Alternative religions. Anyone follow one?

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  • richardheath
    richardheath Posts: 1,276 Member
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    <<<Atheistic Modern Satanist

    It is possible that you are being sarcastic but if you aren't then I can't understand what you are saying here at all. As I understand it a Satanist is someone who believes in both God and the Devil and simply chooses to worship the Devil. If that is true then it is logically impossible fore you to be an atheist in any sense of the word because if you are an atheist then you don't believe that there is a Devil to be worshiped. Could you explain what you mean?

    Funny, I read that as "Atheistic Sadist". Not sure why.

    At least that would be possible. You could simply not believe in god or gods and enjoy inflicting pain.

    I'm not the person who posted this, but here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LaVeyan_Satanism
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
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    If someone asks you "Do you believe in god?" and your answer is "I am agnostic." You are not actually answering the question. That may sound strange to you but hear me out.

    Knowledge and belief are not the same thing. When you say you are agnostic you are talking about your knowledge. When you say you are an atheist you are talking about your belief. If the question is "Do you believe in god?" your knowledge is not the thing that is being asked about so to say "I am an agnostic." is answering the question "Do you know if there is a god?" The reason this matter is because both labels basically apply to everyone.

    For example:

    Gnostic Theist= I believe that god is real because I know he is real.
    Agnostic Theist= I don't know if there is a god or not but I do believe there is a god.
    Agnostic Atheist= I don't know if there is a god or not but I do not believe there is a god.
    Gnostic Atheist= I know that there is no god.

    I happen to be an agnostic atheist. If actual evidence for the existence of god were to manifest I would become a theist immediately. In fact I would have no choice but to. I know that I am in a building typing right now and because I know it I have no choice but to believe it. I couldn't believe that I was on a submarine right now no matter how much I wanted to because every piece of evidence around me would gainsay that assertion. I hope this makes sense to everyone. I did try to explain it as clearly as possible.
  • UnwrappingCandy
    UnwrappingCandy Posts: 418 Member
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    Gnostic Theist= I believe that god is real because I know he is real.
    Agnostic Theist= I don't know if there is a god or not but I do believe there is a god.
    Agnostic Atheist= I don't know if there is a god or not but I do not believe there is a god.
    Gnostic Atheist= I know that there is no god.

    :drinker: :flowerforyou: :smile:
  • kingtermite
    kingtermite Posts: 82 Member
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    Monkey Buttism.
  • Kimdbro
    Kimdbro Posts: 922 Member
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    I am a spiritual eclectic. I believe in the duality of man, that people can be good AND bad, not strictly one or the other.

    I believe in the "Do unto others" concept, as well as the Law of Threes.

    I believe in magic(k).

    Spiritually speaking, I'm pretty simple, and hesitate to label myself. :flowerforyou:

    Very Cool. I like you.
  • bestbassist
    bestbassist Posts: 177 Member
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    Registered member (10 years) of the official Church of Satan, here.
  • MaydayParadeGirl
    MaydayParadeGirl Posts: 190 Member
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    Monkey Buttism.

    Sounds legit
  • UnwrappingCandy
    UnwrappingCandy Posts: 418 Member
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    It's nice to see so many people with different beliefs/disbelief together on a topic like this without it becoming an insult fest. :heart: :flowerforyou:
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    Spiritual, but with a Wiccan twist (no-no flippin satan before anyone asks lol-we don't even recognize satan)

    This. I do not practice magick but I do have beliefs that correspond greatly to Wiccan beliefs. :)
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
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    Registered member (10 years) of the official Church of Satan, here.

    I read that as "Official Church of Stan", I was like, who's Stan?! :laugh:
  • Noor13
    Noor13 Posts: 964 Member
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    I am a Muslim. Following Sufism :)
  • TS65
    TS65 Posts: 1,024 Member
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    I have rather strange religious beliefs. I believe we are here on earth to learn lessons our soul needs to learn, whether it be patience, tolerance, etc. Call it re-incarnation or whatever, but I believe we can choose to live more than one life if we want to grow further. I'm Christian, but not. Meaning, I believe in god but I believe the bible is a book of stories written to teach lessons to THAT era's people, not a hard core guide for today's living. I don't believe sitting in church for 1 hour on Sunday means more than HOW YOU ACT the other 167 hours of the week.

    Why do you believe all that? Anyone can say "I believe" but why do they believe? Did you have a vision? Do you believe your mum had a vision? Your pastor? Or did you just decide that you believe, because you don't like the idea of not believing?

    What is your basis for belief?

    I do like your 167 hours. The measure of a person is what they do, regardless of where they were on Sunday morning.

    I was raised Catholic (to the extent I went to a Catholic College - which taught me for the reasons behind most "catholic laws" - turns out they are all money related). Since then, I read a lot and evaluate logically what makes sense to ME. I feel too many people blindly follow what their parents and church say without research and analysis.

    You can believe what you want and I can believe what I want. That's why they call it PERSONAL belief. It doesn't have to come from anywhere.
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
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    I contend we are all atheists... The only difference is that I believe in one less god than many of you.

