Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Do you consider yourself a religious person? Why?

Hosted by: Pauline Turuban

The proportion of people with no religious affiliation is steadily increasing in Switzerland, as in many other countries, and is now in the majority. Against this background, we are interested in your relationship to religion.

Would you describe yourself as a religious person or not? If so, can you tell us the reasons why?

How do you judge the loss of religiosity? In your opinion, can religion still provide an answer to the problems of our time?

Some of your answers can be used in a future article. Thank you very much!

From the article Deserted churches and fewer believers: Swiss abandon God

Join the conversation!

Contributions must adhere to our guidelines. If you have questions or wish to suggest other ideas for debates, please, get in touch!
Eperez0406
Eperez0406

Should I force my perspectives into someone else's ? No.
.
For the gift of faith only comes from God.

Is not me giving the faith to the person when is about religion

Is God giving the faith to that person through his priests.

This is why I don't agree with forcing anyone to believe but being given an opportunity is differently. If a person believes great if a person unfortunately doesn't believe them that cannot be forced to believe but that person can be helped to answer questions

But never force.

For the gift of Faith only comes from God

Eperez0406
Eperez0406

I am a Christian Roman Catholic.

Why don't I follow the trends and join the membership of atheism?

Why don't I just give up so the moral compass is somewhat erased in other aspects to just 'enjoy life to the fullest'?

Do I think religion should be imposed on others?

All of these are very good questions and I will address these questions properly

First let's begin the very last question and then to the reminder questions.

I don't think religion should be forced nor imposed on people

However I believe in the Christian Catholic faith, regarless if rite, because is the true faith I have really experienced God's existence although I haven't seen him outside the Holy Eucharist but I know he certainly exists not just based on feelings itself but also reason explains that even the chemical and physical world is very chronological very monarchical structured even throught the chemical compositions and the rules of physics that God created everything for good use, he gave humanity the ability to think things through an to reason.

However just as all life matters, we are upheld responsibility and must be accountable for our actions on how we take care what is created by God.

When I spent the most times alone he always was there, God.
When I was very alone the virgin Mary helped me in several ways.

And I can say I was at a brink of being without food almost but thank to God always provided when I was having a difficult time . And I am still having some difficulties. But not as bad as when I was living in the streets for a time.

I could have lost faith and say " ohhh forget all of this " but I haven't because I know for sure God does exist and will forever exist he never forgets about those who pray to Him and help

Why not just give up and loose my moral compass?

As all humans we have temptations naturally everywhere in the world.

Sometimes some persons is easier to pretend for God to not exist and throw away all moral compass to be able to go ahead and fulfill all their most passionate feelings but that isn't the proper solution.
. actually even afterwards there is a void... there is an sense of absolute emptiness because is realised that wasn't forever and then that person realise that since that wasn't forever and was just for a moment very short lived then starts finding a way to fill that gap.

There is a new religion on the horizon or already being practiced by many is called lust unfortunately.

Some confuse lust with love.

Don't misunderstand me I am not puritan nor mormon nor islamic in my personal perspective.

The human body God created beautiful the person.
There is a good purpose.

However just as everything in life there should be moderation which naturally can't be forced because virtue only grows when someone consciously decides to do what is right. Not when someone is forced to do what is right.

Sometimes is necessary to create laws such as for example, laws against murders and abortions I fully agree in making such provisions I really do agree.

However there is other elements which we cannot put laws unless if is to protect the innocence of children and preserve I agree.

If a country makes every sort of law to stop sin, then that person won't gain spiritually anything

Why?

Because then wasn't willingly chosen by that particular person to make a full willing free conscious decisions.

But when is made fully consciously and with self discipline and determination then only then life improves.

Is when that person realise there is something greater than self.

Is when that person begins to understand that there is more meaning.

Before I used to say that there should be rules for this and that. But then as I started to study more my faith and see what the early church saints said including the father of the holy liturgy/mass such as saint John Chrysostom he said people cannot grow in virtue when they are forced to make proper decisions and he forbade even confessors To make laws to force people to do good.

However he is not saying that a society should be lawless and anarchist neither that is another extreme which cannot be agreed.

