What are YOUR religious beliefs?

I was raised Christian, but these days I am pretty skeptical about bible based religions. That's great if the stuff written in the bible happened, and Jesus did all those amazing things, but I don't think people have to devote their lives to it. I think's it's pretty much blind faith.

I just wrote a long response to why I believe (http://mylot.com/w/discussions/1477003.aspx?p=1#2_16830495 And look at response 4), the short of it is I was convinced thoroughly that God does exist. Most of the people in my area are Christians. America is still predominantly Christian, but we have a wide range of religions, and secular belief systems. My parents were really not religious, but my grand parents were Stout baptist. I say I am a Christian, but in all honesty I do not believe so much in the organized secular beliefs, Catholic, Baptist, pentecostal, Non-denominational (Evangelism), and so forth. I read the Bible and listen to what it says to the best of my ability.

I'm not sure about what religions are predominant in America. I was raised Christian, but my parents didnt go to church. They sent me with a family that we knew when I was little. I believe that there is a higher being, I dont believe we were put here on earth to serve a set purpose either. I dont go to services and I dont push my beliefs on others-- and I think thats the best religion!

Pagan. born and raised in a Pagan family, Traditional Witchcraft runs in the family (the UK pre-Wiccan folk magic variety) I live in Cornwall, and in many of my workplaces, Pagans have outnumbered those of other religions. it's common in this part of the world.

I'm agnostic, that is I think the question of the existence or nonexistence of a God is unknowable. I'm not atheist and I think atheism is also a "religion", that is you believe there's no God and the world originates from itself (which I find an explanation as fallible as that of religions). The existence of an after life is different, I don't bet on it even if I know a lot of people who say they have talked to deaths. The worst thing for me is not that we die or the world could have no sense, but the fact that we'll never know the truth

I am not an athiest, but I guess you could say I do not have a religion. While I was growing up, I was told by my parents that I was protestant, but never explained in detail as to what that meant so nothing was ever practiced. Never really went to church, unless it was one of the few times I had gone with a friend who practiced her religion, but was always forced to say "grace" before a holiday meal with my grandparents who never practiced whatever religion they were. Honestly though, I believe when I tell people I don't have a religion they look down on me, or ask me something along the lines of " Oh my, how could you have loved your life outside of a church!!". Well...to be blunt, those bible-hugging, door-to-door selling, "free" from sin yuppies that pile into church numerous times weekly scare me, which turns me off of accepting any religion at the moment. I have had 2 trying-to-attend church expiriences in my life, and both left me feeling uncomfortable and made me feel like I was a bad person. So I'm sorry, Im not going to let a group of strangers in some overly-built, way too expensive tax free church or synagouge tell me how Im supposed to feel and tell me that my natural feelings make me any less of a human being. I do believe in God,Heaven and Hell, and if I need to talk to God, it's a 1 on 1 thing, I can talk to him myself, and I hope he listens. But until I find that religion that can answer all my questions and is right for me, Im going to believe in whatever God I believe in, however and whenever I want.

"What were your parents' religions?" Growing up my parents didnt follow any religion at least not openly "What is the main religion in your country?" Well I'm a Canadian living in the U.S and I believe the majority in both countries is Christianity (varying denominations).. "Why do you believe in your religion?" Though I'm more spiritual than "religious", the reason I believe in the path I walk is simply becuase I've seen it in action and I know that down to my Core being its the path I'm meant to be on "What lead you to believing in your religion?" Nothing "lead" me to it...its always been that way to one degree or another going right back to my childhood..but it wasnt until well into my 20s and long after I'd left Christianity that I found out there were actually names for what I believed in if that makes sense...

I was raised as a Christian but we did not attend church. In the last 10 yrs. I have been attending a Baptist Church. That is the predominant religion in this area. I don't consider myself Baptist as much as a Christian. I believe its more a matter of your personal relationhship with Him than what church you go to. There are some things in the Baptist religion that I don't necessarily agree with.

My parents were Hindu and I was raised a Hindu. I was born in India where the majority are Hindus. Apart from just being a Hindu, my parents were associated with a famous Ashram called the Divine Life Society and so, religion aside, I learnt a lot of the philosophical and spiritual ideas, which made more sense to me than all the ritualistic teachings. I asked a lot of questions to my parents and to the sadhus in the ashram and since I had most of the questions answered to my satisfaction and I had the good fortune of having met an enlightened sage, and the way he is...(I just can't explain more, it was this contact with a Sage that explains everything), I didn't need to think if God really existed. He was for me a living proof of Divinity.. if such a human could exist, I could not doubt the existence of God. Moreover, my mother's relatives were mostly devout and everytime they met there was always philosophical discussions or tales of the leelas of the Lord which made me always happy and inspired me to move forward and really strive to be spiritual. I will not say that mine is the only true religion, to each his own and whatever works for one need not necessarily work for another. But I do believe, that philosophically the basis of all religions is one - "Love all and hurt none". So, whether we belong to any religion or not, if we abide by that universal rule, then we are definitely not going to end up in a bad situation in this life or the after.

