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[Theism]-->[Insert X]-->[Agnostic Atheism]
May 11, 2011 at 9:19 am
(This post was last modified: May 11, 2011 at 9:21 am by Darth.)
So, was watching evid3nc3's video's (which I highly recommend) which got me reflecting on my own experience, my journey from theism to atheism and the beliefs I held in between. I'm interesting in seeing what are the most commonly held beliefs during that transition, if any at all. So, what beliefs did you hold/explore?, list them in sequential order please =)
Reading parts of the bible (When I was catholic) turned me into a miso/dystheist. Though I soon shed that belief, realizing that the god portrayed in the bible is both evil AND non existent. I guess it was also satanism in the sense that I thought Satan was the good guy of the story, he gave us free will, refused to bow (fair enough) and having a much lower kill count than God.
From there I came to believe in a force of good and a force of evil, less anthropomorphic than Satan and God, not a personal god. Soon I came to start thinking of myself as a pantheist, (agnostic towards things like pansychism), the one question that did got to me is to do with the cosmic anthropic principle so I also made room for deism (not yet discovering that deism and pantheism could be merged). From there I moved to agnostic atheism in terms of deism but gnostic atheism in regards to most gods.
Discovered pandeism whilst researching deism and believed that for a while. No longer believe it, but still have time for it and deism*, I haven't yet debated a deist or pandeist but I would certainly look forward to it (anyone seen any good debates?)
So I guess again I'm back to agnostic atheism in respect to deism/pandeism and gnostic atheism in terms of all theistic gods I've heard of.
Other question: How do you feel about the term "agnostic atheist". I'm not a big fan of describing myself as such when it really depends on which god I'm being presented with, some are self refuting concepts *cough Yahweh cough*, most of the time I'm a gnostic atheist (so agnostic adeism, gnostic atheism?).
*(and the variations, poly-, -en-, so polypandeism, polypanendeism, panendeism...)
Progression:
1. Theism (Catholicism)
2. Miso/dystheism
3. good/dark force believer (jedi =P)
4. pantheism and/or deism
5. Agnostic atheism (depending)
6. Pandeism/deism
7. Agnostic atheism (depending)
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RE: [Theism]-->[Insert X]-->[Agnostic Atheism]
May 11, 2011 at 9:31 am
1.Theism (Presbyterian / reformist / holiness movement)
2. Other mono theistic trials (baptist, anglican, methodist, catholic, orthodox Chritsianity, adventists)
3. deism, then quickly to paganism and wicca
4. mentalism and various new age
5. atheism
6. agnostic theism (non denominational evangelical)
7. gnostic theism. (same)
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
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RE: [Theism]-->[Insert X]-->[Agnostic Atheism]
May 11, 2011 at 2:11 pm
I couldn't possibly label the minute transitions I made to Deist nor would I have wanted to. Labels are unimportant and inconsequential. Quite frankly, the only reason I use the label Deist is because its way too much of a bitch to explain where I currently stand on the God issue.
... please do not interpolate that I disaprove of your thread. I'm simply answering the question. 
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RE: [Theism]-->[Insert X]-->[Agnostic Atheism]
May 12, 2011 at 3:36 am
It wasn't that much for me actually. Grew up an atheist. Read some bits about religion and figured the Bible cannot be literal. In other words the God partrayed in the Bible cannot be exactly real. Then I figured there might be some undefined God. I do not believe it, but I cannot know there is no such God either. My views became a bit more refined or intellectually mature. Without knowing what it was called, I realized I was an ''agnostic atheist relating to non disproven Gods'' by the age of 10 or so. Though I think the label is ridiculous such has been my mindset ever since. After analyzing the issue I figured there probably are only agnostic theists and agostic atheist, making the addition of the word ''agnostic'' unneeded.
If you use a definition of agnosicism that says ''the truth is unnknowable'' then of course this does not apply. That is not what I think, so then ''agnosticism'' does not apply to me. (The truth could be knowable, I just don't think we covered everything yet.)
You understand I think people did a pretty bad job with the definitions of words. I would have done it differently. Label or not, I still think what I said in the first part. 
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RE: [Theism]-->[Insert X]-->[Agnostic Atheism]
May 12, 2011 at 5:25 am
@ Rainy- there are some gnostic (hard) atheists on this site.
