Theism and Atheism

I've been discussing on several religion forums the religious implications of atheism. Whether atheism would be considered a religion or not.

The best point I have heard to date is that atheism is no more a religion than theism is. That's fair I think.

I find my purpose from within, in the way many atheist religions do, but I am a theist. I believe in the supernatural, an outside force, gods, goddesses, ghosts, spirits.

For a long time I was one of those people who would claim to be spiritual, but not religious. I guess the proper response should be, "I am a theist, but not religious."

Either way, neither is true anymore. I am very religious. Very much a theist. My religion however does not define my purpose. No, my purpose, perhaps, defines my religion.

My purpose is the pursuit of truth, knowledge. I am a gnostic.

To be or not to be....

I search for truth. I believe in truth. It is the foundation of my religion, my belief system, and my moral code.

How can truth be the foundation of a belief system? Where is the leap of faith? The leap of faith comes from believing that truth exists, that it is out there, and that it is knowable.

If we think of the stories of gods and such as metaphor and allegory, we can take the idea of the Holy Spirit as the metaphor for truth. Or if you believe in the Greek Pantheon it might be represented by Gaia, or the earth mother.

Almost all religions believe that the holy spirit, or a holy spirit, exists in all natural things. That includes us. God, or the holy spirit, or a goddess, or life force energy, etc. is in all of us. Therefore we must be capable of knowing truth from within.

Even for atheists out there, we can say that we come from the earth and return to the earth, so there is no reason we can't know the truths of the universe. If we are of the same material as the universe, we must be capable of comprehending universal truth. Physical laws, and such.

From truth, I get god. From truth, I get faith. And from truth I get strength, purpose, and drive.

I may not know it, I may never know it....but I can strive to discover it. I can strive to come as close to it as possible.

Why gnostic? Why gnow?

It's not new to me. I didn't just discover gnosticism. It came upon me slowly.

I was born into an a-religious family. My mother was baptized in the baptist church, my father in the methodist. Neither of them thought religion was an important part of raising children. Instead, my sister and I were allowed to explore the world and our understanding of it with our own senses.

I had a good childhood friend whose father was an episcopalian priest. We went to church the Easter before my sister was born, some christian church. Friends took me to various protestant gatherings: retreats, bonfires, youth groups, mass, etc. A good friend of mine introduced me to the "soup kitchen" at the methodist church.

The influence that stuck with me, though, was not christian. My grandfather was Greek Orthodox. I didn't know this, until I was much older. As far as I was concerned, he was not religious. Now I would call it pagan.

The thing about rural greek american families, is they had no orthodox church at which to worship. My grandfather was no different. He and his 8 or 9 siblings went every sunday to a russian orthodox church. As they grew old enough to realize no one was making them go, one by one, they stopped.

I was raised on my grandfather's stories of the Olympian gods. My pagan pantheon included gods, goddesses, heroes, heroines, and nymphs.

The Olympian tradition has been passed down for generations. It does not conflict with the orthodox faith directly. The two beliefs can co-exist. The olympian tradition would end, the gods would leave olympus, and a new age would start.

I went on to study religion and philosophy in college. Fascinated not by the differences in the world's religions, but by the similarities. The characters differ, but the stories (stripped down) are so very much the same.

I was thoroughly opposed to organized religion, for a long time. At least for myself. I didn't want someone, anyone, telling me what or how to believe or worship. I didn't understand going inside a building to pray, when god was so clearly everywhere.

I still think organized religion, all too often, causes more damage than good. One should come to their faith on their own terms, in their own way.

I am almost 30 now. I have been broken and put together so many times. I have lived a thousand lifetimes, and died a thousand tiny deaths. So, why now?

Now, is a new beginning for me. I lay here open wide to the world. Exposed and vulnerable, as I have never been before. In love. Now, is the time for all things to end and begin again.

I am a gnostic, I am a mystic, I am a spirit, I am here to share myself. Now and for the rest of my life.

What it is to me?

For years I have labeled myself, agnostic. Not because it was a wholy accurate description, but because it was close enough.

Even my dog tags list my religion as agnostic.

The more I searched, the more I realized I was not agnostic. I was, in fact, gnostic without even knowing.

Being gnostic is not easy in a judeo-christian world. Then again, being a lesbian in a heterosexual world, is not easy either. I wouldn't change one, why change the other.

I have always felt called to religion. Religious study, investigation, and exploration.

So, what is gnosticism to me? What makes it different from any other religion I have learned about?

It is a religious sect under which one can unite all the great spiritual and religious paths without having to choose. It is the path of knowledge. What is more powerful than knowledge?