Happy to have found this Board

DizzyDee · 09-05-2006, 04:00 PM

Hello Everyone,

This seems like a fairly new discussion board and I hope it gets more popular. The Discussion topics are great. My name is Deanna, I'm 30 and from what I can tell so far - the only Canadian on the board

I am agnostic. I have taken a few World Religions courses in University. I was raised casually with Christian beliefs but not connected to any specific church or tradition, joined the mormon church when I was 18 and left about 9 years later when I discovered it was not all it claimed to be (ie. true). For those of you who are interested in reading more about why I joined and left mormonism, you can find it here.

Over the last three years I've been examining my Christian/Mormon beliefs and motivations in light of what is known about spiritual experience in world religions, biology/physiology, psychology, and sociology. I do not believe there is any reason for me to continue to believe in a higher being. I believe that most things related to religion/spirituality can be explained in natural rather than supernatural terms. I believe all religion is man-made and suspect the current conceptions of God(s) are man-made as well. If there is a higher power, I doubt it has revealed itself to humans but I'm not able to prove it either way and am open to any compelling evidence that is presented to me.

}SoC{Sumguy · 09-05-2006, 09:05 PM

well, what do you have to lose by believing? not much.
what do you have to lose by not believing? an infinite amount.
what do you have to gain by not believing? not much.
what do you have to gain by beleiving? an infinite amount.

DizzyDee · 09-06-2006, 03:33 PM

That's what you think - I've experienced it differently.

**SithLord** · 09-07-2006, 07:43 AM

Welcome eh!

GloryB · 09-07-2006, 09:05 AM

Hi and welcome to the board! I've noticed Canadians seem to be less evangelical since most of the Atheist/Agnostic boards I belong to have a good amount of Canadians.

GloryB

**SithLord** · 09-07-2006, 09:59 AM

Yeah, all of Canada is going to hell according to the Christians.

In fact anyone not born into a culture that worhsips christianity is going to suffer eternal damnation. But don't worry. That's just part of God's plan

mtatum4496 · 09-07-2006, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyDee

Hello Everyone,

This seems like a fairly new discussion board and I hope it gets more popular. The Discussion topics are great. My name is Deanna, I'm 30 and from what I can tell so far - the only Canadian on the board

I am agnostic. I have taken a few World Religions courses in University. I was raised casually with Christian beliefs but not connected to any specific church or tradition, joined the mormon church when I was 18 and left about 9 years later when I discovered it was not all it claimed to be (ie. true). For those of you who are interested in reading more about why I joined and left mormonism, you can find it here.

Over the last three years I've been examining my Christian/Mormon beliefs and motivations in light of what is known about spiritual experience in world religions, biology/physiology, psychology, and sociology. I do not believe there is any reason for me to continue to believe in a higher being. I believe that most things related to religion/spirituality can be explained in natural rather than supernatural terms. I believe all religion is man-made and suspect the current conceptions of God(s) are man-made as well. If there is a higher power, I doubt it has revealed itself to humans but I'm not able to prove it either way and am open to any compelling evidence that is presented to me.

Uh huh, the text of some of your messages made me wonder about this connection.

I also was very happy in the LDS Church. I joined at the age of 16, and I have no doubt that I benefitted from the time i spent in that body. As an example, it was there that I developed the understanding that there was truth to be found in many books, not just one and not just in books called scriptures.

Ultimately, it was the publications of the early Latter Day movement that provided me with information that blew away the sanitized history I had been taught. They also led me to the RLDS Church, where I found a much more democratic style of church goverment, a greater appreciation for thoughts and understandings that originated outside the church, and where it was okay to disagree with official church positions and even sometimes say "I don't know".

However, the time came when I felt I had to leave there. For those that do not know much about the RLDS church, it has been going through some very intense shifts in beliefs and structure the past forty or so years. I finally was emotionally and spiritually exhausted from the constant struggle I felt as people I had come to love sometimes were in tears over what they perceived as improper changes in the church took place.

It was at that point that I withdrew from all things spiritual and essentially had a two-three year "detox" time. During that time, I evaluated what of my beliefs I considered foundational and in time began to look for a place where I could find at least a portion of them that I could practice in peace. I studied Quakerism, which has always fascinated me and who, like the RLDS, placed a great deal of emphasis on personal communion with Diety and the inherent worth of all persons. But with no Quaker meeting in my area, that was pretty much a dead end.

Around 2002, I first began to think about Unitarian Universalism and chose to formally join the local congregation in October 2003.

DizzyDee · 09-07-2006, 11:45 AM

Wow! Thanks for sharing mtatum. I appreciate finding someone who understands a little of where I’m coming from. I too enjoyed much of my time in Mormonism – reading the unsantitized version of LDS history is fascinating, interesting, and, for me at least, enough to convince me that the founder was not an honest man. Also, studying the social sciences helped me to recognize the patriarchal structure of the church and some of the abuses and imbalances of power inherent in such communities. The striving for perfectionism, while not harmful to most latter-day saints, can be devastating to those with a pre-disposition for mild mental illnesses and depression. As I got into leadership callings, I noticed that missionary tactics are not always honest, and in some cases the poor missionaries are reduced to stalking investigators who don’t want to see them at the bequest of Mission Presidents, Bishops, Stake leaders, and mission leaders. Made me uncomfortable – there’s a funny/sad story about this in my exit story, linked to above.

Anyway, it’s nice to meet you – along with the rest of you who have warmly welcomed me.

I wonder how the Christian Canadians feel about all those Christians in the States who think they are going to hell?

Perhaps they won’t worry for long – Stephen Harper, our new Prime Minister, seems to be bent on “saving” our damnable “socialist” country by cozying up to Bush.

}SoC{Sumguy · 09-07-2006, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DizzyDee

I wonder how the Christian Canadians feel about all those Christians in the States who think they are going to hell?

wait, we think that the canadians are going to hell? this is news to me!
i think that you may be steryotyping Dizzy, only a small portion of us think like that.

anyway, hi! *waves*

**George** · 09-08-2006, 09:10 AM

Though you may have a point there sumguy, I think maybe SithLord has one too:

Quote:

Originally Posted by SithLord

In fact anyone not born into a culture that worhsips christianity is going to suffer eternal damnation.

Is that not a Christian belief? That anyone not presently worshiping in the Christian way and that hasn't accepted Jesus as their lord and savior is damned?

We're getting a little off topic though. I might split this into a new thread