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10-03-2009, 15:33 | #1 |
Deep Throat
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 6,512
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Your faith...
When asked, I've always said I'm a Christian. I was brought up from a very young age to attend mass weekly and say my bed time prayers and so on. It was when I hit mid teens (oooh the rebellious age!) I started to question what it was I was doing every Sunday and why I was doing it.
For me... in short... I was going each week to a church where I "chanted" the same words over again. 90% of the readings I had already heard and most of the preaching between was about how *I* reject God and was a sinner, so I should ask for his forgiveness. He will then forgive me and does love me so I should be joyous. This... began to grate on me. Eventually I spoke to my Ma (who worked at the presbytery) and said that although I believe there's a higher power of sorts out there, I do not feel right to attend church weekly to participate in what I felt was almost a cult like ceremony. I then became an infrequent church visitor. I would pop in when I felt the need but was not keen about it. It was about 4... possibly 5 years ago now that my feelings for the church and Christianity was really pushed for me. My Nanny had passed away and I was stood at the front of this beautiful church mourning the coffin next to me... when I suddenly became aware that the priest in front of me was telling me I was a sinner and I didn't deserve the life I was given. This... riled me. Beyond belief. Obviously it was an emotional time as it was but to tell me... after I had worked my bum off to do all I could to support my Nan and my family as she slowly died a horrible death that I was a sinner and need to ask for forgiveness... well screw that for a laugh. I then resented going to Church. I didn't even feel the need/want to go at Christmas and Easter. I just... didn't want to do it. On top of that, I had been giving it all a lot of thought. God. Supposedly this chap in the human form... created everything. I'd like to consider myself as quite an open minded person but how could this one chap create all of this around me? And not being funny, where did he come from then?! What about evolution, which I believe in? I've always felt the Bible was a glamorous book of morals with some flicker of true stories in it but no more. What baffles me is that all of this seems so obvious to me... it just seems so unrealistic to believe in some of the Christian beliefs. But what baffles me even more than this... is there are SO many highly intellectual people who do believe in it. Believe the bible, believe in God and Jesus and so on. They're more intelligent than I these people... what am I not seeing? Now... I'm just confused I think there could very well be some form of super power above us that started everything... but not in human form!! Soooo. Tonight. I am going to a Christianity Explored church course. I'm intrigued now by what they have to say. I don't think I will be contributing a lot to the evening but I'm certainly going to listen and try and absorb the logic in the Christian belief. I think it will be interesting. I'm always up for learning more about different beliefs and so on... but hopefully this will help figure out what I feel in my head. This post doesn't really put across my full arguments particularly well (excuse me for that - I'm just whacking this down whilst I finish my afternoon cuppa tea break) but you get an idea of what I think How do you guys and girls feel? |
10-03-2009, 15:54 | #2 | |
The Mouse King of Denmark
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: The Winchester
Posts: 6,476
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Quote:
I didn't use to like being labelled, but now I can pretty much say I'm an atheist. It's weird that a part of me is almost afraid to admit this, like it's some sort of taboo. It definitely feels like in the last year there's been a sudden outpouring of atheism in the media, like it's the new 'coming out'. Maybe it's this that has given me more confidence in my beliefs.
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Last edited by Belmit; 10-03-2009 at 16:08. |
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10-03-2009, 15:54 | #3 |
iCustom User Title
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,250
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Agnostic.
Why? Quite simple really, I don't think that we as a species have the ability yet, or perhaps ever, to fully understand the universe and how/why it was made. Any God we believe in seems "man made" to me and I doubt that if there is a God, he's one of the specific variants we worship. However I don't think have the capacity in the opposite direct either, to say "There is no God" when we're still trying to find out how the universe works (CERN experiments) and we're still a total loss of why the big bang happened. Basically, I'm open to the idea that there's a God, because let's face it, when it comes to the universe and its creation, I think it's wise to keep and open mind and say anything's possible.
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10-03-2009, 15:58 | #4 |
Do you want to hide in my box?
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 14,941
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Much the same as iCraig. I keep an open mind as I don't really know either way basically.
I probably come across more as an atheist though as I always question everything. However I hate it when any belief is forced upon me by someone, or forced upon children. Doesn't seem right to me but I know that like everything else, there are people who wouldn't do that and people who would.
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10-03-2009, 16:11 | #5 |
Stan, Stan the FLASHER MAN!
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: In bed with your sister
Posts: 5,483
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I always used to state that I was an atheist but tedious, argumentative types always claim that atheism is a form of religion and therefore contradicts itself. I can't be bothered to argue with them so I changed my status to non-believer. I think I'm going to change it again to apathetic - I really don't care whether there is a God or not. If there is, I'm going to burn in hell because I'm damn sure I won't worship Him/Her/It. If there isn't one, I'm no worse off and at least I've lived my life predominantly according to my own values rather than those imposed upon me by some self righteous religious group.
I am perfectly comfortable with people who are religious - as long as they don't bother me about it, we get on fine.
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Just because I have a short attention span doesn't mean I... |
10-03-2009, 16:27 | #6 | |
Peter Pan
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Lost Inside My Head
Posts: 1,068
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Quote:
Even though I went to church as a kid (not too often with family but then every Sunday as a choir boy) I can't remember actually thinking that there is a God and that I should worship him.
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"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it." |
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10-03-2009, 16:31 | #7 |
Vodka Martini
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Exeter
Posts: 753
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I'm in exactly the same boat as Bigstan. Semantics mean I'm technically an agnostic, because I believe in God as much as I believe in the Celestial Teapot, but I'd believe in either if they were proved to me. Personally I see that as atheism, but what the hey.
Yeah, and this is the bit that riles me about Christian teachings. I (try to) live my life causing as little hurt or harm as possible, basically in the same way as Christians try to. I think any God worth His salt would consider that enough. I don't believe God, if one exists, has an ego that needs fulfilling by my worshipping Him.
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10-03-2009, 16:01 | #8 |
Baby Bore
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Svalbard
Posts: 9,770
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My feelings on this matter are complicated, but I don't believe if there is a a 'god' anywhere that it cares about/ comprehends/ even realises the human race exists.
This sums it up pretty nicely for me MB |
14-03-2009, 11:10 | #9 | |
Provider of sensible advice about homosexuals
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: London
Posts: 2,615
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Quote:
Personally I'm sitting somewhere in the apathetic agnostic camp, I can't prove or disprove the existence of a god or any higher power and quite frankly I don't care enough to try to because it impacts on my life not one jot. My ideal in this is for people to believe in whatever they want but to allow others the same right and not to persecute or negatively impact on people because of their beliefs - this does lead to some issues in defining what is a negative impact etc but it is about the best I can do with an all-encompassing aim. On a basic level I'm happy for anyone to believe in anything provided the aren't affecting others with it but once they do then I've got issues with it. I'm also not keen on people who preach at me, if they want to tell me about the majesty of Christ then that is fine but once I ask them to stop that is their cue to hush up, I don't want to dissuade anyone from their beliefs (even assuming I could) but if they do not respect mine I will not respect theirs - basic courtesy here.
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"Your friend is the man that knows all about you, and still likes you." - Elbert Hubbard |
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16-03-2009, 03:23 | #10 | |
Long Island Iced Tea
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 242
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Quote:
I saw this guy once who was preaching hellfire and damnation at the prostitutes in Waikiki, and I really wanted to stop and ask him who he thought he was helping. I don't know about anyone else, but if my first impression of a religion was that I am being judged, I don't think I would think that was something I wanted to take part in! (Sorry I keep replying...I love this conversation :-P)
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