Does or has your religion ever prevented you from something you wanted?

@mommyboo (13174)
United States
March 26, 2009 10:01am CST
Almost every religion or religious culture has rules or regulations or promotes or discourages certain things. Do you feel that the one you were born into or chose has certain restrictions that prevent you from having or doing something which is important to you? Do you just stay within the framework of your religion and quietly endure it, or do you say enough is enough and revolt (do what you want) or LEAVE the religion? Examples would be things like you have to cover your face all the time, or you cannot eat certain things, or you would get cast out of your church if you got divorced (but you are being abused), or you are told you must marry WITHIN your religion but you are in love with someone who is not even religious and they aren't planning to convert... or your religion doesn't believe in birth control but you are unwilling to chance having children you can't afford.... I have to say that I really feel it is SAD to have religious constraints stop you from doing something that is important to you as a person. Why do so many people allow their religion to define them, especially if they were born into it and it was never a choice? Some people stay married to abusers who don't even love them because GOD FORBID they get a divorce! Some people forego marrying the person they love because... if you marry outside your religion, GOD is going to hate you, or at least all the members of your religion will! Some people just follow all the rules to avoid being ostracized or because it makes their lives more peaceful because they don't like confrontation. Isn't getting to 'own' your own life better though? You don't get another life. This one is IT. So? What say you?
8 people like this
20 responses
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
27 Mar 09
I am a Jew and we follow the rules in the Torah. Most other religions do not even know that they are there because they just learned the 10 commandments and ignored the rest. There are 613 Mitzvot in the Bible. Some of them can no longer be preformed because the Temple no longer exists and some of them refer to farmers in Israel etc. There are still a lot of them left however.lol The hardest part for me to follow is the 39 things that cannot be done on the Sabbath, which for us is Saturday. Saturday for everyone else is a day to go places and spend money and usually have a good time. For an observant Jew things are different. We cannot travel except to Temple. We cannot spend or even carry money. We cannot cook except to reheat stuff we already prepared. We cannot write so we cannot play games that require keeping score or writing anything or involve money like monopoly. We cannot work in the garden. And I cannot sew or crochet or make lace or do wood carvings all of which I consider relaxing past times. The point is you cannot create anything new on the Sabbath because it is the 7th day and G'd rested from creating on the seventh day. The Sabbath is always a very long day for me. I often catch myself breaking one of the 39 rules without meaning to. I would never give up Judaism because of this though. It is an irritation, but a small one. Shalom~Adoniah
• India
27 Mar 09
I have learnt something about Judaism today and I thank you for this information. I have heard about Sabbath, but I never knew or understood what it stood for till today. As you have rightly mentioned we all break some rules which are written in our holy books. These books were written thousands of years ago, when the times as well as cultures were different, so it is not possible to follow the same in the present days. Let it be Gita (which is our holy book), Bible or Koran.
1 person likes this
@Adoniah (7513)
• United States
27 Mar 09
Hello Ram, I am glad that you enjoyed my comments and found them informative. I also thank you for yours. Hello Mommy, I cannot clean on the Sabbath except to do things like wash the dishes that I use for meals. It is fine to read or study though as long as you remember not to take notes. I usually leave the CD player on with no CDs in it so that I can listen to music without turning it on on the Sabbath. You really are not supposed to turn on electric stuff, but most Jews do. You can play non electric musical instruments too. I have always played percussion. Why would G'd wonder at our following these commandments? They are His. They were His idea. We are not berated if we do not follow them. No one knows except us. It is a mitzvah, a good thing, to follow them. We do not consider it a sin to not follow them. It may be a human failing, but then we are human aren't we. We save the worry of sin for the big stuff like gossip which is partial murder~the stealing of part of a person's identity or soul. Full murder, rape, incest, theft of property or identity. These are sins. Not slipping up on the Sabbath rules. Shalom
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
27 Mar 09
Thank you for the beautiful overview! I didn't know all of this - I did know that there were more than just the 10 commandments and I did know that you are not allowed to do certain things on the Sabbath but I didn't realize it was Saturday and not Sunday. I guess you really are not able to do anything... can you watch tv or read? Are you allowed to clean or is that considered 'working'? I clean in a maintenance way, meaning most of the time I take care of whatever mess happened right away. If I didn't do this, then it would be that much harder LATER, plus I'd have to look at the mess and it would drive me nuts. I do have a few questions for you though. Why are these all still practiced today? Don't you think God would wonder too? I doubt I could ever go even part of an hour without 'creating something', I have kids, I could never 'not carry money', although there are times when I obviously do not spend money lol. I suppose if you love something enough and it is important to you, then it would be just a small irritation. I don't think I would survive one week lol. I don't even like being berated for things in normal circumstances, in other words I do not stack the deck against me or start behind the pack in terms of anything if I can help it. The less chances I have to make mistakes the better, otherwise what a terrible example I'd make of myself to the kids.