    And while that may sound like I'm being flippant... I really believe if you want to understand how an atheist thinks about gods, then simply try to understand why you don't believe in many of the gods that you don't believe in? That's all it is. "We just believe in one less than you do" (That's all that separates us)

    Cheers!
    Someone's getting philosophical! :wink: I like the way you've asked us to take a step back and review our beliefs. It's an interesting way to see it.
  • Kimdbro
    Kimdbro Posts: 922 Member
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    Tree-hugger :glasses:

    WOOWOO

    Anyway I was baptised Catholic but my mother abandoned that way and studies Wicca and my step father who helped raise me is Protestant. I've been to youth group, I've sat under the trees and spoken of the Gods and Goddesses. I don't want to just take one persons word for anything, I believe that there is some divine being out there I'm just not yet sure who that is, or how many there are. I honestly don't know what I would even call myself, however I'm reading through this and perhaps I will find my answer.

    This is one of the reason's I really like this thread... for those of us that have bounced around in our spirituality or dabbled in a varying array of belief systems' without particularly being able to find a specific "fit" - other alternatives posted in here, may find a belief they could get on board with, and even if they don't necessarily "fit" either, are nonetheless interesting to learn about.
  • crista_b
    crista_b Posts: 1,192 Member
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    Agnosticism "follower" here. If you can really call that a religion. I entertain all of the ideas. I love thinking about it and hope that when I die, I get to float through the universe and see all of the answers. That would be amazing. :)
    I feel like this too. I'm not sure what exists or doesn't, but I like to think about it and learn how and why other people believe what they do (which is why I took "World Religions" as an elective at uni). I don't know that I personally believe in a god or afterlife, but if there is one, I hope that I can live my life in a good enough way to be treated kindly, and that by not claiming to believe in it, that isn't the deciding factor on my possible afterlife.


    ETA: I grew up going to a Methodist church until 4th grade, then Lutheran 4th-9th(ish). I kind of stopped going after 8th grade because I wasn't going to a Lutheran school anymore. My family is very into "Christianity" so I just keep my beliefs or lack thereof to myself. I've grown to really dislike the way a lot of the churches and "organized religions" treat their followers over the years of going to church school.
  • MaydayParadeGirl
    MaydayParadeGirl Posts: 190 Member
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    Tree-hugger :glasses:

    WOOWOO

    Anyway I was baptised Catholic but my mother abandoned that way and studies Wicca and my step father who helped raise me is Protestant. I've been to youth group, I've sat under the trees and spoken of the Gods and Goddesses. I don't want to just take one persons word for anything, I believe that there is some divine being out there I'm just not yet sure who that is, or how many there are. I honestly don't know what I would even call myself, however I'm reading through this and perhaps I will find my answer.

    This is one of the reason's I really like this thread... for those of us that have bounced around in our spirituality or dabbled in a varying array of belief systems' without particularly being able to find a specific "fit" - other alternatives posted in here, may find a belief they could get on board with, and even if they don't necessarily "fit" either, are nonetheless interesting to learn about.

    Yes I still hold some of my Catholic beliefs at heart, other's I follow but I don't believe that other's have to follow, as it's their bodies and they should be permitted to do what they want with it, then of course there are some that I just can't even begin to understand why anyone would go on a rampage about them. I can't go to church in my home town anymore because it was so small a town that everyone knew my mother was practicing Wicca and the Catholic church is none to kind of that but I still wear the Saint Christopher pendant I was given when I was baptisted and I still feel safe with it around my neck and naked without it. I just keep dabbling in things, trying to find where I fit and I sort of don't know now if I do fit anywhere. I will keep coming back here though, makes me feel like I don't have to be wandering around without anyone who so much as realizes what I'm thinking at all. It's hard to find what I believe with my mother bearing down one side and my step dad believing strongly the other way that's for sure.
  • fitfreakymom
    fitfreakymom Posts: 1,400 Member
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    more of a pagan follower here.
  • freebirdjones
    freebirdjones Posts: 237
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    I believe in Alien Intervention

    No God, just science. I tried to say that as non offensive as possible :)
  • WanderingLass
    WanderingLass Posts: 86 Member
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    Can someone sort of explain to me what it means to be 'Spiritual'? I'm just generally confused and have always been. I just kind of always thought that was Hippies for some reason (sorry if that's wrong and offensive it's just always what I thought, the word just makes me think of freeness and openeness and things). Is being spiritual like being a wiccan? Or something along those lines?

    To me, being spiritual means acknowledging there is a higher power or powers, with many names given by many peoples, that help guide us along our life journeys. I was raised a particular denomination and while I acknowledge my upbringing, I don't necessarily use the same names for powers or rituals that I did as a child but my intent is that of being the best person I can be to myself and others.
  • DainaLC
    DainaLC Posts: 18,937 Member
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    I believe in Alien Intervention

    No God, just science. I tried to say that as non offensive as possible :)
    You said it perfectly! :flowerforyou:

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