I’m agnostic because there isn’t concrete evidence for God’s existence nor his non-existence...

I’m agnostic because there isn’t concrete evidence for God’s existence nor his non-existence. If you aren’t agnostic, please post what your belief is and why you believe it. Also, what books should I read to develop a firmer stance on this topic?

...

the egyptian book of the dead, the totah, if you want to understand God in the world today read the dead sea scrolls.

> Not meeting God
> Not rejecting him anyway as at best a partial answer and at worst a demiurge

I gain nothing from not believing. If I believe I lose nothing but also secure the hereafter.

read the Qur'an.

>I lose nothing
Except for all the time you devote to your religion and the freedoms that you give up for it

>all the time you devote to your religion
This is gain. You're not accepting his premise. You're going by yours, and it's not working out well for you, is it?
>freedoms that you give up for it
Every choice is you sacrificing your freedom to choose either or for only one consequence. You trade away the potential for the actual. You pretend that religions are empty and void - why is that? They have a wide variety of actions within and without that are possible through it.

I assume you're religious. Can you explain what there is to gain? As for the freedom part, I am referring to obligations such as Ramadan that even the most devout likely abhor. What is the "gain" that comes from submitting to such obligations?

>imply any deity is so fickle and ignorant as to be accepting of your loss-minimizing belief decisions

>Can you explain what there is to gain?
Generally speaking: discipline, mastery, social benefits (community, friends), mental health, family, future, hope (if not for this world, for you), goals, networking
More serious approach: introspection, mysteries, meaning and purpose; your actions are not equal in validity, a philosophical and moral framework, potential to change the world more

>I'm agnostic because I like being in charge of myself and not being held accountable to an external force that transcends me entirely and beckons with all its will for me to submit to it

ftfy

Humility is necessary for the choice, but it is driven by longing.
>Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

>13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

>17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

>“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

>21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

>22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

I forgot to mention: a change of heart.

Theists who make utilitarian arguments should be hanged by the balls

Hello there older brother.

keke

I don't think Dante much liked the agnostics.

Canto 3

>He thus to me: “This miserable fate
Without or praise or blame, with that ill band
>Of angels mix’d, who nor rebellious proved,
>Nor yet were true to God, but for themselves
>Were only. From his bounds Heaven drove them forth
>Not to impair his lustre; nor the depth
>Of Hell receives them, lest the accursed tribe
>Should glory thence with exultation vain.”

I'm intrigued. How would I start? My problem is that I have difficulty choosing one religion over the other because they all have their benefits and drawbacks.

If someone wasn't raised into a certain religion, how else would they be convinced to convert?

Find the prophet that you think was the best person.

>agnostic
>no strong belief that there is a God or not

>gnostic
>There is a God but he's a massive dick

huh?

>dead sea scrolls
what?

>concrete
babby needs see wif his eyes, feewl wif his hands, hear wif his ears, smewll wif his nose, and taste wif his tongue

>I'm timenostic because there isn't concrete evidence for time's existence nor its non-existence.

>I'm oxygennostic because there isn't concrete evidence for oxygen's existence nor its non-existence.

>I'm earthnostic because there isn't concrete evidence that earth is a sphere nor is there evidence that it's flat

>I'm glassnostic because there isn't concrete evidence that the glass is half-full and there isn't concrete evidence that the glass is half-empty

I'm aagnostic, it means that I choose to neither be agnostic nor not agnostic because there isn't concrete evidence that being agnostic is correct and there isn't concrete evidence that not being agnostic is correct.

I'm a practicing Petersonist.

I know I can't objectively prove our saviour, Jordan Peterson, exists, but I have chosen to live as if he does.

>>I'm glassnostic because there isn't concrete evidence that the glass is half-full and there isn't concrete evidence that the glass is half-empty
Those two are the same, though

the notion of holiness is useful to healthy human existence

Exactly.

I unironically teared up a little.

I've fluctuated over the years from a wishy washy Lutheran who never really bothered with religion thinking too much about it/talking about it always made me uncomfortable.

I morphed into the edgy Atheist sans all the meme typicals for several years.

Nowadays? I'm still extremely skeptical about it all but I've softened quite a bit, I more or less halfheartedly subscribe to the "blind, deaf, dumb god" or just bare bones deism.

I've been reading philosophy for the first time in my life over the last couple years, if I'm honest I'd say it hasn't left much of an impression on me.

Been starting to become interested in far Asian forms of philosophy/Buddhism mildly, but don't really know where to start.

My perception is probably wrong, but it seems less condemning or violent than the Western religious doctrines.

Still, deep down I'm more or less just a pessimist/nihilist in my heart of hearts.