How did you end up with your religion?

Monk Of Reason · Nov 25, 2016

Skeptisch said:
1. Christianity: 2.1 billion
2. Islam: 1.5 billion
3. Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 billion
4. Hinduism: 900 million
5. Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
6. Buddhism: 376 million
7. primal-indigenous: 300 million
8. African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
9. Sikhism: 23 million
10. Juche: 19 million
11. Spiritism: 15 million
12. Judaism: 14 million
13. Baha'i: 7 million
14. Jainism: 4.2 million
15. Shinto: 4 million
16. Cao Dai: 4 million
17. Zoroastrianism: 2.6 million
18. Tenrikyo: 2 million
19. Neo-Paganism: 1 million
20. Unitarian-Universalism: 800 thousand
21. Rastafarianism: 600 thousand
22. Scientology: 500 thousand

Major Religions Ranked by Size

Same as 99% of everyone else I was born into a Christian home and was rasied Christian so I was Christian till I stopped beliving in religion. Actually there was a little smidge where I was pagan for a while but that was because I was dating a pagan girl mostly I think. You don't usually get spontaneous religious converts without influence. Its almost always family and society that you grow up in that gives you your religion.

Smart_Guy · Nov 27, 2016

I've been Muslim until around 20 because of my family and culture, then after that I've been Muslim because I believed in it and chose to be one. I'm ~34 now.

Muffled · Dec 1, 2016

viole said:
Here is my spiritual evolution, or devolution, depending of the point of view

- born christian and registered in the church of sweden, by default
- washed with some magic water, intended to wash the sins I accumulated in my first few days of life
- believer in Santa and, occasionally, in the boogie man
- believer in baby Jesus after my grandma told me that Santa is far more ridiculous
- short skeptical phase after I caught my parents secretely bringing those baby Jesus presents under the tree
- new earth christian creationist. Lutheran
- rebooted and born again, allegedely
- washed with some magic water. Again.
- old earth christian creationist
- evolutionary theist (still christian and still creationist)
- unitarian christian. <--- started scrutinize my beliefs at this point
- agnostic
- atheist (believing still in some sort of Metaphysical force)
- naturalist, and the strong atheism that it entails

Ciao

- viole

I believe the Church of Sweden is Lutheran but you would know better. I believe if you were only allegedly born again then you weren't. Obviously a belief that the water is magic does not come from the Bible.

Muffled · Dec 1, 2016

dgirl1986 said:
Maybe you need to read your bible.

I believe I have read it many times in several translations and with the help of the Holy Spirit to bring understanding.

Muffled · Dec 1, 2016

Monk Of Reason said:
Same as 99% of everyone else I was born into a Christian home and was rasied Christian so I was Christian till I stopped beliving in religion. Actually there was a little smidge where I was pagan for a while but that was because I was dating a pagan girl mostly I think. You don't usually get spontaneous religious converts without influence. Its almost always family and society that you grow up in that gives you your religion.

I believe family had a big influence for me but the conversion from a nominal Christian to a born again Christian came from reading the Bible.

Monk Of Reason · Dec 2, 2016

Muffled said:
I believe family had a big influence for me but the conversion from a nominal Christian to a born again Christian came from reading the Bible.

There really isn't a difference between the two. Unless you were Catholic and then became an evangelical protestant. If there is a more significant difference I would like to hear it. A difference of course I mean other than just increased fundamentalism.

dgirl1986 · Dec 4, 2016

Muffled said:
I believe I have read it many times in several translations and with the help of the Holy Spirit to bring understanding.

Then you would know that the murder and pillage that you apparently detest was also created by god, according to the bible.

Sand Dancer · Dec 16, 2016

Octavia156 said:
I spent 21 yrs thinking (whilst searching) that I'd invented a new religion.

Then Thelema found me and i realised I wasn't unsane - there were others who understood the world like me.

How did it find you?

Octavia156 · Dec 18, 2016

Thirza Fallen said:
How did it find you?

