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I know I can't make everyone happy. I don't think anyone can make everyone happy. I don't want to debate on this. However, I am fine that you are asking about my beliefs. I don't mind sharing my views. I love listening to other people's views too. I love the diversity in them. What I say, is not an attack on anyone. I know it's not right and because I wouldn't want anyone attacking me. I'm proud to live in a country that has religious tolerance. I think it's cool that people have their own views and as long as they don't force their beliefs onto another person and they found the path for them, I think that's a grand idea. I respect your beliefs and I do hope you respect mine. You don't have to agree with them, I just want respect and kindness. Thank you. I for one have many possible labels, but they are just labels. The umbrella term to describe me would be that I am nonreligious. Oh, for each label like atheism and Christianity there are different types or sects. In Christianity, there are Mormonism, Catholic, Protestant, and etc. In Atheism, there are weak, strong, agnostic, etc.
I would classify myself as an agnostic atheist, because I think humans lack the power to communicate or able to see or gain knowledge about any supernatural beings and that I have a lack of belief in god/goddess. I am not certain that there is/is not a god, because I admit I don't know. Religious people use faith, and that's fine. I think it's sort of impossible to know.
Oh and for the afterlife, I don't know what happens, because I haven't died yet and so I don't know. People say they know, because overtime stories are made up by people. I saw this video on the psychology of religion and they said that people came up with the idea of the afterlife, because something about how people with someone close to them that had died, they want to feel that their dead loved ones are in a safe place/watching over them. There was a lot that I learned from that video so maybe we can discuss them some other time.
Oh, I also take a little bit of a deist standpoint, that (Deist believe there is a god, but they're nonreligious) although I lack the belief in a god, that like the Deist, we don't think there is a god like the Abrahamic God, but we think that there could be a god that is a noninterventionist. That yes, he possibly created the world, but left it alone afterward. You may think that's bizarre, why he would create it and leave it alone. Well it may not make sense to you, but it makes sense to me. He/She probably didn't want to have all this power to rule us. If he/she is real, he gave us a brain and he probably intends us to use that and govern ourselves. You may think my beliefs are invalid, because I'm not certain. They're not certain, because I don't know everything and I don't think everything in religious texts are 100 percent correct. There probably was a man named Jesus Christ who was a missionary. Do I think he's the son of God or a divine figure? No, but it's possible. I admit I'm uncertain, but sometimes it's okay to be uncertain. Oh and I admit that I'm not wrong/right. Let's see, also I believe that religion and religious texts were manmade therefore there could be some incorrect/bias information. I think religion was created to explain things that we don't know. I think science can explain certain things, but it can't for all. Just sometimes, maybe we don't need to know everything.
I think the word that clearly explains what I am is that I am a secular humanist, which from my definition means that people can form good morals without religion, but with reason and free thought. Oh and I don't think religion is bad, I am glad that they do good things like feed the homeless - which is a positive. Of course, there are things like suicide bombing which is not a good idea, because that does harm people. Yeah, my "basic" moral code is that people could enjoy their freedom and do what they please, but not anything that might hurt them or others (but mainly not to hurt others). People have one life (as least that what I think), and it be dumb if someone were to take that life away. It's like that Christian Golden Rule about Do what you want others to do for you - kind of thing.
I personally don't like being a part of an organized religion/religion because it believes in something that you may not agree with or have to agree because the holy text said so. And I remember you telling me that I was going to hell [I think], which in your religion believes I'm going to hell, because I don't accept Jesus Christ, the bible, etc. Well in the Islam religion, they believe that you have to be a Muslim to get to heaven. So does that mean we all go to hell? I think heaven and hell is a possibility, but probably not. Maybe we don't go anywhere. If the Christian God is real, I think he should punish those that do bad things such as murdering. I don't think he should punish everyone else for not accepting him. Oh, I don't hate god or Jesus Christ, because I don't believe in them.
I think I said enough. I'm sorry that this was long. But remember, pick a path not because your parents chose it for you, but choose one that you think it's right. It might be fine and dandy for you, but not for someone else. And someone else's path may not match yours, but that doesn't mean they're on the wrong path. If I had to pick a religion, I would pick Buddhism, because even the religion itself doesn't ask its followers to teach their word and help people convert, but allows them to think about things and accept things that they agree with.
I wrote a blog, but I will try to make a long one short. I was not raised indoctrinated by any religion. My parents didn't go to church, but they were Christians and they did not teach me the religion. There was one time, where I was scared and I prayed to God and I felt better. I think that's also the reason why people wish that there could be a higher being, because they feel safer if someone all-powerful and all-knowing protects them. In middle school, my friend (who was a Christian, and now nonreligious) told me I was going to hell. And I felt scared, because I didn't want to go burn for eternity. I think religion has some sort of love and fear tactics. In high school, I began to be interested in different religions and wanted to learn about them. My parents decided it was better if we went to church. I didn't think it was a bad idea. After days of going on Sunday, I began to believe in what they taught me. I thought the morals were nice. I got baptized. After a period of time, I slowly change my beliefs because I began thinking and thinking and realized that I didn't really believe in that stuff. The reason why I believed in it was because my parents did and I didn't want the people at church/my parents to be mad at me. I continue going to church, because of my parent's request. I take it a time to learn. I don't agree much about the religion, but I'm not going to make it a burden. Ok, I think that's it for now. I hope you tolerate my beliefs. I tolerate yours. And I wonder if you'll be able to read it all. Ha-ha.
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