Social Anxiety Support

Aurora · 03-25-2009, 09:05 PM

Okay since someone mentioned in my previous post that my beliefs seem to fit 'pantheism', Ive been reading up alot on the philosophy and joining some discussion boards on it. I have found my home after researching various philosophies/religions. So Im a pantheist.

People have asked why do you feel you want to believe/have faith in something?

I dont have the answer to that.

Does anyone (of any religion/belief) know why they have faith? Or is this question too controversal? Im just interested.

kpiper0101 · 03-25-2009, 09:20 PM

There are too many miracles around me for me not to believe in something greater than myself. I want to believe because believing has brought nothing but comfort and peace and positive things into my life. When I make time for prayer and focusing on higher things, I am more at peace and life seems to go better; when I don't, things begin to feel chaotic and I'm restless and unhappy. I feel empty. My faith has blessed me so much that even if it turned out there wasn't a God, I'm definitely better off for having believed, without a doubt.

striker · 03-25-2009, 11:33 PM

Looks like you intuitively know this and need to put it on a logical level so you can explain it to people.

For me, I have similar views as yours. I still want to prove it to myself. So the path I choose to explore is meditation. The other option is prayer/faith

Hinduism/Buddism have this idea that, everyone is at a different level spiritually. So what may be, easy for you to get, may not be so easy for another person.

Ultimately, what someone else thinks about it doesn't real matter. Its only your ego making you think that it matters. you can guide them in the right direction when they are ready.

hyacinth_dragon · 03-26-2009, 12:16 AM

I am patheist.....in a way.

bezoomny · 03-26-2009, 06:46 AM

I don't know why I have faith, honestly. It's just something that seems right for me. I think it's very hard to explain faith, it's something I've really only seen saints or popes or religious leaders do in serious literature, it's hard to find the proper words for something that's so big and so transcendent.

After wiki'ing it, pantheism seems like an interesting idea. I was mainly reading the bit about Christian pantheism and the "world brain" of H.G. Wells. It's really interesting that Christian pantheists reject the Catholic idea of God because of Neo-Platonist ideas in it. I didn't know that before.

solasum · 03-26-2009, 07:54 AM

I'm believing until I find evidence to believe otherwise. I'm working on my life.

It's interesting to read about other people's beliefs. I was just reading about Wicca in a post the other day.

John_in_SF · 03-26-2009, 09:54 AM

It's ultimately a question of taste. You might as well ask, "Why is your favorite color green?" Faith is not something that is justified with reasons.

ohioisforloners · 03-31-2009, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John_in_SF

It's ultimately a question of taste. You might as well ask, "Why is your favorite color green?" Faith is not something that is justified with reasons.

I like that answer. It's much like sports, depending on where you are born dictates what you believe for many people.

socially inept · 04-11-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aurora

Okay since someone mentioned in my previous post that my beliefs seem to fit 'pantheism', Ive been reading up alot on the philosophy and joining some discussion boards on it. I have found my home after researching various philosophies/religions. So Im a pantheist.

People have asked why do you feel you want to believe/have faith in something?

I dont have the answer to that.

Does anyone (of any religion/belief) know why they have faith? Or is this question too controversal? Im just interested.

i beleive in god and i bleive in universal laws such as cause and effect. infact BELEIVE ist the right word here. if i drop a pen do i BELEIVE it will fall to te floor or am i CERTAIN tht i will drop to the floor ?

i dont beleive in god or uniersal laws, i am CERTAIN that they exist.

there are reasons for my certainty :

1)it makes perfect logical sense
2)i have clear examples and experiences from my past that back up the logic
3)i feel it in my soul. i knows its right, i know its true , i can just feel it
4) i test it in real life and see the proof for myself

veryshyperson · 04-11-2009, 02:58 PM

If you believe that you are a pantheist, then you should read the philosophies of Spinoza. He has wrote perhaps the greatest works about this subject. Although his writings are written in a very difficult way to comprehend, it is certainly worth a read.

solasum · 04-11-2009, 08:14 PM

I grew up going to church most Sundays, but then I started to think for myself and disagreed with much of what the church had to say. There are certain things that I know for sure (that I'm not going to discuss on this board b/c it would surely piss most people off), and then are other aspects. I feel like my mind's all over the place, and that I'm too open-minded to believe in anything. It's possible that one of these popular revealed religions is right, but how can you be sure? I do believe that a god exists, because it makes sense to my mind. That could be because I grew up believing it, and it's so instilled in my mind to think this way. Anything I believe will be tainted with what I grew up believing. I was socialized to be a Christian, so when I consider alternative theories, I guilty about it. However, what we know (or think we know) is so tiny is comparison to what is out there. I often feel like it's pointless to think about it because one can't know (isn't that agnosticism?). ::goes to look up exact def. of agnosticism:: Mais en même temps, I guess I'd consider myself a deist. But I'm almost too open-minded to believe in anything, so there. I'm still trying to figure this out...I should really go to bed.

agape · 04-13-2009, 07:15 PM

I too would consider myself a pantheist.
Having studied Philosophy at university, I came across Spinoza's work, but it hasn't been until recently that I've begun to fully appreciate his ideas.

I'd consider myself a 'naturalistic pantheist', as when I look at the world and the universe, I can't help but see everything as being connected in a fundamental unity.

The universe is a supermassive thing, without inherent meaning or purpose. We as human beings are a part of nature (how can we not be?), therefore we are also part of the universe, and as we are conscious self aware beings, this in turn means that we as individuals ARE the universe itself experiencing itself through us.

