How can I find religion without people trying to convert me?

Question

Religion, ideally, is good. I think it's helpful to have a strong set of convictions and ethics for your life, and the afterlife sounds pretty sweet too.

However, organized religion has caused major damage throughout history, and still does to this day. So atheism has it's appeal, but I've found that atheists can be every bit as pretentious and overbearing as any religious fanatic. I believe there is a God, but being a 'casual' christian or catholic or whatever seems to be just as bad for a lot of people.

I'm not ready to take faith out of my life, but stupid athiests and christians make faith (or lack of it) a very confusing thing.

Answer 1

Stan, The answer I give below is actually one that I gave to an earlier questioner who asked, "What is the meaning of life."

I re-post it here, because I think the substance of it pertains to your very valid question. (In particular, the last two paragraphs).

Hope it helps.

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Certain questions are wrong -- like asking, "do you still beat your wife?" If you've never beaten your wife there's no correct way to answer it. If you answer "yes" it implies that you once DID beat your wife, and if you answer "no" it implies that you're still doing it.
Such is the case with this perennial question. It keeps coming up, and people think there's an objective answer -- like a solution to a mathematical equation, or a cure to a disease. People keep expecting someone, somewhere to come up with the magic answer, and suddenly we're all going to slap our foreheads and say, "WOW! So THAT'S it!!! Thanks."

Unfortunately, life is not an objective enterprise. It is a subjective enterprise. We may do science objectively, but Nobody (I repeat -- NOBODY) lives life "objectively." We all live it subjectively. And if that is the case, the question "what is the meaning of life" is nonsensical. You're asking for an objective answer to a subjective problem.

Therefore, you have to approach the problem subjectively. The proper question isn't "what is the meaning of life" (in objective terms), but "What is the meaning of MY life" -- asked in subjective terms.

And what is the meaning of YOUR life? Only YOU can answer that. That is the existential choice. It's all on you -- and nobody but you. It's the question each one of us must ultimately confront. You can be reactive and let others choose for you; or you can be proactive, seize the day, and define your own existence. It's up to you.

Answer 2

Dear Stan,

i think first you have to determine what the end goal of your seeking religion is. Most religions have an end goal of reaching God and so because there is so many different opinions out there on how to reach God it can be confusing.

You need to have a solid basis for what you believe. Strong convictions can help you be a better person but at the end of the day-- how do we know that good enough is good enough?

Without pushing my personal beliefs on you- i can reccomend a couple of good books which provides reasonable answers to common questions:

Know what you believe by Paul Little

More than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

Eternal Security by Charles Stanley

Reading is non-threatening and if you'd like you can even read those books and have an open dialogue with me. i'm a youth/college pastor- and i do want people to know Christ- but i want people to have a solid/real faith not just one based on feelings or benefits of following God.

Hope that helps. Kindly,

Nickster

Answer 3

Hi Stan!! :o)

A wonderful question. I am a Christian. But let me tell you something. I didn't come to believe in Christ because of the Christians I've known in my life. In fact - I came to believe in SPITE of the Christians I've known in my life. [With the exception of a very few] But I decided [after many years of trying to figure things out] that I was NOT going to allow MAN to decide FOR me if I was going to have a relationship with GOD. [If I was going to believe in God - in other words] And that wasn't easy to do. Many Christians [and many Atheists] are what I call 'absolutists'. They 'absolutely' believe that they are 'absolutely right'. They are the most difficult people to have a conversation with because they don't listen to ANYTHING. [This personality type applies to many within every other 'faith' too - of course] As a result - I became very protective of my 'walk' towards having some understand of God. And I tried to keep my distance from anyone and everyone who I felt was a 'know-it-all' in matters of faith. [Or lack thereof] As an aside... to this day I shiver whenever someone begins to answer a question about the Bible with , "It clearly states..." For you just KNOW that you're talking to an 'absolutist'.

I'm not a 'religious' person. I feel - as you do - that 'organized religion' has been the 'necessary excuse' used by many to do evil things. So once I got it in my head that Jesus felt no need to belong to any 'organized religion' - than I don't have to belong - either. I try to follow the teachings of Christ. Not the teachings of the Baptist Church or Catholics or whatever.

