Gidday from Down Under mate.

[puglover]

Gidday my name is Rebecca but you can just call me Bex or Pugs.
I hope to grow and develop new concepts whilst in the forum!
It shall be fantastic to chat with like minded people from all over the globe.
I have an interest in mathematics, politics, reading (non-fiction), religion, psychology, skiing, gardening and bike riding!
My nature is thoughtful, funny and stubborn.
I wish to learn to find the good in things and come to a common ground rather then argue in a defeatist manner.
Recently, I have joined an Atheist Society in my area in which we meet up for monthly lectures...
I also joined some other societies that I don't really know what I have got myself into.. 'Sea Of Faith' and 'Jung Society' .. don't really know much about Jung.. I just joined out of curiousity lol.
You can also find my username on several other forums on the wide world web!
Feel/am youngish.. I have much to learn! (dont like to give my age out over the net! lol).
Greatful to no longer be in a Lutheran School (why the bloody hell did i choose that school?)
Enough about me.. tell me all about Atheist Forums and it's members!

[Tiberius]

Welcome to the forums! Just out of curiosity, what is your "own definition" of agnostic/spiritual

[Edwardo Piet]

Welcome.

[puglover]

Thankyou for the warm welcome!

Well, I am aware that there are many different forms of expression for the word 'agnostic' but for myself I find it very difficult to explain in words a gut feeling.
Although at times I think what I believe is very different to what I want to believe.

I do believe in some form of spirituality that are not necessarily marked as religious views or explained by science as of yet but have been felt so deeply and personally that I cannot deny it...
for instance that special connection you can have with a four legged friend!
also.. the relationship between mind/body/environment and the belief in self.
Yet at the same time I am cautious to not let my spirituality send me on a wild goose chase looking for faeries deep within the garden.. I like to question things but not be blinded by questions that brings about not resolve.

I once defined myself as an atheist and I was stubborn in saying that there was no God. To my old self I say prove that there is no God and I cannot.

I used to be ashamed of not knowing and I am not sure how this came about..
but I have learnt to be proud of my not knowing and from that stems a sense of bravery (sorry if that sounds ego headed lol) in accepting my fear.

I take it day by day.

Sometimes I look at my pug (dog) and think in all this mess of religion/politics that human kind has made.. the pug was the smart one.. it just ate it's food and didn't complain.

So, I suppose that you could say that my religious views is unknown and that of feeling.

If that makes any sense?

(Bex's secret thoughts: I am leaning on the side of there being no 'personal' God).

Oh and those old ladies that I see volunteering with church funded food vans for the homeless is not the work of God.. but I believe it is the work of Good People. I believe in good people!

I just get frusterated when I say 'agnostic' and then people put me in this box of therefore I must believe this, this and this. I am currently peeved that I continue to label myself with some poofwoofy word that makes me look smarter rather than to just be strong and firm and say I don't know. It needs work. lol.

Although, I also do pick out what I like out of several different religions to create a sort of melting pot of views.

(Btw. The pug's name is Grace. She is MY GOD lol. I tend to contradict myself a lot LOL.)

[Tiberius]

Good, well you seem to at least have an understanding of the meaning of the word "agnostic". You pretty much summed it up with your statement: "To my old self I say prove that there is no God and I cannot."

To the atheist you ask "Do you believe?"
To the agnostic you ask "Can you prove?"

Both answers should be no

[puglover]

I have been tempted to form my own religion though. Lol.
Yes, I suppose you could say that I did eventually come to the understanding of the meaning of the word "agnostic" in my rather dragged out post.
It is rather late where I am and had a rather lengthy day..
so I struggled a bit more than usual to rationalise my non-rational thoughts! Haha.

"To the atheist you ask "Do you believe?"
To the agnostic you ask "Can you prove?""

Ahh, I love that.. I have come across that before! Where is it from?

I am still trying to gather whether myself joining atheist groups is a form of weakness or strength.. and I question how they are any different from the church groups in how they function.. then again I suppose it also depends on the purpose of your joining!

