A word I invented because there was nothing (
AFAIK) to match my particular
belief system. Derived from the
Greek "
quasi-" meaning "almost" (stop me if I'm wrong here), and "
theism" to mean "the
belief in a
god or
gods".
I'm not religious, although some of my best friends are Christians. One day a few years ago I was doing some thinking about what I actually do believe in, and though I'm of a scientific mindset in general, I realised that there are some things science can't explain. Also it struck me as odd - I can't remember why, now - that the laws of physics, which are supposed to explain the Universe, subscribe to mathematical laws. I saw no reason why that was forced to be the case.
So, I came up with the following statement: "I believe that there are certain rules that govern the way the universe works, and that these rules have at least a modicum of intelligence". Then I realised that a system of rules with intelligence constituted an entity of some kind, and that this was basically a form of theism without the anthropomorphic tendency to confuse it.
Much later, in the midst of a long drawn-out conversation with one of my religious friends, I extended the theory to include a belief that can best be described as a cross between existentialism and the Holy Spirit with a dash of the Jungian collective unconscious. It's basically the thought that people can make a difference, and a thinking, feeling human being is an incredibly valuable thing. Non omnis moriar.
There. That's what I believe in. I think.