The difficult thing for me in dealing with religion is that I don’t understand why people believe it in the first place. To me, it doesn’t make sense to believe something that seems so completely unsupported. However, I’m willing to accept that there’s something I’m missing — some personal experience, representative of theistic reality or not — that justifies the belief system.
So I have a few questions, that I hope that readers of faith will post answers to, assuming I have not chased them all away. Here are the questions:
- What made you choose your specific fath, and, if applicable, denomination?
- How do you know that God exists in general?
- What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
- How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
- How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
I’d really appreciate answers in the attached forum. The more you can be specific and verbose the better. Atheists, please don’t answer, and I’d appreciate it if the answers were not debated or picked apart here because it’ll distract from what this post is about. Thanks. Oh, and feel free to post anonymously.
[Comments are disabled on this post because there was something about it that was making it an over-the-top spam-magnet]
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On second thought, given the strong possibility that very few religious folks read this blog, I’d welcome answers from ex-religious people who are now agnostic or atheist.
Feedback on Faith (or the lack thereof)
1) Born and raised into it basically, both religion (Christianity) and denomination (what was once called the Swedish Covenant Church). Had a fairly normal adolescent period of doubting/questioning but ultimately to stay in both. Stayed in the denomination for probably an even mix of “I like their approach to things theological” and a shared ethnic/cultural heritage (scandinavian immigrant).
2)I don’t KNOW God exists, but I believe God ‘exists’ as an interpretive choice or ‘wager’. ‘Exists’ is in quotes b/c, in the Christian tradition, God doesn’t exist in the same way other entities exist. God, understood negatively, as un-limited doesn’t have existence as a property, but would be the transcendent ground of existing, per se. It’s interpretive in so far as it is a projection about the totality of “the real” in hopes of making sense of particular experiences, phenomena, etc. One could reasonably make a different interpretive wager (atheism, or the functional atheism of ‘agnosticism’). Presumably, these wagers will be “settled” either in an after-life or some eschatalogical “end of time.”
3)I find that beauty and goodness, especially the miraculous emergence of goodness and beauty from circumstances dominated by ugliness and evil, is as close to experiential confirmation. However, it must be admitted those are interpretted as confirmatory only in light of my pre-experiential commitment/wager about the reality of a transcendent God. Again, belief, not “knowledge” in a scientific sense. More like “understanding” in the hermeneutic sense. A knowledge about what goodness and beauty “mean.”
4)If by literal you mean that the words directly correspond to and report some factual state or happening… well, it gets tricky, I’ll admit. Interpretation has to do with the reciprocating attention to the part and the whole. So, I try to interpret troublesome verses in Paul about the roll of women in church politics remembering how involved in leadership women are in the Book of Acts. Now, does that mean I get to ignore one and pay attention to the other? Reject the whole thing b/c there is an obvious contradiction?
But if the stories, poetry, letters and other forms of literature in the Bible are fundamentally spiritual and religious, and therefore oriented towards those mysterious, complex factors of human life and meaning that lay beyond the purview of scientific inquiry (much as Art does in a different fashion), then logical, literal contradiction aren’t necessarily my biggest concern. Rather, I can engage scriptural tensions, personal expressions, etc that communicate the character of God and God’s relationship with Creation.
5) My answer to this is odd, and probably paradoxical, but I’m still working on it. In any case; I think I believe that any religious expression can be a vehicle for the communication of True Faith (an experience of God’s Love) and ‘salvific,’ in the sense of both after-life salvation and here-and-now world and person redemption. However, my reasoning for that is firmly rooted and derived from a particular religious tradition and holy text: Christianity and the Christian Bible. I think Paul makes pretty clear that “God desires all should be saved” and that God gives his love to us sufficiently to effect that salvation.
But most Christians would call me a heretic for that. *shrug*
And how do I know that that is the correct source to make those arguments from? I’m trusting that it is cuz its made pretty good sense of my experience in the world so far…but I’m always, continually “working out my faith,” as Paul writes, “with fear and trembling.”
1. What made you choose your specific fath, and, if applicable, denomination?
I made it up myself out of parts of other faiths and original research. I am very strict about it; only material which appeals to me by logos (rather than pathos or ethos – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modes_of_persuasion) gets by. I think a lot of people suffer by limiting their conscious interpretation of logos as being limited to logic or scientific method, while unconsciously they are affected by argument more broadly. I think it is only possible to be an atheist if you can accept this dissonance between the workings of the deeper mind and the thin veneer of consciousness that we directly experience.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
To say there is no man sat in the clouds is to fundamentally misunderstand the question. For me, saying there is no god is like saying there is no geometry. I would suggest that god exists in the gestalt of our individual agencies. I know that sounds like I’m trying to pull a sleight of hand trick, but I’m not trying to argue for the existence of something objective, I’m just trying to describe the world as it is experienced. We would probably be better off without god, but to deconstruct and transcend the idea of god we would have to change what it is to be human to a degree that most people (including atheists) would be uncomfortable with. To simply refute god seems like unhealthy denial to me. To reach a truly atheist existence, we would have to go fully into the idea of god, experiencing it and criticise it and emerge on the other side with it taken apart and fully examined.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
This is a question only an atheist could ask. I don’t know how to answer it. I see the hand of god in everything; every action, every leaf, every grain of sand.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
I think Job in the Christian bible is a pretty good story. Lamentations was useful to me when Israel invaded Gaza nine months or so ago. I made large breakthroughs reading the Gospel of Thomas. Richard Bach’s Illusions is wonderful. My girlfriend and I read it twice each by a waterfall and could not move on until we had processed it, so we stayed there overnight. Papillon taught me much about the way we experience the world through narrative. How can you have a book which is not holy? How can you have a book which is not perfect?
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
I suspect it is not correct. I imagine I will never reach the truth, but I feel like I am constantly getting closer to it.
Shannon! We miss you on BME.
ok, so here goes.
Let me begin by saying that my answers are probably not that specific nor in-depth as you would probably like. Sorry. I am also in between practicing and being a lapsed Catholic, so sorry.
1. What made you choose your specific faith, and, if applicable, denomination?
I didn’t. I come from a very catholic, mexican family. Our religion is a very large and integral part of the family too. Everyone practices, no exceptions. In that sense I am a black sheep because I like to question a lot of things. Like my siblings and cousins and all those before us, we are harshly brought up in the faith, so much so that you can say we have no choice but to follow it. I went to a catholic grammar school, a seminary high school (parents wanted me to be a priest), and I am currently enrolled in a Dominican school, so aptly named Dominican university.
I never had a choice in schools like many other kids do. Since my folks will only pay for approved school, I am forced to attend a school of their choosing so that I can get away with having them pay tuition. (If you want to get a better idea of how controlling my folks are, my mother is a spitting image of Mama Elena from the book, “Like Water For Chocolate.”
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
I don’t. That’s why its called faith. I have no real idea whether God exists or doesn’t. I am simply following tradition and really hoping that he exists. Much like what you said about that one article with the burqa, “I think as atheists we forget… how hard it is for people to tear free of religion that they’re born into. In any case, religion by definition is coercive.” Believing in God is one of those coercive things– if I don’t believe I’m going to hell, and this is what I am raised with all my life.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
Again, I have no first hand experience that a higher being exists. I know that to the rest of my family, they chalk up all sorts of things as miracles (as i did to at one point), e.g. my uncle was in a motorcycle accident and in a coma for 6 months, he awoke with slight retardation but survived. They call it a miracle. All sorts of things that I would say are good science, or luck, or just being prepared for the worse they call miracles.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
This one has always been a biggie for my folks. According to them, the bible is God’s written word and should be followed to a T. I say you live your life ethically and morally right and you ought to be fine.
