[nigsmig]

hi, at various times in my life people have told me that i have a nihilistic outlook and advised me to believe in a higher power.

as an example, at an AA meeting - to get benefit from the 12 step programme - it is necessary to believe in a higher power. i was teamed up with a long term AA member who told me that a higher power could be anything, he said it could even be the street light outside the AA room's window.
this caused me some problems as although i didn't want to dis the street light i thought that it was likely to be less conscious than me so 'higher-power-ness' didn't sit well for me with the street light.(must add i was accepted at AA without the nihilist labelling).

higher power would appear to me to be best reconciled as a deity.

and this is where i could do with some help:

there appear to be thousands of gods that people have believed in/ do believe in. at the moment i seem to have a few possible contenders:
KWAN-a god of martial arts
NERTHUS-female deity who changed sex to become the viking NJORD
SHIVA-god who invented yoga
SAXNOT-a saxon deity about whom not much is known but i like the name.
BACCHUS-god of wine and partying.

obviously there are many, many gods who i haven't heard of yet, let alone vetted.
as my selection process is still incomplete i invite suggestions.
if you can recommend a god/goddess, please could you also mention what made you select that particular deity over all the other possibilities.

thankyou.

p.s. as everyone's deity is probably 'the one true deity' to them it would be helpful to me if you give a name rather than quote labels of a 'one-true-deity-nature'. cheers.

[Cyclone]

why don't you counter advise the people giving you this advice, and tell them that they'd have a clearer view on life, and probably much more fun, if they ceased to believe in a higher power.

See how they like that. At worst, they should stop interfering and let you just get on with your life.

[discodown]

Originally Posted by nigsmig

hi, at various times in my life people have told me that i have a nihilistic outlook and advised me to believe in a higher power.

as an example, at an AA meeting - to get benefit from the 12 step programme - it is necessary to believe in a higher power. i was teamed up with a long term AA member who told me that a higher power could be anything, he said it could even be the street light outside the AA room's window.
this caused me some problems as although i didn't want to dis the street light i thought that it was likely to be less conscious than me so 'higher-power-ness' didn't sit well for me with the street light.(must add i was accepted at AA without the nihilist labelling).

higher power would appear to me to be best reconciled as a deity.

and this is where i could do with some help:

there appear to be thousands of gods that people have believed in/ do believe in. at the moment i seem to have a few possible contenders:
KWAN-a god of martial arts
NERTHUS-female deity who changed sex to become the viking NJORD
SHIVA-god who invented yoga
SAXNOT-a saxon deity about whom not much is known but i like the name.
BACCHUS-god of wine and partying.

obviously there are many, many gods who i haven't heard of yet, let alone vetted.
as my selection process is still incomplete i invite suggestions.
if you can recommend a god/goddess, please could you also mention what made you select that particular deity over all the other possibilities.

thankyou.

p.s. as everyone's deity is probably 'the one true deity' to them it would be helpful to me if you give a name rather than quote labels of a 'one-true-deity-nature'. cheers.

i totally misread this and thought it said

Originally Posted by nigsmig

higher power would appear to me to be best reconciled as a dibsy.

[nigsmig]

cyclone - think i get what you're on at but although i don't quite understand belief ( or possibly understand it far too well!) i am tired of being disadvantaged in a society that expects you to believe something so am looking for something to hide behind.

[nigsmig]

is there a deity, perchance, called dibsy? open question, and if so a bio?

[Cyclone]

I think that there are more people who don't really believe than you'd credit.
Probably just that most of them find it easier not to make waves by telling the delusional ones that they're wrong.

[nigsmig]

cyclone - maybe but i'm trying to give it an honest shot.

[Grissom]

Gods for you :

Thorntons : God of Chocolate
Dyson : God of cleanliness
Kellogs : God of cereals

That's just some of the 'C' list gods. Many more out there

[nigsmig]

wow, when i first watched csi i was gladend to find a character who was highly intelligent, methodical, unprejudiced and humaine. i could identify with the asberger-type alone genius thing.
used to joke with my step son "grissom is god".
funny a grissom should turn up.

[Grissom]

Originally Posted by nigsmig

funny a grissom should turn up.

That'll be the omnipresence

[nigsmig]

thats what the evidence would suggest! (?)

[purdyamos]

From my understanding of the 'higher power' concept, in relation to psychological health, an important ingredient in happiness and well-being is having a sense that there is something greater than yourself. That may not be a creator/allseeing patriarch, it could be a sense of the immensity of the universe, the cycle of nature, even the communal euphoria of taking part in crowd events like rock festivals or big sports events, or feeling you have a functioning role as part of a wider interconnected community.

It all nurtures a humility in coming to terms with your place in the world while feeling part of it. It's a key element of emotional health, and when you understand the principle, it's much easier to get away from the hang-up of the 'character' of the supernatural god. It's a sort of general sense of cosmic belonging that inoculates against the raging ego that much angst and addiction is characterised by.

Which leads to a necessary acceptance that there are things beyond you that you cannot control etcetc for 12 steps etc.

[nigsmig]

hi purdiamos,
can easily do the first step but i don't have a 'general sense of cosmic belonging' unless you count the carbon cycle which i don't find particularly emotionally nurturing.( apart from the 'i'll mulch down and not have to be anymore' part)

[purdyamos]

Originally Posted by nigsmig

hi purdiamos,
can easily do the first step but i don't have a 'general sense of cosmic belonging' unless you count the carbon cycle which i don't find particularly emotionally nurturing.( apart from the 'i'll mulch down and not have to be anymore' part)

Sorry! I was rather straining for descriptive effect. I didn't mean in a literal astrophysical sense. I was trying to convey a sort of feeling. I just never know when to stop!

[nigsmig]

help! really dont know what any of that is meant to mean.

[Strix]

Originally Posted by nigsmig

is there a deity, perchance, called dibsy? open question, and if so a bio?

Dibsy bio
the teachings of Dibsy
The psalms of Dibsy



(bet the forum software doesn't store searches properly anymore )

[Strix]

Originally Posted by nigsmig

wow, when i first watched csi i was gladend to find a character who was highly intelligent, methodical, unprejudiced and humaine. i could identify with the asberger-type alone genius thing.
used to joke with my step son "grissom is god".
funny a grissom should turn up.

Hey! Grissom!! You could have this as your 'registered user' thingy

[Grissom]

Originally Posted by Strix

Hey! Grissom!! You could have this as your 'registered user' thingy

How do I do that ?

[CaptainSwing]

nigsmig - don't do it, mate. To opt voluntarily for religion is to commit intellectual suicide. As with physical suicide, that's OK if things are that bad (apart from the distress it causes to other people) - but are things really that bad?

Just have faith in yourself

[Phanerothyme]

Invest in communion with Teonanacatl.

You won't be disappointed.