Comfortability and your religion?

Question

To any religion out there: do you choose your religion based on how comfortable you are with it, because you were born with it, or because it just seems right? To those who have converted from one to another, were you scared to convert? To those who were born a certain way, are you not comfortable with opening your mind elsewhere, or do you think it's right because it's the only way you've seen things? Just a little curious.

Please elaborate. I don't want two word answers, I'm trying to get insight here.

And also, don't be afraid to answer. I'd like to read as many as I can.

Answer 1

I was born into a family that was Catholic. My parents and grandparents took me to church often. I had my first communion and my first confession, and was confirmed. By the time confirmation rolled around, I was ready to bolt as soon as I could get out of my mother's house.

My father's side of the family was Methodist, but my father had converted to Catholicism to marry my mom. The women in my family seemed to believe in God, but no one ever really taught me anything about living faith. The men seemed to go through the motions--but who knows what they were thinking? No one ever said much about it.

My dad was a lector at church--one of those men who reads the readings before the priest gives his sermon. My dad appeared to be doing this so he would look good in the community. He was an adulterer, a child molester, a wife and child beater, a thief, and so forth, but no one knew but people in the family. People in the community found him delightful.

I grew up filled with hatred and rage at people and at God. I denounced God and Christianity all the time. I left home early, at 16, went to college, dropped out, went back, went to graduate school and got a master's, took time off, went for a Ph.D., quit, and found myself in 1994 a veritable wreck of a person. I was a drunk, I was always angry and stressed, I had no joy in my life, I had severe depression, etc., etc.

Long story short: I had run far and fast from God, and especially anything Christianity-related. Too much bad baggage. I did seek knowledge and information, and I studied Buddhism, general spirituality, and some other stuff. I thought myself enlightened and way too smart for all the fools who needed to rely on a religion that I thought was full of crap anyway. I was utterly blinded to everything but my own dark view of life, people, and God (if there was one--and if there was, he could kiss my white a$$).

When I slowed down, I realized that my life was an utter wreck. Inside, anyway. Outside, it looked okay. I had gotten quite an education. I had lots of friends. I had many skills and abilities, as well as some talents. But inside, I was really messed up. I sought professional help--therapy--and started getting better, little by little. People here and there suggested that I find faith, but I brushed them off. Spirituality...maybe. That was all I was willing to go for. Faith...um, no.

In 2000, my life was pretty cleaned up. I had a good job, was in a healthy relationship, had a financial cushion, was not angry anymore, my depression was much better though not entirely gone...and I thought it might be a good idea to start drinking again. Which I did.

It took all of 20 months to tear down everything I had built up. I found myself looking at a toilet-bound life, and said the first honest prayer of my life: "God, if you even exist, I need help, and if you show me what to do, I will do it."

It would take way too long to "convince" you how God led me to substance abuse treatment. He did, and I know it, but the story of it would take way too much typing, and I've already typed a whole lot, plus have more to go. Try to take my word, and if you want me to tell you the story, like, tomorrow, maybe I will.

I sobered up again. I found myself faced, again, with this "thing": Go to God, or go it on my own resources, which--though they were sufficient to clean my life up, weren't sufficient to fill the hole in my gut.

I began praying. I asked God to reveal himself to me. I asked him for humility, faith, and guidance. God showed me--literally, kept redirecting my vision--away from him and at his Son.

I thought, "Oh, no no no no no no no, you are not getting me into the crap bucket of Christianity." Well, God was pointing me toward Christ. And so I asked for more humility, because we all know how far above Jesus I was.

What God showed me--and he has shown me a vast amount these last four years--was that I was blaming God and Christ for people's failings. I was letting the bad actions of human beings keep me separating from God's grace and mercy. Because So-and-So claimed to be a Christian yet beat me savagely, I assumed that Christianity was at fault. Instead of realizing the obvious: So-and-So was at fault. Christ was the answer, but So-and-So did not have a living relationship with Christ.

DUH.

I had been giving people the kind of power that led me to choose to have my soul condemned. I let PEOPLE decide what my relationship with God was going to be (nonexistent). I kept looking at the evidence of the earth, and in so doing, I was blinded to the evidence of the heavens.

Today, I am doing fantasic. My depression has vanished. I have energy, I have strength, I have faith, and I am living in God's grace. God gives me the power for most anything. I have zero problems--and, no, I am neither exaggerating nor kidding.

