What is your religion?

United States
June 5, 2010 1:01am CST
I am a Christian, and I believe in the Bible. I am curious about other religions, and the texts they use. I know that Islam uses the Koran, and that Jewish people use the Torah, or in some cases the Bible, but what other religions are represented here on MyLot? What is the basis for your religion, and what texts are used in your religion? This discussion is open to people of all religions, and I am not looking to start an argument or to prove any religion right or wrong, so please let's not turn this into a shouting match or a fight? I am just curious about religions as a whole. Of course, if I have already listed your religion here, feel free to leave a message about what followers of your religion believe, but other religions are welcome as well. I just want to learn a little about the different types of religions out there? This should be interesting, but let's remember to be respectful and not start any fights or anything...so tell me about your religion...
1 person likes this
17 responses
@mjanakha (479)
• United Arab Emirates
6 Jun 10
I am a Hindu. Its one of the most oldest religion in the world. Two great epics in the world--Mahabharatha and Ramayana (There are only three epics in the world) belong to hindu religion. As in the case of christianity, we dont have a following book as bible. But as for the religion we have lots of books--Bhagavar Gita, Vedas, Puranas etc. The religion is so wide and cannot be explained in a paragraph. All the new technologies(Test tube baby, internet, fibre technology, nuclear bombs, galaxies) are all described as stories in our books. They are concepts yet to be discovered by modern men. According to me Hinduism is not only a religion, but its a science, a spirit, an undiscovered truth, a mystery and what not??
1 person likes this
@Galena (9110)
5 Jun 10
I am Pagan. the basis for my religion comes mostly from gut instinct and observing what happens in nature. there's no texts which dictate my religion, but there are texts that help people to explore and understand their religion. again, no specific ones to the whole religion. folklore and mythology gives a lot of understanding. I love to study religions. it's fascinating.
1 person likes this
@soumodeep (944)
• India
6 Jun 10
I am Hindu but follow secularism. Hinduism is the oldest religion in the world formed more then 5000 years back. It's more of a way of life. Hinduism is the most diverse religion one can come across considering more then million gods and goddesses different Hindus follows. It is also the most tolerant religion as India where majority of the population is Hindu has accepted all the religion in world. Christians have flourished, and it contains world's 3rd largest Muslim population. Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism formed in India too and was let flourished. Persecutions never took place. Zorastrians fled Persia and took refuge in India when they were being persecuted by muslims in Persia. Bahai faith has the largest population in India. Confucianism and Taoism is also prevalent in Eastern India among the descendants of CHinese people. More then 12 tribal religions still exist in India today and animism is still followed by many people. World's all major religions exist in India. Together there are more then 15 main religions of the world in India and including tribal religions there are atleast 30 religions in India. Plus India is also the only country where Jews have never experienced anti-Semitism. Jewish community also flourished in India. To maintain peace and harmony among all its religious group, India, being 80% Hindu declared its country secularism and let others follow their own religion without worries. This is not a recent thing, it happened thousands of year back and is still followed today, the idea of secularism.
• India
7 Jun 10
Just by pointing out few riots doesn't mean it's an intolerant religion. Compare this to other religion. Persecution of other religious minority in Islamic country, or take Christians and how hitler executed jews. But I can't blame the whole community right mr? These are politicians who give people money to execute riots so that they can sympathize with christians or the victims and can't get their vote bank. Don't forget that India has more christians then most of the European countries. India's defence minister is christian, head of ruling party is Catholic Italian, Prime minister is Sikh, ex-President was a Muslim, India's most decorated Field marshall is Zoroastrianist, and ex-general was a Jew. All religions flourished in India. And pointing out one or two incidents doesn't prove anything. I am living in no shell but all you guys are ignorant and don't know much about India. One or two reports you guys read and think wow, what a intolerant religion. When was the last time any European and North American country had a Prime Minister or President outside the majority religion they have which is christianity.
@kasouyumi (165)
• United States
9 Jun 10
I follow my own self! Bow down to ME thy god! LOL!
@loniu7 (149)
• United States
7 Jun 10
I was baptized Catholic. I currently do not belong to a church. I believe in god, but don't feel i belong to any religion. If you live your life good, treat people well, don't hurt people, i think thats enough. Most religion have the same message. I have a couple of Church of the latter day saints friends who stop by from time to time. I invite them in, chat with them. I even went on a tour of the church. I am not joining, but am interested in their religion, and actually enjoy the company. Personally, i just feel bad for them, when people dont listen or slam the door in their face. Hey, too me it takes a lot of guts to do what they are doing. They are preaching the word of god big deal! Maybe try to make you join the church, but you can say no. I have. They just stop by and chat, ask me if i need anything done, and then go on their way Big deal. Religion is a personal choice. They are all different people in the world with different beliefs. to each their own!:)
@Sonia3 (21)
15 Jun 10
I'm pagan. Different pagans believe different things and I can't speak for all pagans, only for myself about my own beliefs. There isn't a specific book that we use. My beliefs come from my own relationship with the gods and not from what other people teach me. I believe that as humans we can't understand divinity but that we should relate to it in whatever way works best for us. For me it's by picturing the divine as a Goddess who I can talk to at any time. I believe in Angels who help us through each day and are there whenever we need to call on them. I believe that I serve the Goddess by helping other people and that the Goddess is in all things natural and therefore we should protect the environment. I believe in reincarnation.
