Like many others with Aspergers and OCD traits, I enjoy making lists and organizing my thoughts in a linear fashion on paper. While flipping through an old notebook, I found the following lists of “What I Believe”, “What I Do Not Believe”, and “What I Am Unsure Of”, and thought I would share it just for fun. Since I am not religious anymore, I made this list to try to figure out and pinpoint what I personally believe or no longer believe.
What I Believe
- There is probably some kind of all-encompassing spirit or energy in the universe. Whether that energy is conscious and/or aware can be argued.
- There is an inter-connectedness of all things.
- I believe in the power and goodness of love, kindness, and forgiveness.
- I believe in the power and strength of nature.
What I Do Not Believe
- Any form of religious dogma. It is ALL man-made.
- I do not believe that any human or religion has all the answers, no matter how much they think they do.
- I do not believe in eternal punishment or “hell”.
- I do not believe that everyone needs to or should follow the same path.
What I Am Unsure Of
- Are there any Gods or Goddesses in any form?
- Is there an afterlife? Are ghosts, hauntings, or reincarnation real?
- Are there other “realms”? For example, do fairies, aliens, alternate realities, mythical monsters, etc. exist in this current reality or any other?
- Is there such a thing as a personal soul? If so, do only humans have them, or all living beings? Can a non-organic being (like Artificial Intelligence) have or develop a “soul”?
Interesting post! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree with most of what you wrote. I am waiting for further proof on those subjects. Until then, I’m completely agnostic.
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Thanks for reading and commenting! I like to think about stuff like this and just wonder…
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Yes, same. It’s interesting, even if we don’t get to any conclusion.
I’m reading a book called “The problems of Philosophy” by Bertrand Russell and he gives some really good insights on questions about reality. I recommend this book, it’s a great read. You can find it on project gutenberg, the book repository.
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I do like what I have read of Bertrand Russell’s quotes on various subjects, so I should check it out!
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Great! You won’t regret it š ā¤
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I am a Pagan. (Not a Satanist). Love Nature in all its beauties. I believe there are Entities and Deities that we look to, to guide us in the right direction, light. Over dark. I believe there cannot be light without dark. That we have to be Aware and Careful in our Motives. The Rede ‘Harm none’ and we should be Fine. Don’t play god, free will and power over others is wrong and will backfire. If that helps. If it has confused you. Then Please accept my Apology.
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It didn’t confuse me at all š I have long had an interest in pagan and witchcraft traditions, so I am familiar with the belief systems. I have even considered “becoming” an eclectic pagan myself, but I’m too lazy and easily distracted to regularly practice lol.
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āŗšā¤
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I do/don’t believe many of the same things.
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Cool š
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food for thought there miranda! a lot of questions! All really thought provoking! ā¤
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Thanks! I like to make people think š
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It strikes me that while an “all-encompassing spirit or energy in the universe” or “inter-connectedness of all things” *could* in themselves be purely impersonal, in contrast “the power and goodness of love, kindness, and forgiveness” certainly involves realities of personal relationship. So what actually grounds and establishes the power and goodness of love, forgiveness, etc.? I’d argue that this strongly points to a personal (and thus knowing, loving) rather than impersonal ultimate reality. I.e., a personal God. (And I’d further say that it would certainly be in the ability and nature of such a God to communicate with us, hence divine revelation, and hence “dogma” as our communal formulation of the fundamental truths from this revelation, despite your disclaiming such a possibility!) š But I love making lists like this too, and whatever conclusions you come too, it’s definitely a great exercise for stepping back and getting perspective.
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I do not think you need a personal God to believe in the power of goodness. Just like with “the force” from Star Wars, it definitely is not a personal God so to say, but just is and beings still have to choose between the dark and the light side. To me, good and evil are things, but they are not necessarily personal. I would probably agree more with taoism or eastern belief on this subject. Thanks for reading and commenting!
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Very deep thoughts. Making lists is often the best way to sort out what we believe (or not). Iām very intrigued by yours
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Thank you! I enjoy thinking about stuff that I can’t know the answer to lol.
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Deep thoughts and not a million miles away from my own!
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Awesome š
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