You're quite a religious person, aren't you?

Oh, if I had a dollar for every time someone said this to me...

I'd probably only have about $5. But that's often enough to make me wonder what spurs this question and what response I should give.

I personally find it a very hard question to answer. I can't quite say no, because that would be giving a wrong impression. Yet I'm so hesitant to say yes, because of what that would be implying as well. The word religious is such a hairy one; what is it really describing? Are you religious if you pray at least 3 times a day? Are you religious if you go to church or a temple service weekly? Are you religious if you read your holy book regularly?

Imagine if I told someone outright "I am a very religious person". Think about all the implications and connotations that immediately conjures. I may as well have said "I am a bigot". Or "I am holier than thou". "I am a fundamentalist who will never budge from my beliefs". Well, that's what I'd think anyway.

But then again...some people describe themselves as religious in with the intention of distancing themselves from organised religion (another phrase that I dislike). "No, I don't believe in any particular religion, but I am religious." Religious, in that sense, is synonymous with spiritual. Or at least, spiritual as we know it today. So is that what I'm implying if I agree that I'm a religious person?

How am I meant to answer that question, if religious can mean both fundamentalist and vague spiritualist? Am I religious? Well, what does that question even mean?

I love Jesus, and I am not ashamed to say that. I am completely convinced by overwhelming evidence that there is a God, who has revealed Himself through His word and His Son. I am convinced too that Jesus is the only way to salvation, and that if you believe otherwise, you are wrong.

FUNDAMENTALIST!

Well, if the above fits your definition of a fundamentalist, then I must admit that that's what I am. And indeed, I do believe in the fundamental tenets of my religion.

But I am not immune to argument. If you can convince me with solid evidence that my beliefs are wrong, I will choose to believe in truth. I believe in God not because I have to (or I inherited my religion) but because I choose to.

And I do not think I am holier than anyone. I will be the first to admit that I am sinful. I don't think that believing in God makes me better than anyone. It just means I have been forgiven.

But you believe that your beliefs are right and that everyone else's beliefs are wrong!

What's wrong with that?

As in literally, what is wrong with that belief? If you don't believe in an objective right or wrong, how can you even say that that belief is wrong?

There is nothing wrong with believing that your beliefs are right. But there's something wrong if you believe that no beliefs are wrong.

Think about it - who doesn't have a belief about God/god and our purpose? Everyone believes something, whether it's that God is there or not there or good or bad or a he or she or distant or one essense with us; or whether life is about just being happy or minimising suffering or obeying a divine will or obeying your own will. Human beings aren't just occasionally religious; we're incurably religious! We can't help being religious!

I just happen to have a set of beliefs that fits the current narrow definition of religious - I believe in God and try to let my faith affect my life.

So you are religious.

If you're really just asking whether I'm a non-atheist (and I suspect that that's what most people mean), then the answer is yes, I am religious.

But if you want to be pedantic, so are you ;)