Has God been some happy pill I took? Oh, no. No, not at all. It has been a lot of hard work, with a lot of dedication, discipline, and that sort of thing. God transforms my life, but he needs me to work with him in order for it to happen.

The bottom line is that God opened my eyes, liberated me from suffering. And he let me stay apart from him for as long as I wished. When I asked him into my life, he came in. No delay. He had been waiting all that time, watching with love and pity, but letting me do whatever I thought was best. What I found out that was that what I thought was best was killing me: intellectual pride, just for one example. But God let me go, y'know. Yet the crazy thing is, when I wanted him, he was right there. No questions asked.

God has taught me a lot about mercy through his Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. And, man, do I know a whole lot of STUFF from pursuing the knowledge-, reason-, logic-, and philosophy-based "religion" of my own mind that I was engaged in before God saved my life. God uses all that stuff for his good purposes. No, I didn't have to get stupid in order to walk with Christ. God uses everything I picked up for his good purposes.

Life is good, man. And for anyone who knew me but four short years ago, they would fall over dead upon hearing me say something like that.

I am grateful to be alive, and grateful for God's mercy.

My life is a miracle.

God did it. Not me.

Answer 2

I'm actually searching for a religion of sorts. Not Christianity, or Buddhism, or Islam, or Muslim. I'm more of a spiritualist than anything, so I've been researching other kinds of religion. Mainly Pagan religions-as far as that goes. Wicca, Druidism, things like that. I'm not so much afraid of converting, as I am of what some of my family will say. I know I will probably get a bit of negative energy (a lot of my family are serious God-fearing folk, they are NOT going to take this well) But I just don't feel connected with Christianity, and even though I was baptized a few years ago as a Baptist, I still felt disconnected, and I always have. I just feel that religion is a big myth, a man made thing. The bible, too. I don't feel like I need to believe in something to feel connected with God. Right now, I'm just soul searching to find something that connects with my life and the feelings I have.

Answer 3

I was raised in Chrisitianity and then Mormonism. When I became an adult and starting thinking for myself, I became afraid of NOT believing because of all the things that I was taught as a child. Now that I have conquered that fear, I have a much happier and healthier life. I no longer feel an obligation to attend services or be ashamed if I don't. I no longer feel a need to explain everything that I never felt was right to begin with. My questions are no longer looked upon as being evil or from Satan. I have more tolerance toward all of humanity than I ever did while attending any church (many and various).

I now feel like I am following the true path that I was meant to follow. I am now agnostic.

Answer 4

"...do you choose your religion based on how comfortable you are with it, because you were born with it, or because it just seems right?" Well a little of all three.
I was born Catholic, it seems right for me, and when I'm not comfortable listening to the sermon I leave.
For my adult life I have been happy as things stand, well I do have issues with the humans, not GOD. I see that GOD has given his message to everyone, in their own terms, and is waiting and watching as we try and live as GOD wants. On the roman calendar it's only been 2006 years - and nothing has changed, except we can kill each other better and quicker. But we can't be happy in peace. Weird. (I wish I were here 4000+ years from now, would humans be different? I hope so, but unfortunately doubt it.)
Humans really let me down - often.

Answer 5

I've grown up Catholic for my 17 years of life. Up until I reached high school, it was just there. Then I entered a Catholic high school where I had to learn about it. The more I learned the more I was revolted by it. When I was forced to go to church on Sundays, I had to blink back tears during the service it upset me so much.
Right now, I'm comfortable with my beliefs. Luckily for me, my family hasn't attended a church service in quite a while so I don't have to worry about that, and I'm out of the Catholic school when I graduate this year. I'm not conerned with finding a religion at the moment though, when I do, I'll be ready to convert. Yes, it will be kind of scary going into something new but it will be right for me. From the little research I've done, Reform Judaism has been a close match and I'm happy with that. But if I can't find something that fits me completely, I'll do whatever I want, and I'm perfectly fine with that as well.
I know a lot of people who are comfortable with their religion because they don't think for themselves. One friend in particular hates it when I get her to use her brain about it because "God forbid" I should show her she has a mind of her own and isn't going to be dictated by her parents her entire life.
Well anyway, I think I rambled off that topic a little.

