I believe that it is impossible to know for sure whether a god exists, but if one does, they don't currently influence human affairs. What would this religious philosophy be called?

I believe that the creator god and Satan are the same entity whom I view very negatively and believe that they are indeed fallible. I also view both Christ and the serpent as the same and believe that they are our protector.

Philosophical Views:

1. Agnostic Theism: I don’t know if there are deities out there, but I believe that there are.
2. Deism: I prefer using reason and observation to develop my religious beliefs.
3. Existentialism/Optimistic Nihilism: We make meaning in our lives despite living in an irrational world.
4. Social Constructivism: People are the way they are because they the environment that they are in, not because of biological factors.
5. Empiricism: Our knowledge comes from sensory perception, observation, and empirical evidence.
6. Skepticism: Keep an open mind and question everything.
7. Ethical Subjectivism: Our ideas of what’s right and what’s wrong are different depending on who you ask.
8. Moral Universalism: Despite the above, when you get into the nitty-gritty of things, there are some common moral values that many different groups of people share between them.
9. Utilitarianism: Doing the greatest amount of good or the least amount of harm possible is a good thing to keep in mind.
10. Epicureanism: While life may be dominated by stress and anxiety, you shouldn’t let those feelings control you.

Hi all,

I've recently started self identifying as an agnostic, in the vein that the existence of god or a higher power can not be known. I was wondering if there is any specifically agnostic religions similar to my beliefs?

Thanks

So before I list what I want here is background info: I am a bisexual male with a mixed heritage. I think Sikhi (or Sikhism) is the closest to what I want but am also interested on Mazdayasna (or Zoroastrianism).

• Firstly I want something claims all humans should be treated equally and is tolerant of lgbt, all races, and of other religions
• I want a religion that makes a definitive statement on god or gods (preferably monotheistic)
• I want a religion that advocates that humans have freewill, responsible for their choices, and aren't a part of the same being
• I don't want an eternal punishment afterlife, and I do like the idea of everyone eventually finding a way to a heaven like afterlife
• I want a religion that advocates for kindness and trying to make the world a better place
• I like the idea of a specific way your supposed to pray, but isn't necessary
• I would like if it claimed not everything is known by any one religion
• I don't want a religion that would be extraordinarily strict in terms of things like dress or how much one can own
• I also would like a religion that advocates for progress

Thank you for any help and if possible could you provide a link to more information I'd appreciate but I'd understand if you didn't.

• I believe that the question of whether god does or doesn't exist is meaningless and semantical. It is clear that the workings of the science and the universe are indeed, supernatural in and of themselves (eg, the big bang, abiogenesis, human evolution) but yet in the past few milleniums humans have tried to seperate god from the natural world with constructed monotheistic religions, and establish him as something that exists independently from it. I am a pantheist, but this is just my own subjective interpretation and I do not claim to have THE answer. Agnostics and atheists are just as correct it just depends on the way you picture the universe and what 'god' means to you.
• I do not believe in any religion that claims to have all the answers coming from a divine authority. As a firm believer in the abductive scientific method, I believe that views of the world must be based on hard evidence and that are constructed with rigerous scrutiny. With religions like Christianity and Islam, they operate on completely circular reasoning. Their views of the world are not based on any material evidence, and yet when they say 'prove that god doesn't exist' as the counter to the irreligious argument that there's no evidence, they are just resting on their own unfounded ideas which are preconcieved in their minds. There are thousands upon thousands of different religions, claiming to have been sent messages from the divine, and all were created for the purpose of establishing hierachy and maintaining control. As modern people, we should not be fooled with such nonsense, and only believe anything once unbiased proof is given.
• The conduct of how humans should live together should be seperate from trying to explain the natural world and the supernatural. For the latter, we have the scientific method and reason to provide us with answers that, whilst often not certain, are far more probable than human constructed narratives.
• Religion has, and is, often brutal and repressive, however in the modern western world I believe that the decline of Christianity has left a huge void in morality and sense of purpose, with individualism, money, and greed reigning supreme and creating misery in society. Religions are good for mental health because they give people that sense of narrative and purpose, and that's why I think Humanism primarily fails. It simply does not have a compelling narrative which excites people, so does not draw people in to following their movement. I used to be a Marxist, because like Christianity and Islam it has a powerful and all encompassing narrative but was consistent with a rational, secular worldview. Over time however, I have recognised that the world is far more complicated than just a struggle between classes, that nobody is inheritently bad just because their wealthy, people can be persuaded by argument and reason... (hell, most Marxist leaders came from the upper classes), and that Marx's utopian, millenarian prophecy outlined in the Communist Manifesto, whilst inspiring, like many other fundementalist doctrines like Christianity and Islam, has been used to justify mass murder and authoritarianism, as well as being prone to circular reasoning. I believe in a constructive approach to making the world better, with concrete systems and policies, whilst accepting there.
• There are elements I like about lots of different religions. With Buddhism, I like the Dakkha philosophy against excessive fixation on wealth and attachment and how it doesn't create happiness but only suffering, as that seems to me to be extremely accurate. I also love the idea of Anatta, the non self, as it recognises the essential truth that individuality is an illusion, that really each of us are simply part of the human cycle and the chance of any of us being born is so slim (one in 400 trllion) that it makes any sense of individual personhood. Meditation is a great thing, and dramatically helps us put our worries in perspective. However, Buddhism can also feel very distant and cold in other ways, as it promotes a total disconnect from natural impulses. I think that we should indulge in our positive emotions, such as love, friendship, sex, food, drinking, etcetra, because they make us feel happy. Despite this, when we are unhappy, we should remind ourselves of our animal urges and that make us sad are just part of being alive and having drive to keep going... or how else would an animal find food and not starve to death? Therefore, they are not worth worrying about, because they are essentially meaningless and do us no favours. In this sense I'm also quite inspired by Zoroastrianism. However, I also like the social and communitarian worldview of Catholicism, with its focus on moral codes and the idea that we are all imperfect but have the capacity to be good. The practice of confession I think it a very positive one, as it is essentially psycho-therapy without the stigma.
• I believe that humanity is unique, that we have the special gift of conciousness and therefore are destined for many great things provided we rise above our most destructive impulses. Humanity though should protect and live in harmony with nature, as we are dependent on it for survival and share this earth with many other species.

