What religion am I?
67I think these guys are so peaceful
Lookin at life
I have never been one to Insert myself Into religious debate .For some reason the worst seems to come out In people on those forums not just here but on other sites as well . If you want to see the polarization of two parties of people and the nastiness that It brings that might be your cup of tea , for me It Is not . You have those on one end of the Atheist temperament who not only proclaim there Is no God but have no data to back them up . And quite frankly from what I read In their comments are kinda snobby , and basically they worship their own supposed Intellect and look down on people who proclaim to have faith . They look upon them as simple minded and beneath them . They do not say that outright but I can just tell by the smug comments they make they feel some type of superiority over these simple minded people who pray to a God of their understanding .
And then on the other hand you have those who proclaim faith , but sometimes do not walk like they talk , which really gets me angry because I do not get angry so much with them, I get angry that they give God a bad name by their example . Because once you proclaim belief In God and Jesus Christ you had better start living your life like It Is going to be a reality TV show or on the cover Of the NY Times . Once you proclaim Christianity part of what comes with that package Is you are Immediately hold yourself to a higher standard and you damn well better live up to It. Your opposition revels like no other In seeing you fall from grace , so that they can point out the hypocrisy of your belief system . And quite frankly In word and deed I see this happen frequently .
So this Inspires a couple of questions for me . I do not know exactly know how many religions there are , but there are multitudes of them and If Christianity Is the true one , how can all the others be wrong ? I like aspects of Buddhism even though I do not practice It . To me that Is a true religion of peace . I know nothing about Islam .However I am sure that most Muslims would agree with me that flying 2 planes Into buildings In Gods name probably Is not what God would want . I was baptised Catholic but never really pursued It much further no attraction to the faith for me .
I will tell you for starters I do believe In Jesus Christ and In God . Which In today's ever more secular America seems heretical and weak . I also believe that when my time here Is through I am going to have to answer for how I lived my life and be held accountable for It . I do not go to Church much . Every now and again I got to one ,because I like the pastor and I like the message he gives , he Is a very Charismatic Individual . I do pray and I do try to live by the Ten commandments daily . I allow myself to be human and Judgemental . The secularist and those of the Atheist and Agnostic temperament are always the first to point out how you are not supposed to be judgemental . It Is amazing to me how they will Insert spiritual principles to you when It Is convenient for them .
This Is the guy I still believe In
Click thumbnail to view full-size
I feel sorry for non believers
Final thoughts
It cracks me up whenever the secularist talk about God In public life , they shrilly bring up " Separation of Church and State " . Because they do not want God acknowledged In any way shape or form . And how It Is part of our constitution . Guess what folks ? You have been lied too , nowhere In the Constitution does It say anything about " Separation of Church and State . This Is one of the biggest lies being told In modern public life . I never thought I would live to see the day when Christmas would be vilified or that a Manger scene out on someones front lawn would be considered offensive . That to me Is so chickenshit ! I cannot help but feel that the rise In secularism and the unraveling of society not just here but globally are correlated . Man has made alot of progress technologically , but we are really behind the 8 ball when It comes to what type of progress we have made In the way we treat each other.
I believe Atheist are not so much non believers , as they do not want to believe . Because when you believe In something greater then yourself there comes a sense of responsibility with It . And that Involves acknowledging sin . YUCK !!! Who In their right minds would ever want to do that ? When I can go my merry way and do what I want , without consequences ? I am sure that seems like a much better option . I wish I could take that path but I am not built that way .
Now I will tell you I am not sure whether I am Christian or not. As I had said before I do believe In Jesus and In God but am not really religious per se . I believe that religion Is not to be promoted but rather an attraction . A true Christian who really lives by the tenets of the bible and truly walks a spiritual path Is a rare commodity . Televangelism Is just disgusting to me . And people who proclaim to be Christian and then act like Idiots really piss me off too . Of course I have an over sized grumpy gene so that Is no surprise . So basically I am In a bit of a quandary as I do not know where I fit In . I know I would rather hang out with people of faith . I know that I pray and believe , and give to charity and try to be a responsible man . I do not know whether I am going to heaven . I am not so arrogant as to believe I am worthy just because I think I am basically a good person with some faults . I am after all still a work In progress . I am judgemental and I do not apologize for It. So I am In the midst of an Identity crisis here . Because I am wondering " What religion am I ?
