Welcome!

[His Name Is John]

It seems to me, that new members rarely post a introduction thread anymore. As such I am making this thread as a way that new members can say hi, and get to know a couple of people on the forums.

So to all the new members:

First of all, hello!

Second, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

[LisaDarln]

[Replying to His Name Is John]

Hi.
I'm not very good with introductions.

I was particularly drawn in here by the rule demands of respect, civility, and consideration for another person's position. I can't even get that from my church groups.

I believe in the Triune God of the Holy Bible, however I'm reluctant to call myself a Christian or state with 100% certainty that I am saved and going to Heaven. So maybe I don't really believe?

I do not claim any specific Christian denomination because I often find myself questioning certain teachings, dispensationalism for example. Experience alone tells me that we humans are pretty good at messing things up and we've had 2000 years alone with interpreting Christianity now.

I noted the couple of G K Chesterton quotes in the signature line of His Name is John. I just recently began Orthodoxy and find myself pondering the idea that maybe I'm a lunatic.

Anyway I look forward to discussing things here and hope that you enjoy discussing things with me.

[Goat]

[Replying to His Name Is John]

Hi.
I'm not very good with introductions.

I was particularly drawn in here by the rule demands of respect, civility, and consideration for another person's position. I can't even get that from my church groups.

I believe in the Triune God of the Holy Bible, however I'm reluctant to call myself a Christian or state with 100% certainty that I am saved and going to Heaven. So maybe I don't really believe?

I do not claim any specific Christian denomination because I often find myself questioning certain teachings, dispensationism for example. Experience alone tells me that we humans are pretty good at messing things up and we've had 2000 years alone with interpreting Christianity now.

I noted the couple of G K Chesterton quotes in the signature line of His Name is John. I just recently began Orthodoxy and find myself pondering the idea that maybe I'm a lunatic.

Anyway I look forward to discussing things here and hope that you enjoy discussing things with me.

Welcome to the forum. You will certainly get access to tons of different ideas.

[Hamsaka]

I have posted enough to feel like I'm sure I'll be hangin' around

I was born skeptical but with a persistent drive to figure out what the heck is happening around here. The skepticism has prevented me from figuring out what is happening -- at least, prevented me from buying and swallowing any of the 'answers' so far provided. That includes religion's answers, New Age pseudo answers, secular humanitarian answers, or any other pre-packaged 'answer'.

I ascribe to much of the teachings of this ancient Indian guy, a contemporary of Socrates known only by names we are not sure he even had, such as Siddhartha Gautama or Mr. Shakyamuni. He was onto something, in his startlingly genius 'map' of the human mind. I meditate and every once in a while get fascinated with reading modern expositions about the Buddha's teachings, but that's about it. I've gotten as much, in terms of intuitive legos clicking together from reading fiction as anything else.

I am very short, five feet tall, I have a roommate named Axel McBeak, a twenty year old African Grey parrot who was meant to be a pet but those of you with parrots knows how that goes. I like cats and dogs but really love geese, ducks and chickens for pets. I have an outdoor menagerie of them. I used to have dairy goats for years, but my daughter and her wife took the goats with them when they moved east of the mountains, and my job at the time was too much for me to keep it all up. I'm a city girl who discovered 'farm life' and a kind of psychological home in this muddy, poopy and feathery life style

I was raised without religion, but as my grandmother said, looking appalled "Everyone believes in God!" My sister and I were sent to Sunday school, probably so my parents could have some privacy, and to bible camps during the summer because they were free. I was a member of the church of Christ for three years as a young adult, my only close encounter with Christianity, the first and last. Over the years I explored every faith possible that wasn't too bizarre, including a Matthew Fox kind of modern Christianity. That skepticism I was born with prevented me from ever getting in too deep with any ideology again, no matter how hard I fought against it 'to believe'.

I have two grown children, a son and daughter, who each have a child. I am hinting and expectant for more . I raised them to be skeptical and tolerant, and they've had a lot less personal anguish than I have. I love this generation of young adults, for the most part they are so free of the -isms that plague my generation and that of my parents.

I am a registered nurse, have been for almost twenty four years. I've worked in psychiatry, chemical dependency, medical oncology and most recently pediatric private duty. Don't tell the other nurses what a BOMB job private duty is. To get paid to monitor a medically fragile seven year old boy overnight, to keep him breathing and functioning and dressed and off for 'school' while getting smiled at unless he's asleep just feels weird. Nurses work their butts off, they almost ruin their bodies with the stress and work. I did hospital work until the 'family knees' showed up ten years early and chased me out. I don't regret it one bit. I get to be part of why a little boy gets to be home with his parents and brothers and sisters instead of in a nursing home, who wouldn't want that?

