My Religion | Teen Ink

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?



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This article has 764 comments.


on Oct. 16 2010 at 2:27 pm
spiritualrevelationrevealspainandrevolution PLATINUM, Eugene, Oregon
23 articles 0 photos 212 comments
exactly, i think people saying jesus is only going to save a couple million people is undermining his legacy as a compassionate person

on Oct. 15 2010 at 11:34 am
CourtneyHammett BRONZE, Spartanburg, South Carolina
1 article 7 photos 37 comments
This is absolutely beautiful. :) Free of errors, and written in a lovely tone. And I am not just saying this because you've perfectly expressed my beliefs, too.

on Oct. 13 2010 at 11:07 pm
spiritualrevelationrevealspainandrevolution PLATINUM, Eugene, Oregon
23 articles 0 photos 212 comments
exactly, and give me twenty people in this world who are as giving and compassionate as jesus was, of any religion, it just doesnt happen muuch

on Oct. 10 2010 at 3:07 pm
Wow, what a great article! I don’t completely agree with you- I believe in God, though not the kind of God portrayed in the Bible- but I really admire the way that you stated your religion. You didn’t write this article in an argumentative way, or like you were trying to convert anyone- you just wrote it to let others know your opinion. That’s something that not everyone seems to be able to do, and I think it’s really great that you can- and did. Wonderful work!

on Oct. 7 2010 at 8:58 pm
OliverKent GOLD, Georgetown, Ohio
19 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Everything&#039;s got a moral, if only you can find it.&quot; - Lewis Carroll<br /> &quot;...there it is [the moral].&quot; - The Things They Carried pg. 13

I agree with you and I'm not an atheist. I can see all the hard work you exert. Kudos.

on Oct. 6 2010 at 9:29 pm
passion.fable14 SILVER, Fort Collins, Colorado
8 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Life is like a cup of coffee. You gotta...dive right in and drink it fast before it cools. Because coffee sucks when its cool. And it tastes like crap. Do you want your life to taste like crap Sam? I don&#039;t. That&#039;s why i don&#039;t drink coffee.&quot;<br /> ~~Carlt

I know right???? Why can't everyone just acccpet each other for who we are??? I hate it when your talking to a christain and yo're all like. "Oh God i forgot my paper" and they'rea ll like, "your going to burn in hell for taking God's name in vein!!!" And I'm all like, "What the crap???" and i hate it when my christain friends start preeching about how jesus is going to save only the none believers and all that and I'm like "I dont rub my religion in your face!!! SHUT UP!! I don't need you reciting the bible!!!"

on Oct. 6 2010 at 9:27 pm
passion.fable14 SILVER, Fort Collins, Colorado
8 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Life is like a cup of coffee. You gotta...dive right in and drink it fast before it cools. Because coffee sucks when its cool. And it tastes like crap. Do you want your life to taste like crap Sam? I don&#039;t. That&#039;s why i don&#039;t drink coffee.&quot;<br /> ~~Carlt

That's beautiful. :) You are obviously very confident in yourself and what you believe. Fantastic job. I just have one thing to say: we will know the truth about weather or not there is a God when we die. Right? Then we'll know if we go to heaven or hell or if a death angel will transport us....this is beautiful you are an amazing artist. Words obviously basically just paint themselves when you put your mind to your paper, and I believe that you will go far with your abilities. :) I happen to be muslum and am proud of it. I can still admire adnr espect this though because you obviously have faith in somehting; yourself. Weather or not you find a god of any sort is up to you but it seems that you have your priorties set straight. This is fantastic, and i can't help feeling proud of you even though I don't know you. You wrote this and expresed your feelings without putting down other people's religions too much. But i must say; I'm not placing my happiness and sucess in God's hands; only I can control my happiness. God has jsut set the path down before my feet weather of not I will look to God for guidance to my happiness and success. Anyhow sorry that this comment was so long :") *blushblush* I'm off to read more by you!!!

on Oct. 6 2010 at 9:17 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

you should read stephan hawking's latest book....

on Oct. 6 2010 at 6:48 pm
AngelEclipse BRONZE, Papillion, Nebraska
1 article 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
To ignore the little things is to take life for granted.

This article is, as it has been stated, very well written. Your thoughts are laid down clearly and concisely for everyone to read, and you don't have to put other religions down to get your point across. You simply believe what you do, and that's what is most important.