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
7 Jun 10
I'm not religious any more and havent been in MANY yrs...I am a spiritual person though and my personal path is a blend of a few ways..the Main/Core of it though is Paganism and Buddhism..I suppose the basics (I really dont like breakin it down but for this I will try) are being in tune with, mindful and loving of myself, the Earth and pretty much all her inhabitants, two legged, 4-legged, winged, plant and so on..
@Christoph56 (1504)
• Canada
6 Jun 10
I'm an Atheist. I even call myself a religious atheist. Not because I believe in some magical existence of anything that there is no possible studies on, but because I have faith in the direction that there is no God (or gods). There are loads of books towards my religion, like "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins being one of the biggest. Our belief is to not believe in something unless you have scientific, reliable, repeatable results through testing, and since there is no testing for a form of God that has had positive results, and since religious text has shown more faults over longer periods of time, without any substantial scientific proof that there is any kind of deity, I'm a skeptic of the concept of God. However, since there is no afterlife, or some higher force, then the more important piece is to work with people, and help eachother so that mankind does better in the end. People have made virtually everything around us. It is thanks to People that you can sit on your comfortable chair in front of your computer in a fantastic shelter that can abridge the vast majority of environmental constraints (wind, rain, heat, cold, etc) or that you can travel to anywhere you'd like on the planet, or eat whatever foods, prepared in a delicious form, or you can learn or study whichever direction you'd like to, and learn whatever you want... people have made this world such a great place for us over the millenia, and it's up to us to do more for them, and continue to push this wonder, further.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
7 Jun 10
I am Christian and I was baptized Catholic as a baby. That said, I believe in the Bible, both the old testament and the new testament. I follow the teachings of the Pope and I've had the opportunity to visit the Vatican in my life. I went through Catechism while I was growing up and I know a lot about the teachings of the church. I've two children of my own and both of them are baptized in the Catholic faith.
• Romania
6 Jun 10
i respect every one how belives in his relogion but i dont belive in any religion sorry thats just me i dont have anything whit no one , i am an orthodox its not that differect frome christian only that in this part of europe Rusia dominated and made this religion, i personaly dont belive in it and any but i-m not an atheist i have my one belives but everybody whit their belives
@cip116 (1011)
• Romania
5 Jun 10
I am Orthodox.But in my family,we were taught to respect all religions. I grew up in a neighborhood with children Catholics,Hebrew,Evangelicals and Orthodox. I never had problems and we had respect for each religion
@meirhu (363)
• Israel
6 Jun 10
Since I am a Humanist I recognize that my religion is truly my OWN. I am allowed and incumbent to start my OWN religion. My religion then is Humanistic Judaism, i.e. without prayer to a supernatural being. I have accepted the first tenet ascribed to Abraham. - Do not worship false idols. As such I reject the second tenet of Abraham - the god that he imagined which is just as false as any of the other gods. If you are not familiar with the stories connected with these two tenets I will be happy to tell them to you.
@ndubose (418)
• United States
6 Jun 10
Well I could say I am a Christian but I would say I am between Baptist and Christian....
• Philippines
5 Jun 10
i am a born again christian but still a catholic cos i never stop going to church and i still believe in saints and their images..but i do read the bible and i do accept JESUS in my heart as my savior so i am also born again as this kind of religion believes that if you accept JESUS in your heart you are born again BUT the point is regardless of what religion you have as long as you believe in GOD and you love your neighbor as you love yourself..GOD is with you..
• Canada
5 Jun 10
I was baptized a Christian, but I'm not a very religious person myself. My family never really went to church regularly, or studied about the bible teachings. I haven't even read the full bible. I did try a couple times, but couldn't get through it. Maybe now that I'm a little older I'll have more luck. I'm also interested in what other religions are all about though, so I'd love to see the other responses.
@kharlav (1669)
• Philippines
5 Jun 10
I was born Catholic and lasted for 18 years before I became a born again Christian. Though the two denominations are both Christian religions, they have big differences. I read the bible, give tithes and offering 10% or more than what I earn. I also pray. praise and worship God. I believe in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. And I believe that they are One, though it might be confusing to many.
@evepin (721)
• Philippines
5 Jun 10
I am a Christian... Roman Catholic to be exact. Our country is a Christian country so i guess we are baptized depending on the religion of our parents. i'm openminded about other religions, since i focus more on the beliefs especially on how to live a good life and minimizing harming people.