Im 14 and need ideas for my Essay!?

Question

Im 14 and i would like to ask a question about religion. I believe that in most cases what religon you are is just by chance because doesn't it depend what family your are born into and what religion they are? and if so, why do you believe in God(s) ( do you believe in God because you are influenced by the people around you and is the main reason for believing in God is to get to heaven? if so isnt that taking advantage of God? because in most religions arent you suppose to appreciate God for what they have done etc.. and not what they can provide?)and how do you know if your religion is correct? and how come there are different ethnicities if humans supposedly descended from Adam and Eve in the christian point of view? ...I'm asking these questions because i have to write an essay about why i do/ don't believe in the existence of God(s)..I am agnostic, oh and if god does exist do i go to hell for being agnostic?
(these questions aren't asked to cause arguments but DEBATE)
Thank You

Answer 1

I'm a evangelical Christian.
First off, I'm not that way because of my family. I have people in my family who are Satanist, Agnostic, Catholic, Atheist, and so on. I became a Christian because it felt right to me.

I don't follow Christ because I'm hoping to go to heaven. A lot of Christians are bad about that, though -- they take their ticket to heaven, stick it in their pocket, and go on with their lives. And that's wrong. Real Christians are supposed to live every single day in a way that's pleasing to Christ.

How do I know my religion is right? I just do. That's all I can say. I'm not saying everyone who isn't just like me is going to hell. I'm just saying my faith makes sense to me so I like to live my life that way.

I don't believe all humans came from Adam and Eve. I believe they were the first "chosen people" God blessed for his own purposes. The Bible actually traces family heritage from Adam all the way down to Jesus.
But Genesis is clear that after Adam and Eve left the garden, there were other human beings elsewhere.

If you have any more questions, feel free to post them and I'll do my best to help. As for other religions, I can't speak for them.

Answer 2

Good luck on your essay. I'll give you my answers to some of these questions:

I think you misworded your first question. By far the biggest predictor of a person's religion is their parents' religion. People do change (I did) but I was over 30 by the time I did so.

People believe in God in order to deal with anxiety. If there is something that's scary, like death, religion can help them have a way to either deal with it or escape it. For many Christians, that big escape is heaven. And of course, it is taking advantage of God, but because some view God as the judge, it also is God being pretty demanding of human beings for no rational reason.

People in general believe their religion is correct because they have an emotional connection to it. It makes them feel good, so of course it must be right. However, this same experience occurs in every religion on the planet, and so the Christian's warm fuzzy feelings in competition with the Muslim's warm fuzzy feelings, each convinced that they have God's ear.

The question of ethnic diversity is difficult for fundamentalist Christians to answer, but since I don't believe the bible makes a good science text book, I don't accept its creation myths.

I hope this helps you spawn some good ideas. If you want to see my reasons for not believing in God, you can check out my blog at:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-t0BORtswfacdeOuprS2h8mE-?cq=1&p=36

Have a good school year.

.

Answer 3

What an interesting essay to have to do! I am not going to say I'm right, I will give you my opinions ok? First, yes I think that most of us conform to our cultures, heritage, etc. For the most part, Christianity is HUGE. We grow up hearing about God and Jesus if for no other reason than the holidays. In Christianity, believing in God isn't enough to get to heaven; accepting and believing in Jesus is. As for anyone knowing their religion is right--factually there is NO way. We each can only know what feels right to us. I grew up in Christianity but felt something missing. I took a Religious Traditions course in college, learned about all of these awesome different belief systems. Two years later I found myself learning about paganism. In this research, I have formed the opinion that no ONE person is right, we're all right. Everything from what i can tell so far all came from the same first beliefs. When researched, the holidays celebrated on a regular calendar, those that are supposed to be about Jesus, etc. they actually came from *or are extremely similar* to old world traditions and beliefs. :) Now as far as you going to hell: if God is real as the Christian beliefs it is understood that someone who has heard the truth and turns away is far worse than those who have never heard. Which means, you've heard what you need to know but you choose to walk away, is not good. BUT on the other hand, if you choose another path to follow then you shouldn't worry. As for me, I don't believe in heaven/hell, good/evil. I believe I'll get what I put out whether it's in this lifetime or the next. I wish you well w/ your essay!

Answer 4

The definition of religion is :remembering what you were taught by your forefathers.
Religions and denominations are human inventions. God has placed in every heart the knowledge that there is something greater than humans. How we act upon that information is a gift from God. You cant earn it. We relieve the suffering of our fellow man out of Love. There are no acts that we can do to merit Heaven. All existence is a gift from God. Using this gift is what fills us up. Ask any one who is depressed and they will tell you they feel empty
and hollow in side. The only thing that can fill that empty space is love and kindness to our fellow man.

