I don't think that's entirely true, some people seem to switch from one camp to the other, or get stuck somewhere in between. I don't disbelieve per se, I just think on the balance of probabilities that its very unlikely and even if it were true, the capacity of any individual or group to truly claim to represent the will of such an entity would be absurdly improbable.

As such, its a personal thing, how you experience the world, existence and life, not others, and that no one really could ever tell you what 'the rules are'.

I've had experiences that have left me somewhat 'open' to the idea of something more to existence than just the physical (I experienced a vision of Mictlantecuhtli whilst in a grave yard in Sheffield, for example - It didn't result in me worshiping an Aztec Death god who is lord of the Underworld though).

I wouldn't say I'm agnostic either, just anti-theism and pro-mystic.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

Well firstly how and why you respect others beliefs depends on your own value system. Secondly because my own beliefs are consistent with those shared by billions through history.

I would wager that the scenario you outline above would put you in a very small camp.

My username has nothing to do with my religious beliefs

It sounds like I missed this golden time! Though in all seriousness, there aren't many religious people on here and reborn puts across his views of the world in a respectful fashion. The responses he receives from others sometimes come off as belittling. It's important to be respectful of well intentioned, nice people even if we disagree with many of their beliefs. There's not enough of that on here.

Edited by imbored (10 Mar 2015 6.45pm)

I didn't mean to say that everyone had that attitude by the way! We all of course put our views up for debate as soon as we put them out there .

Edited by imbored (10 Mar 2015 7.01pm)

So would most things, fortunately ideas are a historical progression of discourse resolution. Religion itself included. The idea of Christianity, for instance, required a number of much later historical developments - Most notably Emperor Constatine, the death of Julian, the rise of Catholicism and Pope Innocent the I (establishment of a cannoncial biblical account) and of course the first council of Nicea

Then you have Thomas Aquinas and Augustine, plus of course you have to have the protestant declaration, Martin Luther and Calvin, before you can even really start to think about a foundation of modern Christianity.

Very early Christian faiths were very different, almost completely alien to the modern worshiper - Massive changes in theology and philosophy, occurred before the idea of a 'Christianity' was even considered - and even then that only really applies to Western Christianity.

A Muslim scholar once said to me, that its not as important to believe, but to try to understand, that everything you learn brings you closer to God's creation. But that you will never truly understand it, only be enriched by it.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]

Ironically, that has its origins in Robert Anton Wilson, who whilst not a Christian, was certainly a believer in the mystical and preternatural - and a life long agnostic - Originally it was used to debunk not belief, but the idea of the certainty of rationalism as professed by James Randi etc.

"One Nation Under God, has turned into One Nation Under the Influence of One Drug"
[Link]