I like to write, I am an audiobook fiend, I still have a tape deck in my car, I spin yarn, make rugs, crochet, paint with watercolor pencils and enjoy carving soapstone and alabaster though I haven't done that for years. When I move house (as I unfortunately did a LOT in the past seven years) about everything essential that I own is related to animals and my art projects. Oh, and books, but I recently got a kindle and offloaded sixteen boxes of paperbacks to the local Goodwill.

I'm here because we really need to talk.. I'm way past being angry at the PERSONS who are religious or theists, because any differences between us are transitory, based on irrationality rather than any obvious line. I see that religionists across the world are being squeezed, hard, by life in the modern world, and I feel badly for many of them. I also feel badly for the suffering that is inevitable, both personal and foisted upon others, by religiosity. In spite of my lack of belief (however much work I put into it) I live here too, and I really doubt this planet or its denizens are going anywhere except to Mars by 2030. And after that? Please think of the people coming after us. Even if you don't believe the world will even BE here in fifty years, don't make decisions for the rest of us who don't share that belief.

[Goat]

[Replying to post 260 by Hamsaka]

Welcome to the forum. I don't know if you will find any answers, but at least you will perhaps find that not all people with religion are the kind you will get made at.

[psychoslice]

It seems to me, that new members rarely post a introduction thread anymore. As such I am making this thread as a way that new members can say hi, and get to know a couple of people on the forums.

So to all the new members:

First of all, hello!

Second, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi to all, my name is Robert, I have always been interested in world religions, I don't have a belief in a god, but I do believe we are all one, the cosmos and everything else is one, so I suppose this would be my God if I had to but a label on my belief.

I hope to enjoy being here, and look forward in meeting you all, over and out.

[Divine Insight]

Hi to all, my name is Robert, I have always been interested in world religions, I don't have a belief in a god, but I do believe we are all one, the cosmos and everything else is one, so I suppose this would be my God if I had to but a label on my belief.

I hope to enjoy being here, and look forward in meeting you all, over and out.

Hi Robert, welcome to the forums.

There are several religions that hold the view you've expressed. Taoism is one. I believe Jainism is another. Even some forms of Buddhism and Hinduism hold this view as well, although some forms of those religions have become more dogmatic over the centuries.

I too favor a holistic worldview over materialistic reductionism. But having said this I also acknowledge that materialistic reductionism works very well for describing the macro physical world. But when we exam it on the very small scales of quantum physics holism seems to be a better description of the core of reality.

So I'm with you on the holistic worldview.

[psychoslice]

Hi to all, my name is Robert, I have always been interested in world religions, I don't have a belief in a god, but I do believe we are all one, the cosmos and everything else is one, so I suppose this would be my God if I had to but a label on my belief.

I hope to enjoy being here, and look forward in meeting you all, over and out.

Hi Robert, welcome to the forums.

There are several religions that hold the view you've expressed. Taoism is one. I believe Jainism is another. Even some forms of Buddhism and Hinduism hold this view as well, although some forms of those religions have become more dogmatic over the centuries.

I too favor a holistic worldview over materialistic reductionism. But having said this I also acknowledge that materialistic reductionism works very well for describing the macro physical world. But when we exam it on the very small scales of quantum physics holism seems to be a better description of the core of reality.

So I'm with you on the holistic worldview.

Thank you Divine Insight, yes I agree with all you said, its nice to meet you, hope to hear more from you.

[Osonlife]

[Replying to post 1 by His Name Is John]
Hello, I am Ron from Perth Australia. I migrated here from England 30 years ago and my Mother and father met in Belgium at the end of WW2.
I was born to the Church of England religion and believe in Jesus. However I have no relogion and believe religion to be responsible for the greatest death and suffering known. Evil institutions with a lot of wonderful people part of their flock.
I believe sociology to be the enemy of nature.

[Osonlife]

It seems to me, that new members rarely post a introduction thread anymore. As such I am making this thread as a way that new members can say hi, and get to know a couple of people on the forums.

So to all the new members:

First of all, hello!

Second, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi to all, my name is Robert, I have always been interested in world religions, I don't have a belief in a god, but I do believe we are all one, the cosmos and everything else is one, so I suppose this would be my God if I had to but a label on my belief.

I hope to enjoy being here, and look forward in meeting you all, over and out.

Hello and Welcome

I share your views. I believe in nature in its entirety, material and spiritual. I choose to think of God as simply another word for Nature and as we are all part of nature then we are all part of God.

[Haven]

Welcome all!