Is there a term for my beliefs?

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Hey everybody, new to the forum, just wanted to ask a question about myself. Lately i've been thinking about religion a lot, which you might say is strange (or not) since im 16 years old. My parents are technically christians (we are all baptized) but we do not go to church regularly. In fact i don't think we've gone to church in like two years. This lack of religious pressure has left me open to other opinions, which is great really.

Anyway I spent a lot of time considering if i should follow my parents path, become more religious or abandon religion all together. Eventually i settled upon a set of ideas which i do not know what to call. I have rejected all religious gods/deities out of my life. Now before you call me an atheist keep reading. I do indeed believe that there is a 'god' out there, but i feel that christianity and other religions have made him out to be something that he is not. I do believe that there is a sort of heaven and hell, but the terms of entry are not based on anything presented in any religion.

These ideas came from a set of questions i began to ask myself about christianity:

1. Do all Christians who state themselves as thus and commit no sins go to heaven?
2. If so then how does regular attendance of church play part in this picture? Do people who go to church go to the same heaven as people who live peaceful lives, do not commit sins, but do not visit church? If so this seems to be a bit unfair to me.
3. Assuming that both groups go to heaven what is the point of going to church at all?
4. What of the children who are forced by their parents to go to church? Is it a sin to go to church but not think about what you are doing there and dreading going there?

The way i see it the god that is presented in christianity is a god that the people have created themselves. In my eyes no god would expect anyone who go to heaven and punish them for not doing so. And if in reality god is like christianity presents him to be, then i would rather go to 'hell' instead. This idea brings up another interesting question - What happens to people who WANT to go to hell? It seems unfair that Satan should punish them too. Should he, like god, not reward those who want to serve him? It seems to be that the only ones punished in hell should be those who claim to be christian but have not lived 'purely' enough to grant themselves entrance into heaven.

Anyhow can someone please tell me if there is a technical term for my beliefs. I don't mean specifically for my thoughts, but a term for rejection of named religions but belief in the ideas themselves. That would be greatly helpful.

And please if you take offense to my post in any way - im sorry. Do not mean to offend. I am not trying to insult those of you who are highly religious in any way.

Thank you.

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You're a deist, just like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and many others.

Click here.

Joe(deep thoughts)Nation

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Hey Andrey234,

Seems to me that you are simply questioning aspects of the faith you have been taught...the finer details as well as the real meat of the matter.

I would encourage you to question as much as you can and study all kinds of religion, as well as the lack of it.

The way I see it, even if there IS a god (or gods), not one single person on the planet can be sure of knowing what it wants and expects of you, and every person has a different and conflicting view anyway. Two 30yo white women sitting side-by-side in the same church will disagree about what god wants, let alone the difference between sects or two religions.

To me, the idea of gods being inventions of man seems not only likely, but inevitable (many people want explanations and life-after-death and ultimate justice)....but the idea of any gods actually existing seems extremely small.

Just some thoughts for you to through into the pot.

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This could be a good place to learn, Andrey.

Just don't swallow until you've chewed a long time.

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i agree, your a diest just loike me(though i find my self leaning towards scientology more and more) your right to question religeous aspects, it's human nature to want to know more and yes the god that christians worship is mlded by man, if he wasn't then there wouldn't be an issue over the whole dead sea scrolls thing, 14 of the original books were kept out of the bible so that the pope could mold jesus and god to be in his favor, and there was a conference way back when to decide if jesus was a man or a spirit. If there is a god, he is like a watch maker, he makes a watch, sells it and never sees it again. Keep up the good fight for truth bro. good luck adios.

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the sleeper wrote:

i agree, your a diest just loike me(though i find my self leaning towards scientology more and more) your right to question religeous aspects, it's human nature to want to know more and yes the god that christians worship is mlded by man, if he wasn't then there wouldn't be an issue over the whole dead sea scrolls thing, 14 of the original books were kept out of the bible so that the pope could mold jesus and god to be in his favor, and there was a conference way back when to decide if jesus was a man or a spirit. If there is a god, he is like a watch maker, he makes a watch, sells it and never sees it again. Keep up the good fight for truth bro. good luck adios.

