Do you have a religion? What is your reason, is it because that is how you were raised? I only believe in spirituality so I'd like to know why people follow religions.
198934
i was born & raised mormon, but am currently in a phase of looking thru' other religions.
416945
Luckily for me I had no formal religious up bringing. When I was little some one did give me a book called" The greatest story ever told." I was really impressed with a wizard that could walk on water and heal people.  I was probably in my early teens before I realized that it was jesus the book was about.  But  it did not change my perception of the book or jesus for that matter.  So today I am a pagan but I was not forced into any religion.  I did go to a catholic church with my friend once I was really disturbed by the wine and wafer aspect of the rite.. I thought that was a little on the cannibalistic side.
308163
I was raised Roman Catholic, but I hated it. I was dragged to church, and forced to go to catholic school. I sat in religion class, thinking that God didn't exist and that religion was brainwashing.My school was very sheltered from the rest of the world, and they didn't really let us associate with other schools, cultures or religions. I barely knew that other people existed. \n\nWhen I reached Grade 9, I went to a public high school, and I was amazed to find out about other cultures and religions. I did research, talked to people, and eventually turned back to my native American pagan roots. I started taking part in full moon ceremonies, and other pagan celebrations, sac rid fires, pow wows,drumming circles,naming ceremionies and stuff. Eventuially this lead me to Wicca, which I practiced for a few years, which lead me back towards paganism. \nI left these behind last year. I was always interested in Christianity, but as a religion, not as truth.\nI went to a Christian bible study with my parents. I remember being in the car saying " wow this is just going to be some stupid Christian propaganda". We turned the corner, and headed to the church. When we left the church, I said the prayer to ask Jesus into my heart into my heart for the first time ever.I felt the need, not out of fear of hell, but out of love for my creator. Out of LOVE for JESUS. I realised that GOD loves me.\n\nI went home and was so confused. How could my stubborn opinions be changed in a few hours? How could my beleifs be altered?What was going on with me! I needed answers.\nI felt to so alive, but had so many questions.I was so hyper, so awake, so amazed. I went on the computer and started searching. I found this website and talked to someone who helped clairfy what happened.
538858
I do not believe in religion. I believe in the Father, the Creator Yahweh!!!! Religion is definitely man made!\n\n\nAnd to those who give me thumbs down, that is very rude. I believe that we should believe in one Heavenly Father. Do you not see something wrong w/ all these different beliefs, It is scary, how are we to get to the most holy place if we are thinking "My religion is the only way----wouldn't it be sad if none of these religions are the right way, like I said before we label ourselves, DO SOME RESEARCH ON WHERE THE NAME AND RELIGIONS COME FROM-----MAN!!!!!!!
122473
I was baptized as a Christian, and I believed in God during my younger childhood years. But my family has never gone to church since I can remember, and religion now is not at all a part of my life. I don't believe in any religion anymore. I rarely even think or wonder about God, or whether or not there even is one. I might consider myself agnostic, but even that could be going too far because I really have no feelings about religion at all.
598224
Religion & Spirituality is INTRINSIC in all of us. It is our means of connecting with The Source from whence we came... \n\nWe need to seek and return to THAT SOURCE once more, not unlike the Salmon that negotiates its way upstream "somewhere" if only to roost after completing its full cycle of Life.\n\nToo bad that Man bungled it all up with their organized churches and man-made doctrines. Hmmph!\n\nPeace be with you!
212453
I was raised as a Christian, because my Dad is a Lutheran pastor.  I follow the Bible explicitly, but I do study other religions in order to better debate with people.
580923
Absolutely, O Hobbity One! I have things from all sorts of faiths. That's why I call myself a Non-Denominational Happy Pagan Person. God and I have a promise that we keep religion out of our relationship...it just mucks thing sup if we don't...heh heh heh. Tea?
