Some folks, if you say you are agnostic or atheist, say: you believe in nothing?

How would you answer those kinds of questions?

I would just ask why I need to believe in anything; when it comes to religion anyway.

I just feel like I'm on a wonderful journey of discovery. I read books. I study science. I study history.

I refer to myself as a hopeful skeptic, but I certainly need at least a little proof of something before I can actually call it a belief.

I have theories, which seem to change daily with the more knowledge that I gain. But I'm okay with the idea that there are some things we may never have an answer on.

I've learned to embrace the mystery.

Very nice Greyfort. I like your answers!

I like: "hopeful skeptic" -- fits me also.

I wouldn't even answer directly I'd go after the question.

"I'll tell you what I believe, I believe that is a loaded question. You want me to say what I believe in so that you can show me the errors of my choice. But your question is loaded. You're presuming that I believe something is true in the first place. What I believe is the LDS church is false, not that something else is true. Not believing in the church does not mean I believe in atheism. It does not mean I'm agnostic. It does not mean I believe in scientology.

Your question is intended to remove the burden of proof from yourself and rest it on me. I don't have to prove anything. What I believe is that Mormonism is not true. I don't have to prove anything, that's your job.

And yeah, just because I'm not with you does not mean I'm against you. I may very well be indifferent to you."

I think those kinds of questions from LDS people are not confined to being asked of just non believers. Shortly before attending a Stake Court (willingly and with purpose on my part) I began attending another church. The Stake President sneeringly asked me (told me): "Oh, and you think this other church is the only true church?" My response in the negative was met with a quizzical silence.

I had a good conversation about this kind of thing with my TBM cousin yesterday. She asked if I believe in God and I told her I don't know but I have hope that there is one. She asked if I believed in Jesus Christ and I said I believe be existed and I try to follow all of his good teachings. I basically told her that in all of my reading and studying, I am building my own spirituality by taking the good things from any religion I study, but leaving behind the things that I feel make organized religions bad. So, I guess my answer to a question like "what do you believe?" - my shortest answer would be, "whatever my heart tells me is right."

Two things

One. People today seem to have soundbite questions and soundbite answers. Like. Do you believe in Jesus Christ?

My answer would be far too long for most most people to sit through. If anyone is curious, no I do not believe in JC at all, but believe is the key word, I do not KNOW for sure either.

Two. I know what I know. I have what you could comparatively call a testimony of certain things in this life, the difference is, I really do know what I claim to know.

I use these things to my benefit and they work.

I suppose my shortest possible answer is that I know what I know and I am curious about things, but I will never, ever "believe" or "know" that which is false or un knowable. I did it once, it nearly killed me, and once was enough.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2011 07:10PM by roflmao.

Dave the Atheist Wrote:
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> n/t


Mind if I join you? :-)

My answer would probably be that I am not sure and don't have all the answers. If they asked specifics, I would say I think there is a higher power and life after death, but I could be wrong and that I don't think Jesus was divine but I like his teachings and consider myself a Christian in some ways but not others. If they pissed me off, I might just tell them that my beliefs are none of their business. I guess it would depend on who asked and why/

Science has told us there are clouds. I see clouds and therefore; I believe in clouds.

What they are really asking, is: what do you believe that is not supported by facts. The answer, of course, is nothing.

So it comes down to what you accept as a "fact" and how carefully you research information before you accept it as "fact."

Since Mormons are forbidden to do research outside of their own insular community of same-thinkers, they are not aware of facts which would inpact their decision to believe.


Anagrammy

I'm really hyped about Talk Like a Pirate Day.

I just tell people I am agnostic, and there's no reason for it any other explanation or details. It's a private matter.

I tell people I believe in myself.
If it sounds megalomaniac, selfish, or self-centered, so what?

I'm not out deceiving, stealing, killing,...I don't need a god to tell me those things are wrong.

I believe in living an authentic life.

I believe in doing good and not harm.

My religion or belief came to me as I was walking the streets of downtown salt lake. If you are ever walking in the downtown area, I think I was over by little America or Trax.... look down on the sidewalk. Every so often someone has written "Trust Jesus". Really that's my whole belief/religion. I took me out of the equation when I left the church. Looking back its almost laughable to think I thought I could become a God (how foolish and arrogant). Since I'm such a screwup, I decided just to trust Jesus would work everything out. That's what I do now. Its simple, and just two words "Trust Jesus". Who'd ever thought I'd find my belief system looking down on the sidewalk.


Thanks for your post.

Exactly. That's all you have to do. None of this trusting the prophets,curent and past. Just focus on the simple things.

I'd say, "I believe, well actually I know, I am far happier and at peace out side of mormonism than I ever was within it. I am totally comfortable living with uncertainty. If we were supposed to KNOW, then we would. There either is no God, or he does not concern himself with events on earth.

I believe in being good and kind, mostly.
I believe in myself.
I believe in being authentic.
I believe in German Shepherds.
I believe in spending time with my elderly parents, along with the rest of my family.
I believe in sewing machines and creativity.
I believe in working and fending for myself.
I believe in reading.
I believe in thinking for myself.
and a whole bunch of other stuff.

I believe in leaving the world a little better than you found it.

And, putting the seat down when I am finished. My wife appreciates it.

You are a good man.

thedrive Wrote:
> And, putting the seat down when I am finished. My
> wife appreciates it.


The way I saw it when married, if I put the seat down, she didn't know if I had peed with the seat down or if up and then set it down. Leaving it up let her know that I was sophisticated enough to not pee on the seat.

Of course, putting down the seat & lid served this too, which is what I did.

My wife hates me peeing in the McDonald's cups and not marking them while driving. She is really picky. What is a toilet seat?? Is that the lid that comes with the McDonald cups????

I've been asked that question, and I resented being asked.

I believe in life. I believe in the world. I believe in love. My list goes on from there, and would be too huge to enumerate.

"There is no one great truth--it is all true." --Earnest Hemmingway.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2011 01:35AM by forestpal.

FREEDOM!!!!!

I believe that Pink Floyd rocks.
I believe that Tangerine Dream rocks.

Somewhere in that question is the supposition that we owe that person an answer. And I don't feel that I do. Unless it's the right person asking under the right circumstances.

Spirituality can be a private, personal thing.

(...which is a foreign concept to some people.)