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Atheists & Agnostics

anciano

(1,971 posts)

5. Agnostic here....

Reply to NNadir (Original post)

Mon Sep 22, 2025, 09:21 PM

Sep 22

I was raised as a preacher's kid in a Baptist church. Became an Episcopalian as a young adult, but drifted back to the Baptist church when I got married because she was Baptist.
Once divorced, however, I began to try to sort things out because the whole religious thing just didn't seem to make sense to me.
A book that had a profound influence on me was "The Age of Reason" by Thomas Paine. Although Paine was a Deist and I liked his book, I still couldn't accept the basic Deism concept of a big guy in the sky just kicking back and watching things happen.
It was not until I read "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius that the light bulb for me finally lit up and I embraced the concept of universal oneness. In my opinion, if there is a "divine power" or "eternal essence", it has manifested itself to us mortals as what we call Nature.

JMHO, YMMV

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biophile Envirogal

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Highlight:

Question: How many of my fellow atheists had a religious upbringing? If one had one, when did it wash out? [View all] NNadir Sep 22 OP

Raised Jewish by agnostic parents. no_hypocrisy Sep 22 #1

Robert Oppenheimer, as you may know, was in the ethical culture movement as a child. NNadir Sep 22 #2

Religious upbringing trueblueinmo Sep 22 #3

Raised catholic got wise Faux pas Sep 22 #4

Agnostic here.... anciano Sep 22 #5

I decided years ago SCantiGOP Sep 23 #22

I appreciate you taking the time to respond... anciano Sep 23 #23

Fundamental markie Sep 22 #6

attended baptist church as a kid, didnt pay much attention to the religion part tho nt msongs Sep 22 #7

Not religious at all - just moral Nigrum Cattus Sep 22 #8

I was raised Universalist oberle Sep 22 #9

I have 13 years of perfect attendance pins from my small, rural Methodist church. sinkingfeeling Sep 22 #10

Very catholic with guilt a driving force Envirogal Sep 23 #11

I did... GiqueCee Sep 23 #12

My sig line in this post, from Max Born's Nobel Prize speech.. NNadir Sep 23 #13

Ah, yes! GiqueCee Sep 23 #14

It turns out that it's not from his Nobel Prize speech but is found in his autobiography. NNadir Sep 23 #21

Priests and nuns were mean, especially to kids that needed some help. First grade I had my doubts. twodogsbarking Sep 23 #15

My wife experienced that and concurs. NNadir Sep 23 #20

Raised in a very liberal Southern Baptist church wysimdnwyg Sep 23 #16

I never believed any of it mike_c Sep 23 #17

I grew up in the Vancouver area of Canada. pandr32 Sep 23 #18

Raised Catholic; was even an altar boy for a short time. SeattleVet Sep 23 #19

12 years of Catholic schools and parents that purported to be very religious rurallib Sep 24 #24

Southern Baptist GigiLeigh Sep 24 #25

My oldest son nearly went insane from reading that book. NNadir Sep 24 #27

Raised Catholic. Family still is. Went to Catholic school 12 years. Srkdqltr Sep 24 #26

I was raised as an American Baptist (supposedly more liberal than Southern Baptist), we could dance and play cards.. wcmagumba Sep 24 #28

It started with something my Mother said when I was 5 or 6 yo ... we attended a Southern Baptist church ... eppur_se_muova Tuesday #29