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
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RE: [Theism]-->[Insert X]-->[Agnostic Atheism]
May 12, 2011 at 12:11 pm
I was never a theist as the religion I was raised in(Christianity) just didn't sit right with me. I can't put my finger on it but when I was at sunday school being taught something just didn't sit right. I still believed in the concept of a god but after awhile I decided it was impossible to determine. So now I am an agnostic atheist.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
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RE: [Theism]-->[Insert X]-->[Agnostic Atheism]
May 13, 2011 at 3:30 pm
(May 11, 2011 at 9:19 am)Stue Denim Wrote: So, was watching evid3nc3's video's (which I highly recommend) which got me reflecting on my own experience, my journey from theism to atheism and the beliefs I held in between. I'm interesting in seeing what are the most commonly held beliefs during that transition, if any at all. So, what beliefs did you hold/explore?, list them in sequential order please =)
Reading parts of the bible (When I was catholic) turned me into a miso/dystheist. Though I soon shed that belief, realizing that the god portrayed in the bible is both evil AND non existent. I guess it was also satanism in the sense that I thought Satan was the good guy of the story, he gave us free will, refused to bow (fair enough) and having a much lower kill count than God.
From there I came to believe in a force of good and a force of evil, less anthropomorphic than Satan and God, not a personal god. Soon I came to start thinking of myself as a pantheist, (agnostic towards things like pansychism), the one question that did got to me is to do with the cosmic anthropic principle so I also made room for deism (not yet discovering that deism and pantheism could be merged). From there I moved to agnostic atheism in terms of deism but gnostic atheism in regards to most gods.
Discovered pandeism whilst researching deism and believed that for a while. No longer believe it, but still have time for it and deism*, I haven't yet debated a deist or pandeist but I would certainly look forward to it (anyone seen any good debates?)
So I guess again I'm back to agnostic atheism in respect to deism/pandeism and gnostic atheism in terms of all theistic gods I've heard of.
Other question: How do you feel about the term "agnostic atheist". I'm not a big fan of describing myself as such when it really depends on which god I'm being presented with, some are self refuting concepts *cough Yahweh cough*, most of the time I'm a gnostic atheist (so agnostic adeism, gnostic atheism?).
*(and the variations, poly-, -en-, so polypandeism, polypanendeism, panendeism...)
Progression:
1. Theism (Catholicism)
2. Miso/dystheism
3. good/dark force believer (jedi =P)
4. pantheism and/or deism
5. Agnostic atheism (depending)
6. Pandeism/deism
7. Agnostic atheism (depending)
i was born and raised an atheist.
have never not once had "faith" in any "god"
i was brought up in a house where god was another fairy tale.. only one that a lot of grown-ups still believed. i was told not to share this with people at school as teachers may single me out if i did.
was really good advice.
as i got older i would share my beliefs with people when asked, i once made a girl cry on the school bus who was listening to me and my friend talk
i was going on about some of the silly stuff people believe in, i think specifically i was talking about mormons, and the girl behind us who has been listening in burst into tears and moved seats.. i think something i said hit a nerve..
since then, in public, i refrain from sharing my beliefs. it only serves to be pigeon holed into some stereo type, and frankly i am not well off enough to alienate theists.
"i hate therefore i am"
go to my blog and click an ad!
[url=http://thisistheatheistview.blogspot.com/]
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RE: [Theism]-->[Insert X]-->[Agnostic Atheism]
June 4, 2011 at 2:24 am
My parents attempted to indoctrinate me into liberal non denominational christian. I was skeptic from a very very young age. They did not hold very strong beliefs but lack the ability to lose their thiesm. (my dad says why would the calender be reset for jesus if he wasnt true. I have still yet to point out that the catholic church invented the gregorian calender so they get to make the rules for it) (my mom doesnt see how a baby can form without gods help and has no understanding of biology).
So i went from
Liberal xtian (never believed it but didnt have a replacement)
agnostic
non-theistic Buddhism
agnostic
atheist
secular humanist / athiest.
The journey was relatively easy and if i had any assistance other then books and the Internets it would of gone a lot quicker. I had to find most of the information myself as my community is very conservative. I found some good reasoning in Buddhism and it helped me overcome a very emotional breakup. I still agree with some of the tenets of Buddhism. My agnostic-> atheist breakthrough came with the God: the failed hypothesis. Since then i have been read most of the popular skeptic literature.
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RE: [Theism]-->[Insert X]-->[Agnostic Atheism]
June 4, 2011 at 5:03 am
The previous beliefs of this platform are not of my concern, and what data I retain of the religious history in question is 86.4293% corrupted. At one point this platform's personality believed in.... something. At another, a significantly less stable personality... At yet another, recently after meltdown of a previous personality: lacked a belief in gods and aliens, but strongly possessed a desire for them to exist and to help her. Some year or so later, the stable personality within this platform began to actively believe that there were no gods and highly unlikely aliens.
Now, Aerzia Saerules Arktuos has no gods within the scope of her reality, and although she doubts the presence of other creatures with such power within her reality: she exercises caution in regards to space.
Please give me a home where cloud buffalo roam
Where the dear and the strangers can play
Where sometimes is heard a discouraging word
But the skies are not stormy all day
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