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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.

KellyR GOLD said...
on Nov. 12 2010 at 11:30 am
KellyR GOLD, Richmond, Virginia
14 articles 0 photos 258 comments

Favorite Quote:
We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.

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Why do you want someones life to change when they are perfectly happy as is?
Dragonscribe BRONZE said...
on Nov. 9 2010 at 8:05 pm
Dragonscribe BRONZE, West Lafayette, Indiana
4 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;A Person&#039;s a Person no Matter how Small&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;God helps those who help themselves&quot;

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Exactly. God Bless.
abey2012 BRONZE said...
on Nov. 9 2010 at 5:28 pm
abey2012 BRONZE, Dearborn, Michigan
1 article 0 photos 9 comments
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I also feel the same way, God gave us free will to do what ever we want but at the same time he is all knowing and knows what we will do even before we know it.
KellyR GOLD said...
on Nov. 9 2010 at 1:00 pm
KellyR GOLD, Richmond, Virginia
14 articles 0 photos 258 comments

Favorite Quote:
We don&#039;t read and write poetry because it&#039;s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.

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Why do you want her to find god when she is perfectly happy as she is?
boston418 SILVER said...
on Nov. 7 2010 at 1:52 pm
boston418 SILVER, Weymouth, Massachusetts
5 articles 0 photos 48 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.&quot; -Jim Eliot

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And it's important to remember that in his Word, he instructs us to speak the truth with love.
PuzzleLuver SILVER said...
on Nov. 7 2010 at 1:13 pm
PuzzleLuver SILVER, Powell, Ohio
6 articles 0 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life&quot; John 3:16

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AgnottheOdd you are wrong. God IS necessary for everything.
PuzzleLuver SILVER said...
on Nov. 7 2010 at 1:09 pm
PuzzleLuver SILVER, Powell, Ohio
6 articles 0 photos 51 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life&quot; John 3:16

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I agree with you Dragonscribe true love can't be attained without God as with true happiness. You with never be completly happy or in love without God. You can be somewhat happy or in love but not fully truely  in love.
WALL-E DIAMOND said...
on Nov. 5 2010 at 9:02 pm
WALL-E DIAMOND, Portland, Oregon
68 articles 0 photos 5 comments
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Wow. That's a great article, and I think it says what a lot of us atheists mean by not following a religion.
LexiB SILVER said...
on Nov. 2 2010 at 8:06 pm
LexiB SILVER, Tallassee, Alabama
7 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go.&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Joshua 1:9

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Oops, I meant there are few people who don't make many mistakes. Even I did it!
LexiB SILVER said...
on Nov. 2 2010 at 8:05 pm
LexiB SILVER, Tallassee, Alabama
7 articles 0 photos 34 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go.&quot;<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Joshua 1:9

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I think you wrote a good article with no gramatical errors, and I respect that, because there are few people(even on Teen Ink) who make many mistakes. But I disagree with your lack of religion, and I hope you'll change your mind. If you don't believe in souls, where do you think you'll go when your done on Earth?
Dragonscribe BRONZE said...
on Oct. 31 2010 at 11:59 am
Dragonscribe BRONZE, West Lafayette, Indiana
4 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;A Person&#039;s a Person no Matter how Small&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;God helps those who help themselves&quot;

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Though I disagree (strongly) with you, I respect your integrity and values and understand where you're coming from. I will pray for you to find God in your life, but you may wish for me to step into yours. I hope you will consider what I have said - and I will consider what you have. Afterall, I'm not a priest, a nun, a pope, or above all God. I don't know everything. I'm just a fourteen year old girl with some strong standards. This is my last comment to you.
AgnotTheOdd GOLD said...
on Oct. 31 2010 at 10:11 am
AgnotTheOdd GOLD, Aptos, California
17 articles 0 photos 315 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The reason for your unreasonable treatment of my reason so enfeebles my reason that I have reason to complain of your reason&quot; ~ Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

