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Theism, Religion and Lack thereof

Re: Christianity

I was raised in christianity.

You mean you were raised Christian?


So I guess I'm...non-denominational Catholic? I never ever pray, though, unless I'm worried about one of my friends or something.

Um, no, there is no such thing as a non-demoninational Catholic. You are saying you are Christian. "Non-demoninational" clarifies to institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination; i.e. Catholicism.

EDIT: Done got ninja'd on that one.

Pretty sure my mom got that opinion after JPII died, though; she really liked JPII and hates Benedict.

A very fair weather Catholic then.

I won't (And will never) say it's not true. But I'm curious as to what everyone else thinks about it.

But why? You must have some reason as to why you apparently will never deny your faith. Though you don't seem to be supporting your belief at all.

Everyone here by now knows I am Atheist, and that I am not afraid to argue it either. Here is why I am what I am.

I was raised a devout member of the Roman Catholic Church. I went to Private Catholic school since I was in kindergarten. (Graduated from a school of the LaSallian rite, taught by Christian Brothers) (graduated in 2009) One being college prep. Which meant I took a minimum of two theology classes a year, in high school, aside from a life of religion. Two relatives are priests, my grandfather is a respected member of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and one of my best friends is joining the priesthood. I was an alter server for twelve years, received four of the seven sacraments. I also took a theology class in college as well as three philisophy classes..... I've also taken a World Religions course (Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Judaism) and a class on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. My move to atheism was hardly an uneducatd decision.

I had always doubted. The more classes and the more I learned the more I started to question. It started when my mother got cancer. I thought what God would do this to someone? It's a question that I understand is asked quite often. The Church had no answer than "God's will". I decided to research other religions, seeking answers, but alas, I found none. I believe that I was agnostic for most of my life, unsure of what to believe. The more questions, what I've seen, what I've lived through, they make no sense in a world with a loving God. I've lost friends to war, I saw the towers fall, my mom almost died, my best friends mom did. I volunteer with HCSO and Minneapolis Police, I helped when the 35w Bridge collapsed. I tried other religions, most in study, a few by practice but none made any sense.The last straw was when my church's priest was diagnosed with dementia and lost his mind, and the new priest was amazingly corrupt, and an alcholic to boot.

I kept learning, I kept seeing falts in the idea of faith. This blind faith that people attach themselves too... it's dangerous. Tell a man that frozen yogurt can make you immortal and he needs proof, tell him the book he keeps at his bed was written by and unseen deity that will judge the future of his living soul and he believes you without question.

My family doesn't understand. My mom regrets spending so much money to send me to Catholic school, and I turn out to be atheist. Thing is a lot of my classmates became atheist too, in the end, moreso, I think, than if I had taken public schooling. But personally, I wouldn't have traded those years at De for anything. It was a great school and one of the best experiences in my life. Because of ny lack of belief I have been shunned from family occasions, and have been dubbed an embarassment to the family.

A lot of people don't understand atheism. It's not a religion, it's not even a philosophy; technically the term shouldn't exist at all. I explain it using colors, atheism is like the color black, complete absense of color- atheism is the lack of belief. I know that's not completely right, but it is a way to explain it to someone who doesn't know anything about it.
 
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Re: Christianity

Um, no, there is no such thing as a non-demoninational Catholic. You are saying you are Christian. "Non-demoninational" clarifies to institutions or churches are those not formally aligned with an established denomination; i.e. Catholicism.

TES already pointed this out; I meant to say "non-denominational Christian" but my brain kinda failed for a second there.
 
Re: Christianity

According to the edit-information-thing, you edited about 3 minutes after I replied to you.
 
Re: Christianity

Sorry I am at work and was busy, though this is the only time I have internet access. I was busy explaining to someone that taking the air out of someone's tires is illegal and if he does that I will have to call the police. I was preoccupied and hit post without thinking. Apologies. But let's get back on topic yes?
 
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Re: Christianity

I was raised by lax Christians. I was basically Christened just to appease my grandmother, who is more faithful to her religion and prays each night. I only know the Lord's prayer because she taught me to say it when I slept at her house. Never been to church, unless it's for a wedding or a funeral.