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
My mother has always said that our Lord and Savior is the only one. She doesn’t give a rat’s ass about any other and openly insults them too (very christian of her isn’t it) where as my father and the rest of my family believe that every religion that believe in a higher power is the same, just with different names. Fundamentally, I don;t care whether my religion is the right one or not. I think they all teach the same thing which to us is given as the golden rule, “treat others like you would want them to treat you,” in others words just treat others with respect and peace.
Shannon, please don’t forget your own words about how hard it is for people to tear free of religion that they’re born into. It’s great that you are trying to understand why people have faith and believe it in the first place. A lot of it has to do with the social learning. All my life, literally, all my life I have been stuck within a catholic community. All my friends, catholic. My family, catholic. The institutions where I attend (school, gym, even work), catholic.
Its actually odd thinking about it now why I have had so many questions with it and why it also doesn’t make sense to believe something that seems so completely unsupported (maybe I’m the devil).
In truth, I can not find anything that justifies the belief system either, and this coming from a catholic.
Its simply faith and that’s why we call it that.
Sorry that this was more of a waste of time to read then actual helpfulness.
If you are agnostic or atheist, how can you answer any of those questions?
When I stopped believing in Santa Claus, I did the same for the religious fairy tales as well.
I take that back. I never voluntarily went to church. I was forced.
Hated every minute of it.
A while back I went to a funeral at a catholic church. I found it hard to resist laughing out loud when the altar boy started ringing the bell during communion ritual. Otherwise it was the most uncomfortable experience I can recall in years.
Shannon, these are tough, tough questions that any halfway intelligent person of faith will probably struggle with their entire life. I certainly would have answered them very differently at different times in my past. With that said, here are my answers today:
1. I was raised Christian and chose to remain one after a time of questioning/researching it and other faiths. I’m not loyal to any particular denomination.
2. It “makes sense” to me that God does exist. I wouldn’t claim to “know” in an intellectual sense.
3. No miracles or dramatic stories for me. God manifests in a great calm that I sometimes experience during prayer, a profound joy during worship, or a sudden unexpected overwhelming love for someone I have every reason to hate. I feel it in my bones.
4. I believe the Bible is truth but not all literally true (some is apocryphal, etc.). However, I believe there was a historical Jesus who was crucified and resurrected and my faith is about trying to follow his teachings. I interpret the rest of the Bible in light of that.
5. Compared to the other options, Christianity rings true to me. Of course, the definition of my faith continues to change and evolve as I grow.
I hope that helps.
1. What made you choose your specific fath, and, if applicable, denomination?
I was raised as a Roman Catholic. On paper I would say Roman Catholic and attend Catholic mass occasionally, even though I am sure there are plenty of things about me which others would say do not make me a “good Catholic.” What made me choose to consider this faith was no doubt being raised this way. What made me choose to stay with it was the messages of kindness, acceptance, and love, and also meeting Catholics that are people who I greatly respect and look up to. There are also people who I feel similarly about, and they are not Catholic, or religious in any way at all, but to me their actions are often consistent with some Catholic teachings.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
I don’t “know” but I would say that I have strong suspicions that God does exist. I believe there is a greater consciousness, and that there is something bigger and more powerful than we are. Also, what I’ve put in #3.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
Yeah, as lame as it may sound, it has definitely been a feeling. I am studying biology – ecology and evolution – and I guess part of it to me is that when I see the beauty and diversity and just all out wonderfulness of the natural world, I feel that someone is behind this. There have been other momentary feelings about people, places, dreams, etc, that have made me feel something spiritually.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
The old testament of the Bible to me seems to have so much bizarre content that as an entire work, it is not to be taken literally at all. To me it seems like the collection that is the old testament is sort of like listening through static in an attempt to hear some meaningful transmissions buried in there from time to time. I think that the new testament is what gives the old testament meaning. Sections that can be pointed to where one can say, “look, this is in congruence with what the new testament is saying.” I don’t know if there is anything that I do follow literally that is written, but I think there is content in the new testament, particularly the gospels, that has much to offer.
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
I feel that there isn’t a way I can know that this is the “correct” faith. In fact I probably am wrong, and the distilled version of faith I have created for myself is probably in accordance with other belief systems. However, I believe that striving to be a selfless, loving person is a good way to go through this world, regardless of whether I am wrong or right about religion.
Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised if posting this on the internet would cause me to be seen as ignorant or foolish or hypocritical, and I won’t be changing anyone’s mind, but I thought it was a good exercise. Having to write out ideas makes them seem clearer from time to time and helps to point out what I may not fully understand or have crystalized in my mind at a given time. However, I’ll admit that I may not have articulated what I believe to be my faith here extremely well, but I did give it a shot to answer these questions.
I should precede this by pointing out that while I do have religious beliefs, I haven’t spent a huge amount of time introspecting about them. Which I suppose is probably not uncommon. So my answers to your questions are definitely more ‘gut reactions’ than necessarily well-thought-out responses. But if you have any questions about any of them I’ll do my best to answer them.
1. What made you choose your specific fath, and, if applicable, denomination?
I was brought up Catholic, and I still consider myself Catholic or at least Christian.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
I just have faith.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
No experiences. Sometimes I like to attribute how incredibly lucky we humans are to live on such a beautiful planet to something divine, but other times I’m cool with just marveling over how ridiculously unlikely it is that Earth and humans are where they are right now. If that makes sense.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
I have never actually studied the bible, though I would say I’m familiar with the important parts from attending church for many years during my childhood (I no longer do so regularly). So it’s partially from going with the ‘general standards’ of today’s time and partially a personal feeling that an all-loving god wouldn’t hate people for being gay, or having premarital sex, or that sort of thing. I guess you could say that I’m a really bad Christian.
Overall I guess I mostly disregard the negative parts of the Bible and try to live up to the positive parts – “love your neighbor”, help strangers, be a good person.
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
I think that what is correct is different for everyone. I think that I have faith in a certain god but if other people want to think other things, that’s okay. I guess I believe that God is ‘all-loving’ more than I believe that people who don’t believe in him are going to Hell.. also, I feel personally that if I feel that if I have the right to believe and have faith in a particular truth then so do other people.
Thanks everyone so far. BTW, don’t think I’m dissing “it’s just a feeling” because after all, that’s what Love is too. You don’t know why, but you know it’s true.
1. What made you choose your specific faith, and, if applicable, denomination?
I was raised a Christian in the Baptist faith. I would say in the present day I am more of just a Christian because I don’t believe that God particularly favors one denomination over the other, but rather wishes for you to believe in Him in general.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
There is no concrete proof I could ever supply to convince anyone that God exists. I can just say that rather I have faith that God exists because I find it hard to imagine that life in general was all a big “accident” or “mistake” from a big bang or something of the sort. Man people say that the belief that one God created everything is crazy. I contest that by believing the universe is the product of a pinhead sized heat explosion could arguably be questioned to be just as crazy. So while I cannot “prove” that God exists, I find it equally as difficult to prove He does not.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
You know the only answer I can give for this is by praying I have seen many things “go my way”. By that I mean good things that I needed or wanted ie: getting a job, finding a spouse, having healthy children, etc. In that same respect if you pray continuously for a new street bike it’s not going to appear in your garage overnight as these are concrete items that God knows you don’t require. Same goes for praying for another person to die, etc. etc.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
Well in the case of the Bible the Old Testament is basically the modern day holy book of Judaism (as it was all written before Christ). In the New Testament of the Bible the details of Christ’s crucifixion and teachings are explained. So therefore the teachings of Christ and the crucifixion are the only elements of the Bible I follow verbatim, the rest is up to individual interpretation I would say.
