I've noticed that many LOST fans are very religious/spiritual. I was wondering how many LOST fans are not religious/spiritual. Any LOST fans who are agnostics, atheists, secular humanists, and etc, out there?

I'm an atheist.

I'm not religious. I like to believe in a higher power but I don't care for religion, the bible or church. I don't have a problem with people and their religion as everyone has a right to their own belief, it's just not for me.

Okay, but you're still spiritual then? I mean, there's nothing wrong with religion or being spiritual, I just want to see if there are LOST fans who don't believe in a higher power or who aren't sure there is a higher power :) ;) . I guess it's just me so far, then.

Yes, I do consider myself to be a tiny bit spiritual. But definatly not religious. So ignore my post, I guess

It's ok G, you're not the only one. I'm an athiest.

I'm an atheist too. I am spiritual, but I don't believe in a higher power.

Then you are more of an agnostic then an athiest.

Not really. I don't believe in a God or a higher power, but I feel a spiritual connection to the wonders of the world and nature. For instance, for me seeing the Grand Canyon was a spiritual experience to revel in the greatness of what nature can do, but I don't believe in a higher being that "created" us or the world, only science and nature.

There's a lot of religious symbolism in LOST and whathaveyou. Do you think this affects how we view the show? And if so, how do you think our viewpoint differs?

Would you like to see a non-religious, non-spiritual character? So far, we know that Claire is into astrology, Charlie is Catholic, Rose is Christian, Hurley had religious items in his f/b, Sayid is also religious. It seems as though Jack doesn't believe in fate, but I think that's all we've got so far.

Hey theG,
I am an athiest too. Not spiritual, not anything. I just had to post since this might be the first thing we agree on so far on the Lage (me hating Shannon and all...) I am ok with the spiritual references on this show because it is pretty standard in our clture & you just learn to live with it. Also, spiritual references are interesting to me (not because I believe them, just because they are everywhere).

My question wasn't really supposed to be "does the spiritualness in the show bother you?" so much as "since so many others are spiritual, do you think we view the show in a different light? Do you think that we have the ability to be more objective since we don't really have any religion or beliefs in higher powers?" etc.

I hope I'm making sense. It's pretty late for me.

I consider myself an agnostic, and see the spirituality in the show, but I think the main "good vs evil" ideology is mostly internal, so it doesn't conflict with or affect the way I watch. That struggle, I believe, has been around since the dawn of humanity, and has been externalized in religion.

Well, in the whole "good vs. evil" thing, I think I'm definitely affected by my firm belief in free will (to a certain extent).* I don't think anyone on the show is actually "good" or "evil."* I think they're just human; humans have free will and will make mistakes.

I've read that people think Locke is evil and the anti-Christ, which I can't believe.* I think Locke is just human, and there are responsibilities that he must take for his actions (i.e. the whole island deal in which Boone's life is sacrificed without Locke's prior knowledge)--that he can't blame the consequences to his actions on a higher power.* Also, because I believe that there's no such thing as fate or destiny, I'd like to believe that the castaways do have complete control of their lives.* I understand that neither of these fit in with the canon -- that the castaways are really just pawns to a certain extent -- but I can't help but try to fuse my beliefs with what's true to canon.



Perhaps this topic should be in the LOST Talk section?

I completely understand your position, G. But when I say "good and evil" I don't mean from a religious standpoint. Maybe I should say "light and dark." We all have a light and dark side to us. Where we go with that is completely up to us. We have no one to thank for our blessings or blame for our short comings than ourselves. That struggle, I think, is which way we decide to go.
I do believe in free will, but outside forces definitely have an influence. I never thought Locke was evil, but he may have been mislead.

