Maybe I'll call myself an Eckartist...

[fajrdrako]

I got this article about the unpopularity of atheists from auriaephiala.

Makes me think we should do some image-building. Or something. You know, showing the sweet cuddliness of us atheists.

I sometimes wonder when I stopped calling myself a pantheist and started calling myself an atheist. My religious views haven't changed in the least. It's semantics. It's a matter of who I wanted to be associated with. After reading the views of other pantheists online and deciding they didn't quite get it, I was less inclined to call myself that.

I could call myself a pagan, but it's the same sort of problem: pagans tend to be organized - at least then ones I know are - and when I approached them with an interest, they said I would have to learn about paganism. I shied away. Sounds like catechism. Sounds like learning their religion instead of celebrating my own, in good company.

So where does that leave me? Like Philippa Somerville, uninvited, unwanted, unwelcome as ever. And in a group voted the most likely to steal a wallet. But still warm and cuddly.

Honest.

Comments

[baronjanus]

You believe what you believe, even if other people hate it, and even if other people use the same label and are assholes or idiots.

It sucks not having like-minded people to play with, I'm well aware, but... they shouldn't be able to take away your truth.

[fajrdrako]

Luckily, I don't really care what other people think.

Maybe I misunderstood.

[baronjanus]

To quote,

"I sometimes wonder when I stopped calling myself a pantheist and started calling myself an atheist. My religious views haven't changed in the least. It's semantics. It's a matter of who I wanted to be associated with. After reading the views of other pantheists online and deciding they didn't quite get it, I was less inclined to call myself that.

I could call myself a pagan, but it's the same sort of problem: pagans tend to be organized - at least then ones I know are - and when I approached them with an interest, they said I would have to learn about paganism. I shied away. Sounds like catechism. Sounds like learning their religion instead of celebrating my own, in good company."

Re: Maybe I misunderstood.

[fajrdrako]

It isn't that I care what they think - or anyone else, particularly; I wasn't interacting with them. It's that if I want a description of myself for myself, if I want to find a word for what I believe - and I do - I want it to be the right word. "Atheist" is an apt noun but it implies what I'm not, rather than what I am. "Pantheist" is still the closest I can find, but it's a little hard to pin down.

It's a sort of word quest...

And really, I'd like to find others who see the world as I do, spiritually speaking. That isn't a big deal, but without having words to deal with it, I don't know how to approach the matter.

Especially since I don't much like talking about religion. Too many people have a vested interest, so much emotion attached to the concepts.

[baronjanus]

If I may ask,
considering it's personal
and considering you just said you don't like talking about it,

regardless of a one-word label, what do you believe in? I mean, why is pantheism the yes or not right word?

Is this a religion or a philosophy?

[fajrdrako]

regardless of a one-word label, what do you believe in? I mean, why is pantheism the yes or not right word?

I realize that I put this question aside to try to find a good way to answer it and never did think of quite the right way. Let's see...

1. Life is what we make of it, and the meaning of life is the meaning we give it.

2. The optimum life involves creating understanding, appreciation and respect for everything and everyone we encounter. I call this "worship". You don't need to like everything or everyone, but there's always something to learn from anything, even the lowliest bacterium (which is pretty impressive, when you think of it).

3. Attitude shapes existence.

This is illustrated for me by two quotes; one from Peter Shaffer about "The divinity of certain smiles, and certain chip shops" and another from William Black, "for all that lives is holy" - though I'd change that to "for all at is, is holy".

I'm not sure if this sounds very coherent... or even very sane... but it works for me.

Re: Is this a religion or a philosophy?

[baronjanus]

It sounds beautiful to me, as a lifestyle and attitude, but not so much as a -theism. Of course, I'm not really qualified to label either way. It clearly works very well for you.

Re: Is this a religion or a philosophy?

[fajrdrako]

Yeah. It works. And I'm not sure what to call it either.