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Dean thank you for dropping In . And you are correct I will enjoy seeing Boxer gone . I also agree when your back Is against the wall , the God concept does all of a sudden come Into play . Like I said " Separation of Chuch and State " Is currently one of the biggest lies being told . And the so called great thinkers In our Universities are spoon feeding these lies to those kids . Again Dean I thank you for checking In . Happy Sunday to you Buddy !
Good Hub Lad, There are many of us that think in a similar vein though I care not where I fit in with the others only how I fit in with God and JC. Do my best to walk the walk though sometimes it's up the Rough Side of The Mountain. My Mantra in trying times is God Gives Us what we need, I think that explains the different variations of the same thing.Working on a hub for that as a matter of fact. Keep your eyes on the trail ahead and keep up the good work eh...
Hmrjmr1 I am glad you enjoyed the hub . And you are totally right the right path Is rarely the easy path .
hiya enjoyed reading your hub i have to say it is nice to get to know what is in someone 's head and heart about these things
Thank you Brenda . I sometimes do not know where I fit In quite frankly . And trying to be a spiritual being certainly Is an Inside job. I am just attempting to be the best person I can be . I often fall short , but that Is part of the journey . Thx for dropping by !
I think that religions all have the same basic structure. They are just different paths up the same mountain. If there is a single Divine Entity, He just goes by a different name. In reality, that entity is simply the source of all energy. Everything is made up of smaller portions of that energy.
Good readings on this include the Celestine Prophecy (and the movie, and the subsequent line of books that follows) by James Redfield, the teachings of Neville Goddard, Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain, Joy of Living by Sanaya Roman, the Secret, the many books, DVD and CD's of Jerry and Esther Hicks...I could go on for quite awhile...
Ask, Believe, Receive...it's all related to Laws of Nature...Do good and get good things back, and the reverse is also true....Every person has an inner guidance mechanism of feelings to light the proper paths in life....to know good from evil....to make proper choices and encounter synchronicities....
Guess I'll stop before I have a hub within your hub here...
advisor thank you for your contribution. And I appreciate you giving us some text to research . Happy Sunday to you ! And God Bless !
Thanks for writing this Hub! I appreciate your transparency, Tony. It's all about the relationship we have with our Creator. As long as we know that we are lost without Jesus, who paid the price on the cross for our ongoing transgressions and we cultivate our relationship with HIM, through prayer, reading His word, and acknowledging our desperate need for a Savior that conquered death, we are Christians and will be with Him eternally. I also believe if we truly hold fast to these truths, He continues to mold us and shape us into the image of Christ. God sees our hearts. I would not be considered a Christian if I were evaluated on my church attendance, or my success at going through the day without sinning ( yes, even pride is a sin before God) I am just a sinner saved by the grace of God and I am so thankful I have His peace as I journey on this perilous road of life.
Catlyn I appreciate you coming by and leaving that positive message . Like I have said I am a work Inprogress and God Is not done building me yet . I am happy that you liked the hub . Happy Sunday to you my friend !
Yea Tony, good Hub. I go along with Catlyn it is all about personal relationship, where trust (faith) and love is. Rest is only gravy :-).
Thank you Vladmir for stopping by . And I appreciate both yours and Catlyns positive messages that you give .
Yes, this is the Jesus that I have come to know and love. But.... woulld you love him lest or not at all, if he look any different. Great hub.
Rose regardless of what Jesus might look like , I would still revere him and worship him just the same ! And Rose I am glad that you liked the hub too . I wish you a good day and a good week and a good life ! Rose I always like to hear from you . Thx
Superb hub Tony,,,to believe in something is to be living something. How interesting as you explore the idea that a belief has to have a name when all along you know that it has a feeling. The way you feel about God and Christ is where you are at. Spirituality is a whole nother concept, which is where you started and ended. Well put and the real truth about separation of God and State...not true. How can we separate oxygen from oxygen? And would we still be breathing if we figured out how to do it? Loved reading your perspective and your belief as you explored and defined it even for yourself!
Thank you Susan for the kind words . And I really like your statement about how belief Is a feeling as well as an Idea .
Susan I always appreciate your Input and I enjoy your writing too !
