I am an Ethical Humanist
Non-theist, Naturalist, Secular Humanist and Tooth-Fairy Agnostic are some of the other monikers for the growing group of secular non-religious individuals in this country. Dawkins probably inspires more discussion on the topic than any other these days:
While declaring myself and Atheist, I must say “Reverent Agnostic” was a close second:
And while I’ll never again be a religious person, Buddhism does appeal. Einstein said it best:
“Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: it transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural & spiritual, and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things as a meaningful unity” – Albert Einstein
[update - 6/2/09] While declaring myself an athiest, there are those who know me well who would deeply dissagree. They see me as non-religious but very spiritual. And that is correct. Many struggle with the notion of a deeply-spiritual athiest. So do I sometimes. Which is why this post vascilates from being private versus (now) public. There is still something missing. Something very attractive. And it isnt remotely related to organized religion!
on 21-September-2009 at 22:49
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Leaving the religion of your childhood is no easy task. I am still haunted by vestiges of it when I least desire it. I did my time with the great trail blazers of my time like Gould, Dawkins and others. After leaving it all behind in a blaze, I stubbornly turned back to pluck out of the fire the belief in a personal, loving God, minus the dogma and the religious authority. I can’t defend it logically. Perhaps it is just based on my own interpretations of personal experiences, or the near-death experiences of others (that Susan Blackmore’s skeptical dissertation failed to convince me of another explaination.) Or maybe it is the belief that you get pretty much what you expect or put another way, what you send into the universe gets sent back. My christian friends don’t understand how I can be a humanist, an evolutionist and a “Christian” they want to pray for me. So far I am glad I decided to open my mind and look behind the curtian. It has been exhilarating and liberating.