why do 'You' follow your religion?

Question

- what compelled you to follow 'this' path?
- are you willing to see any 'other' path?
- do you pick and choose what to believe? or do you learn it all?

just a comment...for all those people who were 'born' into their relgion (their entire family practices it)...do you think that if you were born into a family with different religious beliefs that you would have 'come around' to following the religion that you do today...? think about it

Answer 1

My parents (one Roman Catholic, one Methodist), in an attempt to be good parents, thought I should be exposed to a variety of religions so I could choose the one best for me. What I saw was hypocrisy, twisted words, and power plays all meant to build that denomination at the expense of others. God had little to do with anything except as a weapon to keep the congregation in order.

The general line was (sometimes subtle, sometimes overt), "If you don't believe as I do, you will burn in Hell for eternity." I pondered that for a long time, wondering which one was right, worrying that if I chose the wrong one I would do just that.

Then it occurred to me that perhaps they were all wrong. Further examination and pondering over the years led me to the conclusion that God and religion have nothing to do with each other. God = Love. Religion = control and power over people. So I rejected all the mainstream Western religions and began my search for the truth.

What I now believe is the result of 40+ years of investigation and soul searching. Am I right? Beats me. I'm right for me and there are others who believe similarly to me. Their presence does not justify my beliefs any more than mine justifies theirs. But it is nice to know (finally) that I am not alone, that there are others of like mind and heart.

I honor everyone's path. They walk the path they are called to walk and it is none of my business. I will answer questions when asked, guide when requested, and be silent at other times. I have no more desire to push my beliefs onto another than I have for others to push theirs onto me.

Bless your hearts.
Be at peace and teach only love.

Answer 2

During 1800s, Anthropologists had a problem as to
how to classify human beings. One researcher
proposed the expression "intelligent animal".
After advanced studies on monkeys, it was dropped.
Another researcher proposed "tool using animal".
After observing some animals making wooden tools
and sharpening them with knife like stones, it was
dropped. Another researcher proposed "weapon using
animal". A decade ago, a rare film was shot by an
amateur in an African forest. One short monkey was
hit very badly by a big monkey. The short monkey
prepared a wooden knife using stones and hid it on
the top of a tree. After some days, when the big
monkey came to attack the short monkey, it ran up
to the tree for the weapon it has hid and killed
the big monkey. The one thing that the
anthropologists found with any group of human
beings, even if they did not have contacts with
the out side world for thousands of years, has
spirituality with some form of religion. So, man
is a "spiritual animal" if you want to call him
that way.

The Upanishads say that "Manush" (human) was so
named because he has "Manas" a mind higher than
that of the animals which realizes the divinity in
creation. It was present since the creation of
human beings. Religion is the characteristic
feature of most of the human beings. It was not
attained through reasoning using mind. Illiterate
tribes located in inaccessible forests also have
religion. It is as eternal and and as unchanging
as the Almighty. Disbelief by a few will not
affect it.

"The percentage of atheists in the world is less
than 5%"

http://www.positiveatheism.org/india/s1990c48a.htm

"Atheists are all scientists" ?

http://www.non-religious.com/statistics.html

Religion is not a blind following. It is a sub-consciously driven
group ritual. It calms the 'collective unconscious' mind. The
religious culture brings unity and belongedness among the followers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_unconscious

" Are Atheists More Depressed than Religious People?

In recent years, the view that religious belief and
participation in religious acts of worship has a positive
effect upon the well-being of man..."

http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php

"Is a Belief in God Beneficial? Or, What's an Atheist to Do?

1) Religious attendance is correlated with longevity.
2) Religious belief has been associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms.
3) Religious beliefs may help with addiction.
4) Religious attendance is correlated with lower blood pressure.

http://jewishatheist.blogspot.com/2006/01/is-belief-in-god-beneficial-or-whats.html

Answer 3

1) I read what it had to say, and it made sense to me. It also offered a good, real-life applicable philosophy, which I didn't find in some of the vaguer religions I studied. So it was more about finding the accurate label for what I already believed.

2) I've read up on tons of other religions over the years, and while I understand people go with them and can respect their choices, I have no interest in joining anything else.

3) Nope, I agree with the tenets 100%. Fortunately there a lot of room (and encouragement) for individual expression built into the structure.

Answer 4

Because I found that it best suited my beliefs and is the best path for me. Not only am I willing to see other paths, but I enthusiastically study other religions to see what of value I can find in them. I learn as much as I can about a variety of religions, but I do choose to follow or believe only that which I find true and helpful to me. That was the Buddha's advice.

Answer 5

I follow the path I've chosen because it is mine.

Originally I began following it because of a particular event in my life 40 years ago.

I'm not looking for any other path.

I learn constantly. The links below list a lot of the written material I've learned from.

Answer 6

1.compelled is not the word my whole family is christian so as soon as i was old enough to go to bible school i gave my heart to Jesus

2. NO because other non christians and chriestians have documented Jesuses death on the cross there for it is true. MOST other religions are not going to lead you to heaven Jesus is the WAY the TRUTH and the LIGHT

3.no i try to understand all but i mostly belive what the bible teaches

Answer 7

i wasn't compelled, it called to me. it was what made the most sense. i have investigated other paths, but none has called me. it's not picking and choosing, it's following what seems real, and you have to learn some of everything to know if you're in the right place.

Answer 8

i just feel right about the path that i follow. i am not as conventional as some other ppl that go to my church, as far as i do celebrate just about every pagan holiday known to man but almost everyone celebrates, halloween and christmas anyway. i see the path that leads me to the eternal peace that i seek and that is the one i follow. no path that anyman could create would make me follow.

Answer 9

I did a lot of soul-searching a research.

I "see" other paths and respect them all, I just have no desire to follow them.

I suppose you can say I "pick and choose" what I believe. Honestly, we all do.

Answer 10

-I follow my Faith because through trial and error I have found that this way works the best.

-It is true.

-I've explored other paths...always came back to this one.

-I prioritize, but in the end, I will need to learn and follow it all.