How to overcome being agnostic?

[tree]

OK.
If other people are using these terms,
can you provide links that shows them in use?

 

[ucrenegade]

I sort of want to believe that there is a God but then I question why would He let such horrible things happen to me before I’m even 30 and that there is no reason that He just flat out hates me completely?

We are in the curses/dispersion stage. He says he chastises every child he loves. The blessings and cursings are there for two reasons to teach us something and to seek him further.

 

[ucrenegade]

OK.
If other people are using these terms,
can you provide links that shows them in use?

Yeah in YouTube search MTOI Cleveland Tennessee he uses it in a few of his teachings.

 

[tree]

This?

https://mtoi.org/

 

[ucrenegade]

This?

https://mtoi.org/

Yes

 

[RobZombiefan]

As a 12-stepper, I hear people telling me all the time that I need to find my higher power, and I know they are right because doing things my way has screwed up my life repeatedly.

I have been agnostic for a long while, and that is a barrier.

I can’t handle this by myself, and I can’t rely on others 24/7 either.

A few days ago. I had some people come by and fix something. So I left them to do their work and to make a long story short! I was reading my mom's bible, and I felt a sensation in my heart. So I went to church, yesterday it went well I came home to Catholicism! I was so wrong about them! They are good decent people! I was a terrible sinner, and they welcomed me with open arms and open hands! I have committed to reforming myself! I kicked watching adult films and stopped swearing! I wasted so much time watching those videos! I feel healthier and more peaceful than I was a week ago! My plan sucked! God's plan is better! I hope this helps you out! I went from agnostic to born-again catholic! Just find a community that is suited for you! If it helps sit in on services on various religions!

 

[CountDooku]

As a 12-stepper, I hear people telling me all the time that I need to find my higher power, and I know they are right because doing things my way has screwed up my life repeatedly.

I have been agnostic for a long while, and that is a barrier.

I can’t handle this by myself, and I can’t rely on others 24/7 either.

No offense but, have you tried politely telling your family to get off your case? The only way to get over being agnostic is to become an atheist! You can't live for your family you, have to do what's best for you!

 

[Wolfgangus Faldestolius]

... home to Catholicism ... born-again catholic! Just find a community that is suited for you! If it helps sit in on services on various religions!

Your last two sentences are the key to it. At some churches listening to Scripture and joining in the Lord's Prayer and Creed do not involve your buying into the harmful, inconsistent and shifting baggage constantly being loaded onto those who are deemed to have gone through their "induction" procedures.

I didn't get beyond step 10 and a half because I tried to take "ask your rabbi or minister" too seriously.

 

[Wolfgangus Faldestolius]

... I think that atheism & Catholicism are really the two reasonable positions: either all or nothing.

That's not only because you are a black and white thinker (unreconstructed ASC) (false dichotomy) but uncritical since any sect you happen to mention at random is likely to be constantly shifting and inconsistent; a point which - moderators note - I'm not making for its own sake but in reply to your apparent principle.

The centurion with the sick child was an admirable agnostic, Believing Thomas of the spectacularly bad timing was an admirable agnostic, John Henry Newman of the degrees of inference was an admirable agnostic.

As an agnostic in my own definition I can believe as much as I like on the quiet without certain institutional operatives owning me (codependency).

A "Big Book" of one of my fellowships centrally addresses "We agnostics". (One needs to ignore the stuff about W James, Jung and light switches of course )

 

[SimonSays]

This has no connection with the subject.

It has a huge connection with the subject of overcoming being agnostic. But nothing to do with religion.

After having the kind of spiritual/mystical experiences that psychedelics can bring, there is no doubt of the connection to what I call God. No more agnosticism.

 

[Streetwise]

As a 12-stepper, I hear people telling me all the time that I need to find my higher power, and I know they are right because doing things my way has screwed up my life repeatedly.

I have been agnostic for a long while, and that is a barrier.

I can’t handle this by myself, and I can’t rely on others 24/7 either.

You're obviously hearing God more clearly ,it changed to a larger degree for me when I was what is called filled with Ruach ha kodesh (holy spirit, I vibe with Hebrew or Spanish to a lesser degree),as I lived with God is the way I can describe it ,not just church on Sunday morning or less so also through the week,read the Gospel John I use the picture bible written by iva hoth and illustrated by Andre le blanc,I've changed but its a unique relationship and yours would be unique ^-^

 

[Streetwise]

Their probably is not one because people don't want to admit it. Look at the function of the definition not the form. This is why Yeshua said you will know them by their fruits not thier definition but what they do.

He also said don't call unclean what I delineate to be clean all he asked was be pure and don't make offerings to idols,if you eat kosher continue that if not kosher continue in that .

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

Metalhead, this is your thread and your question. I spent a long time in 12-step meetings and in the open AA meetings, I had the privilege of learning from people who had decades of sobriety.

I remember one man, who said he did not believe in God and could not accept God, but he learned to follow the steps and gave his life over to a higher power, whom he named "Hazel." Unless the steps have changed a lot, you are not required to be a believer. You are only required to come to believe that a power greater than yourself can restore you to sanity. If that higher power is Hazel, then so be it.

In Alanon, what I learned was that I don't have to believe, I just have to do. The actions come first, belief will follow. And it did. At least for me. Although quite religious as a child, I came to believe there was definitely no such thing as God. Through those rooms and others, I made my way back.

My understanding of God, a higher power, the divine, has changed over the years. It has grown and deepened. I am sure there is still a long way to go.

Perhaps the 12 step meetings have changed from my time in those rooms. I would hope the meetings continue to permit each person to come to his or her own understanding of God/Spirit/Hazel in a manner that helps each maintain sobriety.