Undecided, taking a stand on organized religion Options

[*islandgirl4eva*]

Hmmmm, how do I start this off? Lemme see...

I myself, was born a Catholic. I went to church, was baptized, but that's about it. The majority of my family is highly religious, but I am not, in the sense that I don't feel the need to go to church and strictly follow how I am told to live. I live my life in a way that lets me experience the most of it. It's not sinful, per say, but I'm no saint.

Anyway, I have my own ideas to what religion means to me. A lot of people that I know don't like that. They try to preach to me that I should "turn back to the Lord." I have God...they just don't see that though. I don't care though, they can judge if they want to. That's on them.

Do you have your own ideas about what religion is? Have people treated you differently because of it? What do you think of people who do have their own ideas?

[souldreamers]

Yea I have my own beliefs I guess. What I believe in is based on years of things that I've learned and experienced. But mainly what I feel in my heart that's right for me. I'm very spiritual.. not very religious. I strongly believe in God. Hope, faith, miracles.. the power of prayer. Karma, reincarnation, past lives, destiny, fate, Astrology, astral realm, old souls, meditation, nirvana.. and many other things.

I also believe that everyone is meant to be exactly the way they are. And everything that happens is meant to happen. In other words, I believe that God has our whole lives written already and we just merely act it out. Strange. I know.

Ahh to keep to the topic here. Religion, hmmm, it's just one method God uses to get you to try to connect with him. It doesn't work for many. But I believe God knows that. And it's no biggie, it's just not you're time. Maybe it's not your "mission" in this lifetime to focus on religion/spirituality.

People haven't really treated me differently about my beliefs because I usually don't talk about it in depth with ppl. Although my bf's family wishes that I get baptized and become Christian. Which I don't have a big problem doing.. but I'd rather wait a while...

I'm perfectly fine with people who have their own beliefs. It doesn't bother me what people believe in, as long as it's not something hateful. All I care about is if they're decent ppl. I always think that people should strive to better themselves and be tolerant of other's beliefs.

btw I was born Buddhist but my parents aren't really religious nor any of my siblings. But in my heart I always believed in God all my life so my curiosity and thirst for knowledge led me to a "spiritual quest". I think I was in my mid-teens.. and during that time I was really drawn to Astrology so I started reading up on that and it's relation to God and all this Astrological history. And that's what got me into believing the things I do now.