I know this may be a weird thing to say but "I want a religion". I have had no 'awakening', vision or out of this world experience. I have a pretty stable life and there is not much I would wish to turn to religion for in particular. My mum is a very understanding person and she gives me support in whatever I choose to do (without putting me in harms way). My partner strongly opposes religion and thinks I'm being, for lack or a better word, stupid. This annoyed me a little because even though we are a couple, a pair and both a part of each other, I still have a section of me that is just me and the same goes for him. I have been looking into a few different spiritual religions as I find I am interested in Karma, Incarnation and mind and body being separate yet together. Paganism/Wicca has always been an interest of mine and I have a few books on modern witchcraft (Not those silly teen love magic books... ack!) yet I have never taken to the idea of magic really existing. I believe that all humans are equal and I don't discriminate against anyone. The idea of everyone being one entity and such are truly inspiring. Tell me about your religion! And I'd like some advice too if you'd be so kind... >.>
The first hint of flamming, and this will get locked, kay, guys? I'm Catholic, which is a form of Christianity, and I'm happy with it, but since you live in the UK, there aren't manny of us there. Protestants, the church of england, and the other big players... I say go for Christianity, but it's all up to you.
Christianity isn't for me. I can't believe in God and to me that's what Christianity seems to be about. There are a few Catholics here but they mostly come from Ireland around here.
I am an atheist, which some have argued is not a religion. I was raised Protestant, but during my Confirmation classes, realized that I did not believe in a God, especially after having examined religions throughout history, and seeing the needs fulfilled by religion. I became firmly convinced that Man created God in his own image, not the other way around. I believe the Universe is fair in randomness, that people are not selected for difficult trials because of something they did to deserve trouble. I also believe that everyone and everything is connected. Look at matter at a smaller and smaller scale, there is no material building block. Everything is one vast complex wave function that extends throughout the Universe. Time itself is suspect. It may only be a way that our existence organizes the Universe. That is my belief system in a very compact nutshell. I do not demean the belief systems of others either. I just believe what I believe.
bicker, I looked up Buddhism and decided it wasn't for me. I'm too spoilt. xD Cogito, I think that God or Goddess or any of the other Gods out there are all a metaphor for something. a concept rather than an actual entity in its own right.
I'm not religious really, I just consider myself protestant... since my family was so. From what I know about it, it's an accepting religion. My grandmother was Christian Scientest, not to be mixed up with Scientology. I have no idea what it really is, I think it just adds some science to Christianity. So yeah. Good luck picking whatever. x)
Oh wow, yeah. Another suggestion. -forgets- My best friend is Jehovah Witness? I think that's what it's called. Wow, I'm probably no help. I'm just shooting out religions you could look up on wikipedia. Which religion has the Koran? My mum has read that and said it's interesting. I'm tempted to read it one day, just because I'm curious.
I will never be Jehovah's Witness because they disagree with blood transfusions. The Qu'ran is the Muslim holy book. Most religions I have heard of are ones that I wouldn't dream of joining. xD
Maybe you don't need a religion? Just think what you want to think and make that your theory on life? Yeah, that is slightly odd to me. They also are strict when it comes to socializing, and becoming close with non-jehovah witnesses. Like I can't spend the night at her house and I can only come around 3 times a week.
I know this boy who's parents are Jehovah's Witness' and he isn't allowed to drink alcohol. The first time he did his mother almost disowned him. o.o I don't know why I have suddenly come to the conclusion that I'd like a religion... perhaps I feel the need to be part of a congregation or a bigger plan. I like paganism because I hold a lot of the beliefs assosiated with it already.
I don't know much about paganism, but you really should go with what you think is best for you. Yeah D= Like one of their cousins was getting married and they had sex a few days before they were married and they ended up having to cancel their plans. Everyone was angry with them and yeah. They almost weren't allowed to get married :x Talk about strict.
Not sure what you mean. I was in my late teens when I took Confirmation classes, and I'm not what too many people would call young any more.
The thing about religion is that you don't have to select a showroom model. You have to explore what you truly believe, what resonates deeply with you. Individual religions will try to push the entire package, believe it all or, well, believe it all. I know very few practitioners who don't critically examine their religion and take some elements more devoutly than others. Some of this is expressed in different sects within a major religion, others are just individiual choices, whether sanctioned or not. Some religions, such as Wiccan faiths, actively encourage members to seek out the exact parameters of their belief. I hope this helps.
Hey Alice, can i just say, that I really think you yourself have to do a lot of digging and perhaps soul searching and questioning rather than be influentated by the members here. I am not insulting any of the members, as we all have our vaild input to say as well as our valid beliefs, but ultimately, it is up to you to decide what appeals to you best After all, you know you best right ?!
