What do you believe? I am interested in the world's spiritual diversity.
By zionsphere
@zionsphere (673)
United States
September 5, 2011 1:39pm CST
Are you willing to share what your beliefs are? What is your religion? What is your denomination? were you raised to believe this way? is it part of your country's culture? Did you choose your own faith? if so, why did you choose that faith?
I am a non-denomination Christian. I was raised in an atheist household, which means that there wasn't much, if any talk about God, or any sort of spiritual practices performed in our house. But when I was four, I met a Christian girl, and was fascinated by the love in her heart, and her willingness to obey her elders. The girl and I parted ways, but before she left my life, she taught be about God, and His love for us, so I chose to have a relationship with him through Jesus Christ as she taught me.
Doing so was difficult because I was only allowed to go to church a few times throughout my childhood, but I always knew that God was with me. When I grew up I had been in the world for so long,being influenced by it that I turned away from God, But he was still with me.
After living in misery for awhile, he finally contacted me, making his presence known to me once again. I was confused, and didn't recognize him at the time, but I recognize him now. Before I came to recognize him, I was put through many tests. Finally, one of his servants, The pastor of the church I currently attend, came knocking on my door.
I have to explain that many people had come to my door, offering me their religion, but I never felt the true presence of God with any of them. As a matter of fact, some of them frightened me. But I immediately knew that this man and his wife were servants of my Lord, and I have been attending their church and learning more about him ever since. I truly feel his love for me, and I am truly grateful that he came knocking on my door.
1 person likes this
10 responses
@celticeagle (167071)
• Boise, Idaho
6 Sep 11
It is good to hear that you had this experience as a youth. So many times it is just the oposite. I am an agnostic. Which means I question the gospel as it is taught in most churches. I think it is misrepresented in alot of teachings. I am mostly spiritual and do believe in a higher power.
@celticeagle (167071)
• Boise, Idaho
8 Sep 11
I am glad to hear that you have found a church that you are comfortable with.
@zionsphere (673)
• United States
7 Sep 11
I feel that way too. Many times the churches will teach the gospel with anger and fear tactics, and it pushes people away.
I am very glad that I have joined a church that teaches about loving one another.
1 person likes this
@syed1000 (2)
•
12 Sep 11
I am a Muslim, and I have been raised in Muslim Family. my Religion is Islam, the Book Quran which is revealed from Allah the sustainer of all the worlds. Islam refers to submission to the WILL of ALLAH. It is the religion from day-1 of the world when first human was descended.
The last prophet amond apporx 124,000 prophets, Mohammed (Peace be upon him) is the last prophet.and the renewal of the religion Islam ends at this prophet, He is the last prophet till the 'Day of judgement" and Quran is the final Book of Allah which is actaully the direct word revealed over the period of 23 year through an Angel. Its a guidance to all HumanKind till the world ends.
The Christanity and jews got the Boom from same Allah before Quran and those were not revealed as direct word of Allah through any angel but revelaed as Written Book. Poeple changed it time to time and versions of book created. With Quran all the laws in previous book has been invalidated.
The Responsibility Protection of Quran has been taken by Allah and today we see billions of Quran with only one version and memorized by millions of Peoples which they recite in prayer and during the month of Ramazan without looking at it. This is one of the Miracle of Quran Given in Quran itself that Allah says that "We have made it easy to remember" There are no religieous Book for which you may find even single person who remembers fully.
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
6 Sep 11
Hello zion
Thanks for sharing in details
I am from india, my religion is hindu, i was born hindu, will die as hindu, we have so many gods and goddesses, we worship their idols, statues, pictures, we have tons of religious functions, celebrations throuhout the year
Best of luck.
Professor
Thanks for sharing in details
I am from india, my religion is hindu, i was born hindu, will die as hindu, we have so many gods and goddesses, we worship their idols, statues, pictures, we have tons of religious functions, celebrations throuhout the year
Best of luck.
Professor
@zionsphere (673)
• United States
7 Sep 11
If you don't mind me asking... how many do you have? Is it ever hard for you to know who to pray to?
Do they represent certain things like elements or feelings? I read one of your other posts about praying with beads, and I am aware that they do this in many countries and religions. What kind of celebrations?
