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What an interesting and informative thread this is turning out to be, I find myself asking the same question of myself, I always claimed I was an atheist, but I was raised in the presbyterian church and Christened I believe, I have also been baptised in the Mormon Church (suprise suprise) but that was a choice I Made at 18.
I am a sceptic for sure, but I believe in people who can contact the Dead, I think like Guster Girl I have similar beliefs, in a higher power as such, but I am not sure I would say I believe in God.
The more I read, the more confused I become, i think I am agnostic to a degree, but still that label does not fit exactly.
I suppose I can not be called a christian as such, but I live by good morals, live a good decent , honest life.:)
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I'm also enjoying this thread and I am one who is confused and torn on a lot of things about what different denominations teach. I think jcsperson made a good point and it should illustrate how many different ways there are of interpreting the Bible or other holy writings by how many denominations there are out there, all believing and interpreting things differently. I was raised Catholic but certainly have disagreements with some of the things Catholicism teaches.
I was so disenchanted with the church when it would not allow my husband and I to marry in the church unless we moved apart for at least 6 months. Well we hadn't gotten married before living together simply because we couldn't afford it. After we moved to MN, he was still going to college and I could only work part-time because of some health problems I was having at the time, and we certainly couldn't afford two separate places, in fact had to live with in-laws for awhile. We lived together about 5 years total by the time we got married. We had an apartment then and were getting by enough to save up for a fairly small ceremony, reception, and honeymoon. None of it was particularly elaborate but we saved up and paid for it without going into debt. The church would not let us be married in it unless we moved apart for 6 months first, after 5 years even if we could have afforded 2 separate apartments we wouldn't have moved apart, so we were forced to marry by Justice of the Peace, and that is really when I began falling away from the church and questioning a lot of things in my mind and heart.
Thousands of years ago, marriage was a lot simpler and easier, I think you could have a ceremony and gathering without having a lot of money, there weren't a lot of legal documents and licenses to get married in the times when the Bible was written, so to me in a way I wonder if "marriage" in the Bible is referring more to the choosing of a mate, than the actual ceremony. I mean, back when people might live hundreds of miles out of sight of another person, do you really think there were clergymen within range of every person, or maybe that they had a joining where it was declared by the families and that made it a marriage? I'm probably not explaining this well.. I hope some can understand what I'm getting at here though.
A lot of church teachings are contradictory of each other too. The Bible teaches "judge not lest ye be judged" and yet church officials "judge" and condemn on behalf of God. I guess that is one of the biggest things I question and wonder about. There are so many interpretations and translations of the Bible. I've also wondered as Martin (jcsperson) stated if some things were metaphorical, or even written as a parable.
Finally, how many people in the world seem to murder and destroy in the name of religion? Many many faiths have interpretations of what is right and wrong change through the years. At one time Christians went on crusades and slaughtered in the name of God. Of course most of us look back and see that as wrong now, but to them it was right and holy then. What if some of the things we assume are right and holy now will be things people look back on a thousand years from now the same way we look back on the Crusades and other religious slaughters today? How can we ever be so certain on one set way?
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My father is a minister, so I was brought up on this stuff. hehe I considered myself Agnostic for many many years; that is, I believed in a higher power, but couldn't figure out WHICH higher power. :) Now, I'm pagan. Why? BEcause it is on the of oldest religions, and its higher power is not some omnipotent being who snapped HIS fingers and created an entire universe in a week. The deity is female, since all life begins with woman, which is why most ancient cultures worshiped female deities rather than male. Plus, the problem I have with the Bible and many of the 'stories' therein is this....... There are too many parallels with the pagan myths and teachings. If the Bible is truth, then why couldn't they come up with their OWN 'truths'. That, and much of the BIble does not coincide with what science has proven as truth. If you follow the Bible exactly, you go straight from Adam and Eve, to their children, to Jesus. Done. Where does the rest of history fit in? (Plus, if you look into it, the whole Garden of Eden thing is based off of an ancient Greek myth hehe)
Am I too cynical? hehe Probably. ;) But you asked for info and opinions, and... ask and you shall receive! hehehe
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I took a course about the Bible in University, and there is evidence that God had a "partner" or even someone whom He went to for guidance, and it was a woman. I can't remember the details anymore but I can try looking them up. I may have also kept some notes from class. It was very interesting to learn about it. I'll see what I can find! :)
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I'm pretty sure, from that definition that was posted upthread, that I'm either an agnostic or just purely a non-believer - an atheist? (atheist: one who believes that there is no deity) I am doubtful that there is a god/gods, but I think if there is one, it's something I won't find out until after I die (if indeed there is anything after you die, which I also doubt). So what's the point of worrying about it now? As long as I live a good life and I'm a good person, right? ;)
Anyway these posts have been very interesting to read! :)