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
Once again, other than personal experience and the fact that I was raised Christian I cannot prove that mine is correct, nor can I justify such a statement. I guess I would just have to go with it is what I believe and it is my faith. In that same respect I don’t push it on other people who aren’t Christian (which I know the church disagrees with me on). If someone were wishing to find information regarding it (like this blog post for example) I’m more than happy to give my outlook on it. I’m sure this big heap of me rambling is nothing enlightening, but I do enjoy reading your blog posts and I hope this helps as far as answering your questions.
1. I didn’t really choose it, so much as inherited it – mainly from school I suppose, and to a much lesser extent from my parents, neither of whom were particularly religious. I was baptized as an infant, though, and have still got my certificate somwhere.
2. I don’t “know” – that’s one of the cornerstones of religion – or at least the way I practise it: it’s a belief in something there’s no visible physical evidence for. But at the same time, I can understand why people don’t believe in God and I respect that.
3. I can’t quote anything specific: the nearest I can get to is saying that I feel He’s always been there for me. I don’t pray often (probably not nearly as much as I should do) but when I do, my prayers are answered – even if it’s only by means of a realization of something I really already knew.
4. I will admit that I’ve never made a particular point of studying the Bible. I find it difficult to take it all word-for-word as literally true: there must at least be a lot of nuances in the recording and translation of events, given the circumstances under which they took place. But I think it’s more important to live by the core principles and use those as a framework than it is to get bogged down in esoteric details. It’s a “can’t see the wood for the trees” thing for me.
5. “It works for me” is the only answer I can really give to that question. If it didn’t, or ceased to, then I’d have more reason to change or at least to explore other possible solutions for whatever it was I’d found unsatisfactory.
There you go. I’m not particularly religious: I don’t claim to be and I’m sure those answers reveal that. I hope I haven’t offended anyone who is by virtue of what may come across as a very superficial exploration of my own beliefs.
1. What made you choose your specific fath, and, if applicable, denomination?
Years of meditating, and the eventual realization that the vast majority of the belief’s I had formed on my own through introspective observations, were identical to those of most buddhists.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
I believe that there is either no god, or that any gods that do exist have any combination of these three aspects, rendering them irrelevent: No interest in the suffering of humanity or any other creature or plant; No ability to affect change in the world; Or no awareness that Earth, or The Universe, exist at all. I personally explicitly do not believe in the possibility of any christian idea of a god that is ‘modelled on humans’, as I find it too difficult to emotionally understand the existence of a being so cruel, or so lacking in empathy.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
Absolutely none that aren’t better explained in different ways.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
I distrust holy books entirely, use them only as a source of idea’s for concepts to investigate and try on, a shortcut to discovering truths entirely on my own. I do not have any faith in the originality or correctness of those texts, and am quite strongly convinced that there is ample evidence of their corruption. Thankfully, in Buddhism, we don’t need the ‘holy texts’ at all. All the information we need can be found within us through meditation. Easy to fact check. :)
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
It works for me, so it is correct for me. Different people have differing needs and styles of thought, and may find other spiritual idea’s more comforting and useful. I firmly believe that there is no right or wrong when it comes to these issues. We all try to understand the world around us as best we can, all attempts at that are nobel, except, perhaps when it is used to justify war, prejudice, and hate.
1. What made you choose your specific fath, and, if applicable, denomination?
I talked to a few priests of various denominations and the one I clicked with most was Anglican/Episcopalian. She helped me find my feet as a christian amongst my entire family of athiest/agnostic/pagans. I still have issues with christianity and the Anglican church (i.e. most parishioners and adherents accept women as priests and homosexuality as a normal orientation but the church will not condemn the minority who persist in their persecution and abuse of women and homosexuals).
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
Eeesh, I don’t know how to put it into words. I recently gave birth and that’s a huge part of how I view the world nowadays – the sheer magnificence and miracle of creating a human being inside me, out of myself combined with the mundane nature of it. Everything reproduces, humans are no different. There is no miracle to it, yet when she burst out of me it felt like one.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
Birthing my child was a big one. Realising the intricacy and miracle of the smallest thing (not in a creationist sense, in a miracle of science sense).
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
They are fiction, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t true about things. I believe in Jesus, Mary and the disciples as historical figures but they are also representations of differing relationships with god. My preferred is Mary Magdalene’s relationship – I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine. The rest can have lessons to be taken, but literal interpretation is impossible at this point (can you believe I have seen people arguing over comma placement as if it were meaningful in an english language bible?)
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
It isn’t. Each of us will receive what we believe. My mother is agnostic/pagan, my grandmother and her mother are athiest, my husband is agnostic, my father is a big believer in karma (an odd bastardised western version tempered with his experience as a skipper on trawlers – nothing transforms belief like being alone on an ocean). I can’t believe in hell for good people who simply don’t believe what I believe and I can’t condemn them to a heaven they don’t believe in either. Each of us will become what we believe.
1. What made you choose your specific fath, and, if applicable, denomination?
Circumstances of birth.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
I “knew” because I thought everything was too complex to be here without a god.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
It was mostly “feelings”, and the skewed logical/historical defenses called Christian apologetics. But to be honest, most of it was because of indoctrination. I was made to believe that if I didn’t hear God, it was my fault because of sin, not that he wasn’t there. And what do you know? I rarely if ever “heard” god, so I always felt like he didn’t like me. Sad, really.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
I used to believe it was all literal, but then as an adult I thought it was too evil to be anything but a metaphor, before I gave it up completely.
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
Again, there are lots of excuses that make sense to Christians but not from the outside. Such as “Jesus is the only god who is a living god!” or “It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship!” Trite, really.
1) What made you choose your specific fath, and, if applicable, denomination?
I come from a mother that was Catholic, and a father that was Protestant. This combination allowed me to go to both types of churches and see the two sides.
I chose to stay Protestant/methodist because in my opinion, the Catholic beliefs contradicted the commandment “”I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me…” Simply stated: Catholic religion asks you to pray to Mary, Joseph, and the saints – which contradicts the commandment.
2) How do you know that God exists in general?
Hmmm… “know”: I base part of my belief that there is a God on the fact of fractal math, which is roughly translated as “there is order to the chaos”. To create such a mathematical degree to design ferns, leaves on a tree, etc – I tend to think that someone needed to create such calculations/ math – and it was just a matter of time before scientists/ mathematicians stumbled across it.
3) What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
Among other things, three events that happened to me. Two times my blood pressure was soo high that the medical professionals around me kept redoing the readings to verify them – because at one point my blood pressure was 223/138 – which is a level that they exptected me to be have an anuryism, stroke, pass out, or be dead. The first time my blood pressure was at a critical level I was told the same things – and I felt nothing wrong. And, when tests were done to see what damage was done to my heart and system because of such extreme blood pressure – nothing was damaged at all.
then came the blood sugar level. I was feeling a bit tired and told the nurse. Not much was thought of it, until the nurse – for some reason, opted to do a blood-sugar test on me. They found out that my blood sugar was 469 (normal is approx 100). From what the nurses and my diabetic friends told me (and they saw me right after the blood -sugar reading) – they stated that normally when someone is that high they are in a coma or are in a hospital. I did not feel critical – I only felt a bit tired.
I believe that a higher power (God) is keeping me around for a reason- and that is why, when I was supposed to be damaged/dead, it did not happen.
4) How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
The holy books, while claimed to be guided by God – were written by mankind. Therefore since they are second hand information, they can be disputed based on any translation of them (some more literal than not). For me, its like telling someone that a professor of math told someone else how to do some arithmetic problems: the person will relay them in a book with their own flair- which may take away from the intended information the math professor wanted to get across.