I was raised Seventh Day Adventist. Now I am Heathen. My paternal lineage is Jewish, so I am technically not Jewish and would have to convert like any non-Jewish.

• I currently am not sure what god/s/dess/desses I believe in.
• I believe spirits, ghosts, all that.
• I believe we are meant to contact good spirits and work with them.
• I believe we are all connected by the universe
• I believe that through meditation we can control reality (LOA)
• I believe nothing is inherently good or evil, and there are many grey areas.
• I believe in prayer
• I believe an alter should be made to either honour ancestors and/or god(s)/goddess(es)
• I believe that there should be a text that I can rely on if I have questions
• I believe that when we die, we stay here on Earth until the time of reckoning comes.
• I believe that religions can be combined if it makes someone whole
• I don't believe that my creator(s) are perfect and that they make lapses in judgement
• I believe that witchcraft is an extension of the power of the human mind and is similar to LOA but using physical things to manifest results, similar to how one would pray
• I believe the Sabbaths are holy, or at least one day of the week should be entirely dedicated to my creator(s)

This was all I could think of for now

With this quiz you kind find out which of the religious typology groups is your best match and see how you compare with a U.S. nationally representative survey of more than 4,000 adults: https://www.pewforum.org/quiz/religious-typology/

I think it's an interesting way of looking at religion.

Our site has a link to our Discord and our Subreddit.

If you want to learn about different faiths, not sure who to follow or just want a general chat, feel free to come check us out :)

Look forward to meeting you all.

Here’s my story: I grew up Catholic and went to Catholic school through high school. I then was on the border of agnosticism and atheism for many years. I’ve always been interested in religions but I’m struggling to find something that meets what I’m looking for.

I tend to like the mysticism and rituals involved in Catholicism, and for that reason, have not enjoyed Protestants churches as much since there’s less of a focus on that. I don’t believe in Jesus as my personal savior. I do enjoy biblical stories and am interested in Judaism, because of the community aspect and the long history. However, I’m not sure if I believe in God as defined in the Bible or Torah. I also attended a Unitarian service once and disliked it, since the message was just too broad. I should also add that I’m pretty socially liberal.

I would like to find something with some degree of rituals, focus on using stories as a metaphor for living your life, and to find some deeper meaning. While I’m not sure I believe in the biblical God, if there is something that involves reaching out to some force in the universe, that would be interesting.