@Galena (9110)
•
5 Sep 11
I am Pagan, and was raised in a Pagan household.
there are many different types of Pagan, and as it is often quite a personal path, probably no two Pagans beleive the exact same thing.
I am a Polytheist. which means that I beleive in more than one deity. I beleive in a Goddess and a God.
I am a Pantheist, which means that I think that the energy of deity is something that is present in all things. in every person, every animal, every tree, every rock, every star. a bit like the force but without all the telekenisis and fun weaponry.
I also honour the ancestor spirits.
in my early teens I trained as a medium with a local spiritualist group, and I found this training useful for things like meditation and divination as well as the mediumship side of things. a lot of these skills cross over well into Witchcraft.
and just recently I've discovered a very strong emotional and spiritual connection to the Voodoo traditions of New Orleans, and I'm building a relationship with the Lwa.
over the years I've always taken time to learn about other religions, and was even a star pupil at the local after school church club. I'm sure they had no inkling that I wasn't Christian and had no intention to be a Christian. I just enjoyed the stories and games. I am interested in Roman, Greek, Egyptian and Norse paths too, but from the same rather detached perspective. I just enjoy learning about them. froma comparitive religion point of view. nothing has led me to stray from my Pagan roots, although the paths have always been open to me, I just never felt more of a connection to those ways than to my own.
@zionsphere (673)
• United States
7 Sep 11
That is all very fascinating to me. I like that you have your personal path. It probably makes you connection to your beliefs very strong.
Even though I am a devoted Christian, I have a respect for other religions. I have found many parallels within the studies and stories of pagan (or other) deities, and believe that there is some truth in all of it.
I personally would never practice witchcraft, because the Bible warns against it, as it is offensive to Jehovah, who wishes to be worshiped above all others. However I am fascinated by it's effectiveness in the lives of some of the Pagans I have known.
Thank you for being so open. :)
@Lore2009 (7378)
• United States
6 Sep 11
I'm an agnostic. I think my father is an atheist, I don't really know, never asked him. I think my mother is an agnostic or believes in a god but not any that are named by anyone. I was raised in the US by immigrant parents so culturally... I was told about a god but none who was specified by any religion. I remember I became very afraid when I was little because my friends told me I will go to hell if I don't believe in god, so we started going to church. I was very uncomfortable there. And once my friend told me dogs don't go to heaven, I started questioning religions. Now, I am interested and fascinated at the power and influence of religion on people. That is why I like to learn a lot about it but I have not found any one that I feel I will call my own yet.
@zionsphere (673)
• United States
7 Sep 11
I was agnostic for awhile. It was really a long journey. I'm sorry that your friends scared you. The Bible really can be frightening to someone who doesn't understand it.
The only advice I can offer you, is to try to understand that God wants us to have an abundant life, and everything he does is in an attempt to make that happen for the people who love and have faith in him. He can be very harsh, but you have to read a little deeper to see that the people who have been slain in the Bible were much harsher to his servants and each other than he ever was. Saddam and Gomorrah for example, were destroyed because when angels were sent to see if anyone should be saved, the townspeople tried to rape the angels!!
It really bothers me when people say you will burn in hell if you don't believe in God. That is actually a little backwards. The truth is, if people continue sinning and living with hatred in their hearts, this planet will become hell, and Satan will continue to have dominion over those people. If people believe in God, and follow the teaching of Jesus, they will have abundant lives,and go to heaven. It's as simple as that....at least that's what I personally believe.
I also believe that good dogs go to heaven... lol!
I hope you find a church that you can call your own. :)
@dheckerz (473)
• Philippines
14 Sep 11
I'm glad that you met God and you are happy with your life. Mine is a bit the opposite of yours. Now, i know that i need God but I just didn't find time to listen to HIM to stop from what I'm doing. I never ran out of excuses not to attend bible sharings and I get tired going to masses. But deep inside me, I long for God and the serenity and happiness that cannot be measured.
@zionsphere (673)
• United States
14 Sep 11
Thank you for sharing. It's never too late to seek him again. I don't know what he will do with you, but for me, he put me through a few tests before he led me to the church that has taught me to love and respect him. Don't give up hope. He is full of love and grace. Read the story of the prodigal son. Luke 15:11-32 He will greet you in the same way. It may be that you were in the wrong church, and you had to lose your way in order to find the right one.
