Just curious... What is your religion?

[Fredom101]

I picked Atheist in the poll because I might as well be, but I always say I'm agnostic simply for the fact that I really just don't claim to know exactly how life came about. I can make my best guess from the evidence which is presented to me.

Well more specifically I am an Agnostic atheist - "Agnostic atheists are atheistic because they do not hold a belief in the existence of any deity and agnostic because they claim that the existence of a deity is either unknowable in principle or currently unknown in fact."

Ok. But if you're agnostic about there being a god, don't you really have to be agnostic about everything? Are you also agnostic about unicorns, little green men, pink elephants? I'm not trying to be snotty but making a point. There is no proof that any of these things exist, including god. Tomorrow a flying unicorn may present itself. And god himself or herself may appear suddenly to everyone. But I'm not sure how you can be agnostic about anything in the present. Do you see what I'm saying?

 

[Erazmus]

Who or what gives you the right to speak for all of us Atheists? Have we elected you the spokesman for our choices in life?

I want EVERYONE to know that Erazmus does NOT speak for all Atheists as I for one am a totally against all religions and do what I can at every turn to fight the evil's of these cults.

Okay okay, a blunder on my part. I didn't mean to say we. I'll correct it.

 

[DisabledVet]

Anti-circ?

Anti circumcision.... the genital mutilation of babies under the guise of a religious cult. Same thing done to female babies in the east and African nations. Nothing more then battery against a minor. If it was a health issue, then humans would have evolved to not have foreskin on the male penis or a clitoris on the female vagina. Religion condones and allows normally moral people to commit vile disgusting acts of barbarism against one another.

 

[Bonnieblue]

I find the religion discussion on a Ron Paul thread to be quite interesting. Why is there interest in such a topic?

 

[DisabledVet]

double post....

 

[Erazmus]

I find the religion discussion on a Ron Paul thread to be quite interesting. Why is there interest in such a topic?

I guess because we are all so diverse. As the good doctor says, freedom brings us together.

 

[goRPaul]

My Religion- Truthseeking

I am a Truthseeker, I seek the Truth in all that I do. All religions have a unique path towards Enlightenment, which is a personal relationship and understanding of Universal Truths, though more often they are used keep people confused and unenlightened.

 

[Mini-Me]

Ok. But if you're agnostic about there being a god, don't you really have to be agnostic about everything? Are you also agnostic about unicorns, little green men, pink elephants? I'm not trying to be snotty but making a point. There is no proof that any of these things exist, including god. Tomorrow a flying unicorn may present itself. And god himself or herself may appear suddenly to everyone. But I'm not sure how you can be agnostic about anything in the present. Do you see what I'm saying?

I can answer this for myself: The more specific the suggested phenomenon, the less likely I am to subscribe. I disbelieve in invisible flying pink unicorns with polka-dot purple bows in their hair and teapot belly-buttons pretty strongly, but out of all the infinite possible fantastical creatures, I believe it's quite possible for one to exist which has not yet been discovered. I disbelieve in very parochial versions of God, such as a giant bearded God who is very specifically male and exactly like the Bible describes, but as you include dozens, thousands, or infinite other possibilities under the umbrella of "God," I become much more likely to think it's plausible one may exist.

The actual origin of the universe is a total mystery no matter what; no matter what you believe, you believe in a paradox. If the universe has always existed, then the causal chain of events has no beginning...paradox. If the universe has not always existed, then there was a first cause, and whether this cause was conscious or not, it's still a paradox. The very existence of the universe is such a miracle - and possibily some kind of holographic phantasm - that I simply cannot rule out that consciousness is the key element behind it, or that its very nature is consciousness itself.

Anti circumcision.... the genital mutilation of babies under the guise of a religious cult. Same thing done to female babies in the east and African nations. Nothing more then battery against a minor. If it was a health issue, then humans would have evolved to not have foreskin on the male penis or a clitoris on the female vagina. Religion condones and allows normally moral people to commit vile disgusting acts of barbarism against one another.

I mostly agree, but I think you're off the mark with your specific line of argument. Even if foreskin isn't adaptive, there are two logical reasons why evolution may not have done away with it:

1. If it leads to health problems later in life, you will have already reproduced and passed on your genes.
2. Mutations are random, not directed. A mutation that happens to eliminate foreskin may simply not have occurred yet.

Be careful not to treat evolution like a magical directed process that always picks the best possible solution. If it were, the uglies and stupids would have been long gone, and we'd be able to photosynthesize to avoid starvation.

