Who of you found your religion from nothing?

This question has always interested me.

Who of you religious types on the forum found your religion from nothing? That is to say, for example, a boy in the desert with ZERO prior knowledge of gods or the types of religion etc to influence his thoughts and experiences, suddenly finds himself talking with god and through this experience he becomes a christian. That kind of nothingness.

Or which of you became religious but with prior knowledge and as such bias. For example A boy in the desert who has been brought up by christian parents, told all about jesus and such, he has an experience, but his life prompts him to think that this is God and Jesus etc.

Basically the question could be, would a boy from a christian family experience god and believe in god and jesus like his families religion, or does he experience god and realise he needss to become a muslim? I seem to rarely ever meet a religious person who has found his faith through nothing, and not prior stimulus to make him think that "this" is what he is dealing with.

usually these people are called schizo's.

was a christian... now i am intelligent and i think with reason, therefor not a christian anymore...just me.

Define "religious types".

Someone who has a religion, such as a christian.

this is why it makes me laugh when people say they are christian but dont believe the bible , lol without the bible there would be no christianity .

tip top toker said:

Someone who has a religion, such as a christian.

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Define religion.

re·li·gion/riˈlijən/

Noun:

1. The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods.

actually, after my own spiritual experiences ("religious"..)

i more and more just find religion to be a prehistoric joke.

tip top toker said:

This question has always interested me.

Who of you religious types on the forum found your religion from nothing? That is to say, for example, a boy in the desert with ZERO prior knowledge of gods or the types of religion etc to influence his thoughts and experiences, suddenly finds himself talking with god and through this experience he becomes a christian. That kind of nothingness.

Or which of you became religious but with prior knowledge and as such bias. For example A boy in the desert who has been brought up by christian parents, told all about jesus and such, he has an experience, but his life prompts him to think that this is God and Jesus etc.

Basically the question could be, would a boy from a christian family experience god and believe in god and jesus like his families religion, or does he experience god and realise he needss to become a muslim? I seem to rarely ever meet a religious person who has found his faith through nothing, and not prior stimulus to make him think that "this" is what he is dealing with.

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Apostasy I thought I heard was a sort of sin by itself. If you wanna jump ship I guess go ahead, but why? Why is one better than the other, I'd like to ask that person. Myself, I was raised Jewish, all my friends were Christian. I never liked the other jewish kids much at synagogue, never hung out with them really... and doing the whole, synagogue thing, bar mitzvah, wearing the hat. Hated it.

My parents beat religion into me until after my Bar Mitvah, then they stopped. I grew up. I feel I can still have my religion, without performing the religious customs. I eat BBQ ribs, shrimp, ham, pork chops, all that, am I a sinner? Maybe so, but some Famous Dave's tastes good to me. I "sinned" already, I ate the pork, I try not to, but to me, it's almost ridiculous to stop because I already ate the food. So, it starts a twisted thought should I eat it, should I not eat it, wow. To play with my mind in that way is absolute confusion. I'll say I'm sorry and hope that's it's okay.

So a halfway Jew I say to myself. "Christians, all they gotta do is repent mom. Why do I have to do all of this!" And I would be pissed as all hell. Funerals, Weddings, Holidays, argh. Would drive me crazy to sweat in that suit. Aw I hated it. And my parents were religious, and they did the customs. Personally, I don't think I can claim to be Jewish, without the customs. So you can have your religion, and not be religious? Maybe I can't have my cherry cake, and eat it too!

I'm in no way religious, i'm not here thinking about chopping and changing

The idea certainly involves the question of what the god is. How would someone know that when they have an encounter, it's not god #1, but due to their environment, they believe that this is god #2 speaking to them, and becomes a believer, but in relaity, they're just annoying god#1? Sorry i should stop replying for tonight, the alcohol and joints are flowing. To me it seems that religion and belief in the god should be different things, but instead the god is seem in the manner that the religion dictates. Religion seems to more of a cultural idea, than a basis for belief, whereas a god souhld just be a god, no rules and books and such. If someone tells you they have witnessed the earth spirit and that it's called robert, because that pleases him, you'd think him nuts (sterotyping) but if he said the guy was jesus and he was a christian, okey dokey then, no problems. Maybe religion is a device built upon the civilisation and the environment as a form of social control. me go, my brain is about gone but my hands work just fine, think i need another joint or 2

