How did you choose which religion you would follow and which religions you would not?

Question

Did you review them all and decide which one made the most sense to you?

Were you raised with the religion you now follow?

Did you choose based upon which fundamental beliefs already coincided with your own?

Did you even make a conscious choice at all?

Answer 1

Yes i reviewed 10 religions Jewish, Christianity, Muslim, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Scientology, Wiccan, Sikhism, Rastafarian <3 :D,



Yes i was raised as a Christian, But i researched every single on of them for 10 years, And i chose Christianity,



No i did not.



Yes i did sometimes i still even wonder why i am a Christian, But there is some things in my life that made me believe Which i rather not discuss on Yahoo Answers.

Answer 2

Did you review them all and decide which one made the most sense to you?



All -no. But the major ones -yes.



Were you raised with the religion you now follow?



Not exactly. I was raised in a Christian church, but was mostly just taught morality. In my teens and most of my 20's I was an Atheist.



Did you choose based upon which fundamental beliefs already coincided with your own?



No. I chose based on what I see as the truth.



Did you even make a conscious choice at all?



Yes. I chose to ask Jesus to forgive my sins and for him to come into my heart. He has done just that and continues.

Answer 3

Those who are sincerely searching for truth generally recognize that there must be a God and that he reasonably would reveal his will and offer answers about why we are here, what life means and what the future holds for us. We should observe, too, that true religion involves conduct, not merely certain doctrines or beliefs. This was especially imporant for me when deciding what religion to choose as there are many false religions out there and it is any wonder how people can choose.But just like a bank teller can identify a countefeit note by placing alongside a real note, you can do the same with religion today and find many lacking in areas of their doctrine and their conduct. Many adherents to a particualr religion involve themselves in warfare, politics and do not live a religious life although claiming to be so. A true religion must stand out as being different from the rest. Do the fruits manifest in the lives of the members of these churches show that they truly respect the Word of God? From your own experience, would you say that most people who go to a church building on Sunday apply Bible principles in their home life and in their dealings with others on Monday and during the rest of the week? God’s Word shows that there are persons who may have the Bible and even study it but whose works prove that they disown the God they claim to know. (Titus 1:16; John 5:39, 40) The form of worship that they practice is not pleasing to God, because they do not allow his Word to exercise genuine power in their lives.—2 Timothy 3:5.

Answer 4

God came knocking and I answered.



Did you review them all and decide which one made the most sense to you?

I did not care for any religions before this.



Were you raised with the religion you now follow?

We went to sunday school when I was in 1st grade. Not much beyond that.



Did you choose based upon which fundamental beliefs already coincided with your own?

I knew very little about my God, Jesus and the Bible before I was called.



Did you even make a conscious choice at all?

Yes. At an altar call on the third service I attended.



Edit - Thank you Seraphim_pwns_u. That was a great statement of faith

Answer 5

A religion that teaches lies cannot be true. The greatest prophet that ever walked on earth stated: “God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.”—John 4:24.



That prophet was Jesus Christ, and he also declared: “Be on your guard against false religious teachers, who come to you dressed up as sheep but are really greedy wolves. You can tell them by their fruits. . . . Every good tree produces sound fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit.” (Matthew 7:15-17, Phillips) Seeing the bad fruit of the world’s “great” religions, and even of the sects and cults that have sprung up, many sincere people are coming to view them all as ‘rotten trees,’ simply not good enough. But how can they find the true religion?



Obviously it would be impossible to study all the thousands of religions before making a choice. However, if—as Jesus said—we use truth and fruitage as touchstones, it is possible to identify true religion.



Jesus mentioned truth. As for this, what group of believers reject the religious lies derived from ancient mythology and Greek philosophy that permeate most religions? One such lie is the teaching that the human soul is inherently immortal. This teaching has given rise to the God-dishonoring doctrine of hellfire.



Jesus also mentioned fruitage. As for this, do you know a religion that has produced a genuine international fellowship where racial, linguistic, and nationalistic barriers are overcome by love and mutual understanding? Do you know a worldwide religious community whose members would rather be persecuted than allow politicians or religious leaders to incite them to hate their brothers and sisters and kill them in the name of nationalism or religion? A religion that rejected such religious lies and produced such fruitage would give powerful evidence of being the true one, would it not?



Is there such a religion? Yes, there is. But you must admit that it is not one of the major religions of the world. Should this surprise us? No. In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated: “Go in through the narrow gate; because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; whereas narrow is the gate and cramped the road leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.”—Matthew 7:13, 14.



So where is true religion to be found? In all humility and honesty, we must say that Jehovah’s Witnesses form an international community walking along this ‘narrow and cramped road.’ True, mainstream religions scornfully call Jehovah’s Witnesses a sect. But that is exactly what the apostate religious leaders in the first century C.E. called the early Christians.—Acts 24:1-14.



Why are Jehovah’s Witnesses confident that they have the true religion? Well, they make up an international brotherhood that reaches into more than 200 lands and that is overcoming the divisions of nationality, race, language, and social class. And they refuse to believe doctrines—however ancient—that clearly contradict what the Bible says.



THOSE WHO WORSHIP THE TRUE GOD

▪ base their teachings on the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; John 17:17)

▪ worship only Jehovah and make his name known (Psalm 83:18; Matthew 4:10; John 17:6)

▪ show genuine love for one another (John 13:34, 35; 1 John 3:10-12; 4:20, 21)

▪ accept Jesus as God’s means of salvation (Matthew 20:28; Acts 4:12; John 3:36)

▪ are no part of the world (John 18:36; Acts 5:29; Mark 12:17)

▪ preach God’s Kingdom as man’s only hope (Psalm 146:3; Daniel 2:44; Matthew 24:14)

Answer 6

First I decided to reject any religion that would posit an infinite deity, but then turn around and insist that an infinitude could only possibly have one "true" way to be reached.



Then looking at the non-exclusionary faiths, like Judaism (which I was raised in) and Hinduism, and the atheistic ones, like Zen Buddhism and Taoism, I ultimately decided that the needs they'd fulfill, community, ritual, continuity, etc., could be met in other ways for my life. So I've been sort of an independent ever since. I self identify as a pantheistic Jew who is agnostic about it all.

Answer 7

I think we all either follow the traditions of our fathers (family) or we seek, find or happen upon a path or faith or belief that better SUITS what we each see as TRUTH and convert. I was raised in the tradition of my father's family - catholicism and have several priest's in the family line - but converted when I was a young adult when I found a TRUTH that rang TRUE and answered questions I had long held inside myself.

Answer 8

I am a Christian, one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I became a witness 2 years ago. I was not raised a witness but came to a realization that the scriptures are the authority and not the teachings of men. Jehovah's Witnesses back up everything they told me with scriptures, something that mainstream Christendom did not nor could not do.

I also found that as an organization they were the only organization that actually practiced what they preached. They actually obeyed Jehovah and his Son's commandments.

I did not become a witness because it coincided with what I was personally comfortable with but rather what my God, Jehovah was comfortable with. I wanted to do what made Him happy. What I found was that when I put it into practice it made me happy.

I've seen people trying to find a religion that fits with what they think is right for them, but it is not for us to even guide our own footsteps, it is Jehovah who does that. He knows what is best for us. Even in this wicked system of things he knows how we can be happy.

So, I made a choice. It was my choice and no one else's. Now I am proud to bear his name.

Answer 9

"Did you review them all and decide which one made the most sense to you?"



Basically.





"Were you raised with the religion you now follow?"



I wasn't raised with any religion, so in a roundabout sort of way, yes.





"Did you choose based upon which fundamental beliefs already coincided with your own?"



I investigated the evidence, and made my decision based on my research, nothing more, nothing less.





"Did you even make a conscious choice at all?"



Not really, I never believed in any god or gods from the beginning, my investigations into various religions just reinforced that lack of belief.

Answer 10

I grew up Christian. I attended Sunday School and church every week. I always loved bible stories, especially the Old Testament. I knew many diverse Christians. No other religion has ever interested me, except Judaism. It fascinates me! I had and still have Jewish friends. In my teens, I suffered a crisis of faith and stopped attending church regularly. For about 10 years, I was spiritually lost. My disposition is inclined toward liturgical worship, formality, faith/reason, and history. 10 years ago, I became Roman Catholic. My reason for conversion was acceptance of Catholic teaching, especially on the Eucharist. Judaism is the only religion I seriously considered for conversion. I ultimately rejected it as my personal faith because of my belief in Jesus as Messiah!

Answer 11

i did not for a whilst and extremely felt the adaptation. I extremely have happiness in being Mormon. I additionally positioned diverse paintings into finding at all the religions i could desire to locate and that they have been all lacking something important apart from the single I persist with now. not that i presumed they have been all undesirable. some had good teachings...

Answer 12

No.I was born to Christian parents and have tried to be a good christian for most of my life.Only now when im a teenager do i realize why atheism/agnosticism is a better path to take.Yes i made a very conscious choice of giving up my religion.

Answer 13

hey ill answer in a sec ..... reverend u read this too and u u may be surprised and start following lol



ok i chose my belief because from a young age i have been able to see spirits and other figures resembling things from the other world



all religions besides those tied in paganism basically teach you all to ignore it and not dwell on it anymore other than "oh a ghost ill go prey now" and then if you look into science anything they cannot explain logically they rite off as nonsense and not factual



but the truth is there are forces beyond our full knowledge and there are ways we can use or harness certain aspects of said forces



one big example ill give you 2 people one is christian the other is pagan (this isn't fact but this is a scenario ill give u to think about it"



they both have a friend who is sick the christian preys to god and puts there whole faith in the fact god may get off his butt this one time and save this person who means so much to them ..... a few months later the friend is better and doesn't die ...... divine miracle perhaps? .. i don't think so because on the other hand



the pagan will summon all there powers and belief they can and put there full faith into there will to have there friend get better and here again we achieve the same result friend better not dead



i personally believe the bible was originally created in order to stop chaos in the 15th century instead of a police force they used fear of fire and brimstone in hell to persuade people to not do wrong ..... if you choose to believe u will be tortured for all eternity for farting out of line once or twice in ur life wouldn't u want to behave?



now at the same time witchcraft and the older religions centered around the same beliefs were slowly stamped out for 2 reasons the people of that time believed it to be an abomination of god and so would sell out there neighbor for execution and the 2nd reason they were stamped out it because throughout the time pagans were protesters of what the church and the local governments were doing and were seen as a threat that had to be removed



^ i did get a little off topic but all relevant



so because the churches wanted to stamp out witchcraft and stuff in that era its still in its teaching today and so doesn't offer us more than a very skewed knowledge of anything beyond this supposedly superior entity



however from what i have seen and personally experienced there is much more than what the bible wish's to teach us and so i sought it out and came to follow my beliefs i have now

Answer 14

Think for yourself. YOu don't want to be lead astray neither do you wanna find yourself defending a religion that seem awkward.



I don't believe in any religion until evidence is presented. That would explain why I don't believe in religions. I believe in Secular humanism which is an atheistic philosophy.

Answer 15

My parents don't speak of religion so there was no hassle to join any certain religion. I think people join Christianity etc because they want to believe that there is a better life though I believe that we just rot in our graves. There is no evidence of any form of heaven. Religion is like Santa and the Tooth Fairy. I'm an atheist because of lack of evidence. Man made religion just looks like a bunch of bulls*it. I've probly offended a few christians and I could get hate mail but that's not very Christian now is it?

Answer 16

I was born to a 'media Christian' family... that is, "if you're good, you go to Heaven; if you're bad, you go to Hell; here's a Bible to stick in your drawer, and a cross to hang on the wall; and that's it". Before I was a teen, I began looking into other beliefs. I had been an atheist, agnostic, wiccan, general pagan, new ager, satanist (both of the atheistic and black magic sorts), buddhist, scientologist (that didn't last long, though), among others, and a whole slew of various Christian denominations, such as baptist, mormon, Jehovah's witness, episcopalian, and others.



Truth be told, prior to becoming a Christian, I was an atheist, and still having the mentality of a Satanist... 'do what thou wilt is the whole of the law'. I hated Christians with a passion at the time, and would probably put some of the worst trolls here to shame. I had the attitude of 'been there, done that' to other religions, and they all offered the same nonsense: be good, and get rewarded; be bad, and get punished; here's your book to put in the drawer, and the symbol to show off, and that's it. Except Satanism, which taught me that every belief that permits harm and selfishness is really no different than it, but with all the additional trappings of self-righteousness, which Satanism casts off. When that occurred to me, I stopped believing in anything, and became an atheist.



One day, however, I met the man who would eventually become my husband, and he showed me that living by the Bible alone, and not living by man's words, was different. The Bible showed the causes and effects of what happens when we harm others, when we are selfish, and when we make ourselves or things to be as gods of our own lives. And then he proved it to me by teaching me about the prophecies in the Bible.



I mean, it's hard to argue against "The Bible said Jerusalem will be destroyed, and then in the end-times, Israel will be reinhabited by the Israelites, under the condition that the nation will be brought about in one day, becoming a nation first and then war following it", when anyone with any sense of history knows that Jerusalem was sacked in 70AD by the Romans and soon after was made desolate, and then Israel was reestablished in 1948 under a UN directive that made it a nation on May 14th 1948 (at midnight), and then, on that same day, followed the 1948 War. History followed just as the Bible said it would. And that wasn't the only thing he showed me... and it is hard to argue against facts I have beheld right in front of my eyes, written about 2000 years ago.



Making the lifestyle changes from hate-filled Satanist, to love-embracing Christian wasn't exactly the easiest transition, and even now, a great many years later, I still struggle with the nature I had embraced. But life has definitely been better for me. I am certain that if I had not realized the gravity of my errors... my sins.. then repented of them, changed my ways, and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and accepted His sacrifice on the cross as payment for all the evil I had done in my life... I guarantee I would not be alive today to talk about it.



As for my denomination... I do not adhere to one. 1 Cor 1:12-13 says "What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?". I follow Jesus' example as stated in the Bible. At best, I am 'a little of this, and a little of that', but solely for the sake that 'this' is in the Bible, and so is 'that'. Each denomination has its own rules and regulations about what is right and wrong, some of which are wholly unbiblical (such as a dress code for church). Some churches judge based on what a person looks like... some judge for past sins... some judge for this, or for that... and none, in the end, are perfect. What is, though, is the Bible itself. I would rather base my beliefs off the Bible alone, than be in error by mindlessly following a denomination that has a grain of falsehood amongst a sea of truth.

Answer 17

I spent a few years exploring; a couple exploring within Christianity because I was brought up Christian, then a couple exploring outside of Christianity.



I chose based on the one that made most sense to me.

Answer 18

I was born in catholic family. I discowered a few more religions, took the best from there and came back enriched.

Answer 19

I am not a follower of any religion. I explored many religions and none convinced me or felt real to me.

Answer 20

I realised that they were all forms of controlling the most need y. They hold old ladies hands and promise them eternity.

Answer 21

compare torah, bible and quran.

after that decide the best one.

easy.



i do not tell you what my religion is, so you can fair choose them.

Answer 22

I studied religion for years, I never understood why I could not believe as others did. Finally I discovered Taoism and understood that was how I had thought all of my life regardless to Christian influences. It fits me intellectually.



Taoist/Atheist

Answer 23

I solemnly swear to follow the first religion that presents something even remotely resembling evidence for its claims about the supernatural...

Answer 24

I do not follow any religions as they are man-made.



I was not raised religiously.



I don't feel that my belief in God was a choice, and that it developed completely natural...

Answer 25

I opted out of all of them by age 11.

Answer 26

It must allow me to eat bacon.