So which religion or belief are you?
Printable View
So which religion or belief are you?
I'm an atheist but I follow certain aspects of LaVeyan Satanism, Buddhism and Pantheism.
Kaballah.
In order to stir up a debate, I take issue with the dichotomy between atheism and agnosticism!
Just kidding. We need at least one sane thread around here.
I am Jewish, raised catholic and find panentheism, Buddhism, Taoism, and many other religions fascinating but I usually don't try to label myself as anything.
Atheism is believing that there is no god or higher power.Quote:
Originally Posted by BLUELINE976
Agnosticism is in general not believing in any certain religion but being open to the possibilities.
I believe that whatever god is... is so vast and big that it's too incomprehensible to be put down into a single religion. I just sort of look at all the religions and spiritual beliefs and take what i like and leave the rest. My fundamental believe is that all creation IS god and expressions of god. that not only is every human part of god or god's image but everything else also, even the flies I swat in the summer time :P
Weak Atheist, I don't believe their in a god or any sort of higher power. However when I am on my deathbed I will still pray for forgiveness :P just in-case I was wrong,
Although that's not what agnosticism means, even if we use your definition, why the dichotomy in the poll?Quote:
Originally Posted by Atras
And the God of Rationalism will laugh at how close you came before sending you to the Flamey Spikey Cellar of Hell for the Superstitious.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jster
Sad to see that Pascal's Wager is still popular.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jster
http://oi55.tinypic.com/am8gll.jpg
And that should kill the budding debate. Next issue?
That poster explained nothing, it just bitched in a very indirect manner. I've always preferred agnosticism over atheism. Could you explain some more specific points?
I could best describe myself as an agnostic in the sense that I don't believe in certainty, only degrees of probability. Scientific/Naturalistic Pantheism would best fit my view, but I don't subscribe to the label, it just happened to be the closest. Basically I think Nature=Universe=Everything=God and science is the best tool for us to understand "God", but since we are a part of "God" maybe clearing our head of our personal life and meditating on our pure being gets us closer too.
I thought lines 9, 10, and 14 explained things pretty well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayfaerer
Oh hell, here we go again. Very well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayfaerer
The vast majority of atheists are agnostic.
"What? How is that possible?!" you may think to yourself.
It's true. Theism is the belief in a god or gods. Atheism is the lack of that belief. It is NOT the assertion that no gods exist. It CAN be...this is called strong atheism, or gnostic atheism. Few people hold this stance. Most opt for agnostic atheism, which is the lack in belief of a deity but not the certainty that none exists. This is weak atheism.
the same applies to theism. A person who is certain there is a god is a gnostic theist. One who believes in a god in any form but is uncertain that god exists, is an agnostic theist. There is no such thing as just an agnostic. Agnosticism is a measure of certainty, not a stand-alone belief system. You can't be an "agnostic." If you genuinely don't have any clue whether or not a god exists, you still don't believe in one, and that makes you a weak atheist.
I think he is just trying to say that the label agnostic is superfluous and they are pretty much atheists. I personally think that strong atheism is as untenable a position as strong theism. We can be 100% certain of very few things already but being 100% certain that a deity does not exist is overconfident. I'm not saying possibility=actuality but I just cannot be absolutely certain of the nonexistence of something that I cannot experience.
@mario92- Under your criteria I suppose I am a weak atheist but I still voted other.
I've just always attributed atheism with a rejecting attitude toward a deity while agnosticism took a "I don't know/ I don't care till there's evidence." attitude toward a deity, but I don't care about labels honestly, they're always widely interpretable and a source of worthless argument.
but sir, both of these definitions are wrong!Quote:
Originally Posted by Atras
atheism is the lack of belief. not the belief that there is no god, but the lack of belief in any god(s).
human
Atheism can mean the lack of belief in god(s) or the belief that there are no gods. It is strange though because there is an important difference between the two views.
Agnostic (weak) atheist. Because unlike some, I actually know the meaning of both words, and hence why they are not mutually exclusive.
