What's your Religion?

I can't speak for all atheists, but the ones I know simply think the idea of the orthodox god of theism is highly unlikely, perhaps absurd, but not absolutely impossible.

I believe in what the scientific method demonstrates as probable. If I were to believe in tradition or 'divine revelation' as ways of knowing, then I could believe in ANYTHING. There would be no reliable way of distinguishing any goofy belief or superstition from another. Belief in things without a reliable foundation is a form of voluntary insanity. In a world where imaginary beings are running around, how do you tell the 'real' ones from the hallucinatory?

And why NOT the Great Flying Spaghetti Monster?
May His Pasta be Praised

 

A-Theist:

Two words.

A means "without or not" or "lack of". For example, atypical means "not typical".

Theist means "one who believes in a god or gods".

Put the two together and you get "One who lacks belief in a god or gods" or "one who does not have a belief in a god or gods."

It DOES NOT MEAN "One who believes there is no god". It's not a matter of semantics, it's actually a big.fuck deal. Not believing in a god vs believing there is no god is a big.fuck difference.

Anyone who defines atheism as such needs to go back to grade school and re-learn english.

It's impossible to prove a negative - i.e. there is no god. So claiming to be smart and then saying "I'm an atheist and I believe god doesn't exist" is a little problematic. Right off the bat you're admitting you ain't that bright and your grasp of logic is a little tenuos.

For example, Mr. Hardcore Atheist Richard Dawkins explains atheism on a continuum with 1 being an agnostic and 7 being an idiot (ie GOD DOES NOT EXIST). Dawkins puts himself at a 4 claiming "evidence does not support existence of a god (at least as we define it) but I could be wrong".

 

Raised Catholic....gravitated towards evangelism Now I appreciate the traditions of the Catholic church with the knowledge of the Scripture evangelism provides but belong to no church.

I do not find Churches and their religions an important part of my search anymore as they are inclined to tell one what to think rather than allow each to seek the Father in their own way and time.

"religion" was and is created by man...and in that it is imperfect and does not set an example to bring people to God in my opinion. In many cases quite the opposite. It instead gives many a reason and excuse to avoid their own search.

I believe Jesus was who he said he was because of the witnesses who were there, the writings of the Old Testament, The fact the hid disciples gave their lives for Jesus proves they did not die for a lie or simply a "belief' They saw with their own eyes. A simple uneducated man changed the world forever. SOMETHING happened. Something far bigger than has happened since. A man wiht no knowledge but a bottomless pit of wisdom.

Thats what I find today in many atheists.....A lot of "knowledge and intellect" but little wisdom.

 

So . . . atheists are 2 for 3 and religionists 0 for 3?

 

evolution and natural selection does make sense, but you can only rewind that tape so far back. then what are you left with as the only intelligent possibility as to where it all started with? intelligent design.

 

The Precreator

 

Before the procreator

 

hey thats the beauty of the faith brother. we weren't around. put it like this, i was raised a perfect little boy in a baptist church. now college has made me do things that i know mama and jesus don't like but what can i say im not perfect. . . . another thing, im no doctor but the fact that an analog, organic mush like a person/animal can retain memories, walk, see, etc with 80-90% of that just being water, hey that's no accident if you ask me.

 

Why is it that every religious person that i can think of was a little shit from the age 14-25. Oh i know because the realized they had been lied to from birth and force fed a steamy load of BS IMO.

