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Quite correct, I learned I was always Muslim and never realized it.
In 2005 I had a personal experience that made me realize God(swt) does exist. I also came to the conclusion that Our role as human's is to learn that there is "Only one God(swt) who has no equals, partners or progeny and only he is to be worshiped" To do that is perming the Act of Islam and a person who performs Islam is a Muslim. So in effect I was always Muslim, but denied it durin My Atheist years and did not understand I was performing Islam during my Christian years, although in a misunderstood manner.
The implications of what you're saying, as I understood it, is that Jews, Christians, etc. are all Islamic without knowing it.
Respectfully, it appears you're taking the term "Islam" and re-branding it to mean a sort of monotheism. My understanding of Islam is that it is specifically the following of Muhammad's revelations.
You're kind of confusing me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ptsum
I have always been a believer in Spirituality... Particularly that of my native ancestors..
After rejecting Christianity in my teens I adopted no other label other than "seeker" until about 10 years ago, in my mid-50s. Around then I came to understand that Animism comes closest to reflecting my belief system.
I've heard time and time again that an Atheist is born Atheist. I think your story reflects why this is pretty accurately.
One thing they would always tell me at church that made me annoyed is when I would ask "I don't know if I believe there's a God... How do you know there's a God?" They would say "Try praying about it."
I would say that is true. It isn't like I can just turn my non belief off. It is what it is. The religions of the world just do not make any logical sense to me, and I can't make that happen. I tried for awhile in middle/high school, as just about everyone I went to school with went to church, but nothing changed. All the flaws I had found previously were still there and they weren't going anywhere.
Yes, I was always told that I just wasn't working hard enough, or praying hard enough, or studying hard enough to understand God and the Bible. I was always told to "pray about it and ask God into your heart". It was quite annoying for me as well. I am quite happy with where I am right now, so no regrets about anything. I have state my outlook before, and it is very simple. A just god will judge me based on my life, not my beliefs. An unjust god doesn't deserve to be worshipped. If there are no gods, then we are all in the same boat.
Sky13r,..I have always viewed any kind of organized religion with a little skepticism, I do not believe that any book whether it be sacred or not, written by man telling him/her how to go about worshiping and believing in the Creator to be of any valid use. Don't get me wrong and no disrespect but there are many people who have a belief in the different sacred books and that is their choice and I find nothing wrong with that, the choice, but I do not believe that noone has the right to tell another how to believe or worship their Creator. To me the belief in a Creator and how you worship is a personal and private matter and should be left that way. My belief is not right for everyone I do not pretend for it to be so, we all travel our own individual path throughout this life and no two paths are the same.
Last edited by mensaguy; 12-24-2015 at 12:06 PM..
Reason: Fixed color tag
After rejecting Christianity in my teens I adopted no other label other than "seeker" until about 10 years ago, in my mid-50s. Around then I came to understand that Animism comes closest to reflecting my belief system.
Animism. Wow, alright then. There's not a whole lot of your kind, are there?
Quote:
Originally Posted by southernbored
I would say that is true. It isn't like I can just turn my non belief off. It is what it is. The religions of the world just do not make any logical sense to me, and I can't make that happen. I tried for awhile in middle/high school, as just about everyone I went to school with went to church, but nothing changed. All the flaws I had found previously were still there and they weren't going anywhere.
Yes, I was always told that I just wasn't working hard enough, or praying hard enough, or studying hard enough to understand God and the Bible. I was always told to "pray about it and ask God into your heart". It was quite annoying for me as well. I am quite happy with where I am right now, so no regrets about anything. I have state my outlook before, and it is very simple. A just god will judge me based on my life, not my beliefs. An unjust god doesn't deserve to be worshipped. If there are no gods, then we are all in the same boat.
Yeah, that's exactly how I feel actually. Same sort of thing where I tried to be religious for a while in school. It just doesn't work for me. I can't just choose to believe in something that's not there (or at least gives no indication or reason to suspect that it's there). It's not as easy as it sounds :P
Animism. Wow, alright then. There's not a whole lot of your kind, are there?
Yeah, that's exactly how I feel actually. Same sort of thing where I tried to be religious for a while in school. It just doesn't work for me. I can't just choose to believe in something that's not there (or at least gives no indication or reason to suspect that it's there). It's not as easy as it sounds :P
Exactly! There are people on this very site that think you can just force yourself to believe something, and in fact, should do that. I have tried to explain to a few of them that asking someone like myself to "just believe" in God or whatever, would be the equivalent of asking them to believe in aliens/bigfoot/Nessie/FSM/Zeus/etc. I mean, if I can "just believe" then surely they can too, right? I never get a real response though...
I've got a two part question because I'm interested mostly. My question:
1. When did you become whatever you are now? (Christian, Muslim, Atheist, Agnostic, etc.)
2. What led you to that conclusion?
In particular, I find the idea of going from atheist to theist very interesting. What could one see that convinces them of the existence of God?
Personally, I've been Christian most of my life. Upon entering highschool, I changed to Agnostic and now I am atheist.
I became agnostic because I realized there's really no way for me to know if there's a God. I then turned atheist because I believe there's no reason to suspect there may be a God.
Please keep it somewhat civil
Skyl3r
As if I am ever somewhat anything else well, I was an unbeliever and irreligious all my life, but I did evolve the idea of a sortagod or God of Einstein or a "God" of all religions or none. It is a concept that I still put up there as the only really credible "God" I can entertain. I spent some time looking for the religion best suited to contact with this "God" if indeed it wants to talk to us. After a look at Sufism, I opted for Buddhism and did Buddhist impressions for a couple of decades. Coming out of that, it was interestingly, being peddled evangelical Christianity that set me off on a study of the gospels as a reliable account of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, with the result that I became an active atheist and for the first time knew that I was. Up to then I'd considered myself a 'searching agnostic'.
Exactly! There are people on this very site that think you can just force yourself to believe something, and in fact, should do that. I have tried to explain to a few of them that asking someone like myself to "just believe" in God or whatever, would be the equivalent of asking them to believe in aliens/bigfoot/Nessie/FSM/Zeus/etc. I mean, if I can "just believe" then surely they can too, right? I never get a real response though...
yes there are those who try and force their beliefs on you, but it is you who must make that decision as to whether you want to believe or not. Any belief or nonbelief that you choose you must first feel comfortable with it, you must feel it within yourself and no matter what anybody else says or does, this is your choice and you are the one that must live with it, not them. So don't be in a hurry to rush into any kind of belief, take your time and when the time is right, you will know it.
The implications of what you're saying, as I understood it, is that Jews, Christians, etc. are all Islamic without knowing it.
Respectfully, it appears you're taking the term "Islam" and re-branding it to mean a sort of monotheism. My understanding of Islam is that it is specifically the following of Muhammad's revelations.
You're kind of confusing me.
That is a common thought. But that would be Mohammedism and not Islam. Muhammed did not start any religion, nor did he write a single word of the Qur'an. He simply was given the same revelation that was given to the past Prophets(PBUT) and we human's always messed it up. It was given one final time to Muhammad and is our last chance to not mess it up.
We do not believe Muhammad(swt) was given anything new. Islam was not a new Religion. All the True Jews, Sabeeans and Christians performed the act of Islam. Ialam is not an organized religion in the sense of Christian religions, it is simply performing the action of Islam. There is no ordained clergy, no religious hierarchy, no centralized method of teaching, not even any necessity for any religious buildings except for the Kabah in Mecca.
We believe every person is born Muslim and remains Muslim until they reach the age of accountability and make the free choice of no longer performing Islam. We accept every person who says they are Muslim as being Muslim. There is no ritual or training a person goes through to become a Muslim. If they say they are Muslim of their own free will and with informed knowledge of what a Muslim is they are Muslim. No intermediary between them and Allaah(swt) required. Since we can not see into another person's thoughts or sincerity we have to accept all who say they are Muslim as being Muslim.
If a person says the Shahadah, with knowledge and sincerity they are Muslim. If a person has no knowledge of the Shahadah or knowledge of Muhammad(swt) and sincerely believes there is only one God without parners, equals or progeny, they are Muslim.
However, the more a person knows of Muhammad(saws) and the Qur'an the greater responsibility they have in performing Islam. A person is not judged by what they have no way of knowing. We are judged on the basis of what we know and have the ability to do.
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well, I was an unbeliever and irreligious all my life, but I did evolve the idea of a sortagod or God of Einstein or a "God" of all religions or none. It is a concept that I still put up there as the only really credible "God" I can entertain. I spent some time looking for the religion best suited to contact with this "God" if indeed it wants to talk to us. After a look at Sufism, I opted for Buddhism and did Buddhist impressions for a couple of decades. Coming out of that, it was interestingly, being peddled evangelical Christianity that set me off on a study of the gospels as a reliable account of Jesus Christ and his resurrection, with the result that I became an active atheist and for the first time knew that I was. Up to then I'd considered myself a 'searching agnostic'.
