I’m becoming more interested in religion - just curious as to the make-up of the OKP.
I was going to say play computer and listen to the football, then catch match of the day in the evening. Religion wise, I’d say I’m agnostic. Why the ‘/ not interested’ part though?
no Scientology or Star Wars religion?
this poll is null and void
Some people simply are not interested in religion and haven’t really considered the question. I grouped it with agnosticism because both represent a lack of belief. Atheism on the other hand I think IS a belief ie a belief that there is no god (although weak atheism is considered simply a lack of belief as well).
Everybody’s outlook will to some extent be unique and their own interpretation so there is an element of shoe-horning going on here. I’m not trying to offend anyone by my choice of categories here, I just wanted all bases covered in a small number of options.
There is ‘other religion’ to cover those bases.
A science fiction universe full of aliens and spaceships with some vaguely mystical overtones designed to make a shit load of money is NOT a religion.
I have time for Star Wars though - Obi Wan rules!
I see what you mean, although it could be argued that Agnosticism is just as much a belief (in the philosophical sense rather than religious) as Atheism is couldn’t it?
^agreed.
There’s just as much reason to put agnosticism with atheism rather than not interested - it was just the choice I made at the time.
Part of it has to do with the whole strong atheism (a believe that there is no god - which is a presence of some form of belief) vs. weak atheism (an absence of belief in a a god which is obviously not necessarily a belief in itself).
Agnosticism - the belief that God is unknowable therefore the very question is ultimately unanswerable is very much a philosophical belief.
Grew up Catholic, which I still consider myself. But as far as the question, what do I do on Sundays, it is usually anything but Mass.
I actually go to Mass quite a bit, but it is for work. Like yesterday I was there.
I’ve always wondered what would happen if I tossed in a nice brick of herb into the thurible. I feel I would enjoy Mass even more.
Agnostic/not interested.
Haven’t been to a church service of any kind on a Sunday in probably 12-13 years.
I would have to say that I KNOW there is a higher being of some sort so let’s call him God.
I grew up in a southern Baptist house.
We rock and roll’d Church like no other.
AMEN!
Is there something significant that happened in your life that made you so sure? I’m not trying to get into a debate but would be interested to hear what specific experience if any made you so certain.
There have been a few moments in my life where I ahave definitely tempted God.
Once at a religious camp I went to. We had to do a group prayer everynight and I refused to. I scoffed at it. I was just not having it. I went outside instead and listened to the prayer from the porch. All of a sudden, the sky turned gree/black and clouds started swarming. The ensuing night brought the worst line of storms that have hit Michigan in decades. Tornados and hail and rain and thunder and lightening. We were in a small bunk house and had to be evacuated in the middle of the night.
The weird thing was, this other kid I was talking to, he had done a similar thing that night. We balled our eyes out for the whole night talking to each other and begging for forgiveness. It was quite traumatic for a young kid.
And in years since, perhaps with the help of ceratain substances, I have seen a higher power working in different forms.
The problem is, I have a lot of problem with religion as it is today. There are so many flaws, in my opinion.
All the major Western religions stem from Judaism. And it seems like everytime a person or group of people have a problem with their beliefs, they eventually up and form a new sect of religion.
Eastern religion is much more appeasing to me personally. I was quite attracted to Taoism in my early college days. But it seems to lack a lot of structure.
Today I will just say that I know there is a higher power and that I live my life in the most positive way possible. I know religion is a matter of faith, and that all religions require faith in that religion to succeed, but I personally believe that if I live my life in the most positive way, don’t inflict any harm intentionally upon others, and know that there is SOMETHING out there of greater intelligence, that any higher being will be cool with that.
/rant, sorry, just started typing and my hands threw up on the keyboard.
that’s cool, cheers for sharing it. I can see how one might hold that sense of belief from an early age after having those kinds of experiences and the social circles and environment such as religious camps. I agree with regards to Eastern religion being much more appealing. I was in Thailand over the summer and seeing Buddhism as a normal part of a countries lifestyle certainly brought out it’s benefits, in the North of Thailand at least. A friend of mine travelled through Thailand and down to Malaysia which is an Islamic country and said that you could really feel the difference in the atmosphere when you got to parts of Southern Thailand and into Malaysia.
I am a strong atheist in that I believe there is no god.
However, this is not nearly 100% belief. I come at it from a scientific stance, there is no evidence whatsoever to support any idea of God - but of course by the same token, there is no evidence whatsoever that disproves God either. What I end up with, looking at all the evidence (and by that, I mean the world around me, history, science, astronomy - pretty much everything) I have come to the conclusion that God does not exist - of the likely explanations for the world as I see it, no God seems to be the most likely. I am however completely open to new evidence and willing to accept that I could be wrong here.
Despite my own lack of belief, this philosophy pretty much sums up my approach too.
In all seriousness, if God does exist, then he made me an atheist - I don’t know to what purpose he made me a ‘doubting thomas’ but that’s what I am.
i chose agnostic because by my own definition of it, i just don’t know. i can’t pretend to know something i don’t know.
without getting too deep into a discussion of it, i’ve really gravitated towards a non-dual viewpoint over the last several years. sort of like, reality is ONE big thing, with the two aspects of it being Conciousness and Content of Conciousness. Awareness and the Objects in Awareness. Nothing-ness and Everything-ness. we tend to associate ourselves mostly to the “content” side of things because the “conciousness” side is ungraspable with the mind. but the closer you pay attention, the more you realize that everything is literally arising moment to moment and that there is only ever one moment in time, and that is always only NOW. it has absolutely nothing to do with morals or good vs. evil. only ‘what is real, actual?’ and that’s actually a very, very difficult question to answer!
but that’s a whole 'nother ball of wax.
If there IS a higher power, and if they DO decide what happens to us when we die based on how we live, are they able to know our thoughts?
For instance, sometimes when I see/hear a crying baby I imagine myself walking up to it and punching it. I obviously would never act this way, but I still think it.
Why Neil, WHYYYY?
I voted agnostic, though I don’t know if that really applies to how I feel about “god”/“religion”. Maybe I’m somewhere more between Buddhist and Agnostic, since Buddhists don’t really believe in a god per se, but just more a sense of enlightenment that can be achieved in this lifetime. I’ve had several moments of spiritual “clarity” for lack of a better word, and what I’ve experienced is not some omnipresent being watching over me and helping me on my path through life, but rather just a feeling of oneness and connectivity with the world and my fellow human beings…and my dog, can’t leave my dog out of this. I’m rather confident there is something else out there besides this material world which we interact with, but what it is or how to fully grasp it is really beyond me. Damn…that didn’t make much sense…
::smokes another joint::
This I think is the greatest sense of morality of all - control over your actions. For someone to never even think about punching the baby is all well and good, but to think about it and then choose not to do it takes a decision, and that is morality, making decisions.