People of all religions can agree on one thing, at least; they each find fulfillment and answers from the teachings of their respective religions.
But I do wonder, sometimes, just how fulfilled people are and how they have come to those feelings?
How do you know which religion is right for you? Is it based solely on what your parents taught you, or do you follow your own religion? Did you study any religion prior to dedicating yourself to one religion, or were you simply introduced into a religion and continued to follow it?
This is not to imply, at all, that people who received their religious ideals solely from their parents with little to no exposure to other religions are somehow less fulfilled than those who placed effort into finding a religion that suited them; nor am I trying to say that their ideals are any less valid.
But someone had mentioned to me that the majority of people learn their religions as children from their parent without question and grow up continuing not to question their religion. So I am trying to determine how accurate this statement is (at least among members of this site).
There is no right religion. A religion appeals to the person.
Um, yea...
I had asked how people find the religion that is right for them? I thought this implied that each person finds a religion that appeals to him or her.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/fanaile-essence
there is a right religion...christianity. It doesnt matter if it appeals to the person or not , you go to the bible to find the answers and you live a life that is appealing to god, not what satisfies the person. *God bless*
I think many people are introduced to a religion by their parents. However, I think people really begin to question and reflect on their religion in their teenage years, a time of confusion and dominant outside influences.
i found religion through my own thoughts and beliefs....my faith grew when i thought more for myself and sought through all that didnt make sense as I was growing up. I didnt let my parents influence these changes any more than i allowed my friends to cause these changes or magnify them...in the end you can only trust yourself....and sometimes yourself may not lead you to any certain religion, but rather a variety of different beliefs....
therefore you probably have to find the religion that best allows you to accept yourself and your beliefs....as I did. You dont need religion if you have faith....religion is simply an outlet for your worship...but i say if you find a way to worship on your own, then you dont need religion.
but thats just my opinion/story.
*In the end you can trust God, God wants you to turn your burdens on him because he wants you to trust him...you cant do it by yourself.* When you find yourself believing many different things you have a reference that will give you all the answers, the Bible. And it gives you all the right answers.*when you say "find the religion that best allows you to accept yourself and your beliefs", it sounds like your saying that you need to find a way to satisfy you, and thats not what its about its about satisfying God. So you need to change your belefs to what will match up with God's word. *God bless*
I was raised Christian, and I didn't like a lot of the things that Christianity taught, but I never thought to look to another religion because I believed very strongly that God was real. My hesitance to look towards other religions came from my misconceptions of them. Then I started learning about them through various people that entered my life and just worked from there. I still haven't found what I've been looking for, but it's been an interesting journey.
~C
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Christianity is the right religion according to the bible where it talks about the "Church of Christ". You said you didnt like alot of things christianity taught? But is it really about but you like or what God likes? And you have to be careful when you look at other religions especially when you find yourself questioning things because you could end up venturing from the right religion (christianity) when you were right where you needed to be. Besides, when you go to questioning dont look to other religions look to the Bible to find your answers, you can never go wrong there. *God bless*
I'm sorry, I don't think it's particularly fair to condemn to a fiery pit for all eternity those who do not believe a man who lived 2000 years ago was a god. It just doesn't make any sense.
~C
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I was raised with an agnostic father and a Christian mother. I was always taught to question and find answers on my own, not to just accept something because someone told me that's the way it is. As a young teen, I went through a spell when we thought I might not live. Up to that point, I'd never found answers to a lot of my questions (and had been told by far too many Christian preachers that I wasn't suppose to question God, etc, etc, etc) and by george, I wasn't going to die not having answers to the questions I'd been asking for years regardless of what some man in the pulpit told me. So, I went on a hunt... and found Paganism.
So, I suppose in a way my beliefs did come from my parents. They didn't give me a specific belief to follow but gave me the encouragement and desire to find that which worked for me and to know that it didn't matter what path I decided felt right to me, but rather that what mattered was that it was the path for me because I took the time to do the work and form the beliefs and opinions.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss
"May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the warm rays of the sun fall upon your home."
