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religious beliefs?
i just got through watching the omen, and during that movie, many religions were shown: christianty, satanism, other pagan religions, etc.
also my friend told me about his friend who is a jehovah's witness and some of their stuff got me thinking.
i was raised methodist christian in my home but turned my back on faith about a year ago. too many rules, inconsistancies, hypocrites, and it was all just very overwhelming, so i quit. and even now that i've given up on religion, i can't get it out of my head. its like i've been brainwashed. i'm not asking someone to give me back my faith, or to even lecture me.
what i'm asking is what do YOU believe? are you christian? satanist? wiccan? anything at all? please answer my question with why you believe in what you believe, and how exactly it works. thanks in advance :) (oh, and i don't judge. so even if you've made up some weird thing where you worship hotdogs, i won't mind)
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Maybe give some free advice about: Spirituality?
Hi,
I've been raised in a family where no religion has been imposed.My mother, has no clue about the religious customs of my culture..and I take after her.
I don't worship hotdogs..yet.Simply put..I just don't worship.Honestly, I don't think you can ever say who/what 'god' is and categorize it.I believe that religion is a method of social control.A form of societal bonding-a basis for communities.But over the years ,I think, religion has become dogmatic and rigid.And as a result, the core of religion is missing:FAITH.You can not live without faith.Whether it be faith in a higher power, or yourself, or the people/things around you-it is a necessity.
At it's core I think religion and 'god' acts as a reassurance.That there is something/someone looking out for me,caring about me.
But that's just my beliefs.It's perfectly okay if you believe in any religion-all have similarities.That's the funny thing about life.
(I'm sorry if this was like a lecture...I have a tendency of lecturing,or so I'm told.)
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The thing is you have turned away from organized religion and rejected the superstition and hogwash that goes with it and not GOD nor the teachings of Jesus. You feel a need to be closer to GOD but not to follow conventional religion.
That's okay. You don't need to belong to a religion for that and in many ways you're better off. No brainwashing but more of a yearning in you for answers other than the ones current religious affiliation are giving you.
Also, if you wanted to be part of a religious organization in the future (and I doubt it) be well-read and this time now researching religion may help you affirm your views or present something new.
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Even though you feel confused right now, what you're going through is a GOOD thing. You are learning to question your faith, to think analytically, and to observe. These are all skills that will aid you in eventually finding your spiritual peace. I understand the hypocrisy and rules of your church turned you off, but its important to remember that those are just PEOPLE who go there. They are imperfect and sinners and they will make mistakes and disappoint you and each other. We all do that. But God is not a person, as the Word says, He is "not a man that he should lie", and he's not a building and He's not a book of rules. Don't let what you see in the physical world overwhelm what you know God to be, and if you are really searching, start attending other churches, to see how other people worship God. It can at least give you a good perspective on the different types of Christians that are out there, and how God uses all kinds of different people with all kinds of different thoughts and lifetstyles to create a community. I was raised by athiest parents but I became a Christian on my own as a young adult. I know what its like to have so many questions. To be searching for a peace that you know you need, but have no idea where to find. I encourage to keep asking questions, but don't abandon the faith of your youth. There is value in it, it was just distorted by sinful people. Learn to forgive them and move on to find other like-minded people who you can learn from. Start checking out smaller, non-denominational churches. They're usually more laid back. I beleive in God and that He has a plan. I believe that He made this Earth and all its wonders for us and that He gives us free will to make our own choices. He doesn't want to FORCE us to love Him. That's not really love at all. He gives us the choice, and hopes we choose Him. Unfortunately, some people use their free will to hurt others, and that's where tragedy in this world comes in, but He is still God and has a plan that is not always apparent to us right away. I believe that the Bible is our guide. Yes, there are some rules to follow, but if you read it, you'll find it is really more about "the Do's" than "the don'ts".... think of it like a fence around a playground. With no fence, the kids have to be careful while playing ball. You can't throw or kick too hard or use all their energy because you don't want the ball to roll out into the dangerous street. But with a fence, you can kick and throw as hard as you want. That ball will stay right where it belongs, in a safe place, and you can have way more fun because you are actually MORE free to kick and play and have a blast, knowing you are safe from danger.
Hope I've helped in some small way. Keep asking questions! Keep seeking answers! That's the key to a prosperous life.
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well i know that I am a string believer in christ..all those other things about satanism or wiccan, i have never giving much thought to it because they are all false anyway. i believe in God because he is the only true God. i don't see satan sacrificing his son so that we can be save, i don't see satan being there for you when you need a comforter, satan doesn't even know half of what is going on in this world, But God does, God doesn't have many rules, all he aks for is love your nieghbore as you love yourslef. if you love your friend, you won't lie to them or steal from them would you? iam not trying to force you to do anything, but be very careful on who you follow. satan is going to hell at the end of the world and he wants people to follow him, are you willin?
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I know how you feel on the Christian thing. I just didn't get anything out of it and I felt like there was really no one there. So, I switched to Satanism, and no, I didn't eat babies or anything like that. It's basically a belief that we can sharpen our skills and have some help from Lucifer and his gods (Demons). It gives you a sense of power. I felt totally comfortable with it, like there was someone actually there listening to me and being a real god. I was a Satanist for about a year and half, maybe longer and it was okay until recently. I just started questioning faith all together. I don't consider myself a full on Satanist anymore because I'm still kind of lost and not to mention, I've started to believe in more of a polytheistic religion. Anyway, religion is usually just something people look to because they're afraid of what happens after death. Where do we go? Is there someone waiting? Can I be reborn?
