Do you believe in Religion?

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.

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.

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! :)

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.

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.

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.

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.