Do you believe in Religion?

@Dugsmom (279)
United States
April 8, 2009 2:04pm CST
I believe in God and I know I was created by Him. But religion, in my opinion, is a bunch of baloney! As a child, I'd go to church every Sunday, said my prayers and if I did anything wrong, go to confession where I'd be cleansed of all my sins. As I got older, I tried other religions and they were all the same yet different. They all asked for money but they all preached about a different God. It's strange that we all believe this and keep going to church and keep giving these people who claim to have a special relationship with God our money. It has been at least 13 years that I have been to church. I don't believe what they preach in there...how do we do what is the truth is what is made up? When people ask me if I go to church I say no. They look at me in shock as if I'm a sinner. I let them know that my home is God's home so I don't need church. I know what I believe in and I don't need people trying to force their made up beliefs on me. What about you all? I know this is a touchy subject but I am curious hear what you all think about this.
2 people like this
21 responses
@cobra1368 (702)
• United States
8 Apr 09
I have struggled with this issue for many years now. I grew up Lutheran and was raised in a family that believed that Lutherans were right and everyone else was wrong, even other Christian denominations! I always had my doubts and questions that couldn't be answered, but I never really started exploring my own beliefs until I met my husband, who happens to be an atheist. He is a biologist who says the woods is his church, and mother nature is his god (or goddess). I think religion (Christianity in particular) was created as a means to control a large group of people and ensure that they acted as "good citizens" for fear they would endure wrath of God. I don't believe evolution is something that is either "believed in" or not; it is scientific fact. As a scientist by nature and training, that holds much more water with me than a bunch of stories that change depending on who is telling them. If nothing else, I do not like organized religion. I don't like the way churches are run - being that everyone running them is human, and therefore a sinner, they are corrupt by nature. I am no longer a religious person; however, I am currently trying to find my personal spirituality, which I do believe in.
@Dugsmom (279)
• United States
8 Apr 09
That's how it is in my family. My parents stopped going to church but I'd still go but to different religions. It was during a time in my life when I was trying to make sense of it all...so I sampled A LOT of different religions. We didn't have much money but I had a wonderful childhood and have no complaints. Well one day I was at my great-aunts house and she and my cousins starting saying the meanest things to me. My aunt told me that the reason we live the way we do (with no money) was because we didn't go to the Catholic church and we were all being punished. If we went to church, our lives would get better and we'd be rewarded with more money than we can ever imagine. I thought that was baloney then and I still think so now! I told her that we had a good family life and just because we weren't rich didn't mean that we weren't happy. I was happy and we had everything we needed. But in her eyes we were BAD people and anybody who isn't Catholic are sinners and will burn in hell for it. I know the bible is made up...I know that much.
@Dugsmom (279)
• United States
9 Apr 09
My son has never been baptized so my family thinks he's still got little horns. They say that in order to get rid of the horns you have to get your child baptized. I agree with you, getting baptized isn't going to change anything. He's still the same kid not matter what. I have decided to wait and give him that option. If he wants to get baptized then I'll stand beside him and if doesn't want to then that's okay. It'll be his choice..He believes in God but it isn't his life. He thinks a lot like your husband except he believe in God. but he also more of a scientific kind of person.
• United States
8 Apr 09
I'm actually exactly the opposite here. My family still goes to church, but I don't. My mother gives me a hard time about it, but she can't make me go, and I'm an adult and can choose for myself, so that is the way it is. I've already decided that I will join a Lutheran church here, mainly just to get my children baptized when I have them, and then be done with it. I mainly want to baptize my future children to appease my mother. I personally don't think it benefits them in any way. Ah, the things you do for the people you love! :)
@agv0419 (3022)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
I believe in God but I'm not so religious person. My only objection with the church why they keep asking money for donations. I don't know if I going to believe anymore in the preaching of the priest. Sometimes theres some point I'm going to fall asleep because of the boring preaching of the priest.
