How do you know it's real?

[SanFran]

Wow, it feels weird to be the first one posting here. :shy :cool I kmow this topic might upset some people, so if you're upset easily, please don't read this.

I think about religion a lot. My mom is Jewish, my dad is Baptist, and I am nothing. Or you could say I'm both, but then again, I'm told it's not possible to be both by some rude people at school. :ugh

My dad is very into Christianity. He's normally a very logical person who reasons out all problems realistically. I don't understand how he can be so into Christianity when some of it doesn't seem possible. He told me today that he sees things in the Bible as happening metaphorically, not literally. However, my ex boyfriend told me there is no actual evidence to support that there is God. On the other hand, there's no evidence to say that God isn't real.

I personally like learning about different religions and "trying them on" to see how they work for me. I understnad why religion is important to people, but what I don't understand is how people can actually, really and truly, believe in a religion, when there's no evidence to support it.

I hope nobody takes this the wrong way....I'm not trying to offend anybody, it's just something I've wondered about.

If anyone has any thoughts on this subject I'd love to hear 'em! :ear

Thanks for reading, and I respect you no matter what your religion (or even if you don't have a religion! :winky)

[Eilis]

((((((((((((Fish of Hope)))))))))))

I understand your "confusion" so-to-speak. I was very fortunate to have some people and relatives preach the "question everything!" theory as I was a child. Even in the Catholic school I went to we were taught to question. This is very healthy for your spiritual mind.

There is a reason religion is called "faith". I also have found that many faiths believe the same things, just have different names. For ex. I am Wiccan and I find a lot of similarities to Chinese beliefs. People have spent centuries looking for proof of gods and goddesses but the conclusion I came to is this. My beliefs fit me personally the best. My proof is nature - I see it every day. I have some stronger thoughts on other areas of proof but this board isn't the place. So my beliefs help me grow spiritually and as a human being. Its positive for me, therefore it is good. Noone ever really knows the real truth - maybe when we die, but who knows even then. We have proof of what societies have done, martyrs have done, supernatural activities, "miracles", etc - but to what exact being or beings we owe these experience to? I have my beliefs, and I have faith. Thats all I need. I believe if we r good people and conquer our life lessons to further our karmic balance , no matter who is in charge, we r on the right path.

Hope I helped!

:love
Dory

[Millificent]

It IS hard to believe in something just because people tell you that you should. In today's world, we are taught about logic and "seeing is believing" and religion seems to go against that.

But belief in G-d, or the G-ddess, or Whatever, is something you feel inside. That's what faith is - a feeling that comes from inside you.

The first time I attended a Pagan Circle, I could feel a divine Presence in the room. I knew that this was the right religion for me.
Sometimes I do question those beliefs, but then I find little things that can't be coincidences, which show me there really must be a Someone up there.

And like Dory said, with all the beauty of nature around us, I think there IS proof.

:stars Millie

[bat]

There have been times when I questioned how could God let these things happen--I questioned and turn to my faith for the answers. Just as, when things seem to be at their worst, I notice beautiful flowers or the blessings of my sons. God is everywhere--and it is not wrong to question. My belief is that you can only get to heaven is through Jesus, but I also know through my faith that I am not to judge or condemn others for their beliefs. I follow my truth and to question is ok. But always in the end, I truly believe.
:bat

[queen bee]

i too, think a lot bout religion, my own spirituality etc and ive come to the conclusion that religion or faith is a very personal thing. Ive looked at lots of different faiths, and i personally follow the one that 'fits' me the most.

[Andi]

For me my beleifs are based on what works best for me...

I am catholic and i find the service very peaceful...i love that i know when to sit and when to stand...i know many people find the mass boring...but for me it's comforting that no matter where i go it is the same

So i say, to find what is right find where you are comforable...then never stop questioning your beliefs!

love
andi

[geordiegeorgie]

How can we know what is real?

My answer would come in one word ... love

I believe that whatever religion or faith or system of spirituality demonstrates to you and helps you show the most love to others, that is the truth ...

[priya devi]

I've always had faith in God. I've always known He, She, It, Whatever exists and cares about me.

When I first started to try to put this faith in a context and a organized way of thinking and believing, I turned to what was culturally closest to me.

However, Christianity never felt really really right to me.

So I have been searching for a while now. And believe me - I never thought I would end up where I did.

But here I am now, and the more I read about this faith and philosophy (Krishna consciousness) the more I realize that this is what I have believed the whole time.

You never "know", I think. I think you believe. It is all about faith. And noone can tell you what to believe. That you must find out for yourself.

I think it is in different persons different karma (or personality or whatever) to be attracted and believe in different ways of faith and religion. I think if you keep searching - you will find what is right for you.

Never ever stop searching until you have found that. Never ever stop searching just because someone tells you that "this is what you must believe".

I wish you all the best of :clover on this very very exciting journey!

