I was raised predominantly christian. I used to love sunday school and encourage my kids to attend as often as possible. I do believe in giving them a solid religious foundation. They can decide for themselves later in life.
In faith there is hope, security and a sense of purpose. We all need that. Where we find it is what makes us unique.
As I explained to a friend; we all see the colour blue, we know the colour blue, but how sure are we that what we call blue is the same as what the next person sees.
I came to dislike church as an establishment when I began to realise that people make up church and people are not sure of anything. They would love to be sure, and when they find that surety for themselves they tend to want to force it upon others not realising that there are other ways to experience that same surety in a multitude of ways.
Hence I became agnostic in my beliefs.
I respect all religions and hope one day the world could come to a point where we see the pettiness of our differences. There are things bigger than us, much bigger than the constant wars we create for ourselves. Out there(or within us) is a universal constant that can tie it all together. I believe it is obvious, but we are just not ready as a collective to accept it as truth.
As an agnostic:
I do not believe:
- In prayer as a solo tool for the drive of change. Prayer in a traditional sense can be misused. Prayer can be idle and in all honesty time consuming if done with idle intent. Actions are more guaranteed and bring tangible results. I pray, but not as a means to speak to a singular higher power as such, more of a means of meditation and deep thought with the end result to be changed behaviour. Once behaviour changes, actions resulting from that change of behaviour implemented will bring about the desired result.
- In a God as most religions perceive Him to be. Yes I am aware the Bible says and history and scholars and and...but to rely on one source of info disregards what others believe with equal strength of conviction. Any argument in favour of is only a tool for segregation...and has segregation ever been favourable to everyone?
- People are wrong. There is no wrong or right, just actions and consequences. If what you believe helps you find fulfillment then I am all for it but one has to consider the greater whole of existence and where what you stand for, fits in to that.
- Churches are the only source for enlightenment. In this day and age we are no longer bound to singular sources of information. If the cat poster on your office wall inspires you in alignment with your belief, what is a church? Churches have more become a place to fulfill our needs as social beings when the "Word" as some may call it can be found in a leaf floating by in a lake, in the story of a stranger or that motivational page you subscribe to on social network...one must just be open to receive. Even more so in this day and age where churches are primarily more business establishments than hubs for spiritual upliftment.
I do believe:
- We are insignificant. For some this is a scary thought, for me it just means we have been granted a huuuuge playground of infinite possibilities. Yes and I do mean granted. Granted to us by our parents who reproduced us, and to them by the ones before them and so on and so on...up until the point where it all began; whether you believe God,the Big Bang or the result of some alien life form who used our planet as a jerk-off tissue. Either way we are here to make the best of it.
- In spirituality as the unexplained. As for above-mentioned reason there are things we do not know, things we do not understand and may never. The evidence for me lies in mathematics; infinity tells me there are numbers we will never be able to count to, or rather we can count them but they may never cease. If each number is seen as a new experience...does that not excite you!? Imagine the first time you fell in love, the first time you tasted your favourite food, your first orgasm...now imagine while you are still alive to be able to experience more such sensations. Death is certain yes but while we are alive why should we limit ourselves so often with so many new experiences available, an infinite number to be exact.
- In the transfer of energy. As a matter of scientific fact, energy is only transferable, never destroyed. With that in mind I do believe that energy is a universal currency and where it is spent is where the returns lie. Energy is infinite, we are conduits of energy, therefore we have the power to be infinite beyond our physical manifestations. We strive to control this energy when the understanding that lies in our lack of control may be part of the key. In this I believe that death is not the end and should not be treated that way, death is but a mere release...where our spiritual energies are more free to transfer without physical constraint.
As much as I chose to be agnostic there could be arguments saying I was created this way by circumstance, either way...this is part of who I am now. I respect you for what you choose to believe or not. I do not prove to be better than you nor worse off. I do however believe we both can acknowledge life is a precious and brief experience, why spend it fighting how we should experience it when we could achieve so much more together just experiencing all that we can, while we have the time to do so.
