What brought you to your faith/religion?
147721
My Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ opened my eyes to faith almost seven years ago and because I grew up in a christian home.\nI know that I still have alot to learn but I have learned so much these last few years and what I have learned is that though I must have forgiveness of others of which I do however I also must be bold and not give in to other peoples' wicked ways.\nIts like disciplining a child that misbehaves, you have to correct the child but also show love and forgiveness.\nAs christians where as society has persecuted us so much and for so long we must be bold towards those who resent us and heckle us but also we must be forgiving as well and show love.\nI don't believe that when the Lord said To love thy neighbor and turn the other cheek that he meant for christians to stand there and take one's perpetual abuse and disrespect over and over again as if we're some sort of punching bag to the world.\nAs christians we will and we must be forgiving but we will not be silent when it comes to speaking God's word and doing God's will.\nPersecute if you must but don't expect us to be silent.
648921
I was 17. I told G-d I was having a conflict with my being Jewish & Him being Christian. I asked if He could deal with this 'problem'? I wound up having my first vision. I saw Jesus on the cross. There was more to it, but suffice it to say...I became a Believer.
764615
i was raised Christian and when i began to question things i became agnostic verging on atheist ( when i was about 17 )\nthis lasted for years ... but i did study during those years\nand i researched the paranormal and all those things that i questioned since young due to my own experiences\ni started going to spiritualist church only a year ago ... but have held the same beliefs as they do for the past 7 years ... so it seemed a natural progress for me to take on spiritualism as my faith
891156
I had this same problem. I was raised Catholic, but very loosely. Religion did not play a major part in my life, but don't think I was ever really an atheist. I started looking into other religions such as different Christian denominations, Hinduism, Bhuddism, Zoroastrianism, Mormonism, Judaism, Sikhism, Shinto, Manicheism, Gnostic Christianity, Wicca and even simply deeper into my original Catholic upbringing. I found them all very interesting, and full of truths, but not complete. Then I looked into Islam and I converted after about a year or so of research  and study of the religion. It just seemed to be what I had already believed all along, for as long as I can remember. \nI'm not saying that you should necesarilly become a Muslim now, but look into it. I would look into other religions on a deeper level and study them to see what makes the most sense and find what you believe (note I say "believe" and "sense" in the same sentence, not "find very interesting"). Until you find something, if you don't come to your own conclusions, just believ in God and do whatyou think is right; there isn't really much room for error there.\nI hope you find what you are looking for.
376722
When I met my husband, 1988, he was just falling away from Christianity, and I, being at that time a non-Christian, pulled him even further. We got married in a registry office (Gretna Green, Scotland), and after being married 6 years or so, things weren't great between us. Then God virtually hit me over the head one day, I had a shock revelation that God was real, and I became a Christian. My husband was adamant that I was being a fool by believing in all that, but 2 years later and after much prayer, he came back to Christ, that was a year ago. Now we have a great marriage, we lead a house group together. Our marriage may not have survived had I not believed that God wanted me to stay married (it says so in the Bible.) There are faults in all marriages, whatever faith you have, but for us, seeking God's will together has put all our troubles in perspective, when we have money problems we know God is helping us through so that cuts out much stress. Also raising our kids to know Jesus makes parenting easier as there is a higher authority to refer to.
910615
I called myself a Christian for years.  I wasn't really but I didn't know it at the time.  My mother was Catholic & dad was atheiest.  After husband's death I became a Wiccan.  I studied all sorts of reiligions because I wanted to understand everyone:), I know it's impossible but I have tried.  I became a born again Christian November 2001.  I try to quit putting God in a box and dusting Him off when I want something.  I try to follow the guidelines in the Bible and live as Christ, loving all and praying for all.  Somedays I really just stink at it, I am a work in progress.