It's very early in the morning, so I may be interpreting this incorrectly.* Please forgive my complete ditziness.* You're trying to say that a character's belief in a higher power affects their decisions?* Definitely.* I think I get what you're trying to say.* *note to self:* lack of sleep causes your brain not to function*

Since I've decided that I'm not sleeping tonight, here's another thing to ponder:

Do you think there will ever be a character on the show who is pretty much an atheist or something of the sort?* In the finale, Sun brings up fate.* Claire denies that there is such a thing as fate, which I think was something the audience was supposed to understand that this belief comes from her son being taken and that she might have believed in fate prior to this event.* Do you think the writers would have a character who doesn't believe because they earnestly don't believe.

That's really hard to say. I think if anything, characters might start to believe in more than they did before. Again, I don't believe in anything above us, but if put on that island, I would start to think that SOMETHING is going on. Not an active, sentient being, but maybe just connections and influences.
I do believe Jack doesn't believe. BUT, what he's expected to believe in, that's a whole story unto itself.

Hey G, Sorry, I just skimmed through the discussions so forgive me if this was mentioned, but...as for the spirituallity, I think that is part of the main focus of the show, the battle between Jack and Locke is the battle between science and faith. That's kind of a simplistic view, but I think the main theme of the show is this cloudiness between spirituality, God, and whatnot and science, reason, and logic.

As far as Aethist characters are concerned, I think Jack would come closest to that. I don't think he's really an atheist, but not very religious.

Is it not possible to be an Athiest and still believe in fate?

I'm not a religious or spiritual person in the classic sense of the terms. I try to adhere to the philosophies of the Tao. Life is cyclical, everything that happens does happen for a reason, and if you take the time to reflect unobjectively on the events in your life, you will see why they occurred at that particular point in your journey. They are lessons to be learned, and challenges to be taken. If you're willing to look back upon them with an open mind, you'll be able to see that they had significance. Bad luck, good luck, it's all a matter of perspective. Ultimately it serves a purpose.

In light of that, I enjoy Lost's use of spirituality. I do read about other religions, their beliefs, their traditions and so forth. I find it interesting that Buddhists believe one thing, where Hindus believe another, and Christians believe yet another. To me, religion is more of a way to cope with life. If you find that it helps you in some way, you should practice it to its fullest. There aren't any penalties or wrong answers based upon which religion, if any, you choose to practice.

The idea of Good vs. Evil is very prevalent in Taoism. Light vs Dark, Yin Yang. One has to exist in order for the other to exist. You couldn't have happy without having sad. And LOST does a pretty good job of representing all of that. Locke vs. Jack, Boone vs. Shannon, Joe vs. The Volcano...oops...got off track there.

Well, I don't think you can be an atheist and believe in fate.* Something is pre-determined to happen.* I'm honestly asking, doesn't something have to decide what's going to happen to you?* Plan out your life?* I'm an existentialist, so...

Being that I have no belief in fate or a higher power, just human beings, doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the spirituality of LOST (I'm not trying to imply that you're saying that atheists and agnostics don't).* IMHO, I think I can more easily appreciate the show's canon of mixing many spiritual aspects and religions because I don't favor certain ones over others.

I have a hard time defining where I stand, I'm not Christian, I don’t believe in that type of higher power, but like Jerseygirl said, I have had spiritual experiences. I'm a big fan of live music and I have felt the "hand of god" at certain shows. I've also felt it at certain moments when witnessing the beauty of nature. I can’t define it. At the same time I can’t say that there isn’t some type of higher power. For one I would consider Earth a type of “god”, she gives life to every animal and plant on this planet, we come from her and we return to her when our life is over but I don’t believe that she is a conscious being anymore than I believe there is a being who is going to burn me for eternity for eating fish on Friday. I do believe in yen and yang and the cyclical nature of the universe. I wish that I could believe that I will live forever, it would take a little of the fear out of death but I just can’t fake it. I've tried, after 20 years of faking faith for other people's sake, (I knew I didn’t believe by the time I was 10.) I finally told my parents that I wasn't a Christian, they didn’t take it as bad as some of the other people I came clean with, in fact although I could tell that they were disappointed, they were very supportive. Not all however were I lost more than one friend (although I know now that they weren't real friends)? I lost a girlfriend and even for a while lost the freedom that I felt for a short time, I went back to just playing along. That didn’t last long though as the Christianity was used by the right-wing fanatical to spread hate and fear across our country, I broke out of my shell and now have accepted that many people will judge me and I no longer care.

