Do you believe?

[reesesilverstar]

I'm muslim and have been cursed out and chastised for my faith from here to infinity, so I understand the trepidation some of you feel. I will say that besides my upbringing, I've read and experienced enough to convince me that there is a being much more powerful than myself. It lives and can communicate with us if we pay attention. I also believe that religion simply attempts to formalize and sometimes expand upon what are really basic natural laws. To me it's a road map left by the wise of the ancients. We can take it or leave it, really, and I just choose Islam for my map.

 

[Carol D.]

I was raised Catholic, went to a Catholic grade school and Confraternity of Christian Doctrine classes every Sunday after church through most of high school until I got the nerve to tell my parents that I didn't want to go anymore. By 18, I was questioning it all, and by 21 or so wanted nothing to do with organized religion. My current view is pretty much exactly the same as yours: organized religion is a plan by a hierarchy to control the masses and also to get the masses to financially support the hierarchy.

That said, I tend toward being a spiritual Theist with just a hint of agnosticism. Paganism is very attractive to me, being a lifelong nature nut, but I haven't quite found my niche there so far.  /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

 

[Mrs Gaeul]

Originally Posted by BombDiggity /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I think people need to care less about others lifestyles and religions and focus on loving themselves and making themselves better people.

This is exactly how I feel. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I was raised a Christian, but around 15 started exploring religion for myself. A year later I became a Muslim. It is what personally works for me and I'm happy with my decision, though I've received a lot of grief about it since then. 8 years later, I'm still going strong!

 

[murko11]

Originally Posted by Beautiijunkii /img/forum/go_quote.gif

Hi dolls! I just wanted to start a current, friendly, non-confrontational discussion about religion. I was raised christian my whole life. I was brought up in the church of christ, which strictly believes there's only one way to heaven, one God, one faith, etc... However, in recent years I've found myself questioning my beliefs and faith. I've gotten to the point where I don't believe in organized religion. I believe the bible is man's invention and created to control the masses. It's kinda of weird because I feel like I want to believe in the bible and church but I just don't. It's like my beliefs were washed away by something. However I'm still curious to know what everyone's religious beliefs are.

I have a like-minded

 

[lisamia596]

OP, I totally agree with your way of thinking and I was brought up in a very similar way. I've recently succumb to telling people I'm agnostic. Basically I believe there is the possibility that there is something greater in the universe but I'm not going to hold my breath. I'm just going to live my life and hope that I can find a more enlightened path as I get a little older and more wiser. 

 

[Lisa N]

Originally Posted by BrittneyMarie /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I don't believe in the traditional "God", but am open to the possibility of some sort of higher power. I don't believe in religion.

This!

 

[Nakshidil]

I was raised in a Christian family, but decided that atheism is the way to go for me. Don't get me wrong, I think religion can do a lot of wonderful, positive things in peoples lives. But the things I've seen and been through myself lead me to believe that there is no greater power out there watching over us. I wish I could believe in Heaven. I'd love to know that when I die I will see my wonderful sister, my son, my brother and all the amazing friends I've made, but I just don't. Sad really.

 

[magosienne]

I was raised in a Catholic family, which isn't saying much, my family just followed the ways of the place they lived in, and my country having been officially Catholic for centuries, it's the base of our culture. However, if i have nothing against the bible, i grew up finding the religion too constricted for me. Nowadays i would say i am pagan, not sure if i should go into specifics.

 

[OiiO]

I was raised in Russia surrounded by people who didn't believe too much in anything, since religion was banned during the communist times and even after the USSR collapsed people were still unsure if they should even practice it. So some people would keep insisting that there is God, some would insist that there isn't but eventually I took the position somewhere in-between.

I grew more and more curious to find out what exactly is out there and is there anything at all? What does it look and feel like, why did it create us, DID it create us, what is our purpose, are we even fulfilling it, are we even capable of not fulfilling it, how big is the Universe, is there life anywhere else, what happens when we die, where did God come from, and how can I even begin to comprehend it's existence in the odd chance that it existed forever and had no beginning? I have a million questions about God -- not a specific religion's God, just God as in The Creator, whomever or whichever it may be -- and I know there is almost zero percent chance that I will find the answers to those questions. Many religious claim to have all of the answers to those questions, but for some reasons a lot of them are so different. Which means that they can't all have it right, unless we embrace the idea of quantum science and the famous Multiworld theory, where everything that can possibly happen - will happen, everything that could have possibly happened - has happened in one Universe or another.

I believe that ancient religious texts formed our society into what it is today, I feel like it became more civilized because every text contained a set of rules on how people should behave to not anger their God and usually those rules could be summarized by simply being nice to each other. I think if people weren't forced into following these rules a long time ago in fear of being punished by a higher power for their wrongdoings, we would still be living in a very barbaric society. 

TL;DR: I ask too many questions to follow a religion /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />