Guest VioletV Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Hello, all. I'm so glad to have found a community of like-minded individuals with whom I can discuss ex-Christian issues. I had a kind of survery question that I wanted to ask; forgive me if this has been done before. I was just wondering what people would classify their religious outlook as now. I personally consider myself an agnostic and am very skeptical of religion as a whole, although once in a while there is a tiny part of me that yearns to feel some sort of connection with something greater than myself. It's the great existential dilemma, I suppose. So what do you consider yourself now? Atheist? Agnostic? Pagan? I'd love to see your answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Yes, it has been asked before... but then, what the heck As for my faith: Here's what wikipedia has to say about Asatru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Emerson Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 It used to be so easy to what to put myself under as a xian, but now its more difficult. I still believe in God, but my view of God has changed, I just don't believe in the man-made gods of religions. I don't believe that God can be knowable. I still listen to xian music, hey I like some of it, like stuff by Rebecca St. James. I like the ideas found in Buddhism, humanism, deism, freethought, etc. I don't feel like I have to particularly live by any viewpoint from these beliefs, like you do in xianity. I like to be exposed to different beliefs and to me its all good, my beliefs don't really have to make sense to anyone else. I'm not out to convert anyone and I like that others believe differently. It makes life more interesting to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clearview Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 I consider myself an atheist. The concept of a "higher power" has come to be so ridiculous to me that I don't think I will ever change my feelings there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Yes, it has been asked before... but then, what the heck As for my faith: Here's what wikipedia has to say about Asatru Yeah, that works I left Xianity and became a Deist, then re-re-re-explored Odinism (as well as all Indo-European Heathenry) and have become an Odinist, after about six or seven years of trying to appropriate Odinic principles and outlooks with a Xian cosmology. I've still got the "Reason First" attitude of a Deist, but then again, wisdom is the way of Odin My sig links to a little site I threw together to explain my beliefs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandora Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Zoe- a la What Dreams May Come? I am an agnostic that leans towards atheism. However, if there is a God, I feel pretty sure of what this God is not, and less sure of what this God is. I speculate that perhaps God is just the drive that fuels life... no spirits or souls are involved in my little hypothetical universe. It's possible that "God" is just a part of everything that exists, and that God is learning and evolving through creation. Maybe. But it's the only thing I can think of that reconciles what I know about the universe with the idea of a God. All other God-belief systems seem to have some sort of logical problem for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrawberrySundae Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 I don't believe in organized religion at all. I think religion is about power and money, not god. I don't know if I believe in a higher power. An advanced civilization of aliens sounds more probable than god to me, but I am not completely shutting out the possiblity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willybilly30 Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 When I left christianity I studied paganism I believed in god/goddess/reincarnation/were all connected. I study many religions but I don't really follow any It all seems like a big guessing game I just don't see any proof god has revealed anything to the world or is controlling our lives in anyway. I think if a god exists its like nature as soon as your created your on your own. Now before anyone says how can i be pagan then? I say easily I use my personal power I don't depend on some mommy and daddy god who may not exist to bail me out of everything. No I am not a traditional pagan there saved everyone the trouble of pointing that out. I will readily admit my god/goddess maybe imaginary friends who is really my subconscious why not worship yourself you are god to yourself if that's true. I hope their is an afterlife but I will readily admit I don't know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandora Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Thanks. I knew you would like it. It's a great movie... and I in my more spiritual post-Christian days, really had that kind of afterlife all thought out too... but now, since I doubt the whole soul thing, I am a little less attracted to the idea. I try not to worry myself with this stuff too often. It seems to be a waste of time. Maybe that's selfish, because I just don't want to put the time in, but I really don't think it's worth that time. But, I'm just a big walking contradiction, because I got a religious studies degree and I still spend a lot of time here and in reading pondering these things. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrisonjj Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Hello, all. I'm so glad to have found a community of like-minded individuals with whom I can discuss ex-Christian issues. I had a kind of survery question that I wanted to ask; forgive me if this has been done before. I was just wondering what people would classify their religious outlook as now. I personally consider myself an agnostic and am very skeptical of religion as a whole, although once in a while there is a tiny part of me that yearns to feel some sort of connection with something greater than myself. It's the great existential dilemma, I suppose. So what do you consider yourself now? Atheist? Agnostic? Pagan? I'd love to see your answers. I would have to say agnostic right now. If there is a higher power I place my life in his hands hopefully understanding my thoughts and behaviors better than I do. If not,,,so what. I still lead a good life not chained by the trappings of religion any longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunar Shadow Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 plain and simple No beliefs I don't see the point I tend to spend my time reading up on science and history among many other things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I'm so relieved to be an athiest. It's cleared so much crap from my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest VioletV Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Yes, it has been asked before... but then, what the heck As for my faith: Here's what wikipedia has to say about Asatru Wow, that is really interesting. There's so much I don't know about other religions because I was brainwashed to see them as evil for so long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosingMyReligion Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I have intentionally not read any of the other posts to see how my thoughts and beliefs would fit into this conversation... Well, I have thrown all religion to the wind. I believe that organized religion damages people emotionally, and stunts their intellectual growth. So, as it is I'll probably never be a member of another church. However, I still consider myself a very spiritual person. After I broke the bonds of Christianity I found myself in limbo. That period led me to believe in a higher state of consciousness again. This time around my faith is my OWN. It has nothing to do with what my mother taught me nor what the church hard wired into my young and fragile psyche. I believe in god, whether god is a: he/she/it or sentient energy force. I still think something is out there. Leaving Christianity has given me the freedom to look at life, the universe, and everything else through a wider lense. No longer am I constricted to the belief that when you die you goto heaven to praise GAWD for all eternity. There is so much more to the afterlife. Now, I am into: reincarnation, psychic ability, NDE's, evolution, and humanism. If ever I did decide on a new faith it would probably be one of the Eastern philosophies...Which aren't so much dependent upon a god as much as they are a higher state of human BEING. I believe in the basic good of mankind. While there is scum out there, overwhelmingly people are good and there to love and help one another. I also love knowing that I am intrinsic to this world, through the process of evolution. I love being able to believe in myself. I no longer believe in a God that is "personal." There is no way that God can be personal to everyone. I believe that whoever it is that created us decided to leave us to our own designs...And just so we could do good job he put a little piece of himself in each and everyone of us. When I was a Christian I never thought of how wonderful it would be to have an open mind and heart and not fear reprisal from a cosmic tyrant. So, in all, I love being spiritual. But I will never be religious again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godlessgrrl Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 At heart I'm an agnostic atheist now. I generally think/feel that, while it's possible that there might be a deity, we don't know if there is or not (that's the agnostic bit), and I don't think it's likely that there is a deity, so I function as if there isn't (that's the atheist bit). I definitely no longer believe in an afterlife. I think consciousness ceases with death, and we go back to the conscious state we were in before we were born. Which is oblivion, non-existence. Sometimes I adopt philosophies or practices or ideas from various religions, depending on what headspace I'm in or what I've been thinking about lately. I've been a theistic pagan, and sometimes I still practice the Craft, though now it's a largely nontheistic version. I also sometimes consider that the entire universe may be an intelligent being, albeit one without sentience, so sometimes I have a pantheist streak. I have a working hypothesis that religions are really cultural mirrors, and deities are only reflections of the individuals who worship them. I have found it interesting to note that oftentimes it seems that a person's chosen god(s) is really an extension of themselves, and how often it seems that when someone is describing god, they're describing themselves - who they are, what they wish they were like, what they think they should be. So I think that religions are a roundabout form of self-worship. And I guess I just figure that it makes sense to realize this and eliminate the middleman, so to speak - get rid of the god figure entirely and worship yourself with honesty, if that's what people do anyway. I've also come to a point where I value reality over religious dogma. I'm not interested in speculation on what some imaginary, invisible god-man is supposedly doing in the lives of his followers; if I can't see it, touch it, taste it, smell it, hear it, or otherwise sense something, then I don't have time for it. I prefer to deal with the reality of my mind, my feelings, and my senses than waste time with a bunch of undemonstrable superstitious hoo-hah. But that