What Is Your Religion?

Non-denominational Christian. And love should be the ruling force in all of our lives...:)

I so agree!

I am a Christian and I try to make my life reflect that at all times. I belong to a Baptist church. Our church services are in Spanish and our congregation is small but I love our church.

If someone tells me they are Christian (most religions), I say prove it and live the life you preach. Too make fakes out there. I'm agnostic. If you know what that means you will know that it means I'm just undecided, but I believe (in something).

I definitely have to agree with Gandhi. When I am asked what my religion is I never really know how to answer the question - simply because my religion is everything that I am, and everything that I do, and it doesn't have a label. Now, I have an answer!

Love conquers all they say ...

Right on -- like Ziggy Marley said, "Love is my religion." Too often people get caught up in the minutiae or the trap that there's only one way to the light. At the same time we should also beware of false prophets or those who want a falsely united (collectivist) religion. Just keep the spirit and your heart pure, and the rest will follow. Thanks for posting this!

I'm a hybrid. There are truths and faults in all of them.

I am an agnostic.

Muslim! I try to live as although quite often I fall short of the standards.

My religion is 'religion'. It doesn't have a name. It is like 'education'. It has no beginning and no end. It is evolutionary, progressive, and in conformity with science. It is God-centered.

I always stumble over this.

I wish I could just say that I'm a Christian; because the teachings of Christ were, and still are, the most major factors in the construct of my character.

I am a Believer. I DO believe in God, and Jesus, the eternality of the soul, the Holy Spirit. But I'm not a "Believer" as in a follower of some evangelical bent.

In fact, sadly, I have not found any denomination that seems to be very fully in line with my spiritual beliefs and practices; and really, I'm not THAT weird or extreme.

I try to live by humility, compassion, consideration, and inspiration. I practice meditation and prayer religiously towards achieving those living spirit goals. I try to be mind-full. I try to always do good; although I am not always good at it. I honor that we are all God's creations and the idea that God has a purpose for making us all.

The closest to my path seem to traditionally be the hermit monks. I've often thought of being one, but I know that I am a little too gregarious to actually survive a cloistered existence. I'm also not completely selfless.

Maybe the clearest answer I can make is found on those certain questionnaire's that offer "Christian, other" as an answer for the optional "What Is Your Religion" question.

That doesn't sound too bad; go ahead and label me "Other Christian."

It's got a nice ring to it.

Amen

Carla G.: Thanks for a good point of view. People tend to use the word, "religion" as a synonym for "church" and vice versa. The "denomination" is generally thought of as a particular "church" presentation of a particular view of some religion (usually Christianity in this country). As you say, religion is generic and only connected to a "church" through inference. It is this "short cutting" that has led to so much confusing and debauching of the name of "religion". Religion is free of man's interference and manipulation in principle but not in practice. That is the problem.

The title seemed so simple I was going to ask, Carla, if you were short on ideas this week! But the context of the question makes it somewhat more profound, to be sure.

As Donald indicated, many people see "religion" as intechangeable with "church" and by that they mean almost what club they belong to. I know my parent's generation certainly seemed to look at it that way. My father was a Catholic and my mother an Anglican and they kept that designation as one of many lines between them throughout their lives, though perhaps one of the more minor ones. Spiritually there was not a profound difference between them.

If you asked my father what he believed he recited catechism by rote. I tried but could never really have that discussion with him, and it is really the one regret I have about our relationship now that he is gone. Mom could talk more openly about her beliefs, and they did change and mature with her, though perhaps they came full circle in the end.

As a Baha'i I know I do not live entirely according to the teachings of Baha'u'llah and certainly do not meet the standard set by his son, our Exemplar, Abdul Baha. I have to admit that I am not the most devout of Baha'i's.

I do try to govern myself and my behaviour by the beliefs I hold, as the reason I hold them is that I believe that the one and only Almighty God created the guidelines contained within those beliefs for my own good and for the good of all. I find that my faith has made me more patient, more understanding, more compassionate and more loving than I was before I found it.

