I'm a theist once again and I'm sticking with it this time around

[Helm]

I now have absolute 100% pure faith in the almighty God. The exact nature of the almighty God in question I'm still slightly unclear on though, but bear in mind that this is very much a work in progress.

[Himster]

I don't believe you.

[Helm]

Nope I'm serious. I've decided materialism is a bit silly and agnosticism may as well just be materialism. Humanism is alright but then everyone is a Humanist regardless of the religion they follow so it's a bit redundant.

I could even convert to some form of Christianity, though it wouldn't be the orthodox kind I still have a couple of concerns about some aspects of organised religions. But like I said I'll have to work on it. Islam is a bit less likely though I could go for Baha'i which is fairly close. At the current moment I'm officially pagan.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Its not like shopping for a piece of candy, only one can be true or all are false...

[Helm]

Its not like shopping for a piece of candy, only one can be true or all are false...

Like I said it's a work in progress, I haven't quite settled on all the exact details yet. At the moment what I appear to have is Northern Tradition/Germanic paganism which I see as something akin to a European version of Japanese Shinto. It seems like a decent place to start while I'm researching all the other religious beliefs out there.

My current concept of God is something along these lines, you'll see something like this in Hindu mythology as well. It will take a little bit of explaining.

[xcorps]

Like I said it's a work in progress, I haven't quite settled on all the exact details yet. At the moment what I appear to have is Northern Tradition/Germanic paganism which I see as something akin to a European version of Japanese Shinto. It seems like a decent place to start while I'm researching all the other religious beliefs out there.

My current concept of God is something along these lines, you'll see something like this in Hindu mythology as well. It will take a little bit of explaining.

You are wasting your time. Your concept of God is irrelevant, and it will always be. It would be like a paramecium picking its favorite car for a summer tour of the Alps.

God will reveal himself to you in ways that that you don't expect, but I think your mind is closed to them because you are trying so hard to determine what YOU think Gods role is. Its the other way around.

.

[Haidar]

Its not like shopping for a piece of candy, only one can be true or all are false...

That's kind of stupid. The truth of one does not negate the truth of the other, for rarely is something absolutely 100% right or absolutely 100% wrong. I believe there is truth in every religion, that can serve its followers well, and that their followers can be good people and be rewarded by God for it.

That being said, I'm a Sufi, and tend to be horribly liberal on such matters. Which, on-topic, Helm, you should look into the Sufi movement in Islam, and really every single religion on the face of the Earth, all have something for you to learn and all can make you a better person, if you allow yourself to be.

[Taiji]

So far it just looks to me like you want attention and don't care about making a mess in this forum to get it. I could be wrong, so please explain why you think anyone would be interested.

[Helm]

Sufism is good actually imo, I have a few books of Sufism and a Koran as well I'm reading through all that, it seems like a decent religion to me. The problem with atheism is that you have to think much of the world is off it's trolley and believing in fairytales. And it's just as dogmatic as anything else.

[Time Commander Bob]

Helm, I don't see why you see the need to convert or join a Religion, theist or no. Just think for yourself and derive your own conclusions (whether they lead to a deity or not) rather than have others make them for you as often religions come with other baggage and doctrines more than simply an almighty deity.

[Helm]

Just think for yourself and derive your own conclusions

That's what I'm in the process of doing, I decided to ditch the whole atheism/materialism agenda without any pressure from anyone else.

rather than have others make them for you as often religions come with other baggage and doctrines more than simply an almighty deity.

The doctrines can be good guidelines to adhere to in order to form a more upstanding moral and spirtual character in my opinion. And through building such a character you'll become closer to God which is a good thing imo. I still believe that much of religion is a social and cultural construct, perhaps with a little bit of guidance and inspiration from the higher power they're based around. I like to think of it as a two way system where we do a little bit and God does a little bit, and all the religions of the world is the result of that interaction between us. Though most religions have a more specific historical event or person which the belief is centered around but I think it's optional which one of those you choose to specifically believe in.

[Gordon Freynman]

THANK ING GOD, he's your problem now theists!

[Helm]

THANK ING GOD, he's your problem now theists!

You're thanking a God that doesn't exist?I think you will find he does and you'll answer to him on your day of judgement, or something like that. Or it could be some kind of karma system, I'm not sure I'll have to look into it.

[Helm]

The picture isn't meant to be taken literally, it's really just God as a more hollistic concept rather than a man with a beard who exists outside of the universe somewhere. God is very much a part of our universe and ourselves as well as being transcendent beyond it. It's called panenthiesm and it's fairly close to what pre-Christian Europeans and Hindu's believe. But that's just my philosophical take on it. If you're going to believe in a God you need to make a stab at defining it and I believe that's what my ancient ancestors did. So it's neat to be able share some of what they believed in. It could be wrong but it feels right to me. We as humans can be represented this way as well we each have our different aspects and branches which radiate outwards or go deep into the earth. Some of it you can see and experience directly as the physical self and some of it is hidden from view but you understand that it is all there somehow. And all of this is connected together as one grand and eternal system. Getting a little bit into mystic angle here, but I like this stuff. In the Kabbalah they have a Tree of Life as well.

[Hilarion]

Why should we care? You don't need to sound the trumpets every time you switch between atheism and theism.

[Gaidin]

Do you just roll a die every morning and see what the result is?

[hellheaven1987]

I thought you are a pagan theist since last year?

[saglam2000]

Today i am *looks at die* -Radical islamist...- aww crap i wont be surviving past today

[Kabeloko]

as long as u do the right choices and things, doesnt really matters wich religion u follow, so long it doesnt do bad, only good to other people, in my opinion...

[Hilarion]

as long as u do the right choices and things, doesnt really matters wich religion u follow, so long it doesnt do bad, only good to other people, in my opinion...

You sound just like my Presbyterian minister.