920919
I love your question!  Your experiences really hit home with me.  I was raised without religious beliefs when I was very young, but I was raised with spiritual beliefs and was taught about reincarnation, the afterlife, how to read Tarot cards, etc.\n\nWhen I was a teenager I converted to Christianity, and followed that for about five years.  When I was 19 I converted to a pseudo-Christian religion that had its roots in gnosticism and Sabellianism.  I was really into that, and I swore I would never, never leave it, and that I would rather die than denounce it.  I was truly a religious fanatic!\n\nAs I got older, though, I changed.  I stopped seeing the world in black and white, I lost interest in being judgmental, and I decided that where people go when they die is none of my business.  I almost gave up my faith in Jesus because I was so disgusted with religion, but when I thought about my life I realized that a lot of good things have come my way because of God's goodness to me, so I asked God to help me keep my faith.\n\nAfter a couple of years of trying different churches of different denominations, all the while being very skeptical, I have finally found a church where I feel like I belong.  I still have faith in Jesus, but what I don't have is a judging, critical attitude.  I have gained a better understanding of how much God loves all of us, and I like myself a lot better now because I'm not judgmental anymore and because I am more accepting of people, religions of all kind, and life in general.\n\nSo now, at age 40,  I have learned to never say never, to not judge another person, to mind my own business, and to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness that is in every individual.  I also know from my past experiences that my faith will continue to change and hopefully grow.\n\nI could have left church and Christianity altogether, and like I said, I considered it, but I'm glad I didn't.  God helped me become a better person through all of this, and I didn't want to leave God because I know I wouldn't have all the blessings in life I have now and have had in the past if it weren't for Him.\n\nGood luck on your journey, wherever it may take you!
948623
The best is to look at my life before GOD found me and after GOD found me. Then You see why I believe.\n\nk1
828379
Did you ever lose your faith?
931177
I was born and raised Christian. After studying the Bahai Faith while in high  school, I became a Bahai.  Because Baha' u'llah often quotes from the Quran, I studied Islam. My fascination with religion led me to take two college courses on world religions, so I have studied some forms of paganism, Hinduism, Sikhism,  Judaism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism and Taoism.   My participation in forums such as this one -- and the violent attacks on Islam - have  led to more study of the Quran. And when the Jehovah's Witnesses dropped by, I studied  with them for awhile until they give up on me and stopped dropping by.  Since I have lived in Ohio, I became interested in the Amish religion and studied that for awhile. Online discussions and the behavior of some of its followers drove me to read up on Scientology. Basically, I find the variety of beliefs fascinating and love reading about them. I find that understanding religion makes it easier to understand people. More understanding, IMHO, would lead to fewer wars.
800656
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.
194689
I did change my religion.  I used to be Christian and now I am Wiccan.  I changed religions after a long path of study and realization that Christainity wasn't what I was looking for.  \n\nAll the things I was lacking for in religion, I found in Wicca.  I never thought I would be spiritual again until i started studying Wicca.  \n\ni know its true because I have attuned myself with Nature.  \n\nBut I don't think that any religion is right for everyone.
28409
I am a non-denominational, right-wing conservative, born-again, fundemetalist(in a nice way) Christian.\n\nI knew there had to be a God. But was this God personal, or some force? In 1971, I had a personal encounter after asking Christ to forgive my sins and fill me with His Spirit. This was at the peak of the Jesus People movement. (yes, I am an old Jesus Freak) From that moment on, I knew that He was a personal God. From that point on I have been trying to teach the Bible to whoever was curious or searching.
724762
I could go into a long lenth post about why, but I will try to sum it up for you. In the moment of my greatest need, when sin was a two ton load of my shoulders, God showed up. He did not come physically, but He was there, knocking at the door of my heart. The church I grew up in never worshipped Jesus, they preached about Him, but never led anyone to HIm (in their mind being saved was speaking in tongues) For that very moment, that maybe hour and a half of my lfie I understood who God was, and I knew I had a choice to make. Either accept Him, or reject Him. I didn't want to accept Him becuase I thought I had to be perfect to, so I pleaded with Him to let me make this choice later, after I quit some stuff that I knew was wrong in the eyes of Christianity. H persisted, I finally, came as I was and let Christ into my life. Ever since His word rings true to me. I was once blind, but now I see.\n\nPeople can only know God and have the ability to have faith once they accept Him. I believe that in everyone's life they have one moment like the one I shared. It isn't the same with everyone, but one or more moments God reveals the truth, He overpasses the blinders of satan, and in that moment (s) one can choose. I also believe that after so many moments (or maybe just one) God no longer reveals Himself and hearts become hardened.
