Why do you believe in religion?

Question

Don't answer with because there is a one and only God etc. I want the reasons. What got u started and why you're staying.

examples:
-financial reasons
-better to believe just in case
-i fear a hell
-my friends do it
-i am lost in life

Answer 1

it started when I was 14, I was raised catholic, and had always gone to catholic sunday school, and, finally I realized that I didn't understand any of it, and began wondering if it was just made up, if it wasn't something that my parents told me, just like santa claus, or the easter bunny, and then I was afraid..what if it was real? what if God is real and I stop believing in him? so then I was told my mom, that not knowing wouldn't be my fault, and that if I lived as good a life as possible, God wouldn't fault me for it, and she also believe in purgatory, etc, but that made no sense to me either, and so began my journey of studying, everything and anything that had to do with ancient history, and mythologies, and so one weekend a friend invited me to a youth group (christian group for kids) and they had fun, games, and music, hanging out at the beach, and they began talking about a relationship with Jesus, which I had never heard of before, before, God was distant, there but not really anything that would pertain to my life, something that really didn't or wouldn't matter till the day I died, but they began talking about a relationship, and him being there, and so I began to study the new testament, and came across mithrism, which totally hindered me for a long long while, but then the youth pastor, seeing all my questions and that they went way beyond the normal realm for a child of my age pointed me in the direction of studying the history on Paul, and John, and Peter, apostles who have been proven to exist, along with studying the way things were in there times, and thats when it clicked.....these men died, they died with their dying breath stating that Jesus descended into heaven, they were stoned for it, banished for it, burned for it, how many men, women, people, would still lie while dying for what they were lying for? the bible tells us that John the apostle eventually after Jesus died became as a son to Mary...would he not at any given time asked her about the birth of Jesus? and if it was a lie...would he have preached it so much that he go himself banished to an island imprisoned for the rest of his days...alone? at some point if it was a lie...would they not have stopped when thier lives were at stake? who would die for a lie? what purpose would it have served in their time? and then, after they were persecuted..the roman empire converted to christianity..why? if they were killing people for insisting and preaching that Jesus was real, and that he died and rose again..why then would they eventually convert over? what happened to make them do so? there were alot of false messiahs in that time, hundreds...but we only mostly hear of one...why? why only him? he only started out with 12 followers...12 men, thats it...and all died because they said he was who he said he was.....who dies for a lie?

Answer 2

Most humans believe in religion for two reasons:

1). Terror management. Human beings are the only beasts of the field capable of contemplating their own doom. A belief in an afterlife is often a component of religion which serves to mitigate that terror. Additional requirements for experiencing the better option for an afterlife leads me to my next answer.

2). Meaningfulness: Human beings manage their terror because not doing so would impede their ability to survive, which is primal human programming. But if one is to survive, what makes life worth living? Religion, for some reason, provides an answer to that question. It not only mitigates the terror of impending doom, but also provides a purpose for one's life. This purpose, while constructed, gives the believer a reason to continue existence. It is, from the outside, an absurd rationalization for a very logical purpose, continued survival.

3). Organization. The universe is absurd. Nothing about it makes sense and all aspects of creation and existence is haphazard. Human beings, along with most other forms of life, are driven by a need to catagorize and easily reference elements of existence. This isn't some logical construction either, but another form of human programming which is absolutely essential to survival. However, the organization of matter and energy in the human mind is often interpreted as a recognition of a pre-existing organization rather than the efforts of one's own mind. And if organization is pre-existing, who did the organizing? I am sure you can guess what the answer is. ;)

Answer 3

I looked at the world around me and realized that it needed a lot of help, and I had neither the power or wisdom to to do anything about it. But I remembered that Jesus had told his followers to pray "your kingdom come and your will be done on earth like it is in heaven". So I began going to God and asking him to show me the how to do that - bring his kingdom and will into the world.

He answered that by guiding me to places of service and ministry for him where I have been blessed to see the lives of hundreds improved by his love.

So I continue to follow him because it is the best thing I can do for everyone around me.

Answer 4

I believe we are chosen by God to be one of his children. I can remember as a child of 9, something happening that to me was a miracle. All through my life, if I let go and let God, my path will be directed. God is not a monkey on a leash that will do your bidding, he is total power and all knowing. The devil sets temptation before us many times. Sometimes we fall victim to him. Satan took Jesus to a high place and offered him the world if he would just worship him, Jesus knew Satan was the great deceiver and answered him, "Get thee behind me". That is our gift of direction from the Lord, tell Satan to get behind us. Those days of the devil are over, behind us. We go forward in the light. I call that lighted direction, Religion.

Answer 5

Well logically people started by believing in God, or believing in someone like Budhha, then everyone started grouping according to their own faith...

THen people should name or classify this grouping with a common name -- that is Religion..

So you got it reversed.. people started believing then they were just classified as so... not necessarily that they believe in religion...

Answer 6

I'm currently non-religious. But I'm in the process of developing and finding my spiritual niche in life. This more has to do with finding truth, rather than fear of hell.

Answer 7

i believe in fundamental forces of good and evil that we all are aware of through our instincts. we know what the right thing is and the wrong thing and don't need shysters milking us out of our hard earned money to tell us we're going to hell if we don't subscribe to their bigotry inspired interpretation. the best thing Jesus ever taught was the concept of forgiveness. karma is a b$$$. you can't escape the consequences of your own actions and you pay for it in this life or the next. BUT thanks to the wisdom of jesus he taught that we can wipe our slates clean for it to work it has to come from the heart. the rest is culture and dogma.

Answer 8

I don't believe in religion so much as I believe in faith, which exists without the trappings of religion.

I believe because of the incredibly wondrous feeling I have when I pray.

Answer 9

Want a real reason, the world has evidence of artificial creativity already, something's are unexplainable even by science, and sometimes, you know there has to be a God in this world looking ater you when you just did something Great.

Answer 10

I don't believe in religion...I believe in a way of life. Religion is a bunch of rituals and traditions, Christianity is a way of life. It's apart of who you are. Its not so much just believing, its living, moving and having your being in Christ. Not just believing a bunch of words and a bunch of songs, but making it apart of you. Making it apart of your decisions, and apart of your daily routines. Christianity is who I am, not just what I believe.