Why do you believe in religion?

[Cute Puppies]

Beyond all of the petty name-slinging, and the passive-aggressive comments, religious debates can be interesting and constructive. In this thread, please do not try to be offensive. I'd rather this be a place of civil, constructive debate where people use logic and possibly external resources to back their claims.

As a person questioning religious beliefs due to personal issues, I want to know why do you (or don't) follow certain religious beliefs, what essentially caused you to believe in them, and what evidence do you have that your religious beliefs are true?

As someone born into a devoutly Catholic, Irish family, religion has been with me since birth. I've attended Sunday School and mass religiously (terrible pun intended) for years. However, after the passing of my grandmother, several conflicts which separated my parents and my extended family, and battling with my sexuality, I've since questioned Catholic beliefs and the Bible. After extensive research reading articles on Catholicism, watching debates between prominent religious and atheist figures (such as Bill Nye the science guy), and reading passages of the Bible itself, to say it bluntly, I find Catholicism and Christianity to be outlandish and untrue.

[Sacrena Resort Corporation]

This is gonna be interesting.

[Albrenia]

I'm an atheist, and have been so for as long as I can remember. Despite trying when I was younger, I've found no evidence or 'sense' of the divine, and plenty of the opposite. The horrors of various religious myths and stories didn't help either.

Still open to changing my mind if the evidence is presented, but I'm quite doubtful that would ever occur.

[NERVUN]

Because it works for me and I agree with the teachings thereof.

That's really what it comes down to.

[Cute Puppies]

Because it works for me and I agree with the teachings thereof.

That's really what it comes down to.

If you don't mind me asking, what do you believe in?

[Fartsniffage]

I couldn't reconcile believing the religion I was brought up with with the knowledge I was not believing about 1000 other religions.

It seemed arbitrary.

[NERVUN]

Because it works for me and I agree with the teachings thereof.

That's really what it comes down to.

If you don't mind me asking, what do you believe in?

I'm a Presbyterian.

[Risen Prussia]

Because I’ve seen miracles happen with my own eyes

[Cute Puppies]

If you don't mind me asking, what do you believe in?

I'm a Presbyterian.

Were you born into Presbyterianism or did you convert to Presbyterianism later on in life?

[Brizalia]

well I know i'm a Christian, I growing up reading my Bible, going to sunday school, learning about Jesus Christ, and I 100% believe everything it says in the bible. I used to go to a catholic church as well.... anyways, if there are any other religions here, I would like to hear their side of the story as well to get to know why.....

[Albrenia]

Because I’ve seen miracles happen with my own eyes

That sounds cool. It would probably be rude of me to ask what the miracles were, although I am genuinely interested.

[NERVUN]

I'm a Presbyterian.

Were you born into Presbyterianism or did you convert to Presbyterianism later on in life?

Born, kinda. Rather to say that my father's family is Presbyterian, but I wasn't raised in the faith at all.

Actually growing up I spent time going to different religious/non-religious events for various faiths, philosophies what have you. It wasn't until junior high that I actually started being more interested in it due to my karate class being taught by the local Presbyterian pastor and my mom making a remark to the effect of "Well, you DO know that's what your father was, right?"

[Fartsniffage]

Were you born into Presbyterianism or did you convert to Presbyterianism later on in life?

Born, kinda. Rather to say that my father's family is Presbyterian, but I wasn't raised in the faith at all.

Actually growing up I spent time going to different religious/non-religious events for various faiths, philosophies what have you. It wasn't until junior high that I actually started being more interested in it due to my karate class being taught by the local Presbyterian pastor and my mom making a remark to the effect of "Well, you DO know that's what your father was, right?"

How does your faith work in Japan?

[The New California Republic]

I am Atheist. It isn't from lack of trying. I have read the Koran, the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and various other religious texts multiple times each, and I didn't find divine influence in any of them. I went into each with an open mind, and all I found was contradiction, the words of men trying to make sense of the world around them, and trying to alter it in the process. I have tried to find evidence of divine influence in the world around me too, and found none.

I was brought up Protestant, if that makes any difference.

[Valrifell]

I couldn't reconcile a higher power with the heat-death (or other potential end) of the universe. I mean, what kind of benevolent force would quietly let it's creation drift away into a chaotically pure void? Though technically atheism is a lack of belief in a religion and not a religion, but I saw other people do it so it must be fine.

Outside of that, the mythologies of religions and the whole concept of faith itself as always been interesting to me. I'd like to jokingly consider myself a worshiper of Sol Invictus.

[Brizalia]

In the book forrest gump did anyone catch how he says that the people in china don't go to church? How does the whole system in China work then...? I'm asking because I don't know much about there....I know that a lot of the population is Buddhist, but I'm assuming I'm not sure...

