Your parents?
Your friends?

even the TV?

so many people are influenced by other things. ANd no, do not turn this into another die-hard christian rave. Please.

I thought I had replied to this before and so I kept skipping over it. But I haven't.

I was born into the Christian religion. But for a spell when I was about 11-13 (I'm mature for my age), I was questioning my religion. I suddenly realized that I had always believed God because that was what I was comfortable with. I was unaware of other religions and had never looked into them before. The problem is that, once I did, I didn't have the same faith or connection that I'd had to God. So I just went back to God. I enjoy learning about Christianity and I take it at a much more historical/liberal sense than most people. Most of my friends are Christian but one of my very close friends is an atheist and one is sorta a wiccan (don't ask). So I guess my friends help reinforce my faith in God more than anything. The media really has no affect on it whatsoever.

In summary, I guess I'm religious (specifically Christian) because, since that's the way I was brought up, it's difficult to feel any other way. It's like I was imbued with the faith in God from the start.

But who knows...maybe I'll have another religious crisis in the future and change my mind again.

benje, it was your hundredth. but i always like an optimist.

Thanks Blue. I pray for peace in our lifetime, for the future leaders, and my great great great grandchilden (if i have kids which i plan to in the future). G-d Bless America. G-d Bless the world.

*This was my 100th post*

Benje, I'm an atheist, but my ancestors were Jewish like yours. I admire your descion to continue your religion. My dad said after World War 2 my greatgrandparents and grandparents lost faith in god. I admire yours for keeping the faith.

Why am I religious? I am because of the 6 million jews who died for my religion. I want to continue what those people wanted. Religious freedom. You know what? I choose to keep kosher, not because my parents do, but because my ancestors did. "L' Dor Va-Dor"...From generation to generation.

Why am I religious? Because I love my Jesus, my best friend who will never leave me.

Really you only go to your parents religon because in general you have to but I belive that everyone needs to find their own faith even if its just rediscovering their parents faith you can't have their faith but you can have your own faith. It's important to me to be religous so that I know if I die I have something to do in death because I want to be a marine and its pretty easy to catch a bullet.

NO! NO! i'm messed up the reason why i'm so religious is because i've been raised in these beliefs. i wasn't forced because it was my choice whether or not to belive. so i grew to a understanding called faith can't see or feel but i still belive. bt i encourage all who don't belive to come to christ and repent or if u can't get to church turn on channel 4 on sunday mornings and get a word!!

quote:

Originally posted by bella123:
Your parents?
Your friends?

even the TV?

so many people are influenced by other things. ANd no, do not turn this into another die-hard christian rave. Please.

What made me turn to religion was the desire to understand. I wandered through Christianity and found it unfurfilling. I went into Buddhism and found a little more peace there.

Then I was walking in the country near by where i live and saw how beutiful everything was and how it was all intelinked, but not controlled by one. Then i had found Paganism, though i did not know it for a few years.

In response to the different types of churches... I go to a non denominational church that originated from a pentacostal church ( we are a church plant aka a new church) and I have to say it is so much better than the catholic churches I attended when I was little ( I grew up in Northern NJ and I'm italian) I started going to church with a friend of mine and than our youth pastor at that church started his own church and I got my mom to start going to the new church ( she didn't go to church before) I have to say I'm glad my friend took me to her church because my life is so much better now...and I love my church ... our youth group ( in His grip ROCKS!!!!) is awesome we have a dance team a drama team and I have even been given a chance to start a ministry to the younger females in our church ( I'm 16)I think the best thing about my religion though is that it is extremly modern ... we promote putting God's principles into effect in ways that may actually effect today's generation. Our nusic is a big part though ... I love our music choices.. we listen to KJ-52, GRITS, MX PX, Pax 217, Point Of Grace, Out Of Eden. Very modern music that you don't find in many churches. All I gotta say is JESUS ROCKS!!!!!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by clpo13:
There's none of the shouting and yelling "PRAISE TO THE LORD!!" like you hear in almost every Baptist church. In fact, I can even talk with my pastor without him mentioning the Lord or how God needs to save my soul from dancing and rock music. Amazing, isn't it?[QUOTE]

Im a Christian as well, and have attended many different churches. I have gone to Baptist churches, Presbyterian, and just recently Lutheran. I enjoy the mildness of the Lutherans, but I do wish there was more focus given to God like there is at the Baptist churches. At my Lutheran church, the people are the main idea, what the people can do to be better in God's sight, and how much sin is really out there. Its all about repenting and asking forgiveness. But I like how Baptists know that we are all sinners, no matter what we do, and just go straight to the Lord with their problems. This is why I respect them, the sin isnt important, but the relationship with the Savior and the Father.

Im religious, because I love the idea of going somewhere better, with better days, and better times. I like having a path, and what's better than the Lord's path? I just put the relationship to God above anything else...

I only pretended to be religious for a long time, but I decided to get real. Christians made me decide to leave Christianity totally in fact.

quote:

Originally posted by northstar316:

quote:

Originally posted by finn620:
Are our souls heat sensitive or does Satan exhume and reanimate the bodies before he has them tortured? Also, how does Satan torture masochists?

That was the best answer I ever heard. You are so cool finn.

Oh please those were two well known cliches.

How'd I become religious? Well, I guess just because my parents took me to church ever since, well, I can't even remember when. I've been going to church my whole life. Now, this doesn't make me a die-hard, creationist, gays-are-evil, bible-thumping moron, but I do profess to being a Jesus Freak.

And the grand reason that I stayed religious? My parents are Lutherans. Therefore, I go to Lutheran churches. I've stayed in the church and done my weekly duty of church and Sunday school because Lutherans are pretty mild. There's none of the shouting and yelling "PRAISE TO THE LORD!!" like you hear in almost every Baptist church. In fact, I can even talk with my pastor without him mentioning the Lord or how God needs to save my soul from dancing and rock music. Amazing, isn't it?

quote:

Originally posted by finn620:
Are our souls heat sensitive or does Satan exhume and reanimate the bodies before he has them tortured? Also, how does Satan torture masochists?

That was the best answer I ever heard. You are so cool finn.

The only way i can respond to Bushsupporter...haha, i was going to call you "BS" but then i decided not to.

again, the only way i can respond is:

?

Cute, in fact so cute it will not be dignified with a response.

Are our souls heat sensitive or does Satan exhume and reanimate the bodies before he has them tortured? Also, how does Satan torture masochists?