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 May. 26 2010 at 3:09 pm
steve herrmann, Snohomish Washington, Washington
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Blinding ourselves to reality! come on man! there is atheism which has

1 never had a holy war

2never had a mass inquisation

3 had a wonderful habit of not torturing people

and we are supported by science

you guys have a book, that wasn't so much as signed by jesus, and oddly enough though jesus existed there seem to be lackings of any reminders of his miracles.


on May. 26 2010 at 3:05 pm
steve herrmann, Snohomish Washington, Washington
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments
hmm, isn't the third merely reproduction hormones that our spiecies would die without? thanks but I want to live.

on May. 26 2010 at 3:03 pm
steve herrmann, Snohomish Washington, Washington
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments
er its quite simple. one group of monkeys becomes humans, because they grow smarter. the other group of monkeys lack the need for these mental changes.

on May. 26 2010 at 2:58 pm
steve herrmann, Snohomish Washington, Washington
0 articles 0 photos 12 comments
you can easily not beileive. anyone can. you do not need to beileive in anything. great rush song called freewill. if you chose not to decide you still have made a choice.

on May. 25 2010 at 10:52 am
Crying_Tears SILVER, SL,UT, Utah
8 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
I am fond on pigs.<br /> Dogs look up to us.<br /> Cats look down.<br /> Pigs treat us as equals.<br /> -Winston Churchill

Why are you atheist? You can't simply "Not Believe". 

on May. 25 2010 at 10:52 am
Crying_Tears SILVER, SL,UT, Utah
8 articles 0 photos 24 comments

Favorite Quote:
I am fond on pigs.<br /> Dogs look up to us.<br /> Cats look down.<br /> Pigs treat us as equals.<br /> -Winston Churchill

I agree, i do not believe in faith, being a born-again christian.  So many choices to make, just simply saying yes or no can drastically change everything.

The_End GOLD said...
on May. 12 2010 at 10:53 pm
The_End GOLD, Ashton, Idaho
10 articles 0 photos 31 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Any man can stand adversity. If you truly want to test a man&#039;s character, give him power.&quot; Abraham Lincoln

Very well written article, though I would like to point something out: Being Christian does not mean I believe in fate. Quite the contrary for me actually.

As far as my beliefs go, it is how I choose to live my life that decides where I'll go when I die. I believe there is a God, but I was taught, just as this author was, to be responsible for my own happiness. But that doesn't change the fact that because of Him, I'm capable of achieving happiness. He gave me this body, and he gave me parents who helped mold me into who I am today. But I am mostly responsible for who I will be.


BCS248 GOLD said...
on May. 9 2010 at 6:13 pm
BCS248 GOLD, Calgary, Other
12 articles 2 photos 6 comments

firstly i really like the way you wrote this I never really understood atheism clearly before and this put it in to perspective.

i'm a christian so obviously we have a few contrasting ideas but on the matter of fate yes maybe i do believe that some things are just suppose to happen but we can change fate and everyone has control over there own life. I do take most things upon myself, my faith isn't a need its a choice. 

just a quick question and this isn't in any way trying to dissuade you from your ways i'm just curious

how can you honestly believe that there isn't something bigger than you? i mean look around you look at the detail and complexity of every living thing how could that have come into existence all by its self 


on May. 9 2010 at 5:16 pm
EmilyMichelle PLATINUM, Manassas, Virginia
33 articles 4 photos 90 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Our truest responsibility to the irrationality of the world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find the truth.&quot;<br /> - Madeleine L&#039;Engle

This is a very well written piece. While I am Christian, I can understand your point of view. I don't believe in fate or anything like that. I believe God gave us free will and that's pretty amazing. Your writing style is fantastic, I feel like I am sitting down and talking to you. Great job :)

on May. 5 2010 at 4:51 pm
MusicAtMidnight BRONZE, Shady Side, Maryland
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments
Very well written. While I'm a Christian,  I have many atheist friends. I can understand not beliving in God(s) or angels or fate, but doesn't it ever become depressing thinking that nothing happens after you die? Does it ever sadden you to think that when you die it's the end? I'm not trying to be morbid or anything, but that is the only part of being atheist that I have trouble with.

on May. 5 2010 at 3:35 pm
awesomeaugust GOLD, Boston, Massachusetts
10 articles 0 photos 176 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground&quot;<br /> ~Theordore Roosevelt

Well, I'm a Christian and as I've never really understood atheism, I really enjoyed reading this article. For me, it was not only very well written, but really enlightening. I do believe that you need to be able to suceed by yourself, but I guess mainly where our thoughts differ is in the last line of your article where you said "...how can I create myself if I spend my entire life just looking?" I still plan to spend my entire life shaping myself as a person- it's just that I don't need to look because i have faith. And that's really what faith is, isn't it?

on Apr. 23 2010 at 8:46 pm
Silevryn BRONZE, Osceola, Missouri
3 articles 51 photos 58 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;The world hasn&#039;t become more violent, it&#039;s become more televised&quot;

The "Are you a human test" would be a more accurate description. We all do that. Its in our nature to. Is is sinful of a lion to eat a gazelle? Is it sinful for a mosquito to drink your blood? Why sure, it may be annoying and a problem, but its just as much a part of who we are to lie steal and have sex as it is for a lion to eat a gazelle or a mosquito to bite you. So why, if i may ask, would our creator punish us for being what he created?