[Albrenia]

In the book forrest gump did anyone catch how he says that the people in china don't go to church? How does the whole system in China work then...? I'm asking because I don't know much about there....I know that a lot of the population is Buddhist, but I'm assuming I'm not sure...

The Chinese are actually starting to convert to Christianity in large numbers nowadays. Although I've heard it's an altered version of Christianity with supernatural stuff given a 'sci fi' twist... whatever that means.

[Valrifell]

In the book forrest gump did anyone catch how he says that the people in china don't go to church? How does the whole system in China work then...? I'm asking because I don't know much about there....I know that a lot of the population is Buddhist, but I'm assuming I'm not sure...

The Chinese are actually starting to convert to Christianity in large numbers nowadays. Although I've heard it's an altered version of Christianity with supernatural stuff given a 'sci fi' twist... whatever that means.

I'm pretty sure they're also forced to practice the faith underground, so it's no wonder if they're interpretation diverts significantly from other doctrines. They really have no one to check against very often.

[NERVUN]

Born, kinda. Rather to say that my father's family is Presbyterian, but I wasn't raised in the faith at all.

Actually growing up I spent time going to different religious/non-religious events for various faiths, philosophies what have you. It wasn't until junior high that I actually started being more interested in it due to my karate class being taught by the local Presbyterian pastor and my mom making a remark to the effect of "Well, you DO know that's what your father was, right?"

How does your faith work in Japan?

The same as it does in the US...

Well, to extend that I should say, it's been years since I've been to a church as the closest Presbyterian church is in Tokyo... and is a Korean branch. So I'm rather isolated in that regards, excepting me performing wedding services most weekends (It's a Japanese thing, really).

I would say that Japan's... hrmm... very Japanese notion of seeing nothing wrong with going to whatever faith works for you for the issue at hand has influenced me to also being more willing to accept that my Truth is MY Truth, and may not serve for anyone else. And that's ok.

[Brizalia]

In the book forrest gump did anyone catch how he says that the people in china don't go to church? How does the whole system in China work then...? I'm asking because I don't know much about there....I know that a lot of the population is Buddhist, but I'm assuming I'm not sure...

The Chinese are actually starting to convert to Christianity in large numbers nowadays. Although I've heard it's an altered version of Christianity with supernatural stuff given a 'sci fi' twist... whatever that means.

hmm....The church i'm going to actually has large numbers of Asians in there, so I see that as true...I'll have to do my research on that one.

_{Wtf do they mean by sci-fi??? I am confusion?????}

^
not meant to be rude.....

[The New California Republic]

In the book forrest gump did anyone catch how he says that the people in china don't go to church? How does the whole system in China work then...? I'm asking because I don't know much about there....I know that a lot of the population is Buddhist, but I'm assuming I'm not sure...

China is mainly a mix of Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Christianity.

[Zanera]

I couldn't reconcile a higher power with the heat-death (or other potential end) of the universe. I mean, what kind of benevolent force would quietly let it's creation drift away into a chaotically pure void? Though technically atheism is a lack of belief in a religion and not a religion, but I saw other people do it so it must be fine.

Outside of that, the mythologies of religions and the whole concept of faith itself as always been interesting to me. I'd like to jokingly consider myself a worshiper of Sol Invictus.

We'll put a flag on the Sun one day. One day. And when that day comes, the world will know there's a flag on the Sun because there'd be a flag-shaped shadow.

[Cute Puppies]

How does your faith work in Japan?

The same as it does in the US...

Well, to extend that I should say, it's been years since I've been to a church as the closest Presbyterian church is in Tokyo... and is a Korean branch. So I'm rather isolated in that regards, excepting me performing wedding services most weekends (It's a Japanese thing, really).

I would say that Japan's... hrmm... very Japanese notion of seeing nothing wrong with going to whatever faith works for you for the issue at hand has influenced me to also being more willing to accept that my Truth is MY Truth, and may not serve for anyone else. And that's ok.

I've heard that Japan is largely secular and has a large population of atheist residents. Is that true?

[The Black Party]

Because somehow, there is no explanation for how something came from nothing, apart from the mystical and the paranormal.

[Cute Puppies]

In the book forrest gump did anyone catch how he says that the people in china don't go to church? How does the whole system in China work then...? I'm asking because I don't know much about there....I know that a lot of the population is Buddhist, but I'm assuming I'm not sure...

China is mainly a mix of Chinese folk religion, Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Christianity.

Isn't it true that there's a sizable portion of atheists or agnostics after China converted into a largely secular, communist government?