How do you introduce yourself to religion? (evolution, believe, doctrine)

[TRANSPONDER]

Originally Posted by Shirina

You know, it's strange, but I've always had this feeling that inanimate objects weren't quite as inanimate as we're taught to believe.

I even sometimes felt guilty throwing things away, as if I was being mean to those objects. (Not regular garbage, mind you, but things that still may have had a use). I especially felt "bad" for items that were thrown away which never got used for their intended purpose.

It's truly a bizarre, strange sensation and, for a time, I actually wondered if I had Aspergers since believing objects have feelings is one of the symptoms.

I'm not necessarily an animist though part of my heritage comes from a nation with a lot of animism in its culture (Philippines) so perhaps I'm picking up something from that.

Didn't know we had any animists on the forum until now.

That's not Aspergers; that's just Stingy.

Originally Posted by Ginge McFantaPants

Same here, as well as always feeling very close to nature. For as far back as I remember, I would observe the tiny little worlds of different ecosystems, weather patterns, etc. and not necessarily anthropomorphize them, but appreciate the fact that our worlds are so interdependent, whether or not we notice one another.


A couple of books I really enjoyed about this (not necessarily animism, but on creatures going about life in their ecosystems) are called The Forest Unseen and The Song of the Trees, both by David G. Haskell.

Would that be related to the Clackmannock McFantapants or the Peebles?

Originally Posted by TroutDude

Brother/Sister! That makes (at least) two of us.

I've got a feeling that Gldnrule might make a third. Unless there is a difference between Pantheism and Animism that I haven't seen.

[nateswift]

.

[ukrkoz]

OP, this is how it happens.
You ask. With all your heart and soul. Just an expression, you may not believe in soul.


Then, it simply happens. Your faith will find YOU. I guarantee it.
The more logical and mental approach you will take to this, the worse will be the results of it.



You simply let go of it and let the powers to be take care of it for you. While inbetween, you could read on say Uel Anderson or Joseph Murphy works? Just an example....

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by Pleroo

I don't think of myself as an animist, but it makes sense to me that there is consciousness in all things.

[aries63]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

I'm a person going through a sort of personal crisis/revolution. I was raised SBC, but never believed a word of it. I've always had a hard time of believing anything but the hard scenes and anything without physical evidence.

Sorry to hear about your personal crisis. I assume by "hard scenes" you mean "hard sciences" -- and you've discovered now how unprepared for dealing with real lived situations (including emotions) you are by relying on the sciences and "physical evidence" alone. And maybe you've noticed how some of the nonbelievers here seem devoid of any feeling themselves (not to mention basic human kindness), judging by some of their comments.

That said, I think you should consider some kind of counseling or cognitive-behavioral therapy to help with your issue. Just talking to a neutral party can help. If you're not the type to turn to religion, I think it would be difficult for you to start now in the middle of a crisis.

[bUU]

Originally Posted by TRANSPONDER

We are not impressed ...

"We are not impressed" by your speaking in the second person. Another lame effort to make your personal opinion sound more important than it is.

Originally Posted by phetaroi

What are you ashamed of?

Nothing in this context. It appears that you and your friend can only engage in erecting Straw Men and other vapid meta-discussions, rather than actually sticking to the topic. What a shame.

Originally Posted by Shirina

Now you know just how difficult, if not impossible, it is to empty your head completely of your indoctrination.

Excellent points. We are all shaped by our upbringing in a way that it is exceedingly difficult to even recognize, much less excise. This applies to more than just religion: People who engage in or are apologists for sexism, racism, etc., due to their upbringing often don't even recognize the artifacts of how that indoctrination affects them even today, even though they're fully aware of and fully acknowledge the negative aspects of those biases intellectually.

Originally Posted by Shirina

BUT, I have to say this: If the answer is something like, "I don't know but I want to know -- and I want the honest truth no matter where the evidence leads," you will almost undoubtedly become an atheist.

Yes, but the reality is that there has been a "next stop" post-atheism for many of us. It allows us to remain latched onto the "honest truth" while recognizing the value of certain types of connections and considerations of religion.

Originally Posted by Shirina

Religion claims to know the answer using unknowable and incomprehensible explanations ...

Only some religion does so. Some religion does not.

Originally Posted by aries63

And maybe you've noticed how some of the nonbelievers here seem devoid of any feeling themselves (not to mention basic human kindness), judging by some of their comments.

I don't think that is a characteristic of nonbelievers so much as it is a characteristic of the most vociferous among them that troll online forums. I would not draw any conclusions about a faith or a set of people of similar mind from the comments of a couple of individuals that happen to be the ones who participate in one specific online forum.

[nateswift]

"Yes, but the reality is that there has been a "next stop" post-atheism for many of us. It allows us to remain latched onto the "honest truth" while recognizing the value of certain types of connections and considerations of religion."

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by GoCardinals

.....
The God of any and every proclaimed religion will be judged by his message towards humanity and his message towards me.

The capital g god as an applicant. I kind of like that picture.

[TRANSPONDER]

Originally Posted by aries63

Sorry to hear about your personal crisis. I assume by "hard scenes" you mean "hard sciences" -- and you've discovered now how unprepared for dealing with real lived situations (including emotions) you are by relying on the sciences and "physical evidence" alone. And maybe you've noticed how some of the nonbelievers here seem devoid of any feeling themselves (not to mention basic human kindness), judging by some of their comments.

That said, I think you should consider some kind of counseling or cognitive-behavioral therapy to help with your issue. Just talking to a neutral party can help. If you're not the type to turn to religion, I think it would be difficult for you to start now in the middle of a crisis.

Well, serious Conversation. Now's the time to test your mind and see if you can feel your way through the barnyard mix of strawmen, well -poisoning and horse -crap being delivered to you to get you to reject atheism, science, logic and everything to do with it, in hopes to top up a blank mind with the sticky pink goo of godfaith.

Originally Posted by ukrkoz

OP, this is how it happens.
You ask. With all your heart and soul. Just an expression, you may not believe in soul.


Then, it simply happens. Your faith will find YOU. I guarantee it.
The more logical and mental approach you will take to this, the worse will be the results of it.



You simply let go of it and let the powers to be take care of it for you. While inbetween, you could read on say Uel Anderson or Joseph Murphy works? Just an example....

I'm still hearing self -brainwashing, here.

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by nateswift

"Yes, but the reality is that there has been a "next stop" post-atheism for many of us. It allows us to remain latched onto the "honest truth" while recognizing the value of certain types of connections and considerations of religion."