Reason churches are abandoned is because some people understand that the Catholic religion isn't a religion where accommodates feelings and emotions and self personal interpretations where the religion becomes mouldable and can be changed into anyone's personal perspectives.

Religion is what helps a person turn to something more noble and understand that as equally as we haven't seen other planets with our own eyes

God although we don't see him as you and I, except in the eucharistic, we know he definitely exists.

Some people then ask me.
If God exists then why he allows all the evil in the world to exist?

God doesn't agree with evils, God doesn't approve of evil actions by human beings.

But equally he doesn't force people to choose the right path and doesn't force people to love him because God is a full gentleman that really truly wants people to choose Him willingly.

People unfortunately choose bad decision in their own. But they can rectify

When a person makes an evil decision that cannot be blamed to God

In a theoretical example:
Is as the father who teaches his son all the proper ways of life morals etc and then once the son reaches proper age and let's say the son corrupts the father cannot be blamed by his son's decisions.

The son only has to blame himself for such decisions.

God gave all the precepts to humanity , but is entirely up to humanity to choose

That is how real life is.

I am not endorsing immortality.

But what I am saying is when people make a decision only a right full conscience decision can be fully made when that person has freedom equally when a person makes a conscious decision that person can truly grow in virtues

When a person is forced to grow in virtues then many times instead of helping the person acquire a virtue does the complete opposite.
When someone is a kid yes parents have the duty to help the kids

But once the son or daughter reaches to certain age that son or daughter has to be fully responsible for their own actions .

Thanks to God I have faith and believe always in Christian Catholic faith forever

thierryf
thierryf
The following contribution has been automatically translated from FR.

In 2012 I asked for my apostasy from the Roman Catholic Church, why?

The number of paedophilia cases in this one...

I don't believe in religious doxa, I've NEVER seen this so-called “god” in the flesh!

How can a virgin give birth? Did they know about surrogacy at the time???

How could Adam make a woman out of a rib? Did they know about transhumanism at the time???

Who wrote the Bible???

In short, I am resistant to all doxa and all propaganda, I have NEVER paid the license fee, I am not a subscriber to ANY newspaper, I only watch the “conspiracy” reininfosphere and I hate advertising in ALL its forms...

En 2012 j'ai demandé mon apostasie de l'église catholique romaine, Pourquoi?

Le nombre d'affaires de pédophilie au sein de celle ci...

Je ne crois pas en la doxa religieuse, j'ai JAMAIS vu ce soi disant "dieu" en chair et en os!

Comment une vierge peut enfanter? Ils connaissait la GPA a l'époque???

comment Adam a pu fabriquer une femme a partir d'une côte? Ils connaissait le transhumanisme a l'époque???

Qui a écrit la bible???

Bref je suis réfractaire a toute doxa et toute propagande, je n'ai JAMAIS payé la redevance, je ne suis abonné a AUCUN journal, je ne regarde que la réinfosphère "complotiste" et je hais les publicités sous TOUTES ses formes...

Roland_Ruckstuhl
Roland_Ruckstuhl
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

I am very sad when I see what is happening with the Catholic Church. I only have good memories and I still go to church often today. I was influenced by a youth choir (Catholic), there I was from the start to the bitter end after 19 years. We sang for Pope John Pau II in Bern, raised CHF 100,000 for street children in Brazil through a small musical, had birthday parties and weekends, especially in Tessin. A lot is lost there. Of course, the acts of abuse frightened many and left. The more you go, the more difficult it becomes to rebuild the whole thing.

Ich bin sehr traurig, wenn ich sehe was mit der katholischen Kirche passiert. Ich habe nur gute Erinnerungen und gehe auch heute noch oft in die Kirche. Geprägt hat mich einen Jugendchor, (kath.) dort war ich von Anfang an bis zum bitteren ende nach 19 Jahren. Wir sangen für den Papst Johannes Pau II in Bern, sammelten durch ein kleines Musical CHF 100'000 für Straßenkinder in Brasilien, hatten Geburtstagsfeste und Weekends vor allem im Tessin. Es geht da sehr viel Verloren. Natürlich haben die Missbrauchs-Taten viele Verschreckt und sind gegangen. Je mehr gehen, umso schwieriger wird es, dass ganze wieder aufzubauen.

