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Trying to reconcile my Christian Deism with other religions.

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Chagen46 Dude Looks Like a Lady from I don't really know Since: Jan, 2010
#1: Jan 11th 2011 at 8:22:11 PM

Chagen 46? In my OTC? It's more likely that you think.

Recently, I've been thinking more about my religion. I've decided to identify as a Culturally Christian Deist—as in, I don't follow the Bible very much and take great liberties with my interpretation of it, but I believe God exists.

Now, I find this difficult to reconcile this with other religions. With atheists, I can honestly believe that even they can be accepted by God and go to heaven (Note that I'm talking about the normal athetists, not the insane actually-a-misotheist ones that are the atheist equivalent of a Fundamentalist). If you are an atheists and find this offensive....I don't know what to say.

Now with other religions, I come to a roadblock. My deity of choice says that you should have no other gods before him. This means that I should honestly believe that people who believe in other religions should go to hell. But I don't like this notion—why should perfectly normal and good people be damned eternally (NOTE:THIS IS NOT A DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE CONCEPT OF HELL PROVES THAT GOD IS EVIL. DEBATING ABOUT THIS INSTEAD OF THE TOPIC WILL RESULT IN ME REPORTING YOU).

So now I have hit a conundrum. How can I reconcile my religious beliefs with people who practice other religions? I don't even feel comfortable around Muslims/Islamists, even though they (supposedly) worship the same god that I do. What am I to do in a situation like this? I wish to get my personal philosophy down before I graduate High School, so this is very important.

And before you answer, "Become an Atheist" is not going to be an acceptable answer. Nor is "research alternate religions". I was born a Christian, and I will be buried a Christian.

"Who wants to hear about good stuff when the bottom of the abyss of human failure that you know doesn't exist is so much greater?"-Wraith
KCK Can I KCK it? from In your closet Since: Jul, 2010
Can I KCK it?
#2: Jan 11th 2011 at 8:23:54 PM

@Chagen 46 How is asking you to research other religions going to stop you from believing in Christ?

Also, believing in God is not the same as believing in Christ.

edited 11th Jan '11 8:24:08 PM by KCK

There's no justice in the world and there never was~
Chagen46 Dude Looks Like a Lady from I don't really know Since: Jan, 2010
#3: Jan 11th 2011 at 8:27:05 PM

Well, the implication I meant was more "research other religions and see if one fits better for you", but Brevity Is Wit.

Also, how can you say Jesus existed if you don't believe in God? That's a rather odd concept.

"Who wants to hear about good stuff when the bottom of the abyss of human failure that you know doesn't exist is so much greater?"-Wraith
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#4: Jan 11th 2011 at 8:31:33 PM

Well, we're pretty sure regardless of your faith or lack thereof that an itinerant preacher named <insert translation of dude's name> was running around Jerusalem in a certain historical timeframe saying things that got quite a following and pissed off the authorities enough to have him executed.

edited 11th Jan '11 8:34:13 PM by Pykrete

Wanderhome The Joke-Master Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Healthy, deeply-felt respect for this here Shotgun
The Joke-Master
#5: Jan 11th 2011 at 8:51:36 PM

[up][up]He means you can believe in God and not believe in Jesus. And if you do not follow the tenets of Christianity and are willing to compromise your beliefs to make them "reconcile" with other religions, why identify as Christian in any form?

Chagen46 Dude Looks Like a Lady from I don't really know Since: Jan, 2010
#6: Jan 11th 2011 at 8:55:02 PM

Because I honestly believe a god exists. And I can't imagine being an Atheist, so I continue to identify as a Culturally Christian Deist.

"Who wants to hear about good stuff when the bottom of the abyss of human failure that you know doesn't exist is so much greater?"-Wraith
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#7: Jan 11th 2011 at 8:57:07 PM

I thought that the Deist conception of God wasn't anywhere near interventionist enough to damn people eternally?

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
Chagen46 Dude Looks Like a Lady from I don't really know Since: Jan, 2010
#8: Jan 11th 2011 at 8:59:01 PM

I don't really know. Back when IJBM still existed, someone said my beliefs are like that, so I chose to identify as a Deist.

Also, I still have some of my dad's quasi-fundamentalism on me...

"Who wants to hear about good stuff when the bottom of the abyss of human failure that you know doesn't exist is so much greater?"-Wraith
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#9: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:00:00 PM

Perhaps you should read up on Deism? I don't know many details, but I mentally associate it with its adherent Thomas Jefferson, AKA the guy who rewrote the New Testament to take out everything supernatural.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
deathjavu This foreboding is fa... from The internet, obviously Since: Feb, 2010
This foreboding is fa...
#10: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:01:39 PM

Have you considered the fact that you can believe exactly whatever you want? Nobody can or will force you to believe something.

