Religion & self-discovery (1 Viewer)

[Day]

I grew up in a semi-religious household of Christians who would only go to church near Christmas-time. Being a young child, I went because I had no other choice but, eventually, we stopped going and we don't go to church at all anymore. While not extremely religious, my mom values God and crosses practically represent her at this point. Because of this upbringing, I naturally assumed that I was a Christian and would always be one (Did you know that there are 2+B Christians in the world?).

When I was 11 years old, someone I loved died. It was at that time that I swore off God and began calling myself an atheist. This was a mistake, but I'll get back to that.

My step grandparents are very serious Christians/Catholics. When I told my mom two years ago that I did not believe in God, she told me that I had better not tell anyone else. I wondered why? Will they not care for me anymore? Were God's teachings so great that my non-belief would cause them to break relations with me?

So, to clarify, atheism is the belief that there is no god. But, most people use this term incorrectly.

Do you mean to say that you negate or have no belief in god? That is called agnosticism.

As my professor describes it, there is both a "Soft" and "Hard" agnosticism. He describes them both as follows:
Soft Agnosticism – withholding belief about God’s existence
Hard Agnosticism – the belief that it is impossible to know if God exists.

However, I am not content with calling myself a soft agnostic, and during my time in the class so far one particular religion has stood out to me - Buddhism. Buddhism is the 4th largest religion in the world (~500M) and has teachings I think are ideal (at least from what I've read so far) and I plan on reading more into their teachings and understanding the concepts better.

But there is a problem...

How do I know that this is the right religion for me? Can I choose my own religion? Will my family hate me if I come out with this?

So, my questions for you all:
If you were born into a religious family, how religious are you? Do you share the same beliefs as your parents? Do you enjoy your faith?
If you have switched religions/looked into others, how did you know the religion you ultimately pursued was right? Are you content as you are now?
If you do not follow a religion, what do you think of religion in general and what morals/values do you uphold in your life? Do you find fault with religions or do you think they benefit society?

 

[Panda]

I grew up in a smilier fashion, only that I went to church more often as I was in a catholic elementary school. Currently, I still consider myself catholic, but I don't go to church and just follow the bible's teachings regardless. My mother is way more hardcore into the Christian faith than I am, but she doesn't mind my way of doing it. The only issue that we have had is that I also believe in the traits of science, and of course that can sometimes intervene with religion. Either way, currently, I'm living in peace lmao.

 

[Day]

I grew up in a smilier fashion, only that I went to church more often as I was in a catholic elementary school. Currently, I still consider myself catholic, but I don't go to church and just follow the bible's teachings regardless. My mother is way more hardcore into the Christian faith than I am, but she doesn't mind my way of doing it. The only issue that we have had is that I also believe in the traits of science, and of course that can sometimes intervene with religion. Either way, currently, I'm living in peace lmao.

Haha, thanks for the reply. Glad you're content, and I sure wish I was! I don't know why, but lately I've been so pressured to know who/what I am:
What is my sexuality? What is my religion? What do I do next? What do I do now? What is my name? Who am I? Why am I... this?

I feel like I might be one step closer to figuring out answers to these questions. I hope to update this post after completing the semester, exploring books that teach/explain Buddhism, and have come to a sound decision or lack thereof.

 

[Jichuus]

This is such a nuanced question and you were able to formulate it so well. I was born into a religious and Catholic family but I no longer share the same beliefs. I lost my faith due to my neighbor’s unjustified death (long story here) and I’ve been conflicted ever since. However, I still believe people have a right to religious freedom though as it does help find them order in their lives. But at the same time, people can live a just life without being religious.

 

[Jimimis]

My mother's side of the family are all Buddhists, and they always bring me along to temples to pray and stuff, but they never pushed me to believe in any of it. I like participating since it's kinda like a family activity, and I think my family would like it if I also became religious but they won't bother me about it. I'm content without religion anyway.

 

[Panda]

Haha, thanks for the reply. Glad you're content, and I sure wish I was! I don't know why, but lately I've been so pressured to know who/what I am:
What is my sexuality? What is my religion? What do I do next? What do I do now? What is my name? Who am I? Why am I... this?

