Wow, it just clicked. I'm agnostic!

marmot

I honestly don't think I've ever been this happy in my life. Of course, I've got bipolar II so I might just be edging on a bout of hypomania but I'm good at taking my med so this could very well be genuine!

I'm so excited at the new look on life this has given me. To think: there's no Jehovah (or other active god for that matter), no divine intervention in human affairs, nobody knows what happens after death aside from physical decay, no "sides" to be a part of, only the here and now.

I must say this is a very refreshing and empowering philosophy, it makes you accountable for your own actions and makes you want to try your hardest to make the present (and future) a good place to be. There's no cop-out future Deus ex machina to base your life around.

I don't begrudge other people their beliefs, though, but it seems to make so much more sense to base life around your actions and their effect on your world around you than something intangible and highly contentious like "faith".

There may be a hereafter, or a resurrection, or reincarnation, or whatever but it's impossible to prove so I'm just going to live my life to the best of my ability and hopefully die old and satisfied someday surrounded by a big loving family who will carry that feeling on through my genes.

Thanks for listening.

Gopher

Marmot (my fellow rodent),

I'm glad to hear that this clicked for you.

About your statement regarding God:

there's no Jehovah (or other active god for that matter), no divine intervention in human affairs,

That is EXACTLY what I believe. Lack of belief in God is actually atheism. Don't be frightened off by that word, all it means is exactly what you said (in the quote box above). It's not dogmatic, it's just a lack of belief.

Edited to add - the idea that you can be a productive and positive individual WITHOUT a god who is rewarding or threatening you is good, because it means that goodness comes from "inside" you, rather than being a result of a reaction to an outside, unseen force.

V

Thank you for articulating this. I completly agree with the connection of being in the "now" and agnosticism.

Waiting on heaven, fearing hell/death steal us away from the present.

CyrusThePersian

Gopher is right. What you are saying sounds more like atheism ("There is no God.") as opposed to agnosticism ("I don't know if there is a God or not.")

That being said though, isn't it liberating, knowing that you are accountable only to yourself? It's also important to remember that the evidence shows that when you die you no longer exist, period.

That means that we have to live our lives NOW!

I have seen too many people squander their lives WAITING, waiting for some "New System" that's right around the corner, or some "heavenly rapture" to take them away. It ain't gonna happen people, you need to live your life now, cuz once it's gone, it's gone for good!

CyrusThePersian

zack

"These are better days, baby!" -------- Bruce Springstein

nvrgnbk

Another atheist!

Whoohoo!

God is gonna be so busy killing our asses!

changeling

Another bipolar athiest !!!! Yipeee!!!!! I'm jumping up and down for joy!!!!!

changeling (bipolar athiest)

serotonin_wraith

Welcome to reality, marmot!

Not being sure is to be an atheist. It's a lack of belief, not a definitive 'God doesn't exist!' Everyone's agnostic (without knowledge) because nobody knows for sure. Have you had any PMs off people trying to save your eternal soul?

marmot

Nope, no PMs yet. I don't quite think I'm exactly atheist, though. I think there's the possibility of something that initially kicked-started everything in our universe into motion, but I don't think there's any omnipotent accountant-executioner in the sky.

If you read "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins I fall into his classification of agnostic.

Alwayshere

It's hard to believe there is a God after being in that cult.

Wow, it just clicked. I'm agnostic!

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