Furthermore, each religious leader that reads the books will put their own spin to each reading – in order to focus on different aspects that will suit the leader’s needs at the time. To me, that is like a student taking a mathematical formula and switching it around to suit his/her own needs instead of utilizing it the way it was intended.
5) How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
After researching various religions, it seems to me that some core elements are similar in different religions. So, for me, it’s like a mathematical assignment where there are a few differnt, yet correct answers. Furthermore, when we try to check to see if we have the correct answer for the mathematical problem, we realize that the “back of the book” does not hold the answers we seek. So, we can either stand firm with the decision we came up with and hope that it is correct, or we can decide that we are not confortable with the result we came up with – and try another answer. We may never find that “ultimate solution” to the math problem, but then again, some people are driven by doing the calculation, and not by finding the solution.
I hope that helps you Shannon:)
I’m a Unitarian Universalist. This is not a creedal faith but a covenantial one. So, as such, UUs do not necessarily believe in god, God, gods whatever. I like being in a community of warm hearted seekers doing their best to live up to the 7 principles. At our Fellowship, there are people that are pagan, athiest, jewish, buddhist, muslim, Christian and everything else!
Also, Buddhism is a religion and doesn’t have God theology the way other faiths generally have. So, religion doesn’t mean a belief in God.
I was born in to a western buddhist community and was even given a name by the guru. It was a significant part of my childhood as most of anyone I knew was involved in the community. I was never able to understand it though and have never given myself in to faith but have always found it fascinating. Once I had gotten older I saw it as something that my mother held on to for a sense of security and comfort even. I also think that this brings up a question of spirituality and how it differs that of religion. I am not much of one to debate as I think everyone has different feelings on the matter but it would be interesting to see what people think.
By the way, I really liked the “jesus voice in your head” as a way of knowing god exists. The first thing it made me think of was the Son of Sam saying “the dog made me do it”.
1. What made you choose your specific fath, and, if applicable, denomination?
I was raised by my mother, who never claimed any specific religion. We did live in a very small village isolated in the Wyoming desert, and she was peer pressured (as I later found out) by her friends to take me to church occasionally. At the age of 10, I chose to take communion. This consisted of three months of schooling, culminating with my baptism. It was around this point that I started learning how vastly different the Catholic religion was from the Mormon religion (the other dominant religious group in the village). I was very puzzled by the discrepancy (which is non trivial to say the least), and sort of turned away from religion from that point on in my life, as they both seemed so contrasting as to be ridiculous.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
While I don’t like the term “atheism” (describe me by what I accept, not by what I don’t accept please), I am definitely a secular humanist. Mine is not a “lack of belief”, nor is it a ” belief that god doesn’t exist”. Rather, it’s a wholesale rejection of the Judeo-Christian-Islamic religions (as well as every other defined religion) based on the empirical claims made by the scripture of they are based on. I don’t find much use for belief, really. The world exists in a specific way regardless of your beliefs. I’m much more interested in testing claims against reality, and letting the world do the talking for itself, rather than telling other people what I believe the world to be.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
Despite this being very difficult to overcome, I no longer struggle with this quesiton. My first hand experience of god rests in the way my mind is set up to experience the world through agents. I now am of the opinion that the idea of god is not an answer to anything.
The explination for life ending with a designer is not satisfactory. The addition of a designer simply adds a regression to the ultimate question of how did that complexity arise. I argue that the only known mechanism for complexity is slow gradual not random but rather directed evolutionary process. Matter started out very simple, and gradually collapses into complex structures. Over time, those simple structures enrich their surroundings with even more complex matter, and become more complicated themselves in the process. More time passes, and this enriched brew formes very simple self replicating chemicals. Once that happens, evolution kicks in, and the rest is history.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
What use are they if you can’t assume they intent to serve as an accurate description of reality. Oterwise, they are admittidly ficiton.
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
This is precisely why I check the “no religion” box on ballots. I simply can’t make the claim that any one religion has any more worth than any other.
1)brought up baptist, very loosely and strayed for 15 years. back now as a methodist with my wife and kids.
2) every time i have needed him and talked to him about a serious need he has provided.
3) wanted a new job, he sent a messenger and lead me to a better job with much less stress without having sent out any resumes. his messenger found me and hired me on the spot. and has helped bring me back to faith.
4) you have to read the book constantly, some people read it their entire lives as a profession and never fully understand it, but as you need he will make it clear to you when you are ready to understand.
5) a belief in god is the right way, everything else is just pretend, the bible is full of eye witness accounts of the events described. all others are made up and have no witnesses to their accounts.
trust in god and talk to him he believes in you, if he doesn’t exist what have you got to lose.
Gosh, having opted to subscribe to these comments, I am finding them to be quite a test! It is so tempting to start some sort of aimless debate.
What a can of worms you have opened, Shannon!
Rio
They pray’d for they got it.
The Summer Games.
lol@starbadger. That’s ’cause as the pic Shannon posted shows, they have the BIGGEST faith.
Hi Shannon. Quasi raised Episcopalian but never once heard any family member discuss Jesus. Believe in God but it’s a free floating idea that encompasses everything. Ya know, I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together. You are God experiencing itself as Shannon. Honestly I have never felt alone in my life and many times have been comforted by something that seemed beyond me, bigger than me, outside of me. But religion is silly, my Grandmother spent untold amounts of money that should have gone toward helping her family in my opinion but instead went to the coffers. She’d have done far better “soulwise” in my opinion had she given it all to strangers in need but what she did either looked better to society or made her feel she was buying her Golden Ticket. *shrug*
Suprisingly intelligent and involving answers from many who do hold Christianity as the final truth.Not to offend said Christians but here in the South I am accustomed to hearing FAR less enlightened views. Good post.
As an athiest, I’m just surprised to see how many people actually believe in some kind of God or religion or both, because I bet for every comment made, there are another 10 who just don’t feel like typing.
Gillian-Atheism=Apathy?
Try telling that to my friends on Atheist Nexus!
1. Born into a family of Christian believers, Church of England (Protestant). Drifted in and out of church in my teens, at one stage only attending the youth group because ahem… there were “gurrrllls” there. Nowadays, I belong to a Lutheran church, but I refer to myself as Christian – all the different flavours seem pretty much beside the point.
2. There’s a whole load of things in this galaxy ya can’t see or hear – there’s no concrete physical proof that they exist, but everything you’ve been told, and sometimes experienced, points to the fact that they are real. Shannon’s example of “Love” is just one.
3. Feelings? Yes, sometimes. Jesus voices? Yes, but very very rarely. When I’ve been at my absolute lowest in life, when my mother died, when I broke up with my ex of 9 years, He was there. You could argue that I was extremely vulnerable and/or susceptible at those points, maybe so, but I firmly believe Jesus helped me survive.
4. Bible – it was written at different times, and at those times was absolutely correct. A few thousand years later, we should need to go around plucking eyes out and so on. But the core principles are sound and relevant today.
5. I’m easy about denomination. Christians are very much in the minority where I live. I respect other religions that have similar core values, don’t try to proselytise or “missionise” anyone but still believe Christianity is the correct path
Err.. in 4 above, we SHOULDN’T need to go around plucking eyes out. Obviously ;)
Ah, and where I live there are plenty of places with Jesus connections. So many in fact, that they reinforce the concept that He existed/exists. You could argue that some “myth” snowballed and got out of hand over the years. But it’s all pretty well documented.
