Monotheistic Religion of Free-Thinkers?

[Karolina]

Is there such a thing? When I was researching Deists, I was disappointed that there was no brick-and-mortar place of worship where one could go to fellowship with other believers. Than again, Deists I guess don't really see the need to worship God, so that may be why. I looked into Unitarian Universalists and Liberal Quakers, but these, while originally Christian off-shoots, now espouse the whole gamut of possible beliefs, so again, I don't feel like I'm really worshipping God with others since actual belief in any gods, much less One God, are not necessary.

Besides Judaism and Islam and Zoroastrianism, are there any other faiths where worship of the one creator God is a priority? I'm not sure about Zoroastrianism, but I don't think "free-thinker" can be said of Islam. And while I do think it can be said of Judaism (at least other than the most fundamentalists), I am not interested in encroaching on an ethnic identity that is not my own. (For this same reason, Hinduism is also out.)

Have I exhausted my options? Does anyone recommend I look into Zoroastrianism?

 

[Rival]

Zoroastrianism is only worth looking into if you have no interest in community whatsoever. The Gathas are nice though and it's very free if only because it's mostly dying and there is not much of original known dogma left. Given what I know of you, I don't think it would fit.

Ex-Zoroastrian.

 

[metis]

Besides Judaism and Islam and Zoroastrianism, are there any other faiths where worship of the one creator God is a priority?

Yes, Christianity does, which obviously includes Catholicism.

 

[Karolina]

Zoroastrianism is only worth looking into if you have no interest in community whatsoever. The Gathas are nice though and it's very free if only because it's mostly dying and there is not much of original known dogma left. Given what I know of you, I don't think it would fit.

Ex-Zoroastrian.

Thank you.

 

[Karolina]

Yes, Christianity does, which obviously includes Catholicism.

Sorry, I left some assumptions unsaid. I meant unitarian monotheism, as well as "free-thinker" friendly. I guess I mean without a dogmatic creed, other than that we do worship the One God. UU for instance don't have a creed, but they also don't particularly seem to insist on worshiping the One God either.

 

[Karolina]

Zoroastrianism is only worth looking into if you have no interest in community whatsoever. The Gathas are nice though and it's very free if only because it's mostly dying and there is not much of original known dogma left. Given what I know of you, I don't think it would fit.

Ex-Zoroastrian.

This is going to sound silly, but perhaps based on what you know of me, you would have a recommendation? lol

 

[Audie]

Is there such a thing? When I was researching Deists, I was disappointed that there was no brick-and-mortar place of worship where one could go to fellowship with other believers. Than again, Deists I guess don't really see the need to worship God, so that may be why. I looked into Unitarian Universalists and Liberal Quakers, but these, while originally Christian off-shoots, now espouse the whole gamut of possible beliefs, so again, I don't feel like I'm really worshipping God with others since actual belief in any gods, much less One God, are not necessary.

Besides Judaism and Islam and Zoroastrianism, are there any other faiths where worship of the one creator God is a priority? I'm not sure about Zoroastrianism, but I don't think "free-thinker" can be said of Islam. And while I do think it can be said of Judaism (at least other than the most fundamentalists), I am not interested in encroaching on an ethnic identity that is not my own. (For this same reason, Hinduism is also out.)

Have I exhausted my options? Does anyone recommend I look into Zoroastrianism?

Is it actually free thinking if you restrict yourself
to some sort of theism?

 

[Terry Sampson]

would have a recommendation?

Start one yourself? or ask @oldbadger if he'll start one if you'll join?

 

[Rival]

This is going to sound silly, but perhaps based on what you know of me, you would have a recommendation? lol

I'm not sure I have the hubris or desire to tell anyone what his religion should be. Still, I could offer some thoughts.

The word that comes to me most when I read your posts is 'community' and things related thereto. The first seeming problem you're going to have with this is that communities pretty much by definition agree on most of their core principles, otherwise the community would fall apart. There are many flavours of Abrahamic religion that create many communities, each with different favoured aspects. There are some that can only seem loosely connected, such as the Sufi sect of Islam and the Wahabist sect. I would counsel you to find a Shul, Church or Mosque or whichever it is with whom you agree on fundamentals; I mean the really broad aspects - One G-d, Friday worship, etc., whatever they may be.

And don't be afraid to disagree yet try anyway, even with perhaps one of those fundamentals. You mentioned, for example, prophets being a bit of a hindrance for you. In this case, I would advise that you try to take a different approach. It may be that the idea of a prophet is too strange or foreign for you, but this is perhaps to miss the point: if the idea of prophets is hard, just focus on what the prophet has to say, instead. You may disagree with the person on the pew next to you that these words are 100% G-d breathed, but is that really a division? What brings you together in the first place is the fact that you likely agree with the basic core of what the prophet is trying to say. Worship One G-d, repent of your sins, give to charity, be kind to animals, whatever it is.

