attempt to understand

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Hi folks

I am looking for someone who is religious, any religion, but preferably Christian (denomination is also unimportant for my thoughts) to try and help me understand a little bit more about it

Mostly I guess I am wondering "Why?" Why do you find comfort in it? Why do you choose to follow it? Why does it have an affect on your life?

Any responce, or any discussion, would be appreciated.

Reason to believe in religion? Easy its called Delusion and possibly some form of hallucination is also involved

sorry, i thikn you misunderstood my post - i am not looking for religion to be flamed;

i think that those people who "have" religion must have sincere and honest reasons why - even if they cannot be expressed very easily, as does someone very important to me, and i respect them and him alot for having them in a world that is becoming polarised over the very thought of religion (as your reply demostrated)

I am trying to discover what the reasons or thoughts are behind religion are, not what some people think of the negative affects thereof... Sorry if i wasnt clear in my OP.

I'm a Christian and I'm happy to help answer any questions you have.

I've grown up knowing about God and never didn't have him in my life. But I got saved officially when I was 17 since that's when I really started to learn more and understand things.

I pray every night and find that it does work. In some of the strangest and smallest of forms.

Now I hate to insult anyone but a lot of people here strike me as atheist so no help there.
I would go onto a Christian website or talk to someone in a church for a real answer.

Last edited by Shadowgirl on 05 May 2009, 5:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.

To be honest, I think the questions that are in my head are mostly unformed, or rather ill-formed, so maybe starting with those in my OP would be a good place.

Of course, I understand that for some people, turning to religion is a deeply personal event, and not something thatcan easily be discussed on open forums, and as such, i respect your privacy, and hope that I have notoffended you.

No problem. Just want to make sure you get the answers you are looking for and find the truth.
There is a link on my signature that might also help you.

I wonder why an accusation of atheism is considered insulting. It usually is the result of seriously considering the alternatives and coming to a sensible conclusion. The bulk of religious people are indoctrinated as children into their beliefs and merely accept what they've been told.

You can ask me whatever you'd like!
I'm deeply religious and go to a very conservative church, where we stick to the bible
Send me pm or ask on here

I will be monitoring this conversation. Not everyone knows that this Discussion area can be Thunderdome, nor should it be. Discussing religion without having to continually defend it is allowed on WP

Merle

I am agnostic, but I will try and respond in a thoughtful manner to OP.

I think there are a number of reasons people choose to be part of a religion.

For some, the most important aspect is that of a community. In pretty much any church you find a sense of community that is very hard to find anywhere else. You share a certain unspoken bond with those around you, even if you don't know them very well. You are a part of something, and that something is a part of you.

For others, the most important aspect is that of being able to comprehend the world around them. Being agnostic, I'm ok with not knowing how things came to be, or why they are the way they are. However, it is very difficult at times, because I cannot simply say "God works in mysterious ways", I have to rationalize a lot of horrible things on my own. For some, this would cause them to go insane, and as such, they feel much more comfortable viewing the world around them through the lens of their chosen religion. It provides them with answers that otherwise might not be there.

Another important aspect is feeling that you are not alone in this world. Sure you have friends and you have family, but if you're single, you go to bed each night and you are entirely by yourself, unless you believe in a God that is always there with you. Life can be very difficult, and it must be very comforting to believe that there is someone constantly watching over you, helping you, keeping you safe, etc.

There are of course other reasons, I doubt anyone fits cleanly into any of my examples, but I feel these are the major positive aspects of religion. I won't get into the negative aspects because I think the OP was looking for what I've just said.

how exactly does it work? can you give some examples?

There's actually been some scientific studies done on the effects of positive thought. There is some truth to the idea that if you meditate over a positive idea, you can affect the outcome.

The problem is that this result comes from any form of positive thought, prayer being only one example. In my opinion, it is not because you are praying to a God that hears you and helps, but more likely that there is some form of energy we don't really understand that positive thought has an effect on.

Why do I find comfort in it? Because Christianity comes with the assurance that we have forgiveness and eternal life in Christ Jesus.

Why do I choose to follow it? Because I believe it to be true. If you are asking why I believe Christianity to be true... well, that becomes a personal question. As with most Protestants, I regard at least some tenets of my faith as just that- faith. I can not prove them, and I can not give you any compelling reason why you should accept them as true. That initial "leap of faith" can often be very difficult.

Why does it have an effect on my life? Well, in the Gospels Jesus makes a number of excellent points that, whenever I read over them, cause me to reexamine my own behavior and motivations, after which I strive to do better. As vibratetogether noted, there is also the sense of community that comes with a church, but in my case I find it difficult connecting to people so that's not as significant for me.

Re gittygrl: My church also sticks to the Bible, but I imagine you would not consider any of us to be very conservative... but that's probably a topic for another thread.

A study from the Mayo Clinic has found no difference in death rates number of heart attacks or strokes in patients who were the recipients of prayers versus people who did not receive prayers. Other researchers are skeptical that prayer's value can be measured.

A couple professors from my university recently did a study on this. LINK TO STUDY (25-page PDF)
NEWS STORY

I assume, since you're asking about comfort and so forth, that you're looking for emotional reasons.

Vibratetogether hit the nail on the head with his list.

Also -- belief in an afterlife can be very comforting for bereaved relatives, and it can give meaning to life in general or some specific suffering you have to deal with.