@Dugsmom (279)
• United States
9 Apr 09
I think God loves us no matter what. So if we don't give money, he's fine with that. It makes no difference to him. I remember as a young girl, my parents decided to try out a church. they never went before but they wanted to give it a try. One day a visiting pastor was going to be giving the sermon. We were all in shock when he drove up in this fancy smancy Catillac. His neck was adorned with thick gold chains and every single finger had a BIG gold ring on it. He was even on a cell phone! A CELL phone...back in those days not many people had a cell phone. I had only known one other person who had a cell phone and he was filthy rich. That particular church was a poor church. The people who went there had very little money so when the basket went around we usually gave what we had. Most people gave $1 bills. They couldn't afford more...we couldn't either. I don't mind helping out the church because like you said that money helps pay the church bills. We had our niece that day and while the visiting pastor was giving his sermon she started to run around so I took her outside. While I was outside, they start to pass around the basket. After the basket had gone around not one time but three times, the visiting pastor looks in it and starts yelling," What is this junk????" Everybody was shocked. Then he says," God doesn't want $1 bills...he wants 20's, and 30's. Who do you people thing you are...giving him $1 bills. This is junk and worthless." Of course he still took the money. Like I said, I was outside so I didn't hear this but my mom told me about it afterwards. She told me she wished I was there because I would've stood up and said something. I would've defended those people...they gave what they had. God has no need for $$$. That pastor just wanted the money for himself and he took ALL that was in the basket...even though it wasn't as much as he wanted. He never went back to that poor church again. There was no reason to go back..he wasn't going to make money off us becuase we didn't have any to give him. It's people like him who make church and religion look bad. It's people like him who make us lose faith in our religion..it people like him who should rot in hell.
• United States
9 Apr 09
Organized religion is a sham created by people who wanted to push their own views and beliefs and also to control people. Plus if you think about it, all religious texts are essentially works of fiction written and created by human beings over time. Basically religion is (or was) a way to control large numbers of people or at the least give people something to make them think there is something later down the line. At it's worse, religion has given terrorists and religious fanatics excuses to commit horrible crimes over the centuries. But since the religious texts and all are basically made by man, so is the concept of God.
@txgrl21 (819)
• United States
9 Apr 09
I beleive in god but I dont go to church. you know when you tell a secret to a friend but that friend doesnt really keep it a secret and everytime the secret gets told it changes a bit? if someone were to retrace the secret then they would get to the thruth eventually right? well i think a church is like all the secrets that came after the first and original one. if you research then you will find one and only true god. i go to meetings with jehovas witnesses and they dont say they are going to church and i think that makes sense.
• India
8 Apr 09
I consider humanism as my religion. I do not care for what people say. All the religions whether its christanism, hinduism, zorastrianism, etc. contains the same message of humanism at the end. Certainly, I believe on the theory that there is a supreme power who controls everything who has created us but does it really vary with religion. I don't think so everyone has been created by one supreme power which we call god but there is nothing like religion or something. It is we who have created this word called religion to divide people so that a few can rule over this human race.
@Dugsmom (279)
• United States
8 Apr 09
You said it perfectly...it's the division of people that I hate so much. People kill each other over the issue of religion...it's just crazy. And I have been to MANY different churches and they do believe in the same God but it's almost as if he's not the same God. It's very hard to explain. I just got tired of all that and don't go to church anymore. It's so much better (for me) to worship HIM in our home.
@rishikon (31)
• India
9 Apr 09
Do not think too much. Do not be confused. Life is very short, so be happy and amused. You probably would not worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do think about you. Religion is a primitive form of philosophy, the attempt to offer a comprehensive view of reality. Some people need it and other's do not. But, some people try to use it for their selfish purpose. About God, I do not want to discuss whether he is real or not because our brain is not develop enough. But i want to say that there is something out there that created everything in this universe. For me, the simplest thing to follow is my reasons and commonsense. Lastly, I respect every person believes and faith, and I want them to respect mine.
• United States
8 Apr 09
I was raised in a Baptist family and once I turned 13 and I really thought about religion I decided that religion was just made up by people to explain what they couldn't explain and to use as a backbone in society when deciding what was right and what was wrong and how to live their lives. Since the creation, its been so socialized in households and culture that nobody tends to question religion as much and those who decide that there is no God and are Atheists therefore are criticized and are told they have no morals due to the fact that it would hurt their religion to say otherwise. So I agree with you that religion in baloney. But I disagree on the fact there is a God - I believe science is what is out there and maybe the Big Bang theory isn't correct but if I spend my entire life trying to explain the unexplainable then I won't have time to live the life I want. And I refuse to live by a book or any belief because I want to be the one to decide how I want to be and what I think is right and be a good person because I want to - not because I'm afraid to go to Hell.
@Dugsmom (279)
• United States
8 Apr 09
You are so right! Why waste our lives away living by a book or belief when we can be our enjoying our lives. I don't know if there's a God or not but I'd like to believe there is a Supreme Being out there...it just comforts me thinking that there might be a God.
@gracypure (529)
• Philippines
9 Apr 09
I am not a religious person and i seldomly go to church but I believe that there is One Most powerful up there and He's our True God. I am a pure Christian but i am open to listen or attend some words of God from other religions, it's just that i think each religion have different name of God like Jehovah, Allah,Yahweh and more.
