How did you "decide" to follow the religious path that you are on?

Answer 1

I don't think there is any point where you can just *decide* to believe. At least, I never found a way too. Instead, I researched different religions, and tried to determine which ones would have positive effects on me. Once I found a few that I thought might work, I put them into practice. When nothing clicked, I moved on to another. After going through this several times, I realized that I DID have firm religious beliefs, but they didn't come from any one religion. Mine come from Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Wicca, to name a few.

I think calling mine a "path" is very accurate, because I am constantly searching for Truth, and I will follow it wherever it leads me.

Answer 2

It all first started when Goddess Kali came to me four years ago telling me of my future destiny. I at the time was not yet into Hinduism, but very spiritual. I did not even know who Kali was. I had to look her up to find out who she was.

I had been reading books about spirituality for a long time, 15+ years when I started reading about the lives of several different Indian sages and saints about three or two years ago. I started with "Mother Meera", then "Swami Satchidananda" and then "An Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda.

I all of sudden out of the blue started reading these books nonstop becoming so hungry to learn more about Hinduism spirituality. I felt like I found what I had been searching for. It felt like I was coming home to it.

And then I ended up being guided to Amma - Sri Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi "Mother of Immortal Bliss" a year ago. And fell in love with her and her teachings. It was just meant to be.

I'm just a white californian girl from a Christian family. But I had a past life recall over a month ago when I remembered I lived in India and had a woman guru. It's a great story, read it on my 360 blog:
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-O50H77Iib6fVzcbXCb1eO_cIAk0-?cq=1&l=46&u=50&mx=111&lmt=5&p=263

Answer 3

This is the path, our parents follow & make us follow the same. If i was found abondaned by some family of other religion in my childhood, may they be muslim,christian or some else I would have followed their path.

Answer 4

Ever since I was a little girl (4-5 years old) I had very conflicting beliefs between Christianity and my own personal esoteric ideas. My mother tried to bring me up a Christian the best she knew how, but I still had these deeper feelings that Christianity didn't "fit" me. I felt like I was stuck in this little box.

A few years later (7 years old) my family and I moved. On the way to our destination, we stopped by the Arizona Meteor Crater where I first found my love for crystals. Just holding them made me feel something. Quartz especially!

When I was 11, I developed my love for collecting unique rocks. I just had a strange connection between me and the earth. She (and I always referred to the earth as "she") and I had a special bond. Well, a few months later in my school's library, I found the book that started it all for me: Scott Cunningham's "Encyclopedia of Crystal, Gem & Metal Magic". I cried and cried because I had found a book that understood what I needed to hear. I thought I was just a freak for thinking crystals could improve my life.

Finally I started to read Scott Cunningham's other books and found my path to Wicca when I was 13. My inner religious conflicts where gone and I felt so relived. Of course, it took me 7 years after that to build up confidence to tell my family I was Wiccan. Surprisingly, even though most didn't agree with my decision, they weren't horrified and they didn't threaten me with the thought of hell, especially my mom. She was incredibly supportive of me. That's when I found out she was apart of a coven for a few months but decided Wicca wasn't for her. I found out she's a born-again Christian.

So yeah, everything fell into place when I found Wicca.

Answer 5

personally, i never felt i needed one growing up. my family was never influential as they didn't seem to rely on any faith as well. one week at the begining of 1999 i experienced something i had never before. i felt god speak to me . he answered all my questions and guided me wherever i went and i didn't question his direction. it was the best experience of my life thus far and i've yet to repeat it. he told me it would last a week, which it did, and that i would regain it inbetween 50-60 years old. i experimented with drugs after that trying to regain the feeling. the vibe ,of course, didn't return like that. that had nothing to do with drugs or alcohol, i was sober during that time. now i've been searching for god in everyday life. god is light, god is joy, so when i do something that feels morally good and fufilling i feel god is with me. not as strong as that week , but my faith is there. by the way, he felt like how a father should be, teaching and comforting, now i know why so many refer to him as father. seek him and he will respond, but you have to listen!

Answer 6

i didn't look for a religion who is claiming to be the truth (always be suspicious of any religion claiming that),i chose the path that answers questions it was a logical choice

Answer 7

I was born and raised in the religion that I still follow.

Answer 8

I didn't, God chose me. His Son chased the ugly sinner that I am, and I finally surrendered. His Son seeks His sheep until He finds them.

Answer 9

Studying the Holy Bible, Prayer and the Love of Jesus Christ.

Answer 10

I just picked the one that made sense and felt right!