Catholic-Light 
Christian. Because Jesus. There’s not one teaching of his I can find fault with. Salvation by Grace through faith (not works) is a radical concept when you look at most other religions. There’s not one thing you can do to earn it.
I believe in God because there’s something in human nature that doesn’t line up. It’s hard to put in words: altruism, goodness, basic human decency… whatever you want to call it. It has no basis in evolution.
Humans (when they care about more than themselves) mainly care about their own offspring: passing on their genes. They will do anything for their kids… same as any other mamal. Even taking care of your own “tribe” gives your offspring better chances at success. But sometimes humans will expend energy and resources to help people who are foreign to them with no expectation of a return. This behavior makes no sense for a meat bag who only lasts about 80 years. I believe the reason for this behaviour is more profound than the temporary burst of neurotransmitters from a selfless act of kindness.
Presbyterian because of our awesome church, and the food.
As a side benefit the New Testament is like the “cheat codes” to life. Whenenever you follow the rules written in there, life goes pretty well. Whenever I say mean things and stirr up strife (my vice) life gets harder.
9 Likes
Pretty much, yeah.
Agnostic
Religion, to me, seems to mostly be a product of a person’s geography & culture, which is why you can highlight religious majority areas on a world map. So I’d constantly be asking myself, are these beliefs mine or were they instilled upon me?
Also, and I do not mean this offensively in the least, but “God” seems to be a filler word of sorts for a lack of knowledge regarding physical phenomena. ages ago, the sun was god, the weather his wrath. Move a little later down the timeline, and duh, the Sun is just a burning ball of gas! The origin of the universe though? Well obviously that’s god. Now, well yeah the universe began with the Big Bang, but what set-off the Big Bang. God of course.
Religious/spiritual experiences can be associated with the body’s natural release of DMT. On the other side, to declare that we know enough about the fabric of the universe as to declare that there is no grand consciousness seems to me as still jumping to a conclusion, just an alternate one.
I guess, I feel that I just don’t know enough to draw a conclusion. And even though I like for there to be an afterlife, that in no way guarantees that there will be one.
But, politics & religion lol.
5 Likes
I’m curious. Have you ever heard of “Pascal’s Wager”?
In the 17th century, a famed mathematician named Blaise Pascal concluded that it is a much safer bet to believe in God than to not believe in Him. If you believe in Him and He exists, you’ll be saved. If you don’t believe in Him and He exists, you’re fucked. If He doesn’t exist, it makes no difference. With that said, it is a safer bet to believe in Him.
2 Likes
Well said.
Hmm. I have heard of that, but I didn’t know the name. I can’t force belief in something, much like a true believer couldn’t force disbelief.
It has crossed my mind, to be on the safe side. But each time I do, I dislike the sort of God whom would reject for that reason. That would essentially mean a god created the universe so it could be worshipped, like it lacked self confidence so it just whipped up a bunch of things whose admiration could be forced. In that instance, I withhold my devotion for a being whom I feel doesn’t deserve it, god or not.
I agree with your line of thought aside from this part. I think everyone is Tabula Rasa and the morals we learn are just the amalgamation of things that we’ve experienced. I’m sure left alone on island to fend for themselves a person wouldn’t have any sort of morals regarding things. i don’t buy into innaticism put in place by God at all.
I’m fine with evil and how that’s overcome but freewill sticks out to me. Not that we a re controlled and predestined for everything but just the Mentally Ill. I mean so Ill they can’t think or choose things for themselves or have any choices. Why would a God make a living, breathing Human being like that? They can’t develop choices so they have no morals themselves or any ability to choose at all. They can’t choose to be a Christian or choose not to sin so do they go Heaven? Very confusing for me.
1 Like
I understand. But allow me to say this…
Although it is not always easy to believe and worship God, it is incredibly simple. You don’t even need to go to a church. God is with us all and if you search for Him, you will find Him.
In the late 16th century, a sect of Christians known as “mystics” emerged. These mystics worshiped God in a personal way, without a church, without reciting authorized prayers. They found God through silent contemplation and silent prayer, and they were Christians in that way.
In the same tradition, I worship God in the same way. I don’t go to church, but I am still on the side of God. He is with us all and is very accessible. If you ever decide to give Christianity a shot again, here’s what I recommend you to do.
Fuck the church. It’s a human institution. Although most churches are good, there is always that chance of encountering some bad apples. Instead, go to your room and pray. Ask for His presence. And I guarantee you He will be knocking on your door (figuratively).
1 Like
That just doesn’t sound like you haven’t actually looked into it all that much, which is your right. But your description of God is not one I am familiar with. And all the ‘bad shit’ people who do not believe in God do not realize that man is the author of all that evil, not God. Especially in absence of the existence of God.
As far as God being Creator, well their are many arguments to prove that existence, as Creator, which have never been disproved. Objected to, yes, but objections are not debunkings. Quite frankly most even smart people, do a poor job of debunking the existence of God.
