Reconsidering what i believe?

Question

I've always been a christian but lately have been thinking a lot about what i believe and why i believe it!! I read up on scientology (out of interest not to join) and thought hey, thats so far fetched.... but when i think about it.... christianity is 2 and so are most religions. (personal opinion, dont get upset)

I've always been "spiritual and earthy" and believe in the elements etc... and i guess that doesn't fit in with christianity anyways, so i figured i never really was a true believer. I believe in the earth. i'm not sure if i'd be considered a pagan?? or if i just believe what i believe??? i'm just confused

Has anyone else gone through the same thing or have any advice?

Answer 1

This is not at all unusual. The biggest dilemma in dealing with a shift in religious faith is the potential loss of community. There are those who believe in earth religions, and there are those who respect the earth and nature, but find themselves agnostic or atheistic regarding any supernatural forces. You may find friends and companions among this group, but others in your life may not understand.

I left Christianity and have been studying Buddhism, and I've joined a meditation group that meets monthly. This has been helpful to me, primarily because Buddhism does not require a belief in God. And the meditation is useful to me.

Best of luck.

.

Answer 2

MANY christians are jealous of the Pagans, Pagans have a laid back carefree attitude towards life, and the Puritains of the world cant stand it, I believe animals have souls and we reincarnate after we die. I was a christian myself, then i took a good look at the monster i became, i was hateful arrogant and close minded, I was also very depressed as a christian, and now im fighting hard to get back to true spirituality, which cannot be found in any sect or non denomination of christianity, Id buy you a glass of good wine but i dont have the money and i dont know you that well, Congratualtions on deconverting from christianity, if you want to talk about your deconversion go to this website http://www.exchristian.net

Answer 3

Catholics learned long ago that discounting life on Earth as irrelevant is a losing proposition. There's just too much of it to ignore, and denying participation opens up religion for all sorts of abuse. God made the world good. It should be enjoyed and used to make life better (and I don't mean more entertaining). But it should also not be abused. Any compulsive attachment to some part of earthly life is not healthy for anyone.

Spirituality is a way of looking beyond basic self-preservation as an aspiration. When we see a connection with the world and other people, we are more likely to take better care of everything. But when we use spirituality to create barriers and control people for our own convenience, that is an abuse of spirituality. Each of us needs to think about how an ideal existence for everyone would work, then figure out what we should be doing, practically, to bring it about.

No doubt we will need to put some moral restrictions on ourselves to support the greater good. But we should not put all our hopes in a supernatural basket of unverifiable promises. Some of the promise needs to be realized in this life. Otherwise, there's no point to life and "salvation" becomes merely an arbitrary test to be "passed".

Religious faith should be about why we do things, not how. If the stories and the icons become more important than our response to the inspiration, then we are idolizing and abandoning our own moral responsibility for the world.

Step back from that cherished background story, your foundational "myth", and look at it analytically. What is it saying about the nature of the world, and about our part in it? Don't get hung up on who did what. Focus on the values expressed. Any story could be "valid" if it supports the values we genuinely try to live. But it can't be a trivia quiz. It's not about the characters and the deeds. It has to be relevant to the way life is lived now. If a story is about justice or compassion, for instance, the method has to fit the circumstances, not the literal text.

What good is knowing how many ranks of angels there are? Or whether Mary remained a virgin all her life? Or if there could be non-supernatural explanations for any of the miracles? The details are not important. The meaning, how we understand God and life, is.

All rituals, no matter how old or established, are arbitrarily symbolic. Of themselves they do nothing. The meaning we invest in them, the concentration we focus through them, are what matter. One uses oil, water and bread. Another uses a tree branch, smoke and a knife. What will they do with these? Teach, meditate, pray. Only convention determines their significance or appropriateness. The real event is happening in the mind, the spirit. You may express your own spirituality in any way you choose. But when you share it, there will be compromise. Signs must be agreed upon, movements must be coordinated, to express the spirituality and values of the community.

Answer 4

No, you'd be considered "Agnostic" which means you don't believe in a Christian God, but you have not made up your mind if there is a God at all.

