#2
What does your religion do for you? If you are a non-believer, what does the term religion mean to you?

Religion is superstition with better funding.


and Are you a spiritual person?

No

#3. What do you think it means to be a follower of atheism?

To me, it simply means I do not believe in the existence of any gods. I do not claim to know everything, and I am more than willing to change my views if shown anything which would indicate there is any validity to god or religion. As yet, I have not seen any such thing.

Hi, I’m lazy. And I’m a non Christian.

I would love to answer your questions.

Could you do me a big favor and repost all 7 of your questions in one post.

If you do that for me, I copy it and answer all 7 of them in detail.

#4 What is the single most important aspect of your religion to you, and why?

The absence of any need to believe in mythology, because it makes no sense to me.

#5
How do you determine right from wrong? The dictums of a religion or another source?


To me, right and wrong are simply based on mutual respect and common sense. You don't harm anyone, you don't take what isn't yours, you treat everyone with respect, and you hope for the same in return.

#6
Do you believe life has a purpose? What is it?

I don't believe life has any externally-defined (or divine) purpose; whatever purpose it does have is whatever we attribute to it on our own.

You guys are great here are the questions:
Interview Questions:
1) Do you practice religion? If so, which one?
a. Why or why not?
2. What does your religion do for you? If you are a non-believer, what does the term religion mean to you? and Are you a spiritual person?
3. What do you think it means to be a follower of _________? (Fill in the blank with either your particular religion or atheist or agnostic)
4. What is the single most important aspect of your religion to you, and why?
5. How do you determine right from wrong? The dictums of a religion or another source?
6. Do you believe life has a purpose? What is it?
7. What is your concept of god?

#7 Last Question
What is your concept of god?

A fictional character created to serve as a supernatural enforcer, for the purpose of manipulating people's behaviors.

1. Do you practice religion?. no
If so, which one?
a. Why or why not?
I do not believe in the big brother who watches and interferes when he feels the need. I do not believe in blaming an outside party be it god or the devil for any part in my personal responsibility or personal judgement of myself or others. I believe in the light of each of our energy is the whole effect on the world around us. Positive energy carries to those around us and same with negative or hateful energy.

#2
What does your religion do for you? If you are a non-believer, what does the term religion mean to you?

Religion is an excuse people use to make judgements of who in the world is less than them. It is the avenue to feel superior to others and make "jusified" judgements of others lifestyles and choices. It is a "great" excuse to kill for. It is also a mass hypnotizing brainwashing scheme.

Thanks, I'll be back shorty.

You should edit your original first post of this thread with this whole list for people just coming it.

I think you'll get more answers that way, people love to answer lists of questions.

You guys are awesome!!!

I want to just add my thought.
It seems to me we are not supposed to be able to prove or disprove God or a means of worshiping him. So we come up with our own stuff or follow a set of beliefs. It is really as individual as people are.
Even when we get angry or offended by eachother we are still expressing who we are.
Therefore I have chosen to sit back and watch the different beliefs like a painting of contrasting colors. I believe we are doing exactly what we were designed to do. Imagine the human race doing something right? There is a thought

#3. What do you think it means to be a follower of atheism?

Atheist do not follow anything, they lead their own lives.

4 Cannot answer as I do not have a religion.


5
How do you determine right from wrong? The dictums of a religion or another source?
I will attempt to harm no living being unless for food in my life. And follow the laws of the land also.

OK how's this
I am a full time student and I have asked for help on my homework. I am amazed at the incredible response.
Here are the questions with my answers?
I was looking for a contrasting belief for the basis of my interview essay.
1) Do you practice religion? If so, which one?
a. Why or why not?
Yes catholism. I practice Catholicism because I was raised Catholic and I believe what I was taught, for the most part.

2. What does your religion do for you? If you are a non-believer, what does the term religion mean to you? and Are you a spiritual person?
Religion gives me the opportunity to worship with fellow believers. It also give me a guideline of what many founding fathers of the faith believe.

3. What do you think it means to be a follower of _________? (Fill in the blank with either your particular religion or atheist or agnostic)
I think Catholicism is basically believing in Jesus and also believing in the original founding of Christianity.

4. What is the single most important aspect of your religion to you, and why?
Jesus. Jesus is the single most important aspect of my religion because without Jesus in the picture I would not be religious at all

5. How do you determine right from wrong? The dictums of a religion or another source?
When I want to do right I believe I should do everything out of love and kindness. I also believe that whatever is done without faith is sin. I know that sounds a little drastic. However, when I question my motives for doing something and find I am motivated out of fear I usually will stop myself from doing something I ultimately believe is wrong

6. Do you believe life has a purpose? What is it?
Yes,Life is a journey into our own very soul. It is a time to uncover who we are and modify this entity of our spiritual existence

7. What is your concept of god?
I believe God is here. I believe God is more real than this laptop I am typing on. I believe God is Love and Wisdom and Grace and he is as close as we are to ourselves

#6
Do you believe life has a purpose? What is it?

Our human purpose is to be and to live harmoniously

#7 Last Question
What is your concept of god?

Creation of man for his forever unanswered questions of life. Man wanted to understand death and the universe. Also, it is a form of controlling the masses through fear of a great unseen being that can see everything you do all the time.