I don't believe that I particularly lacked those qualities before, but they are more deeply developed in me now than they were before and I know that I have been a better husband, better father and better man than I would likely have been but for my faith.

I am also more honest with myself, and by extension with others, as a result of prayer, as I find the realization that praying a lie is completely transparent to an omniscient God forces one to come clean and face up to truths that you would rather hide from.

As observed by many above, religion does and should boil down to love. Jesus said: "Love one another as I have loved you." I believe that God, life and love are all synonyms.

Love all that live. Appreciate what you have and don't waste time desiring what you don't have. Be grateful in life. This is the essence of my religion.

Oh, yes, and: "Judge not, lest ye be judged."

"LOVE IS THE PRACTICAL BEHAVIOUR OF SOUL IS THE RELIGION " jasdeep.sindhu@gmail.com

I worship the goddesses of creativity and internal power, moving visions with which I dance, joyfully, sadly, angrily, in every way of emotion. I reflect and diversify love as beauty. I open my center of belief to grace. I do these when I can.

We are not called to be religious, but Christians. That means Christ_like. He was our
example. Denomination is just a handle and sometimes an excuse. We will never be
perfect in this world but we should strive for it. I agree the best way to teach others
is by the life we live. God is love and we should be to.

I'm an ordained Christian minister, I've also taken refuge as a Buddhist (Kagyu lineage), I relate to the Greek God of healing, Asklepius and quite a few other deities (all "Masks of God").....
My life reflects my lifelong study and practice of "Love thine enemy" - "Love God as thy neighbor/thine enemy/thyself."

excellent article... i Believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker
of heaven and earth...
God bless you all...

There is no one correct religion. All religious and spiritual practices lead to the creator. There are many different names and many different traditions that may be followed. The creator is so far beyond our understanding that we cannot possibly sum it up in any particular dogma. It is actually deceitful for any person or religion to suggest that they have "right" while everyone else has it "wrong."

Thanks for the article, Carla!

Adam, enter the sacred mind via metaphor. Then you may be able to better relate to Jesus' teachings about the:

LITTLE CHILDREN [children of God; in other words, spiritual students, spiritual initiates like the disciples, like many generations of monks and nuns following Christ, Buddha, etc]

SHARING THE FIVE LOAVES [5 different strains of world religions] AND SEVEN FISH [the 7 Rays of Love/Wisdom - in energy terms, the 7 colors of the lights of the Rainbow / the "sign of the Promise of God"] WITH THE MULTITUDES [all peoples of all religions digesting the teachings of the masters]

TEACHING THE DISCIPLES TO NOT REJECT FOOD GIVEN THEM BY NON-JEWS WHO OFFER THEM HOSPITALITY ALONG THEIR WAY....[whatever foods are sacred to each strain of world religion should never be rejected by a Christ-initiate. Because each religion is a finger on the Hand of God]

THE PARABLE OF THE SEEDS [religious students, disciples, initiates] - THE ONES SCATTERED ON "ROCKY GROUND" [radical fundamentalism, whether it be Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, or Native] WHICH CANNOT GROW; THE SEEDS SCATTERED ON UNPLOWED, WEEDY GROUND [the ungrounded excitable cults or wildfire sects which are unbalanced and which can misdirect the soul growth of those attatched] - WHICH DO NOT GROW WELL, NOR CAN THEY PRODUCE A CROP; OR THE SEEDS SCATTERED ON FERTILE, PREPARED GROUND [those initiates in the care of good solid teachers who have received initiations and empowerments from their teachers, on down through the ages, and who are carriers of divine love-law and karmic wisdom], WHICH CAN GROW, FLOURISH, AND WHICH PRODUCE A MARVELOUSLY ABUNDANT CROP.

There are so many more - parables like this in the teachings of Jesus and of many other teachers of the 5 Loaves/Strains of Religion/fingers of the Hand of God - the Helping Hand.

What was the religion of the two thieves on the cross on either side of the Lord Jesus?

-Mark

Did both of these religions lead to the Creator?

