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My Religion MAG

By Anonymous

I have a magnet on my mirror stating, “Life is not about finding yourself – life is about creating yourself.” This is the statement I live by.

Many people do not believe me when I say I am an atheist. They don’t understand that I simply do not believe in any sort of god or afterlife. I also do not believe in the devil, in angels, or in souls. I believe in myself and the strength I have gained through the help of my parents, teachers, and friends – and my own hard work.

I am not going to try to dissuade anyone from his or her own opinions either. I know that people enjoy having religion in their lives; some need their faith to help them through hard times. And some do not want the responsibility of their misfortunes weighing down on their shoulders.

I do. I abhor the idea of fate – that everything is already planned out and you have no control to change anything. If you believe in fate, when bad things happen, it is not your fault; it’s just fate. When my life is not going well, I know that it is no one’s fault but my own. When I do well in school, when I fall in love, it is not fate and we are not soul mates. I worked hard and paid attention and did the homework. My love and I simply love each other – that is all it is, and for me that is all it needs to be.

For some, life is overwhelming. How can anyone be successful and happy in such a difficult, horrible world? They need someone to help them, someone to guide them, and someone to have faith in to make sure things get better. Placing my success and happiness in another’s hands breaks my heart. I need to be successful because of my efforts. I must be responsible for my own happiness. That is what I need from my religion.

Who will ever know what the truth really is? All I know is in the same way that some have full faith and trust in God to give them hope, I need to believe I am on my own to be truly happy – for how can I create myself if I spend my entire life just looking?

© Anonymous

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JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 764 comments.

wolfgirl65 said...
on Jan. 14 2011 at 1:07 pm
wolfgirl65, Dickinson, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot; there are two things that are infinate; the universe and human stupidity&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ~Einstien

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lolz critic is a very good name for you. =)
wolfgirl65 said...
on Jan. 14 2011 at 1:05 pm
wolfgirl65, Dickinson, Texas
0 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot; there are two things that are infinate; the universe and human stupidity&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ~Einstien

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I used to not believe in god myself. Im still alittle iffy on it but ever scince I knew about my guardian angle.... well thing changed my perspective.
daneshzg GOLD said...
on Jan. 13 2011 at 10:38 pm
daneshzg GOLD, West Vancouver, Other
11 articles 0 photos 39 comments
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I dont think you can deny you have a soul... I mean, thats not really part of religion, thats part of your life... and just to notify you, religion doesn't have to be looked to as a belief... It is based on the morality of the world.
Jack-Out-of-Box said...
on Jan. 13 2011 at 7:34 pm
Hmm...that's horribly depressing. So I live my life, I die, that's it and I'm fertilizer? Sorry, but I just can't believe that.
I Was Found said...
on Jan. 13 2011 at 7:32 pm
I am so sorry you had such a terrible experience, but please know that every makes me mistakes and not every religion is homophobic or hateful to those who do not please as they do. Please give church a try again, but maybe a different one.
Maddie said...
on Jan. 13 2011 at 12:13 am

Please don't pray for atheists or people of other religious ideas.  No one deserves that sort of uppity pity, and it seems quite insincere. 

I went to a Church event once with a friend, just so I could prove to her how unfitting I was for the Church.  They separated the boys and girls into little session groups where everyone whined about their lives to a couple of 18 year olds preaching the Gospels.  

Then one of them asked for a prayer to begin for her atheist brother, and another agreed that they should pray for her friend.  

The prayer was one of the most hateful things I ever heard.  It included digs at stupidity, race, and mentioned a few key homophobic remarks.  Not forgetting the opinions revolving around my wrongful way of life. 

I left crying.

So please, save your prayers, because we don't need to hear them.  If you want to, pray for your God to save all the children whose parents disowned them due to religious differences.

StarredCritic BRONZE said...
on Jan. 7 2011 at 11:25 am
StarredCritic BRONZE, Reno, Nevada
4 articles 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;All who are not wandering are lost.&quot; -A quote without a byline that I read in the editorial section of &quot;The Santa Barbara Independent.&quot;

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That would be "earthly"
StarredCritic BRONZE said...
on Jan. 7 2011 at 11:24 am
StarredCritic BRONZE, Reno, Nevada
4 articles 0 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;All who are not wandering are lost.&quot; -A quote without a byline that I read in the editorial section of &quot;The Santa Barbara Independent.&quot;

