When I believed in God I was pissed. I thought He let way too much misery and suffering into my life. Then I finally decided that there probably isn't even a God so, why waste my energy being pissed at someone I don't even believe in? I do believe in Spirituality though. I believe in being truly loving, kind, thoughtful and helpful and that is my way of being spiritual.

My husband and I are both atheists. I was raised Catholic and was a firm atheist by the age of 18.

I know ya didn't ask for a debate but the times call for it so . . .

Some of you know me by now, even though I've been a member of this forum only since 2/12/08 or 12/0208 for those of you who write the date backwards like in Europe and the like. Man has it only been four days? I consider myself hard headed, critical, and I'm not convinced of nothin' 'till I've seen and heard all the evidence.


I'm a downright outright full blown radicalized fundamentalist Christian. Now before you go throwing up your defenses and stereotyping me, let me explain. I got “Saved” when I was 15 by a traveling hell and brimstone Southern Baptist preacher. And let me tell you, while I've strayed from the path, and come back in a vengeance, I know every reason there is to not be convinced that God is here and here to stay . . . 'cause I've used them.


Bein' a “Christian” I don't look down my nose at no one. People have the right to be as wrong as they want or right as they want. This is the good old US of A which I love, and that there is what it is. And I'll defend the right of anyone to be heard hearted, misguided, and down right wedded to their materialistic self-serving life style.


Now when I say fundamentalist you right away got the wrong impression .. . . didn't ya. Because I don't trust any of those movements most would call fundamentalist. What I mean is the fundamental words of Jesus. Which are love they neighbor as you love yourself, and do for your neighbor as you would want done to yourself. I don't usually go to church 'cause most of its make nice, say the right things, don't step on anyones toes, don't criticizes the preacher and just listen to the sermon. BS.


Now, ya'll don't think there's proof of God. Wrong. C.S. Lewis gives the tightest logical proof of God I've seen. Go to http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and get a copy of The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classic.

Ya'll don't like God 'cause he lets bad things happen: Isn't him doin' it. Free will of man/woman. If we didn't have free will, we'd be machines, not humans, punching out happy buttons all day, all night. Got to have free will. At http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ look for the Lee Strobel series, especially The Case for the Real Jesus The Case for a Creator : A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God.


Think there's no evidence for the existence of God: wrong again. New Testament is acclaimed by almost every historian as the most accurate history of the ancient world. Got the word of people just like you and me that they saw what He did and are they lying? At http://www.bakerbooks.com look up Why I am a Christian.


Think ya can make it by just being good: nope . . . that stopped when He came to earth. Got to accept him as your savior.


Think science contradicts God; nope . . . wrong again. Again look at the series by Strobel, The Case for a Creator : A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God.


Think you've heard the arguments for and against: not even close brother's and sister's.


Now ya'll gotta be either angry, turned off, or pitying me by now. But I hope you are angry 'cause I got a challenge. My challenge is this . . . . you open your mind if you got the guts, and look at the question and I will guarantee . . . 1000% guarantee that you will be jolted to your core by what you find out . . . stunned, dazed, etc.


Now if ya'll think its just smoke and mirrors and myth, and your minds closed, and ya don't want to give truth or God a chance . . . don't bother. But if you think there may be something in it, have an open mind like a good scientist, I'll bet you a Buffalo nickel you'll be mighty impressed. Mighty impresses.

Atheist and humanist. I make it to church when family politics demand such a thing.

Belief-o-matic:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

I recommend the belief-o-matic quiz, very interesting concept. Tries to match your beliefs to a best-fit religion. I would make a good Secular Humanist, Unitarian, and Buddhist. And I would make a terrible Roman Catholic, as it was at the worst fit of all the religions. I was raised roman catholic and rejected the religion.

I was raised in church, and am gratefull for it. I'm a musician, proficient, but not professional. I play gospel songs I grew up with almost every day.
I was raised to believe you had to be saved, if were not, you go to hell the moment you die. No other way is viable, there are absolutely no alternatives, any other kind of thinking was SEVERELY wrong, unthinkable, unacceptable, and most of all, simply invalid.
I have had PTSD most of my life, though it was not diagnosed until I was 38. I have learned and done a lot since that time. I am a recovering alcoholic, and I've taken drugs too. I will have 6 years of sobriety this coming friday.
In AA, step 3, it says:
"made a decision to turn our will and lives over to the care of God as we understood Him".
This was contrary to the way I was raised, and at first rejected this notion, although at the time I might well have been the sickest person on the planet.
However I soon realized that people who were working these 12 steps were being transformed before my eyes. In addition, I saw how people's lives started coming together, in remarkable short order time, and in ways other than mental health and sobriety. To me, the proof is in the pudding, nothing else could have been doing this but some kind of ultimate higher power. I choose to call him God.
I have been the butt of some judgementalism among family and friends, but I simply can not subscribe to such a fundamentalist notion.
Religion can be used in an abusive manner, it's not difficult to find articles on the subject of religious abuse.
One of the things I have had to learn about in the past 8 years, is the notion that there are boundaries, and religion has boundaries. I try to respect the boundaries of others, but I also have to protect my own boundaries as well.
- PEACE-
I'm glad your here

I guess I would be somewhere between an atheist and an agnostic...which may sound weird...but the thing is, I don't really believe but at the same time I'm willing to admit I could be wrong. I certainly respect both those who believe and those who do not.

Did your belief-o-matic quiz. Pretty accurate. My beliefs are 95% Roman Catholic. And. Low and behold, I am a practicing RC. So. No surprises there. ;-)

Jim.

Wow that quiz was fun, thanks Upstream.

My Mum at the time was Catholic, and raised us Catholic (Holy Communion, Sunday School all that) and my Dad an atheist. Quite confusing!

I did the Quiz and came out as 100% Unitarian Universalism, followed by 97% Liberal Quaker, and then 90& each for Neo Pagan & Reform Judaism.

I'm not familiar with any but just clicked on the U.U. one that says basically I have very diverse beliefs and that I don't believe in Satan/Hell.

To answer the poll itself, this exactly how I would have summed it up; Yes I believe in something, but my beliefs are very diverse. I don't subscribe to one religion. I actually have a theory that all religions carry common themes and all will be realised. Oh and I believe human beings are quite capable of creating evil on their own.

I believe what you are describing is the Bahai faith...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahai

Also the Bahai have very cool temples, but only one on each continent.

Wow I'm 100% an atheist (nontheist) haha. I thought I was agnostic. Thanks for posting the quiz Upstream, it was fun.