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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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This article has 764 comments.

The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM said...
on Nov. 23 2011 at 9:17 pm
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM, Waukesha, Wisconsin
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EMpiricism is the train of thought that truths in this world can be found out through observation and logic, rather than faith and taking everything at face value.
sarahmichelle98 said...
on Nov. 22 2011 at 9:39 pm
i always tought buddhism was fascinating....and whats Emiricism?
SunkistKisser BRONZE said...
on Nov. 19 2011 at 6:17 pm
SunkistKisser BRONZE, Tempe, Arizona
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&quot;Not one would mind, neither bird not tree<br /> If mankind perished utterly<br /> And Spring herself, when she woke at down,<br /> Would hardly know that we were gone.&quot; ~Sara Teasdale<br /> (Yea, I know, it&#039;s kind of deep, but I kind of dig it.))

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This is beautiful. I completly agree that our life is in our own hands and it doesn't belong to some greater being. Nobody is perfect if you really take the time and look. I come from a religious family and frankly, I just don't get what the big deal is. I don't want to spend my life trying to please somebody else just so I can get through those possibly fictional golden gates. This is my life and the idea of somebody watching over me just to make sure I make all the right choices just so I can be "perfect" too, kind of irritates me. It's amazing how many people have commented on this article; you did a very good job. :)
Heather C. said...
on Nov. 13 2011 at 10:28 am
Sure do!!! ;) Sayonara.
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM said...
on Nov. 13 2011 at 9:20 am
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM, Waukesha, Wisconsin
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&quot;Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.&quot;<br /> -Sigmund Freud

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...You watch Doctor Who? :D Ta!
Heather C. said...
on Nov. 12 2011 at 9:07 pm
And the same to you. Alanzi Alonzo! (if that's even how you spell it.)
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM said...
on Nov. 12 2011 at 5:54 pm
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM, Waukesha, Wisconsin
36 articles 0 photos 106 comments

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&quot;Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.&quot;<br /> -Sigmund Freud

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Mm, I think that I know what I want in a girl, but I don't think that most high school girls fulfill my criteria. Plus, I think that it is wise to at least wait until after High School to start seriously thinking about relationships. But then again, I suppose that if both sides are mature enough to start a serious relationship, and they're both willing to put in that extra effort needed to make it work, a relationship starting in High School is relatively plausible. But now we're getting off into a whole other tangent. Thanks for the chat, I wish you the best of luck in life. Ta! :)
Heather C. said...
on Nov. 12 2011 at 2:44 pm
I'm 13. Turned in May. :) I am not yet concerned with a dating life. Even if I wasnt a Christian, I'd rather wait until after college or at LEAST after high school, so that I know what I really want in a guy, and I really know who I am. Solopsism doesn't sound like a fun way to go :/ For me.
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM said...
on Nov. 12 2011 at 9:19 am
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM, Waukesha, Wisconsin
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&quot;Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.&quot;<br /> -Sigmund Freud

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Um, I'm only sixteen. "Sigh" sweet sixteen, never been kissed, that's me. Hehehehe. I know, not very compelling for great arguments, but that's how it is. How old are you?

Also, I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions. I know its really significant just for the pair of us to have a serious theological discussion without ever resorting to violence or name-calling or anger. And I'm glad that we can have a conversation like this.

Oh yes, and Solipsism is the train of thought that states that the only things that a person can ever be certain about are their own minds's existence. Of course, as I said, this is largely a pseudo-intellectual idea, because what happens when two Solipsists meet? ("You don't exist outside of my head." "No, YOU don't exist outside of mine.")

VioletsandVoice said...
on Nov. 11 2011 at 9:25 pm
VioletsandVoice, Spiritwood, North Dakota
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Thanks for sharing your views with us, you have a good voice :)
Heather C. said...
on Nov. 11 2011 at 4:42 pm
First things first: I am not trying to convert you or anything like that. I'm simply having a discussion with you about different ideas. Simple as that. May I ask how old you are? You portray a significant intelligence that I don't find in many people. It's very refreshing :) And no, I have not heard of Solopsism.
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM said...
on Nov. 11 2011 at 3:48 pm
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM, Waukesha, Wisconsin
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Never said that I didn't believe. And quite a few theologists believed that "day" meant 2,000 years. (That's actually how Clarence Darrow managed to defeat William Bryan Jennings' "No room for translation"-stance on the Bible during the famous Scopes Trial) That's why the year 2000 was supposed to be the End of Days, because earlier theologists theorized that the Earth had been created on 4004 B.C., and for some reason they thought that the Earth was only going to last for the same length of time that it took to create it. But again, I don't criticize your beliefs, even if they might run contradictory to mine. I happen to have a Southern Baptist grandmother that's been trying to convince me for years to become a Southern Baptist, and she says some of the things you said just now. I do enjoy learning about new concepts, and I have read a bit of Mere Christianity, but I won't read Revelations. (John was a hashish-head) And in turn, are you familiar with Solopsism? It's mostly a pseudo-intellectual idea, but it's one of my favorites of the Certainty Series of thought. (Partly because Claire Stanfield followed it. Heheheh, obscure Nerd-Reference) :D
Heather C. said...
on Nov. 11 2011 at 2:18 pm
I apologize for my ignorance, as I cannot pretend like I know much about something that I have never been taught. I've never been in a public school, believe it or not. My parents are Christians, my siblings are Christian, I've grown up in a Christian home - it's all that I know. But I can't imagine my life without God. I know that some Christians believe in God and evolution. They believe that God used evolution to create the world. But the people who believe that don't believe the Bible, for I believe the Bible is truth, and it says, Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." It also says that God did it in six days. We know that because, what does a day consist of? Morning and evening. In the Bible it says, "there was evening and there was morning the (1st, 2nd, etc. ect.) day." It gives no room for evolution. I know you do not believe in God, or that the Bible is true, but nonetheless, I believe that you would find it interesting. Concepts that you had or had not considered befor give you something to ponder, as you have given me much to ponder :). You don't have to, of course. It's just a suggestion.
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM said...
on Nov. 11 2011 at 11:28 am
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM, Waukesha, Wisconsin
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&quot;Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.&quot;<br /> -Sigmund Freud