Pardon me for asking. I hate to be rude. But were you sleeping when you posted this?

It is a sign of respect for your readers to use spell check. Not only that, but it lends credibility to your thoughts.

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neologist wrote:

Pardon me for asking. I hate to be rude.

...yeah, right.

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Joe Nation wrote:

............a deist, just like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson...........

A common misconception. Neither were.

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echi wrote:

neologist wrote:
Pardon me for asking. I hate to be rude.

...yeah, right.

OK, I don't mind being rude to make a point. But I bear no ill will. Smile

And I would never deliberately expose you to my rough drafts.

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book mark

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Very thankful for all replies. Just a silly question - How exactly do you pronounce deism? Is it die-ism or more like dee-ism?

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Dee-ism.

Glad to have you aboard Andrey.

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What religious beliefs do you profess? Take this simple 20-question test to find out:

http://beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

Below are the top seven "religions" that come closest to agreeing with my professed beliefs (with the percentage of agreement):

Neo-Pagan (100%)
New Age (92%)
Unitarian Universalism (83%)
New Thought (80%)
Mahayana Buddhism (78%)
Scientology (78%)
Reform Judaism (75%)

CHECK YOURSELF OUT!

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Ethmer wrote:

What religious beliefs do you profess? Take this simple 20-question test to find out:

http://beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

Below are the top seven "religions" that come closest to agreeing with my professed beliefs (with the percentage of agreement):

Neo-Pagan (100%)
New Age (92%)
Unitarian Universalism (83%)
New Thought (80%)
Mahayana Buddhism (78%)
Scientology (78%)
Reform Judaism (75%)

CHECK YOURSELF OUT!

This is a bunch of hooey if you ask me. Anything called Belief-O-Matic should not be taken seriously.

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Hey Bella, there was a big thread on belief-o-matic a while back.

everybody who is anybody was takin' it.
It was quite a good time I remember.

Actually, the questions were harder to answer than at first glance. Some of them really made you think.
I did it a 2nd time, to really take the questions seriously.

Belief-O-Matic! Ask for it by Name!

Belief-O-Matic! Accept no Substitutions!

I was mostly neo-pagen
Least of all catholic (guess which one I was raised in?)

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real life wrote:

Joe Nation wrote:
............a deist, just like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson...........

A common misconception. Neither were.

So was Franklin a Lutheran ? Baptist? Anglican? Methodist?. I know his son was baptized in an Anglican church but that was at the behest of his wife. He, like John Adams, attended numerous churches from time to time, Adams even found himself at a Romist Mass at the Church of St. Mary's once, he was nonplused and Franklin tried to be a Presbyterian but gave it up for his own study and reflection.

Neither man would recognize what passes for organized religion today.

As for Jefferson, five hundred A2K points if you can name a church he was a member of. He too attended a lot of services but he was not only desirous of a government not "intermedling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises... ." but also of religions which would give a man a chance to think for himself.

Joe(I forgot the Quakers)Nation

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What do you want to bet that Real thinks they were Christians.

Might also mention that George Washington and Thomas Paine were Deist.

http://www.deism.org/foundingfathers.htm

http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html

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Hello Andrey234, welcome to A2K.

I too oftentimes call myself a deist, alternating with pantheist. I think it's terrific that you are giving thought to your spiritual beliefs. There are some liberal denominations that are not that far removed from your beliefs. You didn't mention your thoughts on Jesus so it's hard to gauge where you might fit within the Christian spectrum, but even some of the most liberal Christian groups take a secular humanist perspective on Jesus.

The quiz at beliefnet can give you an idea on what type of group you might fit in with. Even though your family doesn't attend church regularly doesn't mean that you wouldn't find value in being part of a youth group. My daughters (13 and 15) both attend a youth program that encourages them to bring their friends even if they are not members. Finding a group of other teens with similar thoughts on religion can be a great benefit.