@34momma (13882)
• United States
26 Mar 09
what a wondefully interesting question. one that i wanted to think about before I answered. I can so with total honesty that it has not kept me from anything i have ever wanted. it has only enchanced my life and has gotten me all that i have ever wanted. my faith has kept me sane in a insane world. i do think it is sad if people allow anything to keep them from what they want in life. that is not Gods misssion or want for us. the Lord said "Ask and you will be given." so why would he say that it if he didn't mean it.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
26 Mar 09
You're right... but perhaps it's because your religion hasn't forced you to make a choice between a rock and a hard place. That's good, with all the stuff I've been reading about islam lately, and knowing how some people in slightly less strict religions are still chafing at the restraints, it's nice to know that some people aren't having to live that way.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Mar 09
Also, "the truth shall make you free"
• United States
27 Mar 09
Great thoughts, and I can totally relate to your post as I was excommunicated for taking a stand for the truth! What does religion teach? The truth is the way and the path to GOD is through following the truth. The path away from GOD leads to destruction. So when the world around you is violating the truth of life you then have to make a choice... Follow the truth or follow the path to destruction. I choose life... You'll see... You'll know... What is me and what is not?
• United States
28 Mar 09
Worse than Catholic where I was not permitted to partake of the communion service because I was not... I was a Mennonite GOD forbid, any organized religion to cause such harm as I have suffered because the man that created my suffering the lying detective was also a member of the Mennonite community... Now how does that happen? Brother against Brother Mathew 18:15 Consider what I would have sown in heaven and also removed from Earth...
• United States
28 Mar 09
Good thing you used the idea of stealing from a bank and competitively a loaf of bread instead of millions of dollars contributed into a fund for savings encouraged to be participated in by the Federal Government where we get a tax differed benefit that permits other people to abscond with our hard earned savings that we can no longer direct as per our own wishes. The idea of investing in the stock market was to allow businesses to develop and mature, instead we all are losing out unless we are of the elite group that is permitted to get away with criminal activities. Which is worse? The Bank Robber who robs the bank or the White Collar thief that steals the wealth of every investor?
1 person likes this
• United States
1 Apr 09
I am with you in more ways than one... In fact there are certainly more people that should be doing time...
• United States
21 Apr 09
I wasn't born into my current religion. I picked it because it made sense. But it does have a dietary law that I don't follow all the time . I only " keep Kosher", in other words obey the dietary laws, 9 days out of the year.For 8 days in the Spring I don't eat any bread or grain or corn to remember how hard it was to be a slave in Egypt and the hard travels as freed people the first 40 years .It is Passover.It is the hardest for me. For a weel I can't have my beloved pizza. Why do i do it? Because it connects me to all Jews that came before me. The ninth day I keep kosher is Yom Kippur, which is the Day Of Atonement , It comes in the fall, On that day I fast.It is the best way to say I am so sorry for All that I did wrong in the past year.But when it comes to any other day I break the dietary law left and right.These rules may seem crazy but for those 9 days I feel connected to my religion.I am lucky I Can marry whomever. I can divorced.there are no rules keeping me from leaving an abusive husgand.I can't imagine staying with a religion that doesn't let me be free.
1 person likes this
• United States
22 Apr 09
I love, love pizza so it is hard but not too hard.There is no difference between a Jew who was born jewish and Jews who new Jews who converted. As long as you obey the laws, the commandments and keep up at least some of the traditions , you are Jewish. like Christianity, there are different detonations,. There is Orthodox, Conservative and Reform. Orthodox, obey the rules to the letter.To them I may not be All Jewish. Conservatives are not as strict. And Reform , which I am are the most liberal when it comes to the rules. But we all are Jewish.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
22 Apr 09
Ah! When you choose to do something like that because it means something or matters to you - and 9 days out of a whole year doesn't seem too bad to me - it's really a personal choice. I think there's nothing wrong with that unless you are actually SUFFERING without pizza and someone is forcing you to adhere to that against your will lol. I don't blame you for just picking and choosing that one period of time that matters. I am not Jewish, I do know that some people can convert but aren't there still differences from people who are born Jewish and those who convert?