And if the definition of God is the infinite, the creator, the destroyer etc, then that means that God has to encompass everything, including the universe, and cannot be separate from it (as God is infinite), therefore everything in the universe is God, and we as human beings are simply God becoming aware of himself (through our self aware consciousness).
Therefore pantheism is true

03-25-2009, 09:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Aurora Status: SAS Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia. Gender: Female Age: 24 Posts: 850	I am a Pantheist?.. Why do you believe? Okay since someone mentioned in my previous post that my beliefs seem to fit 'pantheism', Ive been reading up alot on the philosophy and joining some discussion boards on it. I have found my home after researching various philosophies/religions. So Im a pantheist. People have asked why do you feel you want to believe/have faith in something? I dont have the answer to that. Does anyone (of any religion/belief) know why they have faith? Or is this question too controversal? Im just interested. __________________ I tell you everything that is really nothing, and nothing of what is everything, do not be fooled by what I am saying. Please listen carefully and try to hear what I am not saying. ~ Charles C. Finn

03-26-2009, 06:46 AM	#5 (permalink)
bezoomny Status: the new disease Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Mississippi Gender: Female Age: 21 Posts: 2,814	I don't know why I have faith, honestly. It's just something that seems right for me. I think it's very hard to explain faith, it's something I've really only seen saints or popes or religious leaders do in serious literature, it's hard to find the proper words for something that's so big and so transcendent. After wiki'ing it, pantheism seems like an interesting idea. I was mainly reading the bit about Christian pantheism and the "world brain" of H.G. Wells. It's really interesting that Christian pantheists reject the Catholic idea of God because of Neo-Platonist ideas in it. I didn't know that before. __________________ bravo - echo - zulu - oscar - oscar - mike - november - yankee

03-25-2009, 09:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
kpiper0101 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Eugene, OR Gender: Female Age: 46 Posts: 355	There are too many miracles around me for me not to believe in something greater than myself. I want to believe because believing has brought nothing but comfort and peace and positive things into my life. When I make time for prayer and focusing on higher things, I am more at peace and life seems to go better; when I don't, things begin to feel chaotic and I'm restless and unhappy. I feel empty. My faith has blessed me so much that even if it turned out there wasn't a God, I'm definitely better off for having believed, without a doubt.

03-25-2009, 11:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
striker Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 142	Looks like you intuitively know this and need to put it on a logical level so you can explain it to people. For me, I have similar views as yours. I still want to prove it to myself. So the path I choose to explore is meditation. The other option is prayer/faith Hinduism/Buddism have this idea that, everyone is at a different level spiritually. So what may be, easy for you to get, may not be so easy for another person. Ultimately, what someone else thinks about it doesn't real matter. Its only your ego making you think that it matters. you can guide them in the right direction when they are ready.

03-26-2009, 12:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
hyacinth_dragon Status: SAS Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: USA Gender: Female Age: 26 Posts: 740	I am patheist.....in a way.

03-26-2009, 07:54 AM	#6 (permalink)
solasum Status: SAS Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Louisville, Kentucky Posts: 914	I'm believing until I find evidence to believe otherwise. I'm working on my life. It's interesting to read about other people's beliefs. I was just reading about Wicca in a post the other day.

03-26-2009, 09:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
John_in_SF Status: Good grief Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: San Francisco, California Gender: Male Posts: 261	It's ultimately a question of taste. You might as well ask, "Why is your favorite color green?" Faith is not something that is justified with reasons.

04-11-2009, 02:58 PM	#10 (permalink)
veryshyperson Status: Permanently Banned Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: The United States of America Gender: Male Posts: 204	If you believe that you are a pantheist, then you should read the philosophies of Spinoza. He has wrote perhaps the greatest works about this subject. Although his writings are written in a very difficult way to comprehend, it is certainly worth a read.

04-11-2009, 08:14 PM	#11 (permalink)
solasum Status: SAS Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Louisville, Kentucky Posts: 914	I grew up going to church most Sundays, but then I started to think for myself and disagreed with much of what the church had to say. There are certain things that I know for sure (that I'm not going to discuss on this board b/c it would surely piss most people off), and then are other aspects. I feel like my mind's all over the place, and that I'm too open-minded to believe in anything. It's possible that one of these popular revealed religions is right, but how can you be sure? I do believe that a god exists, because it makes sense to my mind. That could be because I grew up believing it, and it's so instilled in my mind to think this way. Anything I believe will be tainted with what I grew up believing. I was socialized to be a Christian, so when I consider alternative theories, I guilty about it. However, what we know (or think we know) is so tiny is comparison to what is out there. I often feel like it's pointless to think about it because one can't know (isn't that agnosticism?). ::goes to look up exact def. of agnosticism:: Mais en même temps, I guess I'd consider myself a deist. But I'm almost too open-minded to believe in anything, so there. I'm still trying to figure this out...I should really go to bed.

04-13-2009, 07:15 PM	#12 (permalink)
agape Status: SAS Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 52	I too would consider myself a pantheist. Having studied Philosophy at university, I came across Spinoza's work, but it hasn't been until recently that I've begun to fully appreciate his ideas. I'd consider myself a 'naturalistic pantheist', as when I look at the world and the universe, I can't help but see everything as being connected in a fundamental unity. The universe is a supermassive thing, without inherent meaning or purpose. We as human beings are a part of nature (how can we not be?), therefore we are also part of the universe, and as we are conscious self aware beings, this in turn means that we as individuals ARE the universe itself experiencing itself through us. And if the definition of God is the infinite, the creator, the destroyer etc, then that means that God has to encompass everything, including the universe, and cannot be separate from it (as God is infinite), therefore everything in the universe is God, and we as human beings are simply God becoming aware of himself (through our self aware consciousness). Therefore pantheism is true