Help on religious beliefs?

Question

I am 15 years old, my mom is christian and my dad is hindu, i have some muslim, christian and hindu friends... my parents always told me i would have to decide what religion if any i would decide to worship. i have asked my friends and the ones who are muslim tell me to practice islam the ones who are hindu tell me to study that and so on.....

i want to know your opinions how can i know which one to practice? i have read most of the bible and kuran and i even read much of the hindu texts, all of these holy books seem real and appeal to me and i am having trouble deciding which one to devote my spiritual belief too.

How did you find your religious beliefs? How do you know they are truly the one that god intends to be right? please i have been having a hard time dealing with this for a while and any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

Yay for Word Nerd and Eclectic Heretic (and anyone else who tells you to follow your own path)! Humans are spiritual creatures and this sort of spiritual seeking is not just normal - it's a lifelong process. The minute you are no longer being supported in your spiritual growth is the minute you know it is time to move on.



I do not feel the divine can be defined by any one religious or spiritual path. I happen to belong to the prechristian faith of my ancestors and that faith is highly cultural. My cultural understanding of and relationship with the divine is going to be very different from the cultural understanding of the divine of someone from somewhere like the Middle East or China. However, that is just my understanding and relationship with the divine. No one will ever have the exact same spiritual experience as I do and no one should expect another to walk their spiritual path the way they think is the "right" way. Because spirituality is such a deeply personal thing, there is no "right" way.



I agree with attending a Unitarian Univeralist church and continued study. The UU take everyone and that is the church I recommend most often to those of my faith who are in interfaith marriages. They support spiritual seeking and growth - which is kind of the point of the whole thing. They certainly don't expect you to put one of your dainty little feet in the exact spot they had theirs. That's merely adhering to dogma, not walking your own spiritual path. If someone does try to tell you the "right" way to believe or the way you should exercise your spirituality then run far and fast as they are obviously more interested in dogma than a true understanding of and relationship with the divine. If the divine, no matter how you define it, really does care about each and every one of us then there will be no punishment for believing the "wrong" thing. What is in your heart is in your heart and what speaks to your being speaks to your being. There's simply no getting around that as you cannot force yourself to have a true faith in something any more than you can force yourself to believe that gremlins live in your washing machine and steal every third left sock.



Honestly, we're probably all wrong. All we can do in this life is live it well and do our best to not just survive, but to thrive - spiritually, emotionally and yes, even physically - to the best of our ability. It's not always easy to forge your own way, but in the end it is much more rewarding than being a spiritual shell, confining yourself and your deity(ies) to another person's definition and understanding.



Best wishes on your journey and may the Gods of Asgard guide your steps, may Thor's hammer protect you and may Freyja give you wisdom so you find your own understanding and not that of another.

Answer 2

Honestly, I found my religion when someone handed me a pamphlet about it. I was curious to learn more, so I googled it and eventually converted. You should read up on many different religions, not just Christianity, Islam and Hindu. Once you've been exposed to and researched many different ones, pick the one that makes the most sense to you and fits your personal moral and ethical beliefs. You may find that you don't believe in any of them, and will just be vaguely spiritual. There's nothing wrong with that, nor is there anything wrong with finding out you don't believe in any god at all. Just pick a religion (or don't) that you agree with, that you believe in, that will give your life a feeling of purpose and spiritual fulfillment.

Answer 3

Just believe in one faith. Yours. You believe in a god? Then he is your GOD. He doesn't have a name. He is the creator, destroyer, preserver. He is actually an energy that exists around you. Do you believe in the existence of radio waves? That is energy too. Then this god exists too.



You need not follow any "religion" as such, because it is a fake thing. It is a concept that has been used over the years to justify countless atrocities. Believe in a god. Name him/her/it whatever you want to, or simply just feel that force. Remember, you are a god too, that energy exists in you too.



Any human being who helps the poor, needy and the ones who truly deserve love IS god. Believe in yourself. You can realize the truth that lies within you. Religions were founded to unite people, but they have now only divided us. So, boycott these faiths. Live a life that is worth dying for.



Live in the present, enjoy what you have to. It's just one life that you get. Live it to the fullest. THAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT. Love the people and creatures around you.

Answer 4

Ok, from the standpoint of 69 years of life, I have bounced around from christianity to buddhism to native american spirituality back to christianity to agnosticism. But I still do go to a christian church. Had a beautiful Easter this morning and I was the liturgist for it. They're my family, have been for 7 years.

