Can someone help me decide on a religion?

Question

I have never been a practising Christian, except when I was younger, but that was due to older relatives making me go to Church. I do have my own beliefs (I believe in a higher power, just not sure what/who it is; I believe in birth control and, under certain circumstances, abortion; I DON'T believe that you can be a horrible person and do terrible things, then on your death bed ask for forgiveness and go to a better place when you die; as for Heaven and Hell...I am somewhat unsure about this. I think that life is aleady hellish at times, and if you can make it thru everything that is thrown at you without screwing up too badly then you get to go onto a better place, and if not then you have to come back and try it all again (so obviously I believe in reincarnation also.) My main reason for asking this question is that I have children and I understand that having at least some type of beliefs will help them decide what they choose to believe when they get older. Thanks.

Answer 1

I am not going to give you a specific religion I think you should follow. Christians will say be Christian, Hindus will say be Hindu, Muslims will say be Muslim. Listen to your heart. Sort out in your mind or on paper what you believe, what you don't and things that are important to you. Go on religious sites (I would suggest www.religioustolerance.com or www.beliefnet.com) and explore the different ones and match your personal beliefs to it. I would not recommend asking people themselves, they will tell you their own path and they might end up wasting a chunk of your life. Explore different religions. Take a religious matching test (a real one, not one made by a kid) like the Belief-o-Matic on www.beliefnet.com. Just remember not to settle for something, follow something that you love, that is fulfilling, and matches who you are. And NEVER teach your children anything you do not believe or are not sure of. Doubt is natural and may occur, but don't be false. I wish you the best of luck.

Answer 2

You are giving your children the very best they could get right now with what you believe, I would suggest you keep teaching them what you believe and stay away from religious groups that worship in a church, believe me my wife and I took our children to church screwed their heads so bad they did not believe in any thing, they where angry at what we had put them through, it wasn't until they married and had children that they came to us and asked for direction, so I new being a strong catholic that that was not the direction to take them, So I told them about an old native holy man that I spent a lot of time with and would they like to meet him, by the way I am not native in any way, but what this man has given our family today was a spiritual journey that we will Cherish the rest of our lives, we do not attend any church today or any gatherings, we have found God in what we perceive him to be and spirituality is a beautiful journey, and it is what the creator has created that we teach our children and our grand children,if we can teach them honesty respect courage compassion beauty and above all love just look what you have given them God bless.

Answer 3

I also believe in reincarnation. I read up on all of the major religions, and I have found that if I read metaphysics, it gives me all of the answers to give to my children. What is the meaning of life: Knowledge, what happens when I die, you become a spirit. Is killing okay, no, and exactly why that is. Not just don't do it.
Metaphysics is not a religion, but a way of life I would read up on some books, like:

Life after Life
Many Lives, Many Masters
Psychic Warrior
Talking to Heavan

Hindu and Buddist believe in reincarnation


good luck

Answer 4

I understand the urge to share a belief system with your children for this supports one of your functions as a parent -that of offering guidance and a structure for an inner moral compass to live by. While children are naturally loving and inclined to absorb the world they are exposed to, their skills of rationale thinking don't just happen. Many people are unaware just how powerful the absorbent mind of the child is, and that this quality demands responsibility from the adults who have chosen to be parents. I champion your considerations to reflect the impact you're having on your children and the choices they are learning to give value to, or not.
The most primal thing about beliefs is that they are the source of how you create your life; this is true whether you're aware of how this precisely occurs or not. As such, you have the charge to ponder the meaningfulness of life and the behaviors you feel are at the heart of being a responsive person to one's inner potentials.
This goes to the core of your religion seeking question. Is this true?

I ask this question so as to verify the reason your search is currently ongoing...If your motives were to find a structure to share with your children that aligns with your inner understandings that would be one thing. If your question was prompted by a loss of orientation within yourself, then that would raise a deeper need to address first.
All to Love

Answer 5

Come on girly, follow your heart. You can't ask a bunch of strangers to help you "pick" a religion. What calls to you...appeals to you? Do you feel drawn to nature? Do you feel you need to help ease the suffering of the world? Do you believe that we, as human beings, are responsible for our own actions?

If you believe in reincarnation then you must believe in Karma? Try researching the Quaker religion, research some of the New Age beliefs such as Neo Paganism. And no Paganism is not satanism. As a matter of fact, most pagans do not believe there is a Satan, as that is a Christian belief. Do you feel drawn to darkness or more toward light? These are all questions that need to be answered by you in order to decide where your path will lead you.

Research:

Quaker
Baha'i
New Age
Neo Paganism
Unitarian Universalist
Hindu
Buddhism
Wicca

These are just some basic ideas to start. Most people consider religion to be a very serious matter. You need to search your own soul and decide where your beliefs lie.

Answer 6

No one can help you answer this question... this is a decision you need to research and decide on your own. Try out some different churches or other religous gatherings. Surf the net and request literature. Talk to people of different faiths and ask questions.

Just know that there is a place for you. Keep an open mind and when you find it, you'll know.

Answer 7

From what you have said, I can only believe that you are a Christian at heart. NOT the confused mess you hear from a lot of churches but the kind that The Holy Bible. Stay in the truth of how you fill and God will work out the rest. Don't believe the hype believe the bible.

Answer 8

Honey you really sound like a good person. It's hard sometimes to come to terms with what you truly believe in. Me telling you to accept Jesus as your personal savior will not make you believe in him. I will just tell you this, that when I confessed my sins and asked him to come into my heart and become my savior I felt like the world was lifted off my shoulders. Everytime I kneel on my knees in prayer I feel his presence in my life. He has brought so much comfort and peace into my life that mere words can't fully explain to you what it is like. I would suggest you start reading your bible. You will find that what Jesus really taught was for you to be a good moral person. Don't believe everything you hear or are told in a church. READ!!!!!!!! Take time and talk to him, he will listen. I truly believe if you took the time he would enlighten you. It may not be all at once, you need to seek his face. I am not saying just up and say well I choose christianity. I am saying learn about Jesus, because once you do, the choice will be simple. I love you and will be praying for you.

Answer 9

I was in (almost) the exact same situation as you seven years ago. I studied several religions in depth and began to focus on Islam after a few months. Islam appealed to me because it actually encouraged me to ask the tough questions when the other religions just wanted me to 'have faith'. I know Muslims are under the microscope these days and there is so much bad behavior to bee seen, but try to take an unbiased look at what Islam is really about.
The other appealing aspect for me was that the original Islamic text (The Quran) is still in tact to this day untranslated from it's original form. This is not the case for the other major religions.
I highly recommend this book...http://onlineislamicstore.com/b2828.html
Also, learn about Islam from Muslim sources, learn about Christianity from Christian sources, learn about Hinduism from Hindu sources, etc. There is too much hate and ignorance in this world.

Answer 10

Someone else asked a similar question. I believe each person should learn about the different religions and choose what resonates with them. I am a Hindu Shakta which means I follow Hinduism and worship Shakthi or The Goddess. I am so because I am not treated as an idiot. I believe in asking questions, even of God/dess. After all, that is why we have a brain. So, ask questions and choose a path. Do encourage your children to ask as well. This is so that they do not become brainwashed in their later lives. Hope this helps and good luck with your search.