What are your thoughts on the concept of having faith in a Higher Power but choosing to distance oneself from established religious doctrines? (lemm.ee)

submitted 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) by jedi@lemm.ee to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

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Hey, so I believe in a higher power but I'm not on board with any particular religion. Anyone else think it's cool to just fly solo as a good human, no religion attached?

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[-] rhacer@lemmy.world 28 points 11 months ago

I'm an evangelist's kid. I grew up surrounded by religion. When I got to my 30s I started reevaluating matters of faith. Now in my 60s I consider that journey complete. On "good" days I'm agnostic, on "bad" days an atheist.

I know many awesome people of faith. I know many hideous people of faith. I know many awesome nonbelievers, I know meant hideous nonbelievers.

Be a decent human being and very few people will care what you believe.

[-] Fal@yiffit.net 5 points 11 months ago

Agnostic and atheist aren't mutually exclusive things. 99.9% of atheists are agnostic about there being a god because it's unprovable. Same way you're likely agnostic about Russell's teapot https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell%27s_teapot

[-] jedi@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago

I'm not exactly an atheist but sometimes agnostic. I believe in higher power but I don't believe in divine intervention.

[-] TheOctonaut@mander.xyz 3 points 11 months ago

Can I ask, in the friendliest way possible and purely for my curiosity so I really don't expect an answer, how you balance "higher power" with "doesn't use it"? The way you've described it could be interrupted as anything from an otherwise traditional Christian who doesn't believe in directly answered prayers, to believing that this is some sort of simulation we will wake up from.

[-] ki77erb@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

One thing I often think about coming from a Christian upbringing is the idea that God knows everything that will ever happen to you, every choice you'll make, when you'll die, etc. To me, that signifies determinism and total lack of free will. That just doesn't sit well with me.

this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2023

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