Personally, I would suggest you check out Universal Unitarianism. They do not do dogma and they accept seekers from all paths. It is a good place to meet/mingle with good people and learn a lot without being told you "should" follow this path or that path. ALL paths lead to "god", find one that is comfortable for you, but take your time about it. At 15, you have a great head start and a real blessing in parent's support in your search.

Blessings on your Journey!

Answer 5

Well, not to make religion very technical, because that's not what it's supposed to be, but I would look at each religion that appeals to you, and make a list of why each one appeals to you, and any reason it might not. Try to find a religion that outlines your beliefs and what's important to you. Or you can just label yourself as agnostic, basically that you believe in some higher power, but you haven't discovered yet what you think it is. That's an easy way out for you.



Hope you get your religious priorities straight!

Answer 6

Seem real? That doesn't matter. Who are you? Power is here to protect your love (as your identity) and your love ones. In which way you could prefect yourself in love the best? I don't see why do you need to choose, you already have some wisdom learned. But if it is for Love then... I cannot tell you what to do and you already know on subject. I think that is good criteria. It is quite similar to "which is most empowering belief to you" because power is here for Love

I was "Christian" who always worshiped Love. When that Love is strong enough I begin in quest for knowledge and power. Now I am Theistic Satanist (I always have that stances, but I just thought that popes don't understand God)..

Answer 7

Hi I really sympathise with you, It must be really hard trying to figure out the right path, at this early age.

Just to let you know I'm a Muslim, but I'm not here to make you convert to Islam because it's your choice which religion you choose.



But if you would like to know more about Islam feel free to email me privately. Islam is to deep to go into detail here..

Therefore I'll just leave it like this..



Cya

Answer 8

Use rational thought and reasoning. Don't just accept garbage because it is in an old book. Be intellectually honest and ask yourself questions, ask believers questions. It seems like you might already be assuming there is some kind of god. Try to be objective as possible. Also read a science book or two, that should help.

Answer 9

the hindu religions are the worst, then the islam, and in the end is the christianity as the least bad - unfortunately, usually all the religions are unrighteous, the best (it) is the right faith in the true God Father and the true Lord Jesus - the religions are the accumulation of (the) balderdash from their followers



Revelation 17:4 "And the woman(viz. the human religion) was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication(ie of her spiritual iniquity):"

Answer 10

I am a Catholic Christian and I can assure you that no one on this site can give you a satisfactory answer. You can find the answers only by continuing to read and prayer. Be a truth seeker. Pray for wisdom. God will answer your prayers.

Answer 11

How do you really know that a ball will fall towards the Earth when you through it upwards???

Physics right....aka Evidence that is established with proofs and backed up with facts...

In the same way, I'll ask you to study all the religions that you are confusing between, from Authentic sources and see which one is based on facts and evidences....Then you'll find the truth.



Wanna know about Jewish religion? Ask a sincere and practicing Jew

Wanna know about Christianity? Ask a sincere and practicing Christian

Wanna know about Buddhism? Ask a sincere and practicing Monk



And wanna know about Islam? Ask a sincere and practicing Muslim....



And ask them all sorts of questions and do not hesitate, coz its your right to know about the One Who created you and His religion....



Once you are convinced, then You can know why it is the truth....

>>Thank you for asking me about my religion:

The reasons which make great number of people become Muslims.

* It is the last Divine Religion revealed to man.

* Islam recognizes previous divine revelations. On the other hand, Jews do not recognize Jesus, and the Christians do not recognize Muhammad; whereas, Muslims recognize Moses and Jesus, may Allah exalt their mention

* In Islam humans relates with their Lord in all matters and conditions.

* Islam is the only Religion which has not been distorted or changed.