1. I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness from the time I was born until I was probably about 16. Witnesses feel that their religion is the only true religion so they have a saying that goes “make the truth your own.” Which is to be interpreted as “join us and be saved.” but I intrepreted it as “examine this faith and see exactly what it means to you.” When I did, I found that I practically disagreed with everything I was taught except for the golden rule. I felt betrayed and for a long time I rejected any spiritual feelings I had left, like a bad break up. Finally I explored some different faiths, namely paganism, but found that for a child who was brought to church three or four times a week, the lack of structure is more than a little overwhelming. I am undecided on a faith, and consider my self “spiritual” as truly agnostic doesn’t even fit.
2. I will say the same thing practically everyone else has said, I don’t know. I have a theory that all of them do, through their believers. That “god” is a manifestation of the people who believe in him/her. A lot of people believe that we control our own destiny in a lot of different ways. God is a vehicle to control your own destiny, in my opinion.
3. It’s certainly hard to explain. I feel I have seen karma first hand, as well as divine intervention. Which for me reinforces the idea that all faiths are right, simply because the followers feel that their fair is right…and in turn that leaks over to everyone else in the world as some huge cycle…that probably made no sense at all. Anyway I have felt loved by god, I have felt an overwhelming sense of beauty for that which is around me. I have felt a vibration under my skin and a feeling in my gut, I feel comforted by the idea of there being a god. I feel god.
4. Absolutely none of them. I feel very strongly that they were written by man and by following holy books were are playing a game of “telephone” where one person says one thing and it travels down a line until the last person has heard something completely different. I feel as though you should be able to confront god about anything, and in turn be faced with an answer, even if that answer not immediate. I feel like the bible and other holy manuscripts are a rule book, and the generally feeling is “if I do this I will get to heaven.” the only thing I want from god is to be close to him/her. I don’t care if I am rewarded for something that feels as natural as breathing. I just want to know god and love him/her as much as I feel that he/she loves me.
5. I am obviously not sure! maybe I will find something that suits me one day.
Hi Tim, I have never doubted that the man, the man who lived and died practising the Jewish faith was “real”. It’s the idea that he had to be crucified in order that a apparently very fallible God can forgive my sins that I find ridiculous.
erhm practicing, not practising. I’m sick, so inner spellcheck is offline.
I hope to comment later more thoroughly, but here to say Scott & I just watched Religulous and loved it. Though Bill’s subjects were sort of like shooting fish in a barrel. The senator especially. Would have been even better if they could have held up a better conversation…
1. It evolved over time, through meditation, automatic writing and vision questing.
2. If I knew, it wouldn’t be faith.
3. I hear Her and feel Her presence, especially when I enter a trance state for creating works of art.
4. No holy books.
5. The same way I know how to raise my arm by thinking about it – I just do.
It’s difficult for me to understand the people who say they were “born into” or are in a religious tradition circumstantially. To me, that shows that they have not chosen a religion and greatly improves the possibly and probability of following a religion almost purely out of tradition.
I was raised in a strict non-denominational assembly of protestant christians. I was raised on a farm and never had access to television, movies, secular music, or other common mainstream culture. My mom made my clothes and much of life was farming, homestead stuff. I did go to public school but had little connection with people and felt that I was so different, I didn’t care to fit in.
I never ‘believed’ christianity in the sense that religious people do. I learned and studied the bible, but to me it was no less real than the roman and greek myths that I would read in my spare time. I went through the motions of christianity because it was a tradition, just something we do. My father died in an accident when I was a pre-teen and this changed many things including my mother remarrying and moving off the farm. I became increasingly unsatisfied with the teachings of the Assembly, especially because of the heavy emphasis on male superiority and the many seeming illogical and contradictory things in the bible. Anyone in the Assembly that I questioned about these things could not provide meaningful explanations, usually resorting to, “pray and ask god for understanding” or “this is just the way that it is.” When I was 12 years old I finally completely denounced christianity, which was difficult since all my family and most of the people I knew were in the Assembly. I experienced a lot of turmoil and moved around a lot, moving out of my mom’s house at the age of 15.
Now 21, I am a senior in college studying biology (evolution and ecology, to the chagrin of my family) and religious studies. I also realized that, while ‘pansexual’ I have a sexual preference for the same sex, which I have not revealed to my family and continues to bother me because I know they would not accept it.
It’s fascinating to me the phenomenon of religion, and I am always trying to understand it more completely. I tend to be very logical and rational; as far as my current beliefs, I do not identify with atheism, but I don’t think that a god or gods exist in many of the popular senses. I could go on and on… let me know if clarification or expansion is desired.
1. What made you choose your specific faith, and, if applicable, denomination?
Years of abuse, neglect, torment and anger. Years of knowing the Government was corrupt and full of greed and that for every Sin “God” bestowed upon man, there was a Religious Sinner dressed in Dolce and Gabanna telling me I’m wrong.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
I believe “God” exists in general because so many believe in him and preach his word. Faith is a powerful thing and swings in both directions.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
The clear and unending distaste for most religious human beings was enough to prove that my God existed. To see people adorn their bodies with clothing that does not serve a purpose other then a fashion statement, to watch “christians” on television at 4am asking me to donate money as their $5k Rolex gleams in my eyes. People who claim to “Not judge lest thee be judged” and then in the next breath ask me when the circus came to town. The fact that our government is the most evil thing I’ve ever seen makes me believe in “God”.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
I’m an avid reader of all Satanic Scriptures, especially Enchonian Keys. Anton LaVey made it all very clear, to the point and precise. There were no words to confuse or passages to decipher. It was clear to me. Clearer then anything I’ve ever felt in my entire life.
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
My specific faith and denomination is clear, for me. It may not be clear to others. It has often infuriated others and caused many debates and arguments.
“Let me give you a little inside information about “God”. “God” likes to watch. He’s a prankster. Think about it. He gives man instincts. He gives you this extraordinary gift, and then what does He do, I swear for His own amusement, his own private, cosmic gag reel, He sets the rules in opposition. It’s the goof of all time. Look but don’t touch. Touch, but don’t taste. Taste, don’t swallow. Ahaha. And while you’re jumpin’ from one foot to the next, what is he doing? He’s laughin’ His sick, fuckin’ ass off! He’s a tight-ass! He’s a SADIST! He’s an absentee landlord! Worship that? NEVER!”
Luna Fox: Do please expand. :)
1. What made you choose your specific fath, and, if applicable, denomination?
I actively tried out a whole bunch of religions/churches/spiritual groups and I stopped when I found yoga as a spiritual practice because I felt like it fit me. I have Hindu leanings now, and over time my faith has deepened.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
Because I feel it.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
When I am the most quiet, the most still and and the most accepting and honest I feel with absolute certainty that I am very, very small. And the universe is very, very big. And that I am a living, breathing, organic component of this universe and this is my home. Also, when I study science (which I do – I’m in college) and I learn more about the incredible complexity of life, it seems unfathomable to me that there is no creator.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
In all honesty, I’m not an avid reader of the Gita or the Sutras or any other yoga/hindu texts. I have read bits and pieces, but there is no obligation to do so. As and I’m when I’m ready, I read what I want to. It’s a simple as taking what I like and leaving what I don’t. I’m not required to believe or do anything.
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
My beliefs, and the general consensus among Hindu people is that all religions are ‘correct’. That all faiths and all spiritual practices will lead you to God if they are practised sincerely and with love. One truth, many paths.
I just want to thank everyone with how open they have been on this subject, especially given how critical my blog is of religion in general and how much trust it must have taken on your part to reply. It has been very interesting reading all the responses and I really do appreciate it a lot. Thanks again.