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Religion is always a sketchy topic, a fine line between obsession and passion. I believe that I agree with your take. I think it's as simple as good and evil. I want to be good, and I don't think, whether there is a God or elite being or not, that he/she/it would disapprove. After all, if we're earhly creatures, why should we be expected to understand how the entire universe functions?
kao-chanu SILVER said...
on Jan. 2 2011 at 10:46 pm
kao-chanu SILVER, Central, Utah
7 articles 1 photo 51 comments
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hmm you die? thats it... nothing intricate about it. no afterlife. :) just nothing you die. the end. and thats okay:)
WrItEr2010 BRONZE said...
on Jan. 2 2011 at 5:14 pm
WrItEr2010 BRONZE, Durango, Colorado
4 articles 0 photos 15 comments
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This was a good article, but I have a question. How can you live and not believe in God? I just don't really understand how somebody could live without any belief in God. What happens after you die? 
MRose911 GOLD said...
on Jan. 2 2011 at 3:18 pm
MRose911 GOLD, Paradise, Utah
17 articles 10 photos 107 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;No boy is worth crying over and the one who is won&#039;t make you cry.&quot; - Sarah Kane

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This is awesome! I love the fact that you arent afraid to speak your mind :)
LastChapter said...
on Jan. 2 2011 at 12:58 pm
LastChapter, Hempstead, New York
0 articles 0 photos 215 comments

Favorite Quote:
(couldn&#039;t think of anything better at the time) &quot;Take the first step in faith. You don&#039;t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.&quot;-Dr.Martin Luther King Jr.

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disagree on things as we may, i think you area talented writer with a well supported case, and i looove that last line!
TuffGurl said...
on Jan. 2 2011 at 9:23 am
I understand you do not believe in the afterlife or anything, but have you ever had a loved one die? Do you talk to that loved one sometimes, telling them how you're doing and how your day was? I believe in God, but I do not believe in Fate. I believe we make our own decisions, but that God is there so we can talk to God. I think you must love independence - but I think everyone does; but sometimes, some people need a helping hand in their lives. Does that sound so needy to you? It almost sounds like that anyone who does believe in God or any other type of god or religious figure isn't strong. Correct me if I am wrong, but that is what it sounds like.
MakeItShine SILVER said...
on Dec. 23 2010 at 11:17 am
MakeItShine SILVER, Pembroke Pines, Florida
9 articles 0 photos 30 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.&rdquo;<br /> ~C.S. Lewis.

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That's a lot of pressure, a lot of weight to carry on your shoulders. I do not understand how you cannot believe in the afterlife, however. How can there be absolutely nothing after this life? We live, we die, it's done? But even that is fate! Questions, questions. And as for God, you may not believe in a supreme being or an omnipotent entity, but there is a god in your life. And it is you.
rookiehuahua BRONZE said...
on Dec. 11 2010 at 11:00 pm
rookiehuahua BRONZE, Peoria, Arizona
1 article 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Some people not only expect opportunity to knock, they expect it to beat down the door.&rdquo;<br /> &ldquo;Some people have a wishbone where their backbone should be.&rdquo;<br /> &ldquo;A woman is like a tea bag-you never know how strong she is until she gets in hot water.&rdquo; -Eleanor Roosevelt

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i saw the quote and i had to read it, because i recently posted something on teenink and i talk about the same exact thing. lol. definitely agree with your last sentence :]
Marge said...
on Dec. 11 2010 at 7:58 am

I like the way you're thinking about faith; i think you're right, there are many people who believe in it, just to justify themselves and their acts, to get rid of the responsibility so they could blame faith for their own failures.

But, on the other hand, I am one of those who believe in faith which has ability to change toward our acts and decisions. It's inconstant, changeable and it's not written anywhere, except in you - it will be the way you want it to.

So, I admire you for not being weak and taking responsibilty for your life, even though it may be very difficult sometimes. Just wanted you to know that not all the people who believe in faith are cowards and with no sense of reality - they just believe they can manage it. You must admit it is also a big responsibility, isn't it?

Unknown said...
on Dec. 11 2010 at 12:53 am
Thank you for vocing your opinon so confidently and acknowledging other people's believes with repsect. I'm agnostic, though I don't like to label myself, and hope more people believe in what makes their lives better  and makes them happier as well as let other do the same for themselves. :)
CourtneyHammett BRONZE said...
on Dec. 10 2010 at 11:09 am
CourtneyHammett BRONZE, Spartanburg, South Carolina
1 article 7 photos 37 comments
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I feel true love, 100%. :) Unrestrained by religious terms. For myself. For my boyfriend. For my best friend. For my parents. It comes from me. It's what keeps me so happy.
CourtneyHammett BRONZE said...
on Dec. 10 2010 at 11:06 am
CourtneyHammett BRONZE, Spartanburg, South Carolina
1 article 7 photos 37 comments
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Yes, exactly. :)
CourtneyHammett BRONZE said...
on Dec. 10 2010 at 11:04 am
CourtneyHammett BRONZE, Spartanburg, South Carolina
1 article 7 photos 37 comments
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I am very fulfilled in my relationships without having a crippling guilt complex or performing rituals. I feel free, like myself. I think you're missing out. :)