What 'religion' am I?

[ElsaElswhere]

We are not a religious family but culturally Christian. To me spirituality is very real and important but I am not woo (not sure if that makes sense).
I also find that all religions have some good things to offer but I do not believe in any one religion. I pray sometimes and believe that there is 'something' more an 'energy' than a deity / higher being. I feel that nature and the world are amazing and that there is more than meets the eye. I feel that when I pray and connect to my imagined / sensed world energy I am calm and at peace.

I would like to develop my spiritual side more but not sure how. I love nature, I like going to some churches though am put off by the immense power men and women have held (and possibly still hold) over their community because they worked for the church. This sort of power will always be abused by some (many?). I detest the worshiping of people and the power hierarchies in most religions.

So, what am I? An agnostic? A lapsed Christian? what else?

I know what you mean. I don't really know the answer however I believe that there is more than meets the eye. I also believe that we are blind to stuff and how amazing life can be and to how we should be behaving towards each other. I believe that we are energy also or a soul/spirit and that we will return home/back to our original source (call it God it whatever) and that it will be filled with nothing but love and peace. Amen.

Or whatever

ChocoholicsAnonymous I also believe that how we behave to each other is part of my notion of spirituality. I am not sure I dare believe that we will return home / back to our original source and find the thought a little bit scary like all things related to death.

I feel that life in itself is something spiritual. Life and nature, the elements etc.

I had to fill in the religion field for a job application and chose Christian but I am not relay a Christian, I definitely don't believe that Jesus was actually born to a virgin mother, is the son of god, was really resurrected and so on but I feel the new testament is quite positive compared to the old one and that many of Jesus' teachings were excellent and commendable, a good way of life.

I know some Muslim people who are prancing Alevits and they are very amazing people with peace and love oozing from them .

I could never follow one religion though.

• relay really

*who are prancing Alevits

Seriously! That should read practicing sorry.

I really hope that we do return home and see our loved one's again. Those who have passed on.

I'm no expert on religion, but your beliefs sound more inclined to Taoism than Christianity..

You sound like a Humanist to me. Strong belief in the goodness and morals of people without the rigid structure / framework of mass organised religions.

That's a brief summary of what I can remember Humanists stand for, apologies if I've got it wrong!

I'd just say spiritual and to develop it more by meditating.

I think the source/soul/life force/god, whatever you want to call it is everywhere and everything, what the heck do the naysayers think all the empty space is, there is no actual matter.

"I think the source/soul/life force/god, whatever you want to call it is everywhere and everything"
I don't know about soul but definitely sense the force / life / source / god thing. I am a born sceptic but I really believe / know that life itself is more than what we generally admit it is that life functions / operates in a way that we don't understand and that there is a spiritual interaction between one's own consciousness and behaviour and the 'force' / god.

But the word god is too loaded for me to use in conversation but I am very happy to connect to god privately.

I am probably just weird.

I think you sound a bit pagan actually, with the 'do no harm' philosophy and the connection to nature, universal energy etc. I

I've posted this video before but I just love it. This is how I feel about it all. Alan Watts speaking. Around five mins long. Beautiful.

This was the video I meant to post, I like them both though. Around 4 mins.

Samsara123 thanks you for posting these videos I like them both but especially the first one.

NC4now I don't know much about paganism but strongly sense that being close to nature that is being in nature or living naturally eating natural foods in synch with the seasons and so on makes me feel more at peace and energetic. I am aware that I might be using nature in a romantic sense probably.

Can you try visiting a few different places of worship? You might find it interesting from a purely research point of view. Observing different points of view. I am sure all would welcome you warmly. It would be fascinating I think. There would probably be people on here who could point you in the right direction for many different religions.
I am a Christian and like a happy modern church service but I know other Christians who are moved by an evening service at a Cathedral. It may well be the same with other religions. I would be love to watch a service (?if that's the right word) at Stonehenge on Summer Solstice. I really really enjoyed a welcome and talk at a nearby Mosque on a visit with Brownies and felt very at peace at a Buddhist temple.

I think only you can really decide what religion you are.

Sorry, thought this was a riddle

I had an ex boyfriend who was pagan. My RC mother was horrified but it's actually a really lovely religion and made a lot of sense to me, even though I don't follow it myself.

"Sorry, thought this was a riddle"
I think it is a riddle Jason118