Ron Singh

Hi. I'm 15 years old. I just started commiting myself to religion, about nine months ago. I read up on philosophy, about ontological arguements, Bats in Vats, Unmoved Mover, and all the rest. I am perhaps the most knowledgable in my whole tenth grade class in respect to philosophy and religion. I am a theist for sure, and will not change, ever. I'm postitive that God exists, and have actaully cooked up some crazy philisophical ideas of my own that actaully leave some dubfounded. I have yet to refine them, but when I do, all will be good. When did you first get "hardcore" about your beleifs/or lack there of? I can't wait pinning my future atheist philosophy teacher.

Laurentius

Dear Sikh,

I was about your age when I started thinking seriously on the problem of afterlife. I'd been raised in a atheist family in a Communist country. Well, for two weeks or so I had difficulty in falling asleep - I kept viewing myself dead, in the grave. Was there going to be anything left of me after my death? No. The simple idea seemed preposterous to me, it came against everything I'd learned by then. So, I kept seeing myself deep, in a dark pit, ermetically covered, in deafening silence and biting cold. And I, feeling nothing of all this.

Pretty depressing, huh?
Well, I got used to the idea. Years have passed, and here I am, as atheist as then, facing life without the aid of any deluding stuff. Without being an ascetic, I don't drink, smoke or belive in God. The only "drug" I regularly use is music.

As for the pinning part, I guess it'll turn out more like tickling. But after all the enthusiasm of students like you makes the best part of a teacher's life.

Good luck.

Panta Pei

Hi sikh

I'm 37 years old and work serving humanity as a violent crimes investigator. I have found that life is fully involved in infinite transitional causes and effects. That's all. And it is wonderful.

As to your 'positive' assertions regarding the "G" word, aside from the distractions of worshiping idols, dogmatic obsessions and ideological/political compulsion brought on by the perception of permanence and separation, all paths to enlightenment share the universal recognition of love as having ultimate truth and value. I'm sure you would be first to claim this jewel as the core of your 'faith'.

The 2500 plus religions, atheism, pantheism and secular humanism all recognize a moral and ethical responsibility to treat others with equanimity in this regard. All have their joyous successes and their dismal failures.

Historically, each has had those who expound on the failures of others in an attempt to coerce others into their view, causing further conflict, tragedy and misery. It is the way of human condition.

Keeping it simple, however, I find existence just as Muir said, "When we try to pick out anything by itself we find it hitched to everything in the universe." Call that observation pantheistic or naturalistic if you will, but it really is that superbly basic and requires no deity. Any attempts to muddle life with doctrine and mythic image is fraught with unnecessary distraction.

With this in mind, I have discovered that anyone can believe anything they want. The universe, however, is not obliged to keep a straight face.

So, you find yourself compelled to post here. I am sure that the community here will be obliged to respond.

My contribution to the effort are these wise words that I offer to you as a gift:

We all enter this world in the same way...naked, screaming and soaked in liquid. But, if you live your life right, that kind of thing doesn't have to stop there.

May you enjoy looking for whatever you are looking for ~ Steve

Automaton

I'm 14, turning 15 this year, and I guess I only started seriously thinking about this two years ago. But I was generally always an agnostic at least (besides attempted religious experience.) Good luck on your chosen path of beliefs, sikh.

Viti

Theism never really "took" for me although I called myself one for lack of an alternative that seemed to fit.

I remember asking my Dad about his beliefs when I was 8 or so and he told me he was agnostic. I didn't know the term so he said "I believe in God if there is one"

Started going to church with Mom when I was 11 or so, got baptized, said the "Sinner's Prayer" a hundred times waiting for that magical contentment and knowledge of Jesus I kept hearing about. Didn't get it, became non-practicing and told people I believed in God but not organized religion and forgot the whole thing until I was 24 or so.

Watched a Christian and a Muslim have a heated exchange at work and couldn't believe how rude and silly the whole thing was since it is impossible to say one was right and one was wrong. Looked into New Age, Wicca, Pantheism and Desism. Decided about a year ago it was ALL bunk and will remain an atheist until/unless some proof to the contrary presents itself.

I am happy you are so convicted, but using words like "never" at your young age is a bit extreme.

Bill

I'm 54, and I was raised as a Christian. In my late 20s, I dated a girl who was a "born again Christain," and I tried to believe as she believed, but it just didn't work for me. Over my middle years, I didn't think much about religion at all. I guess you can say that I drifted away. By the time I got into my 40s, I had some time for deep reflection and thorough investigation. I was forced to conclude that there wasn't really anything special about Western Civilization or the Christian religion; they just happened to be the operative human civilization on the face of the Earth at this moment in time. Many other civilizations had come earlier, and presumably, other civilizations would follow. This was a great illuminating thought, because it nullifies the entire idea that certain people(s) or religion(s) are in some way "priviliged" with being "God's chosen people" or the "one true religion." Instead, people and religion emerge as objects for scientific study. (And, mind you, we are quite ready to study any OTHER people or religion scientifically; we only resist the scientific study of our own people or our own religion.)

Ultimately, the study of numerous other people and numerous other religions convinced me that all historical religions are "convenient myths." I then began to formulate my own religion based upon non-myhical ideas. I'm still searching for a good way to turn that into a successful meme, though.

== Bill

[P.S.: I think it is time to move this thread over to the "Welcome" forum.]