Did anyone else have a hard time dealing with the fact that they didn’t believe as they were taught as children, did anyone have a hard time with family and friends?

That's a great question, bearsgonefishin.

My mother's agnostic and my parents never went to church when they were married.* I was exposed to a wide array of different religions and went to many religious (mostly Christian due to the area in which we lived -- none were Catholic due to my mother's "issues" with that Church) day camps during the summer.*

It wasn't until I was nine-years old that I realized that people actually believed that their God was good but would send you to Hell if you did something He didn't like, even if you could find no reasonable explanation as to why it was "sinful."* God forgives all but you'll still suffer eternal torture?* Of course, the mere fact that their God was male (if any gender, I assumed God would have to have been female) had my mind boggled.* And I still have trouble wrapping my mind around this one:* If God created the universe, what created God?* I couldn't accept that God was "just there."* I couldn't "just have faith."* If God was "just there," why couldn't the universe (or a single-celled catalyst or something of that nature) be "just there"?

The next spring my father's mental health started to decline.* My mom couldn't handle taking my sister and I to a bunch of different day camps.* I didn't mind after I realized that I couldn't really get myself to believe in a higher power almost a year prior to that summer.

My mother claims the title agnostic.* She believes in a higher "force" that created the universe, but not a specific being or Hell.* She has the belief of "just have faith" that a higher power was "just there."* She really didn't take me seriously when I told her I didn't understand and that "the idea of God just doesn't make sense."* She said it doesn't have to make sense.* Well, I have trouble believing so fully in something that doesn't make sense.

My casual and close friends are always shocked to find out I'm an atheist.* They can't believe that such a "good girl" doesn't believe in God.* I've always tried to treat everyone kindly, no matter who they are.* I've always tried to help people as much as possible without expecting anything in return, even their kindness.* I guess they find it hard to believe because I come from such a pretty close-minded town.

Some people still aren't really cool with my atheism, even though I'm cool with their beliefs.* Not a lot of people are open about having issues with my beliefs, but a few have been quite condescending towards me (C'est la vie *shrug*).* I know more about their religions than they often due, which I find quite amusing.* One of my good friends, however, was shocked but she had no problems with it; her mother is also a pastor.

Sounds like you've been fairly lucky with your friends. You say close minded town, do you happen to live in the bible belt? I do and have often thought that was probably the reason that people acted the way they did. If I lived in NY or LA I doubt even one would find it strange. Your "just there" question reminded me of when I first realized that I didnt believe. I was in Sunday school and the pastor told this kid (who asked about his recently departed dog) that animals have no soul. I dont know if your a dog lover or not, but I am and there is no doubt that my dog had a soul and if she didnt then I didnt, if she did then I did. It was that simple, these animals experience emotion just that same of us and anyone whose ever owned a pet knows it. They get happy, sad, scared, mad, they are def full of love. Anyway, I knew then that I didnt buy into all these people were saying, I was 9ish, by the time I was 10, I knew I didnt believe.

ps, I enjoy religion also, I took many religion classes and philosphy in school even though I elected to become a computer nerd, I find it all very interesting, but dont tell anyone around here that Christianity morphed from other pagan religions and especially dont tell them How easter started in Eygpt with Osiris and the flooding of nile.

ps, I enjoy religion also, I took many religion classes and philosphy in school even though I elected to become a computer nerd, I find it all very interesting, but dont tell anyone around here that Christianity morphed from other pagan religions and especially dont tell them How easter started in Eygpt with Osiris and the flooding of nile.

