If you felt uncomfortable in your religion, like you didn't belong, would you change?

Question

This question is more about theory than it is about me. A little background information. As a child, my parents forced me into the Lutheran church. I never felt like I belonged there, and during my mid-teens went searching for a religion I felt welcome in. I spent some time with the Christians, studied the ways of Islam and the Hindus, even saught some information from a Wiccan and even a Buddhist. Eventually I settled upon Druidry, an ancient Celtic religion and lifestyle that has been around since before the events in the bible were conceived. Now I'm very content and finally feel spiritually whole within my life as a Druid. And ultimately, isn't that the point of religion? To be spiritually at peace with one's self? If you felt uncomfortable or that you didn't belong to a religion, would you seek out another, even if it wasn't a mainstream Judeo-Christian system?

Answer 1

Heh, I already did, in a very similar way.

I was born and raised Lutheran myself. Never questioned it as a kid, but as I got to be a teenager on towards graduating from high school, I began to feel uncomfortable and unbelonging. My family admittedly had a bit to do with it as as well, as even when I was an unquestioning believer, I was treated as "not good enough", but that's beyond the point.

I didn't feel like I belonged, like I was too full of questions, saw a bit too much of the "herd mentality" going on, and to be frank, it scared me that people from the youngest child to the oldest member of the congregation could be so blind in their beliefs and faith. Kinda creeped me out at times to hear everyone recite their prayers and hymns with the same intonation and pitch and pace.

I felt really out of place and at odds with such thoughts coupled with my family's behavior towards me that in college, when I got into a bigger city(my hometown is less than 1500 people, so it doesn't take much to be bigger than that :P) and met people from all over the world, had friends on the internet with different religions and everything, I decided to try some soul searching.

Frankly, I was tired of the crap my family was pulling with me that seemed to be echoed by others in my hometown, so I figured I'd look elsewhere. I shifted beliefs for five or six years, looking into everything from Buddhism and Shintoism(I was big on Japanese culture for a time, still am in a way) to Wicca.

I was actually rather paganistic in my beliefs up until this year, in which my family's lovely harassment and mistreatment and arrogance drove me out of religion altogether because I was pretty sick of hearing "not good enough" sort of arguements over and over again. They don't understand me, don't want to, I was going to be harassed one way or another and settled on atheism as a result. It's not a religion, but I figured religion wasn't worth it if adherents were gonna act like my family was.

Started with feeling out of place, noticing herd-like behaviors(in my former congregation at least, maybe not all are like that, but in the ones I've gone to, it was almost scary to watch), then moved on to family harassment for questioning even the smallest thing and eventually through study and experience, I gave it up altogether.

Probably best to say that a big factor was being hurt not so much by religion, but by religious adherents who were people who were supposed to love me. Even when I believed, I got the distinct impression that I wasn't "good enough" and thusly didn't belong in the religion. So I studied a few others and eventually...left.

Answer 2

I went through the same thing, only my parents forced me into catholocism. I never felt right about it for myself though. I went on my own search for a religion I would feel comfortable with, but the more I looked the more phony they all sounded to me. Even atheism which focuses it's energy on not believing. I think it's all silly and a waste of time. Why not just live and feel what's closest to your heart? Why do people feel the need to catagorize themselves? I am at the happiest spiritual place in my life. I don't believe in any god or gods and i think that labeling yourself atheist, meaning you want people to know you don't believe in god, is a draining way to live.

Answer 3

its a good think that you avoid public expectation and did your own research!......but all i feel is that your research should be rationale, not only that it should leave you peaceful. I suggest re-study all religon in extreame detail directly from the books, as in the Quran, the Veda's ects. May be you found smthg in these books which are difficult to do, but may still sound right.

May GOd give you the eyes to see the truth.

Ameen

Answer 4

I do not agree with some things, that catholic hospitals do in the treatment of insurance and their patients. I have had negative experiences with every one of my hospitalizations there. That however does not effect my religious beliefs, and my feeling comfortable at Church or in the studies that I do, in all this is feel welcome and at peace with myself, therefore I do know some other faiths that are perhaps more positive, being human I feel every one will fall short of perfection.

Answer 5

I was like you, forced to attend a church that I did not embrace it`s theologian philosophies. I also studied different religions, but I came back to Christianity, but I chose a different non-denominational church who accepts everyone. If you can live with your choice, then you need no validation from others.

Answer 6

Define what you mean by not feeling comfortable..

I come across loads of people from my religion who I dont feel comfortable around..sometimes and usually these are the men.

the women have serious issues too sometimes..

but I try to keep religion and people in two separate beds.

and am only married to religion so :P

Answer 7

Absolutely. I'm in the middle of that right now...I'm leaning toward Judaism, Christianity just doesn't do it for me. Tooooo many big leaps to believe. I know in my heart that there is a God, I just want to find out more about the nature of God, and find where I fit in

Answer 8

Yes........usually it's the people that make you feel uncomfortable ....like the one who reported you....
he/ she is not at peace within by any means.....

Answer 9

No, I wouldn't, unless being uncomfortable had to do with "this just doesn't feel right"

Answer 10

yes, until I found one where I was comfortable, which I am now.