1 person likes this
@sanuanu (11235)
• India
21 Apr 09
No, I can't remember of anyone thing which I couldn't do due to my religion. In fact, I didn't give a thinking of my religion at all. I am Hindu but I also enjoy other religion's festival and my parents never stopped me from doing such things. As for eating habits, I am an eggeterian who dislike meat but likes egg, funny isn't it?
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
22 Apr 09
So you are Hindu but open to other religions or ways of thinking? Too bad everybody isn't that open. You are a rare user, nice to see someone who is accepting.
1 person likes this
@sanuanu (11235)
• India
23 Apr 09
yes, I am kinda open to it but I can only make friendship with them. When it comes to marriage, I don't think I will choose other than my religion's girl.
• United States
27 Mar 09
I left the Christian faith because the church I was attending told me it was ok that my husband beat and abuse me. They told me it was God's will if he did this. And this was ust a regular baptist church of the Southern Baptist Convention here in the United States. They said I should pray to God on how to be a better wife, and mother. I was already discontent with Christianity and this attitude that they could do no wrong, so I finally up and left the same day I left my ex spouse. Having been away from it for so long I now can see that it is inherently flawed, any religion that would kill in the name of their God, and allow a man to abuse his wife. Namaste-Anora
1 person likes this
@jhayat (20)
• Pakistan
27 Mar 09
I feel for you, but this was the wrong reason to leave the church. You should have insisted and told them that a woman was taken out of the man's rib, not from his head to rule over him, and not from his foot that she should be his slave, but she be an equality partner and companion. Did your Church not talk to your husband? Or send him to a psychatrist? It's not normal for a man to be abusive in such an intimate relationship. But, the most important thing is to rejoin your church. Why should people take you away from God. You have a personal relation with Him, which should give NOBODY the power to drive you away from. Relgion is not flawed, people are.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
27 Mar 09
jhayat - how can a reason a person has for a decision they make possibly be wrong? I agree with you completely that men and women are equal and that we should not be stomped on or dominated. I also agree that people are flawed - but RELIGION was created as a man-made entity. Therefore religion IS flawed - people have made the rules of it. PEOPLE try to enforce those rules. As such it has become a major mess. Nobody can tell me any of those peoples' opinions or views matters MORE than mine for MY life lol. They might say theirs does because they are a pastor or minister or the POPE, but that doesn't make it matter more nor make it true. I also do not think that PEOPLE should drive anybody away from a personal relationship with God, but that to me has nothing to do with religion, and it has nothing to do with belonging to a church, following any rules, or anything of that nature.
@RobinJ (2501)
• Canada
29 Mar 09
I believe that you forgot one very important thing that all religions also teach, "fear" if you break, betray or walk away then you are lost. This is all about obedience, control, and fear. I have my own beliefs and they do not include any of the above, and it works for me.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
30 Mar 09
Yep, I don't like the fear concept either. I absolutely LOVE how religious people try to instill fear in me. I'm not afraid of anything they could try to toss at me, and most of all, I am not afraid of THEM either. They are simply humans, just like me. What I can do is choose to walk away from them and never see them again if they don't shut up. What makes sense about being in fear of something that may or may not exist? Without proof, there is no reasonable need to fear, worry, or even be the tiniest bit concerned.
@shay3434 (881)
• Israel
27 Mar 09
Hello! This is a very interesting topic and I can truly say that my religion is preventing me to do many things that I want to do. I'm Jewish and the Jewish religion has many laws and prohibitions. One, we are the jewish are not allowed to eat meat with cheas. We also can't eat some kinds of animals like pig, fishes without scales and more... Second, in Saturday we shouldn't work or light a fire, watching television... Also, there are holidays in which you can't eat whatever you want. For example in Pessah the Jewish people can't eat bread, pasta... Although there are so many prohibitions in the Jewish religion, I like my religion very much and I won't change it for the world. And I'm sure there are many other jews who think like me and do the same. Have a good weekend.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
27 Mar 09
So the benefit to you of being Jewish outweighs the consequences and losing out on things you want to do? I know I could not fathom that nor live my life that way but if you are happy, that's how it should be. I'm sure there are many practicing Jews like you, there seems to be a lot of pride in Jewish heritage and culture. I do know that some take it more seriously than others, but I believe most people are born into it, correct? I think some people can convert but that isn't the norm, is it?