Capetonians
Capetonians
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

I believe in a higher power, but I'm not a bigot. Baptized Catholic, grew up and married. The children were also baptized and raised as Catholics. Our family later left the church because we were unable to accept the high church taxes. The church administration did not accept a compromise. We still feel connected to our faith and practice it freely. Leaving the church does not necessarily mean that you become ungodly and unbelieving. The Jewish/Christian faith or the Bible provides an answer to all human problems with a lot of wisdom, even today. A priest or rabbi can usually replace the psychiatrist. In addition, creditor members only accept in Northern Europe. In the rest of the world, they are increasing rapidly, as are church attendance.
Best regards from South Africa

Ich glaube an eine höhere Macht, bin aber nicht ein Frömmler. Katholisch getauft, aufgewachsen und geheiratet. Die Kinder ebenfalls katholisch getauft und aufgewachsen. Später ist unsere Familie aus der Kirche ausgetreten, weil wir die hohen Kirchensteuern nicht annehmen konnten. Einen Kompromiss akzeptierte die Kirchenverwaltung nicht. Wir fühlen uns trotzdem unserem Glauben verbunden und praktizieren ihn auch ungezwungen. Ein Kirchenaustritt heisst nicht unbedingt, dass man gottlos und ungläubig wird. Der jüdisch/christliche Glaube bzw. die Bibel gibt auf alle menschlichen Probleme eine Antwort mit vielen Weisheiten, auch heute noch. Ein Priester oder Rabbi kann den Psychiater meistens ersetzen. Im übrigen nehmen die Gläubigenmitglieder nur in Nordeuropa ab. In der übrigen Welt nehmen sie rasant zu, ebenso die Gottesdienstbesuche.
Beste Grüsse aus Südafrika

Al Ay Hi
Al Ay Hi
The following contribution has been automatically translated from ZH.

Religion is an ideology, and according to neurological scientists, human beings cannot live without an ideology.
However, I was born in Taiwan to parents who did not agree with ideology, whether it be religion, politics, or race, all of which are opposites, which caused me to start thinking about the nature of ideology at a very early age.
I don't take any side of any ideology, and I reject all kinds of ideologies. In my opinion, religious beliefs, political positions, racial superiority, etc. developed for the sake of survival are, after all, the products of human beings' inferior desire for survival.
I would not choose any ideology in order to survive, or perhaps I would have to borrow the power of an ideology in order to get out of the pain of the moment, but I think that human beings are ugly, especially when they have ideologies.

宗教信仰是一種意識形態,根據腦神經科學家的說法,人類不能沒有意識形態而生存。
但我出生於台灣,一個父母來自不同意識形態的家庭,無論是宗教,政治或是種族都是對立面,造成我很早就開始思考意識形態的本質問題。
我不站在任何意識形態的任何一方,我唾棄各種各式的意識形態。我認為,為了生存下去而發展出的宗教信仰,政治立場,種族優越感等等,終歸是人類低等的生存慾望的產物。
我不會為了活下去而選擇任何意識形態,或許為了脫離一時的痛苦我必須借用意識形態的力量,但我認為人類是醜惡的,尤其是有了意識形態。

Daniel Paladi
Daniel Paladi
The following contribution has been automatically translated from RU.

Hi, my name is Daniel. For more than 12 years I have been studying philosophy, different directions in religion, Western and Middle Eastern cultures, as well as occultism, especially in the period from the 12th to the 19th century AD. I am a proponent of objective idealism and the teachings of first century Christianity. I am willing to participate in discussions and online debates on these topics as well as others. Write, I will be glad to communicate.

Привет, меня зовут Даниил. Более 12 лет изучаю философию, различные направления в религии, западную и ближневосточную культуры, а также оккультизм, особенно в период с XII по XIX век н.э. Я сторонник объективного идеализма и учения христианства первого века. Готов участвовать в дискуссиях и онлайн-дебатах по этим темам, а также другим. Пишите, буду рад общению.

