What could I Philosophically/religiously?

[StarryNightshade]

I Identify as an agnostic Buddhist, and I like my path very much, but I feel as if there may be a small part missing. Like jelly without peanut butter.

Based on my beliefs, what religion or philosophy would suit me best? Along with my Buddhism?

1.) I believe in God, but not in a literal sense. I believe there is good philosophical evidence for "God" and that we use God as a metaphor to point to a universal understanding beyond what we can comprehend. Much akin to Tillich, Spinoza and Spong.

2.) People like Moses, Jesus, Buddha, etc. were real and they were great teachers/prophets; but they were not divine.

3.) All religious books, while having "inspiration from God", were written by men. They must also be read in a metaphorical and allegorical sense; not literally.

4.) There is an afterlife, but it's not literal. Heaven and Hell are states of being and not literal places of paradise or torment. I do think reincarnation/rebirth is possible.

5.) We cannot know 100% if God exists or not. We must come to our own conclusions and not follow blindly.

6.) Science is a great tool in explaining our natural world and should be taught in schools. Not creationism. Also, while I do believe in evolution, I am critical of modern materialism.

7.) Church and State must be separated. Unless it is a place of worship or a private institution.

8.) Homosexuality is natural and I'm pro-choice...within reason.

9.) Prayers, miracles and revelations should be taken with a grain of salt. I don't believe in any of the three, but they are products of peoples personal experiences.

*Also, the title should read "What could I be Philosophically/religiously".

 

[sandandfoam]

I Identify as an agnostic Buddhist, and I like my path very much, but I feel as if there may be a small part missing. Like jelly without peanut butter.

Based on my beliefs, what religion or philosophy would suit me best? Along with my Buddhism?

1.) I believe in God, but not in a literal sense. I believe there is good philosophical evidence for "God" and that we use God as a metaphor to point to a universal understanding beyond what we can comprehend. Much akin to Tillich, Spinoza and Spong.

2.) People like Moses, Jesus, Buddha, etc. were real and they were great teachers/prophets; but they were not divine.

3.) All religious books, while having "inspiration from God", were written by men. They must also be read in a metaphorical and allegorical sense; not literally.

4.) There is an afterlife, but it's not literal. Heaven and Hell are states of being and not literal places of paradise or torment. I do think reincarnation/rebirth is possible.

5.) We cannot know 100% if God exists or not. We must come to our own conclusions and not follow blindly.

6.) Science is a great tool in explaining our natural world and should be taught in schools. Not creationism. Also, while I do believe in evolution, I am critical of modern materialism.

7.) Church and State must be separated. Unless it is a place of worship or a private institution.

8.) Homosexuality is natural and I'm pro-choice...within reason.

9.) Prayers, miracles and revelations should be taken with a grain of salt. I don't believe in any of the three, but they are products of peoples personal experiences.

*Also, the title should read "What could I be Philosophically/religiously".

Apart from #5 & #9 I share all of your beliefs.
Pureland Buddhism might be useful for you? I certainly found it useful.

 

[Breathe]

Pure Land Buddhism, Shingon Buddhism (maybe at a stretch?), Confucianism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Quakerism?

 

[Windwalker]

I Identify as an agnostic Buddhist, and I like my path very much, but I feel as if there may be a small part missing. Like jelly without peanut butter.

Based on my beliefs, what religion or philosophy would suit me best? Along with my Buddhism?

You ask what is missing? I can only speak for myself, but considering your list and mine appear nearly identical, speaking from personal experience: spiritual experience. It is one thing to philosophically model all these things, and yet another entirely to fall backward into that Ocean. It's a whole other level of knowledge that takes all the philosophy and beliefs and whatnot, and pales them by comparison, and they instead become more like color and lines you paint expressions of your experience of deeper living with. Wonderful expressions to be sure, but they do not define or contain that reality of lived experience. They are more tree-like structures you hang your evolving understanding on, you stop and point to, look at, and consider against the backdrop of the living, vital universe.

Meditation. The inner path. Silencing all conceptualizing and falling directly into that Ocean, rather than reading and thinking about it. Then everything bristles with living energy.

 

[Siddhartha Plotinus]

I Identify as an agnostic Buddhist, and I like my path very much, but I feel as if there may be a small part missing. Like jelly without peanut butter.

Based on my beliefs, what religion or philosophy would suit me best? Along with my Buddhism?

1.) I believe in God, but not in a literal sense. I believe there is good philosophical evidence for "God" and that we use God as a metaphor to point to a universal understanding beyond what we can comprehend. Much akin to Tillich, Spinoza and Spong.

2.) People like Moses, Jesus, Buddha, etc. were real and they were great teachers/prophets; but they were not divine.

