So, Steve, I can certainly see why you're not a religious person. You've been exposed, and you rejected it. That's OK by me. What I guess I don't understand, is the vehemence and the absolute nature of your rejection.

The belief that you and MtheGM describe, is a basic belief that is based on buying into a ideology/belief system and obeying an authority. That's one level of belief, and it's where many or most religious people feel comfortable; but it's not a level that is satisfactory to me. I think that many people stay at that level all their lives, and I suppose that's OK if that's where they are. Others, however, get to a point of dissatisfaction where they have to go elsewhere. At that point, they either reject the ideological sort of religion outright (and rightly so); or they move to another level where the ideology, while still present, is merely context for something deeper. Those people seek the center, the essence of what surrounds them - but within the context of the religious creed they learned earlier. This level is generally called "contemplation" or "mysticism." It exists in most religious denominations, but denominational difference become unimportant at this point - it's like hearing people say the same thing, but it different languages. Some contemplative people I know don't believe in a god, but they still say things that are similar to that said by other contemplatives. And the writings of Christian, Muslim (Sufi), and Jewish (Kabbalist) contemplatives are often very similar - using a lot of poetic imagery.

I find this to be very compatible with who I am, and it's the place where I need to be - but I admit that it doesn't make sense to a lot of people I know. I couldn't be at that other level, so I can understand why Steve rejected it. I just don't understand why his rejection is so absolute and so vehement.

-Joe-