# What Should I Say I Am? Religion-Wise **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 5, 2014, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437 "2014-12-05T19:21:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437/41 "2014-12-08T01:33:48Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > Can I be a Christian, but doubt the words in the Bible? Of course, the whole idea that you should never doubt the bible is not one most christians adhere to. In fact most christians understand the bible to be a bunch of stories that teach us the way to live, not a historical fact that is true. Sheet a lot of christians don’t believe that jesus was even divine. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437/42 "2014-12-08T01:34:55Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > I’m more used to uncomfortable questions now, in China the third or fourth question would often be ‘How much do you earn?’ (not enough), in Korea it was ‘What do you think of Korean food?’ (bleeuughghg, mostly, although there were some wonderful exceptions), in Saudi and Kuwait it’s about religion. You can answer ‘My religion is between me and my God’ and it’s seen as less evasive than ‘Mind your own business’. English teacher, or SAP consultant? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437/43 "2014-12-08T01:37:21Z")
I’ve also said, “I’m culturally Christian.” Seems to work well enough unless you’re dealing with an active recruiter, but that’s a whole other ball of wax. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437/44 "2014-12-08T03:18:13Z")
> [@sisu](#): > > Sheet a lot of christians don’t believe that jesus was even divine. Which denominations are those? Or do you mean individual Christians on their own? ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2014, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437/45 "2014-12-08T06:06:52Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Which denominations are those? Or do you mean individual Christians on their own? Both, there are factions within the Church of England (sea of faith), Rev Spong in the Episcopal Church, lots of small c Catholics and of course a lot of liberal Christians have that faith. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437/46 "2014-12-09T16:27:02Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > English teacher, or SAP consultant? 😉 What’s an SAP consultant 😉 **BaldDudePeekskill** , I’ve never considered a funeral. Whatever my family wants, really, _if_ the time comes 😃 **jtur88** , I take it when you say _“guys with scimitars”_ you’re not talking about one of [these](http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C498467) beauties 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2014, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437/47 "2014-12-09T17:37:13Z")
In your OP you seem to sort of ask if Aesop’s Fables are from a religious book. Just to clear that up, they are not. They are little moral stories traditionally attributed to a teacher, a slave, named Aesop. Nothing to do with religion. Aesop was an ancient Greek dude. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437/48 "2014-12-26T19:26:17Z")
Thank you, everyone, for your replies. This is a topic I am only just starting to look into, and so all of your replies I have noted, logged, and will refer to. Earlier this evening I was ‘shadow boxing’ with another teacher here, in Saudi. We were debating the merits and downfalls of living and working in the Big Sandpit, on a facebook page for teachers here. I’ve taught in China, Spain, South Korea, Kuwait, the UK, and in three Saudi cities. She’s in her first year teaching in the ME, teaching in the University that was my second - Tabuk, and has previously taught in the US, China and Japan, and will likely go to South Korea next. where I was before and still moderate a website for expat teachers. She studied her MA in comparative religion. She’s smarter than I and she hadn’t heard of the Straight Dope, so I forwarded this thread as many of you can put ideas much more succinctly that I can. Also her first name is almost the same as my middle name, except hers has an extra ‘i’. I hope she joins here. I’ll ask her to, as she seems a lot like many others; not a social butterfly, but quite open and reflective. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437/49 "2014-12-26T23:07:38Z")
> [@JustinC](#): > > We were debating the merits and downfalls of living and working in the Big Sandpit… There are merits? Then explain why, in the entire history of our genus, hardly anybody has lived there. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437/50 "2014-12-27T00:03:13Z")
Anyone else’s religion pretty much consist of: “Damnit, where are my car keys?! (Sees keys, looks up.) Thanks.” (Is having a ridiculously, improbable bad day. Looks up.) “Can I get a break here?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-i-say-i-am-religion-wise/706437.md?page=2)