There should be more articles like this, I think. Even though you only speak of your own beliefs, this article also speaks in its own way of religious tolerance and that it is possible. Regardless of what you believe it's important that you respect others, even if you disagree with them. Anyway, great article. I'm happy you're secure in your beliefs.


Meli14 BRONZE said...
on Oct. 6 2010 at 5:38 pm
Meli14 BRONZE, Othello, Washington
4 articles 0 photos 50 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;god is love, and love is real&quot;

This article was very well put. I liked it alot. Sarah your a very talented writer, although I believe in a god. One day I pray you will not feel as you did when you wrote this. I also pray that you are found, and don't have to search anymore. Because he is real, he is out there. You may not see him, or hear him. But you can't expain how your alive, or how your parents are, or grandparents, and so forth. Just that he made you, even though you do not know him, or even love him, he loves you dearly. Just a couple of things I thought you should think about.  Love

- Melissa


on Oct. 6 2010 at 2:25 pm
gulljack SILVER, Richland, Michigan
9 articles 1 photo 19 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Narwals-the unicorn of the sea!&quot;

I like this article. I don't share the same beliefs with you as i am a strong catholic but when people say that they don't like others because there atheist or for whatever their religion is it bothers me. And for those who are fighthing on here stop

on Oct. 6 2010 at 1:20 pm
nefariouslyme, Richland, Michigan
0 articles 0 photos 72 comments
Ohmygoodness.  This is probably the most golden thing I've ever read in my life.  I know exactly how you feel.  And it makes me sick when people try to "pray" for me simply because they think it will upset me.  I don't want to rock their boat, so why are they trying to rock mine?

on Oct. 6 2010 at 1:17 pm
nefariouslyme, Richland, Michigan
0 articles 0 photos 72 comments
In The Shack, god is a black woman.  Just saying.

on Oct. 5 2010 at 10:33 pm
spiritualrevelationrevealspainandrevolution PLATINUM, Eugene, Oregon
23 articles 0 photos 212 comments
is the thought that all the messiahs...were all true, well meaning people impossible????

KellyR GOLD said...
on Oct. 1 2010 at 11:50 am
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.

Actually, you don't know if I have a relationship with God or not and I don't appreciate you making assumptions.

on Sep. 30 2010 at 7:28 pm
poeticspirit12334 PLATINUM, Groesbeck, Texas
23 articles 0 photos 179 comments

Favorite Quote:
Wearing a Christian T-shirt, and a cross necklace does NOT make you a Christian. , &quot;For I know the plans I have for you,&quot; declares the Lord &quot;They are plans to give you a hope and a future.&#039;&#039; Jeremiah 29:11

Thanks i will have a great life because I'm not the one to bite people for something that is so commenly done. Also im not rde like you are... so thanks for saying that! have a great life yourself and i hope that God besses you and your life to be long and great... hope you come to know Him.

KellyR GOLD said...
on Sep. 30 2010 at 11:29 am
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.

Okay I'm not really going to continue with this issue because I am obviously not reaching through to you guys. Go ahead, keep spelling incorrectly. Good Luck with Life.

on Sep. 29 2010 at 7:49 pm
bound4life4ever PLATINUM, Jamaica, New York
32 articles 0 photos 111 comments

Favorite Quote:
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

hey olican16=) im stilll reading ur work nd im not gonna fight w this kelz1141! like.. when did i say teens had 2 act unintelligent nd spell rong? lol=) nd her calling me moronic... she dont even noe me. o nd btw kelz1141.. i spelled seriously rong;-)

on Sep. 25 2010 at 10:38 am
poeticspirit12334 PLATINUM, Groesbeck, Texas
23 articles 0 photos 179 comments

Favorite Quote:
Wearing a Christian T-shirt, and a cross necklace does NOT make you a Christian. , &quot;For I know the plans I have for you,&quot; declares the Lord &quot;They are plans to give you a hope and a future.&#039;&#039; Jeremiah 29:11

oh my gosh GET OVER YOUR SELF!!!!!  you're not perfect and you NEVER will be so dont act like you are! and there is no need to call people moronic... RUDE!

KellyR GOLD said...
on Sep. 25 2010 at 10:18 am
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.

So, bound4life4ever just because we are teenagers we have to act unitelligent and spell incorrectly? Well, you go ahead with that and be seen as moronic, I will spell correctly and be taken sierously.