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Assuming an agnostic is someone who believes there is a higher power and that there is an existence of a life after death.
Is the reason you are agnositc because you haven't found a religion or belief structure (for lack of a better term) that meets your belief or you find credible? Do you still hold yourself accountable to the higher power you believe to exist, meaning avoid sin and such?
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Originally Posted by irishmom
Assuming an agnostic is someone who believes there is a higher power and that there is an existence of a life after death.
Is the reason you are agnositc because you haven't found a religion or belief structure (for lack of a better term) that meets your belief or you find credible? Do you still hold yourself accountable to the higher power you believe to exist, meaning avoid sin and such?
Growing up RC drove me from organized religion and too many examples such as Ted Haggard, Jimmy Swaggart, et al have made me very leery of going back.
It's also a case of being convinced that what you do for an hour on Sunday (or your Sabbath of choice) is not that important, I think trying to live a decent life 24/7 is.
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My thoughts, personally as a agnostic, is that I was raised Catholic. Went to catholic school from k-12th grade. Recieved all the sacraments that I was alloted for, and was an altar boy for many years.
But deep within my heart, psyche, or soul, I feel there is more to what I studied in school. How can one religion be more true than the other? I'm not bashing one religion, no that's not my intent. I just feel that 6 billion people on this Earth would be very boring if all of us worshiped that one god.
I like the variety of different beliefs. I'd like to understand the different foundations of each religion that interest me.
I don't practice any of the religions that peaked my interest, but it made my mind a little clearer with acceptance and tolerence. I guess the different religions bring the world a little closer to me. It helps me embrace it more as a wonderful place to live than detract from it b/c all of the hate and war that is going on world wide.
I hope I wasn't ranting to much.
Thanks for reading.
So you both are saying it's more that you are against organized religion as a whole and therefore don't need to identify your higher being? Pardon me if I'm totally off here.
I would say I'm atheist now. But when I considered myself agnostic in years past...I thought of it more like Santa Claus. I'm pretty darn sure there's nothing for real about this, but waht if I'm wrong? What if it is real?
So even though I didn't really believe and it seemed quite silly...I was also not quite ready to say it's impossible.
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Originally Posted by irishmom
So you both are saying it's more that you are against organized religion as a whole and therefore don't need to identify your higher being? Pardon me if I'm totally off here.
Maybe against would be a little strong, probably be more accurate to say I'm turned off by members of organized religions who are zealots, hypocrites. or exclusive. So far in my life I find it impossible to believe that there can be only one path to God. It's odd because I've always had an interest in religion as a subject and in comparing different ones as well as in churches, temples, etc. The structures that have been built as true acts of faith are fascinating.
I sometimes wish I had that great desire for organized religion but I won't go and pretend to be somebody I'm not.
Here is my question/problem. I don't know what I believe, I would like to believe there is something greater than myself, but every time I go to church, (christian based), I always stop after a while because of the same question burning in my heart.
If God was so diverse in creating all of the different people, nations and cultures, why is there only one way to salvation? If I believe this, then all of my Jewish, Buddhist and other friends will all go to hell except me. I just don't buy that. So then I stop going, and then I question whether there is heaven or hell and the questions just trickle down to the beginning and I start all over again with, "what do I believe?" I don't know. I do know that I am a good person and try to live an honest life, but as far as salvation and all of that stuff, I can't put my heart into it.
Here is my question/problem. I don't know what I believe, I would like to believe there is something greater than myself, but every time I go to church, (christian based), I always stop after a while because of the same question burning in my heart.
If God was so diverse in creating all of the different people, nations and cultures, why is there only one way to salvation? If I believe this, then all of my Jewish, Buddhist and other friends will all go to hell except me. I just don't buy that. So then I stop going, and then I question whether there is heaven or hell and the questions just trickle down to the beginning and I start all over again with, "what do I believe?" I don't know. I do know that I am a good person and try to live an honest life, but as far as salvation and all of that stuff, I can't put my heart into it.
For you then I can understand, I think. You just need to identify what you believe in and live that. If you believe Jesus was Christ, but not necessarily what the church/bible preaches as how to get to salvation then I would say you are a Christian and should study on your own to confirm this (much as I have done). If you don't believe in Jesus as Christ then you may just need to look at other religions until you find one that does ring true to you. You sound like someone who is searching to me. Forgive me if I'm being too presumptous. But I think if you are searching in earnest you will eventually find a faith that is out there or develop one of your own. Or just hang on your own and live a good life, that'll cover you too!
Assuming an agnostic is someone who believes there is a higher power and that there is an existence of a life after death.
That's really not what an agnostic is. This is how the dictionary defines agnostic:
"a person who holds the view that any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable; broadly : one who is not committed to believing in either the existence or the nonexistence of God or a god"
I think that explains it well. I consider myself agnostic. I don't have a belief in any god, but I can't reject the possibility.
Maybe against would be a little strong, probably be more accurate to say I'm turned off by members of organized religions who are zealots, hypocrites. or exclusive. So far in my life I find it impossible to believe that there can be only one path to God. It's odd because I've always had an interest in religion as a subject and in comparing different ones as well as in churches, temples, etc. The structures that have been built as true acts of faith are fascinating.
I sometimes wish I had that great desire for organized religion but I won't go and pretend to be somebody I'm not.
I hate religion. There's only one form of religion I care about and it's the James 1:27 religion: taking care of widows, taking care of orphans, and not conforming to the ways of the world.
Start looking at what Jesus thought of religion.
He didn't care for it at all. Religion is ugly. Religion is rules. Religion is self-righteous.
I'm a Christian, will be all my life. But I hate calling it my 'religion'. It is who I am. It isn't something I do.
It sounds cliche, but it really is relational.
Ya know how they say weight watchers, Atkins etc aren't diets, they are lifestyle changes. That's how Christianity should be. It's a heartsyle(lifestyle) change.
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