• United States
29 Mar 09
the religion my parents raised me in (christianity but super strict christianity at that) wouldnt let me do anything i wanted.. im a person that likes to try everything and they would always say whatever wasnt godly.. i grew up with that all my life that i left the church as an adult and am determined to not let any religion keep me from something i want to do.. im not an evil person so its not like i cant find one that wont let me do what i want lol..
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
30 Mar 09
Yep, I was raised that way too which should explain why I lean so far the other way now. I don't think that brainwashing is fair, and it's one reason why I fail to understand people who 'find religion' or people who baptize their kids even if they aren't religious or people who 'go to church' for the social reasons. I don't think anybody should be baptized unless THEY want to be (which brings into account age of consent or at least age of knowledge) and as far as social reasons, I can think of much more FUN things than church lol. I'm not an evil person either. I simply know what I'll put up with and what I won't, and there's no two ways about that.
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
27 Mar 09
I say go to the word of God yourself. Find out what God has to say on the subject and not what your religion says. It might not be the same thing. Check out how many times Jesus did something the religious leaders of His time disapproved of. What God says is more important than what the church says.
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
27 Mar 09
That is why I am not religious too - I believe that if someone wants to have a personal relationship with God - whomever 'God' is to you - that is a good thing. I guess I might compare it to a relationship with a spouse perhaps, where you both try to do things in the best interest of the other, encourage each other's dreams and goals, support each other even if you don't necessarily LIKE everything the other person is into. I can certainly tell you though, I don't go about telling everybody - hey, my relationship is the coolest and you should get involved in it too lol. That's why someone's relationship with God is personal and should remain that way. I feel the church has misinterpreted many things as well as held onto old things that have no place in today's world. Again, this is of course my OPINION, I don't claim it to be right, just as I see things.
• United States
29 Mar 09
Well, this is a topic that so many have problems with. You do pick the interesting topics. I for one have a religion that is not so demanding on my life. Some people believe so many rules that if you look in the book you would see that it says different things for different situations. I mean it say love they neighbor as you love they self. What if your neighbor is a child killer and raper? And, he who has not sin cast the first stone, yet many say if you do that you will go to hell. Then, are you not casting the first stone? See, my God and believes are God made me and knows all about me right so he knows all and he knows what I am all about and who I will marry and what I will do in my life! So, he must approve of it or he would have not made me! He would have just thought I don't approve of her so I will not make her I will make someone else. Besides, I am human I am aloud to make choices no matter what anyone thinks I am the one who has to live with them and fact the end with them. So, let me learn by my own choices not matter if you like them or not! You get to make your own! Right! So, no my God does not stop me from being myself for he made me as is with the thoughts and brain he gave me. I can only hope he does not change his mind and take me from this earth before I am ready to leave. **Peace and Love get's you through everything in Life**
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
30 Mar 09
LOL! See, I figure if God is really that hate mongering rule spewing judgemental 'person' that so many religious fanatics subscribe to, then he will pop out of nowhere and split me in two with an axe and therefore take me from this earth before I am ready to leave! As you can see, I'm making a joke so I really think there is a .000000002 percent chance of anything of that nature happening. To me or anybody. Hypocrisy is truly the biggest issue, isn't it? That whole 'I am right and since your view is different, it MUST mean you're wrong'. That's pretty rampant here at mylot too, regardless of the topic.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
27 Mar 09
I think I will leave this kind of restrictive religion. After all, the theme of many religions, including Christianity, is freedom. Freedom is very appealing, even though we know that absolute freedom is impossible. Freedom is good when exercise properly, meaning we are free to think, free to act, free to speak, on condition that we are responsible for all our thoughts, action and speech. If the religions want to take away our freedom to think, act and speak, then that religion is going against the freedom concept of religion. I will definitely leave this kind of religion. No matter how much I love my Creator, I will not restrict myself to the restrictive doctrine of any religions. Since I know that my Creator gives me a brain and guidance in life, I will answer to Him to him directly.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
27 Mar 09
Actually having been Christian at a point in my life, I didn't see much 'freedom' to it at all. I saw many hypocrites and people acting in ways I would not act, even if I were PAID. I also have this issue against keeping company like that, so that spelled the end of my involvement. I know that sounds a little like throwing the baby out with the bathwater but you know what.... I just don't like the idea of religion. I don't like the idea of having to show outward signs to OTHER PEOPLE that you can or do follow a list of rules, especially when the majority of them didn't make any sense whatsoever to me. Why should any of us care what any other people think anyway? LOL! I don't need to be accepted nor approved of by other people, just myself. Sometimes everybody around me accepts or approves of me, which is cool, it just makes my life easier, but it doesn't mean anything special, it doesn't change anything integral about me. It doesn't make me more right or more wrong in that moment just because. I do believe in personal responsibility and everything that goes along with it - if you're going to say something, back it up, if you start something, follow through, if you make a promise, honor it, learn how to take care of yourself and then do it, make your own decisions, don't let others influence or make them for you - especially not people who might not know you or people who might try to take advantage of you etc etc.