Like I said earlier, it seems that many people are “born into” a religion and, although they may go through a period of questioning, stay with it. I have known many people who have done this and this has the potential to be disrespectful. Pressures from family and society (especially in countries with more religious government, such as those imposing shara’a) can be immense. In my case, I am the only member of my immediate+extended family, which is very large, who does not profess to be a christian. I am constantly reminded of this and have been attacked several times about my choices and ‘beliefs’. As a child, I struggled with expressing my concerns about christianity because that was something that was generally not done. One was expected to believe the elders or superiors. This was particularly frustrating because all superiors are men. Regardless of all this, I was an outwardly complacent child and actually tried quite hard to ‘believe’ what I was expected to. However, I was and continue to be unable to rationally accept teachings of christianity or any other religion, even in the sense of (and this is, bizarrely, a pro-christian argument that I get frequently) “there is a chance that this may be true, so to be on the safe side, just believe it.” This is an example of what I was referring to when I mentioned disrespect above.
I have often wondered and suspected that many intelligent people decide to follow a religion because of the benefits. Community bonding, help from church members, socializing, following the traditions of one’s family, feeling a connection to a deity who may care, avoiding eternal punishment and having a purpose in life are all logical reasons to conform to a religion. But doing something because it benefits you and doing something because it’s what you believe are immensely different things. Perhaps disrespect is the wrong word, but I feel that humans should be able to accomplish those things without a religion that often also incorporates negative elements such as racism and sexism, among many others.
What is it that allows people to believe something that is irrational and illogical? People say they just ‘feel’ it’s right… that doesn’t make sense to me.
What made you choose your specific faith, and, if applicable, denomination?
I was raised to be a conservative, evangelical Christian (of the Rush Limbaugh-admiring, Bush-loving, pro-life, anti-evolution, anti-sex ed, homeschooling-because-public-schools-brainwash-our-children variety). Into my late adolescence I parroted these beliefs and embraced them as my own.
In college, I began to actually study the Bible for the first time. Between scripture study, friendships formed within a small Christian community on campus, and visits to Christian missions in the dying city of Cleveland, Ohio, I would say I began to frame my faith in a new way. I came to know and love better the God of scripture– a God profoundly concerned with justice for the poor, liberation of the oppressed, and restoring people to right relationships with Him and others. This was not the God I feel I grew up knowing. It is complicated for me to answer questions about when I became a Christian believer. It’s a work in progress and a struggle more often than not. But I think that wrestling with difficult questions makes for a healthier spiritual life than the complacent faith I was raised in.
I do not affiliate myself with a particular denomination and have struggled to find a church that feels like home to me. But I am part of a community of Christians in my area who encourage hard questions, and seek to follow Jesus in word and deed– from their personal pocketbooks to larger issues of global justice. I am a globally conscious person, having lived on several continents, and my concept of the “big C” Church is global as well. I have a lot of anger towards the brand of American Republican Christianity that much of my family still espouses, and I am leery of any attempt to make God’s allegiance national or cultural.
How do you know that God exists in general?
Fundamentally, I cannot accept the idea that this world is without a Creator. Beyond that, I only know it as much as I know anything else. In my own experience there is a void in my life that cannot be filled with anything physical. I think we are born with a spiritual longing for something more– and that something more is a restored relationship with the God who made us.
What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
For much of the time that I struggled and tried to deny God’s existence, I could justify the miraculous as chance. However, I have had many opportunities by now to see prayer answered in a way I could not doubt. I have seen the seemingly impossible happen in my life and in the lives of those around me.
I have also, on very infrequent occasions, felt the physical presence of something outside of my body’s control during times of worship. The Holy Spirit has manifested itself for me as uncontrollable muscle movements in my legs. It sounds weird, because it is. But I know I wasn’t doing it myself.
How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
I believe the entirety of the Bible to be God-inspired. I also believe that scripture has been misused in a blasphemous ways by power-hungry people. There are some hard things in the Bible and some bizarre things, but I believe that with prayerful consideration and a concern for context, the entire body of scripture is relevant to believers today.
How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
When discussion turns to exclusivity, my perspective comes down to Jesus’ own claims about himself as the path to salvation, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” This is not easy to accept by any means, but it’s a hard statement to reinterpret. Pretty straightforward. As far as knowing that Jesus’ statements were true, or knowing that all the Old Testament prophesies pointing towards Jesus were trustworthy, it does come down to faith. I believe because unbelief seems much riskier in terms of eternity. And I believe because I have experienced God personally and I want to love what He loves. Every day I hope to grow in love for others, for the poor, for justice, for liberation for captives, for healing.
@Luna Fox, I believe a Christianity which incorporates racism and sexism is a false Christianity and in opposition to the teachings of Jesus. This is the Christianity that we are very familiar with in North America, but the loudest voices are often wrong.
1. What made you choose your specific faith, and, if applicable, denomination?
I grew up in a Christian family (generic protestant, Presbyterian if you want to know) so that was my background from an early age. When I got a bit older into my teens and twenties I saw no reason to change my mind. I did begin going to Anglican churches for a few reasons – I appreciate the style and ritual, I like the Eucharist and not the sermon being the main point of the service, I like that they are more inclusive, etc.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
I know it in the same way that I know I love my husband, I know that I’m straight, etc. None of those things can really be proved and yet I can say with 100% certainty that they are true.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
Mostly a feeling like I described above, it’s hard to describe but basically a deep awareness of a caring and loving presence. I view the various shaping events in my life as God’s subtle directions. They could be viewed as entirely circumstantial but seen through the lens of awareness I mentioned, it makes more sense to me as God looking out for me and directing my life.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
My interpretation is that the Bible is people’s record of interaction with God. Stories of God being vengeful are because that’s what those people’s experience was. Jeremiah’s life which was bizarre to say the least was because he experienced God in an extremely bizarre way. And so on. The people who wrote the Psalms had other experiences and responses, and the result is what we read today. And it’s extremely important to have that in mind when reading it – who wrote this, what was he experiencing, why did he respond in this way?
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
I’m not totally sure, I’ve been wrong about things before. I used to think that homosexuality was very wrong and I’ve gradually learned that it was I who was wrong about that. On a lot of minor things I’ve gone from a position of needing to be correct, to thinking that maybe I don’t know, maybe nobody will every know, and that’s okay. We don’t really need to know. End times for example, I don’t see the point anymore in debating whether Jesus will come before or after the tribulation or during or what. It may be interesting but it’s speculation and not really central. I have not changed my opinion on the main tenets of my faith and so of course I lean towards them being correct. If I didn’t think I was right, I wouldn’t be believing it.
1. I don’t have a specific denomination.
2. I have felt the presence of a higher being. I don’t feel that God is a creator, but a creation. He would be the crystallization of different energies that exist in the world.
3. I have felt God mostly through nature and through very complex introspection. Love (for all things, not just for a partner or a specific person, although this could be a good way to start) is, by far, the most divine sensation I have ever encountered. I have also had voices in my head (not Jesus, just voices) which have told me of important events in my life before they’ve happened. In this sense, god for me is a bit like a frequency my soul has to tune into to feel. There are many ways to do this, and most require discipline of the brain (including body modification). Then, one time I actually heard him talking to me. I asked for proof of it being him (I use the masculine form out of ease, not because god is male) and I got the evidence. What was it? My senses became very acute at that moment and I was able to see the world and everything in it (emotions, thoughts, trees) as an entity, as a whole. I was able to see all the pain and joy in the world. That’s about it.
4. I don’t have a holy book. Everything I have learned has been from personal experience and inner voyages.
5. I don’t know if they are correct. But then, it’s more about what I do than what I believe in. I feel that when I hurt myself, I am also hurting god. And when I am good, I am also good to god. My beliefs seem correct to me because, when I abide to them (when I am a good person), I feel better and life flows better. Better things happen to me. I don’t believe in any type of postmortem punishment.