I have to distance myself from Yahoo Answers 'Religion and Spirituality' section every once in awhile for I often feel myself getting all wrapped up in someone else's MESS. And this applies equally to what I consider an Atheists 'mess' as a Christians 'mess'. There are an awful lot of mean-spirited Christians in the world. [And on this Yahoo thing] And there are an awful lot of arrogant and self-righteous Atheists. I can only conclude that the most difficult thing for a man NOT to be is a hypocrite.

Have a great day!! Craig!! :o)

Answer 4

I think the best option for you is to study. And no, not from the internet. It may again have preachers, or for that matter, twisted knowledge.

For example if you are searching for the truth, and lets say 3 religons inspire you like may be, christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Then buy the direct source of that religon that is, the holy scriptures. Study the Bible completly, read it, then study the Quran completly, read it, and finally study the Veda and read it. Take out time. I am sure once you are done with the process, you will for sure see the truth. I being a muslim can quoate you the verse from the quran, it is relavent for you, despite you beliving in the Quran or not. GOD says in the quran "When truth is heard against falsehood, falsehood perishes, for falsehood by its very nature is bound to perish".

May God guide you to what is the true path. and trust me, I have no itention of coverting you.

Answer 5

First you should know what is the meaning of religion.
First class religion teaches you how to love God. God is one, so there cannot be different religions. Religion means the command of God. It cannot be manufactured by any human being.
So, find a religion which teaches you best practically how to love God and become a sincere follower of that religion. God is within the hearts of all living entities and if He sees that you are serious about knowing Him and loving Him He will certainly guide you to the real religious system.

Answer 6

Perhaps by not looking to find a religion.. rather try to find God within you...He has promised to be within His temple... and you are that temple. Religion is totally something created by man to gather people to certain beliefs... but, God has sent another to guide you and teach you all things.. even the deeper things of God. When you reach this pinnacle, you will find others with the same understanding and will be able to gather as has been outlined... "When 2 or more are gathered in My name, there I am also."

Answer 7

if u really seek for the tuth then u just have to read and educate , i mean learn more about religions , and the so called organized religion , it is not bad at all , for me for example , i believe that my religion is quite good , and what is wrong in it to be organized and organize ur life as well??!!
my religion didn't leave a single major or minor aspect of life without talking about it , inorder to direct human to abetter life in this world and in the afterlife,
it calls for justice, morals ,peace....
it talked about every details in human life needs to know , starting from our relation with God , to ppl (wife , husband, children ,parents , neighbours,...........),even in buying and selling .....
(does it sound as if iam trying to convince u??)iam sorry but i was just giving u my opinion,
don't take ur faith out of ur life , coz faith is really good.

ps:lastly islam really didn't cause any damage in its histroy , also read about the islamic history and u will find out , and don't judge it by what is happeneing these days,

anyway good luck.
and i wish god guide u to the right path.

EDIT:if u started to read about islam , plz read for muslim writters or use islamic websites not any websites.
and again , it is really my opinion and u have the freedom to choose,

peace .

Answer 8

True spirituality is a faith of one. I recommend being quiet in nature. Hume illuminated the concept of social subjectivity and that cultural/social subjectivity is ever-changing. People are still having trouble with that concept, mostly because of centuries of primarily only magical-thinking which retards development of the critical-thinking skills that afford us the lucidity with which to see a more constant morality, which is found in nature. That is why Christians fear and suppress science, because science is a tool with which we can objectively see what is "naturally" moral, or, healthy. When people got sick from allowing human excrement into their water systems, they blamed demons who were angry and punishing them for whatever they made up at the time, which is an example of subjective morality. But, when scientific observation of bacteria revealed the danger of fouling drinking water, we found a healthier, objective morality of what is right and wrong by simply looking closely at nature. (Would you like to see a real photo that was recently taken of the beginning of the Universe?)

http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pwb/03/0217/

Answer 9

There is too much crap online that anyone and their dog can publish as fact with the most basic of computer skills and people are naive enough to believe it's real.

Go to the bookstore or library which are your best bets. Read on your own time and see what calls out to you and makes the most sense in accordance with your personal beliefs.

Answer 10

First of all no one can convert you. You have no religion to be converted from. Second, you have no real knowledge of any religion from which to make a choice. Third, faith is a gift from God it is not something you can be talked into. Fourth, it looks like you are being called to choose or you would not be on here. Choose wisely, it is a choice for eternity.