Basically, why does one attribute a meeting with god to a certain religion

snowmanexpress said:

Apostasy I thought I heard was a sort of sin by itself. If you wanna jump ship I guess go ahead, but why? Why is one better than the other, I'd like to ask that person. Myself, I was raised Jewish, all my friends were Christian. I never liked the other jewish kids much at synagogue, never hung out with them really... and doing the whole, synagogue thing, bar mitzvah, wearing the hat. Hated it.

My parents beat religion into me until after my Bar Mitvah, then they stopped. I grew up. I feel I can still have my religion, without performing the religious customs. I eat BBQ ribs, shrimp, ham, pork chops, all that, am I a sinner? Maybe so, but some Famous Dave's tastes good to me. I "sinned" already, I ate the pork, I try not to, but to me, it's almost ridiculous to stop because I already ate the food. So, it starts a twisted thought should I eat it, should I not eat it, wow. To play with my mind in that way is absolute confusion. I'll say I'm sorry and hope that's it's okay.

So a halfway Jew I say to myself. "Christians, all they gotta do is repent mom. Why do I have to do all of this!" And I would be pissed as all hell. Funerals, Weddings, Holidays, argh. Would drive me crazy to sweat in that suit. Aw I hated it. And my parents were religious, and they did the customs. Personally, I don't think I can claim to be Jewish, without the customs. So you can have your religion, and not be religious? Maybe I can't have my cherry cake, and eat it too!

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i think your a half christian lol, full christians are like...hardcore!

tip top toker said:

I'm in no way religious, i'm not here thinking about chopping and changing

The idea certainly involves the question of what the god is. How would someone know that when they have an encounter, it's not god #1, but due to their environment, they believe that this is god #2 speaking to them, and becomes a believer, but in relaity, they're just annoying god#1? Sorry i should stop replying for tonight, the alcohol and joints are flowing. To me it seems that religion and belief in the god should be different things, but instead the god is seem in the manner that the religion dictates. Religion seems to more of a cultural idea, than a basis for belief, whereas a god souhld just be a god, no rules and books and such. If someone tells you they have witnessed the earth spirit and that it's called robert, because that pleases him, you'd think him nuts (sterotyping) but if he said the guy was jesus and he was a christian, okey dokey then, no problems. Maybe religion is a device built upon the civilisation and the environment as a form of social control. me go, my brain is about gone but my hands work just fine, think i need another joint or 2

Basically, why does one attribute a meeting with god to a certain religion

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Religion, belief, and being religious I'd have to say, should all melt together. Can you have one without the others?

Well, I'll try to describe what I think. It's not a culture, it IS a basis of. An underpinning and "basis" of Judaism due to, he took the people out of Egypt. That is a major reason for the belief and miracles that were performed in those days, and should remember these things forever. That is THE foundation of the religion. Not culturally skewed to belief in a God. Is that God did do these things. I believe absolutely it is wrong to portray God in any other way than how the Torah dictates. It says you will not add or subtract from it's writing. No rules or books you ask?

Picture this for an example of why rules are there: What if I never knew what stealing was, how would I know I was doing it? He said what stealing was, and is, and how it should be considered and approached. Need rules to live? Or else chaos? The commandments are good examples to live by.

Due to their "environment"? I'd say has nothing to do with it, it says there is 1 God. There is a God, I will attest to now as God as my witness. He is a man. It's quite true. I've heard God's voice, I don't care if you think I'm a nut. I'm not converting, preaching, getting prophetic or whatever. I'm trying to discuss who God may be. If someone told me they heard God's voice, it would be hard for me to accept that.

I don't really understand your last question cause you threw attribute, and meeting in there. And I won't say an attribute of God is to have meetings with anyone. As in, I've read it's wrong to approach God. I think in Jeremiah I read that.

before religion came about...cavemen worshiped and prayed to the sun. for it gave them warmth/light/food

Zaehet Strife said:

was a christian... now i am intelligent and i think with reason, therefor not a christian anymore...just me.