Good Luck!
@QeeGood (1213)
• Sweden
6 Sep 11
I sympatizes with the Christian belief. I rarely go to church. I'm a spiritual being. I grew up in atheist family. I have through experience developed my spirituality. I respect every religion having their own rules and traditions. I know what I am living my life.
@zionsphere (673)
• United States
7 Sep 11
I am glad that you are truly happy with who you are, and how you live your life. I truly respect people that can coexist with people of all religions.
@Firestorm0122 (735)
• United States
23 Sep 11
Hm.. It is hard for me to say exactly what I am. I've noticed that many Christians who profess being Christians because they believe in Jesus/Yeshua, but there is a major difference between one who believes and one who accepts it as fact. I stand at both ends you could say, believing and accepting. So therefore I am a believer in Jesus who accepts Him for what He truly is. So.. I guess I am a non-denominational Christian (Although there are some things I detest about the Christian religion).
It wasn't because of anyone that I ended up believing or accepting, but rather by experiencing Him for myself. At the age of five, and again several times during my life. I've been miraculously saved more times than I can count. My last recent rescue was being saved from getting a direct full frontal hit by lightning when it flashed around me at ground level. I can explain this more in detail if anyone else wants me to. There have even been people who have physically seen my guardian angel, and have proven it to me by telling me exactly what he was wearing and doing, before I even uttered a word (I can only see him in my mind).
Sometimes I can feel God nearby. Sometimes I can't, but I know He's there. And doing a slow study on human biology and science has caused me to believe even more. So much to learn about the world and us it seems. So little time.
I also don't believe God is a sky god. But I suppose that comes from the phrase, "looking up into heaven where the Most High dwells." I believe God's presence is everywhere, not just in the sky. In our very midst where He knows He is welcomed.
@Triple0 (1904)
• Australia
6 Sep 11
I was pretty much raised on a Christian family so I'm Christian. I don't mind nor do I reject my religion. I reckon it ain't all bad to have religion, it offers a sense of hope and sets out guidelines of how to live a good life. There are also thing which science can't simply explain, that's why we thunk about God and the supernatural dimension. It's sad to believe that you'll die and turn into dust without hope in a new life. My friends are from all walks of life. Some who are a different type of Christian, some who are Buddhists and some who are atheists. We should all embrace diversity. =)
@zionsphere (673)
• United States
7 Sep 11
Agreed! I try to be a coexister.
I think it would have been nice to be raised in a Christian household. There are so many things that I didn't understand as a child because I didn't go to church.
I am glad that you are so accepting of others. :)
@rahabmuthoni (6)
•
6 Sep 11
I was raised in a christian home, my mum was a very prayerful woman and even after her passing on i still see the impact of her prayers in our lives.I was not a church goer until last year when i got born again and decided that i would become a serious believer.It has not been very easy for me because of my peers who were used to my other self who would drink,smoke and party every weekend.But i still hold on and believe that God will give me the strength i need to overcome any difficulty that comes my way.
@JosephP (1116)
• Jamaica
5 Sep 11
I was raised in a Christian home. However since childhood I found it very hard to believe the stories I heard from the bible. I tried hard to just accept it and not question it but I eventually grew up to be an atheist in high school. However After a time of continuously studying science I realized that this world makes no sense without a God. So I now believe in God but my beliefs do not match perfectly with any religion I know of.
@zionsphere (673)
• United States
7 Sep 11
That was exactly the place I found myself in. I actually went on an active search for around five years, and didn't find a church that taught about the God I know and love. I honestly believe that I had to pass a test in order to let him know that I was seriously seeking him. This was because when I turned away, (also in high school) I said some pretty harsh things about God in response to some of the stories in the Bible that I did not yet understand.
The sacrifices in the old testament for example, really bothered me. I couldn't understand why God would make us do that. Now I understand that during the fall, Satan was given dominion of the earth, and the sacrifices were to appease him, so that we could legally approach God.
The flood also bothered me. But after meeting many people who have evil thoughts on a regular basis, I understand if God felt the need to wipe out the people who ONLY had evil thoughts. The things they did to each other must have been much worse than what God did with the flood.
I hope that God comes knocking on your door and leads you to your church too. Fellowship is truly a beautiful feeling.
Thank you for your response. :)