This post is my post originally posted in Religion subreddit: My parents are atheist, (or agnostic) I went to Bible Camp as a child and accepted Jesus into my heart at the age of 8. I attended church here and there with friends over the years... I have never been baptized. More recently I have started going to a non-denominational Christian church. Over the years I have always prayed in Jesus name, so overall I would consider myself a Christian, but a lazy Christian. I have started reading the Bible and I have come to realize that I have been practicing or believing in non-Christian beliefs or traditions. This makes me wonder if I can call myself a Christian or maybe I’m interested in learning about other religions. Some of the beliefs I hold are: I pray in Jesus name, I believe there is a God & there is a Devil, I burn sage, I smudge myself, I smudge my home, I believe in Angels and Demons, I sense positive energy / negative energy, I believe in karma (what you put out into the world will come back to you), I believe in spirits, ghosts, I believe in auras, energy, I believe in the Great Spirit of nature, (Mother Earth) and everything is connected, I believe everything happens for a reason, (there is a plan), I believe Tarot Cards, Ouija Boards other paranormal items are real and can invite spirits into your life, I believe in the afterlife, whether that is Heaven and Hell, Reincarnation, Purgatory, “Limbo” I do not know! I feel like I have a mix of Christian, Pagan, Eastern and Native American beliefs.. according to Scripture: Matthew 6:24 : “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else. he will hold to the one, and despise the other, Ye cannot serve God and mammon” I know this is talking about greed but the same principle applies So my questions is: Am I Christian? Do I need to be a more devote Christian and give up my non-Christian beliefs? Are my beliefs more aligned with another religion? I’m at a crossroads in my faith... so naturally, I ask the Internet.

Nothing comes from nothing. In the beginning I was an consciousness in the void. Forever in the past with nothing to think about. Then I saw a light. I saw an "angler fish" in the void. It saw me. As I type this, I am still observing for my first time. It transformed into this screen, my thumb, (you?). My life is it. It knows my will. I am predetermined not for a test (it knows all possible outcomes not just what WILL happen) but to be molded. It "controls/influences" what I see. It is the only physical something in the void. I am "cursed" to have awarness.

Neoplatnism - the idea of unity and image Gnosticism - the idea of the architect/demiurge Monotheism - the hope of an afterlife Atheism - the void Agnosticism - I will never know East asian - life is work (existance)

I don’t believe in personal god but rather a creative force. I’m a bit of an animist in that I believe all living things have souls of sorts but also that consecrated inanimate objects have souls bestowed upon them through ritual. I believe in nature spirits for sure. I’m the type to thank a fish after I catch it and thank the bush for its berries. I believe in reincarnation.

I really like the ancestor worship of Shinto. I’m looking for a religion that is friendly or at least neutral towards gay people.

I consider myself a “hopeful” agnostic. Since I hope there is a God, can I consider myself Christian?

On r/religion I was asked what I believe in. I've spent the last fourteen years searching, and how I describe my beliefs are the following:

I guess it comes down to what stories I really "prefer".

I believe in a god, or a creator force, that is in all things. I believe in the interconnectedness of all things and in that, we are all part of that creative force and it's workings. I believe that we have free-will, and that evil things or bad things occuring doesn't necessarily mean that God let them happen. I also believe that when good things happen, they are typically products of doing good things and chance, and not gifts/blessings from God for being "faithful". I believe in an afterlife (not because there is evidence but because it is what I prefer to believe). I do not believe in a hell nor the concept of damnation. I believe in the Sermon on the Mount. Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I don't believe in the concept of original sin, or sin in general. I find the concepts of impermenance and equanimity personally valuable in both worship and how I carry myself day to day. I've extensively read about most of the major world religions and have found love, compassion, and kindness in all (in some shape and form). I don't believe there is a "correct" or right spiritual path, but that there is a correct spiritual path for each individual. I believe in the inherent dignity of every single human being. I believe in civil rights, for those of every color, background, race, and religion. I believe in equal rights for the LGBTQ community and support gay marriage and gay clergy when applicable. I believe that men and women are equal. I believe in the harmonization of science and religion. I'm a humanist. I believe that art, music, laughter, and love, all lead to a closer relationship with the world around me, and thus, leads to a closer relationship with God. Philosophically, I closely align with Buddhism. This is the sum of my last few years of investigation.

I live in the bible belt or as i like to call it the bigotry line. My family raised me Christain but we never went to church or prayed unless at a family function. I did attend vacation bible school twice and have taken religious studies.

Recently, my family has been on me about what I believe in. I believe in God but I don't agree with things from the bible, such as: not accepting the LGBT community, that women should obey their husband, and yeah all the ones that sound like some old hateful white man just slipped in between the pages to please himself.