I feel like I might be one step closer to figuring out answers to these questions. I hope to update this post after completing the semester, exploring books that teach/explain Buddhism, and have come to a sound decision or lack thereof.

I really hope you get to answer those questions during your path of finding the right religion ^-^

 

[Day]

This is such a nuanced question and you were able to formulate it so well. I was born into a religious and Catholic family but I no longer share the same beliefs. I lost my faith due to my neighbor’s unjustified death (long story here) and I’ve been conflicted ever since. However, I still believe people have a right to religious freedom though as it does help find order in their lives. But at the same time, people can live a just life without being religious.

I believe that you are capable of finding the answers you seek, and if you feel that religion is an aspect you desire or want to dabble in, I highly encourage you! The study of religion is honestly really exciting and eye opening, both in the sense of learning something new but also learning new things about yourself, your own values, how you see the world, and how you think it should be fixed. Every religion defines a problem, goal, and solution, but it is up to you whether or not to say "this is right" or "i agree". And, if you feel none of them or multiple religions suit you, that's fine too. As long as you are happy at the end of the day and live in the way that you feel is right.

 

[Day]

My mother's side of the family are all Buddhists, and they always bring me along to temples to pray and stuff, but they never pushed me to believe in any of it. I like participating since it's kinda like a family activity, and I think my family would like it if I also became religious but they won't bother me about it. I'm content without religion anyway.

I will be visiting 4 religious sites next month, one of which is a Buddhist temple, and I am highly anticipating the experience! Is there anything I should expect? Your family sounds really open-minded and I respect that so much considering how the world is today.

 

[Jichuus]

I believe that you are capable of finding the answers you seek, and if you feel that religion is an aspect you desire or want to dabble in, I highly encourage you! The study of religion is honestly really exciting and eye opening, both in the sense of learning something new but also learning new things about yourself, your own values, how you see the world, and how you think it should be fixed. Every religion defines a problem, goal, and solution, but it is up to you whether or not to say "this is right" or "i agree". And, if you feel none of them or multiple religions suit you, that's fine too. As long as you are happy at the end of the day and live in the way that you feel is right.

Thank you. I have continued studying and I learned so much about other religions and theories of thought. Some are beautiful but I still find myself unfulfilled by them and have found peace with how I am living. Continue studying and traveling. It makes the journey worth it

 

[Jimimis]

I will be visiting 4 religious sites next month, one of which is a Buddhist temple, and I am highly anticipating the experience! Is there anything I should expect? Your family sounds really open-minded and I respect that so much considering how the world is today.

not really, just don't get your hair caught on fire from the incense sticks

 

[Day]

not really, just don't get your hair caught on fire from the incense sticks

Duly noted!

 

[NogaNono]

I’m Jewish, actually. I was born into a Jewish family (most Jewish people are, though of course some convert) so it’s pretty much been with me my whole life. I love it. Being Jewish, to me, is more than just a religion. Of course I believe in all the basic Jewish beliefs but my family was never super religious; we celebrate the Holidays, have Sabbat dinner each week, but we only pray I’m a synagogue occasionally. To me it’s also somewhat of a way of life. Judaism is like a family to me, of some sort. It’s a very kind and welcoming community in my experience, and even though I don’t live a very devout religious lifestyle and pray everyday and such, I still somewhat feel connected to my religion and God, which I do believe in.

So honestly, I’ve never really thought of converting and I wouldn’t change for the world, though of course other religions such as Islam, Buddhism, Daoism, Jainism, etc. are also very interesting to me and I find myself agreeing with a lot of their beliefs.

 

[Minuteman]

I was born into a Catholic family. My parents are both very religious and raised myself and my two brothers to be the same. I was a firm believer up until college. I went to church every week, prayed, and all that. But in college, my beliefs started to break down. I started watching videos and reading up about the faith that made me realize that I just couldn't believe anymore. It no longer seemed reasonable to me.
My feelings on religion are mixed. I think that religion has done a lot of bad things to this world, including the encouragement of discrimination, slavery, stifling of science, etc. I also feel like the benefits of religion, like feelings of purpose, community, closeness, etc, can be achieved without the presence of religion. With that being said, I fully recognize that the world would not be the way it is without religion, and I support freedom of religion as long as the religious don't use that belief to oppress others.

