Free Thinkers Unite!

JuaquetaPP · #1 03-06-2002, 04:16 AM

I am sure people in here consider themselves free thinkers. I want to know what your philosophy or what you belief system is.
And no bashing!

I consider myself to be a free thinker, that is i do ot think in the confines of "revealed religion". I would say I am a deist because i believe in a God, but not the God of the Christians. I believe in the God of Nature, The same on that is written about in the declaration of independence. I don't think that God is a king, yet i believe in Natural law, needless to say i believe in nature and reason.

Read The age of Reason by Thomas Paine, and you will get the picture.

Chris L · #2 03-06-2002, 05:15 AM

Isn't this another version of one of those - "Do you believe in God" threads. We've got hordes of those down there so why post this. It's like taking a cookie and like putting it in a blender and saying its something else. And I believe the 'God' spoken of in the Declaration of Independance is directed to the God of Catholics or Christians, one of those two. You need to know that they were very religious back then and everything was accounted for by religion. But most of them were not smart enough to know that just because you accuse someone of being a witch means that they are one!

BrooklynRider · #3 03-06-2002, 10:13 AM

I believe in God - a higher power. I was raised Catholic (or should say, I raised myself Catholic) and still find some comfort in the ritual of the mass. I don't, however, subscribe to their full set of rules and laws for living.

I think I have healthy mixture of eastern and western philosophies which shape my belief system. Buddhist, Christian, Zen, some new age stuff as well. The only religion out there I feel truly alienated from and from which I have received no inspiration is Islam.

I have seen no charismatic leaders and have heard of no tenet that really fits in with my belief system. Many of the "reasonable" aspects that I have been introduced to are often embedded in diatribes and passsages that are tinted with hate or repression. I find it a truly repugnant religion that does not have at its core, respect for others.

This is not to say I haven't met some very nice Muslim people or that I don't recognize it is the fastest growing religion in the world. It i just simply an intolerant religion. I don't think that is what "God" is about.

PhantomRevnge67 · #4 03-06-2002, 10:59 AM

i also beleive in god. i grew up around a family of high priests, and people who went to church all the time. im a born catholic, and im staying it. my uncle is a high priest at his home church, and my grandpa was a high priest at his. i am a free thinker, and i dont care what people think about what i think.

mrk468zz · #5 03-06-2002, 11:12 AM

one thing to kraxle, but that will be all b/c i'll respect the fact that this shouldn't be a religious war: the founding fathers, though christian in name, were very obviously not christians in full. if you look at some of their original writings and Madison's account of the convention, it becomes painfully clear that they were very much in line with Juaqueta, in that they were deists who beleived in God, but most didn't buy into the Christian religion (even though they were Christians). i'm not saying that they all felt this way, but the ones who had the most influential hands in the Declaration and Constitution (jefferson, madison, hamilton) did.

anyways, i guess i'd describe by beleifs as agnosto-atheist. that is, i'm not prepared to deny God's existence, but rather i think its highly doubtful based on the lack of evidence. I'm was born and raised Catholic and am the product of 16 years of Catholic education. such education has pretty much driven me away from my faith, which is where i'm at right now.

as a free thinker, of course i beleive in open debate and the free exchange of ideas and such. i'm open to studying any religion and giving it its chance, but i've yet to find a religion that is fully satisfactory.

DeKalb · #6 03-06-2002, 03:19 PM

To me, "freethinker" means "free of religion"... which is what I am... I do not believe in any deity, but I do believe that people should have freedom of religion (means: you can pick any damb religion you want)

[COLOR=red]*DeKalb smells a religion war thread...[/COLOR]

1984 v. 2.5 · #7 03-06-2002, 03:53 PM

*Within the blink of an eye, 1984 v. 2.5 transforms himself from political protagonmist 1984, to Evangelist 1984*

I believe in "God, the father almighy, maker of heaven and earth." I'm a Methodist Christian myself, and do believe unconditionally in God and his son Jesus Christ. I know some people may think it sounds cheesy or cliched or whatever, but it's the truth! God created earth in 6 days and on the seventh he rested. God caused the great flood that wiped out everyone on Earth except Noah and his family. God created his son Jesus to come save us from our sins and allow us to go to heaven. He is everything and everywhere, including inside of you, watching over you and me. I urge all of you Non-Christians to at least look into Chrsitianity if you already haven't. According to Christianity, anyone who doesn't believe in God and the Jesus Christ isn't the Savior will be eternally damned to Hell when they die. However, for those who believe in God and Jesus Christ, once they die they will be sent to Heaven to be with Him for the rest of eternity in eternal paradise. I respect that everyone has different beliefs and not all, or maybe any of you may become Christians, but let me ask you this. What have you got to lose?

*1984 v. 2.5* reverts back into political protagonist 1984 as quickly as he changed.

JuaquetaPP · #8 03-06-2002, 04:08 PM

I will not post a reply to kraxle because mrk468zz answered it for me. But let me reiterate. The authors of the declaration of independence were free masons and deists, But I respect your opinion none the less kraxle. It is not my job to convert anyone, and out of respect for other people's beliefs, nor should it be yours. This is a thread of the discussion of ideas regarding the foundation of our existence, science and reason.