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God or no, I love things completely because I devote that to them.  I spend the time and energy to do so.  I win competitions because of my own willpower, training, and skill.  There isn't anybody out there watching and protecting because at the end of the day, all we can rely on is our own ability.  It's insulting to put in all this effort only to have people attribute success to god
GodsStudent BRONZE said...
on Oct. 30 2010 at 11:44 am
GodsStudent BRONZE, Abc, Other
2 articles 0 photos 21 comments
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I never would! Okay, let's stop conversing on this post because my email is getting full lolz.
Dragonscribe BRONZE said...
on Oct. 30 2010 at 10:56 am
Dragonscribe BRONZE, West Lafayette, Indiana
4 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;A Person&#039;s a Person no Matter how Small&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;God helps those who help themselves&quot;

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Sorry, that above comment is supposed to responding to someone who said they were content rotting in soil when they died.
Dragonscribe BRONZE said...
on Oct. 30 2010 at 10:52 am
Dragonscribe BRONZE, West Lafayette, Indiana
4 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;A Person&#039;s a Person no Matter how Small&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;God helps those who help themselves&quot;

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Well, yeah! God said it, I believe, that settles it is exactly right. Think of it as obeying someone who loves you more than anything in the world and only ever does what's best for you. Why would you ever want to challenge that?
Dragonscribe BRONZE said...
on Oct. 30 2010 at 10:50 am
Dragonscribe BRONZE, West Lafayette, Indiana
4 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;A Person&#039;s a Person no Matter how Small&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;God helps those who help themselves&quot;

View profile
You're perfectly happy rotting in the soil? When you could be living for an eternity in the most blissful paradise there will ever be? I think atheism is depressing. When you die, to you that's it. Nothing more. Than what's the point? I know there is a Heaven and a God, and I am glad knowing this, because otherwise my life would have no meaning.
Dragonscribe BRONZE said...
on Oct. 30 2010 at 10:48 am
Dragonscribe BRONZE, West Lafayette, Indiana
4 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;A Person&#039;s a Person no Matter how Small&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;God helps those who help themselves&quot;

View profile
I know there is a God, I talk about it below these comments. I don't want to argue anymore because it makes me feel extremely sad - before joining this website I had no idea how many people were lost from the best thing in this world.
Dragonscribe BRONZE said...
on Oct. 30 2010 at 10:46 am
Dragonscribe BRONZE, West Lafayette, Indiana
4 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;A Person&#039;s a Person no Matter how Small&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet&quot;<br /> and<br /> &quot;God helps those who help themselves&quot;

View profile
Personally, I do not believe "scientific scrutiny" is what makes the world run. I understand your point of view - certainly I have had my own doubts. But I just know, just know that God is out there, and hope someday you will reach that realization, too.
AgnotTheOdd GOLD said...
on Oct. 29 2010 at 11:33 pm
AgnotTheOdd GOLD, Aptos, California
17 articles 0 photos 315 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The reason for your unreasonable treatment of my reason so enfeebles my reason that I have reason to complain of your reason&quot; ~ Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

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I did not speak of naivity nor did I speak about disproving.  All I said was that to believe in something without proof lends itself to fallacy.  God is a concept based on conjecture at best.  "To believe in God is just as scientifically and philosophically coherent and possible"  I think not.  God has starred in many books and poems and is certainly regarded by many people.  However, held against scientific scrutiny, it falls apart because all it has going for it are books, thumpers, and massively rich churches.
AgnotTheOdd GOLD said...
on Oct. 29 2010 at 11:25 pm
AgnotTheOdd GOLD, Aptos, California
17 articles 0 photos 315 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The reason for your unreasonable treatment of my reason so enfeebles my reason that I have reason to complain of your reason&quot; ~ Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

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I think Pascal said that purely in jest, or else that comment is just plain silly.  I couldn't simply wake up one morning and say, oh I'm a believer.  Well, I could, but that would be disingenuous.  I can't really choose or not choose to believe in a god.  If I was saying i was religious, just to save my own tuckuss, I don't think it would go over too well.

And it's not there to say whether there is a god or not, it is simply there to speak about the necessity (or lack thereof.)  It still makes no assumptions about the existence.