It touched me that you wrestled the issue in your mind. Thats what makes it a meaningful hub. Me, I'm Catholic and interested in Buddhism. Nice photo too. :)
Raven King thank you so much for your kind words. I agree that at some point In life every person wrestles with the thoughts of things that are bigger then us . Being a better person has to start on the Inside , the wardrobe and the stuff won,t fix It . But like I said I am a work In progress ! Again I thank you Raven King .
I really enjoyed your article. I also went on a religious journey. I grew up Catholic, and was allowed by my parents to experience other religions. I left the Catholic Church for a couple of years, and studied the different Christian denominations, their beliefs, and their rituals. I also studied theology in undergrad. Basically, so many people are very ignorant of their faiths, and why the faiths believe what they believe, especially Catholics. Once I learned why people kneel and stand, and the reason for the rituals, I came back, and it took on a much deeper meaning. Keep searching and learning. By the way, a person can be Buddhist and Christian. Buddhism is primarily a philosophy, not a religion, though it can be.
Shabazz
Thank you Shabazz I really appreciate the words of encouragement .And I also thank you for sharing your experience with me .
Great Hub,
I wrestle with the question where do I fit in all the time. I have respect for all religions and belive in a higher power.
I wish you well on your path.
Darrell I cannot thank you enough for the kind words. I am glad I am not alone on this journey of trying to find out where I fit In . And I too wish you success In your quest whatever that may be . Thank you again !
Great Hub, Tony. I appreciate you revealing yourself and your questioning nature. You sound like a great guy to me and in the end it is between you and Him. Thanks for the good read.
James being the good Christian man that you are I truly am grateful for your Input In this matter as you are one of my fave hubbers . I am also glad you liked the hub.
Good hub Tony!
wtf? My comment got erased. I was editing it and I got kicked offline and I came back and all it says is Good Hub Tony! Weird!
Pachuca forgive me Amiga ! I hit the wrong button by accident !!!
its all to the goody good...LOL I know you didn't mean it! FORGIVEN! =) (HUGS)
Thx I will sleep better tonite ! Hugs to you too my friend !
my good friend
ultimately, when all else desert you or fail you, you'd know what your religion is. and it's not some organised system of beliefs but a thing called faith :D
And bless you my dear friend I appreciate you sharing your comments here !
Honesty, transparency, seeking, human frailty - you spoke it all here. But continue to grow in your seeking for God by your faith, for His promise is 'to be found, when we seek Him thoroughly'! And I believe - as you seem to - that God is for REAL, and wants a relation ship with you - with everyone who wants that with Him. I think that would be called salvation. Great sharing, tonyo724, keep going...
And thanks for thinking 'Angie is a cutie'. She is and she has that inner beauty, as well as seeking faith in God!
Thank you frogyfish . I appreciate the kind words . And yes Angie Is cute ! Please drop In more often.
Tony, Your blogs are such an interesting read! I can almost picture searching your soul and letting us in on your search. I think we all come to a point in life when we feel the existence of God. After being away from the Catholic church a long time there came that day when that was the only place I had to turn to. I did the ritual kneeling and found the silence and energy surrounding me during the mass allowed me to feel that connection. I'm glad how everyone shared their feelings.
Thx for dropping In Margo and I appreciate you sharing with us about your search . Yes It Is a never ending journey no doubt !
As you know I believe to and I feel blessed that I am one of the people they do not badger in the forums but I took my stand 2 years ago without arguing my belief and I have held strong. Keep holding onto your faith and it is o.k. to be grumpy all of us are, it is because we are missing something in our lives that we are passionate it about. Your writing is superb and maybe deep in your soul you are supposed to write about something that will bring you joy, pray on it and you will get the answers. This is another great one. :)
AE you are making me blush !!
Oh no Tony! Not religion too! You've had too many agreeable comments on this hub, so just to (look out, I can't resist it) play the "devils advocate", (told you I couldn't resist), if you are solid with mono-theism, and sincerity in faith, what's your take on the the ancients, and also early native cultures that believed with the same sincerity in their multiple-gods religions? Are we so much more knowing than they were?
That Is exactly the point of the hub. I question everything . Because I do not know those answers . I am just trying to figure out where I fit In with all this . But I Intend to keep the prayers up !
LOL, hedging your bets? I agree with you. I think the real issue is the faith more than the object of the faith.
Thank you ! It Is not so much me hedging my bets as asking myself constant questions . Such as , If I do not participate In organized religion but try to live by the Ten Commandments and spritual principles , do I still have a shot at getting to heaven ? I think Buddhism Is so peaceful and beautiful , how can these guys not be going to heaven ? Do I do enough ? Things like that !