Some interesting and thoughfull comments here.I can understand how religion evolved,and to some degree even understand the comfort it gives some,but for the life of me I can’t understand why people are willing to worship and follow what is basically a genocidal sociopath.Read the bible or koran,it is all violence and destruction in the name of peace and goodwill ,and people just try to justify it.Beats me completely
1. I was riased Lutheran, but I can’t remember much specifcially Lutheran about it. In my teens I went to a non-denominational church based in Baptist foundings, and an interdenominational chruch based in Pentacostal and Southern Baptist roots with contemporary music. I think I enjoyed the contemporary music most, the Lutheran church my paretns went to seemed stuffy and dreary with classic Bach droning thru. Currently I go to a United Church of Christ church a couple times a year and a Unitarian church as well. I enjoy to community and poeple there and inclusion.
2. I don’t, and I don’t believe there may only be one god or one god that is right. I believe there is a spiritual force and world we are part of and it intwines us in different ways. I believe in each person having the freedom to be allowed this personal journey and also to not force another to follow in a specific way.
3. I havehad a few times where I was swayed in an odd way and it saved my life. Twice I was spared from a car accident, one time I don’t know how I ended up staying on the road and not crashing on ice adn the other time I had a specific feeling that I shouldn’t drive thru a green light and then a car without headlights on came barreling thru it. I won’t say it was specifically god, but it wasn’t just dumb luck.
4. I look at the genaral reasons the rule or law was written. In the Bible there were different risks and different reasons for doing things then what we have today. If you take one law over another you are be hipocritical of it all – to be specific, you are critical of gays but you eat shrimp, cut your beard and sideburns and jack off to pleasure yourself. These laws of the time need to be left there, howeverm the spirit of giving to help another person, treating others as you wish to be treated, and be compassionate and kind are things that should be followed more often.
5. I don’t know, now do I worry about it. I feel if you try to help others, be a good person yourself, and follow your heart in what is right, then you are a better person than most I see these days.
5. should be ‘nor’ do I worry instead of now do I worry…
1. I define myself as a Christian, not a particular denomination, simply b/c I’m not well versed in the differences between denominations to choose between them. I’ve gone to a few different churches but have yet to find a “home”. Why did I “choose” Christianity? I was an atheist for years, and even before that had no specific beliefs. I randomly got interested in Biblical prophesy (which I think now was a form of intervention..b/c I don’t really know why I felt motivated go get books on something I did not believe in). I read a couple books on it and was surprised, I found a few prophecies in the Bible that turned out true, and I cannot see how this was known at the time, unless it was inspired by God. That is really what convinced me that Christianity specifically is correct, b/c due to those prophecies, I feel the Bible is legitimate. After that I started reading other books (as well as the Bible) and things just started clicking for me.
2. Well, what started the belief is what I explained above. Now I feel I can “see” God’s work around me, in the complexity of nature and science, and DNA and virus’s. Basically it’s the incredibly level of complexity on a small scale that convinces me daily of God’s existence. But, I was aware of these things before I became a Christian, and it didn’t lead me to belief then, so I know it is b/c of my point of view that I see it that way.
3. Moments of extreme beauty, in nature, relationships, etc. I’m not going to be specific b/c something like that is simply a person experience that I don’t think others can understand.
4. I don’t know the answer to this…I don’t “choose” books in that way. Basically I read the Bible and various books on Christian topics and try to get what I can from them. I’m not a scholar, nor am I particularly brilliant when it comes to these things. I just try to get what I can from it. For example..in my Mom’s church, there’s controversy over how literal communion is (are they wafer and wine literally the body and blood of christ). It’s a big argument. Me, I don’t know which is correct, but I don’t think me having the correct answer on that is important to my salvation. If I’m at a church that allows me to take communion, I will take it and focus on the meaning of it. I don’t worry if I’m correct on how literal it is, b/c I don’t think it’s that important.
5. I assume mine are correct b/c the “intervention” was specific towards Christian literature and the Bible. However, I’m also no expert and don’t claim to have figured it all out. Basically I tell people why I’m a Christian if they want to know, and explain my reasoning, and they can do with it what they will. I don’t preach to people..no tract or religion screaming person on the street ever did me a bit of good.
1. What made you choose your specific faith, and, if applicable, denomination?
I was raised in an open religious concept family. Given the option to choose my own path and find out things on my own.
I did numerous research on religion as it fascinated me how so many people clutched tightly to their own denomination/religious belief. Even though the majority of them all rather flow along the same lines, when broken down to their core.
I refer to my denomination with The Great Architect of the Universe as mine and mine alone. I do not require a church, mass group to believe what I believe.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
Aliens, do they exist? We say yes but how do we know 100% for sure? Is “God” an alien? perhaps. The Great Architects workings are in everything. The wind. The earth. Space. Good deeds. Bad Crimes. I know the Great Architect exists because I exist. Be that a man in the clouds, parallel universe, etc.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
The fact that I am alive is my own personal experience. More Deja Vu dreams than I care to remember. Moments of incredible good luck, as well as bouts of bad luck.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
all holy scripture should not be taken literally, except for those that specifically suggest you to do something. (ie: do not lie, do not steal, do not kill,etc). Most of the scriptures/stories are mere suggestive stories to make one think and analyze them into being a good person.
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
I believe mine to be the correct one because I place no specified name except for “The Great Architect of the Universe”. This means “God”, “Zeus”, “Odin”, “Allah”, “Gaia”, “Buddha” and any other religious figure head commands the same respect and appreciation as they are all one in the same.
Preface: My apologies or being very late to the party on this topic, however it is the first time I have read it. And I have not read the posts above so as to provide solely my own.
1. What made you choose your specific fa(i)th, and, if applicable, denomination?
I did not choose my specific faith, rather I fully believe it chose me. It might be helpful to explain here that that faith is placed in YHWH, who has used the personalities of Father, Son (Jesus the Christ) and Holy Spirit in dealing with humanity. This “Trinity” concept is still very difficult for me to understand despite my last thirteen years of living with the concept, and others like me who have many more years in this faith do not fully understand it either, but like me know it as a fact of life. The perfect testimony of YHWH’s dealings with humanity are in the sixty-six books of the Holy Bible, and another, imperfect though being made perfect, testimony is in the lives of all who follow YHWH. YHWH has been the one constant in all of my life, though I cannot see him, he (for that is the gender he most often uses to describe himself) has always been part of my life, leading me on a very different, much better path than I could have chosen for myself, and I am daily thankful for this. After this I will post the details of that journey. As to denominational ties, for my entire life I have attended “nondenominational evangelical Christian Churchs”, which are ironically almost a denomination unto themselves. I suppose I would identify most closely with those, but I find myself at home among any fellow followers of YHWH, no matter how they express YHWH through themselves.
2. How do you know that God exists in general?
I know YHWH exists from the events that are recorded in His Holy Bible, which are later revealed through human findings to have actually happened exactly as written. I also know He exists by the infinite nature of His design of the tangible world, which is far too complex to attribute solely to a series of fortunate events. And I know He exists through “extra-natural” events that could have only happened through a power greater than all other powers combined, though these cannot be tested by the kinds of science as easily as one might hope to do. And I know He exists through the change that only occurs in a life that was once held in slavery to the opposition of YHWH, that through the perfect sacrifice of Christ, and this same changed life is now occupied by the Holy Spirit, is thus free in Him, changed from someone on death’s doorstep to a true immortal.