1005554
I had no religious upbringing at all.  Years and years of just living like a moral person - for no other reason than that I knew it was right.  toward the end of high school, I started researching different religions and attending services.  None ever fit.\n\nWhen I turned 24, i was introduced to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and I knew in my heart that it was the truth I had been seeking.  I was Baptised in March of 2002, I was married in the Nauvoo Temple to my amazing wife in 2004.
1050427
The onset of reality.  Honestly, I just realized how much religion contradicted science.  I saw religion as an antiquated idea that tried to explain the unexplainable.  Once science got out from under the control of religion, it flourished and started to push religion back into the dark corners of "the unknown", where it continues to kick and scream for every scrap of control it can get.\n\nAnd I also couldn't accept a god that was so cruel, arbitrary and uncaring.  Reading the OT, I know that this was a god with whom I wanted nothing to do.  Even reading the NT, reading very closely, I wasn't that thrilled.  If this is what god is, I want nothing to do with him.\n\nThat, and I met someone who was unapologetically athiest.  I realized then that it was OK, I could be one too.  I realized that being an athiest doesn't make you a satan worhiper who bites of the heads of babies.  Most true athiests that I've met have been much better people than the rest.  They just choose to accept responsablity for their own lives and live without superstition.\n\nThat being said, I do enjoy studying about mythology (in which category I include all religions.)  I love the whole Jungian/Campbell view of it and what it tells us about who we are as a people.  Neat stuff.
1123302
Its all about Faith.  \n\nI was not born into any religion, both of my parents always talked about God to me as a child, usually to their benefit, like " God says " Honor thy Father and Mother".  As a kid my babysitter took me to Jehova Witnesses gatherings, I went with that family every other day for about 3 or 4 years, however i never believed in thier teachings.  I fell asleep everytime i went.  When I got a bit older, I remember my parents taking me a few times to a pentacostal church, the amazing thing about that is that to this day i still remember a little hym that we sang in sunday school.  I was about 8 years old when I stopped listening to the word, or visiting churches.  My Mom and Dad were both pretty much on their own about that, they never went to church, they never talked about God.  My mom would read the bible every once in a while, but she never did anything to demonstrate any change. My dad was an alcoholic, and us kids, were just kids.\n\nLast year my dad got saved, unfortunately my mom and him had already divorced, but my dad got saved, and i noticed the biggest change in him, he was no longer violent, he was no longer drinking, he was no longer smoking, no longer wasting his money, he was no longer a demanding person from me.  I began visiting the church he attendent and I came to Christ within a month of visiting.  Honestly the day i accepted Christ, I was preparing my speech to reject the Lord.  But God is bigger than that.  I belong to an Apostolic Church, there is a lot of discipline and rules involved, but I think that what I enjoy about it.  That it is something that changes you, we have prayer services almost everyday of the week and have regular services on the weekend.  I have gotten to know God on a personal basis, he has done miracles in my life and in the lives of other members right before my eyes.\n\nI never believed in Catholic Faith, buddist or anything else, simply because that wasn't my place.  I think living in the united states we are free to worship what ever we want, and If I would have wanted i would have visited other churches when I was younger and would of known that those other religions were not for me.\n\nReligion's should not be found on basis of Statistics and strategies.  Faith is found when the church you go to practices what they preach, when you read that Scriptures and it all makes sense to you.  The Holy Spirit moves with in you and tells you right from wrong.