Nationality or Religion?

Question

According to you what plays a greater role in defining or describing a person, his religion or nationality? What do you lay more emphasis on personally? If you face a dilemma where you have to protect your country or religion, which one would you choose?

Would you feel closer to a person from same country and different religion or to one with different country but same religion? Please give reasons too.

Answer 1

ones identity is by his country not religion i will always go for country even gods fought for their country heaven and on earth in different avtaars

Answer 2

Religion has a greater role in defining a person because it is deep in his or her senses....I think nationality is just a status in a given country. However, I will protect my country first because Religion will survive whatever the situation. I f you protect your country then you protect all Religions. And yes, I will feel closer to a person from a different country with the same Religion because of the same beliefs. Less conflict will arise regarding Tenets and isms.

Answer 3

I would have to say that a persons religion or lack thereof would be the bigger indicater of who a person is. It defines a person much more specifically than a notionality or even race. It carries with it how a person reacts to events in their life or in the world. And it has a much bigger and more specific influence on the way they live their lives. There are almost 300 million Americans with many different religions, cultures and races. Being an american doesnt really say a whole lot about who you really are.
If i were forced to choose between my faith and my country my faith wins hands down.

Answer 4

If I am a:
Politician - Mix Nationaliy and Religion and Get a Product called secular.
Teacher - Preach about Nationalism and Religion but always get confused as what to practice -
Cricketers - First comes Money and then only nationalism and rarely religion is a word used
Cinema - Make fun of nationalism and Religion - make mockery of the institution and make big bugs.

Citizen - Poor chaps caught in between nationalism and religion. Dielema will always continue, unless there is a secular and unipolar constituion.

In my view, I have developed high sense of nationalism and religion as I am overseas. Geberally, nationalism comes first. That will be the expression of all NRIs - for sure. ofcourse religion wil come second and language will come third.

Answer 5

Do you mean nationality, as in ancestral national origin or do you mean actual citizenship?

I think the answer to your first question depends on the religion and his commitment to it. Some people are not that devout, if you're more patriotic than you are devout, you're defined primarily by your nationality. Some religions (particularly cults), OTOH, demand strict adherence and loyalty, and are supposed to be put first, so if you're devout, you'd be defined more by your regligion.

Your next question is really too easy for me: I'm an Atheist, so religion means nothing to me personally (though I respect the beliefs of other, and admire what Faith can accomplish). Thus, I'd put my country before my (lack of) religion. Besides, I apreciate that my country gaurantees freedom of (and thus from) religion.

Similarly, it's not a dilema, as I have no religion to protect.

Another moot point, though I tend to judge people as individuals. There are plenty of my countrymen and fellow atheist whom I have a low opinion of, for instance.

Answer 6

LOVE my country, but my religion plays a greater role in who I am as a person. I am a Christian and as a Christian I am called to obey those in authority and obey the laws of the land as long as they do not go against God. I am a Christian First. I have had sisters in Christ from other countries and I definately feel closer to them, than I do fellow NON-Christian Americans. To put nationality first, is to deny my faith. But like I said I love and respect my country!

Answer 7

Its an hard question because seems a lawyers one: it has already a big part of the answer on it. Depends on both - how much a country is important to you and religion. Also in both desirably sacrifices shall not be of exclusion= to choose one without the other for some un balanced frame is ... being gambled??? When things are on their correct places religion and country shall exist peacefully.
On defining personalities... both are thank God enough spiritual for one not to be prisoner to none of them= countries have history, culture and traditions that in each of us never dye: religion is God's house=all over and mostly in our hearts. Every refugees in the world survive to physical loss because everything else keeps living.
I would choose with my heart meaning my answer is not part of the question but both country and religion are in my heart even being foreigner

Answer 8

Religion.

Answer 9

I'm from Northern ireland and as you may or may not know this is a big issue. The two reigions are Catholics and Protestants. The two political bakgrounds are Nationalists and Unionists. The Irish Catholics are nationals who want Northern Ireland to leave the UK and join with a united Ireland. The Protestant Unionists want to stay with the UK. I don't feel that religion has anything to do with the situation here. It is all political. I feel more strongly towards my national side than my Catholic side. I feel more for other Nationalists than I would for Catholics in other countries.

Answer 10

First of all, it's not about protecting religion, but protecting your right to practice religion. I don't feel God is a religion but a relationship. I want to be able to pray to God anytime I want to. As for protecting your country, that comes with dedication to God. The Bible teaches us to defend our country and those in it.

Who would I feel closer to...well...that would be somebody that believes the way I do. By that I mean somebody that believes in our Heavenly Father. We're all God's children no matter what country we're from.

Answer 11

I personally feel that my national identity is more important, i don't feel threatened by anyones religion, a man has got the right to believe in anything he wants, but i'd still feel closer to a countrymen than someone of a different religion, and again a countrymen rather than the same religion.