dun dun dunnnnnnn...

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spider

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Hi,

:yoshi: <--- oh wow, that's an awesome smiley.

Ahem... sorry... to the business of introducing myself.

Uh...

Okay, I'll just go right to the relevant stuff. God. Theology. I used to be Catholic. Not just like once-a-year-or-when-things-go-pear-shaped Catholic, though my family was/is like that. More like praying every night before bed, and freaking out about the end of the world like it was going to happen tomorrow.

Anyway, as I grew up, became bolder, more independent, I started to become less anxious and paranoid about things , and had no excuse to hide away from examining my beliefs in a rational way. Unfortunately for my faith, it meant I gradually stopped believing and thinking that way.

Then I was just in the no-mans-land of some sort of deism for a bit, while I (deleted) around with other things and didn't think about it much. Then I felt like I needed some kind of label to replace being Christian, and was a neopagan for a bit, but I was just going through the motions, not really believing in the supernatural so to be honest I had to just be nothing, an atheist.

I thought that was a transitional phase to something else, but the more I looked for answers and other such clichéd things, the more I just reinforced the idea that maybe I didn't need to believe in anything more than what I can grasp here in this reality. I did flirt with Buddhism for a bit, and still read about it, but only as philosophy, and it doesn't seem to change the fact that I don't believe in a god, not the gods I've had presented to me so far.

However, it makes no sense to rest on my laurels like I know everything, so I've lugged my agnostic atheist pinko butt here to talk to people who won't all agree with me, because disagreement seems to wake my brain up a lot more than hearing variations on the theme of my own opinions echoed back to me.

Oh and also to abuse your smileys. :yoshi: :peach: :sheep: :luigi: :bowser: :DK: :toad: :jump: :mario: :execute:
 
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Spitfire

New member
Freaking out about the end of the world like it was going to happen to tomorrow? Was there any particular reason why you thought the end of the world was so imminent? Just curious, as in my experiences that sort of thing seems to be far more characteristic of Evangelicals than Catholics or Reform Protestants.
 

spider

New member
I got very interested in Christian eschatology on my own. I was raised Catholic but I guess I was just generating my own beliefs, and I was reading the bible on my own, particularly Revelations. Revelations is a scary book if you believe in all that. Worse, if you search on the internet for people trying to scare you into joining their religion.

Lots of things happened that I felt meant the end was coming. September 11th was the big one. I also believed spurious things that connected Nostradamus to modern day events. I think it was probably a phase in my adolescence where I was unsure of myself, alone and very pessimistic. If I could think of a worst case scenario, then any slight possibility that it could happen meant that I should fear it like it was going to happen tomorrow. A kind of twisted Pascal's Wager, I guess. When I stopped living in fear, I stopped being paralysed by this and I could handle the possibility of being not believing.
 

Spitfire

New member
I got very interested in Christian eschatology on my own. I was raised Catholic but I guess I was just generating my own beliefs, and I was reading the bible on my own, particularly Revelations. Revelations is a scary book if you believe in all that. Worse, if you search on the internet for people trying to scare you into joining their religion.
Modern eschatology is rubbish, especially from a Catholic standpoint (which of course means most of the people on this particular site would disagree with me completely.) Up until about 200 years ago there were no Christians of any denomination holding the eschatological beliefs which are so prevalent nowadays. But I have seen how Catholics in places like the USA and Australia have perhaps been influenced by the primarily Evangelical tone of Christianity in those countries. The American Sedevacantists and their "three days of darkness" for example, or the Catholic charismatic movement, and what seems to be a greater tendency towards the literal interpretation of parts of the Bible like Apocalypse / Revelations. That being as opposed to the more traditional Catholic understanding of the Apocalypse such as is explained here: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01594b.htm

Lots of things happened that I felt meant the end was coming. September 11th was the big one. I also believed spurious things that connected Nostradamus to modern day events. I think it was probably a phase in my adolescence where I was unsure of myself, alone and very pessimistic. If I could think of a worst case scenario, then any slight possibility that it could happen meant that I should fear it like it was going to happen tomorrow. A kind of twisted Pascal's Wager, I guess. When I stopped living in fear, I stopped being paralysed by this and I could handle the possibility of being not believing.
I guess I was pretty close to your age and I remember I initially didn't have that much of a reaction to September 11. And that was part of when I began to realize just how out of step I seem to be with the rest of the world, for better or for worse. Not that I didn't consider it a tragedy, but I had been interested in enough in the wars of the 20th century to know that a few thousands deaths was still a very small number compared to the carnage there had been in Europe, which nevertheless had apparently not heralded the end of the world.
 

spider

New member
That being as opposed to the more traditional Catholic understanding of the Apocalypse such as is explained here: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01594b.htm
Thanks, I'll have a look at it.