:rainbow
Priya Devi

[PoetGurl]

Hello Fish of Hope!
Thanks for starting this thread. It doesn't upset me at all. I think it's very interesting and a VERY good question.
Let me say first of all that I hope anyone who wants to read this will understand that I am simply stating my religious belief system for what it is. Although some of my beliefs may not be the same as others and may disagree with others, I have no contempt for other :fishy. I love you all very much! I appreciate being able to express myself fully, here. Thank you.

Faith:
I consider myself a very logical person and also a "religious" person within the faith of Christianity. While faith is an ultimate component to any and every religion, so it is in every day life.
The way I see it, everywhere we look there must be a certain amount of faith . . . such as events/people in history and even many scientific facts. :sun (FACT: Some people still actually believe the earth is flat! Although we have all the indirect evidence, like photos and mathematical figures that "prove" to a certain extent otherwise.) Also, everytime a person goes into surgery, they must have faith that their surgeon knows what they're doing . . . that their surgeon is really who they say they are . . . and that medical science is trustworthy and reliable enough to "bet their life on".

God:
I say all that to "indirectly" show you why I think it is most logical (and imperative) to allow faith to be a part of the normal, rational, human thought process. It is essential. Therefore, I also apply that to my belief in God.

I think there is incredible evidence of "intelligent design" in our universe. Even natural selection is not exactly logical in the "grand" scheme of things. Take for instance, the development of eyes slowly over time in certain animals which some have said, long ago were "eyeless." I do not see this as logical. Afterall, what good is five% of an eye? If the "eye" slowly forms and the eye develops out of necessity, I can't see how it would form at all, because until it was completely intact, it would be useless. (sorry, that sentence is LONG!) :winky

So, depending on how you feel about all of this (these reasons I gave to show why I think logic and faith go together and my conclusion) then the next question I think would be, "So, if there IS a divine presence/intelligent designer behind things, who/what is it and do I have any obligations in this regard?"

But that's a whole different topic. I think there are very specific answers to these kinds of questions, but they take much diligence and reason to consider.

Some Conclusions I Have Drawn:
I certainly understand that there are many different faiths on this board and I appreciate and care for all the :fishy very, very much! But concerning religion, I DO believe there is one God and one true religion that that one God has established. I believe in Jesus as God's son and that the Bible is His inspired Word. I believe it is also very specific about what He wants from us and even His church. :bowtie

(My believing this does not *make* it true. But it has been the most logical conclusion to my studies and in the end, I believe with my whole heart, that it is.)

So that's the big WHY (in a nutshell, I wish I could have made shorter for you) behind my belief in God and Jesus.

Thanks to everyone else who have posted here to. It's very interesting. I'm all :ear if anyone wants to chat more about this.

:peace and :love,
POETGURL
Whateverbubba@aol.com

take care, my :fishy

[JenRebekah]

We are two :greenfish in a pond!

My dad is Jewish, and my mom is Mormon. What a difference! I was raised doing both traditions, and learning about both religions. I love them both. When I was sixteen, I felt I needed to decide what I truly believed in. My mom told me to do a few things to find out for myself. First, I wrote a list of all the things that were important to me from each religion, all the things that I loved about them. Then I prayed. I prayed ALOT, asking God to help me know which was the TRUE church. It took me about a month of praying to really feel in my heart what the true "gospel" was. But I know if you ask with all your heart might mind and strength, and listen to that still small voice within, you will find your answer. You need to be patient, and open to the answer you get.

I will not go into what answer I get, because I am not here to persuade anyone, but just wanted to tell you what I did, and it worked. I also studied both scriptures the torah and the bible, and tried to find answers in both places, and then pray about what I read. That helped too.


One thing I have found, is Judiasm and Christianity are very similiar in their own right. There are alot of similar belief beyond the MAIN difference of who Christ was. I love and respect both religions, and even though I have found one to be my true belief, I still follow the traditions of the other, because I think they go hand in hand--as far as the reasons behind it. Does this make any sense? I feel like I am just RAMBLING:ugh

Anyway, good luck to you, I hope you find your answers. :love If you want to talk more about it, you can email me :happy

[Simone]

Dearest Hope,

It is all about peace and solace and community. While you are searching, make a little home and place in your heart HERE. (This is a good place to start your journey.)

Love to you :flower

[preston]

I have evidence that God is real and that he does lead his church through revelation. I have experienced miracles in my own life that prove the existence of God. And when you don't have actual proof, or haven't experienced a miracle, you rely upon
your FAITH.

"...Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." (Book of Mormon)
sea green indigo

[doggie]

:hugon:fishyof hope:hugoff have you tried meditating at all? I really find that in sitting quietly and working at clearing my mind so I can listen closely I come to feel with certainty that I am not alone and that there is a higher power in charge.....which is really good cause I can use all the help I can get. I think the fact that you are thinking about the subject of your soul at all has put you on the path you are meant to travel at this time and will eventually lead you to the knowledge of God......:love :dog