Aimiel said:
OK, welcome. Hope you stick around. Just what defines your theology / philosophy? Why do you say agnostic doesn't fit? Do you think there 'might' be a God? Are you searching?
Thanks, Aimiel!
I'll start backwards:
No, in fact, I was quite a content atheist when "it" happened, and all that I can describe "it" as, is an awakening. Nothing brought it on; in other words, nothing catastrophic, no meetings with people that tried to witness to me, no tv/radio show, no book, nothing caused me to start even giving the supernatural (for lack of a better word) another chance. In not searching at all, I was able to find (hopefully) what I was looking for. That being a sense of direction; I am in no way 'there' yet, but starting out.
Do you think there 'might' be a God?
I think that the name 'God' is a case of mistaken identity. Possibly through Emergence, the universe is (well, I believe anyway) sentient. The Force, the universe, God; "it's" all the same and we need to get back to him/her/it. Some are called, some need to go through more reincarnations before they can hear the still small voice. But, I do think that God, or at least the idea of God, is within us all.
Why do you say agnostic doesn't fit?
Because I do not believe in a personal God, and I think that Agnostics believe in the possibility of one.
Just what defines your theology / philosophy?
That's a big one; here goes.
Many people learn spiritual truths after they have abandoned those things that first appear to be spiritual, but are actually roadblocks, such as religion and doctrine. I have learned more about those things which are spiritual (hopefully) in the few years that I had no belief (atheist), than I did as 10 years as a Christian. You see, when I was an unbeliever I was not required to follow some statement of faith, a church schedule, doctrine or read a particular book of scriptures; rather I was free to decide what I believed and what I did not. Was it God that took this period of unbelief and cultivated the seed that had been planted but was choked by the weeds of religion and doctrine? I do not know, because I do not believe that what we as people call “God” is close to being accurate. The bible paints God as a warmonger, a being that creates evil, commands His people to kill villagers, rape the woman and slaughter the babies, a jealous (how can a PERFECT being be jealous, when this same being states that jealously is a sin?!?) insecure monster that allows an equally powerful yet evil being, the Devil/Satan (that He created) to tempt and ruin a man that has done nothing wrong (Job)? I could go on and on, but if the book known as the bible is our only map to enlightenment and perfection (God), then we are following a seriously messed up map.
The bible, religion, church services, choir, Sunday School (children put away from their parents in a supposed house that supports family almost on a militant level, places the children away from their parents instead of where they should be), fund drives, big projection screens, glittery signs and other crap have watered down one of beliefs that ‘could’ have led more people toward their choice of paths, but instead since the above atrocities are man made in the name of God, they have become a joke.
The philosophy that makes a lot of sense to me teaches mutual respect for ALL religions, ideas and philosophies, and I have to admit that is a tough order to fill. I am humbled in that I followed one of the trails that led to one of the paths, but not by my own cleverness, but by the fact that “it” led me in the midst of my unbelief. What greater proof of Enlightenment than that? For me, there is none, although it hardly qualifies as evidence; meaning, I cannot nor do I have the desire to "prove" any of my beliefs to anyone. The voice that I mentioned earlier does not speak all the time (or maybe I am not trying to hear it), but when it does, “it” has my full attention.
So much wisdom and knowledge has been shown, but I am not developed enough to understand much of it.
I have rambled yet again, and I apologize. But know this; I am now free to worship with others regardless of their faith, stand shoulder to shoulder with those that would oppose my beliefs because they are not the sanitized and safe beliefs of those in power and discuss matters of spirituality with others while being careful not to offend. Offending someone with spiritual arrogance not only pushes people away, but it tends to make the person behaving in that way less receptive to the wisdom that they seek.
Alright, I’ll stop for now, thanks for reading.