Now while I can lay out arguments for the existence for God, that gets you as far as Deism, it doesn’t get to religion. There is a difference between believing God exists and having a relationship with Him.
And Paschal’s Wager, was vastly more elegantly laid out than zombocalypse’s version (no offence zombocalypse).
As far as arguments for the existence of God, I will list a few if you are interested in checking them out:
- Cosmological Argument from Contingency
- Teleological Argument
- Moral Argument
- Ontological Argument
There are many more, but they basically end up proving the same thing, either a posteriori or a priori. Essentially, that for everything that exists, exists in a causal chain and that causal chain inevitably requires something to exist that was not caused, but causes. There is no way to avoid that conclusion without ending up ‘Begging the Question’ or in a Circular Argument, so the arguments and the methodologies are sound.
Again, that doesn’t bring you to religion, per se. But it does give good grounds for believing in God. And the whole ‘God is a narcissist who created us for His amusement.’ Thing is not one I buy. But even if it were true, there wouldn’t be much we could do about it.
2 Likes
Actual atheism (aka “It’s all bullshit.”) takes a lot of faith compared to mere agnosticism (I don’t know/care.).
Good on you for being hardcore about it, at least.
For the record, I’m Jewish of the Modern Orthodox variety, but am a member of a Chabad shul. Reason being the historical accident of my birth, but I’ve I’ve never found anything I’ve been taught to be demonstratively wrong, and almost always demonstratively correct. And, yes, I’ve witnessed plenty of miracles right up close and personal.
1 Like
lol. I’ll have you know that I’m schizo-affective. I’m on meds thanks to God and I still have my free-will intact.
Based on this logic shouldn’t you believe in all gods/religions to CYA? Or do you roll a die to make an unbiased choice?
I was raised Lutheran but no longer practice for many reasons. Whether it be the contradictions, looking at the historical context of the bible/Jesus, travelling the world and seeing people who believe differently, or the issues organized religion has had. I think regardless of one’s religious beliefs it matters how you treat others and live morally.
With that said, I don’t have any issues with religions when they offer good value to the community. I also believe religion and believing in a higher being can be comforting for a lot of people, and respect their need to explain things they don’t understand. I’m not a fan when religions push their beliefs on others based on the words of a handful of people who lived 2000 years ago.
1 Like
I like that approach, & when defined like that, I think we’re in the same boat. I try to find harmony with the world around me, find connection between it & myself. I like to meditate when I get around to it, read, & just appreciate the world. I have a lot of thoughts that can’t be proven, just no beliefs that can’t be proven. & while it may unnerve others, I actually find joy in that when I die my atoms will return to the earth & help to create something new.
I’ve got a good question on Atheism should I make a new thread for it?
I say yes. If you do, I’ll definitely check it out. I love these kinds of discussions.
True, religious studies are not my area of expertise. But, I would say that religious studies can only identify & categorize the actual mythology; drawing a spiritual conclusion from it sort of removes it from the academic realm; something I don’t want to do.
You could scientifically suggest that man created “evil,” in that before man, cruelty was an act of territorial claim or necessity, rather than sheer malice. But within that, cruelty has been a way of life since primordial times, only the motivation has evolved.
I agree in that respect, I just feel to take it a step further & suggest that there isn’t enough to prove either the existence, or the non-existence of a god. I would like to get to those arguments, thank you for listing them. I’ve looked into them before, but it’s been a very long time & I couldn’t describe one from the other now.
With the osteriori or a priori, I’ll have to say that that sort of ties in to my initial thoughts on the subject, that god is essentially a place-holder idea until something of true informational substance fills in that particular void, and “god” is pushed to the next informational hurdle.
All of this being said, I think there is something out there, I just don’t believe there is something out there.
Not to derail the thread into semantic quibbling, but there are different flavors of atheism and agnosticism. That’s where the terms “strong atheism” and “weak atheism” come into play, and there is some overlap with agnosticism.
In very simple terms, a lack of belief puts me in the atheist pool. There’s not much to it besides the list of deities I don’t believe in has one more entry than most other people on the planet.
I’m no more certain that God doesn’t exist than I am that Sorcery doesn’t exist, or Lord Xenu, or any other unprovable assertion. This applies to believers as well. Are you SURE the Scientologists don’t have it right, or do you just not believe in any of their crap? Does acknowledging that I can’t prove God doesn’t exist make me an agnostic? Maybe to some, but I still think atheist is the right term to use.
2 Likes
To piggy back on my agnostic post, I feel that a large part of why I am agnostic leaning towards atheism is the fact that I have seen religion used to justify behaviors far too often. It seems like to pat of a system, bunch of rich folks way back when were like, “uh oh, we have stuff, poor people don’t, how do we keep our stuff?” looks around table “Hey! We’ll tell them that as long as they don’t kill us and take our stuff and stay in their place in society without too much complaint they can have all this stuff later!” “That’ll never work, Bill,” he says, “Hold my beer,” states Bill.
1 Like