I am not religous and do not attend a church or worship a god. But i do believe that there is something bigger out there. And every night i pray for the safety of my children and that is it. What does this make me? Im confused and don't know what to tell people when they ask me my religion or if i believe in god.
2007-11-08 13:11:33 · 56 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I had a much easier time accepting the possibility of diety when it occurred to me that I could separate organized religion from God. With many people, thinking like that makes you an atheist, suggesting that if you don't believe what is written in the Bible, then you don't believe in God. However, the Bible has too many parables in it that sound like pure fantasy. These stories strike me as fulfilling a natural human yearning to know the answers to questions like: How did the Earth get started? Where did we come from? Science can now give reasonable theories to answer some of these questions. Of course, the Bible and other religious books were all written before the scientific knowledge was there.
With me, separating the Church from God makes perfect sense, and that it is course I follow. I am suggesting this only because I have the impression you think in the same way.
2007-11-08 13:35:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are not an atheist. An atheist claims to know that no God exists.
You are not an agnostic. An agnostic says he is not sure if there is a God or not.
Really you have answered your own question when you simply said "I'm confused."
You seem to be trying to hold onto religion with one hand as you pray, and pushing it away with the other.
Why pray to something that you don't otherwise recognize or worship? It is no wonder you are confused!
There is an abundant amount of evidence that God exists!
Search for the truth and stop trying to live in two worlds at the same time! Either decide that God (a higher being) exists, and concentrate all of your efforts on getting to know Him, or reject him and move on, hoping you're right!
The items at the links below may help. The first one is video of the Warren / Flew debate on the existence of God. Dr. Warren saying "I know God exists" and Dr. Flew, a well known atheist, saying "I know God does not exist".
(Note: Dr. Flew, about 40 years after this debate said he still does not the God of the Bible, but from looking at the complexity of DNA and other evidence, he concluded that this could not have been by mere accident, therefore there seems to be evidence of some higher power as a first cause.)
2007-11-08 14:34:51 · answer #2 · answered by JoeBama 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is someone who believes there is no God. He or she believes that the Bible and the Koran are just stories though some of the history may be true. If you believe there is some power out there that created or rules the universe, you are not an atheist. Many educated people, particularly scientists and engineers, are like you. They don't believe in revealed religeons such as Christianity and Islam, but they believe there is some power that created the universe.
2007-11-08 13:27:09 · answer #3 · answered by Charles S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is someone who doesn't believe in anything . Essentially if you pray for the safety of your children you are not praying to thin air. Your sub conscious is allowing you to feel if you pray your child's safety is being compensated and someone is going to protect your children whether it be God, a spirit, an angel, a loved one. I feel that you should join a religion if you feel that praying is bringing you satisfaction explore your desire for something other than whats around us. A higher power of some sort.
2007-11-08 13:19:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
An atheist is a person that doesn't believe that there is a being fitting the definition of a god; an all-powerful being, creator of the universe, etc.
An agnostic is a person who doesn't believe there is enough evidence to say whether or not there is such a being.
Neither of these positions specifically precludes some sort of spirituality. Technically, Buddhists are atheists. Some say that Buddhists are pantheists, but I tend to think that they are simply spiritual atheists. I don't see that as a bad thing.
2007-11-08 13:28:15 · answer #5 · answered by Deirdre H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
hi! I think you are just confused bec. there are so many religions that you don't know where you belong and that doesn't make you an atheist. You pray every night and the Lord hears you and that already makes you a believer of the Lord.
In choosing a religion, it should be from your heart and were you feel happy and not obligated. Going to church should not be an obligation for you and your family it must be a feeling that you are looking forward doing it.
If people asked you what's your religion you can answer them you're catholic bec. were baptised in the name of the Lord.
i hope i've enlightend you.
2007-11-08 13:40:55 · answer #6 · answered by marie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An athiest is basically someone that doesn't believe in any God!
If you believe that their is something bigger out there, what do you think it is, if not God?
Praying is usually done to a God, or a false idol!
Maybe you should explore this further, especially as it is bothering you?!
There's the Christian Alpha course that would be of great benefit to you! It would explain the Christian faith in an easy to understand way, and with no pressure on you whatsoever to become a Christian, attend a church, etc!
I hope this helps!
2007-11-08 13:21:56 · answer #7 · answered by Watsit 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
An atheist is someone who does not believe in God, simply. But the fact that you pray doesn't really mean anything other than it's a kind of 'tool' you use to comfort yourself. We all have them, just in different forms. I don't think you should be concerned with what to tell people, though. Just tell them you don't know, because you don't. What's the harm? I don't know why everyone seems to feel like they have to be associated with something specific.
2007-11-08 13:18:35 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well when you pray who/what do you believe you are praying to? An Atheist has no religious belief, it seems that you may have some type religious belief since you pray, so your most likely not an Atheist. It sounds to me that you are just a concerned parent that is a little confused about how Earth came to existence, But who isn't these days...
2007-11-08 13:20:43 · answer #9 · answered by hotlilblondie831 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A theist believes there is a God who made and governs all creation; but does not believe in the Trinity or divine revelations.
A deist believes there is a God who created all things, but does not believe in His superintendence and government. He thinks the Creator implanted in all things certain immutable laws, called the Laws of Nature, which act per se, as a watch acts without the supervision of its maker. Like the theist, he does not believe in the doctrine of the Trinity, nor in a divine revelation.
The atheist disbelieves even the existence of a God. He thinks matter is eternal, and what we call “creation” is the result of natural laws.
You are a probably a theist or deist.
2007-11-08 13:16:05 · answer #10 · answered by kodakphoto 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