If any? Again, I'm new here so I'm sure this has been covered so I apologize if I am being redundant! I'm a huge supporter of the Buddhist beliefs...I think their outlook on life and attitude are so beautiful and amazing. So peaceful and non judgmental. How about you?

This board has been around for years and the same topics will naturally be covered over and over as a steady stream of exmos will keep coming here.

Now, for your question. Personally, I pretty much loathe all religions. Many do not consider Buddhism to be religion, but rather a code.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2011 02:20AM by Queen of Denial.

Yeah, I should specify...by religion, I mean belief system...does not have to be religious! Thanks for pointing that out:)

Raised Mormon turned Agnostic Atheist.

I really Buddhism though.

My religion is simply the Golden Rule.

I consider myself to be an atheist and tend to dislike religion or any superstitious or irrational belief system.

I don't feel the need to find or adopt any pre-packaged belief system. I trust my ability to evaluate ideas based on my own reason.

Agnostic Atheist here.

Agnostic, I guess. I can't allow myself to not believe in anything at all, because our universe is massive. I want to look into Buddhism, but other than that, I don't like to call myself anything, and I definitely don't believe in a god, or at least a loving god for that matter.

If I had a religion, it'd be to be a generally good person, and live a full, healthy and happy life.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2011 02:56AM by fancypants.

I like the nine noble virtues from the Asatru and I like Thor. That being said I look at Thor and the nnv like buddhism. I just try to be the best that I can be and enjoy my time here. I like this quote "Show respect to all people, but grovel to none."
But really I'm now Atheist since leaving the morg but like Thor etc. This probably makes no sense but it works for me and I'm happy :)

the god of thunder Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I like the nine noble virtues from the Asatru and
> I like Thor. That being said I look at Thor and
> the nnv like buddhism. I just try to be the best
> that I can be and enjoy my time here. I like this
> quote "Show respect to all people, but grovel to
> none."
> But really I'm now Atheist since leaving the morg
> but like Thor etc. This probably makes no sense
> but it works for me and I'm happy :)

I came here to basically say this exact same thing, and I had no idea there were other like-minded ExMormons. I even list my religious beliefs as Asatru on Facebook haha. I am also an Atheist but I like Thor. A lot.

I'm heathen as well...not Asatru, as I primarily reverence the Vanir, specifically Freyr.

If and when I go to church, I attend the local UU congregation.

If it's real...we believe in it. Haaa haaa.

http://www.churchofreality.org/wisdom/

I tend to think Jesus was a myth. I've been getting into pre-Nicene books of scripture, Marcionite teachings, etc. It is fascinating.

Belief system? Peace and Love I guess.

Live & let live.

First Church of Ass Kicking.

And any time the mormon mishies come knocking on my door, it's my Sabbath. >;)

I believe in The Creator of The Universe. He is incomprehensible, and I can live with ambiguity.

I believe in Truth.

I believe in--and strive to follow--the teachings of Christ in the Bible. (I don't know if he was the Divine Son of the Bipolar Old Testament God.)

I honor the mind of Man, and science.

I worship Nature. There's a circle of large trees nearby, which I call "The Cathedral." I've always felt closer to the Creator there, than I ever felt in any Mormon church.

After Mormonism, I'm left with a dread of organized religions. I'm free, and I don't want to be imprisoned again.

BTW--it was freeing to get rid of all the cult's lies, judgments, prejudices, hatred, coercion, female subjugation, and abuse--whew! I know what I DON'T believe in.

I believe in doing good to others. I love helping out whenever I can and I also improved my respect for myself and for any other living creature on earth.
I had never read the scriptures before being baptized and Mormonism kinda helped with that.
But then I realised that you don't need a religion to do good and be happy with yourself and what you're given.
I'm free.
Free from God, but above all I'm free from that bunch of Latter-day Lies :D

After leaving the LDS, I embraced the religious path I was always drawn to: Druidic Paganism. (It's not for everyone, but it fits me perfectly.)