I also recognize that not all religions are the same, so the stuff I said above isn't universal.

 

[Ahsoka]

I do know someone who grew up Catholic but then became Buhdist later through his own research and beliefs, but I'm not sure on a lot of details about it because he was an aquantiance rather than a close friend. I myself was born in an aethiest family, and while I have experience with family members who are Christian (Eastern Orthodox) their actions towards me have basically pushed me away from most religions forever. I don't think this has an effect in my morals or anything though, I try to be as kind, helpful, inclusive, and charitable as I can to others just because I feel it is the right thing to do.

Good luck with your own journey, I hope you find out what makes you happy.

 

[joshuaology]

I was born into an Orthodox Christian family, and atm I wouldn't say I share the same beliefs as my parents. I feel like I need to personally experience something that will solidify my belief in God, like I don't consider myself an all out atheist but at the same time I'm not really religious or anything, I only go to Church when my parents drag me there, etc. I've kind of told my parents about my thoughts once or twice but I feel like they think it's a phase and don't take me seriously (and who knows? Maybe they're right). I don't really want to tell my grandparents because they're super pious and it might hurt their feelings. I kinda find some stuff fun, like Easter and Christmas (even tho I don't get presents). I don't have any fault with religion, I think people should be allowed to have faith in whatever they believe is right.

 

[Suzy]

I actually listen to a lot of lectures from people who have converted to religion after considering themselves atheists and the one thing they all do is look into all the religions out there. They just look into the different books and teachings and see which one they connect with the most. Most of them also visit temples/churches of the different religions and talk to the people who are from those religions for more information and answers. If you have time and if you're really interested in religion, you should try it too and see how it goes.

First things first, yes you can choose your own religion. People convert/revert every day. There's no reason why you wouldn't be allowed to choose your own religion.
Will your family hate you? Well my dad was upset at me for wanting to pursue religion for a few years but now he respects my decisions. In fact, it's a good discussion topic for us. So I think even if they're upset for a while they'll come around after a while. But that said, I guess it just depends on the family. I know quite a few people where their parents have completely broken contact with them because they chose to pursue a different religion. But really, that's an extreme case and I think in our day and times, it's normal for everyone to be making their own decisions rather than being their parents' sheep. So hopefully your family will understand you and respect your decisions.


Answering your questions:

If you were born into a religious family, how religious are you? Do you share the same beliefs as your parents? Do you enjoy your faith?
I know quite a bit about religion and I try to follow the teachings but I wouldn't say I'm very religious. As for my parents, I don't think my dad has a religion at all. He says he believes in God so I wouldn't say he's an atheist but he doesn't identify as part of any relgion. As for my mum, she prays as far as I know but that's about it. So I think I'm more religious than both of my parents now. And my religion education mostly came from my cousins who are much more religious than us and self study (mostly lectures from scholars). And I love my religion. I honestly couldn't imagine my life without it. It really has a big part on who I am today. So I definitely enjoy my faith.

If you have switched religions/looked into others, how did you know the religion you ultimately pursued was right? Are you content as you are now?
I have never switched religions before but I have doubted religion in the past. I mean, I'm studying science and some things just don't add up. But that made me look into my religion more and compare it with science and it wasn't that things didn't add up, but I just didn't have the education to know about the similarities and differences between what science says vs. what my religion says. So that incident just strengthened my faith. As for how do I know that it's right, well it just makes sense to me. I know quite a bit about other religions too and to me, mine just is the one that I feel most attached to and one that I just feel is right. There's meaning and explanation behind everything and it's not just black and white. I have actually explained previously why I personally feel mine is the right one but I feel like some people might feel offended by it so I won't write it again. But if you're interested then pm me and I can explain (but keep an open heart). It's not rude and it's definitely not putting any other religion down so no need to worry. As for do I feel content as I am right now? Well, I definitely feel like I could do more so I wish to study more up on my religion and be more practicing. So I'm like 50/50.

 

[Suzy]

Haha, thanks for the reply. Glad you're content, and I sure wish I was! I don't know why, but lately I've been so pressured to know who/what I am:
What is my sexuality? What is my religion? What do I do next? What do I do now? What is my name? Who am I? Why am I... this?