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Ah, okay. The Big Bang theory and the theory of Evolution are two entirely seperate things. Actually, a common misconception about Evolution is that it attempts to explain the Origin of Life. It doesn't, it never did. All Evolution says is that traits that enable a greater chance of survival and procreation will continue while other traits will either die out or be rendered obsolete. It's not about the Origin of LIfe, but rather the Origin of Species (Hence Darwin's title). You can see this with the many different races of humanity, the reason why antibiotics and vaccines have to be constantly updated, and the Appendix, which has no function other than to get sick and possibly kill you. Now, yes, following the empirical thought-line of evolution, and looking at other examples of the formation of suns and planets and hopefully life, it makes sense that micro-organisms, in their attempt to create offspring with a greater chance of survival, would exchange traits with other micro-organsms to create more and more complex organisms, which would evolve into macro-organisms, which would evolve into quadrupeds, which would evolve into bipeds, which would evolve into humans. However, you don't have to believe in that to believe in evolution. In fact, Darwin never thought that creationism and evolution were two mutually exclusive ideas. Personally, I think it's a lot cooler and a lot more glorious to think that there was a being so omnipotent and omniscient that it was able to plan out something as complex and convoluted as the creation of matter and energy and atomic bonding and suns and planets and micro-organic life which evolved into humans, all just from two atoms colliding. But again, you can believe that God "breathed life into clay" to make humans, and still believe in evolution.
Heather C. said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 4:30 pm
But isn't that the idea of the Big Bang? Matter compressing so much that it caused an explosion that created life? Well, planets and stuff?
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 3:41 pm
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM, Waukesha, Wisconsin
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&quot;Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.&quot;<br /> -Sigmund Freud

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............Eh? What are you talking about? Evolution has nothing to do with that.
Heather C. said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 9:49 am
I hate to extend this longer than need be :), but (and this is just a question of curiosity) what is it about evolution that makes you believe that matter created information?
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 8:25 am
The_Earl_of_Zerces PLATINUM, Waukesha, Wisconsin
36 articles 0 photos 106 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.&quot;<br /> -Sigmund Freud

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Thank you. You're actually the only person that I've ever argued theology with that's listened to what I said and gave me a straight answer. However, in the end, it is all just a matter of belief, and a matter of how one chooses to pursue self-actualization. I have my way to achieve self-actualization, and you have your way. I still say that there are other games in the toybox, and I also say: Timur Mortis Conturbat Me. I don't think that it's anything but wishful thinking that we become anything more than worm-feed after we die. But it's perfectly fine, even commendable, for you to believe that, because it shows a lack of cynicism and a plentitude of faith. So long as you don't get sucked into Blind Faith (That question I posed to you, along with "What if God came down and told you to kill a baby?" are questions I ask people to see if they're only mindless sheep for Blind Faith to mold), then I will accept your faith and your belief with all the joy and gusto of a successful missionary. I don't expect people to accept my belief, even if I accept theirs, but I still try to be accepting of all beliefs, even if they run contradictory to my own. (Except evolution. I strongly believe in that and I don't understand people that say that it runs contrary to Creationism) That's what I mean by 2 and 2 make 4, but so do 1 and 3.
MagusEceerb SILVER said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 5:33 am
MagusEceerb SILVER, Buttville, South Carolina
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I understand about evidence for evolution (fossils and carbon dating) but what I don't understand is the experiment part.  How do we perform an experiment on evolution?  We can perform experiments on evidence in an attempt to prove the evidence is reliable, but there's no way outside of unreliable computer simulations to experiment with evolution, so it really honestly is a "theory" much in the vernacular sense.
MagusEceerb SILVER said...
on Nov. 10 2011 at 5:26 am
MagusEceerb SILVER, Buttville, South Carolina
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Thanks, I don't have a very firm knowledge about the word (my brother introduced the idea to me) so I wouldn't know.  Thank you for clearing that up, I think the work skeptic works fine in the context of my belief.