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The one thing we all have in common is that we don't buy into organized religion, however, is there something that you DO believe in or something you practice?

(I believe and practice Feng Shui)

Redcupcoffee 7 Sep 23
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85 comments (76 - 85)

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1

Unless it is backed by hard, verifiable evidence, absolutely not. Exchanging one superstition for another is not at all attractive to me.

And after that, I believe I'll have a glass of wine.

1

I practice making babies, but only practice

@Redcupcoffee I only like to practice

1

I guess I'm not very deep do video games count

1

I think that Matt says it the best; "I want to believe in as many True things, and as few False things as possible." -Matt Dilahunty

I don't think that religion {the belief in a god} needs to be 'organized' to be a detriment to society and the family structure.

1
1

I believe ill have a snack...?

6

I believe critical thinking is better overall than folk practices. But I don't think that's what you're asking. I suspect you are wondering if despite not buying into organized religion, I nevertheless buy into other ideologies or belief systems that are asserted without evidence.

And the answer is, no.

I suppose that if I saw some valid correlation between, e.g., Feng Shui and some empirically observable outcome like significantly greater health and well being, I would at least consider Feng Shui as a potential practice worth learning more about, even if I figured it highly likely that the causal connection between the two was coincidental and indirect.

And I have no problem with Feng Shui as a hobby that you just enjoy for its own sake without having particular beliefs concerning it. Or with religion as a hobby, for that matter. Honestly if more theists regarded religion as a hobby and didn't take it so damn seriously, I wouldn't object so much to it.

@Redcupcoffee For me if you're talking about energy other than metaphorically it would all come down to what sort of energy has actually been shown to effect people psychologically, and how that has been shown. On the other hand if you're just talking about what seems to subjectively facilitate not getting in one's own way and being more mindful, then I don't have an inherent problem with it.

For example, I am dipping my toes in the waters of yoga because I can readily see the value in improving things like balance and core strength. I see the woo explanations that sometimes go with yoga as just a way to frame one's understanding of the practice, not as literally true. Even the constant emphasis on the breath and the visualizations involved in controlling breath is to me just a way of framing how one goes about the poses and exercises in a consistent and thorough manner, not literally the direction of some actual life-force or something. Although it might help to imagine it that way, I don't take it literally. So if I were working from yoga videos that started going on much about chakras and otherwise carrying these metaphors too far, I'd probably become annoyed by that. But the good news of course is that I can adapt them any way I please so long as I get the desired benefits (in my case, not tripping over my own feet or feeling unstable moving through the world).

1

I believe in Bacchus.

1

I like to spend time meditating. I believe in energy work and would like to interested how it works better.

2

actually not buying into organized religion isn't what makes an atheist. not believing there are any gods is what makes an atheist. not being sure, or something like that, makes an agnostic. organized religion may go out the window along with these beliefs but that's not the point, is it?

g

Atheist or anti-theist, it comes down to splitting frog's hairs as far as I'm concerned.

@Surfpirate oh no, there is a BIG difference, but it pales beside the difference between any person who is against organized religion and an actual atheist OR antitheist. even an antitheist's focus is on not believing in any gods. you can be against organized religion and still believe in a deity, even a personal deity. if you don't believe in a deity, it goes without saying you don't buy into organized religion, but it simply is NOT a given, the other way around.

g

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