Ok here you go. I hope this isn't too long, but I'm sure it will be.

1) Do you practice religion? If so, which one?
Why or why not?

I don’t ‘practice’ religion and don’t think of my beliefs as a ‘religion’ exactly, but I’m actually just now starting to think about becoming a bit more ‘religious’ about my spirituality. By that I mean that I’m just beginning to organizing my values into a more active ritual (be more attentive to what I actually believe and practice it more devotedly (i.e. more religiously)

2. What does your religion do for you? If you are a non-believer, what does the term religion mean to you? and Are you a spiritual person?

I prefer the term spirituality, because to me the word ‘religion’ brings to mind ‘organized religion’. I don’t belong to any organization. For me, spirituality is between my and my maker, although that doesn’t mean that it does not include everyone else. On the contrary my beliefs are all encompassing.

As far as what it does for me,… it helps me to organize my thoughts and understanding about the world I live in. Who I am, what I am, and how I connect with all of nature.

3. What do you think it means to be a follower of a Natural Pantheistic worldview.

The concept is simple. All is one. One is all. The universe is God, God is the universe. We are God.

I use the word God, but I don’t think of God in a personified way as in say, Christianity. To me God is not an individual ego. God is the spirit of the universe, of which we are all a direct part of. We are all manifestations of God. We are a part of God. Children of the universe. The universe is God.

That may sound ‘cold’ or even atheistic. But if that’s what it sounds like then you have the wrong idea. The universe is spirit. We are a part of this spirit. Collectively, together we are the spirit. And so is everything that is in this entire universe, all animals plants, and even the inanimate elements. God is the totality of everything. Even if there is life on other planets, those spirits are one with us. God is real. God is not just a concept. God can work in mysterious ways and does so, yet all the while is it us. There is no central ego that is the king and ruler of the universe. Yet at the same time, we can call upon the spirit of the universe to do great works and even ‘miracles’ (what we would today call supernatural events). The spirit acts through us. It doesn’t need to have an ego of its own to do this. God is beyond ego. God is spirit.

4. What is the single most important aspect of your religion to you, and why?

It shows that we are all brothers and sisters in spirit. We are all children of the universe, children of God. As are the animals, plants and even inanimate objects are all manifestation of spirit. We are all one.

Thus we should have respect for each other, for animals, and for all that surrounds us. To disrespect or damage anyone or anything is to disrespect God. This statement is often confusing to people who are new to this view of God. How then can we eat plant if plants are God they ask? Well, just because they are manifestations of the spirit doesn’t imply that they have individual consciousness. Just like the hair on our own bodies is a part of us, yet we cut it off without a worry. Plants can be part of God’s spiritual ‘body’ yet eating them does not harm or show disrespect for god. Eating animals is a different matter because they do have consciousness.

5. How do you determine right from wrong? The dictums of a religion or another source?

I don’t turn to religion or spirituality for moral values. I would be a perfectly moral person if I was a complete atheist. I feel really sorry for anyone who is only being “good” because they fear punishment or seek a reward.

I follow my heart (the voice of the spirit). I know what’s right and what’s wrong. Don’t harm others for one thing, because all are God. To harm any individual is to harm God directly. Same goes for animals.

6. Do you believe life has a purpose? What is it?

Yes. The purpose in life is to enjoy it to the fullest and light your spirit shine! Without harming others of course.

God gives us the gift of life. We give God the gift of living it.

God experiences life though us. We are God (or at least we are individual manifestations of the spirit which is ‘god’).

So the purpose of life is to EXPERIENCE IT! Without harming others.

7. What is your concept of god?

I think I covered that pretty well, so let me cover birth and death:
Since we are the spirit of this universe, there was never a time when we were not. Nor will there be a time when we will cease to exist. We did not come into being at birth. We merely became a physical incarnation at birth, when we die, we return to the spirit. There is nowhere else to go. The pantheistic God’s love is truly unconditional. There is no way to be separated from God we are all a manifestation of God. No need for judgments. No need for hell.

However, as strange as this may sound, All God’s Ways are Judgments. How so? Not in that a godhead is judging individuals but in that individuals are judging their experience of life. Life is what you judge it to be. You will be ‘judged in this life by your own measure because you are the judge’.

Clearly there are tons of issues that could not be covered in this short survey but pantheism addresses them all very well, and this is why I love this picture of God.

Why do I believe it?

Basically for two reasons. One is that I have a myriad of logical reasons to support it. Reasons that are very much in harmony with modern scientific knowledge.

But perhaps my second reason is even more compelling. This picture is simply too beautiful not to be true. I believe that God is infinitely more wise than men. If man can dream up this beautiful picture of an infinite eternal God that has truly unconditional love because no spirit can be separated from it, then how could God be any less than this mere mortal imagination? For me to believe that God is any less than this picture I would need to believe that God is less powerful and less perfect than my own imagination. To me that’s impossible. So God needs to be at least as great as this picture or better. But certainly can’t be worse. A picture of any God who places any conditions on his love whatsoever would be lesser than this picture. God has to be greater than my most perfect imagination. So it’s either pantheism or something better. But I don’t know of any pictures of God that are better than pantheism.