Why your faith is right for you?

[willy1590]

Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are,why they choose to be it,why they think its the right way for them and basic beliefs inc.ethics,deity,afterlife etc etc?

Thanks for your time

 

[Gjallarhorn]

I have no idea what to call my particular set of beliefs, I did not choose them, and I think they are right because they appear to be correct.

 

[YmirGF]

I don't need faith. I have reality on my side. Trump that!

 

[Quintessence]

To give a brief and simple answer, I believe what I believe for the same reason any human believes what they believes: it is consistent with their past life experiences and continues to serve well in the present.

 

[Sir Doom]

Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are,

Doesn't have a name. Not necessary.

why they choose to be it,

As the most trusted authority on what is and what isn't, the creator of my religion (namely me) seems to know what its thinking about. Which impresses me daily.

why they think its the right way for them

Because there is no way to go other ways. I'm stuck with this mind and it's elaborate productions. Not that I mind, either. Everything seems to work out perfectly.

and basic beliefs

Reality is a lump of clay to be molded and I'm at the potter's wheel.

inc.ethics,

I do my best to be ethical. But I don't exactly know what that means until presented with specific situations, questions, actions or events. Whatever I prepare for is inevitably inaccurate and therefore inadequate. I try to be pragmatic, practical and utilitarian, though I often fail at this. EDIT: To add that I am convinced it is supposed to be this way.

deity,

I believe there are untold billions of beings that should properly be called gods, and that one in particular is intrinsically linked with the life on this planet. That's the 'guy' I think about when I think about god.

afterlife

I think everyone gets the afterlife they intend to have. As to what mine will be like... that's none of your business.

etc etc?

Nah, specific questions only.

Thanks for your time

Anytime!

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are,why they choose to be it,why they think its the right way for them and basic beliefs inc.ethics,deity,afterlife etc etc?

Thanks for your time

My faith is never still, though my opinions are - and my core belief is spiritual trial and error. So far, as of now, Stoicism seems to be getting me to where my philosophical goal is.

 

[Vouthon]

A deep intuitive feeling that it is right for me.

I've looked into various religions and I've found much that is true, good, worthy of belief and to my mind graced with infused wisdom from God. I am ever nourished by their wise teachings and insights into the human condition. I will always be indebted to them.

Nevertheless my heart (that is my whole being) finds meaning through the doctrines, sacraments, mystical teachings and revealed truths of the Catholic Church (and of Eastern & Oriental Orthodoxy, High Anglicanism and Lutheranism, all of which I regard as 'catholic' in some form, with the first two being every bit as catholic as my own church).

I suppose everyone feels much the same way about their own religion or individual path. You "just know". I don't think that I need to subject my natural intuitive self-assurance to anymore scrutiny than I have in the past. It has never failed me.

I encourage everyone to go with their conscience. Devote your mind to study first, see what fits with your preconceived conception of reality and then just go with your "conscience", that still small voice that just "knows" without needing an explanation as to "How" it knows what it knows to be the truth.

 

[Windwalker]

Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are

Experience and desire. It works.

why they choose to be it

It's ever evolving and unfolding as I continue to grow. You choose to pursue what is bearing fruit for you.

why they think its the right way for them

Because it works, in leaps and bounds and a bountiful harvest. Other ways were fumbling about trying to conform to what others believed you should believe, looking for external answers.

and basic beliefs

We arise from the divine Source, and awaken as That in the world, to know ourselves as the timeless eternal One, and in the fullness of this form in the world of change and constant manifestation, unfolding through Love.

inc.ethics

Do unto others as yourself. Love the world, love all that is as God Is.

deity

All forms of God are ways to see God and know God in ourselves and in the world.

afterlife

Hard to put into words. The eternal now is the "afterlife". The egoic self, the form I identify as this sack of skin is temporary like a blossom that appears and fades. Life itself, which I am, is eternal and rises and falls in a constant manifestation of that eternal in form.

etc etc?

How much time have you got?

Thanks for your time

Time? All I have is Now. This is my religion...