Harry G. Dorman said: 'It (the Quran) is literal Revelation of God, dictated to Muhammad by Gabriel, perfect in every letter. It is an ever-present miracle witnessing to itself and to Muhammad, the Prophet of God. Its miraculous quality resides partly in its style, so perfect and lofty that neither man nor jinn could produce a single chapter to compare with its briefest chapter, and partly in its content of teachings, prophecies about the future, and amazingly accurate information such as the illiterate Muhammad could never have gathered of his own accord.'34

* Islam is the Religion which covers the material and spiritual aspects of life. It did not neglect even the slightest of things in a Muslim's life. Abdurrahmaan b. Zaid said that it was said to Salman: 'Your Prophet has taught you everything, even how to relieve yourselves? Salman said: 'Of course, he forbade us to face the direction of the Qiblah while defecating or urinating, or to clean oneself with his right hand, or to use less than three stones, or to use bone or dung (to clean oneself).' (Muslim)

W. Thomas Arnold said: 'Sense of justice is one of the most wonderful ideals of Islam, because as I read in the Quran I find those dynamic principles of life, not mystic but practical ethics for the daily conduct of life suited to the whole world.'

* Islam satisfies the man's bodily and spiritual needs in equilibrium. It refuses that one aspect be given precedence over the other.

* Islam does not conflict with man's intellect and natural disposition.

* Islam is the Religion for humankind at large, regardless of their education, time and place which, in contrast to previous religions were sent to a specific people during a specific time. For example, if a person wants to become a Jew, he has to be born a Jew. Jesus said about Christianity: 'I was sent to the lost sheep of the Children of Israel.'

Read more on the link: http://www.thekeytoislam.com/en/why-become-a-muslim.shtml

Answer 12

my family raised me christian, and im still christian. whatever religion appeals to you and whatever feels right. and ignore the rude comments :) i stayed christain because, well i just always have. at one point i was really unsure about it. but i went through. personally i think some god must have created the earth but i choose the lord over buhda and mohhamed and what not. i dont believe evolution because how did we develope vocal cords taste buds and ear drums? besides it doesnt hurt to be good and believ in something. alot of people ask like why isnt god ever thier for me even though i pray to him to make my life better. god lets you choose your life, he doesnt do "stuff" for anyone like curing thier cancer or helping them with money:)

Answer 13

I'm a Christian, so obviously I would like everyone, including you, to believe in the Bible and God. I've read the Bible and pray to God and can tell you for a fact that He is real, it is just up to you to believe and have Him reveal Himself to you in your own life. I found my religious beliefs because God helped me overcome issues in my life I knew were wrong and I know I'm following God because I'm involved in a Bible believing church and pray to Him frequently and sense and hear Him speaking to me.

Answer 14

I study there past as well, True Christians have always loved the world and died trying to proclaim the truth. Every single one of the Apostles except John were murdered trying to tell people the good news of Christ and His resurrection this drew me even more in. Though some have used religion as an excuse to murder these are not true Christians but false ones, men, even after Christ devoted there lives for who they knew He was, God in the flesh.



Great men like Papias Bishop of Hieropolis a hearer of John the Apostle murdered for his faith.

Polycarp a follower of John the Apostle and chosen by Him to be Bishop of Smyrna was also murdered for His faith and before his death he said "Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He never did me any injury: how can I blaspheme my King and Savior?" The Martyrdom of Polycarp 9



Ignatius also a student of John's and chosen by both the Apostle Paul and Peter to be Bishop of Antioch was also murdered, in one of his letters he knowing his demise was at hand said "Now I begin to be a disciple, and have no desire after anything visible or invisible, that I may attain after Christ. Let fire and the cross; let the crowds of wild beasts; let breakings, tearings, and separation of bones; let cutting off of members; let bruising to pieces the whole body; and let the very moment of the devil come upon me; only let me attain to Jesus Christ" Romans 5



Even Christian Philosophers and Apologists (Defenders) arose such as the Great Justin Martyr before the prefect having taken him to slay him, he said "To obey the commandments of our Savior Jesus Christ is worthy neither of blame nor of condemnation. Rusticus the Prefect said, 'What type of doctrines do you profess?' Justin said 'I have endeavored to learn all doctrines; but I have acquiesced at last in the true doctrines those namely of the Christians, even though they do not please those who hold false opinions.' Rusticus the prefect said 'Are those the doctrines that please you, you utterly wretched man?' Justin said, 'Yes since I adhere to them with right dogma.' Rusticus the prefect said, 'What is the dogma?' Justin said, 'That according to which we worship the God of the Christians, whom we reckon to be One from the beginning, the maker and fashioner of the whole creation, visible and invisible; and the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who had also been preached beforehand by the prophets as about to be present with the race of men, the herald of salvation and teacher of good disciples. And I, being a man, think that what I can say is insignificant in comparison with His boundless Divinity, acknowledging a certain prophetic power, since it was prophesied concerning Him of whom I now say that HE IS THE SON OF GOD. For I know that of old prophets foretold His appearance among men"' the Martyrdom of the Holy Martyrs 1



Even Polcarp and Justin's student Ireneaus Bishop of Lyons died in his hometown proclaiming the truth that Jesus is God for all to hear. I showed you how the love of Christ changed men I pray that you choose Christ as your only God and Lord as His love is waiting for you.