 

C'mon, let's face it. Belief in God or gods came from the fact that during the beginning of mankind things could not be explained. What better way to understand these unknowns than to blame it on God. Religion was brought about to keep the masses in line. For example,"you better not do that or God will send you to the burning fires of Hell, the river Styx or just eternal damnation!"
Some theologians suggest that Michael was the first gospel to be written. It was written 35 years after Christ's death. I can't remember what happened last year let alone 35 years ago! I think maybe some things could have been a little foggy. Oh but God told them what to write. Tell me this, if God wanted the world to know he existed then why not just show up and say, "I'm God"? I'll bet that the whole world would bow down and worship. But he only showed up to certain people, hmmmmmmmm. So, where's the proof that God exists? Oh yeah, faith and the bible tells us so. No, there is no proof of God. We are taught at a young age to believe.
I have friends that say that God changed there lives. Really? It couldn't have been coincidence? Or, it's God's will. If God loves his children then why kill them? Everybody must die but why such horrible deaths? Why not in there sleep? He is all powerful then he can do anything he wants. None of it makes any sense.
Sorry, if my thoughts jump around and you can't make heads or tails of what I just said.

 

I picked Catholic even though I'm still in the RCIA program.

I never had much use for religion in 34 years or much of the hoo-hah surrounding it until last year. Something just kind of changed in me I guess.

It's been good for me and has answered many questions. I've also been learning a little about other religions. I don't agree with 100% of what Catholicism teaches I agree with much of it. The things I don't agree with I simply defer to my conscience and let that guide me.

 

The design is such that you cannot explain a lot of things with a narrow mind. ^ year olds don't understand how that plane stays in the air.......200 years ago NO one would have at any age.

I missed a deer by 3 seconds last Summer on my bike......If I would have had anything delay me for three seconds, I would have been hurt or dead and my family would have had to deal with that. 3 seconds. At the kwik Mart..slightly accelerating....All these things simply coincidence? I think not. I believe God was protecting my wife from pain, not me from death...

Some may call that hocus pocus Timing? "Coincidence" You may have "faith" in "coincidence" which is an intangelble created by men who do not understand believe they actuallly control the environment, time and events. Yet timing and coincidence could be the very reason they are successful, poor, alive, dead.

I do not believe in coincidence or timing. I believed I missed that deer by three seconds because I believe in and have a personal relationship with someone or something MUCH greater than I. The day I began my walk to seek that is the day my life turned around and suddenly my worldly needs were met beyond my efforts and I could pay more attention to that which brought me to this place. I left a great corporate job and traveled the US and world performing in a show which was a childhood dream never realized until 39 years old. I met the woman of my dreams...and we are very much in love. We have no debt, have a nice home and cars we enjoy, money in the bank, investments that are doing very well in a recession!! All of this is not of my doing.

YEah I lost my Dad and mom and most my relatives along the way The pain eased by faith. My wife got diagnosed with breast cancer 2 weeks after marrying. I could have lashed out but I did not. I realized it was a wake up call not to take this life or his graces and gifts for granted and always remember that from which all comes. She is cancer free for 5 years and each is a gift going forward. We take nothing for granted. I thank God every morning for ALL we have and the suffering we are spared....for now..

NONE of this was a result of MY ACTIONS.....Rather where i was Led.....That is why I believe. Far too many bountiful coincidences have taken place. I do not believe in man. I have seen "men's works" I have seen men use Religion for their own power and self aggrandizing purposes and to control people which is the very definition and result of POWER.

I have man's generated and endorsed title to everything yet own nothing. EVERYTHING we have is "borrowed" and will someday belong to someone else or made into something else. God has given us grace and the means to "rent" his home and all our material things using "faith" as payment.

Rich or poor those with faith are much happier people. in joy or mourning, those with faith in something larger than themselves have joy multiplied and sorrow halved.

I do not have any disdain for those who believe only in man. I don;t pty them nor do I disrespect them. I understand their lives are controlled completely by them their pain is harsh their joys fleeting. Some of the richest people who have no faith are the unhappiest.
Marriages without faith are held together by things other than real love.

I have been around long enough to witness many things that cannot simply be explained by "coincidence"

Men of faith are STRONGER than those without. Yes they are.They are the consoles, the people those in pain run to. The name yelled out finally in death,They can survive loss and move on. The weak put their faith in things and approval of men and cry the loudest when they lose something precious to them.

God DOES reveal himself everyday IF you want to see HIM, know HiM......Closed minds cannot see with open eyes.