[youtube]0aQslMHDYCs[/youtube]
I Had a Dream... - YouTube

 

[Levite]

I suppose I could simply say that I am a Jew, and following Judaism is not only my obligation but my inheritance. But the truth is that though I was raised Jewish, I spent several years questioning, as an agnostic/atheist, and when I found reason to believe in God again, I determined that, of the major monotheistic religions, Judaism was not only where I felt at home, but where I truly felt there was flexibility and creativity enough to fuse ancient tradition with modernity/progress into the future, so that both theology and practical philosophy could be used to effectively frame ethical and moral life in a vibrant and responsive way.

Oh, as to basic beliefs, I guess the shorty short version is: One God, an eternal covenant between that one God and the People Israel, the sacredness of Torah as the actualization of that covenant, respect for others and their beliefs, seek for peace whenever possible, and above all study Torah in order to learn the longer version of all of this. Which, BTW, is just for Jews-- we presume non-Jews have their own valid ways of interacting with the divine.

As for afterlife, I discussed that in these four posts here, which I am happy to expand upon.

 

[danieldemol]

Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are,why they choose to be it,why they think its the right way for them and basic beliefs inc.ethics,deity,afterlife etc etc?

Thanks for your time

Hi Willy,
I think of myself as Baha'i, but with heavily spiritual leanings since I'm strongly attracted to the flexibility of the spirituality approach.

I like the Baha'i faith as a general framework, and because I believe the teachings encourage the removal of some practical obstacles to peace that humanity has inherited.

Ethics: Based on unity encompassing diversity and the golden rule is important
Deity: Monotheism
Afterlife: The soul is separated from the body at death, and dependent upon spiritual progress attained during this life, will exist in varying states of nearness to God

Etc:
The basis principles of the Baha'i faith are;


•The one-ness of humanity

• Universal peace upheld by a world government.

• Independent investigation of truth.

• The common foundation of all religions.

• The essential harmony of science and religion.

• Equality of men and women.

• Elimination of prejudice of all kinds.

• Universal compulsory education.

• A spiritual solution to the economic problem.

• A universal auxiliary language.

 

[Sha'irullah]

Mines is Deism.

Deism is very simply the general belief in God....without religious creed.

Deism is correct to me for its purity of corruption and ability to be both esoteric and exoteric in its applicability.

It is born of simplicity and has progressed into modernity and rationality. It is both spiritual and natural and transcendent in its vagueness. Deism is highly exclusive to the point it only permits one follower this is because it is relevant the individual and not to the mass. Deism is entirely personal and is the innate and pure belief in god as religion has shown. All aspects of religion come from its inherent accumulation of individual thinking thus resulting in division.
Deism embraces division at such a level it has no pillar to support itself as one conglomerate entity.

Deism fully complies with science, reason, rationality, multiculturalism, and sexual orientation.

 

[Call_of_the_Wild]

Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are

I am a bible believing Christian.

why they choose to be it

Based on the historical facts involving the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

why they think its the right way for them and basic beliefs inc.ethics,deity,afterlife etc etc?

If Jesus is who he said he is, and the evidence for the Resurection is valid, then I have no choice but to adhere to the words of one that has risen from the dead. When someone rises from the dead, you may want to listen to what he/she have to say.

 

[Sha'irullah]

I am a bible believing Christian.



Based on the historical facts involving the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.



If Jesus is who he said he is, and the evidence for the Resurection is valid, then I have no choice but to adhere to the words of one that has risen from the dead. When someone rises from the dead, you may want to listen to what he/she have to say.

Don't mean to derail this thread

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/general-religious-debates/150447-jesus-real-5.html

 

[dgirl1986]

Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are,why they choose to be it,why they think its the right way for them and basic beliefs inc.ethics,deity,afterlife etc etc?

Thanks for your time

I actually already believed what I believed before I found out there was a name for it. I started reading about paganism and wicca and I kept thinking hey I believe that, and that, and that. It was kind of amazing.

I am a bit eclectic with my beliefs. I will provide the very basicsin dot point. Hopefully it makes sense

- I believe that all gods exist, but I am more drawn to the greek pantheon. My favourite greek deities are Artemis and Demeter.
- I believe the spirit of nature is also a deity, and usually refer to her as mother nature or gaia.
- I lot of my ethics revolve around nature based stuff and the treatment of other people.
- I believe in reincarnation and past lives.
- I hold value in logical and/or rational thinking when it comes to such topics.
- I believe in chakras.
- I believe we have an astral body and can travel on the astral plane (and see the physical).
- I use oracle and tarot cards irregularly for insight only.