Jaquie BRONZE said...
on Apr. 21 2010 at 10:07 pm
Jaquie BRONZE, West Palm Beach, Florida
3 articles 0 photos 407 comments

Favorite Quote:
This is certainly one of my favorites: &quot;I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.&quot; -2 Samuel 6:22

Sorry guys! I  didn't mean to cause the heated discussion or make anyone angry.  If you were wondering why I believe in God despite the fact that I 'can't see him' 'can't touch him' 'can't smell, hear, or taste him' the only answer I have for you is that faith comes to play a large role here. I have faith that God is there, and because of that faith, I learn to feel, see, touch, smell  (What does God smell like? That's an interesting question...), taste, and hear him.

I don't believe in athiests. My belief is that people who share those beliefs are just blinding themselves to reality. But that of course is my belief and I don't expect you to adopt, understand or even accept it.

Oh, and about the 'God is not one person that you can converse with in your math class.' -I talk with God in my math class all the time believe it or not, I thought it was funny how you brought that up.

Maybe not believing in Chinese people isn't such a far-fetched idea. I mean we all have different beliefs. ChloeLynn has mad is clear that she does not believe in God and I have shared my opposite views.

Also I don't consider athiests a 'type of people'. I think we're all people and we just share different beliefs. I, personally, don't believe in a certain group of belief systems. And by that I mean 'I don't believe they are as they project themselves to be'.

 

I hope this clears up my comment. And by the way, Bobby_Kelvin_Jam..... I love your picture. Is that the dancing banana from 'Jumping in the House?'


zinder1995 said...
on Apr. 21 2010 at 9:25 pm
zinder1995, Menifee, California
0 articles 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can say to that mountain, &#039;Move from here to there&#039; it will move and nothing will be impossible to you.&quot;

The "Good Person" Test

1.) Have you ever told a lie? What does that make you?

2.) Have you ever stolen anything? What does that make you?

3.) Have you ever looked on a woman (or man) with lust? What does that make you?

I know that ALL people would answer yes to ALL three of those questions. So now you and I are lying, thieving, adulterers at heart. That's what we've done wrong. But if we recognize our sins God will forgive us because His Son died to save us from an eternity apart from Him in sin and in Hell.


on Apr. 21 2010 at 7:32 pm
BOBBY_KELVIN_JAMES_VI BRONZE, Holmdel, New Jersey
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Hey, I&#039;m not religious, I just happen to have a personal relationship with God thanks to Jesus.

haha, I think that person was being over reactive. there are people like that sometimes. :) don't worry about those people, you're right. anyways, I understand your point, cool. 

on Apr. 21 2010 at 2:50 pm
ChloeLynn BRONZE, Omaha, Nebraska
3 articles 0 photos 1 comment
I wasn't saying god doesn't exist, although I do strongly believe he does not. What I WAS saying was that there is not as much proof that God exists as there is that atheists exist. Atheists are people. God is not one person that you can converse with in your math class. Saying "I don't believe in atheists" is like saying "I don't believe in Chinese people". It just doesn't make sense. How can you believe in God, but not believe in a type of person?

on Apr. 13 2010 at 10:57 pm
BOBBY_KELVIN_JAMES_VI BRONZE, Holmdel, New Jersey
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Hey, I&#039;m not religious, I just happen to have a personal relationship with God thanks to Jesus.

100% agreed.

on Apr. 13 2010 at 10:57 pm
BOBBY_KELVIN_JAMES_VI BRONZE, Holmdel, New Jersey
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Hey, I&#039;m not religious, I just happen to have a personal relationship with God thanks to Jesus.

hmm... well, I hope you would try to look from a Christian's point of view, because the entire study does make sense, but your writings good :) lol, I love all this debating, it'sinteresting to see so many people's opinions

E.Hartell said...
on Apr. 13 2010 at 7:25 pm
E.Hartell, Undisclosed, Virginia
0 articles 0 photos 25 comments

Favorite Quote:
Half of being smart is knowing what you&#039;re dumb at. -David Gerrold<br /> <br /> &ldquo;Fundamentally, all writing is about the same thing; it&#039;s about dying, about the brief flicker of time we have here, and the frustration that it creates.&rdquo; (Mordecai Richler)

What you said about not evolving from monkeys is true; they wouldn't still be here if that was the case. Actually, the case is that scientists have believed for a while now that humans evolved from something else, not monkeys. (I think it's a pretty common misconception)

on Apr. 13 2010 at 4:41 pm
BOBBY_KELVIN_JAMES_VI BRONZE, Holmdel, New Jersey
3 articles 0 photos 6 comments

Favorite Quote:
Hey, I&#039;m not religious, I just happen to have a personal relationship with God thanks to Jesus.

hey Chrissy, why are you asking us? why not ask God himself? We're like ants compared to God; we barely know anything! if he could create the universe, don't you think you should ask him? oh wait, you don't believe in him in the first place, which leads you to a biased conclusion that you CAN'T ask God and therefore you will never know what created God if he existed. This is one example of a biased answer. Now, let's try to see this through a Christian's perspective ok? The following is an analogy of humans compared to God. So, God exists and he's a lot smarter than us. We're 3 year old kids and God is trying to teach us to add. All of a sudden, some kids say, I wanna learn Calculus BC! So God says, "well, you can't learn that yet because that's beyond your understanding." In the same way, let's pretend God didn't exist. ok, you're right. whoopee, when humans pass away they turn to nothing. Great. you can't prove it because you're nothing. now, let's say a Christian is right. WHOOOO YEA!!! I'M IN HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!! so really, you have nothing to lose choosing between a Christian and an atheist. Plus, when your really study the religion and why certain things or rules have to be there, it all fits in and makes sense!