Lol and now this thread has turned Into a debate on the definition of agnosticism and atheism.
I'm Universalist, and I think the case has been amply made that Anal-retentive should be added to the poll.
ETA:
...Quote:
Originally Posted by BLUELINE976
Quote:
Originally Posted by BLUELINE976
...you realize you just trolled yourself?Quote:
Originally Posted by BLUELINE976
Right, because I was SO committed to not starting an argument.Quote:
Originally Posted by Taosaur
Crap. I was about to post, but there's already arguing.
Thanks.
I now officially end the debate on the dichotomy between atheism and agnosticism. Talk about something else :p
Lets talk about sex.
I'm a strong atheist against all of the gods in all of the religions I know of.
I'm a weak atheist towards gods in general.
Sex is nice. Let's invest more money in the research for prevention, treatment, and cure for sexually transmitted infections and diseases, plus more effective and less intrusive/invasive birth control so we can all shag more frequently with less risk.
Yeah except the catholic church is continually fighting against birth control which is kinda ironic because by fighting against birth control theyre making it so many more people get pregnant who then are faced with the option of abortion which the catholic church also doesnt want so basically by opposing birth control they are causing more people to have abortions so therefore they are indirectly responsible for more DEAD BABIES!. No offense to any catholics out there. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Mario92
I'm a Latter Day Saint (A Mormon). Nothing much else to say.
Why do you believe in this?Quote:
Originally Posted by Betropper
Wow, I don't think we've had a mormon yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Betropper
Ya, suppose I left the most important part out lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by Seroquel
I believe in it because it not only was the religion I grew up with, but I have studied the teachings and prayed about them. In fact, once I had a dream during a time when I started questioning it, my father having left it himself, in which a being told me that everything was going to be alright. I have studied it's teachings and read the Book of Mormon and the Bible and they fit together like a puzzle. I believe that Joseph Smith couldn't have written these without some sort of inspiration, considering he had little education and he had little knowledge of history, yet the book he wrote explained many things of the Americas and of God. I believe in it because I have gone through points of disbelief and came out more faithful in God than before.
NOW there is nothing much else to say.
That's rad man I find Mormonism very fascinating and have a couple friends who are Mormons. They wont tell me about Mormonism because they know I'm not religious and think I am being condescending. If you feel up to it I would love to hear some of the axioms of Mormonism some time or if you could steer me to a website that could enlighten me, I would appreciate it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Betropper
Would it be insensitive of me to characterize Mormonism as "Scientology for Catholics?" :P
Nope, it's your opinion. It would be insensitive altho if you said people were stupid for being Mormon . Everyone has a right to believe in what they want.Quote:
Originally Posted by BLUELINE976
Well, I wouldn't go as far as calling them stupid, but it's pretty obvious Joseph Smith was nothing but a charlatan.Quote:
Originally Posted by Atras
I do agree that there's a lot of flaws with Mormonism, but there's a lot of flaws with every religion, which is why I'm agnostic ( or whatever you wanna call it I really dont care about the exact label lol)Quote:
Originally Posted by BLUELINE976
lol is this real life?Quote:
Originally Posted by Betropper
Isn't the book of mormon about a "resurrected" Jesus (zombie jesus) and his voyages in North America?Quote:
Originally Posted by Betropper
Yes or no?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_anbEJsr6sQuote:
Originally Posted by Betropper
??
I'm an athiest, and non-spiritual.
Like a few others, I'm an agnostic atheist.
I live my life as though there is no god, but I believe it's possible I could be proven wrong, or for some reason I could change my mind.
Yes! Answer to Seroquel. Explain yourself, theist!Quote:
Originally Posted by Seroquel
I do not wish to start another religious fight, but some of the things you said are misconseptions.
Yes, this is real life we are talking about. Is it any more crazy than Lucid Dreaming?Quote:
Originally Posted by Seroquel
No. Although Jesus DID come to the Americas in a resurected form (What the heck is zombie jesus?) like he did in the Bible with the twelve apostles and others, this is only at the end of the bible and the book is mostly about the Nephite and Lamanite civilazations. It's exactly like the visit in the Bible, all the nations deserved to see him. When i said "Like a puzzle" I meant it explained more of the bible and was in every way with it, not against it.