Religion doesn't bring people together because they agree on everything, but because they value the same core principles, and take it from there. People are always going to worship G-d in their own way, whether that's by studying what they believe are His words day in day out, or by standing in a field yelling at Him because their holiday to see their family during a special time was prevented. Most of the people who attend these rituals are not scholars and will likely have just as divergent opinions as you. If you find beauty in Psalm 121 and that helps you connect with your Creator, then focus on that. If reading the Qur'an brings you closer to Him, do that even if you're attending a Church. There is little good in you trying to shoehorn yourself into a tiny space when you have a mind that can accommodate much more.

If I were you, I'd simply stick to what you disagree with least, what connects you to G-d most, and the people you feel most comfortable around. And remember that Holy Scriptures have been interpreted and re-interpreted for millennia and to say there is a single right opinion is ridiculous, hilarious, and limits G-d immeasurably.

You seem to like Church. Go attend a Church, be happy and enjoy your community and ritual there, then come home and have a more private chat with The Divine, whether that's in your own words, The Quran's words, Zarathustra's words or The Bab's. The ritual, the Church, the Shul, is just the beginning of your journey, not the end, have it there more to inspire than dictate you.

 

[Quintessence]

Sorry, I left some assumptions unsaid. I meant unitarian monotheism, as well as "free-thinker" friendly. I guess I mean without a dogmatic creed, other than that we do worship the One God. UU for instance don't have a creed, but they also don't particularly seem to insist on worshiping the One God either.

To add to what Metis said, there are more "free-thinker" Christian groups. I became acquainted with one of them back in college, and I don't doubt there are other progressive Christian groups out there given how many Christians there are in this country. I remember the local Unity churches always had really interesting billboards that suggested to me they are more free-spirited.

 

[lukethethird]

Considering what it means to a freethinker, you're out of luck.


free·think·er
/ˌfrēˈTHiNGkər/
noun
noun: free-thinker

1. a person who rejects accepted opinions, especially those concerning religious belief.

 

[Deeje]

Sorry, I left some assumptions unsaid. I meant unitarian monotheism, as well as "free-thinker" friendly. I guess I mean without a dogmatic creed, other than that we do worship the One God. UU for instance don't have a creed, but they also don't particularly seem to insist on worshiping the One God either.

May I ask if you have given thought to what God requires, rather than searching for a community with beliefs that may not even exist. Humans have this propensity to want to dictate their own terms of worship to God, setting requirements that fit their personal wants and needs....but what if God requires us to fit his requirements, rather than us trying to make him fit ours?

Will God change to suit us or do we have to change to suit him?

What if free thinking got us into this mess in the first place, and God is demonstrating to us that we need to live within the boundaries he set for us? Free thinkers cannot ever have unity because they will always want to do things ‘their’ way. If there are no laws, standards and regulations then chaos would result. Nature teaches us that God has established order by the implementation of natural laws. When those laws are violated, nothing good results.

God does not need us....we need him, so isn’t it better to establish what God requires of his human creation, and try to fit ourselves into those requirements? You got the monotheism right, but maybe you need to learn the value of compliance with the rules set by the one who knows what is best for us.....after all, he created us, so he knows us better than we know ourselves.....

 

[oldbadger]

Start one yourself? or ask @oldbadger if he'll start one if you'll join?

I don't often start threads, Terry.
My last one was about casting silver rings...!

 

[Terry Sampson]

I don't often start threads, Terry.

I wasn't suggesting that she ask you to start a thread. I was suggesting that she start a Monotheistic religion of Free-thinkers or ask you to start one if she'll join.

Monotheistic Religion of Free-Thinkers? Is there such a thing? When I was researching Deists, I was disappointed that there was no brick-and-mortar place of worship where one could go to fellowship with other believers.

 

[Karolina]

May I ask if you have given thought to what God requires, rather than searching for a community with beliefs that may not even exist. Humans have this propensity to want to dictate their own terms of worship to God, setting requirements that fit their personal wants and needs....but what if God requires us to fit his requirements, rather than us trying to make him fit ours?

Will God change to suit us or do we have to change to suit him?

What if free thinking got us into this mess in the first place, and God is demonstrating to us that we need to live within the boundaries he set for us? Free thinkers cannot ever have unity because they will always want to do things ‘their’ way. If there are no laws, standards and regulations then chaos would result. Nature teaches us that God has established order by the implementation of natural laws. When those laws are violated, nothing good results.

