What are your thoughts on the concept of having faith in a Higher Power but choosing to distance oneself from established religious doctrines?
Hey, so I believe in a higher power but I'm not on board with any particular religion. Anyone else think it's cool to just fly solo as a good human, no religion attached?
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That's basically agnosticism. And it's pretty common among intellectuals, historically speaking at least
It's an Agnostic Theist (Don't claim the knowledge but have the belief).
Rather than an Agnostic Atheist (Don't claim the knowledge but don't have the belief)
Gnostic Theist (Claim the knowledge and have the belief)
And
Gnostic Atheist (Claim the knowledge but don't have the belief)
Are the other two
That's interesting, do you have some reading/listening recommendations about it? I would love that. (Trying to figure shit out)
Sorry, I don't know of any good resources off the top of my head
Agnostic Theist
Or
Agnostic Atheist
Are what the majority of people are.
Agnostic makes the most sense because there is no "proof" a God or gods exists or doesn't exist.
If I walk up to a Theist or Atheist and ask for "proof," neither side will have any.
When you ask a Gnostic Theist that practices Christianity (but could be any religion). They will say that the Bible is "proof" and that they know that to be the truth. They claim to have the knowledge that their belief is correct.
A Gnostic Atheist doesn't really exist. Because they would have to believe in some knowledge that is "proof" for their belief that no God or gods could ever exist. There is no knowledge out there that proves that.
It becomes a semantic battle of what do you call the God or gods and that "Anything is possible"
So you can assume anyone that calls themselves Atheist is an Agnostic Atheist.
As an example, no Atheist is going to lay down their life to die on a hill that no God or gods has ever existed. They believe that no God or gods existed, but they realize that the knowledge to prove it doesn't exist yet.
A Gnostic Theist will die on the hill for what they believe because they truly believe that they have the knowledge to prove it.
Plato has a lot of good stuff to read up about religion
But unless you want to pick a religion and roll with it on faith, agnostic is what it is.
It's nice to hope for a nice God or gods. That would make you Agnostic Theist.
But if you feel like a God or gods don't exist then you'd just be Agnostic Atheist.
But to become religious, you'd have to read about all the different ones and see what speaks to you and decide yourself if you want to buy in or not.
Thanks for this. I've read some Plato but it was so long ago, I have to look into it again.
I'm hoping for a nice overall entity, so that makes me an Agnostic theist for now.
I severed myself completely from a major religion. Never again for me.