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Much less religious. Much more introspective. Much more aware of The Big Picture, which is never stagnant and is always unfolding. And while I think some kind of God has to exist ("There is order in the chaos"), I don't know if that God is 'conscious' and personal. I tend to think 'God' tends to reveal more about himself/herself/itself in Physics and Astrophysics than in any Good Book, altho' those too.
I was pretty religious, a "conservative christian" through most of my 20s. Now I can see it for what it was/is: an effective path to push a dissolute me into responsible adulthood within a community. My faith slipped with each year though as I watched the shenanigans of others & never got substantive answers to fundamental questions. It took decades though before I could accept I was an atheist, something unthinkable to that 20-something.
What's interesting is that as I occasionally visit facebook pages of acquaintances from my teen/20s so many of them now invoke God for this & for that, in a lot of cases it is tied to some political monkey business. Some of them were involved in cults back in the day & it seems like they just "tweaked" here & there when it fell apart & just moved over to another spiritual "home". I guess as we all lose loved ones & ponder our own upcoming demise the eternal promises of religion offers some people comfort in an uncertain world.
I think that for some religion gives them the comfort of being part of a group that provides comfort and support. Nothing wrong with that. I do have an issue with those that get carried away and decide to judge others and use it as a way to feel holier than thou.
I find religion in human terms is used way to much as an us vs them and when I hear people using religious beliefs to hurt, kill and tell others they are going to hell it just makes it even more unappetizing.
So I guess going back on the question I have become less religious in the sense of the word but more spiritual. In other words I don't depend on priests, pastors etc telling me how I should behave. I live my life trying my best to be the best human being I can be and care for others. I will let God or the higher spiritual father judge us all when the time comes.
While I'm not terribly old, there isn't going to be any religion in my life. I've gone here and there, looked into this and that, and I've come to the conclusion that organized religion isn't for me.
I've come a long way in my religious life. I believe in the teachings of Jesus, but I am tired of Christianity as it is practiced. I am also wary of what passes for faith.
I still practice religion. I attend church, where I have made many wonderful friends through the years. But I have mental reservations about many things.
I do believe in science, for one thing. That is, I believe that everything that happens to us has a physical cause. And I don't believe in the devil. I love reading Genesis, but I don't believe it is literally true.
As I said, I have many reservations about religious teachings. But, you can't do better than to read and practice the teachings of Jesus.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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No, not at all. I have only seen this happen once, with my late mother-in-law who started reading the bible at age 89 or so.
I suspect it was mostly due to the influence of the very religious people who ran the adult family home where she stayed.
All I know that science and especially physics is making new advances everyday. It has become clearer to me that all things are possible...what was impossible a decade ago is possible now and my thinking has advanced...atheists believe that somethings are impossible....such as God...the new physics are showing that all things are possible...that GOD is a good possibility....so I do not want to cut my self sort of all options ....I believe more now than before...all is possible cos hope and faith are the most valuable commodities...I want value...and all the help I can get....I like the idea of God....
..the new physics are showing that all things are possible...that GOD is a good possibility....so I do not want to cut my self sort of all options ....I believe more now than before...all is possible cos hope and faith are the most valuable commodities...I want value...and all the help I can get....I like the idea of God....
I fail to understand how physics has anything to do with religious beliefs.
Quite the contrary, religious beliefs are just that....beliefs. They come from faith, not from logic or facts.
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