I have a lot of friends who are atheist. I am thankful, however, that they are totally fine with theists who are reasonable people. I am a theist. When I was little, my family did not go to church. When I was 9 or 10, we started going to a little Presbyterian chruch. My father was raised Presbyterian so it seemed like a good place to start. And it was. I have been very comfortable with the Presbyterian way of doing things even though my views of God and spirituality have changed. Well actually, I am not sure they really changed so much as I figured out how I feel about things. This church generally has a good congregation. Made up of mostly millitary, retired military and educators, they are not pushy about faith, we all love food and fellowship and we are there for each other like a big family. This is the stellar example of what Christianity is supposed to be, for me, at least. We are all about fellowship and taking care of our fellow man. Most of the church's money goes to charity and it took nearly 30 years to come around to adding a new foyer and stained glass windows.
This is how I define Christianity. Take out the theology, and you should be left with people like this, people who follow the teachings of Yeshua (Jesus) as a man, and not as the Son.
I have a big problem with Christains, as a whole. Some of the biggest assholes I have ever encountered have the audacity to call themselves a Christian. They are disgusting human beings and are really only a 'Christian' for their own gain, not because they actually believe or follow that particular doctrine. Unfortunately, a lot of this has caused me to reject my upbringing, to a certain extent. I have always been facsinated by spirituality, however. Someone who is genuinely spiritual is also honest, giving, patient and accepting of others. I would consider my atheist friends very spiritual people. They are not spiritual in the sense that they believe in an all-powerful diety, that would make them theist. But they are spiritual in a sense that they believe in something larger than themselves. They believe in Truth, in the potential of humanity, in Science, in Existence.
I define spirituality as the awareness and acknowledgement of something larger than yourself. Be it God, or physics. You cannot tell me that Carl Sagan was not a spiritual person, just listen to how he talks about science. He has brought me to tears before with his love of science. "A far more glorious dawn awaits. Not a sunrise, but a galaxy rise."
As for me, I believe in a omnipotent creative entity. This entity is not tangible and does not posses a physical body nor is something that can be named or described by any one thing. It is part of everything, every atom and is the unseen, unknown force of existence. This entity itself is order and it is choas, it is the process of creation. It is concious and self-aware. It dwells within us, it is accessable from within us. A lot of these ideas come from the teachings of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. And it is the most peaceful, assuring idea of this abstract concept that I've managed to put into words. The Gita itself has made me cry and has affected me on a much deeper level than the Bible ever has. Don't get me wrong, the Bible is a great piece of literature, but it never brought me the sense of peace that the Gita, a much older and much shorter piece, has given to me.
So as I journey through my trials and tribulations, I always have to center myself with this idea that we are all one, united in creation by this omnipotent entity. Even when I'm angry and I want to punch a fundamentalist in the face, I have to remember that they are part of 'God' too. It is peaceful and has helped me through some tough stuff. And, most importantly, it has helped me learn to forgive. More on that later.
Aum Shanti.
As-Salamu Alaykum.
Shalom.
Shorah.
Peace be with you.
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