If you have anymore questions or just need a friend to talk to feel free to click on my picture and email me I'll be honored to be your friend.

Answer 15

Well, you can be a hindu, people who serves Gods who don't love them.

You can be Islamic, where women are beaten, violence is encouraged, and you only show lov to your own kind.

Or you can be a Christian, who has a God who loves them, and everyone else, who is supposed to show unconditional love, and are not to judge people (supposed not to).



Listen to the song "If we are the Body" by the casting crowns.

Answer 16

simple: stay atheist so you will keep your brains but stay friends: muslims are good at destroying stuff, christians are good at making wars and hindu's are great at making a lot of people. so in the end you got a major army and because religion didn't suck your brains out you can conquer or destroy the world.

Answer 17

What would you call a religion whose beliefs, practices and followers are being bashed and bad-mouthed in practically every sphere of activity, in almost every corner of the globe, yet it attracts ever-increasing numbers of people?

A Paradox? A Miracle ? Or simply, The Truth: Islam.

The fact that Islam. is the fastest growing religion in the world today, is proof that our Creator has taken it upon Himself to perfect the Truth that He sent all His prophets and messengers with -- from Adam [AS] to Muhammad [SAW].

Studies conducted in the West show that the sheer number of new Muslims is changing the demographic profile of countries all over the world, and not all of them are born into Muslim families. With some 6 million adherents in the United States, Islam is said to be the nation’s fastest-growing religion. One expert estimates that 25,000 people a year become Muslims in this country; some clerics say they have seen conversion rates quadruple since Sept 11.

Ironically for a religion that is routinely bashed for “subjugating” and “oppressing” its female followers, the number of female reverts to Islam.outnumber the males 4:1!

The fact that more and more people are finding their way to Islam., notwithstanding the relentless propaganda, deliberate misinformation and outright prejudice against it, never ceases to amaze me.

How do these people navigate in the darkness to find the light of Islam. in spite of all the obstacles in the way?

The answer is that our Creator has granted each one of us a guiding light -- a pure, undefiled innate nature called the fitrah. Unlike Christians who believe in the doctrine of Original Sin and assert that each baby is born tainted with the sin of Adam’s disobedience to God, Muslims believe that every child is born into a state of purity where it recognizes its Creator and is naturally subservient to His laws.

In his book The Fundamentals of Islamic Monotheism, Abu Ameenah Bilaal Philips writes: Just as a child’s body submits to the physical laws which Allah has put in nature, its soul also submits naturally to the fact that Allah is its Lord and Creator. But its parents try to make it follow their own way and the child is not strong enough in the early stages of its life to resist or oppose its parents. The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and upbringing and Allah does not hold it to account for this religion.

When the child matures in youth and clear proofs of the falsehood of its religion are brought to it, the adult must now follow the religion of knowledge and reason. At this point the devils try their best to encourage him to stay as he is or to go further astray. Evils are made pleasing to him and he must now live in the midst of a struggle between his innate pure nature and his desires in order to find the right road.

If he chooses to follow his innate nature, his fitrah, Allah will help him overcome his desires even though it may take most of his life to escape, for many people enter Islam. in their old age.

Read more :http://www.missionislam.com/discover/believeitornot.htm

is everyone born a muslm? answered by gary miller - 2 min length vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEiTv9W_Zuc

A research study proves children are born believers in God:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/3512686/Children-are-born-believers-in-God-academic-claims.html

The purpose of life (a beautiful article by a former Christian pastor)

http://www.islamtomorrow.com/purpose.htm

Fundamental Beliefs of Islam: a comprehensive website

http://www.TodayIslam.com/belief.htm

Answer 18

There are no gods. Stop wasting your time on that stuff, study science and find a cure for cancer.





Hope this helps.

Answer 19

well I was an atheist but then I became a christian,try becoming a christian there is plenty of scientific evidence to support the christian God