I feel like playing with fire when talking about my beliefs and relationship with religion. At first I wasn't sure if I dare to write about this, but I feel like this is one important thing related to my outlook on life, of which I'm going to tell you now. So here we go, skip the whole thing, if you know questioning religious things pisses you off or hurts you. I come in peace.
My thoughts about religions
I've always thought I'm not a religious person. I would say I'm actually quite the opposite, since I don't believe that there is some higher power or almighty Lord who controls everything. I have never read the Bible wholly (some parts obviously in school when I had to) or felt comfortable going to church. I have never felt the need to pray or figured out any reasons to start believing. My parents taught me some prayers when I was a child and of course some of them we learned in school, among other Christian beliefs and traditions. Ever since I was a kid, I just never felt it's my thing. I felt more like uncomfortable and hypocrite in situations where the religion was present. I have never understood that some people can be so certain that the God exists and all what's written in the Bible is true. I don't judge anyone, I just don't sign it myself. There are also some really hurtful thoughts in Christianity that doesn't fit in my beliefs, like discrimination of LGBT people. And I know, that not every singe religious/ Christian person discriminates gay people, so I don't want to generalize. But it's true that there are some beliefs and rules in church, that segregate people, for example thoughts about marriage rights. I believe everyone is equal and should be treated like that in accordance with the law, despite their sexual orientation or any other quality.
We were taught some things about the other religions than Christianity in school as well (e.g. Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam). I think it's a good thing, since it sure is one part of general education to know something about the worlds religions and it gives us the chance to widen our perspective and learn about other cultures. It also counterbalances all that "forcing" of Christianity in my opinion. By this I mean that we really are expected to believe in God and absorb the Christian lifestyle in some level here and teaching (Christian, Evangelical Lutheran to be exact) religion in school as a compulsory subject from 1st to 9th grade, is in my opinion one proof of that. So I felt it was really refreshing to learn about other beliefs and in a way get a new chance to find something I could believe in.
What do I believe in?
In karma I do believe in some level and I think you should treat others the way you wanna be treated. And somehow I've always felt that I have lived earlier, in some other life as some other person or thing. I also believe that after death, I will "continue living" in some other form. Though that belief is purely scientific and it's based on the fact, that when we die and decompose, we break into atoms and in some level turn into some other organic/ living thing. About reincarnation I don't know, since I'm not sure if I believe in souls. So I guess on top of the scientific facts I have faith in, I have adopted beliefs both from Christianity and Buddhism and am not all atheistic after all.
It's all about the balance.
This sentence describes my outlook on life and religion the best. For me finding the balance in life in general is the best option. I'm not very fanatic about anything and I don't ever wanna caught myself thinking there's only one option or way of thinking. I think there are some good beliefs in every religion among the ones I don't sign. I would still describe my religiousness more like atheistic, since I don't believe in God or any other deity. I try to respect others perspectives and beliefs and like I said, I don't judge you if you count yourself as dyed-in-the-wool religious person. I actually hope, that others wouldn't judge me either and wouldn't keep preaching on my doorstep that I'm going to be doomed if I don't believe in God/ Yahweh/ Holy Spirit et cetera. Well, I really don't care about that, I just think it's waste of time and a really strange habit to go to peoples doors handing flyers and telling them they should go to church and everything.
RESPECT EACH OTHER
For me the most important belief is really that we should treat each others respectfully, equally and kindly, no matter what we believe in or where we come from. We can disagree in our beliefs, but we should still accept each other. I mean, how is it my concern if others do or don't believe in God, Buddha, Allah or some Hindu God? The way I see it, all that matters is how we treat each other. There are also some serious religious prejudices we should avoid adopting and supporting. I believe we should be open-minded and encounter each other without making any assumptios, or at least be aware of those presumptions and avoid stigmatizing people without knowing them. I know I'm not perfect, and can't always live along my beliefs either, but I promise I try my best.