I feel like I might be one step closer to figuring out answers to these questions. I hope to update this post after completing the semester, exploring books that teach/explain Buddhism, and have come to a sound decision or lack thereof.

Honestly, I think everyone has these questions at some point in their lives. Some have it early on while they're growing up and others (like me) have it when they're full grown adults. I personally just think it's a healthy part of growing up. Much better than being someone your parents or guardians made you. So good luck with finding answers to all those questions. And really, you have your whole entire life to figure yourself out so don't stress.

 

[blueberries]

I was born in religiously rather strict Christian family, especially on my mom's side. I went to Christian school, went to church on sundays, went to sunday school there for kids, went to Christian summer camps. Since it was rather strong brand of Christianism lot of things were considered sin and wrong, not only other religions and things like homosexuality were seen as spawn of Satan, but also rock music, using alcohol, fantasy stuff like Harry Potter (since it has magic) etc. were sth I wasn't allowed to be around, not that I wasn't rebellious and just went it with regardless of my mother's opinions.

I was in high school when i had religious self-discovery. I started thinking why I followed the religion, came to conclusion it was fear of sin and hell that would await after death than even feeling god necessary was real or some kind of love towards god and that kind of religious following was for not me, I didn't want to follow religion out of necessity and fear. I started thinking my morals and new things I had learned in comparison to morals taught by me by church and the bible, and saw lot of disparity in them, for example I think as kid I used to be your regular "being gay is sin" kind of shit, but later realized that was stupid. I had issues on some atrocities people did in bible being ordered by god like murdering whole villages including children and animals (I remember asking this from priests, never got satisfying answer). I started to think if I really thought Christianity was in right compared to science in how things in world became to be and are, found it more unbelievable.

At first I was agnostic, but I'd say these days I'm atheist or even more, anti-religion. I have had no desire to look for another religion and haven't tried them out, for me the self-discovery was to go from strong religious believes to none. I'm rather content now, I see religions as relic of the past that have left impact to cultures around the world, have some impressive cultural and architectural stuff (i have no reservations in visiting religious sites), but I see them more harmful to humanity than beneficial. People justify in daily basis being assholes and horrible human beings to others via their religion, when someone calls them out from being asshole they shield themselves with religion like they can't be criticized cause it's their religion. They also justify oppressing and forcing others to bend to their believes, and even oppress and limit themselves

Yes, I'm very much not into religion, but freedom to everybody to choose what they follow, I can't affect their choices. I just hope they would leave others alone with it then and own up being shitty human beings if they are that instead of hiding and calling those who point it out religionphobic or some other shit ^^; But if they can get sth positive out of it in their life without bothering others with it, I don't have issue with it, you do you.

 

[Darkseid]

Born in a Hindu family, mom is very religious while dad is a lowkey atheist who just doesn't admit it to not upset mom and the other relatives lol.

I've always found religion and studying up about various faiths fascinating but there hasn't been any one religion I could completely subscribe to. My belief in God or a higher power has also been shaken a lot of times. At this point I'd call myself a hard agnostic, where I pretty much believe that knowing the true answer is impossible.

 

[raymondchouku]

Spoiler: Sorta 18+

As @Angelyna_Frost can inform you, my family is Catholic. While there are many things that I don't agree with within the church, mainly is regards to sexual ethics and reproductive rights (i.e. IVF), I still go to mass sometimes. To their credit they don't ever give a homily about sex. Its mostly about being kind to others. While within the church I would be seen as a heretic, there are still activities I may take part in (in a daily manner) that are indigenous to the faith (i.e. various novenas, rosary). Still when I go to mass I do find a sense of peace that I don't find elsewhere.

I have explored every other religion, and I mean every. From the Dharmic ones (i.e. Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism) to the other Abrahamic ones (i.e. Judaism, Islam, Bahai) to reconstructed western traditions (i.e. Thelema, Wicca, Reconstructed European Paganism) and even various other traditions, such as Santaria, Vodun, and Hoodoo. That's not to say I have practiced all of them, but have researched them all to a certain extent.