Choosing a Religious Path

[WillEast]

Hi All,

I wanted to hear other people's experiences and feedback regarding choosing a spiritual path. I have been a seeker for about 15 years. I grew up a Catholic but had a curiosity to study other religions. I have spent time with the Hare Krishnas, Sikhs, Eckankar among others. I do have a desire to focus on one path since each requires commitment but I am not ready to choose a path. I am not sure which one is right for me. Have others been through this experience before? It is hard to know whether just to choose one or study different ones until I am sure I have found my path. Thank-you,

-Bill

 

[Altfish]

Have you tried non-belief?

 

[omega2xx]

Hi All,

I wanted to hear other people's experiences and feedback regarding choosing a spiritual path. I have been a seeker for about 15 years. I grew up a Catholic but had a curiosity to study other religions. I have spent time with the Hare Krishnas, Sikhs, Eckankar among others. I do have a desire to focus on one path since each requires commitment but I am not ready to choose a path. I am not sure which one is right for me. Have others been through this experience before? It is hard to know whether just to choose one or study different ones until I am sure I have found my path. Thank-you,

-Bill

IMO The only way to find the right path is to ask the God of the Bible to show it to you and to earnestly want to know the truth---2 Chronicles 15:12-15

 

[bobhikes]

Hi All,

I wanted to hear other people's experiences and feedback regarding choosing a spiritual path. I have been a seeker for about 15 years. I grew up a Catholic but had a curiosity to study other religions. I have spent time with the Hare Krishnas, Sikhs, Eckankar among others. I do have a desire to focus on one path since each requires commitment but I am not ready to choose a path. I am not sure which one is right for me. Have others been through this experience before? It is hard to know whether just to choose one or study different ones until I am sure I have found my path. Thank-you,

-Bill

I too, grew up catholic and tried different religions and atheism but found that none really fit. Religion and God are a personal experience if you can separate the fear of being wrong then it doesn't matter what religion you practice. Even though I am no longer catholic, I still attend a catholic church as it provides comfort(I know how it works), social interaction(Every one is local and local announcements) and charity work(mostly local as well). No has ever questioned my beliefs and I even talk a lot with the priests. So what I am saying if you are comfortable with what you know about God and Religion practice your own beliefs and if you find you want more, find a local church, temple or synagogal you are comfortable with and go there. The people in the religion will naturally believe you are one of them, especially if you contribute.

 

[WillEast]

Have you tried non-belief?

No But I would like to hear what non-belief is about.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Let me give a try. Acting humanely. That does not require belief or worship of a God.

 

[Altfish]

No But I would like to hear what non-belief is about.

Just that, we don't believe in any god or gods.
Life is so much simpler, you enjoy life, respect other people and the planet and don't have to kneel to some god.

Simple really

 

[Vinayaka]

My path chose me. (I noticed some signs, yes.) Apparently that's an alternative way to look at it.

Consider it like your future SO asking you out repeatedly, initiating the contact, and it making sense to you.

 

[YmirGF]

Hi All,

I wanted to hear other people's experiences and feedback regarding choosing a spiritual path. I have been a seeker for about 15 years. I grew up a Catholic but had a curiosity to study other religions. I have spent time with the Hare Krishnas, Sikhs, Eckankar among others. I do have a desire to focus on one path since each requires commitment but I am not ready to choose a path. I am not sure which one is right for me. Have others been through this experience before? It is hard to know whether just to choose one or study different ones until I am sure I have found my path. Thank-you,

-Bill

You are already treading down your own path so there is no path to choose. The assumption here is that a given religious path has treats to offer and yet most of them clutch nothing in their hands but idle promises that no one is seen to attain. Your wariness is for good reason... pay heed to it.

As others have implied, it isn't so much in choosing, rather than recognizing the quirks of your own predilections.