Yeah, I tell that to my mom all the time. She tells me I'm a lier. It's funny. Ever since I've denounced my Roman Catholic-ness I've been obsessed with the history of religion, the eating of the gods (ie Communion) came from the pagans too, as well as most of the other Roman Catholic traditions. Not even the Virgin Birth is original.

Yeah, I tell that to my mom all the time. She tells me I'm a lier. It's funny. Ever since I've denounced my Roman Catholic-ness I've been obsessed with the history of religion, the eating of the gods (ie Communion) came from the pagans too, as well as most of the other Roman Catholic traditions. Not even the Virgin Birth is original.


I know its all molded from the religions it conquered, thats why I find it so amusing when people take the bible so literally. I'm from a catholic family also, like I said earlier my parents are cool, but the rest of my family looks at me like I'm satan whenever religion is brought up. They also think that I can't have morals, as if religion has the copyright to morals. I've gotten this line several times "but how will you know what is right and what is wrong?"
My only response is, if I need a 2000 year old book to tell me what is right and wrong, I'm screwed anyway.

I know its all molded from the religions it conquered, thats why I find it so amusing when people take the bible so literally. I'm from a catholic family also, like I said earlier my parents are cool, but the rest of my family looks at me like I'm satan whenever religion is brought up.* *They also think that I can't have morals, as if religion has the copyright to morals.* I've gotten this line several times "but how will you know what is right and what is wrong?"
My only response is, if I need a 2000 year old book to tell me what is right and wrong, I'm screwed anyway.*


I love you! ;D LoL!

I love you!* ;D* LoL!


Aww, I love you too!

I got a question for you all, Have any of you had any other worldly experiences? ie Ghost??

I know its a funny question considering the thread but I've seen some weird things happen a couple of times, mostly in the same house. I can't explain it but it could have been coincedence or someone playing tricks but this house was spooky!!!!

Hmmm. *I also come from a Catholic family. *My mother was raised Catholic and, much like both of you, loves studying the history of religions.

Funny thing about where I live: *I live closer to NY than the Bible Belt. *I'm not an animal person, per se, but I do love Terriers. *My dog died recently, and it actually re-affirmed my lack of belief in an afterlife or of the Christian Heaven. *I'm not bitter about his death, but I just know that he wouldn't be happy without me.

My sister says she's had experiences with ghosts, while I've never experience anything like that. We went to Gettysburg to go camping, and both she and my mother claimed they had seen ghosts on different occasions. My sister woke me up one night and said she could see a ghost; I saw nothing.

I don't believe that they were souls of the dead... perhaps residual energy, though.

When I was little I saw something, but I was ill and I think it may have been flu that caused it or even my memory playing tricks.
But this house I was talking about weird things would happen, one night we had heard weird noises all night and were talking about them, one of us said if one more thing happens that we were out of there, right at that moment a decorative plate that was hung on the wall in the other room fell off the wall and shattered. We ran in there to see what happened and the other fell, only this one landed and spun like a quarter that had been thumped, it really freaked us out. My friend that lived there had all kinds of strange story's, cabinets opening, front door locked when he went to bed and wide open when he got up. We asked his mom and she said we were nuts but then she started hearing things and eventually started going to be when his dad did. I'm not saying they were ghost, but it was some strange happenstance. I personally dont believe in an afterlife yet I can't explain some things. Personally I would love to see a ghost, I'd run straight to a church or mosque and start praying for forgiveness, I mean I would love to live forever. Death really freaks me out.

I'd be freaked out about death if I believed in a religion.* I've seen death.* Just a few weeks ago I watched my dog die.* It's just like he went to sleep.* I don't know what will happen when I die, but I think it'll just be like going to sleep without any dreams. I'm glad I'm not freaked out by it. I guess that's why I don't feel that I need religion in my life. I think religion was created to deal with death and things we can't explain. Science is now filling in the gaps that religion was used to fill.

My belief is that religion was created to instill some order and moral code among villages and groups of people, long before formal governments and law enforcement were established. The Bible for example is like a big book of how to live your life and what would happen to you if you didn't live by those rules. Most religions have things that you CAN and CAN NOT do unless you want to anger your God or Deity.

