What do you classify yourself as and what do you define that as?

[Landlord]

Kind of a weird thread title, I know. Since Ron Brown's thread has already or is in danger of turning into a debate about things not Ron Brown, here's an opportunity for any involved to continue the discussion (in a kind, patient and respectful manner). So, the question is:

 

1a.) What do you call yourself, from a faith perspective? Christian, evangelical, denominational Christian, atheist, agnostic, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, etc. etc. etc.

 

1b.) How would you best describe what it is you believe? That is to say, what is your definition of what it takes to make claim of being a Christian, or being an atheist, or being Jewish, or whatever else.

 

 

 

And please, you guys, keep it kind.

[Ratt Mhule]

Kind of a weird thread title, I know. Since Ron Brown's thread has already or is in danger of turning into a debate about things not Ron Brown, here's an opportunity for any involved to continue the discussion (in a kind, patient and respectful manner). So, the question is:

 

1a.) What do you call yourself, from a faith perspective? Christian, evangelical, denominational Christian, atheist, agnostic, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, etc. etc. etc.

 

1b.) How would you best describe what it is you believe? That is to say, what is your definition of what it takes to make claim of being a Christian, or being an atheist, or being Jewish, or whatever else.

 

 

 

And please, you guys, keep it kind.

 

I am Catholic. And this prayer says it all to what I believe. Nicene Creed

 

As far as how I try and live my life, I try and treat everyone with kindness and respect. Sometimes it is hard, but I try my best and ask the Lord to help me with that. I try not to judge, but sometimes catch myself falling into stereotypes. I try and keep an open mind about everyone. I have many friends who are atheist and one friend who is gay, but it does not bother me in the least bit. They are my friends and God put them into my life for a reason. I have no problems with their beliefs as long as they don't ridicule me for my beliefs, which has only happened once when we had been drinking. We just had a nice little religion discussion and that was that. Im proud of what I believe and nobody can take that from me. What about you?

[Husker_x]

1a. Atheist (or more specifically, soft atheist or agnostic-atheist).

 

1b. Unfortunately for the second question, what I do believe can't be derived from the first, and is unrelated. All atheism is is 'not theism'. I arrived at the position through skepticism, and I consider myself a skeptic.

[knapplc]

1a. Atheist (or more specifically, soft atheist or agnostic-atheist).

 

1b. Unfortunately for the second question, what I do believe can't be derived from the first, and is unrelated. All atheism is is 'not theism'. I arrived at the position through skepticism, and I consider myself a skeptic.

 

This is what I would best classify myself as right now as well.

[Husker_x]

1a. Atheist (or more specifically, soft atheist or agnostic-atheist).

 

1b. Unfortunately for the second question, what I do believe can't be derived from the first, and is unrelated. All atheism is is 'not theism'. I arrived at the position through skepticism, and I consider myself a skeptic.

 

This is what I would best classify myself as right now as well.

 

Deconversion stories are always fun. PM me sometime.

[bennychico11]

1a. Atheist (or more specifically, soft atheist or agnostic-atheist).

 

1b. Unfortunately for the second question, what I do believe can't be derived from the first, and is unrelated. All atheism is is 'not theism'. I arrived at the position through skepticism, and I consider myself a skeptic.

 

This is what I would best classify myself as right now as well.

 

ditto. Although I've just recently started calling myself an atheist (and recently meaning in the past few years). So you can say I've come out of the closet...or rather I decided to start researching religions a little more so that I could understand why I have this lack of belief.

 

to answer your second questions, I guess what it takes to be an atheist is you just lack the belief in what is being presented to you. Many theists can also be atheistic towards other gods in other religions. I just happen to be atheistic towards gods that have been presented to me.

[kchusker_chris]

I honestly have no idea - nor do I waste much time thinking about it. One thing I am sure of is that organized religion (in all my experiences) has been nothing but a joke. Within the few churches I've been a part of there were more affairs, gossip, and in-fighting than at the local pub I spend so much time at. I lead a more "Christian" life than 97% of the people under those roofs, yet I'm looked down upon because I don't "participate" in their social Sunday. 50 years ago organized religion had is place. I'm not sure it can exist as it should today however.