Ah, confirmation? I thought you said Communion sorry If you had made that decision when you were making your communion I would see it as being quite young, as the mind is still young and still unknowing of many things out there and so anyone who makes thier communion and decides God doesn't exist, perhaps doesn't make the right decision as they are still very young and unknowing Confirmation is grand though, you're mature enough then I'd say I'm still questioning a lot of things at the moment so i don't really know where I stand with the whole God thing at the moment :/
Alice, I think you need to take a more serious standpoint on this. You seem to be ruling out religions - Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and so on because they're not preferable. It shouldn't be about finding what's preferable. It should be about finding what's true. If Jesus Christ really died on the cross and rose again for the sins of humanity, you better bet that Christianity is the right way to go, regardless of what you think it's for. If Mohammad accurately dictated the word of God through the Koran, perhaps it's inspired. And so on. You have to look at these things more seriously. You shouldn't be seeking a religion so you can "be" a follower of it, you should be seeking a religion because you're seeking truth. That's the best advice I can give you, and I cannot stress it enough.
Whisp, with all due respect, that's utterly and completely bad advice. It's not up to you to decide what's "best for you." It's up to you to find what's true.
Be careful on the religion you chose, especially when going for things like paganism. It's quite easy to become entangled in the beliefs and rules and what not of Paganism. I've got a friend who's mother was a pagan, a witch of sorts you could say, and tried to kill her in some sort of bizarre ceremony. Obviously, this is all very occult and extreme, but you do need to be careful. The same however goes for any religion. There is always going to be the extremists. As for me, I'm losely Roman Catholic. I do believe in God. I decided that for Earth and the universe to become a place of such perfection, it couldn't have happened by chance. The ideals are more or less what I believe in, though not all. But yeah. Religion is a personal thing. Don't let any of us tell you what to do and what not to do.
i am kinda a mix i guess, i go bak and forth between being atheist and agnostic, because honestly idk which would b better. i follow no religion, and form my own beliefs on wut i have seen and heard. if this makes sense, i believe in a creator, but not a god. i dont believe there is some being that is almighty and powerful. i believe that IF there is a god, higher being, or w/e u want to call it, it basically threw all the matter into the universe and let it go down its own path. i believe that it doesnt know wut its doing or where tis all will go, but it is up there watching this all becuase it is all just some big experiment. maybe it is questioning its own existance and wants to c if over time something like it will b created, i dont really know. religion is basically a means to support ppl in their times of need. every religion has many flaws and faults in wut they preach. for example, no offense to any catholics or christians, but there is plenty of proof that jesus may have been a father, and im not talking about the da vinci code, im saying that they actually have writings from that time saying that, as well as saying that he was human, the cross taht is deemed 'holy' is actually a symbol of torture, so when u pray to a cross u r praying to the tool by which ppl were tortured and killed on, including ur beloved christ. the Church has so much power, it pretty much oblitterated most of the older religions. many of ur symbols r stolen from paegan religions and just have different meanings. now, if im offending anyone im sry, but im stating wut ive seen.ive read the bible, and ive noticed how the old testament and the new one portray 2 totally different gods, life styles, and everything. christianity, including all of its sub divisions, has been the bloodiest of all religions, has been the cause of more wars, deaths, and problems than any other religion the world has seen. and the bible that we read today, well, it isnt even wut it originally preached. so much has been deleted and misinterpreted over time that the true meaning has been lost. other religions, such as those practiced by the aztec and incas and so many other supposedly 'primitive' pplz were wrong because they believed that they must kill other ppl to plz their gods, now, i feel this is wrong, for gods r supposedly 'divine', so y would they require blood sacrifices? in egypt, their religion, similar problems, they shouldve realized sooner that they were wrong in wut they believed when their pharoah, the supposed 'son of ra' couldnt always stop the gods from taking out their anger on the world. it doesnt matter wut religion u look at, there are so many flaws in wut they preach, and because everyone believes something different, religion only causes wars. not one religion has really ever sustained a reign of peace, this world was much more peaceful when we were all cavemen who believed nothing. and, if u r noticing, many ppl r forgetting the old ways of the religions and believe nothing, or hold on to a religion very weakly. no one cares anymore if they r going to heaven or hell. i mean, every religion says 'follow us and u'll b saved' or something like that, meaning, honestly, we r all damned and going to hell as well as saved and going to heaven. personally, if ur gonna follow anything, be something like buddhist or something, because it is a way of life, u dont have to believe buddha was from a lotus leaf, just live life the way it says, or better yet, live life only as u waqnt to, follow the rules u must, but live life to the fullest.