Answer 5

you are right at a point, i think it has to do with ur family's religion, it matters ok, but people are divided into three when it comes to this topic:
1-seekers, disicion makers
2-people who surrender to peer pressure
3- and people who dont give a damn
to tell u the truth, i'm the second lazy type, being raised in a Muslim family (not strict at all) made me a Muslim.
BUT, now i thank God for my goodluck, because i studied Islam, practice its rules everyday (like praying, fasting, reading quran..etc)
and i tell u what,i fell in love with my religion, and more and more each day, 90% of me being Muslim is that i'm 100% believing in it, our quran is very convincing, i still cry when i read it, its not just words in a book, it life, its pure. and the other 10% is because my family are Muslims.
i'm not trying to promote for Islam, i respect all religions, but this is how i feel.
we are educated open minded people talking here, so i'm sure we are all convinced with our religions.
i wanna add something, i dont know about other religions, but our's told us that not believing in God in the first place will definitly go to hell, specially for not searching and making an effort, but i can see ur on the right path (at least ur curious), God lightens ur path:)

Answer 6

Putting aside that I don't think you're 14, I'll try to answer your questions based on my beliefs.

While for most Christians your statement about the choice of your religion not really being a personal choice rings true, there are many Christians, and probably a sizable percentage of people of other faiths (and lack thereof) who have looked into themselves, studied it out, researched it, and actually made a personal choice at some point in their life. For most of these people, I think, they have gone with a different religion than they were raised in.
To through in some personal experience, in my family, there are Methodists, Baptists, Church of Christs, Jews, Anglicans, general Christians (don't go to church or read the Bible, but believe in Christ), and me, I'm Mormon.
While I was raised Methodist, I converted to the LDS (Mormon) faith at 19, after much soul searching. I've always believed in God, and it wasn't until I wanted to know more about a college friends faith that I found out that what the Methodists believe is and was never what I believed. I can not remember a time when I didn't believe in God. And while the main reason for believing in God is to return to Him, I don't think it's "taking advantage of God", because it's His plan that I'm trying to follow. It's not as though He made us in His image then said ok, you're on your own. He wants us to come back to Him. In all the Christian religions I've heard about, you're suppposed to love God for what He did for us, and try to live as best as you can relying on Christ to make up the rest so you can return to Him.
When investigating and learning about what I believe and trying to find a church that matched with my beliefs, I did a lot of praying. That's when I developed a relationship with God, and while sometimes our conversations are more like me leaving a message with Him, I've proved Him (to my satisfaction) in days that are past. There isn't room or time for me to share my full experience now, but I have a strong testimony that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith restored the true Gospel of Jesus Christ through the power of God.
As to your statement about ethnicities, I think a lot of it comes from the migratory patterns of people, and that Adam and Eve didn't have the genetic imperfections we now have.
Do I think you will go to hell for being agnostic? I think you will have the opportunity of having the true Gospel preached to you, either in this life or after death but before the Judgement Day. If you choose to accept it, then no you won't go to hell. If you choose to not accept it, then you will, however I beleive you will accept it, even if on the other side.
Now, as for your supposed essay, take what you learn at YA R&S and and explain how your beliefs are different and the same as these.

Answer 7

I'll answer your last question first, If GOD does exist then you will go to hell for being agnostic.

I have a question for you let's say I'm wrong and GOD doesn't exist, then what harm does it do to believe in Him and follow his teachings about love, forgivness, grace and helping others?

But....If I'm right and GOD is real then when you die you will be forever cast into a lake of fire that was never made for you, it was made for satan and his angels.
hell is a place with no hope, no help, pain, burning,screaming, total agony, a place where undying worms will burrow through every orface you have as they eat you inside out, you will never feel love, or comfort of a loved ones presence, then that last and most horriblle feeling will set in as you realize you are separated from the only one who can free you forever.

to answer another question I believe in GOD because He has shown Himself real to me.

Answer 8

If you agnostic then you dont believe in god, so as far as your concerned there is no heaven or hell or anywhere else. your essay should state this and then discuss evolution. If you dont believe in god then that's it, isnt it.write how you believe the earth and all its living thing evolved.

goodluck I would love to read your final essay.

Answer 9

You might create a coloring guide for kids to place on the humane society announcing like who's going to care for the puppy and wash him, and many others. Make a show on the library making use of the books. Paint a timeline at the wall at institution for the historical past hallway or english or something. wish that helped and well good fortune!

Answer 10

In as much as I was not around to see how everything came into being (and neither were you),I say, "I don't know ..... YET!" To assume that some god, my less than intellectual ancestors made up, instantaneously farted the universe into being, is absurd. I had to come to this conclusion despite my family and up-bringing.