People who believe in God but aren't part of a religion.

[Rob]

People who believe in a higher power without the malicious aspects of the bible or Koran? I'll take it. At least they won't try to tell children evolution is a myth and that the world is 10,000 years old.

[charlou]

People who believe in a higher power without the malicious aspects of the bible or Koran? I'll take it. At least they won't try to tell children evolution is a myth and that the world is 10,000 years old.

Or tell them that they're inherently sinful and fodder for eternal damnation in flames, but can be saved from that fate through the blood of the lamb because 'God' loves them so.

[Pappa]

People who believe in a higher power without the malicious aspects of the bible or Koran? I'll take it. At least they won't try to tell children evolution is a myth and that the world is 10,000 years old.

Or tell them that they're inherently sinful and fodder for eternal damnation in flames, but can be saved from that fate through the blood of the lamb because 'God' loves them so.

When you both put it that way, I can see it is indeed a move in the right direction. Though in the UK we don't have many fundies.

[charlou]

People who believe in a higher power without the malicious aspects of the bible or Koran? I'll take it. At least they won't try to tell children evolution is a myth and that the world is 10,000 years old.

Or tell them that they're inherently sinful and fodder for eternal damnation in flames, but can be saved from that fate through the blood of the lamb because 'God' loves them so.

When you both put it that way, I can see it is indeed a move in the right direction. Though in the UK we don't have many fundies.

I was taken to several different denomniations of christian churches throughout my childhood and they all preached this version of Truth. Parents believe it and think they're doing their children a favour by ensuring they believe it too.

[Pappa]

People who believe in a higher power without the malicious aspects of the bible or Koran? I'll take it. At least they won't try to tell children evolution is a myth and that the world is 10,000 years old.

Or tell them that they're inherently sinful and fodder for eternal damnation in flames, but can be saved from that fate through the blood of the lamb because 'God' loves them so.

When you both put it that way, I can see it is indeed a move in the right direction. Though in the UK we don't have many fundies.

I was taken to several different denomniations of christian churches throughout my childhood and they all preached this version of Truth. Parents believe it and think they're doing their children a favour by ensuring they believe it too.

I've only ever been to a handful of Church of England services and one Catholic one. CofE has a reputation for being moderate and tame, but the shit they come out with scares the pants off me. The obsession with Jesus is really weird.

[Coito ergo sum]

I've noticed a rise in this within my circle of friends and in the school I attend recently and so I ask, have any of you noticed this trend recently and what are your thoughts on them? Personally I see them as a step in the right direction and I can at least respect them for finding their own belief rather than the supposed voices of God that preach the organised bollocks.

There are several different main categories of these folks, such as.

1. There must be something out there, but I don't agree with the unpalatable portions of traditional religious thought.
2. All religions are imperfect descriptions of the same thing, and all are correct as metaphors.
3. Whatever anyone believes religiously is "true for them."
4. I really haven't given it much thought, but we're "supposed" to believe in God of some sort, so I will say I believe in God.
5. I don't want people to think I'm bad, so I call myself "spiritual, but not religious" because I want to be a good person who is not a churchgoing type.
6. I am a New Ager because I want to adopt a religion, but still have a superiority complex over those silly "traditional" religions.

[Bolero]

There are several different main categories of these folks, such as.

1. There must be something out there, but I don't agree with the unpalatable portions of traditional religious thought.
2. All religions are imperfect descriptions of the same thing, and all are correct as metaphors.
3. Whatever anyone believes religiously is "true for them."
4. I really haven't given it much thought, but we're "supposed" to believe in God of some sort, so I will say I believe in God.
5. I don't want people to think I'm bad, so I call myself "spiritual, but not religious" because I want to be a good person who is not a churchgoing type.
6. I am a New Ager because I want to adopt a religion, but still have a superiority complex over those silly "traditional" religions.

I've got a lot of friends in all of those categories (bar 4), and usually when they come up with supposed "evidence" it's something along the lines of:

"I went to my grandmother's/aunt's/loved one of some sort's funeral, and I saw her body lying there and I thought - 'No, that's not her. Her spirit has gone somewhere else.' So yeah, where does the spirit go?"
Or
"How do you explain ghosts. I was staying in my father's house after he died, and I swear I saw him standing in the hall one night."
Or
"Have you ever actually been out to commune with nature? You can feel the world's spirit thrumming through you."
Or
"It may be bollocks, but it makes me feel better " (Someone actually said this to me in reference to tarot reading - honest, I guess...)

I get slightly annoyed with this kind of thing because of the sheer lack of critical thinking, but these people are STREETS ahead of the organised religious muppets, and far less dangerous.