@scheng1 (24650)
• Singapore
28 Mar 09
Agree with you, there are a lot of hypocrites in many of those restrictive religious organisations. I have seen my fair shares of it. Some are so "holy" on service days, condemn everything and everyone, the only power they lack is the power to call down fire from heaven. After that, they buy lottery tickets. If anyone asks about that, they give excuse saying they will donate to the religious organisations or help the poor or whatever nonsense. Anyway, no more churches or organised religious groups for me. Enough time wasted listening to all the "holy" talks (of different groups) and witnessing all the "weaknesses of men".
@jhayat (20)
• Pakistan
27 Mar 09
Oh, thank you so much for promising not to hit me on the head with a holy book! There are a lot of rules we follow, but don't resent them. Driving on the right side of the road, walking on the side-walk and not the midle of the road, geting a security number, paying your taxes, making meals for your children, etc , etc. Why do we kick up a fuss as soon as it comes to religion? Is religion the only thing which makes us follow rules? Doesn't the government? Doesn't father-hood or mother-hood? 'You are a parent ,now, You Have to take care of your child. Feed him, clothe him', isn't there a 'Have To' there ,too? You make rules for the betterment of your children, and God makes rules for the betterment of His children. That's the way I see it, and remember your promise of not hitting me on the head!
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
27 Mar 09
I wouldn't hit anybody on the head. However I don't claim to corner the market on the 'truth' either like so many fanatic religious people do, especially here at mylot! This place is teeming with them, they never forego an opportunity to tell everybody 'what I believe is the truth and what you believe is a bunch of crap if it differs the slightest bit from from what I believe' lol. I don't think other beliefs are a load of crap. I don't think they apply to MY life but that doesn't mean I think they shouldn't exist. Let me tell you, I do resent some of the 'rules' we have imposed on ourselves. I have no issues with the ones that make sense but some of them don't. I actually take liberties with things that don't make sense, and I'm no worse for wear, nor am I worried that I'm going to be thrown in a jail cell for using my own interpretation of something in order to make a decision. You can't toss EVERYBODY in jail nor punish EVERYBODY for something that may or may not be a blanket violation. So.... from my point of view, this is not solely about religion. The reason I used religion as a point in this discussion is because I see MUCH MORE deprivation inherent in religious based rules vs the natural world. I certainly do not mean there is NO deprivation in the natural world, but there is ADDITIONAL in religions and I wanted to know what people did as a result - whether they loved their religion more and didn't care, whether they just disregarded those parts of religious rules they did not agree with, or whether they just left the religion. Obviously my choice of foregoing it ALL is not the choice of everybody, and I expected that. I simply wanted to get a better grasp of why people choose the way they do, and maybe what factors influence how and what they choose, now and in the future. As far as parenthood, of course a good parent is charged with taking care of their child. You do know of course there are many people who are HORRIBLE parents. They do NOT take care of their children. They do not provide for them, clothe them, love them, teach them, feed them. Sometimes other people step in and do this. Sometimes those kids are removed from their homes or wandering alone on the streets. To be honest, there really is no 'have to' inherent in anything. It comes down to whether you want to or not. I simply want to understand why some people are scared or shamed into doing things they don't ACTUALLY WANT TO. Yes, I do make certain guidelines for my children but they make sense and they are realistic. They do not pertain to things thousands of years ago and some of them are also specifically tailored to a specific child and their personality. For instance I know my son is a big procrastinator. Sometimes I have to enforce extra consequences if he does not do something within a certain timeframe in order to get him to do it before we have to LEAVE. My older daughter was not like that, so I rarely had to enforce extra 'threats' in order to get her to do something. If following God makes you happy, so be it. I just want to put it out there that something like that is a personal thing, it is not applicable to everybody even if someone believes it is or should be. Even when I WAS religious, I did not necessarily agree with what many people said - that WE were right and everybody else was WRONG. I believe that even LESS now.
