Baptized Catholic, family converted to strict Christianity after that then early adulthood I considered myself agnostic.

Now I’d say agnostic Christian but that’s contradictory. Maybe spiritual? Idk

I don’t go to church and do things like that as why I say that.

I don’t like force what I believe in on other people. Common sense says that is not my place and also rude. I don’t wish to convert people. I’m not on a mission to ‘shove it down throats’

It’s the little things that show me God is looking out for me. I’ve got my own set of things im dealing with as everyone else does too.

But finding my vape (I lose it a lot) and then getting an urge to make my bed and suddenly finding it ?

That’s a miracle. Little things like that. Needing extra and then being bored decided to go through my old purses and found 100 dollars?

Those things are HUGE to me. Relieve so much stress. And they seldom happen. I’m thankful for a lot.

I’m grateful for those moments.

  • Bosht@lemmy.worldEnglish
    19·
    2 months ago

    The really sad thing is that you were raised in a way to think that literally the most normal shit is somehow miracles from a greater power. Its indoctrination 101. Youre taught to look for all these little things so that its confirmed he exists. Whereas the rest of the world thats just life. Period. Lost a vape? You look for it and find it. Ta da. Happened to find money you forgot somewhere. Oh, well, guess I need to be more responsible with cleaning out my purses. If anything, if its things like that you have to ‘cling to’ theres probably a bigger issue like stress management that needs to be looked into. Its not that you have some set of tools that helps you cope, its that you were taught to cope a certain way. I know this probably sounds negative anx I apologize bjt its a crutch that youll be better without, I promise. I say this as someome who used to to the same, had the same habits, etc.

    • AliceOPMAEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      You’re reading way to much into it dude.

      Basically I’m thankful for the small things that’s really it

  • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
    14·
    2 months ago

    But finding my vape (I lose it a lot) and then getting an urge to make my bed and suddenly finding it ?

    That’s a miracle.

    No, that’s just magical thinking.

  • colforge@lemmy.worldEnglish
    13·
    2 months ago

    Imagine losing your vape in your house, finding it in your house and imagining a creator of the universe is directly responsible for it.

    I guess he also stole the vape I put down 3 months ago and haven’t seen since. Must hate me I guess. 🤷🏼‍♂️

    Edit: Btw I upvoted your opinion.

  • Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.eeEnglish
    9·
    2 months ago

    There’s nothing wrong with believing in and having faith in God.

    It’s odd to imagine a culture where you’d feel the need to say this

    I’d guess about 30% of the people where I live are religious, how do I know? I don’t. Religion is like politics, you keep your opinions to yourselves, and neither are mentioned in polite conversation

    Christians believe their stuff, don’t bother anyone and don’t push their beliefs on others. Most I’ve ever seen is a couple standing next to a pile of free religious magazines, but not stopping people or holding signs, just standing there

    That’s just one more reason why we consider the yanks to be fucking barbarians 😅

    • Kroxx@lemm.eeEnglish
      5·
      2 months ago

      IRL very much the case that religion is heavily pushed and forced. If a person said this on a street corner I would roll my eyes and think they are playing the victim card, because they would be.

      The Internet can be the opposite, this is heavily dependent on the site of course. Lemmy is pretty evangelically atheist, so to me saying “there is nothing wrong with having faith” is worth saying.

      You can look though my messages. Just saying religion isn’t inherently a bad thing in a world news community got negative feedback.

      I understand the frustration of having to deal with invasive religion daily, both personally and legislatively. There is so much bullshit that people following a religion have and will continue to cause for everyone, even those who follow the same god.

      If you use frustration to be evangelically against an ideology, you can start to cross the threshold of hypocrisy.

      • AliceOPMAEnglish
        3·
        2 months ago

        Thanks for your input

      • GardenVarietyAnxiety@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        If you use frustration to be evangelically against an ideology, you can start to cross the threshold of hypocrisy.

        I was just about to post something like this, but you said it better than I would have.

  • Orbituary@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    2 months ago

    This has to be a troll. Do you feel it’s miraculous when you chew an old piece of gum and it has flavor still?

  • shasta@lemm.eeEnglish
    4·
    2 months ago

    I think you’re correct. However, when religion is proven over thousands of years to be a great tool to manipulate the masses, it attracts the worst of humanity who utilize it for personal gain at the expense of everyone else. I don’t care what god people choose to believe in, as long as that has 0 effect on me. But because Christianity is so pervasive in the US it affects many aspects of my daily life just by virtue of living in this country. It affects politics which affects medical, financial, and education sectors.

