5KidzRUs Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Is there a 'term' for someone who is not religious - but might believe in a higher being or ying-yang ... or a bit or this or that. I am not talking about non-denominational. I am trying to find a term other than Atheist. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hathersage Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 agnostic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Cautiously irreligious. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Is there a 'term' for someone who is not religious - but might believe in a higher being or ying-yang ... or a bit or this or that.I am not talking about non-denominational. I am trying to find a term other than Atheist. Thanks! Spiritual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Spiritual? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 I call myself spiritual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisB Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 agnostic :iagree: OR Spiritual. How about "religious in a broad sense"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 There's a neologism "apatheistic" to describe people who don't really have any beliefs and don't care. Although I think the Wiki entry veers more toward atheism and is a little too vehement to reflect the usages of the word that I have encountered elsewhere. An agnostic actively believes that we can't know whether there's a god or gods. And atheist says there absolutely isn't any such thing. An apatheist would think there might be but couldn't really be bothered to care either way. That doesn't sound exactly like what you're saying though. "Areligious" is probably also not quite what you're looking for, since you describe a certain level of interest... Perhaps just "eclectic"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FaithManor Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Possibly Deist if they believe in a divine higher power but not a specificly named entity. Faith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 (edited) Humanist. Edited June 15, 2010 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 One of my brothers calls himself a Deist. He believes in a Creator but not in a God who has personal relationships with humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smrtmama Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 I call myself an areligious nonspecific believer. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweetpeach Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Contemplative? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Is there a 'term' for someone who is not religious - but might believe in a higher being or ying-yang ... or a bit or this or that.I am not talking about non-denominational. I am trying to find a term other than Atheist. Thanks! Is the term "agnostic"? Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Well that describes me, and after this thread I'd call myself confused :rofl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secular_mom Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 An agnostic actively believes that we can't know whether there's a god or gods. And atheist says there absolutely isn't any such thing. Sorry, but this is just plain wrong. People who are agnostic do not know whether there is a higher power or not, they don't necessarily say that it's not possible to know the answer but THEY don't know the answer. Atheists do not actively believe in a supreme being, but that does not mean they actively 'disbelieve' in a supreme being either. Lots of atheists are agnostic atheists, which means that they don't know whether there is a supreme being or not but they see no reason to believe there IS one. I say there probably isn't one, so worry about it. :) Even if there was one, I wouldn't worship it. In response to the OP, I'd ask that person what they'd like to be called, if they need to be called anything at all. Agnostic sounds best, if they aren't religiously active and just don't know. But it's really not necessary to label another person based on religion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Well that describes me, and after this thread I'd call myself confused :rofl: Lol, :iagree: I call myself spiritual. Perhaps eclectic? Its not at all confusing until you start to try to explain it to people who want a label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canadianmum Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 My 2 cents? I agree with Secular Mom with both paragraphs. I DO worship Him, but, unless you want to identify with a certain group, why the label? Or are you just trying to figure out the boundaries? Nancy in Alberta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asta Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Faithful. a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Is there a 'term' for someone who is not religious - but might believe in a higher being or ying-yang ... or a bit or this or that.I am not talking about non-denominational. I am trying to find a term other than Atheist. Thanks! Atheist would be wrong. That's someone who doesn't believe in a God period. Agnostic would be someone who's not sure but not terribly concerned with the question. I think your definition implies more then either and agree with those who suggest spiritual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WishboneDawn Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Humanist. But there are Christian humanists and atheist humanists. I think humanist is more of a statement in your belief in humans and their abilities and potential rather then any statement about deities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 I'm a Deist.... it is a bit more specific than that - but there are so many versions, it could fit :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Spiritual. :iagree: This is the term I have most often heard people use to describe themselves who have similar beliefs as to what you've described. They may believe there is "something higher" and they may be open to being in touch with it/him/her but aren't part of anything organized. The belief may or may not be particularly important to them. On the other hand, they are not atheist/materialist either. I live in a townful of "spiritual" people by this definition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5KidzRUs Posted June 16, 2010 Author Share Posted June 16, 2010 Thank you everyone for all of your thoughtful replies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asta Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 I live in a townful of "spiritual" people by this definition. Taos or Sedona? ;) a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelanieM Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Atheists do not actively believe in a supreme being, but that does not mean they actively 'disbelieve' in a supreme being either. Lots of atheists are agnostic atheists, which means that they don't know whether there is a supreme being or not but they see no reason to believe there IS one. Yep. My husband would fall under your definition of an agnostic atheist. But there are Christian humanists and atheist humanists. I think humanist is more of a statement in your belief in humans and their abilities and potential rather then any statement about deities. :iagree: I would agree with others who have suggested spiritual as a likely classification. That's how I would describe myself if I were to give the short and sweet answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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