• Philippines
27 Mar 09
there are different religions and they have different beliefs and traditions. these include marriage, ethics, works, way of living that is. it affects everything, from the food you eat to the things you do before you sleep... we cannot scrutinize and question one religion origin because your questioning 2 or millions of peoples belief.. its more of understanding them.. but of course we were able to see a lot of people breaking barriers and following what their hearts desires.. and that is why there people very much willing to change religion...
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
27 Mar 09
Well, the reason I posted this question is because I am looking for various points of view on the matter. Obviously something that is a deprivation to ME may not be to another person, and my point in asking this is to find out WHY they consider it isn't. Or perhaps they agree with me and find it to be a deprivation and a restriction and they WISH it weren't that way. I simply raise the idea - why would someone choose to be deprived and restricted if they had a choice not to be? I think that people who aren't in favor of it should definitely choose another religion or at least explore other options. Maybe something else - or nothing - would be a better fit. In the most basic of terms, I am asking people to question and determine whether they are happy. If you are happy, then the way you are living your life is perfectly right for you. If you're not.... well then I think life is supposed to be that journey on which you discover where your happiness is. It might involve making others in your life unhappy but if that's a chance that brings you closer, I say do it.
• India
26 Mar 09
Hi there, I am a Hindu. Hinduism is a vibrant religion, which does not put any restrictions on its followers. Even though some religious leaders try to take Hinduism back to the stone age, it will not be possible in our religion. I think this is one of the reasons why so many western people convert to Hinduism and follow its teachings. Even though we do not convert people from other religions to Hinduism, everybody is wellcome to follow its principles. We do not have things like being thrown out of the Church or people being ostracized due to their beliefs. Of course every religion has its good and bad points, we are sincerly trying to eradicate the bad points from our religion.
1 person likes this
@mommyboo (13174)
• United States
26 Mar 09
Hi there! So hinduism does not restrict its followers nor judge people who are not within your religion? I admit I don't know much about hinduism, where did it originate? I am American so I am not very familiar since I don't know any practicing hindus.
1 person likes this
@excellence7 (3647)
• Mauritius
27 Mar 09
Good question which has rendered me thoughtful about what to say. But no I don't remember so. Religion has never obstruct me to do anything right but when I erred in life, then I do agree that religion was right thought I did not remember it at that moment of committing mistakes. I don't remember of committing a mistake and remembering about principles at that time, and if I remember also, maybe I would have committed the mistake and learned from this act.
@Sheepie (3112)
• United States
26 Mar 09
That, all what you said right there, that's why I'm a Satanist. Well, it's one of the many reasons why. My life doesn't need to be laced with guilt. I can't really say that Satanism has ever really prevented me from doing anything, but I was raised as a Catholic and.. Well, let's see, I was Catholic for about 11 years of my life, and I'm not even sure if during that whole time, I actually refrained from doing anything because of it. I knew that some things were sin and others weren't, but I think a lot of the time I told myself that I didn't even want to do anything that was restricted. I didn't really have a lot of knowledge about religion, but I still lied, and did things that were obviously frowned upon. While sinning, I would never think of it. Sinning, yes, but I was just having natural reactions to my world. When there were times that I did remember that I was sinning, I would just feel very guilty and forget and do it over again. I mean, there are tons of reasons why a child should not lie, for safety and so the parents know what is going on, but a simple thing that nobody needs to know about? Childhood just isn't childhood without sin. Life just isn't life without sin. At least not for me. People who are in religions that prevent them from doing some things, they might say they like living that way, but I suppose they wouldn't really dare question it.
1 person likes this
• Philippines
27 Mar 09
sometimes the religious culture can effect our personallity there are many people using there religious to get their personal interest many people afraid to join of any religious activity because they are afraid in god. We know that the religious is very important to us knowing that we love to each other and afraid of any bad reputations that puts your life terrible.
@cdxisme (17)
• Indonesia
27 Mar 09
I think you won't leave the religion because it prevented something.I think every religion will always teach good things.I think you must learn to understand to your religion will make you go to the good way.
@MasonL (97)
• Trinidad And Tobago
23 Apr 09
Mommyboo I that you are a grown up and I think that you are free now to decide if you want to change it or not when you were a child you did not have any control of what religion to choose your parents made all the choices for you, Now that you are grown up you can make your own choice as to what is right for you or not. A true full Gospel church do not keep people in bondage or control their lives I think the over seer point out certain aspects in the bible for you helping you cope with lives issues but will not control you.