Answer 6

Well, partially because I was brought up as a Catholic, I had exposure to the Bible. I didnt really feel comfortable as a Catholic because the Bible didnt make sense and it seemed to contradict everything I was learning. I admire that Catholic people are so proud of their religion, but I disagree with much of the doctrine and rituals.

I started to study the Bible on my own and answers seemed clearer and nothing was contradicted anymore once I deprogrammed the Catholic training. I also studied other religions somewhat, and I was open to many things.

Then after all of the comparisons, Christianity still seemed like the most reliable choice because the Bible WAS more provable.

Recently I have encountered many awesome things related to my faith, and I am a Christian- BUT many Christians would argue that because I do not believe in the traditional concept of God that mankind has had- I now know the truth about who God is. The Bible is absolutely true- all of it, and I dont say it just because I am supposed to. I used to, like most Christians do, but I now know that God is real and easy to comprehend, but mankind has tried to overthink for so long- and to imagine God with the limitations their minds had- thinking that God looks like a man- the image we were created in, is not in body. Jesus Christ WAS God born into a mans body- virgin birth, performed real miracles, and died for us- but so many things people say they believe, are not TRULY believed by them.

People of all religions, Athiests too- would all believe if they knew who God is. If they realized how stupid we have been for arguing about points that are elementary. When I found out who God is, I slapped my forehead thinking how stupid I was and everyone else is for not seeing it sooner. Finding out gave me the answers to all of the questions I have ever asked or been asked about the Bible.

Answer 7

I was raised protestant and the churches I attended as a child were really lacking as far as having the spirit of the Lord inside. Eventually, I became less religious and more spiritual. I developed my own personal relationship with God. I may burn in hell for not going to church but I do like to commune with open-minded people and discuss religion and worship God. I am an outcast in my community (somewhat), even though I try to do good deeds and let people know that I am there for them if they need me. I have been back here for a year now, and none of these church-goers want to be my friend. That tells me that I have made the right decison (for me).
Also, I would like to add that I've studied enough about a few other religions to know that they weren't right for me.

Answer 8

I was born muslim. Being brought up in a western society i questioned many aspects of it. there were even times where i doubted that a god existed. But after some extensive research, and deep soul searching i realised i had the right religion.

I dont think anyone should blindly follow any religion. See what makes sense to you. Keep an open mind.

Answer 9

It's a process, not a "switch".

I think it's important to always consider that regardless of "being born into it" and then even going further to change your 'faith' or even not being raised in it at all and "look in from the outside", people are people. People will have various levels of TRUE active practice. There are lots of people who go to church regularly and beat their families or do horrific things.

It's about YOUR one-on-one relationship with God, your creator. He gives you "instructions" in the Bible as to the lifestyle that pleases Him. Just for the record, I haven't found yet in the Bible where He says life is easy, so be ready for lots of hardships and longsuffering. I do recall these words. We have the Ten Commandments, the stories of Jesus various miracles and wonderful acts.

My 2 cents... you've got NOTHING to lose and EVERYTHING to gain. Remember... God created YOU. If He did not want you, he would not have created you.

My growing Christian faith is exciting. I see every day more and more opportunities that God gives me to show others how much I love Him.

Answer 10

I believe that choosing a religion because you feel comfortable with it is defeating the purpose. After all religion involves worship of God. If he has set down the guidelines in the Bible, or whatever God your worshiping obedience to the commands of your God and salvation has to be dependent on whether you keep his commands or not, doesnt it. Many Christian religions say you can do this or that in this religion and we will not judge you. But they are only men, who has given them the right to judge others anyway. They are imperfect and make their own mistakes. God is the absolute judge. So therefore if you are going to choose a religion make sure that it upholds God's principles to the T.
Never be coerced into changing your religion by anyone other than yourself. Each of us are answerable to God on our own merits, not that of somebody elses actions or views. Make sure of the important things, don't let others persuade you otherwise.
Yes it is scary to convert because some of our loved ones might not approve, but afterall it is your standing with God. You must Own that decision, and of course the consequences of that, either way.

Answer 11

I was blessed. I was raised going to an Episcopalian church on most Sundays, a Metaphysical church as often as we could and practicing the Old Ways. My parents insisted that we make an educated choice of our religion and not be forced or coerced into one. We went to many different religious things. I am Pagan, celebrating the Old Ways, while my sister is a Southern Baptist. We are both quite happy with our separate beliefs.