Hi Tony, I loved reading your hub and your points of view. Very truthful and honest. I am a believer of God...and I don't like to fight with people over religion nor do I want to say I am right. I also believe my way is merely one way and there are plenty of beautiful ways to discover the divinity within each of us. When one finds that, there is no more fear but only love, compassion and peace. :)
Hi Michelle . I am glad that you enjoyed the hub . And I know you to be a faithful servant of your faith . I do not much care for arguments on religion either . I am just on my journey to see where I fit In the big picture here.
And as you know you have always been one of my favorite people and I find you to always be a stellar example of real faith In action ! Michelle It always brightens my day to hear from you ! Thanks for dropping In .
And the journey continues for you as well as for me...glad to be here and glad to be connecting with you and sharing and all! :D
Tony,
I'm affraid my answerwill be different. Many years ago a trainer at my fitness club and I started our own religion. Since he is Catholic and me Jewish, we couldn't use Church or Synagogue, so we called it a Temple. An aerobics class was going on when I proclaimed we start "The Temple Of The Naked Woman." Being honest with you, perishoners were hard to come by. We abandoned our plans after we both became engaged, go figure.
What a bummer Harvey ! I would eagerly have tithed at the services !
There is a good saying that an atheist is better than a half devotee. I like this saying, i think god will be happy with a person who respects ten commandments than a person who is a regular church goer. Nice hub, i like your candid expression.
Thank you for dropping by and contributing !
Tony, I can identify with your sentiments and quandry as I too went through this for many years. I have found a Christian Church, non-denominational, that attracted me because of the Pastor's interpretation and I have found a calmness that I did not have before. It is funny that it was mentioned, which religion is the right one, because in todays service he discussed the "Rapture" and he brought this same question up. He answered it by saying "anyone and everyone that has the spirit God in their hearts." He made it a point to say that it did not matter what name you call the religion just that you carry it with you.
ehern33 first and foremost I would like to thank you for dropping In and participating . Secondly I would like to thank you for becoming a fan . And I loved your Pators message .
Tony, it was my pleasure and enjoyed reading your Hub, will try to catch up on the others as time permits. Your comment "where do I fit in" is the deepest of questions that I am not sure any of us can answer. I stopped searching for answers because we are probably not advanced enough spiritually or as a society to comprehend the answer. So it becomes a matter of faith to accept that what is meant to be is meant to be and that we are on a journey of human development both mentally and spiritually until judgement day. That is the best that I can do to describe how I feel and it has worked for me. Maybot work for you, but that is the point, find what works for you and don't go crazy trying to find a logical answer to things as you may never find it. Keep on hubbing and just find peace within yourself and you will make it.
ehern thank you for the encouraging words . And I so agree that where do I fit In can drive you crazy . I am just trying my best to enjoy the journey !
Hi Tony, you kind of sound like you should be a member of a spiritualist church based on what you said in your hub about believing in Christ etc. Personally I am a Pagan (Wiccan), but we can, and frequently do, believe in Christ having existed, if not as the actual Son of God, then as a prophet sent to teach us, yet we also have a huge love and respect for all plants, animals, oceans etc etc on the planet, (in fact all of the natural world) as being part of "Spirit". In addition to this we don't try to convert people to our beliefs, as this would be wrong, it is a "religion" you need to discover and feel comfortable with yourself before you accept it. You may fall into this category too, but only you can ultimately look into, and decide that, (of course).
I wish you luck in your quest.
Misty your belief system sounds fine to me . I do feel pretty comftorable with myself . I believe myself to be a principled and responsible person . I am not sure how that factors Into a spiritual life , but I would like to believe It Is a good start . I think we are all on the same quest that I refer to here . We are all taking our paths that ultimately lead to the same destination ! And the path we take Is ours alone , we just travel with special Individuals along the way .
Nice Hub..
Your words are very expressive and it shows that you highly appreciate logical thinking..To start,I'm born Muslim and at onetime I started questioning my faith. I heared alot and I knew less, the best thing is to read, choose and decide. I just want to adivse you with 2 things...firstly let out any biase secondly say "God, if you're there help me in finding You"....I wish you the best.
Thank you kindly GeniusMuslim for your Input . I am just trying to enjoy this journey of self discovery ! I appreciate you dropping In and posting .