Dear friend my religious belief is Hinduism . In India we are having mixed religious belief people.Obviously I am strong believer of my religion. Moreover in all religion there is one thing which all preacher told that creature of this world is one you may call GOD,ISWAR,Allah, etc. etc. All religion told the same thing that help the poor people of the society , not to quarrel with each other on the name of religion. I think India is the country where all religious festival being done with all of us. I am proud to be an indian. pkc3000

My dad was a baptist and forced us to go to church almost EVERY day. then we read out of the bible EVERY day, i couldnt stay the night at peoples houses unless they wnet to church and there was only one person at our church my age and she was stinky and a nerd(i was a nerd too, and she was real nice i just didnt like her) I couldnt go to the school dances, nothing. I ran away when i was 15. The main religion in America is Christianty, which is quit annoying. I dont have a religion I guess people would put me in the atheist section, i like the ideas of pagan religions though, and I have a very weird way of theinking, for one I believe in the "Do What thou wilt Shall be the Whole of the law" and also "No religion is higher than Truth" If I were to say I believe in a God right now my beliefes is that god is the energy around us that forms everything we see. I'm not sure if hes consious or non consious but most likley non. I also believe that once we reach full enlightenment we become gods. But these believes arent strong ones b/c I'm someone that runs on proff and facts and knowledge other than things that sound like fairy tales (even though i like a good story) My thoughts chage with my Knowledge, if you know what I mean. Another possabilty is that Aliens could be the god that started the whole christian thing, they come from hevean, they come down in firery carragies. There is so much that we dont know yet as humans how can we really know the whole truth. All I know for sure that if there is a god that he made me with a heart and a mind and thats what im going to use, and im not going to let someone else tell me that it needs to be this way no questions asked, because i was made to ask questions and most questions in the christian area are not answered you are just told that because god wants it that way. Thats not a good enough answer to me. I think god if there is one would condemn people not using there brians before people that are. Just to let you know im leaning towards no god, and when i say god i dont mean the christian god either. Sorry for the lengthy responce and also sorry if i get a little confussing in the middle of it.

My parents raised me as a Hindu, since, coming from India, they also follow Hinduism. However, I would not say that I follow any specific belief of Hinduism. I find that too much organized religion, or indeed too much religion of any sort, leads to too many ridiculous and sometimes exclusive or closed-minded statements. That said, I am still fascinated with religions and love studying them, especially examining the various Christian denominations and the reasons they sprung up. Of course, these reasons often are very practical things that show that religion is more often than not a tool for working with people, but it is not always a negative tool I believe. I believe in Hinduism in a light way, because I think that way does not contradict my own beliefs, any observable phenomena or scientific knowledge. I think to take any religion's mythology as literal is to be naive and sometimes far worse. However, they can still impart important lessons to us, and provide discipline that is sometimes helpful.

i respect every religion and i am a roman catholic

Hi Greetings, I am from India.Main religion in our country is Hinduism.Hindus have a strong beliefe in "Karma'. The puropses of Hindu's life is 1)Dharma(Religion) 2)Arth(Economy) 3)Karma(Work) 4)Moksha

My parents are Christian. Here it is Hinduism, with some bit of Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism, etc. I was an agnostic but became a Christian 8 years back. Two years later went back to Agnosticism but came back to Christianity again. Read hard on such issues during those times. Now I am a firm follower of Jesus Christ.

I am a christian, believing in the sovereignity of our saviour Lord Jesus Christ

I have doubts that it was a VERY Catholic environment as you say - since your father married an atheist and you were not baptised. That your father permitted that you and your sister were not baptised I can not see how that qualifies for an even remotely Catholic upbringing. *shrug*

i am a hindu. and here in india there is majority of hindus. although i am not a very religious person, but still i sort of like my religion a lot! it is hard to believe that a supernatural force created all of us, but then if such a case hasn't been proved, then the reverse also hasn't been proved yet. so its just again, a matter of belief. as for me, its all on my mood, as when nothing goes right, i start blaming almighty, and when things go on well, then i give myself the credit...hehehe...quite supernatural!!..err...oops!....natural!!

Tending towards agnostic. I have my doubts, but I have other tendencies to think something almighty may exist. There are some events in my life (the way certain events played out) and my own analysis of certain questions (origin of life, evolution of life, the specifics of the planet's evolution) that make me question if its really random or not. Probably doesn't make sense to anyone, but I don't care.

I never take anything at face value so investigated all the main religions and came to the conclusion that none of them were relevant to me. My parents weren't religious but neither were they atheists. I do call myself an atheist though, as I do not believe in a god. I don't need to be told how to be a good person, I just am.