 

[Call_of_the_Wild]

Don't mean to derail this thread

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/general-religious-debates/150447-jesus-real-5.html

Thank you...duty calls.

 

[LuisDantas]

why they are whatever faith they are

I like to think of myself as an atheist buddhist with leanings towards utilitarian ethics. Also a strong atheist and an agnostic and apatheist.

Yeah, I sortta like labels.

why they choose to be it

Most I did not really. I simply am a strong atheist, an agnostic and an apatheist.

Buddhism came from an appreciation of its approach towards religious practice and ethics.

Utilitarianism just plain makes sense.

why they think its the right way for them

I could never even attempt to be a theist, or to follow any paths that do not take ethics and reciprocal responsibilities seriously.

basic beliefs inc.ethics,deity,afterlife

Mainly, I think individuality is both badly over-rated and largely ilusory. Most of our true duties are fairly self-evident if we only allow them to present themselves and accept the price in personal convenience.

Deities are useful concepts, but also dangerous and strictly personal ones. Not everyone can or should attempt to use them constructively.

Afterlife does not exist as such. People die. They may be fortunate and wise enough to be wel remembered and to have left good seeds before they died. That is a very worthy goal for anyone to have.

 

[Jainarayan]

Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are,why they choose to be it,why they think its the right way for them and basic beliefs inc.ethics,deity,afterlife etc etc?

Thanks for your time

What I am: Nominally (because I need a name) Vaishnava Hindu; in practice and beliefs an admixture of the compatible, complementary and supplementary elements of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Jesuism.

Why I chose it: I didn't choose it, it's what I've always believed. It just doesn't have a name.

Why is it right for me?: It makes sense based on the core values of compassion; love of God (yes, Buddhists and Taoists can be theistic ); based in science: (afterlife) the recycling of energy and matter, i.e. rebirth and reincarnation; the origin, structure and fate of the universe.

Deity/deities: I'm Panendeistic henotheist, i.e. one God, existence of many separate facets of God that may or may not be independent deities.

 

[Astravalon]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are?[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I'm something of an eclectic [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]theist [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]at this point. [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Nothing official. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]

why they choose to be it,

[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I finally reached a point where assimilat[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]ing [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]myself into any pre-established religion just [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]doesn't seem to[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] work [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]out[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]. Within a week of joining any particular religion I'd [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]most likely [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]end up a heretic, without even really trying, because if some aspect doesn't make sense to me, I won't follow it. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]

why they think its the right way for them,

[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]It works for me, especially as I lean more upon my first-hand experiences [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]and intuition [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]as opposed to relying so heavily on doctrines or dogmas handed to me.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]

and basic beliefs inc. ethics,deity,afterlife etc etc

[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I believe in treating others as I would want to be treated. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]As for deities, I believe in one God who can take many forms. [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]The one that has most inspired me over the past couple of years has been that of Lord Krishna. [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I have a panentheistic view of God – that all is in Him, He is in all, and that He also goes beyond it.[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]I believe that a pleasant afterlife awaits everyone – I no longer subscribe to the eternal[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]-[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]hell-concept. [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]In recent years, I have also become more inclined [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]to believe [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]that [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]reincarnation [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]([/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]though [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]voluntary rather than compulsory) is a possibility, and that we – together with God and other loved ones – [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]may even have planned out our [/FONT][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]earthly lives prior to incarnating. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]The etceteras are yet to be determined, but I do love a good paradigm-shift every so often, so we shall see! [/FONT]

 

[StarryNightshade]

Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are,why they choose to be it,why they think its the right way for them and basic beliefs inc.ethics,deity,afterlife etc etc?

Thanks for your time

I wouldn't really say that Buddhism or Hindusim are religions that really require ''faith''. At least, not the way I practice.

As for why I practice them? They (mostly) reflect the same beliefs I have and allow for intellectual growth and knowledge.

 

[gzusfrk]

Could anyone please tell me why they are whatever faith they are,why they choose to be it,why they think its the right way for them and basic beliefs inc.ethics,deity,afterlife etc etc?

Thanks for your time

I did'nt choose my faith, it chose me. I read the New Testament it became alive in my heart. I cannot not believe. I know where I'm going after I die I have no doubt. In the mean time satan pound's away trying to get me to say, God you suck.