Just dropping in to say that you answered one of my questions.That lead me here...THANK YOU.Interesting HUB.
I want to make a comment. Other religions do not talk about SALVATION NOR A SAVIOR. Christianity is the only religion that states Jesus died for our sins.There is no other religion than christianity that states someone died for our sins.Christianity is the only religion that states that someone rose from the dead and sits in heaven praying for you and offers you eternal life.It comes down to the better choice.Over 700 thousand people can testify that when they chose Jesus they experienced the power of a chanced life.
Tamaril2 thank you for the kind words and for your valuble Input ! I appreciate you dropping by .
Hi Tony, many of us are quite like you, I for one believe in Dalai Lama and his philosophy and some Christian philosophy too, I grew up being a Catholic, and although I have so much questions about some of rituals, I truly beleive in my heart, there is somewhere out there who makes all things possible.
good day to you, Maita
Hi Maita . I was baptised Catholic but that was about as far as it went . For me I just believe then when my life is said and done that I will be held accountable , if that makes me crazy so be it . Thank you for your input ! Be well my friend
Tony
Being good is akin to being religious but not being religious is not really akin to being bad. You can be bad whether you are religious or not.
Being religious can make the people better by acting good. So faith, belief and worship are pluses in this world. My point is that while it may not get you into heaven, faith and belief can make you a better person.
Most Christian religions scare you into being good by threats of your soul going to Hell. This is more powerful than the promise of Heaven.
The real question is it being good or is it worship that makes the difference in life?
If there was no evil, then there would be no need for worship or the promise of heaven. It could be a Heaven on Earth during your life, instead of a Hell on Earth with the possibility of going to Heaven.
No one has seen or knows much about Heaven, yet everyone wants to go there. Most likely because they don't want to go to Hell.
What score during your life will get you to Heaven?
100
>90
>80
>70
>60
>50 ???????
Heaven cannot be a continuation of your life on Earth. You won't have your family, friends or that keg of beer.
Maybe it will be an eternity of worship, much like the Angels of the bible. Well, at least 2/3 of them. The other third left.
To intellectual for me to ponder there opinionduck .
Tony!
Ghosty here
Have a Happy Easter!
Love you!
Happy Easter to you too Ghost. Let us celebrate the day that the Lord has risen !
Great Hub. Interesting read - I smiled when I read you don't know how many religions there are. There are so many these days, even I don't know how many.
Best Wishes and enjoy the Easter Holidays. :)
My fair Lady E I am honored to have you drop by and share your thoughts. And I hope your Easter holiday was great as well ! Your hub was outstanding ! :)
Honest hub--which are the best ones.
What I've learned as I near the half-dollar mark is sincere humility is best. Having some of the right answers to life's toughest questions--those dealing with creation, faith, and death--is possible (the answers are in the Book). But the best answer to being born is to be humble (faith, I think, is included in true humility).
Again, great hub.
6 string I am in the 50 plus crowd myself. And in a world that grows evermore immoral like you I find being humble one of the greatest assets that a person can have.Thank's for dropping in.
No prob Tony / my pleasure.
Great Hub. I do think there is a difference in being a practicing Christian versus one who feels compelled to shove their beliefs down another person's throat.
I am more spiritual than ever at this point in my life (God hears us at home, in a store,etc. We do not have to be in some musty church being judged by the people who sit around us and those who in religious power molest thousands of children, i.e. Catholic priests).
I would never knock on someone's door whom I do not know and tell them they are going to hell because they are not living the way I live- Jehovah Witnesses. Allow others to have their own beliefs. Thought provoking writing-thank you Tony!
ATG thanks for the props. I myself would never go overboard trying to make people believe either. And while I do not consider myself religious I do consider myself a believer on the search. Thank you for dropping in.
dean 77 2 years ago
I was raised Southern Baptist and go to church quite frequently. Many people don't know this--because of our public school system--but the words "separation" "church" and "state" are nowhere to be found in our Constitution. The words simply don't exist in the document. Christianity does demand a high standard of living, which is why it doesn't appeal to some.
But as my Grandfather used to say, "There are no Atheists in foxholes".
Nice Hub, Tony. Keep 'em coming. Oh, and on a different subject, Barbara Boxer is gonna get her tail kicked in next years election. I know you'll be glad, and so will I.
Dean