Any agnostics here find "God"?

[vettechick99]

I've posted a couple times my views on religion. In case you don't cyberstalk my posts, I don't have a clue whether there is a God/gods/a giant stick running this joint, so I consider myself Agnostic.

I was raised Catholic and have been baptised, confirmed, communioned, guilted but never molested, and basically attended Sunday school and mass every Sunday from birth to 18. So for the most part, I feel covered. You know, just in case. Yet I never felt any connection to Christianity or God for that matter, in whole or in part. Actually, neither did any of my 3 older sisters as none of us attend church. Although I have a feeling their reasons involve nuns and wooden rulers.

I guess my issue is more of a scientific one. I've very skeptical by nature and need almost concrete proof to believe most anything. My DH is similar in that he doesn't believe in organized religion, but does believe in God. But today at lunch he asked if I wouldn't mind going to church on Sunday since it's Easter (he's Methodist and I think this is a nearby Methodist church). I said I was game - so here I am wondering what shoes go with this skirt and if an agnostic can be converted back to religion after having so many unanswered questions.

So has anyone who lost their faith find it again, particularly if you were never really religious to begin with? Was there some divine moment that changed it all? Did having children kick start anything?

Any comments appreciated.

 

[JennyMominRI]

So has anyone who lost their faith find it again, particularly if you were never really religious to begin with? Was there some divine moment that changed it all? Did having children kick start anything?

Any comments appreciated.

I was raised Catholic,but never really believed much of what I was taught.. At 18 or so I believed nothing.>I was very close to being an Atheist.
At around 20 I realized that their really was a G-d.I was Baptized in the Pacific Ocean as an Independant FUndamental Baptist..That was done based more on feeling than on knowledge and I soon left the baptist church. I spent many years after that studying the bible and various Christian Denominations..Finally in 2002 several things led me to Judaism.,A religion that I had always been drawn too..I realized that the reason I never agreed with the Christian religions I looked at was because I was looking in the wrong place.
From the day I was born and maybe even before that,I was destined to be Jewish. The first time I went to a Synagogue,I know I was where I was destined to be..It's a great feeling when you really do find your place

 

[snoopy]

We've struggled with these same issues, did some church shopping, and came back to where we started, in the Catholic church. I still have so many questions, and there is so much about the church I don't agree with, but I can't deny my roots and I feel a real kinship to Catholics and their emphasis on good works. I'm not sure I'll ever have one of those "A-Ha!" moments, though. I've decided that at this stage of the game its o.k. to take from it what I can, and disregard what I can't.

 

[VampHeartless]

What helped me wander back into the fold was really studying my religion. There's a lot of history, and it made me curious. So much of religion, (at least my christian beliefs), have things that can be researched and proven and documented through either science or verified from other cultures who were not under christian influence but provide the same perspectives on events that happened during the same period.

Blind faith is indeed a lovely virtue, but some of us do indeed need a bit more.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I know what an atheist is, but what's an agnostic?

 

[JennyMominRI]

I feel a real kinship to Catholics and their emphasis on good works. .

That is one similarity between Catholicism and Judaism

 

[HTH]

I know what an atheist is, but what's an agnostic?

I think it means that you don't believe in anything

 

[chadfromdallas]

I know what an atheist is, but what's an agnostic?

They don't have enough information to know whether or not god exists. Basically, like me, stuck between atheist/agnostic. I think its more of a wanting than believing though.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I know what an atheist is, but what's an agnostic?

An agnostic believes there is something at work in the universe besides what is seen and known. It's just that the "something" escapes definition

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

Thank you so much, everyone! I've always wondered that.

 

[snoopy]

I think it means that you don't believe in anything

An athiest denies the existence of God. An agnostic acknowledges he/she does not know if there is a God or not.

 

[HTH]

An athiest denies the existence of God. An agnostic acknowledges he/she does not know if there is a God or not.

Ohh ok, thanks

 

[vettechick99]

An athiest denies the existence of God. An agnostic acknowledges he/she does not know if there is a God or not.

Exactly, thanks. I almost put in a definition, but took it out at the last minute.

 

[HomeSweetDisney]

I was raised and still am Catholic. I don't know if I always will be because who's to say what the future holds? And I'm only 19 so things can change. But as of now I am Catholic and for the most part believe in the things the church does. I do have my differences with the church's stance on certain issues but since overall I feel comfortable with it, I'll stick with it. After 9/11 I became really disillusioned with God. I couldn't understand that if he was so mighty and powerful why couldn't he have stopped the attacks? It was actually after reading "Let's Roll" by Lisa Beamer (widow of one of the Flight 93 heroes, Todd Beamer) that I had a change of perspective. She has such a strong faith in God and truly believes that there is a reason for everything. Reading her book made me feel so much better. If the wife of one of the men who'd been killed could still have faith in God then so could I. So eventually I came back to God and the church and am happy that did

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I also have a hard time with this. I've lost my faith, started to get it back again, then have something happen that makes me question it all over again. But I look at it this way. There either is a God or there isn't, and I would rather error on the side of caution. Believing helps me get through this crazy, insane and somewhat tragic life. I'd like to think that there is more to it than this, and I could be wrong, but if I am, I guess I'd never know, right? It's better to believe and trust in the Lord and be right, then to not believe and be wrong.

 

[chadfromdallas]

But I look at it this way. There either is a God or there isn't, and I would rather error on the side of caution.

Believing, "just in case", interesting.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

OP's original question made me think of that "aha" moment I had in my life. It came when I wasn't even looking for it, but it changed me nonetheless. I also know that God works in all kind of ways. Some people (like me), God has to smack on the side of the head with a brick. Some, God works slowly -like the tide coming in at the beach.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Another Catholic here! Went to Catholic school, mass 6 days a week from 3rd grade to 8th grade.

When the priests would come into religion class to explain venial sins, mortal sins, and the sacraments I would always go ?huh?...
They lost credibility when they said you were going to hell for missing mass on Sunday. Give me a break.

So when I hit about 16 and lied about going to church, I pretty much bowed out until my 2 dd's were 9 & 4. I reaffirmed my faith and was "married" in the Church, had my girls baptized, and my younger dd her 1st communion.

What made me change my direction was I did not think it was right for me to deny that choice to my girls and also I felt I wanted to give it another shot at it.
It has been very difficult with all of the scandals and direction the Pope has toward science.

I am waiting to see what the next Pope decrees. I feel "Catholic" and feel at home there. What the future holds, I don't know.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Believing, "just in case", interesting.

I agree. Trying to beat the "house" is not a reason to have a relationship with God and Christ. Either you have the faith to believe or you don't.

For the OP, if you are a book reader there are two books that have assisted some of my more factual friends...The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith. I haven't read either of them, but like I said I know they have assisted others.

 

[orangeblossom]

I've never lost my faith...grown apart from my church, but not totally lost my faith.