302916
I'll share with you my beliefs, but "warning": to most, they may be "controversial" or even "blasphemous".  I consider myself to be a highly spiritual person, but I do not believe in "organized religion" and churches.  In fact, I believe that the more involved one is in a particular religious sect, the further away from Our Creator they become. Why? Because I believe that our relationship to our Creator and to other people- our spiritual relationships, start from within, as an important "question", looking for an "answer".  Too many relgions (all!) seem to "provide" ALL the "answers", but, each "answer" to the same question is different, depending on who you "listen to".  Why not listen to your heart, when it comes to spiritual questions.  I believe that Our Creator lives inside of us all, and speaks to us all, through our emotions, our feelings, our spirits.  And I believe that it is this spirit within that IS part of God, as we, I do believe, ARE God's "children" and thus we are connected to "Him", 24 hours a day, seven days a week, wherever we are, and under any circumstance.  We don't need a "church" to worship in, just a moment of peace and quiet, to "tap into" (and remember!) that "connection" that is always there for us.  They say that it is our "emotions" that make us "different" from other animals- and when it comes to "love", I believe this is true. Where does "love"  originate- but inside of us, it "connects" us- it "lifts us up"- and inside us all, there lies an unlimited source- that gives us our spirituality. Don't need a church for that, or a religion to teach us this.  In fact, most religions do not accept beliefs that differ from their own, a concept that is, in my book (and God's!) "anti-Christian" and anti-spiritual. The path of spiritality differs for every person, and I believe that if they are "looking" for the "way" (on their own, one on One with our Creator)- they will find it, and perhaps "faster", WITHOUT a church's interference.\n\n                                            -TERA\n                                          (time4u420@yahoo)
216483
I changed my faith to Hinduism from what I was brought up with, after YEARS of studying all I could about various religions, the Bible, and other Scriptures, ancient and world history, archaeology, etc.  I also "studied" myself.  I prayed a lot and came to understood that Hinduism is the religion of my soul, the religion I was when I was a child, before I was told what to believe.
199167
this is one reason why i do not believe in any form of chirstanity.  or any religion of that matter.  it is branched out to many different things, different stories and different beliefs not only from the three huge religions but the actual religion itself.  how do they believe in it, it is all in the brainwashing
139569
Being pagan I have a LOT of religious objects. Symbols of my religion, statues, and clothing are good examples. I try to live my life for the gods and so my home reflects that. I know you weren't interested in religious texts, but I have a library of archeological books that tell of my religion. These are useful at times when I need to tell others about my religion. I also have an extensive library of christian literature for use when I need to explain christian religion to people who are part of that religion.
583124
(Note: I was raised Catholic and now consider myself agnostic.)My observations of religion throughout history:  Religion has always been there.  All religions give guidelines for how to live life.  Many people have died for the sake of religious beliefs.\n\nReligion has always been there...  How many religions (including all of the "extinct" religions) have there been?  How many do you worship?  Do you really have reason to believe that yours is the right religion?  Haven't you noticed that most children worship the same religion as their parents?\n\nAll religions give guidelines as how to live life...  the 10 commandments: dont kill, dont steal...   Yup that these types of things sound good to me.  Did I really need a list of things I should not do?  What about torture?  Why isn't that on the list?  Through education I developed a moral compass and a concious.  A way of knowing what is right and wrong.\n\nMany people have died for the sake of religious beliefs... This is my beef with religion.  It unites those within it, but it divides those of the different religions.  If its such a good thing why do so many die in its name?\n\nSo why am I not atheist?  I honestly don't know if there is a God or not.  Maybe God did create everything and is now on the sidelines.  I hope their is a God.  I really do.  My dad's passing was one of the hardest experiences of my life.  I hope he was not reduced to nothingness.  Still I must be honest with myself.  I DONT KNOW.  Anyone who says they do is lieing in my opinion.  If they did really know then it is no longer a question of faith.  Sure if I met God I'd worship him/her/it/them.  But I'm not going to blindly follow ANYTHING, much less something as powerful as religion.\n\nIf there is a God and they stand in judgement upon a person's death I do not believe that God will care if we went to church on Sunday, gave money to the church, or repented before our death.  They will care how we lived our life.  Did we try to improve the lives of the people around us?  Did we try to do the right thing?  Did we treat others as we wish to be treated?  And if there is this judgement followed by a heaven/hell, I believe I will be meeting my dad in heaven.  Until then I will try to do the right thing, not because of religion, but because ITS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
298730
i choose to respect others beliefs but personally i think religion is the source of all evil,most wars are to do with religions.i believe in myself and treat people as i like to be treated so consider myself respectful of others(more than most religious people do)!!!