[HUSKER 37]

An old highschool buddy posted this video on Facebook..(I wonder if it's on Snoops yet)

 

I wanted to fwd this one until I actually watched it..Kept setting off my BS meter and then I felt I was being shamed into spreading it.

 

I can believe that there are actually professors like this..and that the chalk didn't break..But not his reaction to it, or that every class would not have at least one person who didn't care if he/she was called a fool.

 

 

I believe I am a very small part of God.

I don't feel comfortable calling myself a Christian anymore despite growing up thinking I was supposed to.

When God does communicate/meditate with me, he sometimes tells me not to believe anything I read (Especially any Bible).

 

I also believe that there is a distinct possibility that God could have been created in our own image...And that time isn't always linear.

 

(Meaning that even if we created him/her..doesn't make his/her existance all that questionable).

[knapplc]

Dropped Chalk

 

Snopes is an invaluable resource.

[Nebula]

I've got class in thirty minutes so I don't have as much time as I'd like to devote to this.

 

I am not trying to offend anybody, this is simply what I believe.

 

Organized religion is a malicious, predatory entity that exists for a.) Societal control and b.) a tool for a certain subset of individuals pre disposed to a hunger for power to achieve that prominence, power, and persuasion over people's lives.

 

This has nothing to do with being spiritual. If you believe in Jesus (or Allah or Buddha or a polytheistic sort of thing or Hindu Gods and Goddesses) and you find internal peace from your spiritual meditations on Christ (Or Allah ect...) which allow you to be a better parent, a better friend, sibling, whatever, then I'm all for that. Great for you! (I mean that.) Unfortunately that isn't organized religion in action, that is an individual finding meaning through their own spirituality internally.

 

Maybe all energy is connected in the universe. Maybe as "souls" exit defunct mortal coils, they shoot outward adding to the energy that continues to expand the universe, adds to the energy collected by an expanding star, shoot from the star in the form of solar energy nurturing some plant on some planet far away, being turned into some alien form of chlorophyll which, in turn, may make that "soul" or that energy part of the living makeup of that plant. The soul has life again (has always had life through this journey) but now has a physical being to exist inside...and then an alien animal species ingests the plant, the part of the soul that had become part of the plant now part of the animal....and so on.

 

This is one of a literally endless line of possible realities that I am open to discussing and considering.

 

In short, I'm pretty close to Husker_x. I'm not an aggressive atheist. There is a strong current of agnosticism there, because again, I don't think humanity comes anywhere near to being the pinnacle of consciousness in this universe.

[Husker_x]

Dropped Chalk

 

Snopes is an invaluable resource.

 

I was about to load up the cannons, but that link pretty much takes care of this trash.

 

I heard the chalk story years ago. The details have changed a bit, but the core of the story is basically the same. Aside from the enormous implausibility of the entire scenario (like any self-respecting professor of philosophy at a major university would spend an entire semester on an evangelical atheist crusade), there are so many red flags of embellishment in here it's not even funny.

 

Most obvious is the storytelling method. For twenty years professor X got away with destroying faith, until one day one brave student dared to defy the devil. The fact that he shouts "YOU FOOL!" at the academic martyr is actually kind of hilarious, and then proceeds to RUN from the classroom after the chalk rolls harmlessly across the floor gives me all the evidence I need that this is has been treated to some stylistic touchups, if anything of the kind even happened at all.

 

What I don't understand is how anyone would be persuaded about anything by this story. What's even the point? You're telling me for twenty years god allowed the faith of hundreds of students to be challenged or destroyed by this man, and then FINALLY decides to do something about it? And then there's the other problem. God didn't stop the chalk. The idiot dropped it on his shirt. It's statistically certain that if you drop enough chalk enough times, once in awhile it's going to land right, hit something that stops its momentum, etc., so that it doesn't break. Where's the miracle in that?