-Mark

Good for Gandhi!!!
He got it right!!!!

Whether one's "religion" is forwards or backwards, dark or light or in-between, a religion of nothingness or everythingness, all paths eventually lead to Source.

Since many of Jesus' teachings about reincarnation were excised from the compilation of writings now published as the JudeoChristian Bible, there can be a lot of confusion about the teaching-stories or parables - which mean one thing when looked at in terms of a limiting belief system which doesn't allow for reincarnational/karmic philosophy - and mean much deeper things when working with them from the standpoint of an initiate with studies which progress through a number of incarnations.

I'm smiling with Adam - having grown up the child of a physicist, raised in a family full of scientists and growing up in a scientific town (Oak Ridge, Tennessee - big government atomic stuff there ), I still have to giggle at what God has done with me. I see angels, the works - and am an ordained Christian minister on top of it. One thing I haven't done in years, though is see Oprah. I don't watch TV.

Isn't it grand that we have people like Adam who can tell us how to properly interpret scripture!? Thank you for once again pointing out the error of our ways, Adam, although I seem to remember your saying that commenting on my articles was a waste of your time.

But Gandhi had a different response. He said, "You must watch my life, how I live, eat, sit, talk, behave in general. The sum total of all those in me is my religion."

and

"I am the Way the Truth and the Life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through ME"
--Jesus Christ

They are pretty much saying the same thing...... follow me...... it's the only way to the Father. Here is the door, enter it. Jesus never said "Worship me" instead he said "Follow me" I can't help but think that if you "believe" that's really all that's required of you, because if you believe you willl follow the right path, Love.

Life is the school. Love is the lesson...... we are all students, and all teachers.

Your religion is showing, Adam, and it's not very appealing.

Two religions:

Cain: brought the work of his own hands - rejected

Abel: brought the Lamb - accepted

And so it has ever been. . .

You know, I have no problem with Adam's strongly held religious beliefs. I am sure that within the context of his life, these beliefs make sense.

I do strongly object to his condesending attitude toward the rest of us who do not share those beliefs. It is clear that he doesn't have the ability to take on the perspectives of others. Because he doesn't understand that our differing experiences in life lead us down different paths of religious experience, he has been robbed of the ability to be empathic and tolerant.

Let us all pray for him.

It's all in order. Every person has their own schedule for awakening. I'm glad for all the opportunities to consider and redefine which Carla's discussions present! Thank heavens we're not all alike, except in the desire to meet and be Love.

And before words, or material form, and before thoughtform, Truth was/is.

Words may carry Truth - and so may the dance of a butterfly, the crash of a wave, the twinkle of a star......

Human (HU is one of the names of God; HU man = GodMan) Human mind relates to Truth in human ideas. God, which is all-that-is, is not human.
Truth is.

I think this goes along the same lines as that quote I saw somewhere that said:
If you were accused of being a [insert your religion/belief/value system here], would there be enough eveidence to convict you?

I'm a Christian but I think it's rude to ask someone what there religion is... isn't it?

Don't know much about religion...

But I know Jesus. He wasn't a Christian and only born a Jew.
He probably would have said something like: "You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat, but you swallow a camel!" (Matt23:24)

Ahhh! Religion is worthless....

But what do I know?

Obviously not much wessel

Abe Lincoln said: I feel good when I do good; I feel bad when I do bad. That's my religion.

It's not so credible when people profess their religious beliefs. For me, it's not so important what you say you believe (though you should watch what you say) or what you believe you believe, but most important is how you behave, especially as it affects others.

Best regards, aloha,

"First, do no harm" seems like a good start.

I just found this older post of yours Carla  ( and by the way I've missed you of late.)

I  just wanted to add this:  Ghandi   was  asked once: "Are You a Christian ?"

His reply was :  "YES.  And I  am a Muslin,  and I am a Jew, and I am a Buddhist, and....."  Food for thought. Lonnie Ray Fowler

Hi Lonnie. I'm out in the Seattle area this week but logged in and saw your comment. I like Ghandi's reply. Hope all is well with you, my friend.