Philosophically, I'm an agnostic. Behaviorally, I'm an atheist. That is, intellectually, I don't know FOR SURE that there is or is not a god. Personally, I think it's unknowable, therefore, I'm agnostic. However, I live my life as if there is no god or any kind of supernatural being.

That's what I don't believe; what I do believe is to be a good, kind and compassionate person, a loving husband, a devoted father and grandfather and a productive member of the community in which I live. I believe in doing good as I would want to be done by; in not doing what I would not want done to myself; and trying to make my actions helpful rather than hurtful. I suppose all that makes me a humanist, too.

I've had many people tell me that I should be a Buddhist, but I've really come to heartily dislike religion of any kind.

I'm not perfect, but I just try my best to practice the Thumper rule, that if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all.

I even practice that on-line, where anonymity will allow you to say pretty much anything. But I refuse to let that cause me to be something I'm not. If I wouldn't say it to someone's face, then I won't say it here either.

I was a goddess worshipping pagan for about a decade after I left the cult. In the last couple of years, I realized I was an athiest and paganism was a tool to help me move past the patriarchal cult I was rasied in.

I consider myself a soft atheist these days.

...of a Unitarian Universalist church, although people have their own opinions of whether it's a "religion," and I don't care one way or the other. I'm not afraid to say that it's mainly my social club and my haven of liberal thought here in the buckle of the Bible Belt (not to mention the only place I've met exmormons here in Memphis). But I do have a belief in it's creed-- affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every human being.

You mean unless they are Mormon and then you have no respect for them? If you want to be respected, then it may be nice for you to show the same respect to them. My family is upset that I left the church, but they respect me and I respect them.

In my post-LDS decade I've studied religions at university, practiced every one I studied, became a Zen Buddhist, got annoyed with people using Buddhism to escape the real world, and spent a good deal of time practicing no religion at all.

I've concluded that ALL religions are basically 'made up' human constructs,and for awhile that bothered me. Now it doesn't bother me.

Then I had what I call "my enlightenment experience". I was watching a Britcom, "To The Manor Born". The new Lord of the Manor was being reprimanded by the previous Lord's widow for not attending church. He explained that he is not a religious man, and doesn't believe in all that stuff.
She explained to him that attending church had nothing to do with what he believed or did not believe. She told him as Lord of the Manor and essentially leader of the village he needed to be at church because that is where you get to know people. That is where you find out who is having a child, who has had a barn burn down, who needs help....

This was a whole new idea to me--not church as a place to be better than everyone else, not church as an ego trip or church as a place to escape hell or save the souls of everyone, but church as a place to love and serve in this real world.

I suppose my outlook on life is more buddhist-pagan-ish. But my study of our local community has led me to the Anglican Church here, because that is where the most service to the community is going on.
The pagan groups and the buddhist ones here, all fairly young and quite small, are serving their own interests (which is not a bad thing).
The Anglican Church, which is large and has been here a century, serves the larger interests of the community. It's located right downtown, shelters the homeless in winter, serves the community kitchen, and so on, and so on.
I want to serve my community, and here the Anglican Church is the place to do that.
I find the people there to be open-hearted, open-minded, and the doors of the chapel are always open for prayer, which touches my heart.

I am a member of THE CHURCH OF PEACHES AND CREAM. Trust me, it really is the only true church. I invite you all to join.

IF Divinity exists, it is the singular, natural and rational summation of all existence, past present and future. It is indifferent to what we need, want, or think of it. If we exist, we are part if it along with everything else that has ever existed, exists now, or will ever exist. Divinity is only conscious of itself and everything else to the extent we, its parts, are conscious of ourselves and everything else. Divinity, being the summation of existence, can not exist apart from natural existence itself. There is no realm of the 'supernatural', only the natural and rational that is not yet understood.

I like Christianity in general. I think that people need some time of social support and there are a few churches that do that well. There are a bunch that are a mess however.

FSM. All hail!

May his noodley appendage touch you in your nether regions.

Ron