Anyone non-religious here? Please be nice!

[EweSheep]

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All I can say is WOW! Just AWESOME!

 

[Wolfwoman]

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Thanks Wolfwoman! I'm a big believer of live and let live. Is the link to the website your site? Nice pics!

Thanks, yes that's my website

 

[Mary_Ann]

This is a topic I never thought I'd find on BYC, but am so very glad I did! I was raised strict Catholic, raised my children Methodist and even studied the Jewish faith. It seemed like every group had those who "talked the talk", but in real life were hypocrites who flew in the face of "the golden rule". I am very spiritual, have a strong belief in God but prefer the direct line.

My church is my yard, it's members are my German Shepherds and 7 hens and what and whom ever happens to wonder in. I say thank you to God for all the gifts in my life, but I don't feel I need another person to tell me how to worship.

Treating people with respect, giving w/o expecting payback and honoring nature - that is my "church" - all are welcome!

 

[Georgie17]

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Can you please explain the evidence of god? I'm not sure I understand what you mean.

I will rewrite what i put because I seemed to not explain it verywell.


I believe in lots of things , I dont really know how i can believe in both science and certain religous things but I just do


I am not religous but I did go to church when i was little then i stopped and only went at Christmas now i dont go at all. I went to a church of england primary school so we did church services at easter, christmas etc.

Now I dont totaly believe in jesus and god.Theres been things like they found noahs ark and where jesus was berried.I hope to believe that we are reborn when we die , i dont like thinking of be dieing with out realizing and it going black. I hope their is a heaven,its nice to think people watch you from above.

But i also believe in science and the big bang.I dont think we will ever find out exactly how earth was created.

I watch lots of science fiction tv programs and films. so i believe in science and planets etc

 

[SunnyDawn]

I am a firm believer in science as well but have no problem with any other belief that brings a person some peace of mind. I only get my hackles up when someone says "My beliefs are fact! Period!" instead of "This is what I think...".

I do believe in some things that I have no proof of and they may not even be rational, but they bring me some peace of mind and they certainly don't hurt anyone. Mainly because I'm the first to admit that I really have no idea what happens when we die. None of us does. So the idea of trying to preach my beliefs as dogma is laughable!

I know, there are folks out there who swear they have "seen the light" when they've had a near death experience but the mind is a complex organ and I've had some extremely vivid and realistic dreams even when my brain wasn't deprived of oxygen for several minutes. I'd love to believe everything it showed me was prophetic genius but it just aint so.

Believe whatever you want as long as it brings you peace and doesn't hurt any one.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Oops. Double post.

 

[Prettiest Frog]

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Exactly. If you must go to your holy book to find the reason for the law, then it is not something that should be codified into law.

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Until I was five, I did not believe in snow. That the sky could get cold enough that the rain would come down in solid form was odd to me, I thought it an impossibility and simply didn't believe in it. It was fictional, stuff of books and movies, rather like unicorns and dragons. And yet, a simple explanation of climate was all it took. I did not first encounter snow for myself until I was ten.

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The part of our history the words 'under god' in the pledge and the like has to do with is primarily McCarthyism.

mom'sfolly :

I miss the comfort of knowing I will be reunited with my loved ones in an afterlife. I wish I could believe that I will see my grandparents and dad again, but I don't have that surety. I think fear of death and the unknown is definitely one of the driving forces for religion. It is the one of the things that religion focuses on, what will happen after you die. I don't really want to be part of a never ending cycle of rebirth, or end up in the Celestial Kingdom with my sweetie forever, but it would be nice to see those folks again.

That I may not see them again has helped me to better understand that I should treasure them all the more right now.



I will tell you all a small secret. I'm actually ordained. I've even performed marriage ceremonies. Being ordained was the quickest and easiest way to cut through all the red tape involved with being able to provide pre-marriage counseling and to perform the ceremony. Which does go to show you a basic flaw in the religious mindset of this country. Secular standards are high and the requirements many, but any nut can start a church and thus provide legal and binding ceremonies. I know, I am such a nut.​

 

[SunnyDawn]

I am ordained as well but it is not a secret. Many folks on BYC know this as well as my friends and family. For some it makes perfect sense, to others it angers them because my "ministry" does not include a diety of any kind (male or female) and I refuse to tell people what to think. When counseling anyone on this topic my answer is always "find what works for you but harm no one (including yourself)".
I firmly believe that many things nurture us on a spiritual level and that as long as you feed that part of yourself you will continue to grow. For some it is art that feeds them spiritually, so my counsel is to go and create! Painting, gardening, sculpture, music, hiking and even raising our children well can help this part of our brain to florish! I think that the most important thing we can do for ourselves is to continue to grow, to continue learning.
To do anything else is to stagnate. To stop because we think we have all the answers is a slow, sure death for the spirit and mind. We are born curious for a reason. To starve the brain of new experiences and new lessons is the real crime perpetrated by some religions. Just don't stop questioning, don't stop growing. Ever!

 

[Wolfwoman]

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What 'ministry' are you ordained in? Your statement about harming no one leads me to a few, but I'm not for certain as you say you don't have a diety. What you say makes sense, and I am just curious

 

[Moabite]

a lot of religious stories are "astrological" in origin. Astrology baffels me. I'm not talking about the horoscope in the newspaper ( the prediction arts, fortune telling) is for another post) What I'm talking about is Celestial Time. The philosophies, math and the timing is absolutely astounding to me. I once made it my prime objective to live by the moon. To my surprise, I already was! Astrology is too vast for me to say I believe in it, but I can't say that I don't either. I decided to debunk it about 14 years ago. I couldn't do it. It is far to accurate to be random. I'll keep trying to debunk it, but in the mean time, I'll use it to help me understand what is going on behind the scenes in order to make better decisions for myself. Any thoughts?