Yeah, I agree it's rubbish. On another forum, a guy was predicting that in July, the weather would disappear and the end would be nigh. He predicted that in November last year. He had all sorts of crazy things which he apparently thought was really real. It's amazing how people deal with their doomsday prophecies passing their deadlines without any doomsday - as if nothing went wrong at all! Even the bible says people aren't going to know when it will happen until it is happening, or at least that's what I understand now.


:wave: How did you find TOL on the "interwebs"?
:wave2: I've seen the forum a couple of times as a lurker and was originally linked from one of the other forums I'm on, either atheisthinktank.net or whywontgodhealamputees.com - I honestly can't remember! I think I have too many forums on my hands. I'm an addict.
 

Stripe

Teenage Adaptive Ninja Turtle
LIFETIME MEMBER
Hall of Fame
Used to be a catholic .. now hates God. Just like every other catholic who is not one any more...

Welcome to TOL. Watch your language.
 

Nathon Detroit

LIFETIME MEMBER
LIFETIME MEMBER
Then I was just in the no-mans-land of some sort of deism for a bit, while I f-ed around with other things and didn't think about it much.
Welcome to TOL.

Please don't use profanity on the forum, OK? Even if it's implied it's the thought that counts.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. :up:
 

bucksplasher

New member
Another Hi

Another Hi

Glad to see you're searching. This place will certainly give you lots to consider. I hope you don't give up on Catholicism or don't figure you've already "been there done that" as it might not be the religion of your youth. Welcome. tWINs
 

spider

New member
I can't see youtube videos here (at work), but I'll try to log on from somewhere that I can soon, Turbo.

Oh and hi to everyone else that said hi!
 

Barney

New member
Spider, I'm really upset that you implied a vulgar word. TOL has morals, you know. :whip:

With that aside, welcome aboard!
:the_wave:
 

Poet Fox

New member
lol, welcome to TOL, even if i have welcomed you elsewhere. yeah, you get the profanity thing alot here. ^^ luckly captain marvel...i mean knight, is often a good sport about the first sorta deals. if you really need to curse to get your point across though i feel its good to put in words that are in no way related to anything that might be considered a curse.

like pidgeon, or dungaree...wait, not dungaree, thats my word...try..uhhh pantalones.
 

OMEGA

New member
However, it makes no sense to rest on my laurels like I know everything,

CATHOLICS ARE PAGAN IDOL WORSHIPPERS
SO THERE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
THEM AND ATHEISTS.
 

Quincy

New member
Hi,

:yoshi: <--- oh wow, that's an awesome smiley.
I know, right? So tranquil yet ever moving.


Ahem... sorry... to the business of introducing myself.

Uh...
Get on with it, I may end up :rip: before I get to the end of this. :chuckle:

Okay, I'll just go right to the relevant stuff. God. Theology. I used to be Catholic. Not just like once-a-year-or-when-things-go-pear-shaped Catholic, though my family was/is like that. More like praying every night before bed, and freaking out about the end of the world like it was going to happen tomorrow.

Anyway, as I grew up, became bolder, more independent, I started to become less anxious and paranoid about things , and had no excuse to hide away from examining my beliefs in a rational way. Unfortunately for my faith, it meant I gradually stopped believing and thinking that way.

Then I was just in the no-mans-land of some sort of deism for a bit, while I (deleted) around with other things and didn't think about it much. Then I felt like I needed some kind of label to replace being Christian, and was a neopagan for a bit, but I was just going through the motions, not really believing in the supernatural so to be honest I had to just be nothing, an atheist.
You don't have to possess belief per se. If someone asked me if I believe in God, I would say I don't possess any beliefs, I just have reverence for the order and light apparent in the intention of the universe. I don't believe, I just question, study, live, and try to maintain a certain subtlety and humbleness.

I thought that was a transitional phase to something else, but the more I looked for answers and other such clichéd things, the more I just reinforced the idea that maybe I didn't need to believe in anything more than what I can grasp here in this reality. I did flirt with Buddhism for a bit, and still read about it, but only as philosophy, and it doesn't seem to change the fact that I don't believe in a god, not the gods I've had presented to me so far.
It has been said the person who seeks never finds, the person that grasp loses grip, and the person that gives up is never found. I think the key to the kingdom is to let yourself be entrusted with it, never pursue it.

However, it makes no sense to rest on my laurels like I know everything, so I've lugged my agnostic atheist pinko butt here to talk to people who won't all agree with me, because disagreement seems to wake my brain up a lot more than hearing variations on the theme of my own opinions echoed back to me.
I'll never disagree with you, because I'd hate to assist you in building your creed so blind to think your right. Now if you understand that :e4e: .


peace
 
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