# The Theist thread **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 15, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313 "2008-12-15T22:51:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/1 "2008-12-15T22:51:43Z")
We’ve had a good foray into sexuality, and one or two threads sound like religion may be on the radar of other Dopers, so I have this question: “Do any of you feel about Religion the way I do?” Which is this: I’m bored of Christian theology. I’m a smart guy, I pick things up pretty quick. Hearing the same story, strechedout over the year, for 30 years or so, gets a bit dull. I get the whole Chistmas | Easter | He died and has risen for your sins | schtick. I just don’t get the following: 1. Everybody who doesn’t believe a guy named Christ died for your sins is DOOOOMED to eternal hellfire. The afterlife can’t be a countryclub. 2. The concept of an afterlife is central to the human condition. It may just be rationalizing a fear of the unknown, but I suspect there’s _something_ there…something that makes _everybody_ right. Call it an emergent behavior of all the spiritual energy created, I dunno. But I have as hard a time with #1 above as with ‘Snuff’, you’re wormfood and nothing more. Knowing I’m smart but not all that smart, considering aeons of Scholars musing, I guess I’m a _Theist_…but not really a \_Pan\_theist. If that makes any sense. I see the evidence of science, I see the Hubble pictures, and I cannot link them with the, frankly, stupidly selfish idea that some Angry White Dude made it for all of us, then had his son murdered so that we may be forgiven on Sunday, the stuff we did the night before. I can’t wrap my head around forgiveness as a Mulligan. So. Someone has to have given this a name…what is it? ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/2 "2008-12-16T01:56:44Z")
So you believe in a God, but you don’t think God’s damning everyone for not believing in him- that’s your position? Or is it more than just the damning, and you also are unsure of the whole Biblical stuff too- yet you feel there is a God. Is either of those close to your position? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/3 "2008-12-16T02:00:10Z")
Theism is a pretty good way of describing your position- you’re pretty sure that there is a higher Power of some kind, but you really don’t know the nature of that Power. Yes, I usually describe myself as a theist- I believe in God and have had a couple of religious experiences, but I don’t particularly believe that the God in question is necessarily associated with Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, or any other established religion. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/4 "2008-12-16T02:18:52Z")
> [@Ro0sh](#): > > So you believe in a God, but you don’t think God’s damning everyone for not believing in him- that’s your position? Or is it more than just the damning, and you also are unsure of the whole Biblical stuff too- yet you feel there is a God. > > Is either of those close to your position? Not exactly. I believe that if enough people believe in something, when they die, their spirit reinforces that belief. Hindu, Jew, Islam, Catholic are all made up of the ‘stuff’ that makes us human, and avoids ‘you didn’t pick the right club, you lose.’ Sort of how an ant colony is something much larger and categorically different than any one of it’s members. Mostly, I just feel we’re incapable of really understanding what the real story is, and I’m glad I’m not qualified to judge others… regrettably, other people haven’t felt the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/5 "2008-12-16T02:28:23Z")
This is more or less my stance, except I prefer a more fancy name–so I call myself an **Amalgamist** since my beliefs are an amalgam of theological ideas I’ve picked up on in my lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/6 "2008-12-16T02:36:37Z")
You’re not alone (uh…so to speak. 😃 ) > **[amalgamist.com - amalgamist Resources and Information.](http://www.amalgamist.com/)** > > amalgamist.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, amalgamist.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for! ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/7 "2008-12-16T03:25:50Z")
Whoa, cool! I’m not the only one! Shame their website has so many placeholders though. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/8 "2008-12-16T04:19:23Z")
Theist is what I call it - belief that there is (or atleast could be) a higher power - full and total rejection of all “revealed” religions and thier trappings. Celebration of holiday(s) and those trimmings is more of a family thing. For the most part, the higher power did what it did to get the ball rolling, and went on to it’s next project… FWIW, anymore I almost total AThiest. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/9 "2008-12-16T13:29:26Z")
There are a whole lot of Christians, including conservative Christians, who don’t hold to 1, either. A lot of us believe in some continuing opportunity in the Afterlife, the annihalation of the incorrigibly unrepentant, and/or the ultimate reconciliation of all souls with God thru Christ. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/10 "2008-12-16T17:07:19Z")
I’ve been a theist for years (after deciding that being a Catholic just isn’t for me) and that’s what I’ve always referred to myself as. Of course, religion has almost no place in my day-to-day life, so I’ve only actually referred to myself as a theist to my wife. ---
**Author:** ![KingLupid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/839c29/32.png) [@KingLupid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KingLupid)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/11 "2008-12-16T17:49:16Z")
I have heard it called Theistic Agnostic, as opposed to Athiestic Agnostic. Meaning that you believe there is SOMETHING there, but you have very little understanding of it = theistic agnostic. Or you have very little understanding of it, but suspect there is no power out there = athiestic agnostic. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/12 "2008-12-16T18:09:22Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I’ve been a theist for years (after deciding that being a Catholic just isn’t for me) and that’s what I’ve always referred to myself as. > > Of course, religion has almost no place in my day-to-day life, so I’ve only actually referred to myself as a theist to my wife. And This is a moral conundrum for me. I had a pretty heavy indoctrination into Protestant (and Catholic) up bringing. Went to church every Sunday, went to Catholic schools. My religious preferences have been formed with a well rounded education to get to that point. I find the active pursuit of christianity to be intensely boring. But I have a couple of 6 year old boys who don’t have the benefit of that background and it makes me feel guilty(\*). I recognize that, while I don’t care for the sermonizing, my moral and ethical foundation was created by it. (\*=guilt being a powerful tool of the church. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-theist-thread/477313/13 "2008-12-17T00:10:58Z")
Have you tried teaching them yourself? Some of my most rewarding and pleasant memories was my Grandfather teaching me to think for myself and about religion in general. He was the one who taught me to be curious about th world, and to simply not accept others teachings, but to examine it and find out for yourself. It might be a fun experience, and something they’ll remember for the rest of their lives. Just take a few religious texts and mythologies is always fun too and first start off w/ stories and parables and slowly work your way outwards.