    This is a huge problem and organized religion should really be getting more involved because some Christian politicians are giving the religion a bad reputation. Christianity has been declining slowly but steadily for many years now, and I welcome the day it becomes a minority because it apparently isn’t going to help solve these problems, so better to be rid of it.

  • GardenVarietyAnxiety@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    To everyone giving Alice shit…

    Lets say for a minute that we found literally any proof at all and it proved undeniably that there is no god, nothing. Just black and white. Physics and energy.

    The placebo effect is a thoroughly researched and scientifically established thing. Studies that show a positive mood can affect how well you recover after surgery… Mindset matters.

    If Alice credits something greater than themselves and gets a happy chemical boost from finding 100 bucks that they already had? Sounds like a good situation to me.

    Every time I see an atheist call someone out for their beliefs, I just see the other extreme of the spiritual spectrum. I see a person trying to feel better than someone they find inferior.

  • peto@lemm.eeEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    agnostic Christian but that’s contradictory.

    Not really. It is a pretty reasonable position to take. What makes you think there is contradiction in such a statement?

    • MotoAsh@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      2 months ago

      “agnostic” - it’s not possible to know who’s right.

      “Christian” - Christians are right.

      You … DON’T see a contradiction…?

      • peto@lemm.eeEnglish
        3·
        2 months ago

        Well sure, if you use those definitions. They aren’t very good ones. Agnosticism in general makes no claims about if knowing is possible. It is simply the statement that your position isn’t based on you knowing the truth. Neither agnostic or gnostic actually make a statement on what you believe, just how you justify it.

        You can also be a Christian without knowing if Jesus is real or not, but simply because you think there is value in taking the Bible’s word for it. To be a (small g) gnostic Christian would require not only personal experience of the divine, but some kind of certainty that it is what it appeared to be, Paul for instance would (claim to) be such a person.

        • MotoAsh@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          2 months ago

          Oh OK so a pathetic loser who’s taking Pascal’s Wager and not actually believing anything, got it.

          • peto@lemm.eeEnglish
            2·
            2 months ago

            And any Christian who became a Christian through reading the bible or being taught it by another who isn’t a liar and a hypocrite. I suspect most people who identify as a Christian would also claim agnosticism if they ever took the time to think about it. Though most I think tend to get on with their lives and leave that thinking to their priests.

    • AliceOPMAEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      Idk I guess bc with being agnostic their is doubt I feel like maybe

      • peto@lemm.eeEnglish
        2·
        2 months ago

        Do you think you can believe something without knowing it is true? As an example, you might believe that I am a guy you are actually communicating with, you could also believe that I am Canadian, but do you actually feel like you know either of those things?

  • LovstuhagenEnglish
    2·
    2 months ago

    I fell out of my Protestant upbringing for some time, and then was just something of a convinced “Universalist” that felt that God is bigger than any single religion, and that there are many pathways to him…

    I spent some time obsessed with Buddhist philosophy, and thought I found a home there, and during the course of intense meditation, I became very convinced that there is something beyond emptiness, and at this point I felt like I wanted to start over with Christianity and do it right… So I went to Orthodoxy.

    At this point, I thought all the talk of miracles from the old ladies was… not really true. I just didn’t think I’d see any miracles. It even got to the point where I even thought that it was turning me off a little, but it became apparent that, in Orthodoxy, the presence of God still in our lives and miracles continuing to happen to this day was a key aspect of the belief system…

    I accepted it, then, but largely ignored it…

    And then, on the eve of my baptism 4 years ago on Lazarus Saturday (which is actually tomorrow, FYI), I experienced a miracle…

    I was completely sober minded, 100% so, and I remember as it happened I couldn’t believe it at first, and so I literally investigated by looking around and trying to figure out how this could be happening. It was then after some time of trying to explain it to myself that I was overcome with profound peace, my mind now completely satisfied that this was happening purely to me as a gift to ensure me that yes, the miracles are real, God is real, and that now I have to walk this path.

    I’ve been a firm believer in them ever since and, it goes without saying, a firm believer in God. He’s absolutely real. And I encourage others to try to walk with God - approach him with an open mind and, during your movement toward him, abstain from all manner of sin to the best of your ability, and even fast by not eating meat or dairy products and not drinking milk. Let your sincerity pour forth…

    And if you have not had much in your life to bring you close to God, God will reach out to you in some way and you’ll know it.

    • AliceOPMAEnglish
      2·
      2 months ago

      Thanks for this I needed it ❤️