I thought this might be an interesting and thoughtful topic. In a world religion class I took before I thought it was interesting how many different faiths have very valid and often universal appeal to their followers.
I'll go first. I chose Christianity because it just feels right and because I've practiced many other religions and belief systems and Christianity gave me the most fulfillment. I'm sure having Christian parents and a predominately Christian society. I really do appreciate other religions and think that they all contribute something beautiful to the world in their own way.
So How About YOU?
I never got to choose a religion. Both my parents' were Christians so I was born straight into Christianity. But then my parents' weren't the same like me. They were Buddhists as their parents' (my grandparents) were from China. But later converted to Christianity while they were in University. Their story was quite dramatic really. Anyway I often wonder if I would be the same if I did not know Christ and if I would chose by my own will to be a Christian. 
I got inspiration and sat down to figure out the logic about 'efterlife'. It took several days, inspiration from mediums on telly n and books like the 'walsh conversations' n ufo stories like the rael a.s.o. (plus a lot of mathematics) a.s.o. Then it became all clear!!! The mathematics was all working and the universes suddenly got together. Ahhhh, that was so relieving! Hm, all my younger ideas also worked, also asian beliefs matched up in the equation.
Now I'm 100% sure about the meaning of life !
I haven't chosen any organized religion...none of them make any sense to me...
other people's voices filling your mind...if you want to live that way it's up to you...
i feel that people lose all sense of reality and logic and sense when it comes to religion...i suspect it is fear of life, fear of death, fear plain and simple...
kind regards...
M
I was raised Christian (Southern Baptist), but when I hit my teenage years I got a little rebellious and started looking into other belief systems. Christianity just never really clicked for me. I distherecovered Wicca, and I followed that for a while. I still consider myself pagan, but I'm more of an agnostic-pagan. I'm certain that there is more going on than what we can measure with science, but I don't have enough wisdom to know what's behind the curtain. I guess my beliefs are a sort of blend of Zen Buddism, Wicca, and Asatru.
I believe that there is a divine force, but that it probably isn't sentient in and of itself - it's more of an energy or force than a being.
I believe that people create Gods and Goddesses to quantify and anthropomorphise parts of that divine force so that we can relate to it, or to portions of it. (Archetypal representations)
I believe that magic is real - it is the ability to affect reality in accordance with one's will and belief by harnessing and shaping the divine energy that flows through everything.
I believe that magic works in subtle and seemingly coincidental ways.
I believe that one's beliefs dictate what happens to one after death - there isn't one absolute afterlife, instead, you go where you believe that you will go.
The divine force is the force that ties all things together, and it is the medium through which magic works. This force can be tapped into and shaped by the human mind (with enough focus and will) - into a god or goddess, into an afterlife, into the results of a spell.
These are pretty defined beliefs for someone who claims agnosticism, but the reason I claim to be an agnostic is because I'm willing to change these beliefs as my experience of the world shows me new things. I'm willing to admit that I may be wrong. I am also certain that there are many paths to the top of the mountain, and mine is only one windy trail among many.
well u can call me a all in one religion kind of guy.
i was born a hindu, altho most of my friends were muslims we had a couple of family friends who were christians. so thats how began my tryst with the church, i used to attend church regularly every sunday, attend the mid night mass on christmas eve and new years eve. i practically knew all the hymns by heart and could recite them. then came a phase where i stopped the temple , the church everything. sometimes laterz i started going to mazaars, used to celebrate eid - both the sweet eid and the sacrificing eid.
nowadays what i am doing is that i believe in all religions and wish that people also are the same as in i mean u follow whatever religion u want to but pls do not condemn the other religion.
there are some people who say that the religion which they follow is the best religion and the only religion which is wrong because which god says that i am the only god and there is no other god, he himself cannot be trusted.
that is all i have to say, i know very few people will agree with me but that is what i have been believing all my life till today and that is what i will believe till the end of my life
I didn't really choose my religion, because I don't belong to an organized one. I'm pretty much what could be classified as an "omnitheist"--I believe all religions hold truth to them, and all are recognizing the same God/Force/State of Mind. I've studied a lot of religions, since I'm majoring in it in college. But I love all religions, so it'd be too hard for me to choose just one. At the same time, no single religion feels complete to me, personally.
I have never chosen any of my beliefs, and I simply don't think you can. Either you think in this way, or you think in that way. It's not really a real choice, like "from to day on I believe in the Christian Jesus". But whether or not you end up in some organization, of course, is often a choice.
I am born into a quite funny tradition of Christianity; where you often don't believe in much, but are a member of the church by family tradition. I suppose this is quite common in my country, and has been like this for the past thousand years or so.
So, I guess I am as Christian as any tree, rock, field, cat or mountain, and I will keep it this way. Living, and not believing in anything more than just that.
I was born "Christian" but my parents really dind't make any effort to raise me as one. I was so many things and even when I was a child I used to look for the answers that felt right to me in my heart and mind. By the age of 13 I went to a protestant church and I just felt in love with Jesus Christ and the Bible. I choose to be a christian because I felt love, a love tha I've never felt before, I felt that I was being loved by God even deserving nothing. I feel strongly loved and I'm learning how to love. It made me want to be a better person to God, to others and to me.
I also like Christianity because when you read the Bible you discovery that it's a simple faith, you don't really have to do any ritual (I don't know if it's the correct word in english) or learn levels of spirituaity it's just believe in Jesus and let yourself fall for him and, as we believe, He will take away all the things that make us suffer.
"No matter how many mistakes you have in your life, Jesus will erase them and give you a His undescrible peace and a new life" - that's what I was told.
I was born into a Christian home, and I grew up going to a Christian church. So I guess I got my religion by birth...
| whitehole wrote: |
I thought this might be an interesting and thoughtful topic. In a world religion class I took before I thought it was interesting how many different faiths have very valid and often universal appeal to their followers.
I'll go first. I chose Christianity because it just feels right and because I've practiced many other religions and belief systems and Christianity gave me the most fulfillment. I'm sure having Christian parents and a predominately Christian society. I really do appreciate other religions and think that they all contribute something beautiful to the world in their own way.
So How About YOU? |
To me a person's spiritual journey is very personal, and something that can not be given to us. Swallowing someone else's religion or faith is to me much like paying someone to exercise for you, it just doesn't work if your goal is to be fit.
I think each of us make a choice to choose our spirituality or by default chose no faith or to follow the religion of our parents. To truly make any belief our own we must try it on and see if it fits, makes sense and works for us.
So I am a spiritual person, but not a religious person. I think God gave us a brain and expects us to use it.