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, eh? There is zero reason for that kind of sht. Intelligent people do not speak this way toward others. Intelligence is light, you knob, and you do not seem 'bright' to me at all with that stuff.

Just me.

..........

eye exaggerate said:

, eh? There is zero reason for that kind of sht. Intelligent people do not speak this way toward others. Intelligence is light, you knob, and you do not seem 'bright' to me at all with that stuff.
Just me.
..........

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i never said intelligent people couldn't think without reason lol. as just, there is such thing as spirituality without religion.

also, if you don't fallow the bible to a T, i consider you part christian... as i accepted that title when i figured out the contradictions the bible said the older and more reasonable i got. true christians like my father are HARDCORE.

i did angenst everything i hated god so much i tatooed horns on my head... the story is long n my religion i suck at but i get up every morning at least i try to n read a lil believe me it answers me sometyms n sunday feels great.. they say its easy to be hard evil and money hungry n sex driven.. but its harder to be a square well im trien to be squar.

snowmanexpress said:

Apostasy I thought I heard was a sort of sin by itself. If you wanna jump ship I guess go ahead, but why? Why is one better than the other, I'd like to ask that person. Myself, I was raised Jewish, all my friends were Christian. I never liked the other jewish kids much at synagogue, never hung out with them really... and doing the whole, synagogue thing, bar mitzvah, wearing the hat. Hated it.

My parents beat religion into me until after my Bar Mitvah, then they stopped. I grew up. I feel I can still have my religion, without performing the religious customs. I eat BBQ ribs, shrimp, ham, pork chops, all that, am I a sinner? Maybe so, but some Famous Dave's tastes good to me. I "sinned" already, I ate the pork, I try not to, but to me, it's almost ridiculous to stop because I already ate the food. So, it starts a twisted thought should I eat it, should I not eat it, wow. To play with my mind in that way is absolute confusion. I'll say I'm sorry and hope that's it's okay.

So a halfway Jew I say to myself. "Christians, all they gotta do is repent mom. Why do I have to do all of this!" And I would be pissed as all hell. Funerals, Weddings, Holidays, argh. Would drive me crazy to sweat in that suit. Aw I hated it. And my parents were religious, and they did the customs. Personally, I don't think I can claim to be Jewish, without the customs. So you can have your religion, and not be religious? Maybe I can't have my cherry cake, and eat it too!

Click to expand...

I'm a Jew that doesn't believe in a god.

thump easy said:

i did angenst everything i hated god so much i tatooed horns on my head... the story is long n my religion i suck at but i get up every morning at least i try to n read a lil believe me it answers me sometyms n sunday feels great.. they say its easy to be hard evil and money hungry n sex driven.. but its harder to be a square well im trien to be squar.

Click to expand...

its not easy to be a better part of you in all situations, especially when others condemn you for it because they see in you, things about themselves that they need to change... but refuse to do so.

Tip Top, I have an experience that might be close to that about which you're asking.
I grew up in an effectively atheist household.
At 18 I had a god-experience. i will not go into detail, but i came out of that thinking "OK there is a God ... now which one is he?"
I studied Buddhism after that and decided noooo ... doesn't really match what I experienced. Cursory glances at Islam and Hinduism also left me thinking uh-uh. So i began reading the New Testament and thought "bingo!"
I hung out with the Christian crowd for a few years after that.

What broke my religious experience was ... no sense of having a "walk with God", no "relationship with a personal savior", no affirmation, denial, anything at all that referred to or built upon that initial brief overpowering experience.
And no sign of anything other than the usual human behavior in any congregation I visited.
Just ... the eternal silence of unending spiritual night. Microwave background.
My faith died of simple decay.

So at this point I am most at peace with thinking of my god-experience as a neurochemical event, all in my head. That, I admit, is just as much a statement of faith as my original "there is a god after all" perception ... but both were tried in the crucible of age and experience, and my benign atheism stayed.

So that is one reason why I identify myself as an unbeliever, but always do my best to treat believers of ALMOST any stripe with decency, sympathy, dignity. cn
cn