I'm absolutely serious, if you can't find a major religion that codifies what you believe, follow your own. Pick and choose until it makes perfect sense to you, because that's what 99% of people do anyways. With any luck, you can write a book about it, it'll take off, and you'll become rich and famous. Remember me if that happens wink

That, of course, only applies if you're actually looking for spiritual advice, and not the community/social advantages/easy self definition/codified rules that come(s) from an organized religion.

Look, you can't make me speak in a logical, coherent, intelligent bananna.
Chagen46 Dude Looks Like a Lady from I don't really know Since: Jan, 2010
#11: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:09:34 PM

But...I can't imagine being anything other than a Christian. I have no interest in converting to anything else.

"Who wants to hear about good stuff when the bottom of the abyss of human failure that you know doesn't exist is so much greater?"-Wraith
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#12: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:11:05 PM

The space of beliefs which include believing that Jesus is the son of God and God is supreme and all is rather large, you know.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#13: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:12:37 PM

I don't really know. Back when IJBM still existed, someone said my beliefs are like that, so I chose to identify as a Deist.

Maybe you should do research on something before choosing to identify as it.

deathjavu This foreboding is fa... from The internet, obviously Since: Feb, 2010
This foreboding is fa...
#14: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:15:20 PM

[up][up][up] At the risk of being off-topic, but combating a phrase/idea that really bothers me, just because you can't imagine it doesn't make it so/not so. The idea that it does...bothers me

Anyways, as was mentioned, Christianity is pretty broad, and if you're actually looking to challenge your current beliefs there's almost an infinite array of beliefs you could have.

edited 11th Jan '11 9:15:45 PM by deathjavu

Look, you can't make me speak in a logical, coherent, intelligent bananna.
Beholderess from Moscow Since: Jun, 2010
#15: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:18:42 PM

Well, there is a popular idea that most religions are actually one with names and certain customs lost in interpretation.

If we disagree, that much, at least, we have in common
Karmakin Moar and Moar and Moar Since: Aug, 2009
Moar and Moar and Moar
#16: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:22:37 PM

Yeah that sounds like out and out theism, not deism to me. That said, there are a lot of Christians who are deists as well as Christians who I would say are atheists.

I think if you want to reconcile this, the literalism doesn't really have a place. Most people get around these things by looking at them as metaphors or things in that regard. Best of luck to you.

Democracy is the process in which we determine the government that we deserve
KCK Can I KCK it? from In your closet Since: Jul, 2010
Can I KCK it?
#17: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:27:04 PM

@Chagen One of the great things about Jesus is that he doubles as both a historical figure and a religious figure.

As I said before, if you don't believe in Christ as a religious figure or knowingly follow His teachings, there's no point in saying you are a Christian.

Try calling yourself a theist or agnostic or both.

There's no justice in the world and there never was~
Chagen46 Dude Looks Like a Lady from I don't really know Since: Jan, 2010
#18: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:28:58 PM

Wait, I thought Theism was stuff like bigoted fundimentalism?

God, Christianity has too much Fan Wank for it's own good....

"Who wants to hear about good stuff when the bottom of the abyss of human failure that you know doesn't exist is so much greater?"-Wraith
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#19: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:32:34 PM

Theism just means the belief that God or gods exist (as opposed to atheism, the belief that they don't). It's not even Christianity-specific.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
KCK Can I KCK it? from In your closet Since: Jul, 2010
Can I KCK it?
#20: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:33:18 PM

@Chagen 46 Oh my...Chagen, do some research, man. Fundamentalism has very little to do with theism.

There's no justice in the world and there never was~
Chagen46 Dude Looks Like a Lady from I don't really know Since: Jan, 2010
#21: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:33:40 PM

....Then what is Deism?

"Who wants to hear about good stuff when the bottom of the abyss of human failure that you know doesn't exist is so much greater?"-Wraith
KCK Can I KCK it? from In your closet Since: Jul, 2010
Can I KCK it?
#22: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:34:39 PM

@Chagen It's basically the belief that God is responsible for the creation of the world, but does not interfere in the affairs of man.

There's no justice in the world and there never was~
Tzetze DUMB from a converted church in Venice, Italy Since: Jan, 2001
DUMB
#23: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:35:38 PM

Yeah, do some reading. QUICK People that aren't me give book recommendations

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.
Wanderhome The Joke-Master Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Healthy, deeply-felt respect for this here Shotgun
The Joke-Master
#24: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:35:56 PM

Cliff's Notes version:

Theism = Belief that there is at least one god.

Deism = Belief that there is at most one god.

Karmakin Moar and Moar and Moar Since: Aug, 2009
Moar and Moar and Moar
#25: Jan 11th 2011 at 9:37:46 PM

No, Theism is merely the belief in god/gods. I actually take that a step further and say it's the belief in interventionist gods. That gives it separation from Deism, which can be often seen as believe in non-interventionist gods. And then Atheism is a lack of belief in gods.

That's a very simplistic way to put it of course, but it's good for a crash course.

Most religions revolve around theistic belief.

Democracy is the process in which we determine the government that we deserve

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