Just wondering about this, was doing some research today and was wondering what the break down on BGP was.

Atheist

Agnostic

Believe in God (not just Christian)

None Ya

Believer

Believer

 

 

count me in.

Believe in God

Certainly interested in the topic as I'm extremely interested, and have always been in the ultimate truth.

 

Was raised Catholic, but by the time I was 16 or 17 my parents seemed to think that I was being rebellious because I started to question everything. I tried convincing them that I wasn't trying to be obstinate, and that I passionately wanted to know the truth.

 

Religious dogma didn't seem to be able answer my questions as it all seemed contrived and packaged, and to me it still does, and when no certain answers could be given, typically my elders would get frustrated and say "you need to just have faith and believe".

 

I feel that the basis of most religions are dabbling in a similar good message, and are hanging around the right track, but let too much of the human element interfere with the message with made up silly subjective rules.

 

That did more to encourage me to question more and more rather than just take their advice, as it only displayed to me their lack of willingness to delve into my questions, and a certain fear on their part that their world would fall apart if they didn't cling to that which had been drilled into them from childhood.

 

With that said this question of "God" is for me a bit too straightforward and too complex to answer.

 

I'm certainly not an Atheist, and don't feel like Agnosticism applies to me anymore. I never thought that Atheists were being honest with themselves, just as much as I thought religious people weren't either. To claim that you know with total certainty is a stretch of sorts.

 

When I felt Agnostic, I also thought that I might stay that way forever as I couldn't see anyway out of that way of thinking, and that the only thing that could change that would be some undeniable "sign" of some kind.

 

Without going into detail, there has been for me over the last 25 years or so, so many signs too numerous to mention that I'd be blind if I passed them all off as coincidences, which has convinced me that there is some higher power and/or master planner of existence.

 

I can't say with complete certainty what that is or give it a name exactly, but the common denominator related to this power seems to be "Eternal Love" which in losing loved ones over the years to death, in exchange for the loss I've been granted a keener sense of something that I can no longer deny.

 

I have faith now that we have a "soul" (for lack of a better word) and that it does not die with our flesh. I have faith that the "souls" of our lovingly departed do what they can to let us know this.

 

Thankfully, these signs have given hope and make living more of a joy than to just live feeling as if life has no real meaning.

 

With this joy I want to live and love life to the fullest, and anticipate the gift of eternal love when my body can no longer function in this life.

 

My middle name is Francis, and have always loved the "Prayer of St. Francis", but it's only been recently that the last line of the prayer has resonated with me, and it jumps out to me now like never before: "It is in dying that we are born to eternal life".

 

I know that I'm hardly ever short on words, and a simple answer to this question might've been more preferred, but I truly cannot address this topic with such a quick simple answer.

 

Hopefully no one minds and the great thing about posting long posts is that if no one wants to read them no one is twisting anyone's arm to do so, and in the grand scheme of things I'm not hogging too many bytes of data when posting them.

Without going into detail, there has been for me over the last 25 years or so, so many signs too numerous to mention that I'd be blind if I passed them all off as coincidences, which has convinced me that there is some higher power and/or master planner of existence.

 

I can't say with complete certainty what that is or give it a name exactly, but the common denominator related to this power seems to be "Eternal Love" which in losing loved ones over the years to death, in exchange for the loss I've been granted a keener sense of something that I can no longer deny.

 

I have faith now that we have a "soul" (for lack of a better word) and that it does not die with our flesh. I have faith that the "souls" of our lovingly departed do what they can to let us know this.

 

Thankfully, these signs have given hope and make living more of a joy than to just live feeling as if life has no real meaning.

 

With this joy I want to live and love life to the fullest, and anticipate the gift of eternal love when my body can no longer function in this life.

 

Seems as though you do believe in God, even if you are not comfortable using that name.

Seems as though you do believe in God, even if you are not comfortable using that name.

 

I think you're right about that. In many ways the answer "Yes" could've seemed like a perfect cut and dried simple answer to the question without me going into such great detail, but then again the topic feels too complex to give a simple answer.

 

Saying with complete certainty what it is I actually believe in has been a life long internal battle, but with each passing day, I've less and less difficulty admitting to myself and to others (without forcing it on them) that I have a growing belief.

 

Perhaps it's a pride thing on my part that wants to expose that my "Yes" answer came with much internal debate before arriving to where I presently am. In that case my Ego might be at play, and it sounds a bit true what I've been told about Ego meaning to 'Ease God Out".

 

Thank you for posing the question to begin with because I never feel like I can reassess where I am on this topic too much.

 

It's a pretty significant topic.

Way to look me look like a jerk, other agnostic people of BGP.

 

I know you're out there.

Way to look me look like a jerk, other agnostic people of BGP.

 

I know you're out there.

 

Your not hung out, in fact I'd bet there are a lot of Agnostic people regularly going to church trying to figure out where they are on this subject. I'll admit that if I was to label myself I would have called myself an agnostic for many years. Then when I saw the sign I knew where I was at in my life.

Your not hung out, in fact I'd bet there are a lot of Agnostic people regularly going to church trying to figure out where they are on this subject. I'll admit that if I was to label myself I would have called myself an agnostic for many years. Then when I saw the sign I knew where I was at in my life.

 

I think many people fall into that group. The grow up believing because that is what they are taught by mom and dad. Some time they get to a rebellious point where they start questioning everything, including their faith. At that point Faith just doesn't make sense but after a while, you learn that faith is not supposed to necessarily make sense, then it would not require faith.

 

I think many people fall into that group. The grow up believing because that is what they are taught by mom and dad. Some time they get to a rebellious point where they start questioning everything, including their faith. At that point Faith just doesn't make sense but after a while, you learn that faith is not supposed to necessarily make sense, then it would not require faith.

 

Daughter is at that point in her life. Went away to college, came back agnostic and a few years later she is now kind of circling back and trying to make sense of things.

Way to look me look like a jerk, other agnostic people of BGP.

 

I know you're out there.

 

I don't agree with the way the poll was set up but I joined you Hangman.

I don't agree with the way the poll was set up but I joined you Hangman.

 

How else would you set it up?

I don't agree with the way the poll was set up but I joined you Hangman.

 

How would you have changed it?