Do I even have a religion anymore?

Question

I used to try really hard to be the best Christian I could when I was younger (Like ages 8-12) but I could never seem to put up with all the other Christians I met. I quit going to church and associating with them because of the standards they had. Anytime I ever did something wrong they would always tell me that it was wrong and that I needed to repent and all that jazz. I guess they just pushed me too far and I totally started to drift away from all religion. In a way, I want to have some sort of religion and I think Christianity would be nice and all if all the other followers weren't complete jackasses. I also hate the people that tel I see sermons on television, and some of the religious people on Y!A or anywhere I go and they just make Christianity seem like a huge covered-up cult system. So what should I do, take the path my own way, not have a religion at all, or put up with a bunch of flaming idiots that I don't believe for a second and want to make me punch their lights out??

Answer 1

Well, we are all spiritual people. We can't help it, it's in our genes.
Religion helps us to know who we are and why, plus what we should do and believe.
Atheist have their faith as well.

You need to find Christians that live by God's love more then by God's rules. These Christians are real and are patient and will gently help you when you fall into sin or run into something that might not be so good for you. Plus they will also ask you to help them, no mater how Young a Christian you are.

I understand, I run into so many Christians that say,"this is the way you should live and so on", yet they never care about you personally or they just don't know how. Sometimes I must watch myself when I see some other Christian do something that seems wrong, yet in Gods word it's not wrong at all.

I hate it when Christians mix their view with God's view. It makes things worst, and turns people away from God.

If some Christian says something to you in a non loving way about something you are doing, let them know that their approach is wrong and ungodly.

I would have you tell me. And please do so.

Answer 2

I can really understand what you're going through, and although I can't tell you what to do, I can tell you what I've done. I'm still a Christian. I go to church occasionally, but am not involved in any particular church regularly. I live my life the best way I can, and avoid organized religion at all costs! I don't believe Jesus ever meant for religion to become what it is today, and I also don't believe that it is required for someone to attend a church when they don't agree with that church's members. Many many people today have turned Christianity into an exclusive social club, and have lost the focus of what it was supposed to be. So I just keep being Christian, and I just do it day to day in the regular world. I have a few people close to me who I can discuss things with and if I ever do find a church I agree with, then i'll join it happily!

Answer 3

WoW your in the same boat as me. Grew up in the church very active was practically there when the doors were open. I went off to college got away from the church and started to think on my own about religion and spirituality and relized deep down I dont hold some of the same belives as most "christians". Fast Forward to now, partners active in the church were best friends with the priest but the more I watched them interact and talk about the church and going ons that I noticed its a lot of smoke a mirrors. Personally Christianty is a well believed in cult.

My answer would be, make your own path and if anyone tells you your wrong for it, simply ignore them because NO ONE can tell you want to believe in.

Answer 4

Try finding a friends meeting house near you - make sure its one of the very relaxed ones. They have no formal service, everyone sits together for an hour and if the spirit moves them they stand and give testimony. Some believe in the bible but often not as the word of god but more as a teaching aid. Their main belief as I gather is that god is love and that there is a little of God in everyone that we have to look for. In fact they will often refer to a guiding light or something like that instead of God. Their are even non theistic Quakers but I don't quite get that myself. They are all still searching and welcome agnostics and Buddhists and Hindus to the meeting as everyone is searching for the light. they do not believe in the dogma of 'being saved' which is a modern concept to Christianity. I'm afraid i only have info from the UK but I do know they have fundamentalist evangelical Quakers in the US too. So I would avoid those with the way that you are feeling.
Sitting in silence can sound weird but it is for some people a wonderful experience listening for God in the silence. Also it will provide you with something every religious group should - community.
You cold also try a non-denominational or a Methodist church. Whatever you check out stay away from fundamentalists and evangelicals as it sounds like you aren't quite in that league.
Oh and I completly sympathise I have relatives with the same attitude and I am just never going to have the personality to fit in with it, My main advise is DON'T throw the baby out with the bath water and DO spend some time trying to understand and forgive the peple that were doing that to you. Holding onto the anger can make you bitter and is not good for the blood pressure :-)

Answer 5

I think that you can find your path that will work for you and go with it... in the end we all end up where we were meant to be. I honestly think that being a good person and being honest with yourself is the best thing to live by no matter how you categorize it...You can take a combination of what you have learned and read on other religions and combine them to make something that is comfortable for your life and easy to live by... there is no ONE set religion!

Abraham Lincoln once said.. If I do good I feel good, If I do bad I feel bad that is my religion.

Answer 6

Please, take your own path. Don't try to conform to a religion. Take what you need from it and leave the rest behind. You'll learn a lot more and have a new understanding of life, of yourself, this world, the universe if you drop all the rules and regulations of religion. Spirituality is key, not religion.

Religion is exoteric and spirituality is esoteric.
Religion focuses on the outer person (appearance or expression), while spirituality focuses on the inner person (thoughts, feelings, and so on).
Religion copies and imitates, but spirituality discovers and originates.
Religion brings routine. Spirituality brings freedom.
Religion values ceremony. Spirituality values meaning. Religion imposes rules. Spirituality declares universal truths. Religion says people are bad. Spirituality says they are good.
Religion empowers others. Spirituality empowers oneself. Religion looks to the past. Spirituality looks to the future. Religion takes discipline. Spirituality takes curiosity. Religion burdens. Spirituality lightens.
Religion persuades. Spirituality explains.
Religion fears. Spirituality seeks.
Religion teaches longsuffering. Spirituality teaches patience.
Religion takes away. Spirituality affirms.
Religion limits. Spirituality expands.
Religion requires the acceptance of a belief in place of experience; Spirituality requires the release of beliefs that hinder experience.
Religion is the haven of the fearful. Spirituality is the playground of the joyful.
Religion dulls. Spirituality sharpens.
Religion cries tears of guilt and shame. Spirituality cries tears of release and joy.

Answer 7

Don';t have religion - men attempting to reach God - through vain traditions and making others jump through hoops, etc. Have a relationship with Jesus Christ - that's what it's all about to be saved! We are saved through the shed blood of Jesus Christ - no other way for me to be saved! God doesn't care about your social status, what church you attend - what he cares about is your heart - are you following Jesus Christ? Are you allowing God to direct your paths - He can do that if you read His guide book - the Bible. Men cannot reach God via their own ways - Jesus came to earth to be like us and dwelled among us - through Him is true religion - a relationship!!!

Answer 8

God does not ask you to take a look at those around you who say they are Christians and decide whether or not you would like to be like them. God does ask you to consider Jesus Christ. Who did he say he was? What did he ask his followers to do? God asks you to consider Jesus and decide if you will follow, whether or not anyone around you does.

My suggestion . . . read the book of John. Ask God to reveal the truth to you. And then make a decision based, not on the people around you, but on what God says is TRUTH.

Blessings.

Answer 9

Some people really, really, really need to go to Church regularly, so try to be understanding of their need and imagine what they would be like if there were no church at all to steer them away from their hard heartedness.
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Meanwhile just open your heart to the one who created you and all we see around us, and the one who voluntarily died a horrible death and rose from the dead to prove to us there is another world waiting for our conciousness.
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Then follow your heart, if you are looking for the truth, just ask for it and follow your heart.

Answer 10

Follow your own path. If you want to call yourself Christian, read your Bible and draw your OWN conclusions.

Meanwhile, you might figure out what you already think is true, and see if there's anything out there that matches it already.