 

[Esoteric]

My guess is that Atheists + Agnostics + "secular humanists" + Deists > all other religions combined. In polls, atheists always outnumber any single religion.

In maybe 10 years, As the older generations continue to die off, Non-believers will outnumber believers at least 2:1

 

[eduardo89]

Anti circumcision.... the genital mutilation of babies under the guise of a religious cult. Same thing done to female babies in the east and African nations. Nothing more then battery against a minor. If it was a health issue, then humans would have evolved to not have foreskin on the male penis or a clitoris on the female vagina. Religion condones and allows normally moral people to commit vile disgusting acts of barbarism against one another.

Youre seriously comparing male and female circumcision?

 

[sdsubball23]

Christian, non-catholic, non-protestant. Whatever God says in the bible

 

[Esoteric]

Christian, non-catholic, non-protestant. Whatever God says in the bible

That's convenient. You know, before 1999, less than 1% of the population described themselves as simply "christian" without a denomination.

Penn knows why.

 

[PastaRocket848]

we have 5 scientologists here? seriously? that's amazing to me...

 

[Stupified]

Not religious but not an atheist either. Agnosticism, I suppose.

 

[89five.o]

Ok. But if you're agnostic about there being a god, don't you really have to be agnostic about everything? Are you also agnostic about unicorns, little green men, pink elephants? I'm not trying to be snotty but making a point. There is no proof that any of these things exist, including god. Tomorrow a flying unicorn may present itself. And god himself or herself may appear suddenly to everyone. But I'm not sure how you can be agnostic about anything in the present. Do you see what I'm saying?

'You see, one thing is, I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of uncertainty about different things, but I am not absolutely sure of anything and there are many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here . . . I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened not knowing things, by being lost in a mysterious universe without any purpose, which is the way it really is as far as I can tell. It doesn't frighten me.'

-Richard Feynman

Even though he was atheist this pretty much sums up my beliefs as an agnostic. I'm not absolutely sure of anythng and have different degrees of uncertainty.

 

[EvilNight]

Atheist. I do not believe in any god espoused by any religion I have ever heard of.

For myself, I make no distinction between God and Nature, as far as I am concerned they are different words for the same thing. If a 'higher power' exists then it is natural law. I find the idea of an act of creation absurd on its face. We are not something come from nothing. We are the something that has always existed and will always exist. There is no such thing as a 'nothing' - it is an impossibility.

I take a dim view of faith (defined as belief without evidence) and a hostile one of belief in spite of evidence to the contrary. There's nothing wrong with having confidence in your beliefs, or believing whatever you like when there's no firm bedrock to stand on, but when evidence arises that one's beliefs are wrong one should do one's best to reconcile one's beliefs with reality.

I was raised christian (and properly christian at that, not this hate-filled faux-christianity that dominates in America today.) I find nothing of lasting value in the bible with the exception of Jesus' teachings, which even by today's standards are still ethically well ahead of the times. I do not see them as the divine word of god (nor do I believe the bible or any text on this earth has divine authorship.) I see them as simple truth and a fine model of morality; rational, consistent, and intended to minimize suffering. I also find value in some of the precepts of Buddhism dealing with the self and limiting desire. Christianity seems a decent model for interacting with others, Buddhism seems a decent model for contemplating oneself.

I like Ron because he's open with his beliefs and yet does not push them on other people. That's all anyone can reasonably ask for.

Just my opinions, I could be wrong...

Edit: Age 33.

 

[smartguy911]

curious why did you ignore Hinduism?

 

[lilymc]

I'd be interested in seeing the age breakdown here. I get the feeling that a lot of the rebellious atheists here are young (in their 20s) although I'm sure there are a few older ones as well.

I also think a lot of people are showing their ignorance when they say things like, "There is no evidence for God." No offense. I was the same way, if you would've asked me 15-20 years ago.

 

[ElizabethR]

I put Atheist, although technically sun-worshiper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o

 

[Erazmus]

I'd be interested in seeing the age breakdown here. I get the feeling that a lot of the rebellious atheists here are young (in their 20s) although I'm sure there are a few older ones as well.

I also think a lot of people are showing their ignorance when they say things like, "There is no evidence for God." No offense. I was the same way, if you would've asked me 15-20 years ago.

That's incredibly dismissive. Are you suggesting the atheists here (and elsewhere) are merely naïve by nature of youth? I would suggest that no one comes to atheism easily due to being ostracized and outcast. I would think that most people, on this forum especially, have put a lot of thought into their position.

I’m coming up on my 34th birthday in a couple of months.