Religious Stance

[KingDave]

Well, what are you?

[Nazgûl Killer]

Atheist. Used to be Monotheist, but after growing up sufficiently I started noticing gaping holes in the stories behind the religion, and behind all religions for that matter, and eventually came to the realization.

[Sir Winston Churchill]

Atheist. Used to be Monotheist, but after growing up sufficiently I started noticing gaping holes in the stories behind the religion, and behind all religions for that matter, and eventually came to the realization.

So what's wrong with Buddhism? I'd like to hear about these gaping holes.

[The Good]

A monotheistic Christian. You're missing agnostic though, and there are more on this message board than atheists.

[MaximiIian]

Well, what are you?

Your thread title is crap; you've asked for theological stance, not religious stance.

Anywho: hard polytheist, also panentheist.

[Pious Agnost]

I suppose, since I don't believe in a specific God, but I believe there probably is one, that I'd fall under Atheist best.

It burns!

[S.L.I.G]

Deist.

[Aonghus G. Friedhold]

Deist. Did not answer.

[Maca]

Monotheist.

[G-Megas-Doux]

Chose not to answer as Atheist does not quite cover it for me, even though it is the closest answer there.

[Playfishpaste]

Deists are monotheistic, so add two votes to the monotheist count.

[Arch-hereticK]

You either believe or you don't. There is no middle ground unfortunately. If we're talking about theisms and your answer is anything other than yes I'm a theist then you're an atheist by default.

[Aonghus G. Friedhold]

Deists are monotheistic, so add two votes to the monotheist count.

lolwut

Deism is the idea that you believe there is a higher power, but don't know how it would want to be worshiped, if at all. For all I know, there could be four powers, one power, or hundreds.

[Playfishpaste]

lolwut

Deism is the idea that you believe there is a higher power, but don't know how it would want to be worshiped, if at all. For all I know, there could be four powers, one power, or hundreds.

Note the "a" higher power.

As in one.

If you talk about the four, or hundreds, you're talking about polytheistic deism, a relatively new bag. Either way, it's still theism, just polytheistic in that case.

[Arch-hereticK]

It's called polydeism if you believe that a multitude of gods created the universe, I think.

Does anyone think you can by a deistic-atheist? I mean a deist doesn't neccessarily believe a god currently exists, wouldn't that make you an atheist?

[G-Megas-Doux]

It's called polydeism if you believe that a multitude of gods created the universe, I think.

Does anyone think you can by a deistic-atheist? I mean a deist doesn't neccessarily believe a god currently exists, wouldn't that make you an atheist?

From Britannica 2009 on the artical Deism.

"The dividing line between Deism and atheism among the Philosophes was often rather blurred, as is evidenced by Le Rêve de d'Alembert (written 1769; “The Dream of d'Alembert”), which describes a discussion between the two “fathers” of the Encyclopédie: the Deist Jean Le Rond d'Alembert and the atheist Diderot. Diderot had drawn his inspiration from Shaftesbury, and thus in his early career he was committed to a more emotional Deism. Later in life, however, he shifted to the atheist materialist circle of the Baron d'Holbach. When Holbach paraphrased or translated the English Deists, his purpose was frankly atheist; he emphasized those portions of their works that attacked existing religious practices and institutions, neglecting their devotion to natural religion and their adoration of Christ. The Catholic Church in 18th-century France did not recognize fine distinctions among heretics, and Deist and atheist works were burned in the same bonfires."

Article writer Frank Edward Manuel
Emeritus Professor of History, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts. Author of Shapes of Philosophical History and others.

[Playfishpaste]

It's called polydeism if you believe that a multitude of gods created the universe, I think.

Does anyone think you can by a deistic-atheist? I mean a deist doesn't neccessarily believe a god currently exists, wouldn't that make you an atheist?

If you believe a god existed, but ceased to exist, you are a theist.

You cannot be an atheistic deist. It is a contradiction. Deists do not believe in just any random supernature, they believe in a god.

[Aonghus G. Friedhold]

Note the "a" higher power.

As in one.

If you talk about the four, or hundreds, you're talking about polytheistic deism, a relatively new bag. Either way, it's still theism, just polytheistic in that case.

Okay, bad word choice. But the point is, deism is based around the idea that there is probably something or somethings bigger than us, but no way of knowing. We have no way of knowing how to worship it or them, and for that matter we have no way of knowing if it or they want it. I have no idea if there is one or two or more. I'm not monotheistic or polytheistic, I'm just theistic.

[Prodigal]

Monotheist all the way!

[Aru]

Atheist, It was a good 15 year long process of admitting to myself that I don't and never did believe in Christian God, then making up my own versions of what is God, then leaving an option of existence of Divine being, then concluding that the idea of divine is stupid mumbo jumbo.