Ok, first, let me give you some definitions of freethinkers. The term is a bit vague, because there's no clear, single definition of it, but what it does not mean is anyone who thinks freely and openly about any and all things. It actually refers more specifically to religion. Basically, it means you don't accept religion and God as most present them. It usually refers to non-religious people, but some definitions might include certain beliefs, but not specific or organized religions. Here's a few definitions, plus links for where I got them. The first one is my favorite, especially in that it applies to me.

http://www.answers.com/topic/freethinker
One who has rejected authority and dogma, especially in religious thinking, in favor of rational inquiry and speculation.

http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=freethinker
deist, freethinker (a person who believes that God created the universe and then abandoned it)

http://www.fsu.edu/~activity/ufs/
free•think•er (fr'thng'kr): n. One who speculates, reflects, forms opinions, and willingly suspends final judgment on religious, spiritual, and philosophical positions independently of the authority of others.

http://www.uiowa.edu/~freethnk/mission.html
We define freethinker as one who forms opinions, particularly those about religion, on the basis of reason, independently of established beliefs.

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/freethinker
one who forms opinions on the basis of reason independently of authority; especially : one who doubts or denies religious dogma

Also, an article on freethought, on one of my favorite sites:

http://www.infidels.org/library/mode...0/lowder1.html

I don't believe "All gods are one." Certainly, no Christian should, according to their Bible, and as I recall, Muslims have a similar passage in the Q'uran that indicates they shouldn't accept that philosophy, either. The Bible says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." A Commandment, no less, states that there are, indeed, other gods. And the descriptions of gods, even the main gods, of varying religions shows they are different.

Chocolatelover, I understand how you can see MI as a gift, but I do not. I have a more Deist belief, if there is a God. I believe things happen randomly, and God does not interfere. I won't elaborate further right now, though, because it's a long topic, and I have things to do tonight.

If you believe in a god, you're religious. You may not belong or subscribe to an organized religion, but religion is simply a belief in a deity or deities, so by simply believing in one or more, you're religious. However, you can identify as "non-religious," I think, when you doubt the existence of God, or possibly if you mean it in terms of organized religion.

sunrise, I appreciate what you're saying, and I'm independent when it comes to political parties, too, but that's not what freethinker refers to, really.

esthersvirtue, I'm sorry that you feel bad about freethinking. I feel wonderful about it. It's intelligent to expect strong evidence of something someone wants you to believe. As Carl Sagan said, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence."