Why Did You Turn To Religion?

[Gingerbread Latte]

Well I'm just wondering why people believe in certain religions. Is it because they're in trouble and want to feel secure? Is it because they were bought up that way? Or is it because they purely just wanted some faith and hope in their lives?

So why did you choose to believe in your religion?

[VanishingActs]

I was brought up in a family that went to church every Sunday so I had a religious background anyway. We stopped going to church for personal reasons once and then I realised I missed God, it was like we had lost touch. I havn't been to church for a while but I am looking to go back. I guess I miss the idea of having someone there to talk to and a place to pray and worship.

[Fallen Angel]

Well,

all my fiance's family and most of our mutual friends are members of the church I am now baptised into.

Initially, I just wanted to know all about it. I was sick of being around family and friends and not understanding what they were talking about. So, I called up the missionaries to come and teach me about the church; purely so that I would understand. I had little intention of joining.

But, what they said seemed to make sense to me. So I prayed about it and read the scriptures and started living my life in the way which God has asked me to. I was baptised on February 28th 2009.

Chelsea x

[msbunnykins]

I was a very logical thinking agnostic/ex-atheist before I decided to become a Baha'i (not official yet, but will be soon). It offers me "logical spirituality" as I like to call it. I am still completely free to believe in science all I want, and it also puts history really into perspective for me. I think it just put the puzzle together for me, and explained a lot of why things are the way they are. It just sort of clicked, I suppose. Now, I use it as a way to relate to everyone else, feel connected to them, and know that things will get better. I hope that's the kind of response you wanted.

[Lizzie]

I just felt like there had to be something out their besides Christianity, as that was the only religion I knew of until I was about 16. Which is kind of sad when I think about it now. I started researching different things on the internet until I found paganism. It just seemed to click with me, everything seemed to make sense and fall in line with what I already felt in my heart. After that I found a local occult bookstore and I started reading more and more, that is how I came to be a Wiccan who follows the Green Path. : )

[9Lives]

I'm a Muslim. I was brought up a Muslim. And I didn't always follow the religion. But now I do. Why? I do it because it truly and awesomely gives me peace. After, i pray I feel at peace with myself, with just everything. It's like no matter how much the world sucks at that moment, you know God is always there and maybe he won't help, maybe he will, but he'll always listen. Which sounds weird I know (that's what I used to think - like of course God listens, but he never replies!), but just telling him all that helps. I feel humbled and when you feel humbled, you start acting nicer and better, believe me! And i can ask help, or good grades or health or anything from him directly by just including it in my prayers. But of course, He won't give you anything for free. As they say, try hard and pray hard. Either alone won't help.

And besides, the Quran is the only holy book that makes sense to me and also gives me peace when I read it.

[Loire]

My 'religion' seems weird to most people, but it makes perfect sense to me. I believe in the three Holy Books, the Torah, the Bible and the Koran. While some find these three religions contradicting and adverse, I can say that this religion has given me inner peace. I started to turn religious when I was about sixteen years old; before that, I've been brought up as an atheist. I still believe in science and history by the way ; I don't find this incompatible with religion either. Why did I turn to religion? Because although I didn't intend to believe in God, someday I asked myself: "Isn't it important to at least THINK about the reasons why there may be a God?" Then I sat on my bed and started to pray; I asked God ("if You exist") to show me signs. The funny thing is, I did not want to turn religious at all, I was fine with the way I was. But I still received the signs and some day, I couldn't pretend any longer that there was no God.

My friends are Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and atheistic, by the way =)

[swimmer92]

I did not turn to religion, I turned to God. And I did that because I was so broken and so trapped in my mental state that he was the only one who could bring me out of it.

[I ♥ Jehovah Shalom!]

I always knew there was a GOD or higher power that does things... Then stuff happened, I attempted suicide and I realize my life had no meaning... So I found GOD or He found me... Either way I'm great.

[s_tor_m]

Since I was born I was raised and taught to go to church every Sunday, so I guess I didn't have much choice in it. Sometimes I just feel like I don't want a part of it, but then again it gives me hope and peace. And then it has good morals and taught me to be a better, more humble person.

[Oiseau the Little Bird!]

I didn't turn to my faith, I actually kind of stumbled into it one day. And I felt comfortable there so I just stayed on that path. It's hard to "choose to believe" something... It was hard to ignore as an inevitable presence in my life.

[SillyEvee]

Haha, Bernadette totally summed up my experience. To me, it wasn't so much that I turned to faith, but that I suddendly noticed that someone had been knocking on my door. One day, I just went "Who the F could still be knocking?!?!" Turns out it was G-d. It's not about "turning" to faith, like there's no other option. It's finding truth, however you choose to find it.

[urgbogdurgbog]

i grew up in a very christian family. i stopped believing in christianity, because i can live with myself easier believing that there isn't something. if you want to know more you can pm me.

[Something Clever]

Originally Posted by Boo Ghost

Well I'm just wondering why people believe in certain religions. Is it because they're in trouble and want to feel secure? Is it because they were bought up that way? Or is it because they purely just wanted some faith and hope in their lives?

So why did you choose to believe in your religion?

I like this thread
I believe what I believe because I need to. One day, my mom told me about this church her friend went to. I was indifferent about going because I thought it was going to be a Christian church (I'm not a hater, I just feel uncomfortable because I don't believe in all of the Christian teachings) But it ended up being a church (the church of religious science or the spiritual enrichment center) that believes in nearly everything I believe in. It makes me very happy to be there and it makes me strive to try and be a good person Plus, the church is very open minded toward all beliefs and religions. All sorts of different people go there (even people from different religions) It's just very peaceful and I love it <3

[Grizabella]

I think I've always been an atheist. I read and was taught Christian stories when I was young, but I can't remember a time when I believed them. They were always just stories to me. Finding Satanism was a bit random. There was a boy in my school who was...actually quite annoying. He would rebel against every possible rule, always stated his opinions in the most rude and arrogant way, and was just in general a jerk. At some point I found out he was a Satanist, and I decided to research it a bit. It just seemed like exactly what I believe in. I don't think I turned to it exactly - being a Satanist is not the most important thing in my life. I think it was just comforting to know that their are other people who have the same values as me.

[Minor Seventh]

I was born and raised LDS, baptized at 8 and went church every Sunday. And if that makes you think I was brainwashed to believe it or something, I'm sorry if it sounds that way because it isn't. Even though I went to church every Sunday and was always the good little Molly Mormon girl, I can tell you that there was a time in my life where I wasn't sure if I believed. It was fairly recently actually, and one night I just decided I was going to pray every morning and every night. And I did. And yet, I still didn't know. So one night, instead of just saying the normal trite things I did, I prayed for about half an hour, explaining and asking. I can tell you that about halfway through it, tears just started streaming down my face, and I knew. I had a personal confirmation that it was true, and you can tell me all you want that it was just me talking to myself, that it wasn't what I thought it was.
But that doesn't change a thing.
I have had a witness, and it was real.
I didn't think, I didn't believe, I knew.
And I've turned to it at every opportunity since.