Sand Dancer
Currently catless
How did you all decide on a religion? I'm having a hard time here.
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How to decide
- Thread starter Sand Dancer
- Start date
I kept getting pulled towards Judaism.
When I left Christianity, I sat down and made a list of what I believed about God, reality, the universe, and just about everything else I could reasonable fit under the category of "religion". And then I started to study religions.
Judaism was one of the first ones I looked at, mainly because I saw it as the source of Christianity, but I didn't spend a lot of time on it. It seemed fairly antiquated, and I assumed I had learned enough about it by studying the Christian Old Testament. I ran across a few new things in that first look, but nothing that grabbed my attention.
So I moved on to other systems. I ran through over a dozen Christian denominations, and started to see where their scholars kept commenting on how their way followed this or that from Judaism. So, naturally, I look at Judaism again.
Then I looked at Islam, and (again) saw references to Judaism. So I read some more.
By the time I moved to Hinduism and Buddhism, I started make comments to myself about how Judaism looked at the same topic. Every time I looked at religion, I would try to evaluate it in regards to what I had learned about Judaism. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of pantheons or avatars because I saw them all as one deity, and felt the division into parts was wrong.
And it still didn't hit me. I had gone to reading about one religion after another to reading about one and then reading about Judaism before moving onto another. I finally got to the point where I felt I had to become Jewish. There wasn't anywhere else that made sense to me.
When I left Christianity, I sat down and made a list of what I believed about God, reality, the universe, and just about everything else I could reasonable fit under the category of "religion". And then I started to study religions.
Judaism was one of the first ones I looked at, mainly because I saw it as the source of Christianity, but I didn't spend a lot of time on it. It seemed fairly antiquated, and I assumed I had learned enough about it by studying the Christian Old Testament. I ran across a few new things in that first look, but nothing that grabbed my attention.
So I moved on to other systems. I ran through over a dozen Christian denominations, and started to see where their scholars kept commenting on how their way followed this or that from Judaism. So, naturally, I look at Judaism again.
Then I looked at Islam, and (again) saw references to Judaism. So I read some more.
By the time I moved to Hinduism and Buddhism, I started make comments to myself about how Judaism looked at the same topic. Every time I looked at religion, I would try to evaluate it in regards to what I had learned about Judaism. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of pantheons or avatars because I saw them all as one deity, and felt the division into parts was wrong.
And it still didn't hit me. I had gone to reading about one religion after another to reading about one and then reading about Judaism before moving onto another. I finally got to the point where I felt I had to become Jewish. There wasn't anywhere else that made sense to me.
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
But how you do know your ideas are right? I am going back to square one. More than one idea on some issues sound right to me, so I don't know what to think.
dyanaprajna2011
Dharmapala
Short answer: first, figure out what you believe, then, figure out what religion comes closest to those ideas. When I did this, I found that studying philosophy helped immensely.
Why would it have to be a "right or wrong" situation?
They are right for me; they give me understanding, direction, and a connection to God. Whether or not they work for everyone else is irrelevant.
I agree with the previous poster. The first thing you must do rather than find a religion is to find your own truth. Decide what is true for you. Write down a list, however long, of all your private internal perceptions of life, morality, God (if he figures at all), the afterlife (if there is one for you) and so on.
Become convinced that you belief certain things to be true. Listen to your conscience. You just know within yourself if something is "true" or not for you. That still, small voice tells you what's-what. We all have a conscience.
Once you know yourself what you believe, then look for a religion that fits the shoe. It doesn't have to be a "perfect" fit - human beings are too complex to be put into simple black and white boxes - just find something that has a general fit with your preconceived ideas.
If nothing "fits", then you need to go back to the drawing board and use the natural light of your reason to consider what is "true" for you again.
Other people cannot really help get you from A-B-C. They can suggest but only you can walk the walk.
Eventually you will find a "good fit". Don't expect a perfect fit however. Staying committed to a religion once you have found it is a struggle in itself.
If you haven't yet found yourself and your own beliefs, you won't find a religion either. You have to know yourself first and know what you believe before buying the right shoe.
Otherwise, its like going to a shop to buy a shoe without first knowing your foot "size". You will be lost and not know where too look.
Become convinced that you belief certain things to be true. Listen to your conscience. You just know within yourself if something is "true" or not for you. That still, small voice tells you what's-what. We all have a conscience.
Once you know yourself what you believe, then look for a religion that fits the shoe. It doesn't have to be a "perfect" fit - human beings are too complex to be put into simple black and white boxes - just find something that has a general fit with your preconceived ideas.
If nothing "fits", then you need to go back to the drawing board and use the natural light of your reason to consider what is "true" for you again.