Nicklas
Nicklas

I am religious, but more important is that peaceful neutrality originates from the neutral Vatican state, i.e. neutrality ceases to exist when people become a secular people. Therefore is my native Sweden planning to join NATO instead. Religion is fundamental to neutrality.

Cristina Ayres
Cristina Ayres
The following contribution has been automatically translated from PT.

I was baptized in the Catholic Church by my parents, but I never attended services because I didn't feel the same way. As a teenager, I began to integrate with "spirituality" and new horizons opened up even more when I joined a ufology group called RAMA. This made me realize that "everything" was in me and it didn't really matter where I was physically.

Fui batizada na igreja católica pelos meus pais porém nunca frequentei os cultos por não sentir afinidade. Na adolescência fui me integrando com a "espiritualidade" e novos horizontes foram se abrindo ainda mais quando entrei num grupo de ufologia chamado RAMA. Isso fez com que percebesse que "tudo" estava em mim e realmente não importava onde eu estivesse como lugar físico.

Lynx
Lynx

I believe in me. That's all I need. If there were no religions in the world, just think how many wars there would not have been. Just think how many people would still be alive.

francesco sequino
francesco sequino
The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

I believe that the awareness of a greater Love that precedes and succeeds us and the desire to live, already on this earth, an authentic relationship with this Love that will become, one day, an indistinguishable and eternal whole, is indispensable to combat that sense common to all of "orphanhood" and to be able to finally feel loved and welcomed in this world. It is an indispensable and vital source of beauty that one can draw on and then bring it into one's relationship with others, with humility, as one's own small contribution of love to improve the world in which one lives.

Ritengo che la consapevolezza di un Amore più grande che ci precede e ci succede ed il desiderio di vivere, già su questa terra, una relazione autentica con questo Amore che diventerà, un giorno, un tutt'uno indistinguibile ed eterno, è indispensabile per combattere quel senso comune a tutti di "orfananza" e potersi finalmente sentire amati ed accolti in questo mondo. È una fonte di bellezza indispensabile e vitale a cui poter attingere per poi portarla nella relazione con gli altri, con umiltà, come proprio piccolo contributo di amore per migliorare il mondo in cui si vive.

marco brenni
marco brenni
The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

I was born Catholic and also baptized, but over the years I have come to understand, based on careful historical and philosophical analysis , that as Nietzsche says, "God is dead" to this civilization, and will remain dead. Which means that the belief in religious narratives has now ceased to exist for almost the majority of the population, who nowadays know how to critically analyze history, provided they want to do so. In fact, all religions are founded on human narratives, only human, as Spinoza says in his philosophical-political "Tractatus." This in no way means that spirituality is also dead, which is quite different from blind belief in religious dogmas. With these convictions I resigned from the Catholic Church and now profess to be an atheist or agnostic, which changes little. Agnostics generally suspend judgment, remaining possibilistic.

Sono nato cattolico e pure battezzato, ma con gli anni ho capito, in base ad accurate analisi storiche e filosofiche , che come dice Nietzsche, "Dio è morto" a questa civiltà, e resterà morto. Il che significa che il credo nelle narrazioni religiose è ormai venuto meno per quasi la maggioranza della popolazione, che oggigiorno sa analizzare criticamente la storia, sempre che lo voglia fare. Infatti tutte le religioni sono fondate su narrazioni umane, solo umane, come dice Spinoza nel suo "Tractatus" filosofico-politico. Ciò non significa affatto che sia morta anche la spiritualità, che è ben altra cosa del credo cieco nei dogmi religiosi. Con queste convinzioni mi sono dimesso dalla chiesa cattolica e ora mi professo ateo o agnostico, il che cambia poco. Gli agnostici in genere sospendono il giudizio, rimanendo possibilisti.

Menuno
Menuno
The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

I am religious, at least from a philosophical point of view. It is a past response, for the future.

Sono religioso, almeno dal punto di vista filosofico. È una risposta passata, per il futuro.

Chea
Chea
The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

Unfortunately , with everything very bad happening in the world , and especially continuing , it is very difficult for me to be religious .

Purtroppo , con tutto quanto di molto brutto succede nel mondo , e soprattutto continuano , per me è molto difficile essere religioso ..

