I Think I'm a Monotheist

[Neutral Name]

Hello Everyone,

I am fairly new to the forums. When I signed up, I said that I was a Pantheist but then saw that Pantheists supposedly don't pray and don't really believe in a God working in this world. I very much do. I have a very miraculous life--some people would say many coincidences (of the good kind). So, I'm still debating what to call my religion. The only thing I can come up with is Monotheist. If anyone can help me to figure it out, I would be very appreciative.

Thanks

 

[Rival]

You may just be a Theist or Deist. There's no need for you to dive headfirst into a religion. Take your time.

 

[Firemorphic]

Pantheist is basically "universe as God", I used to be one for a while at one stage. It's practically the same as atheism but with the attribution switched.

Monotheist is God as creator, which is "the" source but is all-pervading in it's creation (the universe), separate, but creation is dependent on it's creator.

Welcome to RF btw, have a great time

 

[Brickjectivity]

Also have you heard of Panentheism?

 

[Quagmire]

***Thread Moved to the Seekers Circle***​

 

[columbus]

The only thing I can come up with is Monotheist. If anyone can help me to figure it out, I would be very appreciative.

Perhaps thinking about why you attribute these things to God would help you identify a religion that closely matches your beliefs?
Tom

 

[Deeje]

Hello Everyone,

I am fairly new to the forums. When I signed up, I said that I was a Pantheist but then saw that Pantheists supposedly don't pray and don't really believe in a God working in this world. I very much do. I have a very miraculous life--some people would say many coincidences (of the good kind). So, I'm still debating what to call my religion. The only thing I can come up with is Monotheist. If anyone can help me to figure it out, I would be very appreciative.

Thanks

Hello Diana and welcome to RF.

May I ask what brought you to the conclusion that you needed your own religion? Does God want you to have your own religion?
A Monotheist is one who believes in only one God. The Jews and Christians are monotheists as are Muslims.
For your own reasons, have you distanced yourself from those religions?

 

[Neutral Name]

You may just be a Theist or Deist. There's no need for you to dive headfirst into a religion. Take your time.

I have been trying to figure this out for many years. So, I would like a title for it. And when I say monotheist, it is because I believe that there is only one "God" or higher power. I believe that it can separate into many if it needs to or desires to but I believe that it generally resides as one being. And I'm not trying to be disrespectful when I say it but I don't like to hear many religions say he or father. I don't believe that spirits have a sex. If they do, I choose she or mother.

 

[tayla]

I'm still debating what to call my religion. The only thing I can come up with is Monotheist.

If you want to be a monotheist you have to answer these questions:

1. Did God create everything? Including evil? How can a God who is good and beautiful create a universe having suffering?
   
2. Can you pray for miracles? If so, how do you keep from going crazy trying to determine whether God answered a prayer or not and whether or not a certain outcome is a miracle?
3. What about the other teachings about reality from the Monotheistic religions? Are you going to pick and choose to include certain of these also?

I hope this was helpful.

 

[Neutral Name]

If you want to be a monotheist you have to answer these questions:

1. Did God create everything? Including evil? How can a God who is good and beautiful create a universe having suffering?
   
2. Can you pray for miracles? If so, how do you keep from going crazy trying to determine whether God answered a prayer or not and whether or not a certain outcome is a miracle?
3. What about the other teachings about reality from the Monotheistic religions? Are you going to pick and choose to include certain of these also?

I hope this was helpful.

I don't know how to answer No. 1. I don't believe that God needed to create everything to be God. God could have set things in motion. I do not believe that God creates suffering. I don't know what causes it. I don't believe that God creates evil but I don't know where it comes from. To me, God is only good and love.

No. 2, I do pray and all of my prayers are answered. Only one hasn't been and that was one I wasn't actually sure I wanted. God is good to me. That's how I know there is a God. You know miracles because they are coincidences. If you have many, many coincidences, then you know that it is God acting because statistically you could not have constant coincidences, maybe a few here and there but not all of the time. Also, if you really need something to happen and it does when it seems impossible then, to me, it is God acting.

No. 3, I'm not picking anything out of any religion. I simply believe that God is love and does work in this world. I don't care what any religion teaches. I read religious texts but that is simply to see whether they have a similar understanding to my beliefs. If they don't, to each their own.

BTW, I say God but that is just because it is the name I have always heard in my culture and it is short and easy.

 

[tayla]

I don't believe that God needed to create everything to be God.

Yes, that's my conclusion also. This means that the Christian view of God is untrue.

 

[tayla]

I do not believe that God creates suffering. I don't know what causes it. I don't believe that God creates evil but I don't know where it comes from. To me, God is only good and love.

I think suffering is just a mistake, a side-effect, not intended by the spiritual being(s) who created this universe.

 

[tayla]

To me, God is only good and love.

Yes, this is my conclusion also, that God is only good, having nothing to do with suffering and evil.

 

[tayla]

I read religious texts but that is simply to see whether they have a similar understanding to my beliefs. If they don't, to each their own.

Very wise words. I wish the activist atheists who want to convert the world to atheism would just leave everybody alone.

 

[Neutral Name]

Pantheist is basically "universe as God", I used to be one for a while at one stage. It's practically the same as atheism but with the attribution switched.

Monotheist is God as creator, which is "the" source but is all-pervading in it's creation (the universe), separate, but creation is dependent on it's creator.

Welcome to RF btw, have a great time

Thank you

 

[Neutral Name]

Perhaps thinking about why you attribute these things to God would help you identify a religion that closely matches your beliefs?
Tom

Thank you, Tom. I just happened to think that I don't believe that any religion is entirely true. So, now I think I would call myself spiritual but not religious.

 

[Neutral Name]

Hello Diana and welcome to RF.

May I ask what brought you to the conclusion that you needed your own religion? Does God want you to have your own religion?
A Monotheist is one who believes in only one God. The Jews and Christians are monotheists as are Muslims.
For your own reasons, have you distanced yourself from those religions?

I started life as an atheist then I became an agnostic then I know that I was dealing with God and I was around a lot of Christians. So, I thought I was supposed to be a Christian but I never could believe everything written in the Bible, New or Old Testament. So, I decided that I'm not a Christian and not a Jew but people seem to give themselves a term for their beliefs. So, I have been trying to find one. It just occurred to me, though, that I think I would call myself spiritual but not religious.

 

[Neutral Name]

Yes, this is my conclusion also, that God is only good, having nothing to do with suffering and evil.

Someone asked me. So, I'm asking you, what do you think causes evil and suffering in this world? I'm at a loss to know what it might be.

 

[Neutral Name]

Yes, that's my conclusion also. This means that the Christian view of God is untrue.

I don't believe the Christian view. I have known too many Christians who twisted and turned every word in the Bible to their own desires. They are supposed to believe in love and unity but many are entirely the opposite.

 

[tayla]

what do you think causes evil and suffering in this world? I'm at a loss to know what it might be.

I think it's accidental, a side effect of creating a universe having conscious creatures. The good and beautiful and loving God is not a micromanager of every tiniest detail, and also he/she grants power for certain spiritual creatures to design and create universes.