3.) All religious books, while having "inspiration from God", were written by men. They must also be read in a metaphorical and allegorical sense; not literally.

4.) There is an afterlife, but it's not literal. Heaven and Hell are states of being and not literal places of paradise or torment. I do think reincarnation/rebirth is possible.

5.) We cannot know 100% if God exists or not. We must come to our own conclusions and not follow blindly.

6.) Science is a great tool in explaining our natural world and should be taught in schools. Not creationism. Also, while I do believe in evolution, I am critical of modern materialism.

7.) Church and State must be separated. Unless it is a place of worship or a private institution.

8.) Homosexuality is natural and I'm pro-choice...within reason.

9.) Prayers, miracles and revelations should be taken with a grain of salt. I don't believe in any of the three, but they are products of peoples personal experiences.

*Also, the title should read "What could I be Philosophically/religiously".

Why don't you just philosophically come up with who God is yourself? One thing that I can tell you is that in every major religion is a sub-sect that teaches a mixture of Monism, Pantheism, and Panentheism.

For example, I am rather fond of the Neoplatonism of Plotinus, the Vedanta in Hinduism, the Gnosticism (some, not the "matter is evil" ones), Sufi'ism of Islam, etc. The Dao in Daoism seems to be much like this as well.

At the mention of Pure Land Buddhism, Siddhartha taught against an eternal soul that is reborn again and again. If there is no "you" to be reborn, what continues? But, I would also say that in my opinion, Siddhartha had no right to teach against something that could very well be immaterial, such as a soul. And there is quite a bit of oddities in Buddhism such as the "Luminous Mind" that the Buddha experienced, that seems to me to be much like the God of the previously mentioned religions I gave you.

But as I mentioned before, if it is God you are looking for, you can easily and rationally find God on your own, at least figure out a good definition of who He might be.

An example would be...

Through cause and effect, everything traces itself back to one source.

Because there must be a very first of all firsts, this source must be causeless and eternal.

Because there are multiple kinds of sexualities, this source is none of them, above them.

Etc, etc. You see what I mean.

 

[StarryNightshade]

Thanks for the answers, everyone.

 

[Desert Snake]

Buddhism

 

[nazz]

I Identify as an agnostic Buddhist, and I like my path very much, but I feel as if there may be a small part missing. Like jelly without peanut butter.

Based on my beliefs, what religion or philosophy would suit me best? Along with my Buddhism?

1.) I believe in God, but not in a literal sense. I believe there is good philosophical evidence for "God" and that we use God as a metaphor to point to a universal understanding beyond what we can comprehend. Much akin to Tillich, Spinoza and Spong.

2.) People like Moses, Jesus, Buddha, etc. were real and they were great teachers/prophets; but they were not divine.

3.) All religious books, while having "inspiration from God", were written by men. They must also be read in a metaphorical and allegorical sense; not literally.

4.) There is an afterlife, but it's not literal. Heaven and Hell are states of being and not literal places of paradise or torment. I do think reincarnation/rebirth is possible.

5.) We cannot know 100% if God exists or not. We must come to our own conclusions and not follow blindly.

6.) Science is a great tool in explaining our natural world and should be taught in schools. Not creationism. Also, while I do believe in evolution, I am critical of modern materialism.

7.) Church and State must be separated. Unless it is a place of worship or a private institution.

8.) Homosexuality is natural and I'm pro-choice...within reason.

9.) Prayers, miracles and revelations should be taken with a grain of salt. I don't believe in any of the three, but they are products of peoples personal experiences.

*Also, the title should read "What could I be Philosophically/religiously".

Progressive Christianity? Or maybe Unitarian/Universalism

 

[Freedomelf]

I, too, share many of your beliefs. I like your description of Heaven and Hell.

I believe that Heaven and Hell are the same place; it depends upon what you bring into it. In the afterlife, we remember everything we've ever done and experience the results of our actions from all viewpoints, with clear understanding. Therefore, if we have brought joy to the world in our mortal life, we will experience that joy in the afterlife, hence, Heaven. If we have brought sorrow and pain to others in our mortal life, we will experience that, hence, Hell. Whatever we've done the most will be our fate when our minds are opened to all the consequences and results of our mortal actions.

If you are certain of your beliefs, that isn't faith, that is certainty. If you doubt your religion, your god, but choose to believe it despite your doubts, that is faith. The Calyr have a saying, "Uncertainty is the truest faith."

Overall, you sound like you have a good tack on religion. You are closer than you realize to knowing your own faith. Why don't you choose a name for your faith that explains it best for you, and call yourself that? All religions include people's ideas, imagination and inspiration. Yours is no less valid than any other. Peace to you.