Menuno
Menuno
The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.

Yes. Because I believe it. After all, I have a double chance.
The religious decrease? It is a result of the times. It will pass and civilization will benefit.

Si. Perché ci credo. In fondo, ho una doppia possibilità.
La diminuzione religiosa? È frutto dei tempi. Passerà e la civiltà ne avrà giovamento.

marco brenni
marco brenni
The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.
@Menuno

Will only have benefit without the warmongering religions!

avrà giovamento solo senza le religioni guerrafondaie!

Annanna
Annanna
The following contribution has been automatically translated from ES.

Good morning, I am new and I am a believer. I could never be an atheist.

Buenos días, soy nueva y soy creyente.Jamás podría ser atea

René Edward Knupfer
René Edward Knupfer
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

I have been an avowed atheist for as long as I can remember. Never believed for a single moment in the existence of a higher power. Auschwitz and Srebrenica are proof enough of the non-existence of an all-powerful merciful God. Religions in general - and Christianity in particular - have left a trail of death and devastation behind them for centuries up to the present day that is unparalleled in world history.

Bin bekennender Atheist so lange ich mich entsinnen kann. Habe niemals auch nur für einen einzigen Moment an die Existenz einer höheren Macht geglaubt. Auschwitz und Srebrenica sind Beweis genug für die Nichtexistenz eines allmächtigen barmherzigen Gottes. Religionen ganz allgemein - und das Christentum im Besonderen - haben jahrhundertelang bis zum heutigen Tag eine Spur von Tod und Verwüstung hinter sich gelassen, die in der Weltgeschichte ihresgleichen sucht.

Menuno
Menuno
The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.
@René Edward Knupfer

On atheism, I take note, noting that the possibilities go from 2 to 1.
I do not believe that God is the instigator of human misfortunes. I merely observe that someone indicated in GOTT MIT UNS, their specificity. We still see today, on the green card, the inscription: IN GOD WE TRUST.
I wonder, but in all this, where does God fit in?

Sull'ateismo, prendo atto, osservando che le possibilità passano da 2 a 1.
Non credo che Dio sia il mandante delle disgrazie umane. Mi limito ad osservare che qualcuno indicava in GOTT MIT UNS, la propria specificità. Vediamo ancora oggi, sul biglietto verde, la scritta: IN GOD WE TRUST.
Mi chiedo, ma in tutto questo, Dio che c'entra?

Andrey Rozov
Andrey Rozov
The following contribution has been automatically translated from RU.

I am a militant atheist. I don't believe in any god and I don't find any need for it.

I believe that in modern society religion (any religion) does more harm than good. Religion has not been a source of morality for a long time and only promotes obscurantism, prejudice and is often the cause of many conflicts, acts of violence and terrorist attacks. Religion is used by totalitarian regimes to manipulate people's minds and justify crimes.

No one can be discriminated against on religious grounds and the church should be unconditionally and completely separated from the state. I do not believe that any actions or statements by people about the creator of the universe, even if he did exist, or about the beliefs of others, can be considered an insult to anyone or anything and be a cause for persecution and prohibition. I also do not believe that believers should have any special rights over atheists.

Я - воинствующий атеист. Я не верю в никакого бога и не нахожу в этом нужды.

Я считаю, что в современном обществе религия (любая) приносит больше вреда, чем пользы. Религия давно не является источником морали и лишь способствует распространению мракобесия, предрассудков и часто является причиной многочисленных конфликтов, актов насилия и терактов. Религия используется тоталитарными режимами для манипуляции сознанием людей и оправдания преступлений.

Никто не может быть дискриминирован по религиозным мотивам и церковь должна быть безусловно и полностью отделена от государства. Я не считаю, что какие-либо действия или высказывания людей в отношении создателя Вселенной, если бы даже он действительно существовал, а также верований других людей могут расцениваться как оскорбления кого-либо или чего-либо и являться причиной преследований и запретов. Я также не считаю, что верующие должны обладать какими-либо особенными правами по сравнению с атеистами.

Menuno
Menuno
The following contribution has been automatically translated from IT.
@Andrey Rozov

Yet, finally the Trojan horse has entered the Vatican. Religion, I emphasize "of men," is used for earthly purposes ...
One must look up and not be deceived, by men, not by God.

Eppure, finalmente in Vaticano è entrato il cavallo di Troia. La religione, sottolineo "degli uomini", è utilizzata per scopi terreni ...
Bisogna guardare in alto e non farsi ingannare, dagli uomini, non da Dio.

Gmerkigs Blog
Gmerkigs Blog
The following contribution has been automatically translated from DE.

The title is journalistic nonsense: what does a human action and kichen affiliations have to do with God's omnipotence? God remains omnipotent. Worldwide and in the universe.
I am not religious, but I maintain a personal, friendly relationship with a living God who is close to me. And that's a huge difference from a religion. In religions, people try to find a way to God from the bottom up, so to speak, and they all fail. In Jesus Christ, God came to us humans as a little child. God became man. And that is the huge difference that does not exist in any other faith. Religious people cultivate rituals to approach God. And still do not manage to feel close to God. People who cultivate a friendship with God the Father and Jesus His Son and know that the Holy Spirit dwells in them have a sustaining hope and deep peace that carries them through all the storms of life.

Der Titel ist journalistischer Unsinn: was hat ein menschliches Handeln und Kichenzugehörigkeiten mit der Allmacht Gottes zu tun? Gott bleibt allmächtig. Weltweit und im Universum.
Ich bin nicht religiös, aber ich pflege eine persönliche, freundschaftliche Beziehung zu einem lebendigen Gott, der mir nah ist. Und das ist ein Riesen Unterschied zu einer Religion. In Religionen bemühen sich Menschen sozusagen von unten her, einen Weg zu Gott zu finden und scheitern alle. In Jesus Christus ist Gott als kleines Kind zu uns Menschen gekommen. Gott wurde Mensch. Und das ist der riesige Unterschied, den es in keinem anderen Glauben gibt. Religiöse Menschen pflegen Rituale, um sich Gott zu nähern. Und schaffen es dennoch nicht, sich Gott nahe zu fühlen. Menschen, die eine Freundschaft mit Gott Vater und Jesus seinem Sohn pflegen und wissen, dass der Heilige Geist in ihnen wohnt, haben eine tragende Hoffnung und tiefen Frieden, der durch alle Lebensstürme trägt.

kati.lyonvilliger@hotmail.ca
kati.lyonvilliger@hotmail.ca

I like the Christian principle for life to "love one another ... love your enemy ... and turn the other cheek when some evil person strikes you ... do unto others as you would have them do to you. " But from the non-religious point of view, I would support the incomparable Catholic Church even more, because, when I studied for my MBA and Ph.D. in the USA, the first organization we had to study was the Catholic Church. We were all perplexed, but then the professor told us that it was the only organization that has existed for two thousand years, withstood the terrible attacks, onslaughts and diabolical crises, but always continued pretty well the same way. Would we not want our corporations to be the same. He maintained that without the formidable organization of the Catholic Church, there would have been no rise of the West to its present-day hegemony of the world. There would have been few if any universities and systematic and disciplined learning, no Mozart, no da Vinci, no Michelangelo, no Galileo, no Mendel, no Descartes, no Copernicus or Lemaître, no Pascal, etc., etc. on whose shoulders modern scientists and artists stand. He maintained that if you could destroy the Catholic Church, you would destroy the Power and Supremacy of the West as we know it. In the current prevailing sexual permissive society, it is easy to attack the celebacy of the priests by anonymous people usually seeking huge amounts of "compensation," never from the individual, but from the Church, i.e., from all its members, to enrich themselves in an actual court of law is rare. I find it very difficult to "love thyne enemies and turn the other cheek." Celebate priests and nuns can concentrate on their religious life and work, rather than family and private property consideration. I found them where nobody goes, in the poorest of worlds, helping, teaching, curing their diseases and setting up projects ... bringing hope. Rarely do they get any credit at all. That is so human, so admirable.

External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.

The latest debates

The newest opportunities to discuss and debate key topics with readers from around the world

Biweekly

The SBC Privacy Policy provides additional information on how your data is processed.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR