I was born and raised Christian but it never made much sense to me. In the last year I figured religion was bogus. Any one else out there feel the same?

 

I'm an agnostic. I agree with you. There isn't much reason to believe in a god or gods.

 

Is Christianity the only religion you guys have explored?

 

No I"m familiar with zues and his gang, Thor and friends and of course the modern religions. They are all incredulous. Once explore context they all fall apart.

 

I looked at deism for an eyeblink, but that's about it.

 

I was born and raised in a Catholic family. I have considered myself an agnostic for many, many years. I do believe in a Higher Power, but not so much religion. I believe that whatever is up there, we can't explain sufficiently down here.

However, I seem to be at somewhat of a crossroads right now in my life. It's happened quite recently. I've felt the need to reconnect to church. I don't know why.

BTW, it's nice to see you posting again, Greco. ;-)

 

I'm an atheist here. Long have left the ideas of spirituality as of 2006.

 

For me, it was around 1997. I stopped believing before I was really in my teens, like Bart D. Ehrman. I'm sure you'd like him. I'm currently reading his book called Jesus Interrupted.

 

Spirituality or Christianity?

 

Well, you can't be not spiritual and still hold religious views because religious requires a sense of spirituality.

 

But you can be spiritual without all the religious dogma.

 

Hey BW good to see you too . Is your desire to go back to the church a result of a need for community or religious one?

 

Nah, I'm not one for community. LOL.

I've gone through this before. I seem to, on occasion, get an urge to go back to church and feel more connected to God that way, I guess. Then my brain goes back to hating the rituals of the mass and then I stop going. I guess I'm just going through another phase like that.

 

Yes. That's my implication. You CAN be spiritual, yet not hold a religious belief. However, you cannot call yourself religious and NOT be spiritual at all.

 

But being an atheist doesn't allow you to be spiritual in anyway as it has a strict disbelief of God in any form.

 

Not true at all. Ever heard of Buddhism or Jainism? Both religions are atheistic as in lacking the belief in a higher being. But they are highly spiritual in their beliefs. It doesn't require a God of any form to be spiritual.

 

I don't know much about Jainism but Buddahism implores us to surrender to the Universe ie a higher power in order to attain enlightenment. I see your point as Buddahism deosnt require dogma and strict ritual.

 

You're either twisting my words around or something. And secondly, I don't know if you really have read into the main aspects of Buddhism or anything beyond the theistic beliefs? I think in some case you're sort of stuck with the notion that God = religion, which is clearly isn't. I'll try and simplify it in simple English:

1. Buddhism have their rituals and beliefs, but they don't believe in a higher entity or a monolith entity that people feel exists. Rather, they believe in the spiritual means of finding oneself as gain a sense of Enlightenment.

2. Jainism, in a nutshell, is spiritual in the same vein as Buddhism, but takes the idea of life and value to a higher scale because they strongly feel that all life serves a purpose.

 

Religion has its merits. I am from a christian family..but I am not really sure where I stand. If there is a god why doesnt he show himself, like literally, like I mean so you can take a picture of him and show everyone. It would make believing in him so much easier. The way things are, you just have to have faith.Faith in what? Faith in something you have never seen before.
In life, everything has to be proven before you believe it. But religion is different for some reason..

 

Not everything!
-You get in airplane to travel to Asia, you beleive you are going to be safe when you arrive. It is faith. They cant prove it to you that you'll be safe 100%
-You make a lady pregnant and hope you'll have a beautiful intelligent baby by her, that is faith. The doctors cant 100 % prove to you that your child wont suffer from some congenital abnormalities.
-You go off to war hoping you will return to your loved ones safely. That is called faith. There is a chance of you being killed in the process.
-you go to college or grad school, hoping you will finish your studies and become a successful professional, that is called faith. There is a chance you can be dismissed from the program in the middle of your studies.

I have no quarrels or issues with agnostic or atheist folks, to each their own. But the argument of show me or prove to me that you exist before I beleive in you is very silly and simpleton. The human mind cant comprehend the complexity of God.