God does not need us....we need him, so isn’t it better to establish what God requires of his human creation, and try to fit ourselves into those requirements? You got the monotheism right, but maybe you need to learn the value of compliance with the rules set by the one who knows what is best for us.....after all, he created us, so he knows us better than we know ourselves.....

You won't like my response. I've determined that God doesn't require membership in organized religion. That the only way to discern God's will is to think freely and without fear or compulsion.

 

[Karolina]

Considering what it means to a freethinker, you're out of luck.


free·think·er
/ˌfrēˈTHiNGkər/
noun
noun: free-thinker

1. a person who rejects accepted opinions, especially those concerning religious belief.

Thank you for this. I hadn't considered the oxymoron of my question. That may explain why I haven't been able to find what I'm looking for!

 

[Karolina]

I'm not sure I have the hubris or desire to tell anyone what their religion should be. Still, I could offer some words.

The word that comes to me most when I read your posts is 'community' and things related thereto. The first seeming problem you're going to have with this is that communities pretty much by definition agree on most of their core principles, otherwise the community would fall apart. There are many flavours of Abrahamic religion that create many communities, each with different favoured aspects. There are some that can only seem loosely connected, such as the Sufi sect of Islam and the Wahabist sect. I would counsel you to find a Shul, Church or Mosque or whichever it may be with whom you agree on fundamentals; I mean the really broad aspects. One G-d, Friday worship, etc., whatever they may be.

And don't be afraid to disagree yet try anyway, even with perhaps one of those fundamentals. You mentioned, for example, prophets being a bit of a hindrance for you. In this case, I would advise that you try to take a different approach. Perhaps the idea of a prophet is too strange or foreign for you, but this is perhaps to miss the point: if the idea of prophets is hard, just focus on what the prophet has to say, instead. You may disagree with the person on the pew next to you that these words are 100% G-d breathed, but is that really a division? What brings you together in the first place is the fact that you likely agree with the basic core of what the prophet was trying to say. Worship one G-d, repent of your sins, give to charity, be kind to animals, whatever it is.

Religion doesn't bring people together because they agree on everything, but because they value the same core principles, and take it from there. People are always going to worship G-d in their own way, whether that's by studying what they believe are His words day in day out, or by standing in a field and yelling at Him because their holiday to see their family during a special time was prevented. Most of the people who attend these rituals are not scholars and will likely have just as divergent opinions as you. If you find beauty in Psalm 121 and that helps you connect with your Creator, then focus on that. If reading the Qur'an brings you closer to Him, do that even if you're attending a Church. There is little good in you trying to shoehorn yourself into a tiny space when you have a mind that can accommodate much more.

If I were you, I'd simply stick to what you disagree with least, what connects you to G-d most, and the people you feel most comfortable around. And remember that Holy Scriptures have been interpreted and re-interpreted for millennia and to say there is a single right opinion is ridiculous, hilarious, and limits G-d immeasurably.

You seem to like Church. Go attend a Church, be happy and enjoy your community and ritual there, then come home and have a more private chat with The Divine, whether that's in your own words, The Quran's words, Zarathustra's words or The Bab's. The ritual, the Church, the Schul, is just the beginning of your journey, not the end, have it there more to inspire you than dictate you.

Thank you. I guess I've known this subconsciously but keep looking for a way not to have to do the heavy lifting myself.

 

[Karolina]

Is it actually free thinking if you restrict yourself
to some sort of theism?

My understanding of free thinking is that I decide what makes sense to me, rather than letting someone else dictate that for me. If I have concluded that they're must be a Creator God based on my own insights and experiences, not bc I'm being told to believe this or else, then yes, I think it counts as free thinking. I have the freedom to believe in God, or not. I believe.

 

[lukethethird]

Thank you for this. I hadn't considered the oxymoron of my question. That may explain why I haven't been able to find what I'm looking for!

I hope you find something to fulfill your sense of community, it can be a non religious organization or centre that involves something you like, such as a sport, crafts, anything.

 

[Deeje]

You won't like my response. I've determined that God doesn't require membership in organized religion. That the only way to discern God's will is to think freely and without fear or compulsion.

It matters little whether I like your response or not.....that is between you and God.

But God has always required membership in organized religion...the problem is, so does the devil. Why do you think there are so many?

Obeying God has never meant fear or compulsion, just loving what God loves and hating what he hates....(Psalm 97:10) We don't get to make up our own rules, we just need to think like God does....I believe that we are made in his image for a reason.