Is this atheism?

[Dorian Gray]

I'm curious to hear everyone's opinion on this...

I've never been a particularily religious guy. My parents never brought me to church or anything. I think they wanted me to figure things out for myself. As a kid I never prayed or enganged in any sort of religious activity.

Anyway, I spent much of my later teenage years exploring different religions and the questions they raised. I attended churches, read different religious texts, read about their histories, tried to see if I identified with anything.

Long story short, in the end, I found that I was most comfortable with myself, and with life in general, without religion. I feel least empty believing what I currently do.

I do not believe in a god persay, yet I also do not believe that the science of the Enlightenment can explain/answer all of life's mysteries. I'm content in accepting that my time is best spent enjoying all that life has to offer. (Do I sound like a crackpot here?)

For me, the world is a wonderful hodgepodge of the living; everything seems intertwined and related in a very symbiotic fasion. Life creates and destroys. This is my belief.

Am I atheist?


P.S. I have no problem with any religion. If people are able to find solace, and happinesss with it, then I'm glad.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

I'm curious to hear everyone's opinion on this...

I've never been a particularily religious guy. My parents never brought me to church or anything. I think they wanted me to figure things out for myself. As a kid I never prayed or enganged in any sort of religious activity.

Anyway, I spent much of my later teenage years exploring different religions and the questions they raised. I attended churches, read different religious texts, read about their histories, tried to see if I identified with anything.

Long story short, in the end, I found that I was most comfortable with myself, and with life in general, without religion. I feel least empty believing what I currently do.

I do not believe in a god persay, yet I also do not believe that the science of the Enlightenment can explain/answer all of life's mysteries. I'm content in accepting that my time is best spent enjoying all that life has to offer. (Do I sound like a crackpot here?)

For me, the world is a wonderful hodgepodge of the living; everything seems intertwined and related in a very symbiotic fasion. Life creates and destroys. This is my belief.

Am I atheist?

I guess that if you take the dictionary definition of atheist, that is, a person who doesn't believe in/denies the existence of any "higher power" then your beliefs would be described as atheist. However, the definition of atheist always confuses me a little as it's not exactly clear whether belief systems such as paganism would fall into the category of atheist because they deny the existence of a higher power, even though they do have a system of beliefs similar to a religion.

Atheist always seems to imply a person who doesn't have any sort of spiritual beliefs, but you say that you don't believe science has answers to all life's mysteries, so it sounds like you believe in some sort of spirituality, even if it isn't in the form of a belief in a god.

That probably didn't go a long way to answering your question, but I also wanted to say that I found your comments about exploring different religions really interesting because I'm thinking something similar to that right now in that I don't define myself as a particular religion (nor have I ever done) but I'm trying to learn about religions and see if there's one which I do identify with. So I just thought it was interesting to see someone else talking about something similar.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now

-Fizz

 

[Dorian Gray]

Thanks for your thoghts Fizz... rambles are appreciated!

And good luck. I hope you find what you're looking for.



(how's that for cheese? )

 

[deep]

If you want to be categorized I would say you are agnostic.


Atheist for the most part believe there is no god, higher power, etc.


Fizz,

I have known many spiritual atheist and agnostics. I have found them to be refreshing, because they have no hidden agenda. Their reasons for choosing to do what is right are things like leaving a better world for their children or to create a better world in which to live.

As a young person I had a religious upbringing. Our beliefs were that all good and decent values were god inspired. Therefore, an atheist could not possess these values. I have since rejected this either/ or mentality.


Mr. Gray seems like a very decent person.

 

[Dorian Gray]

If you want to be categorized I would say you are agnostic.

Agnostic is what I figured.

Thanks for your thoughts deep. (and the compliment )