what makes you believe the things you believe? do you have a reason? or is it just because you were taught to believe it?

I was taught to believe in christ and god and all of that stuff. But I've fired all those teachings out the window simply because I couldn't believe them literally, and come to the conclusion on my own that yes, there is a god. Or several gods. Or maybe a couple dozen goddesses. I can't ever know for sure, but I just *know,* in my heart, that there is some sort of power out there.

I rejected christianity -- and organized religions as a whole -- because I simply couldn't believe something simply because someone told me to. I couldn't imagine that standing and kneeling and sitting at the right times, and droning words which have lost their meaning in time with a room full of others -- all of that -- I couldn't imagine it meant anything to god.

But at the same time, I embrace the morals and lessons taught in several religions. It's the meaning behind the stories, not the stories themselves, which count.

Love. Honour. Happiness. These things count, not whether you stand at the bell or not.

does your religion give you comfort? does it give the world meaning? if that's the case, do you think you could have that meaning without your religion?

It comforts me to know that I'm not alone. To know that if I ask for help, I'll get it. I know this because it's happened. I put my faith into the Universe and it helps me daily. My religion doesn't give the world meaning -- my attitude towards life does. But part of my attitude towards life is my religion. It's kind of circular.

I think I could be just as happy and free as I am now if I didn't believe in a higher power -- but I wouldn't be as secure, I don't think.

Take money, for instance. I don't worry about it. Someone is taking care of that for me. I was obsessing about my student loan a few years back, and was afraid I wouldn't get it. Then one day I decided to let it go, and god, the universe, whomever, would take care of me. The money showed up in the mail the very next day.

My job. When I was 18 or so I decided I wanted to be in New Media, preferably web design. I got a job doing it 3 months later, and I've been doing it ever since. I heard about a school where I could learn all sorts of new media and multimedia stuff, and decided to go. I got in, and graduated top of my class. Now I'm working for KnowledgeHouse, one of the fastest growing companies in the province. And all of this came about because I had faith in myself, my abilities, and in the universe to do me right. *shrugs* I can't explain it, I just know it works.

Quite possibly, it's more the confidence and faith in myself, and my positive attitude, which does these things for me. And these things will work for people without faith in other things. But for me, faith in a higher power helps.

I don't pray every day, I don't go to church, I don't worship in the conventional sense. I just sort of .. feel.. prayers.

does it make you happy? does it make you a better person? why do you need a set of beliefs that's been formulated by someone or something else in order to be a better person?

Yes, it makes me happy. I feel it makes me a better person, for myself, because I know I can't do things alone; and that I don't have to.

My set of beliefs have not been formulated by someone else. I have my own beliefs, and that is what makes them special. I believe everyone should have their own form of 'worship' or faith, because we all need something to believe in, even if it's only ourselves. The bible is an allegory, nothing more. However, if someone decides they want to believe in Christ, or in Buddha, or whomever, then that's great for them, it's no better or worse than my opinion. Because it's all opinion.

...

"My little definition of a xian is someone who believes that Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, and that the bible is the true word of God. If you believe these two things, then you can't believe that people without Jesus are doing just fine. If you are a xian, then people without christ are lost. I don't know how you get around that. How? What are they? You don't believe everyone needs to be a xian? --Annelie"

Annelie:

In an attempt to address your comments about "true" Christians, here's my thoughts on the matter.

That is, like you said, your definition of a Christian. It's not necessarily everyone else's. My opinion on religion is that everyone should choose to believe what makes them feel full and happy and whole. If that is Christ, then so be it. If it is something else, then that's good too. It's what works for the individual.

I, personally, refuse to believe that whatever god is out there will condemn to hell forever those who do not believe in every last detail of the bible. In my opinion, the bible, and other religious books, are allegories meant to teach lessons. For example, the lesson of the talents, St. Matthew, Chapter 25: God gave 5 talents (a measure of money) to one man, 2 to a second, and 1 to a third. The first two took their talents and traded with others, and gained more. The third was afraid, took his talent and buried it in the ground until Jesus returned. Jesus praised those who had spread their talents and earned more, and he scolded the man who hid his in fear. The moral being, of course, to grow by sharing your talents. And the beautiful part of this story is the new meaning we have for the word "talent."

Now, I don't have an opinion on whether or not this story is true. But I grasp the message just the same.

I believe that it is the heart of the matter which counts, the basic messages -- love one another and oneself, forgive, repent, love. I know I said love twice. If a person leads their life in the most positive way possible, with faith and confidence, then if there is a reward after death, they deserve it. And if there isn't, then they've been the best possible human on earth, and that's a reward in itself.

I certainly can believe that people "without Jesus" can do just fine. Because even if they don't believe Jesus was real, they can embrace his teachings in their own life. And I mean the real teachings, what Jesus (or whoever wrote the original bible) actually said, not what others added afterwards. And the same goes for other religions. At their heart, all the old religions are about the same thing, I believe.

I was raised Christian. I'm not now. Our minister when I was little was a jerk, heaven help me, and so my mother didn't make us go to church every sunday after a certain age. She let us choose. My mom is a very religious person, but she neither pushes her religion on others nor condemns them for not believing what she believes. She only goes to church for special occasions or for special prayers, but prays every day for everyone she knows. She prays to St. Anthony to find lost items -- and it works (more on this below). She is also the most loving, compassionate, empathetic, beautiful human being I know.

As far as praying to St. Anthony, I know that it works. In my belief system, it is because of the inherent power in thought and in the universe. Some people call that power God. Some people call it Buddha. Some people call it Jesus. Or Allah. Or whomever. But it's there. St. Anthony - or St. Christopher, or whomever - is simply the personification of a particular energy which exists. Call it what you want, it's real. And it's belief in THAT which makes my life the wonderful thing it is.

So no, I don't believe everyone needs to be a Christian. I do believe everyone needs something to believe in, even if it's only themselves.

All I want for others is to find that which makes their life wonderful.

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