly went my own way. I tried to make up for the things I had done and said. And now, I'm undecided. It might be a weak stance, but I don't know what's out there, or what I believe, but I'm okay with not knowing. Organized religions do shirk me though, the idea of congregations being lead by priests/imams/whatever supposedly speaking the will of their religion gives me the creeps now. Nothing wrong with other people doing it, but I don't think it's for me.

3. Do you believe that there is a true path?

All hail the Great Potato! Also congrats on finding this.
Nah. In the words of one Sam Vimes, the three basic needs of any animal is to eat, mate, and crap. Somewhere along the line we had enough time to come up with a fourth and fifth and so on, and one of them happened to be the need to explain why we're here and religion fell in to that need. So it's whatever gives you peace of mind while you're here to me. Walk you're path, so long as you're tripping me on mine. Although if I had to choose, the only one true path is the one to the fridge.

4. What is different from the religion in question one and your own religion?

Pffft well I don't believe that Xanu or Xanadu or Xenu is going to come back for me once I get my thetans in check, for one. So far I have yet to see a Wiccan successfully cast a spell or alter anything in a quantifiable way without directly manipulating it, so I guess we're not so different there, although belief wise we're on opposite sides. I mean once they do I had better get my letter telling me I am accepted to the Salem Witches Institute (Hogwarts is for English students, Americans go here!). Also, my religion of nothing directly contrasts with the machinations of Dagon, and I have yet to hear the callings to the deep water and Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn. We stand opposed on that subject.

5. Do you have any interest in learning about religions? Why or why not?

Maybe as a side hobby, but it's going to be fairly low on the list. I'm just disinterested unless there's some colorful history that does not involve murdering too many people in the name of somebody. That said, my greatest scholarly knowledge on a religion is probably Omnianism. I will read about some Omnianism.