It's a form of governing if you ask me. BUT...it does allow a coping mechanism for people. "Why are we here?" To serve God. Now you have a purpose and can live your life in a certain way. "Why shouldn't I go kill that guy that ticked me off?" God said that's bad, and if you do it, you'll burn in hell for eternity. "Good enough for me, thanks"

;) I'm not putting anyone's religion or beliefs down. I feel your beliefs are as important as mine. Just don't try to recruit me.

I suppose that certain religions were used for controlling people, but not all of them --* much like not all religions were created to simply explain the, then, unexplicable.


"Why shouldn't I go kill that guy that ticked me off?" God said that's bad, and if you do it, you'll burn in hell for eternity. "Good enough for me, thanks"


I think that's a bad example.* It's human nature to do unto others as they have done to you, and this can be easily observed.* Go to an elementary school.* Kid A kicks Kid B.* What do you think Kid B is likely to do right away?* Well, chances are very good that Kid B will kick Kid A back.* Why?* Because Kid A kicked him first.* If Kid A had used the ability humans have to reason and use logic, he probably could have figured out that Kid B would kick him in retaliation.* Of course, children don't usually think about the consequences to their actions; they need to be told to think about their actions.* Adults are not as impulsive as children.


;) I'm not putting anyone's religion or beliefs down. I feel your beliefs are as important as mine. Just don't try to recruit me.


Ditto.

My belief is that religion was created to instill some order and moral code among villages and groups of people, long before formal governments and law enforcement were established.* The Bible for example is like a big book of how to live your life and what would happen to you if you didn't live by those rules.* Most religions have things that you CAN and CAN NOT do unless you want to anger your God or Deity.*

It's a form of governing if you ask me.* BUT...it does allow a coping mechanism for people.* "Why are we here?"* To serve God.* Now you have a purpose and can live your life in a certain way.* "Why shouldn't I go kill that guy that ticked me off?"* God said that's bad, and if you do it, you'll burn in hell for eternity.* "Good enough for me, thanks"

;)* I'm not putting anyone's religion or beliefs down.* I feel your beliefs are as important as mine.* Just don't try to recruit me.*


I completely agree, that's the way I feel too.

I'd be freaked out about death if I believed in a religion.* I've seen death.* Just a few weeks ago I watched my dog die.* It's just like he went to sleep.* I don't know what will happen when I die, but I think it'll just be like going to sleep without any dreams.* I'm glad I'm not freaked out by it.* I guess that's why I don't feel that I need religion in my life.* I think religion was created to deal with death and things we can't explain.* Science is now filling in the gaps that religion was used to fill.


I don't think I would be bothered by death if I believed in an afterlife but since I don't it scares the hell out of me, it's not the act of dying that I'm scared of even though, there are some really scary ways to meet your end. The scary part for me is no longer existing, not knowing how things turn out, hell even not knowing whose going to win the super bowl the year after I die. I hate it, it drives me crazy. Dont get me wrong I deal with it but it honestly is one of my biggest fears. But no matter my fears I can't fake myself into believing in a god.

I agree, religion was created to explain everything, life, death, the moon, everything, but over the years I believe the power of religion corrupted it and it became a tool for control. To a large degree I feel its still being used that way today. I'm not saying that all religious people use it as such, most still use it as a guide for their lives. But none the less its is holding our society back because it's used to divide people, it's used for hate and discrimination.
And even though one of the principles is judge not, its is used as a tool to judge. In the old days they would kill people for going against the church using fear as the means to control, today at least in the us, its more subtle (or maybe not) but powerful just the same. As people rage against gay marraige they hand an election over, thats the power. They use it to make people do as they wish, historically is been used to hold down races of people. Why hold them back? greed, power. How do you control someone without them knowing it? Anyway that might have sounded harsh but thats what I see as the large picture it wasn't a condemnation of all religious people. Like I said if I could believe I probably would because the thought of no longer existing torments me.