That i believe that jesus existed, yes. That I believe that he was the son of God, sent to earth to die for our sins, no. He is no more the son of God than I am. That he was a great religious philosopher, i heed his teachings. He taught essentially 2 things, to love God and love your fellow man/woman as brothers and sisters. So out of the kindess of my heart I pass no judement upon anyone in this thread, for you are all my equal. --- So i hear you BrooklynRider about the east meets west philosophy thing.

Please, out of respect, no bashing.

SpeedAKL · #9 03-06-2002, 04:57 PM

I am a born-again Christian. I believe that Jesus Christ is THE way to heaven, that He was Son of God, and that He died to save our sins, and rose again to conquer sin. My specific church denomination is Anglican.

antfarm007 · #10 03-06-2002, 05:03 PM

Im Catholic, and I try to think that way, but then I figure, nah, thats just silly. I go to church every week though.

Cobra · #11 03-06-2002, 08:31 PM

I am a weak atheist, opposed to a strong atheist. The difference is:

Weak atheists lack a belief in a god.
Strong atheists deny a god's existence.

Meaning my opinion could change if evidence of a god was shown to me. Until that day I hold no belief in one, though.

Andy Hodgson · #12 03-06-2002, 09:27 PM

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Cobra [/i]
[B]I am a weak atheist, opposed to a strong atheist. The difference is:

Weak atheists lack a belief in a god.
Strong atheists deny a god's existence.

Meaning my opinion could change if evidence of a god was shown to me. Until that day I hold no belief in one, though. [/B][/QUOTE]

My thoughts exactly. Although I would rather call myself a big skeptic instead of a weak atheist. I goto church, yet nothing is spoken of the gospel, yet instead of all these non-denominational issues such as violence on tv and financial problems. That completely bores me, and drifts my mind away into deeper 'free thinking.' I also see more of a chaos theory to everything, instead of the way the Bible says that everything was created. Pure randomness.

Smoky · #13 03-06-2002, 10:07 PM

As a man raised Catholic (I survived 10 years of Catholic School), yet a free-thinker, my definition of free-thinker is one who is emotionally detached, as well as willing to question his/her own beliefs and ideas. My own religious philosophies include: Love one another as you love yourself, take the plank out of your own eye before taking the speck out of your brothers, and neither do I condemn you. I've many friends who are Catholic, Athiests/Agnostics, Jewish, Muslims, Hindus, Taoists, etc., and we all get along just fine.

As for church, I go rarely, but keep up with what they are up to (read copies of the Church Paper/Columbia magazine, even though I don't agree much with the beliefs of the orthodox Catholics [I being a progressive Catholic, who has no problems with preistesses {female priests} leading the mass] or the proposed idea of bringing back meatless Fridays.)

I look at mass more as an entertainment, and only someone as diseased as I could find entertainment in a choir that sings atonally and in frequencies that only Bats can hear, a folk group with electric guitars and a leader that looks and sings like Bill Gates (I kid you not...its terrible!), an effeminante preist that makes [URL=http://www.christopherlowell.discovery.com/]Christopher Lowell[/URL] seem like the epitome of masculinity, an organist who changes tempo about 89 times throughout a minute and a half song, and ushers who wear suits and pants that a deranged circus clown wouldn't be caught dead in. In fact former priest at church used to open his mouth so wide while singing, I wanted to bring a bowl of grapes to church and shoot them into his mouth like the Three Stooges would.

I also could care less what the founders thought, I believed they believed in freedom, and that is good enough for me :)

(keeps the fire extinguisher handy in case of flames)

oldCP'er · #14 03-07-2002, 10:13 AM

I consider myself to be a free thinker. I believe in God, but not so much in religion. Problem is, religion is akin to politics, and there are so many interpretations of the bible. Who is to say which one is correct?

I was born and raised Catholic, but the politics and rules change from parish to parish. Fergit it. I joined a Lutheran church which seemed to be more free thinking, and was then shocked to find that they were very much against gays. I'm not gay, but am friends with several people who are. Sorry, to me people are people, no matter what they believe, or their sexual orientation.

To me, everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. I draw the line at those who purposely injure or kill others. I won't ask you to believe what I believe, don't ask me to believe what you believe.

cedarboy2001 · #15 03-07-2002, 01:37 PM

Well, I was raised as a Lutheran. Although not all of us are. In fact all of my relatives in Florida are Jehova's Witnesses (It's a long story). I could tell you lots of stories about how my Great Grandmother would tell her son (My grandfather) about how he was going to hell for beccoming a Lutheran. My parents barely even talked to our Florida relatives, until a few years ago after my Grandfather died, which was just one year after his mother died. Ever since then, we've been getting along a little better.

This is why I don't usually respond to these religious quarrels on this board. It just reminds me of my family's past quarrels, and I don't want to re-live any of those right now.