Areligious, agnostic, atheist all mean not believing in God

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. I am agnostic Christian. I don't have evidence or surety that God is real. But I hope against logic that He is. And I pray, go to church, and try to follow the way Jesus showed us.

The "leap into the absurd" resonates with me. If we have to be sure, then there's really no such thing as faith.

Faith is believing (being sure) without material evidence.

Hoping is different.
I hope my child will be a happy adult, but I don't believe it. (I have mixed indirect predictive evidence.)

I believe my dead grandmother feels no pain. (I have some indirect material evidence that all points to that.)

Do you think your dead grandmother feels no pain because she is happy with god in heaven, or because she no longer exists?

[Anonymous]

Areligious means not believing in religion, which is different than God.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Areligious means not believing in religion, which is different than God.

What religion does not have a God? Can you name any?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on your definition of God.

What is your definition of God?

If you won’t define good, how can I tell if I believe or not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Areligious means not believing in religion, which is different than God.

What religion does not have a God? Can you name any?

You missed it.

A person can believe in God and not be part of an organized religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I disagree. I am agnostic Christian. I don't have evidence or surety that God is real. But I hope against logic that He is. And I pray, go to church, and try to follow the way Jesus showed us.

The "leap into the absurd" resonates with me. If we have to be sure, then there's really no such thing as faith.

You disagree with what? and What is an agnostic Christian? DO you really think of yourself that way? Seems to me that you can have Jesus for a role model without believing in the everlasting life stuff?

The way I see it -- most people don't have faith: they just hope that they will somehow continue to live after they die.

I disagree with the OP.

I also disagree with the PP who says faith is believing (being sure) without material evidence.

I think Americans put way too much emphasis on "being sure" as the necessary foundation of religion. I guess it's part of seeing faith as a thing you shop around for rather than a thing you're part of a community of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May God bless you and protect you and show you the way back to Him. Amen.

Cough cough god doesn't exist cough

Citation needed.

The existence of God is a question of personal belief and faith, with strong arguments both for and against. There is no scientific or universally accepted proof that definitively proves or disproves God's existence.

Where is your evidence that God doesn’t exist? Provide a link.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May God bless you and protect you and show you the way back to Him. Amen.

Cough cough god doesn't exist cough

Citation needed.

The existence of God is a question of personal belief and faith, with strong arguments both for and against. There is no scientific or universally accepted proof that definitively proves or disproves God's existence.

Where is your evidence that God doesn’t exist? Provide a link.

Where is your evidence that my favorite deity doesn’t exist?

[Anonymous]

Belief, faith and hope are all different, and the distinction lies in what one can know cognitive vs experience outside of language.

I don’t believe in a god, yet I have experienced something divine that has given me faith. It’s true for me, based on experience. I believe all religions generally are attempts or pathways for others to experience this divine truth.

I hope everyone experiences what I have because it’s been a source of peace and provides clarity and compassion.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, maybe. But I always called myself agnostic thinking (maybe hoping) I’d get there someday. For the most part I have. I believe in natural beauty, rhythms of life, the sense of souls of our loved ones who have since passed, and serendipity. None of those things happen without a God, or more superior energy, than is borne on Earth. That said, despite my DH (and kids! There’s a benefit to having a religious community when you’re young, within reason). being full-fledged Catholic, I’ll never join a formal religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, maybe. But I always called myself agnostic thinking (maybe hoping) I’d get there someday. For the most part I have. I believe in natural beauty, rhythms of life, the sense of souls of our loved ones who have since passed, and serendipity. None of those things happen without a God, or more superior energy, than is borne on Earth. That said, despite my DH (and kids! There’s a benefit to having a religious community when you’re young, within reason). being full-fledged Catholic, I’ll never join a formal religion.

Sounds like you'd like to believe, because everyone else does. But it just doesn't come naturally to you.

By the way, all the things you mention happen without a god.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Belief, faith and hope are all different, and the distinction lies in what one can know cognitive vs experience outside of language.

I don’t believe in a god, yet I have experienced something divine that has given me faith. It’s true for me, based on experience. I believe all religions generally are attempts or pathways for others to experience this divine truth.

I hope everyone experiences what I have because it’s been a source of peace and provides clarity and compassion.

Maybe what you experienced is not "divine" as in coming from a supernatural being, but it is a wonderful part of the human experience. I'm glad you experienced it - what ever it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:May God bless you and protect you and show you the way back to Him. Amen.

Cough cough god doesn't exist cough

Citation needed.

The existence of God is a question of personal belief and faith, with strong arguments both for and against. There is no scientific or universally accepted proof that definitively proves or disproves God's existence.

Where is your evidence that God doesn’t exist? Provide a link.

Really? That's all you need to be convinced? a link? To an internet source?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, maybe. But I always called myself agnostic thinking (maybe hoping) I’d get there someday. For the most part I have. I believe in natural beauty, rhythms of life, the sense of souls of our loved ones who have since passed, and serendipity. None of those things happen without a God, or more superior energy, than is borne on Earth. That said, despite my DH (and kids! There’s a benefit to having a religious community when you’re young, within reason). being full-fledged Catholic, I’ll never join a formal religion.

You witness, observe, experience those things, and I believe you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Belief, faith and hope are all different, and the distinction lies in what one can know cognitive vs experience outside of language.

I don’t believe in a god, yet I have experienced something divine that has given me faith. It’s true for me, based on experience. I believe all religions generally are attempts or pathways for others to experience this divine truth.

I hope everyone experiences what I have because it’s been a source of peace and provides clarity and compassion.

Maybe what you experienced is not "divine" as in coming from a supernatural being, but it is a wonderful part of the human experience. I'm glad you experienced it - what ever it is.

Exactly. The experience is divine, and I feel no need to define it further. I’m just grateful.