I completely agree, bearsgonefishin. I was just watching the Al Franken show on Sundance Channel. They were discussing a book about gay marriage with the author. The author brought up how King Solomon had 900 different wives and concubines. Polygamy is illegal today. Marriage is always changing and, correct me if I'm wrong, it orginally had very little/nothing to do with religion. Maybe I'm getting off topic, but I just wanted to add that.

Control may have been too strong a choice of words. *"Keep in line" perhaps would have been a better way of saying it. *LOL *I certainly didn't mean it to sound as though it were some cult-like thing. *

And adults may have the capability of using logic but how many bar fights do you think would be avoided if adults used it ALL THE TIME? *How many drive-by shootings would not occur if adults used logic and reasoning? *The religions are trying to tell people that ALL lives have purpose and value. *It's not to be taken lightly. *Therefore, my example of "Why shouldn't I kill that guy" is NOT really a bad example altogether. *

Give people a reason not to kill someone, and maybe, just maybe, they won't. *In today's society, that reason is incarceration and the death penalty. *It's just not real effective. *In the times when religions were being developed, the idea that some omnipotent being could smite you and strike you down for "sinful" activities was probably a significantly better deterrant, than was the chance that you'd be arrested. *Seeing's how jails are a relatively new concept in the timeline of society.

Then why are there drive-by shootings, especially since so many of these people claim to be religious? (rhetorical question)* I don't think you need religion to tell you that killing is wrong.* You wouldn't want someone to kill someone who means something to you.* If the circumstances are dire enough (i.e. The Shannon/Locke/Boone situation), then logic does go out the window and you seek revenge. It's hard to think straight when something that huge happens to you.

I think in early "religion" it would probably me more like "angering the gods". *Religion was a huge part of early civilization, when someone would get an idea they'd say that a god inspired them. When they fell in love Athena, or Venus (or whatever) made it so. And if you killed someon well Hades had it out for you in the Underworld. Religion has developed so much away from that mode of thinking but at the same time it hasn't. I think bearsgonfishin is right when s/he says that all religion does nowadays is divide people and exclude and judge, and that's exactly what there NOT supposed to be doing. Most certianly not all the religions do that though, most eastern religions allow for all the belief systems to co-exist - a kind of religious tolarance we will never see in this country *:-\

In two countries with the largest percentage of Buddhist populations, there are more people who are "out" and who are transvestites.* It's probably because tolerance of others is taught.* At least, this is what the program I was watching claimed...

I think we're all hypocrites, but sometimes people amaze me.* There are so many Christians (not all, but many) who supported the war, even though "Thou shalt not kill" and "Love thy enemy."* They're supposed to be Commandments, not suggestions.

ETA: I know. So many people "pick on" Christianity, but... eh...

I think bearsgonfishin is right when s/he says that all religion does nowadays is divide people and exclude and judge, and that's exactly what there NOT supposed to be doing.

I (He)do want to clarify that I believe religion is very helpful to some, religion is very personal and I dont mean to pigeon hole any particular group, yet I do believe that its used to divide, etc. by those with power. (politicians, religous leaders)


Control may have been too strong a choice of words. *"Keep in line" perhaps would have been a better way of saying it. *LOL *I certainly didn't mean it to sound as though it were some cult-like thing. *


IMO control is quite acurate, if your a child and your parents tell you gay people burn in hell then your likely to believe it, the religion is used to justify the discrimination. *Dad says its so, it must be, Dad says (insert race here) are bad, they must be so, some people are able to break away from these cycles but all the bigotry left in the world today is proof that not all do. * These authority figures teach the youth and thus they do apply control over them, be it parents, priest, rabbis or teacher. * To relate it to LOST, we are a blank slate, our beliefs are formed by our experiences. * Why was I a catholic? *Because my parents were and they controlled me as a child luckily for me my parents taught me the good of religion, tolerance, forgiveness, etc. And even as I rejected the religion the lessons have stayed with me. *If they had taught me hate, that might have stuck around also, thank "god" they are good people.


