Why are you the religion you are?

[benetint]

If you are at all religious that is! My family are catholic and I have recently started attending church. I feel the services very comforting and I find I always want to try and be a better person after going. But there's so much in the Catholic Church I worry about, particularly if I'm going to start taking my children. So I didn't know whether I should explore other options too? I just wanted to know then really, are you a particular religion because you we're born into it? Or did you spend time finding a denomination that is in line with your beliefs/morals? Thanks so much

[RealityQuake]

I'm going through similar as you are, searching. I was raised Christian (father's side actively right wing American Protestant, grandfather and 3 minister uncles, everyone was involved, mother lived on TV evangelists even though she and her family are Catholic), I fell out of that after an experience in my teens. I ended up turning to Judaism after a lot of searching and thought I'd found a spiritual home as a Noachide for 15 years, but found some problematic concepts that threw me for a loop and away. It was a shock to my system, but also felt lighter once I'd come around and set about with my family what we wanted to do now.

So that resulted in a lot of reading, discussion, and debates between DH and I on whether Pantheism or Panentheism fits our world views best, we settle on being Philosophical Theist, while we work through the philosophical discussions, unpicking long settled Abrahamic beliefs for their worth, and creating our own traditions and such around it.

[HoppinMad]

Muslim here. Born to Muslim parents.

I sometimes wonder if I had been born thousands of miles away or even down the road to a non-muslim family, would i have discovered Islam later in life? I would like to think so, but then every single person with or without faith genuinely believe they are on the 'straight path' and hold the correct beliefs right? Its a strange one.
But I put a positive spin on these thoughts and feel more thankful to Allah for making me what I am. It is my beliefs that give me such internal peace that I would certainly feel lost without my Religion. Bonkers and proud Amber

[SirBoobAlot]

They didn't worship cats, exactly, but one of their goddesses, Bastet, was shown as a woman with a feline face. She could also be shown as a cat. Cats in themselves were highly regarded, mainly because of their usefulness with keeping rats / mice out of the way, and especially being able to get rid of dangerous snakes.

What I really love about Ancient Egyptian theology is the idea of the law of Maat. I won't bore you all with a lecture, but it is incredibly interesting.

[YouTheCat]

I don't necessarily believe that my atheism is the right path but it is right for me.

If your religion is right for you then all is well.

I can't be doing with any system of belief (or lack of) that wishes to exclude all other beliefs and possibilities.

[YouTheCat]

I'm up for a lecture on Maat.

[SirBoobAlot]

Okay... This will need a bit of background explanation!

Maat was firstly a goddess. She was shown as a woman with an ostrich feather on her head. She represented law, truth, honesty, and balance.

The Egyptians did not believe in the afterlife in the way it is viewed now, as heaven or hell. Instead they believed that once you died, you then had to process through a series of challenges, aided by what is now known as The Book Of The Dead. This in reality was a series of spells or magic words to help the dead person pass through the numerous gates.

Once you completed these challenges, you came to the final test, known as the weighing of the heart. The dead person's heart was placed on a scale, against the feather of Maat. To pass on to the Filed Of Reeds, the heart had to weigh equal to the feather - the dead person had to show they had done maat in their life. (For those that are interested, here is a list of the things the heart had to proclaim to weigh equally.)

If a person had not upheld maat, their heart would be consumed by a monster, and they would die the 'death of deaths', and they would live no more.

It's important to know that to understand the role that the law of maat held within every day life. I find it fascinating and utterly wonderful that this culture, which survived for thousands of years, was governed by something that, in essence, boils down to leading a life of balance.

[SirBoobAlot]

[YouTheCat]

Sounds like a good way to live though, even if you don't believe in the whole what happens after death aspect. It's always good to be honest, truthful and have balance.

[ivanapoo]

It's not a religion but I would say I'm a humanist with slight leanings towards some elements of pagan. My parents were agnostic/atheist. As I don't believe in a god I guess this makes me atheist too.

With the exception of Alpha course bods I know very, very few religious adults that were not brought up in religious households/communities.

[serin]

Catholic, I was brought up in this Faith and for all it's faults it still brings me immense peace.

Agree with Hoppinmad!

