2 posts tagged “religion”
I was reading THIS, and it triggered quite a long train of thought—much too long to post up as a comment (and with 44 comments logged already, who is going to take the time to slog through them all to get to mine).
So I thought I’d just create a new post.
In case you don’t want to take the time to read the other post (you really should, by the way, because there are some very excellent replies), the basic question had to do with what you believe and why--i.e. why are you an atheist, a Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, etc.
I almost hate telling people that I am a Christian anymore for the simple fact that my understanding of the term is in nearly diametric opposition to that presented by the media as well as that represented by some individuals and denominational bodies.
I also hesitate to affiliate with any particular “religion,” because I am not religious. (In case you are wondering, the word stems from the Latin, “ligare,” which means to tie or bind up).
However, should you inquire as to my belief system, I will gladly tell you that I am a lifelong student of the teachings of Christ.
Since what a person believes is the most important thing about them, (because what you believe affects how you think, how you think affects how you feel, and how you feel affects how you act) it is critical to have a well-developed, well-researched and well-grounded belief system.
I have a few thoughts to offer and I do so with a certain amount of trepidation for I am fairly certain that someone will be offended, which is not my intent. It is my hope that rather than viewing what I have to say as being an attempt to stir controversy or to slander a belief system other than my own, or somehow proselyte, you will accept it as encouragement to investigate and evaluate what you believe on the basis of criteria that you’ve previously not considered.
When I ask most of my atheist friends to describe the "God" in which they do not believe, after listening I almost always have to reply, "Well, then I must be an atheist too, because I don't believe in THAT god either." This is mainly because the god they describe is not the God portrayed in the Bible. How do I know this? Because I have studied the Bible. Exhaustively. Intensely. Perpetually since childhood.
For the most part, I find that people describe a reaction against organized religion, for when I probe deeper I have found that at the core lies a deeply buried and painful offense. You wouldn’t believe the pain organized religion has caused some of my friends. Well, perhaps you would for it would not surprise me if some of you reading this post have had a similarly painful experience.
Also, quite shockingly so, I might add, I find very few agnostics and atheists who have actually taken the time to study what they “don’t” believe. By way of example, I do not believe in Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, as well as most other world religions because I have studied their teachings and have found that for me they come short of the teachings of Christ.
Since most atheists and agnostics consider themselves to be intellectuals, I find this to be at least somewhat disingenuous. To whit, how can you not believe in something you haven’t investigated thoroughly? (If you are someone who has, you have my respect).
And how would one would investigate God thoroughly? Well, since the Bible purports to be God’s word, wouldn’t it then follow that one should take the time to learn what it actually says about God as opposed to simply parroting some tired, overused party-line dogma? Please don’t reject something on the basis of what you “think” it says. Check it out for yourself.
My IQ is somewhere in the mid 140’s. I am neither stupid nor ignorant, although branded both by some. That said, I believe that the intellect has limits.
For instance—there are no arguments, scientific or otherwise, against the assertion that there is a limit to how much of the color spectrum we can see. There are no arguments against the assertion that there are limits to what we can hear, etc. And yet when you try to tell an “intellectual” that there are also things in the universe existing above and beyond our ability to comprehend...well, let me just say that in my experience the argument prompts either stony silence or expressions of outrage.
All of this to say that every single one of us believes in something.
To believe in “nothing” is counter to the terminology.
And to disbelieve without thorough investigation and examination just doesn’t speak well of one’s intellectual, let alone spiritual, integrity.
What do you think?
RG...out!