Most certianly not all the religions do that though, most eastern religions allow for all the belief systems to co-exist - a kind of religious tolarance we will never see in this country *:-\


I agree not all religion does thats why I enjoyed studying religion, eastern philosophies seem to not be as controlling, they seem more internal, focused on improving onself, rather than changing others. *Sadly I agree also that religious tolerance in this country (US) is a long way off *:-\

ETA:* I know.* So many people "pick on" Christianity, but... eh...


I think thats a misnomer, it's like the libral media deal, try to find a libral on tv right now, you probably wont have much luck but I bet someone is bashing liberals right now on no less than 5 cable networks. In the same way Christianity is overwhelming the largest religion in this country, so when a religion is questioned here, its going to be Christianity because thats what people deal with mostly. I think the cries of christian bashing are another form of control, the people who make these statement want their followers to feel like victims, so they can be the righteous. Thats just my take on it though :)

OK, rejoining the conversation late in the game, but I also only reveal my lack of religious beliefs to the people closest to me (and internet threads ;D). When I was more out there with it, I got some pretty negative responses so it is now mostly just on a need to know basis that I tell people. For me though, this issue has gotten much harder now that I have kids who are old enough to ask questions about religion. I have told both of my kids that "some people believe that there is a God. I don't. You will be able to make that decision for yourself as you get older and learn more about religion/God." Then about a month ago, my 7 year old son announced to a group of kids and adults at a birthday party that he did not believe in God - the loud intake of breath & chaos that followed was all very confusing to my poor guy. I guess it is time to teach him how to deal with being an outsider in this area...

That's always something I've thought about, westcoastblues:* How would you go about religion to your children if you're an atheist?* If the other parent is around and is religious, I guess it's not a problem but it is if that isn't the case (doh! *smackes forehead*).

Thanks for sharing that. I'm still really young and can't see myself as a parent, but it's something I've been wondering about.

OK, rejoining the conversation late in the game, but I also only reveal my lack of religious beliefs to the people closest to me (and internet threads* ;D). When I was more out there with it, I got some pretty negative responses so it is now mostly just on a need to know basis that I tell people. For me though, this issue has gotten much harder now that I have kids who are old enough to ask questions about religion. I have told both of my kids that* "some people believe that there is a God. I don't. You will be able to make that decision for yourself as you get older and learn more about religion/God." Then about a month ago, my 7 year old son announced to a group of kids and adults at a birthday party that he did not believe in God - the loud intake of breath & chaos that followed was all very confusing to my poor guy. I guess it is time to teach him how to deal with being an outsider in this area...


I feel you on the need to know basis, usually I can avoid drama and an argument, if I just decide not to comment. As far as kids go, that's a tough one, I'm not exactly young but I dont have kids and I'm not looking forward to having to deal with that when I do. I do however feel that you made the right choice by not lying to your son about how you feel. Thanks for commenting, I always feel better about this subject just by knowing that I'm not alone.

I do believe in some sort of creator, I don't know in what sense exactly though. If it's just a larger mass of energy, or a being that is or is not aware that it created us I don't know but I am spiritual, if not only due to my upbringing. At this point in my life I've done alot of research (years and years :-\ ) just finding something that suited me, I wouldn't really call myself a buddhist but I try to follow their basic moral code and some of their other teachings. I find it inspiring. :) I really still don't have a complete lock on it, so I guess I could be called agnostic but I think when the time comes for me to have children I would fall into buddhism completely. They still won't really be in the majority (religiously speaking), far from it, but I think having religion as a child really did something for me so I'd like to pass that to my kids. Just not in the "fire & brimstone", "god is a scary, wrathful dude" kind of way. I think that's one of the major gripes I had with the bible, I don't think I ever believed that if god did have an awareness of us he would be, in the words of Tom Cruise, "a jerk" :lol2: