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How Did You Decide Your Religion?
- Thread starter dd912
- Start date
s2a
Heretic and part-time (skinny) Santa impersonator
I do not know if this will hel any, but for as long as I can recall, I've essentially been an "atheist".
Sure, I've had minimal exposure to (principally) a "Christian" orthodoxy over the years of my youth, and had exposure to more in my early college days (blame my gf at that time), but "unbelief" has remained my steady calling over the last four decades or so.
Still seems my best definition of self within these forums
I used to jump between religions and taking with me the philosophies I like from the religions I once was in.
Eventually, as it is now, I don't have a particular religion, simply beliefs. My beliefs are based off of experience and metaphysical logic and are largely inspired by some aspects of many religions.
Though I previously jump religions, I am now doing something different; Not to take concepts from religions anymore, only to look at reality and believe. So that way, when someone asks me what my religion is, I will say existing.
Susanpalli,JW
Member
I found my religion through careful observation and Bible study. I have always loved Jesus, and searched through the religions that best follow his teachings.
I found the Jehovah's Witnesses do their best to follow Christ's teachings.
I keep practicing it because I love Jehovah and Jesus, and I have a very rewarding ministry. I have never been happier.
I needed something very atheistic and ethically-oriented.
I can only speak of my ex-religion (or ex personal relationship with a deity).
It was an accident of birth, mainly.
Ciao
- viole
And what a beautiful practice it is! Learning of the Sikh practice of Langar gave me quite the insight.
A spiritual event. And everything that followed is to find myself in that again, like rungs on a ladder.
samosasauce
Active Member
I followed my heart, honestly, until I found what I truly believe. God that sounds so corny.
Sees
Dragonslayer
My religion is Ásatrú/Heathen and I've been a student of religion, philosophy, psychology, etc. since childhood. A feeling has always been there that I should question, move, think, live, etc. better and better each day than the day before. Some religious paths and traditions seemed to have an answer for almost every question - appearing very much set in stone, complete, static. I looked and studied more and more for ones that are alive, growing, evolving - representing the nature of being and life itself.
My path for me resonates in the deepest levels and the spirit or flavor of it is everywhere I look and taste. There is a quiet calling on a regular basis from the Gods, ancestors, parts of my own soul. It inspires and challenges me to both strive for my own answers and to live with awesomeness on a daily basis. It has the feeling of sitting down to a holiday dinner table with family and friends and celebrating life more so than listening to a distant, alien, remote teacher or master preaching The Truth to you.
Instead of all things being complete or written in stone, there is complete connection on a shared journey - you personally experience the blunders, achievements, and revelations. Mystery, awe, and wonder are fully alive.
My path for me resonates in the deepest levels and the spirit or flavor of it is everywhere I look and taste. There is a quiet calling on a regular basis from the Gods, ancestors, parts of my own soul. It inspires and challenges me to both strive for my own answers and to live with awesomeness on a daily basis. It has the feeling of sitting down to a holiday dinner table with family and friends and celebrating life more so than listening to a distant, alien, remote teacher or master preaching The Truth to you.
Instead of all things being complete or written in stone, there is complete connection on a shared journey - you personally experience the blunders, achievements, and revelations. Mystery, awe, and wonder are fully alive.
I started a spiritual "seek" at about age 13. Before that, I had no religion whatsoever, never thought about it; as my mother was an atheist and my stepfather was raised a Buddhist, which he said very little about. There was a big thing about reincarnation going on because of a book and film called "Audrey Rose". That set me to study various Eastern religions without ever learning very much. I attended one or two Christian services with some friends but I never did get anything out of those. I finally decided, at age 17, to read the entire New Testament and after I was finished I realized that I really liked the teachings of Jesus.
So I decided to become a follower of Yehoshua (Yeshua, Y'Shua, Jesus). That was more than 30 years ago. I've been up and down in my faith over the years. Had some backsliding in my early 20s (during my time in the Navy). But I've remained a Christian.
So I decided to become a follower of Yehoshua (Yeshua, Y'Shua, Jesus). That was more than 30 years ago. I've been up and down in my faith over the years. Had some backsliding in my early 20s (during my time in the Navy). But I've remained a Christian.
There was no "decision" involved, but I can certainly point towards events in the past that caused and fated this course in life:
- I have had strong inclinations towards both science and the arts/imagination from a young age and required a path that allows both of those to flourish in its framework.
- I'm the sort of person who prefers self-discovery and direct experience to being told or led through things, which meant I required mystical religion rather than my culture's conventional, organized religion.
- I had a love and respect for the natural world from a young age and required a religion that put its focus on land, sea, and sky.
- I had a strong connection with the otherworlds from a young age and required a religion that accepted and fostered that.
Neopaganism was that religion. It fits exactly what I need, and I see no reason to look elsewhere.
Call_of_the_Wild
Well-Known Member
Christianity is the religion of my ancestors...and that is not to say that I was raised in a church going family. I was raised as a Seventh Day Adventist, and it isn't as if there is a SDA church on every corner. There was one on the east side of the city, and we stayed on the west...so we went to church when we could.
After my grandmother died, my father stopped going to church...so there was a point where I didn't go to church for years, but I always had that spiritual foundation that helped keep me on the right track despite...
As I got older and got more into apologetics, it became apparent that the religion that I followed (Christianity) coming up seemed to be the more plausible one...and this present day I am a apologists for Christ, hopeing he will still welcome me to his kingdom despite my many shortcomings.
Could you go into more detail with that.. I can't quite conceptualize religion finding someone. I thinking of it and my mind keeps going to when Harry Potter was finding his wand. And the wandmaker says that the wand chooses to wizard and not the other way around. I am a nerd...sorry.
So was it like you were searching for a religion and your paths all led to that particular religion. Or perhaps you weren't looking at all and happen to come upon your religion and the rest was history..?