I can't see the video, the filters here won't allow youtube. Will explain whatever it is later.Quote:
Originally Posted by Seroquel
EDIT: Ah. I see what you are trying to say, but what I'm sating is that he had little education. By "Insparation" I meant a means to MAKE the book itself. NOT a motivation. Besides, most of the money he got was from Tithing, and those are used for either construction or charity. We don't pay our pastors, they earn nothing.
Didn't see your post there, Stormcrow. I'd love to PM you some good links if you want me to.Quote:
Originally Posted by stormcrow
I think there is a higher power big time! Just have a hard time putting it into a neat package. Maybe a mix of Christian,New Age and Judaism. I also really appreciate the views of Buddhism but personally struggle with detachment. Probably would do me some good to delve into it a little deeper!
but liek omgggmgggmggmm atheism iznt a beleef or a religin!!!11!!
/sarcasm end
I get into more trouble with these labels. This is as good of an example as I could give of us being used by our tools. I generally consider myself an agnostic but the only level of scrutiny this gets me through is on par with the poll at the top of this page. This label is very close to being altogether useless for me, I would abandon it except I am strangely attached to it.
I'm an atheist. I'm not quite sure if I'm a weak or a strong atheist yet.
I'm an agnostic atheist Buddhist...not a very good Buddhist, but it makes a lot of sense to me.
Strong Atheist because if i was a weak atheist, I'd be one step closer to be religious...... and thats the LAST thing i want
I am a Follower of Christ. I refuse to call myself a "christian". Every single person I've ever met that has called themselves "christian" has been nothing but a self-rightous bigot.
Really, being a weak atheist just means you don't have to put up with the argument that you're just like the religious folks who claim they know God exists. It hardly means you're "one step closer to being religious."Quote:
Originally Posted by gameoverlord345
I've grown up in an LDS family that is very active, but while I agree with aspects of the religion, it just isn't really for me. I have studied many different religions at least a little bit, and side more with Buddhism. Although I do agree with a lot of Christs teachings, I just don't believe in him as a God.
Just out of curiousity, why is it exactly that you do not believe in Christ as a god?Quote:
Originally Posted by Emecom
Pantheist, with touches of Buddhism and Taoism. I've been experiencing major moments of Taoist influence in my life lately, mostly concerning positive and negative emotions. (And by the way, agnosticism is the assertion that God IS unknowable. It's not "I don't know and I don't care," rather "I believe it is impossible to know, regardless of how much we care to know." All I have to say about that.)
Well, it's "God's existence is unknown OR unknowable." Not necessarily just "unknowable."Quote:
Originally Posted by ThePreserver
I guess that's also a possibility. I was just trying to clear up the main misconception that agnosticism is "laziness" or "middle ground between Atheism and Theism" as it's so often (incorrectly) compared. A true agnostic has a serious stance, (often after a lifetime of searching for answers) that the answers cannot be known during our lifetime.Quote:
Originally Posted by BLUELINE976
It's worth contrasting genuine agnosticism to genuine gnosticism, to which I subscribe. As a Universalist gnostic, I hold that all prophets and/or Messianic figures only point to truths that must be uncovered by the seeker, and that remain both unknown and knowable in all epochs of time.
I dont believe in "God" persay, because of science but I believe that their are spirits due to personal experience.
I am an apatheist.
I'm not certain whether or not there is (a) god(s), and, frankly, I do not care. I'll engage in religious debate from time to time, but I do not take the issue as seriously as most people seem to.
Right. So basically, you aren't a theist. So you are an atheist.Quote:
Originally Posted by EmperorOfMyMind
I suppose you could say that, though I think the form of apatheism I use could probably be more accurately described as "Apathetic Agnosticism". I'm not certain that gods do not exist, so atheism might not be the best fit.Quote:
Originally Posted by A Roxxor
But, yes, your conclusion is valid in a way. Functionally, "Atheist" would not be entirely incorrect.