I agree with neo that this forum will be a great place to learn, but I also think you might enjoy a youth group of those with similar ideas.

One final thought, your feelings today are just that. They represent what makes sense to you at this point in your life. Don't be surprised if your beliefs take a few twists and turns as you go through life.

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Joe Nation wrote:

real life wrote:
Joe Nation wrote:
............a deist, just like Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson...........

A common misconception. Neither were.

So was Franklin a Lutheran ? Baptist? Anglican? Methodist?. I know his son was baptized in an Anglican church but that was at the behest of his wife. He, like John Adams, attended numerous churches from time to time, Adams even found himself at a Romist Mass at the Church of St. Mary's once, he was nonplused and Franklin tried to be a Presbyterian but gave it up for his own study and reflection.

Neither man would recognize what passes for organized religion today.

As for Jefferson, five hundred A2K points if you can name a church he was a member of. He too attended a lot of services but he was not only desirous of a government not "intermedling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises... ." but also of religions which would give a man a chance to think for himself.

Joe(I forgot the Quakers)Nation

xingu wrote:

What do you want to bet that Real thinks they were Christians.

Might also mention that George Washington and Thomas Paine were Deist.

So you think someone may have been a Deist? Maybe they were. Maybe not.

How 'bout documenting your assertion ?

Helpful Hint A: Useful quotations would be those by Founding Fathers that deny their belief in prayer, for instance, since that would be God intervening in the affairs of men. A Deist would probably NOT believe in a God who answers prayer.

Helpful Hint B: Also helpful would be quotations by Founding Fathers that deny their belief in the Bible since that would be God intervening to reveal Himself to man and show to man His character, teach His ways, etc. A strict Deist would probably NOT believe in God intervening in this fashion, either.

Helpful Hint C: Very helpful would be quotations by Founding Fathers that deny that Jesus Christ was in ANY fashion a message, a messenger , an example or representative of God in ANY way. Good Deists would NOT be very consistent if they believed in God intervening in human history in this fashion (think: Star Trek and violating the Prime Directive)

Since Jesus Christ's life has arguably substantially altered human history (some believe for the good, others not) then if God intervened to "send" Jesus in any way, this would really put His credentials as the "hands off watchmaker" at risk.

Well, how 'bout it? Please quote in the words of the Founding Fathers only, not in the interpretive biographical sketches that others have written to redefine them.

Let THEM say that THEY hold to Deistic beliefs.

Ready. Go.

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In a letter to Dr Benjamin Rush, Sept 1800, Jefferson wrote of his thoughts on religion:

"I have a view of the subject which ought to displease neither the rational Christian nor Deist, and would reconcile many to a character they have too hastily rejected. I do not know that it would reconcile the geuus irritabile vatum who are all in arms against me.Their hostility is on too interesting ground to be softened. The returning good sense of our country threatens abortion to their hopes. They believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly; for I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

Four years later in a letter to Dr. Joseph Priestly, scientist and Unitarian theologist:

"I should proceed to a view of the life, character, and doctrines of Jesus, who sensible of the incorrectness of his forbears' ideas of the Deity, and of morality, endeavored to bring them to the principles of a pure deism, and juster notion of the attributes of God, to reform their moral doctrines to the standard of reason, justice, and philanthropy, and to inculcate the belief of a future state. This view would purposely omit the question of his divinity, and even his inspiration. To do him justice, it would be necessary to remark the disadvantages his doctrines had to encounter,not having been committed to writing by himself, but by the most unlettered of men, by memory, long after they had heard them from him, when much was forgotten, much misunderstood, and presented in every paradoxical shape...."

Jefferson went on the edit the canonical Gospels into what is now known as "The Jefferson Bible", but what he titled, "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, Extracted textually from the Gospels in Greek, Latin, French, and English". The Jefferson Bible is given as a coming of age gift in many Unitarian churches.

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Is there a term for my beliefs?

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