Plan B Forum

Thought it would be interesting to see what exactly the breakdown here is on the subject of religious belief. Only ten categories allowed in the poll, so obviously they're general and involve some overlap - but they cover a great many of the known belief systems, in any case.

Feel free to post if your system isn't covered by the options.

I believe (no pun intended ) that you've got Animist in there twice...(8 and 10)

Lord Jim wrote:I believe (no pun intended ) that you've got Animist in there twice...(8 and 10)

Thanks! Fixed that before it locked me out; probably could have offered a better option, but grabbed the first thing that came to mind.

Yes, in case you were curious, a Pastafarian believes in the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I had to google it. I'd heard of the FSM, but never that term.

I local teacher did not get his contract renewed a few years ago when he expressed a "belief" in the FSM. It's not actually a belief system per se, but a disbelief in biblical teachings of creation.

I believe it's just a sarcastic and mocking way of being an Atheist...

Whaaaaaaat?!

Episcopagan.

Lord Jim wrote:...a sarcastic and mocking way of being an Atheist...

Thank God we don't have any folks like that here!

Although I love spaghetti, I've never been thoroughly convinced there is one supreme pasta. Does that make me a pastagnostic?

Guinevere wrote:Episcopagan.

I am not alone. The truth is out there.

I elected pantheism because it most corresponds with my concept of a supreme being; the supreme being is an integral part of the reality we know (and that which we don't know, or even conceive); nothing is separate from that. Various religions give us some ways to comprehend that god and to approach it, but because the supreme being is integral to all, it is literally impossible to comprehend and understand fully. So we choose to see a face of that reality, and approach it from that understanding. In some ways, it is not all that different from some forms of monotheism.

As young college sophomore (a phase noted for deep thinking based mostly on ignorance) I rejected Pantheism based on observation. Societies, nations, cultures based on Pantheism seemed to nearly always be miserable places for most of their population. Not something I wanted to participate in. I accepted Alan Watts' definition of pantheism--believing that the universe is God playing peekaboo with himself.

snailgate

Societies, nations, cultures based on Pantheism seemed to nearly always be miserable places for most of their population.

I think that's generally the case for societies based on any religious beliefs.

the universe is God playing peekaboo with himself.

I am an "atheist" in that I do not believe in the existence of any deity, yet I believe in the godliness of people, particularly when working together as a moral/ethical community, to alleviate suffering, do justice and better the lot of humankind. After all, what more would any true god require of us?

Sue U wrote:I am an "atheist" in that I do not believe in the existence of any deity, yet I believe in the godliness of people, particularly when working together as a moral/ethical community, to alleviate suffering, do justice and better the lot of humankind. After all, what more would any true god require of us?

That is the core belief of Secular Humanism. ""IF"" one true God does exist, and she is as just, and as all merciful as we have been lead to believe due to indoctrination through organized religion, then no good person should ever have to fear or worry about what lies beyond.

We are stardust, we are golden... We are billion year old carbon...

My bad, I should have included Secular Humanist as an option rather than Pastafarian. I would say that in general I also subscribe to that view of the world, but lately it’s been hard to convince myself of the essential goodness of people.

If it comes up, I would probably say agnostic...though "irreligious" is probably more accurate.

A Parable:

"" While out for a walk the other evening, I became aware of two shadowy figures in the pathway ahead. As I got closer, I could see that they were engaged in very intense conversation. Curious to hear what they were talking about, I stopped walking and lingered nearby pretending to do some texting on my smartphone.

I soon ascertained that the figure on the left was an empty-headed liberal progressive secular humanist. The figure on the right was God himself.

I heard the secular humanist patronizingly tell the other figure “You know, God, we do not need you anymore. We have figured out how the Universe was formed, how life began, how it evolved, and all of the other secrets of existence. So we no longer have any use for you. In fact, you do not even exist anyway.”

God then asked “Can you make a man out of dirt?”

The secular humanist bragged “Of course we can. We can produce anything in our modern laboratories”.

To which God requested “Let me see you do it”.

The secular humanist then arrogantly reached down to the ground and scooped up some dirt to show God that he could indeed create a living man from the dirt.

At that point, God immediately objected “Uh uh uh, use your own dirt!” "" -- HAG OF BOAR'S TOOTH HOLLOW