To actually say you have religion, you should know even the smallest details. I love researching all different types of religions, maybe you can try looking into all the different types. There's tons of them to look at and some make more sense than others. Religion is a widely debated topic, though. To really join in the debate, you have to know what you're talking about.
Don't know if that was what you were looking for, sorry if it wasn't :D (Btw, there's a religion out there where they worship a spagetti monster, sounds pretty cool to me, just like the hotdog thing.)
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Religion is a coping mechanism for death.
Everything-happens-for-a-reason is a coping mechanism for life.
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I was raised Catholic like JustJess below me, and like her I also walked away from it when I realized that religion is a tool of control rather than a way to spread and share spirituality.
Brainwashing is a very, very good way to put it. That's what religion is. I'm honestly on the fence about God.
On the one hand, I have a hard time believing that our universe is pure coincidence and nothing more. There are rules to our very existence, to the universe around us, and we have no way to explain where those rules come from, why they exist, why the universe works the specific ways it does.
We can explain the structure of DNA, but we can't explain protein folding, why the body just does the things it does. The theory of evolution, which I believe correct in many generalities, does not explain the significant number of adaptations we see and the diversity of the animal kingdom. There are animals which have a place in nature, but we don't know why. Other less specialized animals could easily fill those niches, but instead we've got stuff like bats and the platypus.
On the other hand, I cannot reconcile the existence of a creator with the ideas about God professed in religion. I do not believe, if there is a God, that he's got a plan for each and every one of us. That's complete bullshit, the world is arbitrary. If God's plan is to be arbitrary, what's the point of saying it's a plan at all? God's plan is to be random?
I want to believe there is something more significant out there than "we're members of the animal kingdom, and our purpose is to survive" which is the pure nature explanation for our origins. However, when I read things like "God made us in his image" I realize that the reverse is what's really truth. If there is a God, no modern person I've met or heard of knows a thing about him/her/it/whatever. Modern God was made in man's image, formed to be a comforting, familiar figure.
Christianity is filled with more lies than truth. The bible is utter bullshit. The work of man, not the word of God. It's a series of lessons meant for an uneducated society that needs to be kept in line, a society which no longer exists in any form. I don't know if there's truth in other religions, but my experience seeing religion be nothing more than a tool for the domination of men (men specifically, not too many female priests/pastors/rabbi/etc out there) tells me that whatever God is, none of the major religions can bring you enlightenment on the subject.
Christianity especially. Everything Christian comes, originally, from Catholicism. Catholicism would still be murdering people to keep dissent and "heresy" quiet if they could be. They did it for hundreds of years before countries pretty much started telling them to go to hell. The bible was written by men (google the Council of Nicea to learn more) and the religions that resulted are artifices of men made to control others.
You've got to find your own truth in this day and age. I don't know what to say about non-monotheistic religions because I know little about them, Buddhism and Hinduism seem like they might at least lead to some inner peace, and do more for you than Christianity can. But that's guesswork from the little I know.
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Hey there :)
Hm this is a very interesting question actually!
haha The hot dogs thing made me laugh sadly to say i don't have a shrine of them.
I think many of us like to have something we can hold onto and believe in something we can feel close to. Find security and comfort in.
Its strange because there are SO many beliefs out there and its so confusing and I agree with you overwhelming when trying to process all these different rules and rituals.
Anyway to answer your question I'm 17 and I was raised Christian catholic Ive always been led to believe in Jesus and god etc etc.
Were not very strict Christians at all however I went to church when I was little and in my early teens with my Nana but thats about it. My mum is definitely not strict either.
growing up I never questioned religion you know as a kid in school we were told.. Jesus died for us etc etc and thats how it was.
When I entered high school and I was exposed to all these other religions I was like woah hold up.
It awakened zillions of questions for me. But I just sort of glossed over it and said meh whatever god is real and thats that.
Lately however Ive been questioning everything and thinking ok how could this be and why you know.. as you have said hypocrites inconsistencies..
I'm from Ireland and recently a report was issued about children being abused by priests & clergy in the church from the 1960s onwards so it really made me turn my back on my faith.
At the moment im divided. I like the idea of budhism and reincarnation mostly because it seems the most realistic. Ive never been a believer in these strict practices to follow in order to get to the afterlife and I have never followed any. Like you know these prayers to the gods and mecca fasting no sex before marriage all this.
I just think its ridiculous.
I guess you could say at the moment I'm a bit agnostic meaning I don't know what to think or believe. But I would like to know there is something out there for all of us after we die. Be it whatever form. I love the idea of heaven and meeting with loved ones again but again what can we really believe?
it really is a question of passion devotion and faith.
I hope to be like that later in life where I can give my heart to believe in something that I don't need answers its nice ya know :D
Lol anyway theres my rant I hope it gave you some sort of insight if any?
hope you find what your looking for too,
Much <3
Jess 17/f
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