all's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 I consider myself agnostic. I do not think it can ever be proven whether there is or isn't anything divine, although specific religions can be disproven. I also think there are many things that science will not be able to prove, but I consider it more credible than any religious or supernatural authority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astreja Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I've evolved into a hybrid, a Buddhist Asatruar. - I feel that mysticism is capable of informing our view of Life, the Universe and everything, but only from a subjective POV. - I also feel that religious experience is best pursued as a solitary practitioner rather than as an active member of a church or similar organization. - I am currently testing the hypothesis that meditation does, in fact, contribute to overall quality of life. - I'm agnostic as to who or what the Norse gods (and the many other gods on this planet) actually are, but have an excellent relationship with them nonetheless. - And I'm convinced that Christianity actively harms humanity because of "Original Sin," its eschatological mindset, and beliefs that harm women and GLBT individuals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuroikaze Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I'm sort of a non-thiestic Taoist, but I'm not very dogmatic about it, I like the ideas in Taoism so I consider them a good way to live life...beyond that, who knows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Jeff Posted May 25, 2006 Share Posted May 25, 2006 I'm definitely still very religious. I'm not ashamed of my faith in the Holy Farter. I worship the Lard Kryasst through the Spook of Kryasst who is also somehow magically Him! Glory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Broke Free Posted May 27, 2006 Share Posted May 27, 2006 I'm so relieved to be an athiest. It's cleared so much crap from my head. My “Operating System” also started working much more efficiently once I cleared out the corrupted files and emptied the Recycle Bin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vortex Posted May 28, 2006 Share Posted May 28, 2006 I am an eclectic Pagan. My mode of worship is actually based on a pair of books that I consider 99% B.S. (That's mode of worship, not belief system.) Basically, I believe there is a Source about which I can say nothing, because once I say what it is, then I say what it is not, and the Source of everything can't "not" be something. When that source diverts into a God and Godess, then I can start talking about attributes - my brain can relate. I believe that "sin" consists of making somthing divine that isn't and treating a human being as an object. (I haven't fleshed this one out completely yet). I require of myself as part of my faith to be loving, kind, and considerate. I am to exercise a responsible stewardship for the planet I inhabit. The good or evil that I send back into the world will return to me threefold. I believe in the law of Thelma: "And it harm none, do what thou wilt. That is the whole of the law, love under will." I believe that during my life and after my death, I will have to make restitution for those times that I failed to practice this. I do not believe in an eternal torment - but that I will be made aware of how I have hurt others and that won't be pleasant. It will be necessary for me to learn and grow. I truly like and respect the virtues of the Asatru as articulated at http://www.thetroth.org/ : Boldness, Truth, Honor, Troth, Self-Rule, Hospitality, Industry, Self-Reliance, Steadfastness, Equality, Strength, Wisdom, Generosity, Family, and Responsibility. I wonder if the Asatru would mind terribly if I incorporated them into my own belief system? Being Celtic, I don't relate to the Germanic/Norse pantheon as well as I do the Irish - but Hositality was held in high regard by the ancient Irish and resonates with me. To that list I would add one more: Humor. Humor in the form of satire makes the great squirm on their thrones. When applied to oneself it keeps one from hubris. When shared with others it brings joy. I believe that the Source gave us reason and intellect and expects us to use it to benefit ouselves, other human beings, and the environment we find ourselves in. So far, this is what works for me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadouKen24 Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 I wonder if the Asatru would mind terribly if I incorporated them into my own belief system? What, the Nine Noble Virtues. I doubt many Asatruar would mind. I'm not Asatruar myself, for now, though I'm looking into the religion. It looks like I would fit right in into Asatru. It takes a lot of study, though, to really do it right--and I want to know what I'm getting into, anyway. As things stand, I'm something of a panentheist. I believe in something like Spinoza's God--which is to say, a God that is simply the Substance underlying the universe, and out of which the universe comes, and of which we can say nothing beyond this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megara Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 At this very moment in time, I would consider myself an agnostic-leaning-atheist. I don't see any way to prove whether a god exists or not -- but I don't think any god does exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taphophilia Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Is IDon'tCareAnymore-ism a religion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megara Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 Is IDon'tCareAnymore-ism a religion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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