661179
Yes, there is such a thing as "spirituality".   What of the Taoists, Buddhists, Shintoists?   They are deeply spiritual people.  :-)\n\nI am a spiritual atheist.  :-)   My spirituality exists for me, within.  You just have to feel it, and follow your personal ethics and morals that work best for you that won't harm anyone or infringe on others' rights.   \n\nSpirituality is a bit like religion (but it isn't)---you have to do your research, and decide for yourself what you believe in and what you don't.   You have to take responsibility for your own beliefs....meaning no one else can tell you what to believe or what to think.
135544
I've been on the other side where I thought that people who didn't believe in god must feel lost.  (I was raised to think they are evil.)  So, I can kinda understand why some religious individuals think that non-believers feel some sort of void or are immoral.  However, I also view that stance as an immature belief.  It doesn't take a lot of looking around to realize that agnostics and atheists are very content with their worldviews and live ethical lives.
409778
I think you've answered your own question. ;-)  That being said, let me tell you what I think.\n\nSome people of some religions have this elitist notion that their religion is the one, right, true and only way.  They think that everybody else is a Satanist or the like.\n\nI've learned about, and in some cases gotten deeply involved in, quite a few religions and spiritual traditions.  Just about every one of them that I can think of has some sort of moral or ethical code.  In Buddhism, the religion I was raised with, as well as in Hinduism, one must take responsibility for one's actions and have compassion for others.  Wiccans try to live their lives in such a way as to avoid harm to others and to accomplish what they were put on this earth to do.  Judaism and Islam all have moral rules that are to followed.\n\nChristians seem to be particularly divided on the issues of Christian morals and ethics (though few of them seem to realize that this division even exists!).  To many Christians, Jesus' teachings in the New Testament replace the Ten Commandments.  To them, the point is to love their neighbor as themselves, avoid judging others, to do to others as they'd have others do to them, etc.\n\nTo other Christians, the point is to follow the Ten Commandments.  Still to others, the point is to see the Bible as one big, literal law book.\n\nWhat fundamentalists in any religion fail to understand, seemingly (or perhaps they understand it all too well and are just bullies) are the following:\n\n1. That they might be wrong.\n2. That other religions have morals and ethics, too.\n3. That other mystical experiences are equally valid.\n4. That there are fundamentalist of other religions who thank THEY'RE wrong and that THEY'RE going to burn in Hell.\n\nSome fundamentalists claim that they've had these mystical experiences that "prove" that they're right.  What they don't realize is that:\n\na. Lots of people in lots of religions have all sorts of mystical experiences, but that they may have mystical experiences involving some other conception of Divinity.  For example, a Hindu might have a mystical experience of Krishna.  A Native American might have one of an animal spirit.  A Christian might have one of Jesus, a saint or an angel.\nb. Just because we have interesting psychological experiences, doesn't mean that some Deity or spirit is really talking to us.  It might be all in our head.\nc. There's a difference between objective reality, to which I think we're better off turning to science, which is based on impericism and logic rather than faith, and subjective experience.  Our subjective experiences are valid for ourselves.  If some God or spirit comes to us in a dream and tells us, maybe that's useful.  Who can say?  If we get something out of that, does it really matter whether or not that Being really exists?\n\nFor example, fundamentalist so-called "Christians" (personally, I don't see how anyone can be a true Christian and be so judgemental as the fundies) love to tell everyone they meet about their mysical experiences of Jesus.  But, if some Hindu told them about a mystical experience of Vishnu, they'd say that Vishnu is a demon.  So, Fundies like these are hypocrits.\n\nPersonally, I'm sick and tired of fundamentalists telling me that I'm going to be tortured eternally if I don't believe that their mytholgy is the literal word of their conception of God.  What makes them think they know anything?  To brow beat someone into believing in your mythology by telling them that they'll be tortured forever if they don't believe it is abuse!  I can only come to two conclusions about their behavior:\n\n1. That they really DO want to abuse the rest of us, because it makes them feel superior.\n2. That they're ignorant of other religions, were taught to be fundamentalists when they were growing up and never really stopped to think that