 

[SabahTheLoner]

Hi All,

I wanted to hear other people's experiences and feedback regarding choosing a spiritual path. I have been a seeker for about 15 years. I grew up a Catholic but had a curiosity to study other religions. I have spent time with the Hare Krishnas, Sikhs, Eckankar among others. I do have a desire to focus on one path since each requires commitment but I am not ready to choose a path. I am not sure which one is right for me. Have others been through this experience before? It is hard to know whether just to choose one or study different ones until I am sure I have found my path. Thank-you,

-Bill

Walk without looking at the road. Don't focus on where you walk, focus on what you feel is right. Don't be afraid to try something for a length of time. Read a lot. Try rituals. Reflect by writing or talking to and for yourself. Don't stop until you can say "this is me", and you feel happiness in that statement. I found a portion of what I understand now as "me". I'm still trying to understand some missing parts. But I know I'm on the right track.

 

[Quintessence]

Honestly? You won't know what path is right for you until you start actually living it and practicing it... for at least a full year. That's the only way you can assess how that way of life (and to me, religion done right is a way of life) matches up with who you are or want to be.

It sometimes helps to think about what it is you already do. For example, wandering out in the wilderness is something I'd always enjoyed, and only much later did I discover religious traditions for which nature is sacred/deity. The religious path basically flowed out of who I already was, only I didn't know it had a name and associated movement with it. It was already in many respects my way, yeah? And from there I started adopting other practices to enhance what I was already doing. Stuff like meditation, formalizing journeywork, etc. Maybe identify what the core of your values are and go from there?

 

[Satans_Serrated_Edge]

 

[sun rise]

Yes I went down that path. I spent time reading and meeting various leaders until what was in my heart became clear.

 

[WillEast]

Walk without looking at the road. Don't focus on where you walk, focus on what you feel is right. Don't be afraid to try something for a length of time. Read a lot. Try rituals. Reflect by writing or talking to and for yourself. Don't stop until you can say "this is me", and you feel happiness in that statement. I found a portion of what I understand now as "me". I'm still trying to understand some missing parts. But I know I'm on the right track.

That answer seems wise and awakened in me an intuition that I need to give different paths more time before I can clearly see which one is me.

 

[WillEast]

You are already treading down your own path so there is no path to choose. The assumption here is that a given religious path has treats to offer and yet most of them clutch nothing in their hands but idle promises that no one is seen to attain. Your wariness is for good reason... pay heed to it.

As others have implied, it isn't so much in choosing, rather than recognizing the quirks of your own predilections.

Those words are deep in meaning and I will give them thought as I continue to investigate my spiritual path. I have an intense desire for answers but I also need patience to see which direction and path to take.

 

[WillEast]

Yes I went down that path. I spent time reading and meeting various leaders until what was in my heart became clear.

Sounds similar to what I am going through. I love to read testimonies I can relate to.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Hi All,

I wanted to hear other people's experiences and feedback regarding choosing a spiritual path. I have been a seeker for about 15 years. I grew up a Catholic but had a curiosity to study other religions. I have spent time with the Hare Krishnas, Sikhs, Eckankar among others. I do have a desire to focus on one path since each requires commitment but I am not ready to choose a path. I am not sure which one is right for me. Have others been through this experience before? It is hard to know whether just to choose one or study different ones until I am sure I have found my path. Thank-you,

-Bill

Would you know your own path and be able to recognise it should it come to fruition?

 

[WillEast]

Would you know your own path and be able to recognise it should it come to fruition?

That is a good question that I have to ask myself. I certainly have some clues because I know which paths are not right for me. Right now there are different ones that appeal to me and I cannot yet ignore them.

 

[rusra02]

I believe the truth is available to those who search for it. To me, finding the truth is more important than finding a false belief that pleases me.

 

[WillEast]

Honestly? You won't know what path is right for you until you start actually living it and practicing it... for at least a full year. That's the only way you can assess how that way of life (and to me, religion done right is a way of life) matches up with who you are or want to be.

It sometimes helps to think about what it is you already do. For example, wandering out in the wilderness is something I'd always enjoyed, and only much later did I discover religious traditions for which nature is sacred/deity. The religious path basically flowed out of who I already was, only I didn't know it had a name and associated movement with it. It was already in many respects my way, yeah? And from there I started adopting other practices to enhance what I was already doing. Stuff like meditation, formalizing journeywork, etc. Maybe identify what the core of your values are and go from there?

I agree. I think I need to give it some time to find which one is right for me and to reflect on my own beliefs and practices and how different paths fit in with my life.