@rakesh284 (1472)
• India
9 Apr 09
I believe in god. I respect him very much. I am even visiting temples regularly. I am also praying every morning to god that every thing should be fine in the world. I think god is taking care of us and is observing us and grant thing accordingly. GOD IS GREAT!!
• United States
9 Apr 09
I agree with you 100%!! Everyone tries to get me to go to church too but I just dont belive in what they preach. I believe in God very strongly and I dont think that you have to be saved by this Jesus that there is no documentaion on except for in the bible to go to heaven. I believe that you will be judged by your actions not your faith in heaven.If you are a good person and you do what is right I think that is all that matters. All growing up all I ever heard was if you were not saved by Jesus that you were going to hell...How is it that a God of love could do that to his creations if they are good and they do good but do not belive in Jesus and do not go to church. I am glad to see that I am not the only one who believes like me!!
• United States
9 Apr 09
Oh, I might get some heat for this one.. but, oh well.. I used to be high and mighty when it came to religion. I'd say that no matter what had, or will soon happen, it was god's work, and he has his reasons, if you suffer, it is because god intended for you to go through hardships at this point in time, and we'll all be rewarded for a righteous life with a place in heaven. However, my faith has been shattered, the actions taken by humanity alone have made me question every aspect of religion. We've become such hateful beings, obsessed with our own concerns, and nobody, and nothing matters. Even those who cling to faith have their skeletons, believe it.. we've been shown that.. and besides, it's much easier to give up and become evil, just like most religious people already are. Religion is an illusion, used to keep us in line.. some invisible man in the clouds who watches over us? Did'ya ever notice how he ALWAYS seems to need a bit of cash? Hmph.. if there is a god, then obviously he's pissed at us, and we're being punished.. or, maybe he simply doesn't care, or.. theres always the possibility that he doesn't exist.. and if he does, then I've got many a question to ask. You, just like everyone else, have every right to question each and every aspect of religion. If someone is shocked that you don't go to church, or believe all together, you can give them my outlook on the subject, which is simply ".. yeah, umm.. I tried. I really tried.. but bad things continued to happen daily ( and not just for me ).. so I decided that I'll try again just as soon as god does.."
• Canada
9 Apr 09
I believe in God, because I myself am god.
• United States
9 Apr 09
I'm with you, I believe in God, have seen his works personally. But everytime I've attended an organized church, it just furthers my belief that the more people you get in an area; the dumber said people become. This is only natural and people just want to be accepted I guess, but it seems to me that it has gone less and less about our Lord and more and more about keeping the physical church established.
• United States
9 Apr 09
I believe in God & Jesus and I believe there is no higher no greater. I was raised as a Catholic, I was baptized as a infant, did my commuion, and confirmation. My family were not chruch people but my mother made sure we went to religion classes. One thing my mother always said God dont care where you pray as long as you pray and believe. I guess that's why we hardly went to chruch. As I started to get older I had lots of questions that no one could really answer. So I started to look in to other religions just like you did. But found them to be the same but alittle different. I started looking for something that I believed, even though I was raised Catholic I don't believe in everything they teach or believe. As a mom I sent my son to Catholic School and everyone ask me why if I dont beleive in all the rules. Honestly I want him to learn the religion caused he was baptized Catholic but I really send him for the discipline and the education. There's very little room to fool around in private school. But when asked what my beliefs now I just say Im spiritual.
• Denmark
9 Apr 09
I do not understand any religion in the entire world. I do not believe in anything, except for science.
@syankee525 (6261)
• United States
9 Apr 09
yeah i kind feel the sameway myself, why do i have to be one or the other to belive in God, we all worship him, ok except a few.. and go to church. i often hear people tell how i should go to church or need to have faith, they assume i dont because i dont go to church
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
I only have faith in God.
@eselmaro (208)
• Philippines
8 Apr 09
There's really nothing wrong with religion. It is a matter of faith to whoever we are and whatever a certain person believe. I got the same tradition too like the others and did same things like you. As long as I am not hurting anyone let us put it that way. Religion is such a big matter when it comes to faith. But once and for all we have same one God. Good day!
@smartjack (520)
• India
9 Apr 09
i love my god, and im ready to die for him, he gave out his life to save us. and where religion is concerned it is created by man. there is only one god and only one belief that one should have, and not too many gods
• China
9 Apr 09
i'm a atheist.i dont have faith in GOD.
@easterly (52)
• China
9 Apr 09
i don't believe in God or any other religion,but may not be a atheist.i do believe that religion is part of civilization, culture or history.if there are some things that human can not solve,religion will exist. in a civilized society, people should have the right to belive in a religion or not.so let go.