"Bonkers and Proud, Amber"

[Jinsei]

Thanks SirBoob, that was really interesting. We might do well to remember the virtue of balance a bit more in today's world!

[SirBoobAlot]

YouTheCat, I think so too. And the more I have researched over the years, the more I find an utter peace in it.

Obviously things were very different then, but in so many ways they were similar too. I have a soft spot for the god Bes, who was supposed to scare off chaos by pulling ugly faces :)

[MsAkimbo]

These responses are so interesting! Especially love the Egyptian info. I am also a huge geek Thanks for the link!

Raised RC, now I suppose I'd be a Secular Humanist. I enjoy learning about religions but don't necessarily want to subscribe to any of them.

I do like the cultural and historical aspect of religion; how communities and traditions can be made based on an idea and/or belief. And how all different faiths seem to interwine through their stories.

[SirBoobAlot]

Quite agree, Jinsei!

[firawla]

im muslim. i have been since i was in my young teens. i wasnt happy as a child & teenager, went through difficult situations etc - i felt like i needed something to give me a purpose and something to belong to and i found beauty in islam. i love the quran, it gave me a sense of peace.
im not as religious now as i used to be, and if i ask myself now if i hadnt found islam at that time would i become muslim nowadays if i had come across it later in life - the honest answer is i probably wouldnt but i am glad i did find it when i was young. i go through a lot of up and downs in how strict, or how much 'iman/faith' i really have but i will always be muslim, its a massive part of who i am

[YouTheCat]

Also what MsAkimbo said. I find the historical aspects interesting too.

I think my dd might be channelling Bes.

[Shizzy]

I'm a Zoroastrian. Our belief system is based on 'good words, good thoughts, good deeds' which I think is a pretty good way to try to live your life.

[lottiegarbanzo]

Interesting, particularly people who have changed faith.

I would have said that you have a propensity for belief or you don't and, if you do, your culture determines which religion you have. It makes sense that it should, as religion and community are intertwined and the basics of belief in a higher power and associated morality are the same across most religions, with only the trimmings very different, so you fit in with people around you through the cultural traditions associated with your religion. So, swapping religions is pointlessly picky and an essentially teenage act of rebellion.

So interesting to read what people's reasons for swapping actually are.

I'm culturally C of E and an atheist, so fit my own prescription for not having chosen to believe in a different style.

[flyingspaghettimonster]

I was raised without religion. Married in a catholic church to an atheist. I think i am agnostic, but leaning more and more to wards atheism. If I had to believe in any one thing it would be ancient aliens, but people laugh at that more than they dare laugh at religions. I don't see why... It is a perfectly valid belief and with more evidence.

[TraceyTrickster]

Raised Cof E by Catholic mother and Chapel (Welsh) father.

Now a complete atheist. So many things have happened in life that if there were a god, he/she would have to be unbelievably cruel to allow them to happen. So it is easier to believe that life is just random- makes far more sense.

[GilmoursPillow]

I'm a non-believer married to a Catholic. I was not raised in any religion and my parents are non-believers too.

DH and I hold very different religious views (obviously) but respect each other's view and do not get into arguments over religion.

MiL and SiL are very serious about their religion and don't realise I don't believe in God so I sit is silence through Grace when at their house. MiL would be gutted if she knew my views and it would cause a huge stir if she/they found out, but it does rankle me that their right to openly believe trumps my right to openly disbelieve (in their company).

[GilmoursPillow]

But that doesn't answer your question of why

Simply, because I cannot make myself believe in a God.

[exoticfruits]

C of E, mainly because I was brought up that way and it is comfortable. I do however like the idea of the Quakers and will get around to giving it a try one day.

[shushpenfold]

Christian. Brought up as a Methodist, found God myself in my teens, seemed to lose faith for a while on a couple of occasions (was actively hiding from Him) but am walking with Him now.......difficult sometimes but He loves me and you want to please the people you love, even more so when they created you! Makes me smile to talk about Him. X

[threesypeesy]

Both myself and dh were born and raised Protestant as are our 3dds.

We are not overly religious but attend church now and again and our dds know the history of our religion as we think its important they understand the history of it.

They have also been made aware of some other religions but both myself and dh are not keen on them studying certain religions at school.

Where we stay your either one religion or another and alot of bitterness around those who are not the same as you (outside Glasgow)