Other people cannot really help get you from A-B-C. They can suggest but only you can walk the walk.
Eventually you will find a "good fit". Don't expect a perfect fit however. Staying committed to a religion once you have found it is a struggle in itself.
If you haven't yet found yourself and your own beliefs, you won't find a religion either. You have to know yourself first and know what you believe before buying the right shoe.
Otherwise, its like going to a shop to buy a shoe without first knowing your foot "size". You will be lost and not know where too look.
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Sha'irullah
رسول الآلهة
You must approach a religion with a set idea of keeps and set idea of things you can give up. All religions have their do's and don'ts.
If a religion does not confirm to what you know and understand it has to be rejected. This issue is that people who have not conformed themselves into a religion will often never find one without giving up their sense of intelligence. This leads tot he question of sincerity which determines if you truly believe in this religion.
You cannot abandon anything you know to be apart of a religion just to have a label on your name. If you cannot conform to a religion then just try doing without it perhaps, it is hard but worth a try
If a religion does not confirm to what you know and understand it has to be rejected. This issue is that people who have not conformed themselves into a religion will often never find one without giving up their sense of intelligence. This leads tot he question of sincerity which determines if you truly believe in this religion.
You cannot abandon anything you know to be apart of a religion just to have a label on your name. If you cannot conform to a religion then just try doing without it perhaps, it is hard but worth a try
Folks above have offered some excellent words on knowing yourself firstly, so I will not echo what they have said.
Instead I will note that in some cases, you do not really "decide" on a religion. The only time I'd say I "decided" on a religion was when I left what I was being raised in as a child and decided "I am making my own religion and forging my own path." Then, many years later, I discovered that what I was doing already had a name and a community associated with it, then adopted the label Neopagan. I didn't really decide to become Neopagan, it just described what I already was. When you find what that religion is - the one that describes what you already do - the work is pretty much done for you.
Instead I will note that in some cases, you do not really "decide" on a religion. The only time I'd say I "decided" on a religion was when I left what I was being raised in as a child and decided "I am making my own religion and forging my own path." Then, many years later, I discovered that what I was doing already had a name and a community associated with it, then adopted the label Neopagan. I didn't really decide to become Neopagan, it just described what I already was. When you find what that religion is - the one that describes what you already do - the work is pretty much done for you.
InChrist
Free4ever
I suggest seeking God for spiritual truth and direction and especially asking for protection from becoming involved with anything that is untrue. Then wait for God to lead you.
I watched the signs, and one made a ton more sense to me than any other, but I already had some pretty good ideas what I believed, with no religious programing, just observation.
Signs - people you run into, odd coincidences, books that fall on your head when wandering through a bookstore, stuff like that ...
Pointers.
Breathe
Hostis humani generis
Are you speaking of this from personal experience?books that fall on your head when wandering through a bookstore, stuff like that ...
Twilight Hue
Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Tried it out and see what works.
Are you speaking of this from personal experience?
You want more?
Voices saying, "I am God."
An eagle circles a cloud that looks like Ganesha.
A voice says, "If you build it, they will come."
You have a flat tire, and who stops, but a Hindu guy in the middle of Saskatchewan on his way home to Toronto?
Signs, signs, everywhere signs.
Breathe
Hostis humani generis
Nice!
I'm certain I've missed plenty of signs throughout my years. I'll have to keep my eyes open some more.
xkatz
Well-Known Member
I'll have to keep my eyes open some more.
Not on a gull filled beach, I hope.
Fireside_Hindu
Jai Lakshmi Maa
I think you have to let go of the idea of a "perfect religion" for you. There will always be concepts that don't quite mesh with what you believe - the goal then is to ask yourself what you are comfortable living with/without.
To use an analogy: The longest lasting relationships are successful not because each person involved is perfect, but because they have each learned to "not sweat the small stuff". They let go of the little annoyances that actually don't matter in the larger scheme of things. It's about priorities. You don't divorce your spouse because they leave the cap to the toothpaste on the counter, because they also hilarious, kind-hearted and generous.
Decide what "big things" are important to you and negotiate around the little things. You'll drive yourself nuts looking for the perfect religion.
Shanti :camp:
To use an analogy: The longest lasting relationships are successful not because each person involved is perfect, but because they have each learned to "not sweat the small stuff". They let go of the little annoyances that actually don't matter in the larger scheme of things. It's about priorities. You don't divorce your spouse because they leave the cap to the toothpaste on the counter, because they also hilarious, kind-hearted and generous.
Decide what "big things" are important to you and negotiate around the little things. You'll drive yourself nuts looking for the perfect religion.
Shanti :camp:
Sand Dancer
Currently catless
Thanks, everyone!