SteveGrayFTW
Member
Hi there,
I have spent a long time trying to find a way to classify myself and my beliefs. Not so much because I believe that a classification is all that important, but I'd like to be able to get some idea as to where I lie on the spectrum, so that I may be able to find some like-minded people to discuss my views with.
My family is Catholic, but we were not really raised with any strong religious beliefs, and I was never baptized as a kid. My brothers and I were to go the church services at a non denominational church for a while, but I think it was mostly to give us something to do, and for our Dad to be able to get us out of the house a bit.
When I got older (19-20 years old) I started going to Catholic Church services with friends, and I eventually went through RCIA and was baptized. This was not so much because I believed in all of the views of the Catholic Church, but I did this because the idea of "original sin" scared me, and I did not want to be condemned to hell despite being a good person because I was never baptized.
After my baptism, I never went back to church, save for weddings and funerals. I have never even picked up my baptismal certificate, and do not really feel a strong need to.
I still considered myself a Christian through all of this, but I have to admit I had been doing so rather blindly. I never really stopped to and thought about what I truly believed, I just accepted the idea of God, and that Jesus was the son of God and died for our sins, etc...
For a time I was trying to find a Christian denomination in which I'd fit, but was never really able to do say. Eventually I got the point where I still considered myself a Christian, but would be willing to admit that I did not know. I believed in Christianity, but found it easily possible that I was wrong, and that we should all be worshiping Zeus, or Ra, or Odin (etc...etc...etc...).
I eventually I backed away from Christianity a bit, and came to believe that all religions really did worship the same Ultimate Being/God...but that everyone had a different interpretation of what that God is.
My current beliefs still fall somewhat into those lines. I do believe there is something out there. I believe humanity is capable of too many incredible things, and that the universe itself we live in is too incredible for there not to be something greater out there behind it, or for there not to be more to it than our rather short lifespans.
I think were I get hung up is on the fact that "I don't know." I think I could maybe be called an Agnostic Theist now, from what I gather about their belief (there is a supreme being, but it is unknown or can't be known). My potential problem with Agnostic Theism is that just because I don't know, I don't want to subscribe to the belief that it can NOT be known.
I think that to believe someone knows God is largely a misguided, cocky belief, but that doesn't mean there wasn't or isn't someone out there who does know what God is. Agnostic Theism seems to dismiss that idea completely, which seems a little close minded to me.
I don't think if there is such as a thing as a more open minded Agnostic Theism, if I'm over thinking things, or if my own indecisiveness is going to be my own undoing, but it's a large world, and I know there has to be someone out there who thinks like I do. Spiritually speaking, I feel pretty alone, and it kind of sucks.
I apologize in advance for the long post, and for kind of jumping around all over the place. I also apologize if I come off as naive or misinformed when it comes to certain beliefs. I don't mean to offend anyone, I just want to find out where I stand, and if there is anyone who could maybe help me out, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks!
I have spent a long time trying to find a way to classify myself and my beliefs. Not so much because I believe that a classification is all that important, but I'd like to be able to get some idea as to where I lie on the spectrum, so that I may be able to find some like-minded people to discuss my views with.
My family is Catholic, but we were not really raised with any strong religious beliefs, and I was never baptized as a kid. My brothers and I were to go the church services at a non denominational church for a while, but I think it was mostly to give us something to do, and for our Dad to be able to get us out of the house a bit.
When I got older (19-20 years old) I started going to Catholic Church services with friends, and I eventually went through RCIA and was baptized. This was not so much because I believed in all of the views of the Catholic Church, but I did this because the idea of "original sin" scared me, and I did not want to be condemned to hell despite being a good person because I was never baptized.
After my baptism, I never went back to church, save for weddings and funerals. I have never even picked up my baptismal certificate, and do not really feel a strong need to.
I still considered myself a Christian through all of this, but I have to admit I had been doing so rather blindly. I never really stopped to and thought about what I truly believed, I just accepted the idea of God, and that Jesus was the son of God and died for our sins, etc...
For a time I was trying to find a Christian denomination in which I'd fit, but was never really able to do say. Eventually I got the point where I still considered myself a Christian, but would be willing to admit that I did not know. I believed in Christianity, but found it easily possible that I was wrong, and that we should all be worshiping Zeus, or Ra, or Odin (etc...etc...etc...).
I eventually I backed away from Christianity a bit, and came to believe that all religions really did worship the same Ultimate Being/God...but that everyone had a different interpretation of what that God is.
My current beliefs still fall somewhat into those lines. I do believe there is something out there. I believe humanity is capable of too many incredible things, and that the universe itself we live in is too incredible for there not to be something greater out there behind it, or for there not to be more to it than our rather short lifespans.
I think were I get hung up is on the fact that "I don't know." I think I could maybe be called an Agnostic Theist now, from what I gather about their belief (there is a supreme being, but it is unknown or can't be known). My potential problem with Agnostic Theism is that just because I don't know, I don't want to subscribe to the belief that it can NOT be known.
I think that to believe someone knows God is largely a misguided, cocky belief, but that doesn't mean there wasn't or isn't someone out there who does know what God is. Agnostic Theism seems to dismiss that idea completely, which seems a little close minded to me.
I don't think if there is such as a thing as a more open minded Agnostic Theism, if I'm over thinking things, or if my own indecisiveness is going to be my own undoing, but it's a large world, and I know there has to be someone out there who thinks like I do. Spiritually speaking, I feel pretty alone, and it kind of sucks.
I apologize in advance for the long post, and for kind of jumping around all over the place. I also apologize if I come off as naive or misinformed when it comes to certain beliefs. I don't mean to offend anyone, I just want to find out where I stand, and if there is anyone who could maybe help me out, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks!
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