[Edwardo Piet]

Well in the past I also have had a "gut feeling". It was a gut feeling that I "KNEW" there was no God however. The idea just "seemed totally ridiculous and impossible". Now I'm a de-facto atheist which means I think God's existence is POSSIBLE but so improbable that he's more improbable that this universe (as it currently exists) could just jump into existence like it is now right from the start. Rather than a singularity. God is more complex and improbable than the universe itself. And the burden of proof is on the believer.
I can understand why you'd still feel spiritual. But spiritual doesn't have to be supernatural. It can just mean wonder at the awe and beauty of the universe. As thats sort of how Sam Harris defines it I think (he's one of 3 other atheists who make best selling atheist books, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Christopher Hitchens in case you don't know). He still uses the word spiritual despite the fact he doesn't believe in the supernatural. I don't seem any harm in it either. For example Its perhaps hard to find an atheistic version of the word.
A spiritual experience could simply mean a particularly wonderful and awe-inspiring experience when you feel connected to the universe and/or nature.
And once again, welcome to the forums

[leo-rcc]

Hi Bex,

A very warm welcome to the forum.

psychology, skiing, gardening and bike riding!

Not a fundamentalist bike rider I hope? They are the worst.

Enough about me.. tell me all about Atheist Forums and it's members!

I'm just an idiot with a big mouth. I design and build combat robots, work with computers and networks, and post a lot on atheist forums. And my hobby is not collecting stamps.

[puglover]

Yep, yep, yep.. have heard of those Authors!
Read Dawkins - only cause the kids were raving about it lol and I suppose I can see why.
I agree to most of what he says but some require more thought on my part.
Is Sam Harris Australian?

I seem to have gone back to reading about different civilizations and grasping more of a foundation on science (mathematics) in order to create a bit more of my own solid thoughts rather than continually circulating and the questioning without fact of peoples opinions like that of these authors..
they do seem to feed my curiousity though!

I am only 20 give me time.

Hi Bex,

A very warm welcome to the forum.

psychology, skiing, gardening and bike riding!

Not a fundamentalist bike rider I hope? They are the worst.

Enough about me.. tell me all about Atheist Forums and it's members!

I'm just an idiot with a big mouth. I design and build combat robots, work with computers and networks, and post a lot on atheist forums. And my hobby is not collecting stamps.

ooo.. I used to love those combat robots that fight each other on tv!! I want photos!
Haha.. I have pleanty of stamps for ya.. but I don't collect any more.. toooo busy and I move around a lot.. so, they live with mum!

[Edwardo Piet]

That's all fair enough. I'm 20 too.
I'm from the UK and I am a de-facto atheists. I don't need any labels for my atheism really its only like being a non-astrologer as Sam Harris says
But what I do believe I am on the views of God is: I'm a monist materialist reductionist neo-darwinian. And if you want more info I'm a de-faco atheist. But that's non-belief not belief. Atheism is not a religion or a belief system. Its one lack of belief by definition. The de-facto part just means I'm well over 99% sure there is no God. But not 100% for certain.
I like music, games and foruming on forums such as these (this set of forums in particular). I like watching TV, mostly QI, House M.D ABOFAL (A Bit of Fry and Laurie) plenty of Sitcoms, like Bottom, Red Dwarf, Blackadder, Men Behaving Badly etc. I won't get into the movies for now there's too many...
And I like South Park and Family guy. I also like The Simpsons and Futurama but I think I actually prefer futurama because these days the simpsons seem to get a bit samely. Last few years not so good for me. I liked the Simpsons best not in the earlier or these later series. But generally in the middle-late-middle. Last couple of years been too samey for me.
Hope you have a good time here.
Btw I think/thought Sam Harris is an American not Australian. On wikipedia it says he's American but I'm not sure if that implies American born could it mean he moved their from somewhere else when he was young? I dunno.
Of course not to be confused with another Sam Harris I know nothing about who's some kind of singer or something.