Good for you for waking up and realizing that Christianity and organized religions are nothing more than a business to get your money and brainwash you. There are lots of agnostic and atheist (If you believe there is no God at all) churches you can go to to be with like minded people, if you feel the need to do so. Congratulations!

Answer 5

Many people have been in the position you're in. I would suggest two things:

1) Take this test (link below). It may help you understand where your beliefs align in reference to some major religions:

http://www.selectsmart.com/RELIGION/

2) RESEARCH! Learn about all the religions, beliefs, spiritualities and faiths that you possibly can, and get your information from non-biased sources. This will help you find which ones are more or less appealing to you. Even if you don't choose just one, you can take the ideas that you like from a bunch of them and put them together to form your own path. As far as non-biased sources go, I suggest:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/

Good luck, and many blessings!

Answer 6

Been there, done that... to use the tired old expression. My advice: research. There are lots of various philosophies and religions out there that aren't like what is bugging you. Research neo-Paganism, Wicca, Eastern philosophies like Buddhism, etc. and you might find your niche, and you're less likely to wind up in a cult. Of all the religions I've studied, I've found Pagans, Wiccans and us Buddhists to have a firmer grasp on the reality of ourselves, the universe and how we relate to the universe and each other more kindly. Less dualistic thinking, more detachment from "stuff", more environmentally aware, etc.

Whatever works for you, just research and may you find whatever makes ya happy!

_()_

Answer 7

A lot of times we get confused between religion and dogma.Religion is a good thing it comes from the latin word religiousa meaning to reconnect us with the divine.Dogma is a set of rules that say how a certian group of belivers who are in a patricular tradition are going to define their connection to the divine.Religion can and is a good thing if it comes from the heart and is pure.It is when dogma comes into the picture that things get very sticky.The reason is that when you get a group of people together there are always those that have motives of preception of personal power and such.This can range from a need to belong to being a zealot to being insecure.So normally these people will ruin whatever the traditions are for all the rest unless there is leadership within that can see these people for what they are and reform them or exclude them from the group.The good news is that to be a spiritual person doesn't require you to be in a group.Divinity(in whatever archtype that you see it)wants only a few things from us.To always be thankful for our needs being met(notice our needs not our wants)to walk the best path that we can(no lying stealing cheating etc)and to say our prayer back to divinity(at birth each person is given a prayer by the divine that is put into the deepest part of their being our job is to find this prayer that is put inside us and say it back to the divine no one on this earth has our prayer that is ours only we have our prayer and divinity wants us to say it back to divinity)and to help our fellow man in what way we can(provoded that we are not rode as in take another for a free ride)if we follow this our llives will be well lived.My own personal prayer that I say a lot is Creator I thank you not for the deliverance from but for the deliverance to what I was meant to be

Answer 8

In this aspect, there is no knowledge, only belief. You have to find a set of beliefs that suit you. I'm not going to convert you to what I believe in, but I would advise you to find your own set of answers, and not to be influenced by others, no matter how erudite they may be. I have an idea of the category into which I would be placed, but I will never read up on that school of thought, because I want the beliefs, that I hold dear, to be my own - from within.

Answer 9

I was a Christian for more than half of my life. I read the Bible and it led me on a path to atheism. On that path I discovered just how much more "spiritual" and awe-inspiring science is than religion. If you are "spiritual and earthy" look into science. It is much more beautiful than BS myths.

http://www.tufts.edu/as/wright_center/cosmic_evolution/docs/splash.html

Answer 10

Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt.

I think you need to take a good hard look of what faiths believe and why they believe it. After a lot of that kind of reasoned analysis, I came to the conclusion that of all the faith systems, Christianity was the most likely to be correct and provided a far better explanation for the world and my role in it. The result may be different for you, but give it a shot.

I am not sure what would be the best resource for you concerning other faiths, depends on your reading level, education, etc. For Christianity, I would recommend "Mere Christianity". Perhaps others could recommend other texts they found useful in their search for Truth.