I also have problems with the whole giving people disease and killing the first born son concept in the Moses story. Also the asshole that was willing to sacrifice his child just because God told him so deserves a special place in hell in my eyes.

I just really want to know what brance of Christianity I am, some people suggested Unitarian, it would be nice to have a religious identity without all the bigotry and hate. If anyone knows or can suggest it would help me out.

After a series of unfortunate situations at my workplace (co-worker hit by car, etc) I started wondering if we were cursed and if so whether there was something I could sacrifice to that might help end the curse.

At first I thought about worshipping the sun, or a water buffalo or some kind of monster. In the end, though, I settled on something with the body of a walrus and the head of a sea lion. I'm still considering the head of a monkey with reindeer antlers on a porcupine's body, though. Does this line up with any pre-existing religion?

This is my first post here and I really hope this is the right place to put it, and I hope everything I say is articulated in a clear way :)

I was raised Christian, but a couple years ago I lost faith and was agnostic for a while. I kind of still am, I guess, but there are some details I’m more sure of.

For starters: I do believe in a god. One, singular god, but one that is everywhere at all times, if that makes sense. I believe its qualities are that of an ancient, genderless, ever-present, formless being that can be found anywhere and everywhere in the universe. I believe that this god is a good being, a chaotic one at that, who loves its children. I don’t think it directly influences us. I also don’t think it created us in the most typical sense of the word, but rather, everything is an extension of it. When I pray to it I just envision light. The feeling of compassion and strength.

I don’t think this god created the universe, but rather IS the universe or is a result of the universe’s birth.

I also don’t believe in an afterlife. I sort of believe in reincarnation?? I think that like our atoms, we only use the energy that makes up our souls for such a short amount of time. Our souls are made of energy that goes into other things once we die, not necessarily another person, and not necessarily one person.

I do believe in other entities like spirits and ghosts.

I don’t believe in prophets, but I do think people can be more attuned to higher powers.

I don’t really know what to call myself, nor what this all means. I hope I don’t sound weird or crazy! I just want to be at a better place with religion. I would like clarity.

I can also answer questions to clarify other things if you think that would help!

I have recently been questioning what my religious beliefs are. I was raised as a sort of spiritual atheist with some Jewish traditions because of my heritage. A few years I discovered the religion of Norse Heathenry and started practicing it, as I felt a sort of connection with it and I started doing things like casting runes.

However, I have been thinking more recently about how I feel about religion.

•I believe that there is some sort of unknowable entity that is a higher power than us, though not necessarily a Creator.

•I believe that this entity/force takes many different forms, possibly including but not limited to the God(s) of all sorts of different religions.

•I believe that the idea of a prophet, such of Jesus of Nazareth or Mohammed, is a very real thing and seems simply from a stronger connection to this omnipresent entity, though I do not believe that someone like Jesus is really the Son of God.

•I believe in reincarnation, but it only happens in cases of someone dying with unfinished plans or goals.

•I do not believe in Original Sin.

•I believe that people with a strong connection to a place or person can leave a sort of imprint on it, what most people would call a spirit or ghost.

•I believe that humans have free will, but that everything happens for a reason.

•I don't believe that the pieces of religion that lay out "rules" of a religion, such as kosher and halal food laws, actually come from a higher being.

​

Also posted this on r/religion

Here's a small test that could help: Spiritual Belief System Selector by SelectSmart http://www.selectsmart.com/religion/

It is a surprisingly accurate test in my opinion. Not only the big major religions are included but many smaller denominations and religious points of view also. And you can also fine-tune the importance of each question according to your personal taste.

Inspired by this new subreddit I thought to see what kind of online tests there are. I tried three tests and found the SelectSmart test to be the best one of the three. I also saw and tried another poorer implementation of basically the same test as the one above elsewhere but it seemed to have bugs as the results were way off, and also you couldn't fine-tune your answers as much there.

The third test I tried is here http://www.findmyreligion.com , but - although a site dedicated to the subject - the test itself is unfortunately too rough including only the big world religions + secularism. However, as anyone even with a little basic knowledge of religions knows, the denominations of old big world religions can differ hugely from each other there being many kinds of conservatives, liberals etc. And then there are also numerous smaller religions and sects.

Welcome!

This sub was created just a few minutes ago, as of yet there's no list of rules or other mods but hopefully there will be soon.

Please feel free to post your beliefs, as well!