[Judoka]

I've got class in thirty minutes so I don't have as much time as I'd like to devote to this.

 

I am not trying to offend anybody, this is simply what I believe.

 

Organized religion is a malicious, predatory entity that exists for a.) Societal control and b.) a tool for a certain subset of individuals pre disposed to a hunger for power to achieve that prominence, power, and persuasion over people's lives.

 

This has nothing to do with being spiritual. If you believe in Jesus (or Allah or Buddha or a polytheistic sort of thing or Hindu Gods and Goddesses) and you find internal peace from your spiritual meditations on Christ (Or Allah ect...) which allow you to be a better parent, a better friend, sibling, whatever, then I'm all for that. Great for you! (I mean that.) Unfortunately that isn't organized religion in action, that is an individual finding meaning through their own spirituality internally.

 

Maybe all energy is connected in the universe. Maybe as "souls" exit defunct mortal coils, they shoot outward adding to the energy that continues to expand the universe, adds to the energy collected by an expanding star, shoot from the star in the form of solar energy nurturing some plant on some planet far away, being turned into some alien form of chlorophyll which, in turn, may make that "soul" or that energy part of the living makeup of that plant. The soul has life again (has always had life through this journey) but now has a physical being to exist inside...and then an alien animal species ingests the plant, the part of the soul that had become part of the plant now part of the animal....and so on.

 

This is one of a literally endless line of possible realities that I am open to discussing and considering.

 

In short, I'm pretty close to Husker_x. I'm not an aggressive atheist. There is a strong current of agnosticism there, because again, I don't think humanity comes anywhere near to being the pinnacle of consciousness in this universe.

As a raised Catholic-turned-Agnostic, I approve this message.

 

imo, the world would be a better place without organised religion.

[knapplc]

I wonder if former Catholics are more prone to be anti-religion. I was raised Lutheran and I have zero angst towards my former faith. In fact, I think they do the world a service, and I hope they stick around a long time. I see a lot of former Catholics who are very strongly anti-religion, while those protestants I know who dropped their faith seem to view it as mostly a non-issue. Is that just my anecdotal experience, or have others noticed this as well?

 

The stated purpose of organized religion is to do good in the world. It's not a lot different purely as an organization than a football team. The problem comes when you have a person in authority who misuses that authority for nefarious purposes. If a football coach does this, it's a shame and we all think poorly of him, but it pretty much ends there, because his gig is to coach football. If a pastor/priest does something bad to a person, it seems like so much greater a betrayal, because they're in a position whose sole purpose is to help/comfort/support/teach people. Abuse is the polar opposite of what a priest is supposed to be, which is why I feel people take it so much harder when a pastor/priest mucks up their lives.

[NUance]

I am a Christian.

[Husker_x]

I wonder if former Catholics are more prone to be anti-religion. I was raised Lutheran and I have zero angst towards my former faith. In fact, I think they do the world a service, and I hope they stick around a long time. I see a lot of former Catholics who are very strongly anti-religion, while those protestants I know who dropped their faith seem to view it as mostly a non-issue. Is that just my anecdotal experience, or have others noticed this as well?

 

The stated purpose of organized religion is to do good in the world. It's not a lot different purely as an organization than a football team. The problem comes when you have a person in authority who misuses that authority for nefarious purposes. If a football coach does this, it's a shame and we all think poorly of him, but it pretty much ends there, because his gig is to coach football. If a pastor/priest does something bad to a person, it seems like so much greater a betrayal, because they're in a position whose sole purpose is to help/comfort/support/teach people. Abuse is the polar opposite of what a priest is supposed to be, which is why I feel people take it so much harder when a pastor/priest mucks up their lives.

 

I was a protestant.

 

Here's a question, though. How would you feel if you were to find out that a priest or pastor or rabbi was teaching your daughter that Hell is a real place and that she will go there if she does not accept authority or dogma X, Y, or Z?