My religion encourges us to question our faith. If we do not question it and find out if it is true, then we do not really have faith to begin with.
I agree with studying to make sure the religion your with is true. So to do that you would study the Bible, which has all the answers. And once you study the Bible then you'll know what the true religion is that satisfys God. Then it's great because once you have God's religion (Christianity) then you keep studying and building up faith for your religion and faith in God in which you don't have to question anymore because you know its right. *God bless*
No offense, but anyone who thinks that "the Bible...has all the answers" can't possibly have actually READ the thing...much less studied in with the intellectual acuity to actually make such a claim. The books commonly referred to as such are quite literally FULL of factual errors and thematic contradictions.
If being christian floats your boat, good for you. But, I would suggest that your opinion on the relative "truth" of the christian religion is purely subjective, and when closely examined that religion tends to fall short in many ways, not the least of which is the core irrationality of believing in supernatural beings and forces for which there is not one shred of actual, objective evidence.
TTFN,
Blackout
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Yes, I've changed my username from "percivale" to "Blackout." Go here if you want to know why.
I found my religion because I felt a pull, a grip, if you will, deep within my gut. This feeling was so different from any feeling I had before and so overriding that I had to honor it. I have toyed with the idea of no God, but I can't bring myself to accept it. One would assume that I was probably raised as a Christian since birth, so by now my brain has developed permanent neurological pathways that give me a stubborness to defend Christianity, but I haven't had enough exposure to the Christian world to have such a developed thought pattern. In the 16 years of my life, I've only been to church about 7 times, I've never read The Bible, my father is agnostic, and my mother isn't strict about her religion at all - in fact, I didn't learn she was a Christian until I was around 10 years old. The fact that I had no exposure to God, but felt this strange connection to the Christian religion is what inspired me to chose my faith. I believe in God because I just can't comprehend my world without Him.
(Please note, I'm not trying to convert anyone here - I'm just trying to contribute to the discussion.)
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"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King Jr.
I love how Christians always have to make sure everyone knows that they're not trying to convert anyone. I personally do it all the time on blogs. I don't really see this in other religions and I wonder why?
No no no no no. Christians should want to convert people. Thats a Christian's mission on Earth, to teach people about God and to bring the "lost" closer to Him and Christianity *Lost meaning people who don't know God or who are with the wrong religion*
All of the things that you said are definitely true. Many people adapt the religion that their parents believe in.
I was raised by a Chrisitian and an agnostic, and I believe that I was very lucky in that respect as I had two completely different aspects of religion. I was, of course, subjected to the usual Christian atmosphere that comes with school and rural Indiana, and I developed an uncertain belief in Jesus and God. Throughout the years, however, I realized that most organized religion was overwhelmingly corrupt or entirely too strict in guidelines. I believe now that a person can believe anything that they want without going to a place of worship or organizing. The apparent need for organization shows, in my opinion, a need for social acceptance and a fear of isolation from the norm. Personal spiritualism is fine and dandy, but organized religion somehow seems counterproductive.
My beliefs, or lack thereof, reflect that of the human spirit. I try to feel the connection between all of us and the connection that we all have naturally with the earth. I am definitely comparable to New Age. These connections within all of us are not really beliefs. They don't explain what happens when you die. They don't explain the meaning of life.
Everyone needs to find their own path and find their own enlightenment. Love life, love friends, love the earth, and love people, for love is the only thing that is fail-safe.
"In a universe that defies definition, a system of beliefs can only be false." -Wilson
Personal growth or a deep sense of personal identity is not obtained throughout worship, because it is exactly worship which leads any individual upon a path of confusion, doubt and fear.
All amongst have been here at least 20 times before, still today, not to recall any of it!
The reason most don’t recall is because over and over again one is made to wonder upon a path which is limited to obedient behavior.
This pattern many follow will change, because we are finally growing out of this charade of nonsense.
Off course things will get worse before they get better for all to realize the earth isn’t flat, in other words, we are much more than some dogma’s are trying desperately to makes us believe.
For now, most are still enslaved in a “box”!
It is said,
Serpents Egg – The Host of Seraphim