"Not religious but believe in God"

[WmGO]

For the FSUW: your interpretation of an FSUW saying that they are "not religious but believe in God."

Assuming the FSUW did not really know a lot about America other than what they had seen on TV or read in magazines what is their perception/thought  when AM says he is "Christian".

[Kuna]

WmGO... I'm not a FSUW but I've had this discussion with My Girl... actually, both girls I'd prearranged to meet while in Ukraine and I had this discussion and it's probably worthwhile repeating for you.

Firstly...  My Girl says she is religious but she only believes 70% of what the church says.  She believes in God but doesn't trust the church would be the best way to put it.  She goes to church rarely and when she does it's usually for special events (Easter). 

When we were walking near the Gold Domed Cathedral I sensed that she wanted to go in...  Don't ask me how... she sort of hesitated without stopping... looked towards the Cathedral without making it obvious.  I asked if she wanted to go in and she was actually excited I would ask.

Her mood went from being happy, relaxed and vibrant outside to being very quiet and pensive once she'd covered her hair with her scarf.

Inside was interesting to watch and be with her.  She obviously takes her religion very seriously but as I said earlier... has little trust for the church itself.

I'd say generally she is religious and a strong believer... but she doesn't express her belief through the church.  She lives like God is watching over her shoulder.

On the other hand the other girl I'd prearranged to meet said she wasn't very religious but when we met I found out she attends church on Sundays... Saturdays for choir practice and again during the week if there is a church event to go to.  This wouldn't be "not religious" in my mind.

I guess it depends on interpretation and finding out what a girl means if she says she is religious or not... how important it is to them and how they express it.

I don't attend church regularly at home but My Girl and I have talked about religion within our family after marriage and I've said I would like to raise our children within the church... at least until they are old enough to make their own decisions.

She agrees... but I don't know if that means we'll be weekly attendees at our church.  Either way it's not a showstopper for me...  I'm guessing religion means many things to a FSUW and detailed discussion is the only way to understand.

Kuna

[Lily]

For the FSUW: your interpretation of an FSUW saying that they are "not religious but believe in God."

Assuming the FSUW did not really know a lot about America other than what they had seen on TV or read in magazines what is their perception/thought  when AM says he is "Christian".

I'd also have some problems understanding what she mean to say in those words.

Probably she meant that despite she is not an active church visitor, does not comply with every religious ceremonies and rites, she does believe in God. However, I'd ask her to elaborate on that.

A perception of being a Christian..well, some Russians would probably perceive it just as an equivalent of being different from a Moslem, a Hindu, or a Buddhist. May be they 'd perceive it as an expression like 'I belong to the nation that used to be Christian'.

This is a really complex subject.

[Simoni]

In our travels before she came to the US, Marina always enjoyed visiting the old Western and Eastern Europen churches.

We did talk about religion a lot during those visits... I remember during our tour of the city of churches in Kiev Marina telling me about her grandmother, who would pray for hours on end for her family and country...in days when the soviets actively discouraged worship of God.

When we got to the US, I gave Marina lots of space, but soon we were going to church here.   Now it's the highlight of our week--she likes getting "dressed up" for church on Sunday morning, and loves the praise songs and uplifting messages the pastor brings.

So for us, religion was not a problem...but has become an asset to our relationship.  We are now involved in a six week series on marriage....good stuff that draws us closer together and will make divorce less likely.

[Admin]

I'd also have some problems understanding what she mean to say in those words.

Probably she meant that despite she is not an active church visitor, does not comply with every religious ceremonies and rites, she does believe in God. However, I'd ask her to elaborate on that.

A perception of being a Christian..well, some Russians would probably perceive it just as an equivalent of being different from a Moslem, a Hindu, or a Buddhist. May be they 'd perceive it as an expression like 'I belong to the nation that used to be Christian'.

This is a really complex subject.

Yes, it *is* a complex subject. Which is why it is one that people should probably think through carefully - prior to entering into a relationship.

These are just the sorts of subjects which NEED to be 'aired'.

I look forward to seeing more.

BTW - Olya made the comment a few years ago that "God was always there for me when I lived in Ukraine, but I [she] was not always there for God." My rough understanding of her comment is that she has long believed there is a God, but was not active in her faith in any way. Since arriving here, she as made public proclamation through baptism (immersion, in our faith), and has been stalwart about our life in faith together. I know her faith has dramatically changed and deepened since arriving in the US - which I attribute mostly to the life issues which God had put in front of us.

I rarely meet anyone in Ukraine who claims to be agnostic or atheist - but equally rare are those who openly profess a life following God. It seems, in general, faith in Ukraine survived Communism largely by going underground and becoming something which people passed along only in the privacy of their homes and only to their family members. It was not discussed outside the home, and never emphasized.

FWIW

- Dan