The huge turn came when my dad died. My mum lost any belief she had and would openly say so to us kids, asking why God would take her husband from her, our father from us. It made us ask the same questions and really think about it. I think right now, my siblings are largely agnostic or just don't think about religion and god.

As for me, I realised in high school that you could actually convert and change your religion. Seems a bit silly now but until then, the idea had never come to me. I looked into several religions and the one I mostly highly considered was Buddhism, given it's peaceful stance and lack of creator god. But I'm still confused and unsure about it, since I have some private theories about life after death and the nature of life as it is. I think life is for living, not just for meditating and praying.

It was in Philosophy that I decided I no longer believed in a traditional, Christian god. We studied the Philosophy of God, looking at the possibilities of God having all the characteristics traditionally stated (being benevolent, omniscient and omnipotent) and, in short form, it didn't seem very likely at all.

I don't have a problem with people being Christian though, as long as they don't try to restrict others from leading their lives how they should wish (being gay, being a different religion, etc). For some reason I always seems to be the person who answers the door when the converters are doing their runs and while I'm happy to debate a subject, it's how they always attempt to line up their pitch. So I just tell them I'm not interested now.
 
Re: Christianity

Meh, I'm Atheist. Personally, I don't see why if a god even exists he doesn't just stop all suffering and all that. If God actually did those things, maybe I would have more reasons to believe in he/she/it's existence.
 
Re: Christianity

atheism is the lack of belief. I know that's not completely right, but it is a way to explain it to someone who doesn't know anything about it.

No, that's pretty much as complete a definition of atheism as you can achieve in a single sentence.
 
Re: Christianity

leaving off the end of that definition is quite convenient, while still avoiding "you have a lack of belief? let's fill it up for you!"
 
Re: Christianity

You're right, lack does imply that something need be filled. "Absence of belief", then.
 
Re: Christianity

Hmmm. I was raised as a Baptist Christian, but I'm kinda lax about it, and just think of myself, like Flora, as a non-denominational Christian. I do believe there is something out there that created us, however I'm not sure of what (or who) it is. I'm kinda the person who believes in something, but not exactly sure of what it is.

...first post in serious buisness
 
Re: Christianity

Hmmm. I was raised as a Baptist Christian, but I'm kinda lax about it, and just think of myself, like Flora, as a non-denominational Christian. I do believe there is something out there that created us, however I'm not sure of what (or who) it is. I'm kinda the person who believes in something, but not exactly sure of what it is.

...first post in serious buisness

When you say "created us", what do you mean by "us"? Humans? Life? The Earth? The universe? All of the above?
 
Re: Christianity

I've thought Christianity was pretty silly since I was little, but I used to pretty much take it for granted. When I went to church for the first time in several years (for my cousin's confirmation), though, it all felt really off and kind of disturbing, especially coming from the New Testament - all those verses about how those who follow me will receive eternal reward and how unbelievers are fools and so on and so on, and I couldn't help thinking I'm just enormously glad most Christians have sense enough to ignore most of the Bible and wondering how those kids could stand there listening to it, not only not cringing but actually about to perform a ritual to say "Yeah, I agree with that."

So, basically, after getting "unused" to Christianity and actually really listening to what it's saying, it felt really alien and just generally screwed up.
 
Re: Christianity

I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school and stuff until 9th grade. Up until then I was basically brainwashed and stuff and just listened to everyone else around me and was rather devoted and stuff.

Then I went to public school and, without a religion class every day, I started to think for myself for once. I cringe when I think about some of my posts from two years ago.

I still remain a Catholic, mainly because the belief of an afterlife is comforting to me and stuff. Plus after 8 years of Catholic school its difficult to shake the religion off my mind.

I support gay rights now, unlike two years ago when the school I was going to was filled with homophobes and their mindsets affected mine. Looking back I'm really disgusted by how homophobic some of them were; students, parents, and faculty alike.

I've also changed my views on multiple other things as well. If I were still going to a Catholic school right now, my views probably wouldn't have changed much. I do still identify as a Catholic, but I suppose that, as far as views go, I might be in the same boat as Flora and be a non denominational Christian.
 
Re: Christianity

...Is everyone on this entire site a former Catholic now-agnostic/atheist?
 
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