I don't believe in anything, because I just don't see the point or feel the need.

We had to do a "faith journey" paper in "Faith Religion and Society" in college because I was stupid and didn't do research for undergrad schools and went to one I thought wasn't religious but lo and behold I have to learn about religion. Grant the FRS class went over ALL the religions, and there were teachers there that didn't really have a distinct "religion" and the theology we had to take could be say, Sages Saints and Mystics which covers a lot of religions as well (and we could have taken say, eastern religion with a chinese lady) so I shouldn't say anything about it being primarily one religion but I sure could have done without having taken those classes and have both been just as well off and 3000 dollars richer.

needless to say I am an atheist. But why I mention the faith journey paper is that not until this year did I realize I was just bullshitting myself that I actually believed anything even if was purely agnostic. It was THAT paper that made me realize this.

Not to mention that I've always loved science (wish I didn't suck at math so much so I could have majored in that instead). I just wish I was more true to myself in years past when asked questions like this, so I could have definitively told them "atheist" and then procede to lose many many friends and be happy with the ones that stayed and not miffed at a great number of them because I have to tread lightly when I'm talking to them about certain issues namely abortion and especially whether or not there is a god.

it's like being the one kid when you're small that knows santa isn't real. I actually was that kid, it was funny because my sister was 13 and I was 8 or 9 (which is about around the time I started doubting God existed as well) my sister is a devote christian so I don't know what that says about kids that dont believe in Santa other than that you shouldn't bullshit your kids into believing anything at a young age that isn't anything but the truth because it teaches them not to question and not to be curious and I think that because those are two things that are not just innately human but essential to life (cats are curious) I think it's just wrong to stomp out that compulsion.

I used to be a Catholic, but ever since I was thirteen, I began to leave the Christian faith behind.

One of the main catalysts for this was when a friend of mine at the time took me to a hell house, which is basically the Christian version of a haunted house that is used to convert people by depicting what would happen to them if they did not convert (cue people being tortured in Hell). Her church was a Protestant church that was biased against Catholics (not all are), and I later figured out that her youth group minister wasn't too keen on the fact that I was Catholic. Needless to say, I felt pretty hurt.

The other catalyst was that in the same time frame, I was getting ready for Confirmation, and the teacher for my class explained to us that our only purpose in life was to get to Heaven, and live forever. That didn't sit well with me. Granted, I'd heard the same thing year after year, but at the age I was, I realized that believing that sort of thing basically made life pointless, and a joke (to me, at least).

As of right now, I'm somewhere between spiritual and atheist, and I'm content to remain that way. I'm worried about earthly matters, as opposed to what will happen to me after I die. Would it be nice to see the deceased people I have cared about the most just one more time? Sure, but I won't let that consume my life. There are more important issues to worry over.

The long answer - Eclectic, vampiric, non wiccan witch gone shaman.

The short answer - Shaman.

I gradually moved away from Christianity to paganism over a period of years. Don't get me wrong - Jesus is cool and all that. I just have a different opinion on him now. There was no thunder in the sky moment that said I am what I am. I just slowly slid into my faith. I don't choose to worship. The spirits direct me to do the things I do and teach me about the unseen world that makes up the afterlife. It's not a path for everyone, being filled with high moments and facing intense pain of both the emotional and physical kind. They say shamans are born and not made. I definitely agree with that after my research into what makes a shaman a shaman. After calling myself a pagan for 17 years, a friend pointed it out to me that I share more in common with medicine men than I do wicca, LOL!

Laveyan Satanist, it's the only rational religion that fits my ego.

Only by the grace of God I am an Orthodox Christian.

Eclectic pagan. I've been at least pagan-ish for the majority of my life; I only recently found a word for it.

Deist. I do believe God exists, or at least that something almighty created the universe.

However, I don't think there is any way to know for sure what it expects of us, if anything at all. I think the holy texts (at least those of the Abrahamic religions) are great pieces of literature, but nothing more. They should not be the end-all-be-all arbiter, nor the justification for committing horrible crimes of hate or passion. They were/are used more as a weapon than anything else: the Bible was used to control all of Europe and part of the Middle East for almost 1,500 years. The Qur'an is used as a weapon to control Middle Eastern society even to this day. The books are constantly rewritten and reinterpreted to fit the current ruler's agenda. They do not consist of words laid out by the entity that crafted our universe for reasons we have yet to discern. Heaven and Hell is the sort of dichotomy laid down by people who wish to control society; the afterlife cannot be determined.

Coming to the realization that I am a Deist gave me great relief. I was raised a Baptist Christian and fully embraced that religion several years ago, so it was difficult for me to just detach myself from God. That's why Deism relieved me: I believe in God, but the books are merely good literature and powerful weapons.

Now when some religious person asks if I believe in God, I can blissfully and truthfully reply "Yes," and they do not proceed to persecute me. It's just a shame that belief in God is ultimately irrelevant to religious people; what they really want to know is if you follow their book of choice. If they ask that, I just respond, "It is a very good book. Its readers should be careful with it, though."

I not really belive in one god, but I belive into heaven and to live after life..
why I belive that?
I don´t know, maybe, I want to bleive at something like this,
Ore maybe, I´m scared what happens after dieing...

I don´t know... but I belive into it...

I'm a Christian because of certain experiences in my life, and because the Bible is so true when it talks about human nature. It says that people are made in the image of God, but have become broken and are in need of a savior. I grew up going to church, but didn't truly become a Christian until college. Most of my family members are not Christians. I know that Christians tend to have a bad reputation these days, but not everyone who says they are a Christian is truly following Jesus.

A good website explaining Christianity:
www.everystudent.com