Atheists aren't certain gods don't exist.Quote:
Originally Posted by EmperorOfMyMind
Many of the atheists I have spoken with have sounded as if they were very certain. But no matter. If you say I am atheist, then I suppose I am atheist.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mario92
Non-denominational Christian.
I almost voted New Age but couldn't bring myself to do it, I just don't like that label and some of the connotations it implies. I am a Pagan who doesn't "worship" anyone or anything. I see the "gods" more as archetypes but I don't reject the possibility that they could exist. I borrow some concepts from Wicca (such as "do as you will, but harm no other"). I do believe in a spiritual world and there may be higher powers so to speak, but I don't think any of those higher powers are worthy or even desiring of worship.
I was raised a Presbyterian Christian but I "converted" to Paganism mostly because of my morality not lining up. For example I believe in religious tolerance... i.e. you believe whatever you want and whatever makes you happy, but don't try to convert me or tell me I'm wrong just because our beliefs are different. We all should be on a path to enlightenment, not on a path to destroy whoever disagrees. Too many wars have started over religions that are supposed to be about love. In the end I don't think it matters whether there is a god or not, because I don't think the Creator (if he/she exists) takes an interest in our personal lives. I think Jesus existed and I think he was a great teacher and possibly a great practitioner of magick, but that's about as far as that goes. Just my 2 cents.
Jewish. but do I believe in god? i don't think its relavant so that makes me also agnostic.
Years before I used to try to categorize myself, but I have given up already. No premade term can describe me accurately enough.
I just like to have a conversation about it if someone wants to know, but nowadays I never give a single word. It wouldn't justify it.
Discordian.
For the record, I wouldn't call myself a religion or a belief... I'm more of a human.
Gnostic Theist. I don't like uncertainty in my life and as such I don't believe a higher deity exists I know one does.
I'm not gonna say a specific name because then people will start getting in an argument with the dichotomy's, so I'll just say I am open minded to all the possiblilites but don't have a certain belief set in stone.
you can view the votesQuote:
Originally Posted by Atras
Huh?
I'm a Fatalist.
I do believe and trust in fate as a higher, infallible and allmighty entity. I do believe that there's one big "master plan" for every being and that everything happens for a good reason and can solely happen the way it does happen; that means there's absolutely no "free will", no coincidence and that every single decision we make, every step we take and every word we say is predestinated.
As I said, I regard fate as a concrete entity, so I'd clearly consider myself a theist.
im a methodist because i beleive its the true path to salvation
I used to like LeVay, then I read more.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tara
My current belief is that words are so utterly useless in regards to describing anything esoteric I'm not even about to pretend to able to. I could sit here and tell a fantastic lie or I could simply admit that with less ignorance comes less certainty.
Kinda surprised about the Buddhist population here. You would think there would be more here, since Tibetan Buddhist were 1 of te first to practice Lucid Dreaming.
Glad we got that sorted. It was Methodism, everyone. The correct answer was Methodism.Quote:
Originally Posted by Liquidnine
of course, ISLAM my love.
Finally! It's about time someone just came out and said it. I was getting tired of thinking I could never be 100% sure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Taosaur
Discordianism :cool:
my own. duh. its stupd to not otherwise.
I read a book recently that may have just done what I had previously thought couldn't be done... it introduced me to a coherent belief system that describes me.
I need to learn more but I may be an animist. The book was The Story of B.
Hells yes *highfive*Quote:
Originally Posted by Supernova
I don't really believe in any higher entities, and certainly not in god. But I don't necesserily deny their existence either. It's just that I don't feel an urgent need to believe and pray to someone who severely fucked up evolution (as the highly developed "civilisated" humans proof every single second), and who's not able to do a damn about it, or worse doesn't care enough to do so.
I see everything in a scientifical way, and supernatural things or higher entities might just be as scientifical as everything else, except for the fact we have no means of detecting them.
What I really believe in is that this Planet needs some humans who care and who are willing to do more than just thinking or praying how everything could be better.