3. What first-hand experiences have you had that confirm the existence of your specific God to you? (ie. a feeling, Jesus voice in your head, etc.)
I could not possibly all-at-once remember nor list them, but I’ll try to remember some.
As a little kid, my family went on vacation to a national park. We returned from a short hike to find that the keys were locked in the car, and we were especially stranded as no one around us had any locksmithing tools nor any way to contact anyone who did (this was when only the rich and famous has car or cell phones) I begged my mother to tell me why she was so panicked, and she eventually did. Right after she did, I went to the side of the canyon we were at, and prayed for YHWH to deliver a way out. Not long after, someone came by with a two way radio, upon which we could call for the locksmith.
Much later, as a teenager, but again on vacation to a particular place in the world known for being a couples’ playground, I was quite upset with YHWH about my status as a single girl, when suddenly I spot a peculiar object washing up on the beach. I picked it up, and saw that it was a perfect, natural cross. At that instant, YHWH as the Holy Spirit said to me, “Am I not enough for you?”
Then, not a month ago, I was about ready to ignore that saying, and all of YHWH’s advice to the contrary and see if someone who just might be interested in dating me would do it. I had been praying and pondering that decision the whole day, and had kept that same cross close to me. just a couple hours before i was to tell him how I felt about him, the cross fell and broke, letting me know that if I went through with it, that I would be declaring that YHWH was not enough for me.
YHWH has also been that which has kept me sane though many other difficult times in my life, and gives me a hope beyond all reason that the only death necessary in my life already happened thirteen years ago; that which is my death to rebellion from YHWH’s plan for me, and a joy that life as I know it can only get better though the times only get tougher.
4. How do you choose which parts of your holy books should be taken literally? If it’s not all of them, how do you decide how to interpret or ignore the rest?
As stated previously, I consider the sixty-six “books” of the Holy Bible to be the true record of YHWH’s working out His plan for humanity. It do not include Apocryphal works since I agree with other Biblical scholars that they were not contemporary to the time they were written, unlike the famous sixty-six. That said, I believe all of those sixty-six books need to agree with each other, and that newer works fill the gaps in older works. For instance, the law given in the Old Testament is very nearly impossible to follow, and is meant to show that YHWH’s standard for a rebellious humanity is perfection, and failing that standard humanity is destined to die. Because humanity cannot follow that standard, YHWH in the form of Christ came to Earth as a human to pay the debt of death that humanity cannot pay. Thus, for all those who have accepted that payment in their place, the standard of the Law has been fulfilled and instead their conduct should be out of gratitude for this great action of love. The words of Christ are the universal code of conduct for all those in that group, and other writings in the New Testament and the Old are to help us (I count myself as one of them) with how we go about life.
5. How are you sure that your specific faith and denomination are the “correct” one? If not, how do you reconcile that?
I am absolutely sure in my faith as a follower of YHWH, and I encourage everyone to be His follower as well. However, as stated above, I can find a home among any denomination of likewise followers, though I will find some to be more comfortable than others. (It is like being a guest in someone else’s home. You are more likely to be at home among friends than strangers, but even in a stranger’s home you can be safe.) However, I have been so blessed to have a home church (i.e. group of fellow followers I am with at least twice a week) that celebrates above everything its devotion to the only earth-bound purpose of all followers of YHWH, that we share that we are free from death through Christ, and that everyone can join us, just as freely as we did. Because of that I feel most at home in that particular church than I am at any other.
And as promised, the details:
This slightly ridiculous parody that I wrote ought to suffice. And yes, it is to the theme of “the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, and references the movie “Nacho Libre”.
Now, this is a story all about how
My life got flipped-turned upside down
And I like to take a minute
Just sit right there
I’ll tell you how I became the “Encarnación” of a town called Porvenir
In west Phoenix I was born and raised
On the playground was where I spent most of my days
Chillin’ out maxin’ relaxin’ all cool
And all playin’ some fútbol outside of the school
When a couple of gangs
Who were up to no good
Started making trouble in my neighborhood
I got picked on a little and my mom got berserk
She said ‘We’re movin’ away closer to your daddy’s work’
I begged and pleaded with her day after day
But we packed our suit cases and went on our way
My parents gave me love and a house with a picket.
I signed up for school and said, ‘I might as well kick it’.
First class, yall this is nice
Swimming in the backyard with tea on ice.
Is this what the people of East valley Living like?
Hmmmmm this might be alright.
But wait why is this place so plain, so “white”?
There are some different cultures here, right?
I didn’t see any
So I took to learning español
Fell in love with México with my heart and soul
Well, went to an orphanage in Baja, looked a lot like Rome
There was a God who got me calm and telling me I’m home
I ain’t trying to get called
Not looking for a career
But hey, whatever you say Lord, and I think I like it here…
I went back there, finished up with school
Learned the tricks of childcare and picked up many a tool
If anything I can say this job is rare
But I thought ‘Now forget it’ – ‘It’s beyond compare’
I joined the place about a year back
Just looking for Nacho Libre- but don’t have to be Jack Black
I looked at the job
I was finally here
To work here as the “Encarnación” of a town called Porvenir.
…I have since childhood wanted to be able to write my life story to that song, but was only recently blessed with enough material in my own life to make it happen. Call it one of the mysterious ways YHWH works through His people.
hey! i’m not a christian myself but i just read this book “dinner with a perfect stranger” it was a rather interesting read and answered lots of questions. Hope this helps!
I don’t really condone anyone for asking these questions. How could you not after see-ing all the suffering etc… First of all, I’m open minded to views, I believe that anyone can believe whatever they want.On the other hand, I can’t really take christian views literally. For example, take South Africa.. A very christian based community, they will go to church to feel enlightened and literally that night, they will rape and rob somebody. (Speaking from something that my friend went through)Another personal experience of mine was a guy I was dating for a little while, he was a fundamentalist christian. We got into this debate and he couldn’t forgive me for asking what I thought was ‘good’ questions. I.E, when you’re walking through a desert for 40 days and 40 nights, the only thing to drink is cactus water, which of course makes you high, he must have been hillucinating right? But no, that wasn’t a good question. That was a week before he started cheating on me. Christianity is one of the only religions (plus 1 or 2 more) that forbids you to feel like another religion is right for you in anyway.
I did go to church for a little while but, after these experiences, I couldn’t forgive mysef for going to a place where I felt like I was surrounded by hypacrites!! There was also the fact that centuries ago, people were burned at the stake for being witches, even if they weren’t by the church ministers etc!! This was all about power. You either believed as they do you you get burned alive.
Some of the other religions state ‘An it harm none, do what thou wilt’ Which basically means, as long as you’re not harming or hurting somebody, do what you feel is right for you. I looked more into this, (after having some of these thought’s and feelings from a young age)and felt like I’d came to the right place. (Pretty much like when you discover B.M.E) You feel like such an outsider and a freak until you discover some of these things. You see this around you all the time, i.e, karma or it could be down to just having a really strong feeling, like when you go to do something and you just can’t bring yourself to do it and you find out later on that something bad has come from this. Take Rachel, she took over from B.M.E, her name maybe on the ownership but some of the shit I’ve seen online that she has to deal with, is the price she has to pay from doing this to you. I’ve seen websites that she just goes on and gets hate mail from people, they say all sorts of stuff to her about how all that went down with you guys. I went onto the website and here’s one example… Do you think Karma is getting back at you for being a shitty mother who only thinks of herself and who she can marry and ruin next? There’s plenty more like that on that websitesite too.
Anyway, it’s completely up to you and what experience you’ve had. Good luck!! X :-)
Sorry about the spelling and grammar. I just read it again and relized what I had written. :-/