A series of synchronicities... Got given a book by a relative stranger that changed everything. Then somehow connected with a couple of people on the pre-social network Internet and it all kicked off from there.
Started studying and practising alone, and a year later I joined OTO

Dawnofhope · Dec 19, 2016

Grew up going to the Presbyterian Church as a child

Other things apart from God on my mind as a teenager including education/studies

Born again Christian for a few months early 20s and decided I should reconsider

Several years of searching/meditating led to the conclusion that there probably wasn't a God

My 9 months as an athiest were the worst 9 months of my life

I reconnected with God and prayed for guidance/assistance

Soon after had the opportunity to explore the Baha'i Faith

After 8 months investigating decided I would take the next step

25+ years later I'm still a Baha'i

Dawnofhope · Dec 19, 2016

Muffled said:
Does that mean you are at peace with murder and rape and pillage? I believe God is not.

How about the book of Joshua where Yahweh asks for all men, women, and children of towns such as Jericho be put to the sword? How does that differ from Islam? Have Christian's never murdered, raped, and pillaged?

Muffled said:
I believe I have read it many times in several translations and with the help of the Holy Spirit to bring understanding.

How do you know its the Holy Spirit that brings you this understanding?

Muffled · Dec 24, 2016

Monk Of Reason said:
There really isn't a difference between the two. Unless you were Catholic and then became an evangelical protestant. If there is a more significant difference I would like to hear it. A difference of course I mean other than just increased fundamentalism.

As a nominal Christian I tried to obey God's word but usually failed. As a born again Christian the Paraclete keeps the law in me without my having to even think about it.

Muffled · Dec 24, 2016

adrianhindes said:
How about the book of Joshua where Yahweh asks for all men, women, and children of towns such as Jericho be put to the sword? How does that differ from Islam? Have Christian's never murdered, raped, and pillaged?

How do you know its the Holy Spirit that brings you this understanding?

I believe it does not differ.

I believe a great many Christians have been nominal Christians who were subject to their own lusts but a born again Christian would never do such a thing.

I believe for a long time I knew because I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior and He responded by doing so. Lately I know even more firmly because I have had a fulfilled prophecy.

Monk Of Reason · Dec 24, 2016

Muffled said:
As a nominal Christian I tried to obey God's word but usually failed. As a born again Christian the Paraclete keeps the law in me without my having to even think about it.

Do you no longer fail?

Desert Snake · Dec 24, 2016

I...
have the Tao Te Ching

/a literal book ,lol
and, this also is an interesting read.
Now... I did read this after reading various occult and quasi-fictional material, but, it really can be read in any context. The copy I have is non-theistic perspective. Either that, or I missed the theism in it

Muffled · Dec 29, 2016

Monk Of Reason said:
Do you no longer fail?

I believe I fail but Jesus does not and He is more of me than I am at present.

LuisDantas · Dec 29, 2016

I noticed that most people seemed to think that theistic belief was a good thing and also a prerequisite for religion, while I disagreed on both counts.

There was also a rather odd insistence on dealing with ideas of an afterlife as if they were interesting and desirable things. I won't touch those.

Still, religion is a good thing on itself, when properly enlightened and practiced with an open mind.

That drove me towards Taoism at first, then Buddhism.

Muffled · Dec 29, 2016

dgirl1986 said:
Then you would know that the murder and pillage that you apparently detest was also created by god, according to the bible.

I believe there is not enough evidence to say He originated it but He certainly creates it at times to punish the wicked. That doesn't mean that He likes it. I believe it is a necessary evil. Sort of like voting for Trump, lol.

Muffled · Dec 29, 2016

LuisDantas said:
I noticed that most people seemed to think that theistic belief was a good thing and also a prerequisite for religion, while I disagreed on both counts.

There was also a rather odd insistence on dealing with ideas of an afterlife as if they were interesting and desirable things. I won't touch those.

Still, religion is a good thing on itself, when properly enlightened and practiced with an open mind.

That drove me towards Taoism at first, then Buddhism.

I believe that I see those things as useless in the long run.

I believe there is no good reason to ignore reality.

Monk Of Reason · Dec 29, 2016

Muffled said:
I believe I fail but Jesus does not and He is more of me than I am at present.

You are more Jesus than you?

How did you end up with your religion?

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