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Is it odd for me to be this confused?
I am in my late thirties and just feel like I should know what I think about certain things and I just don't. I grew up Jewish but identify much more with Jewish culture than the religious aspect of it. I just feel old to be questioning religion. I do agree with a lot of parts of Judaism but not all. I don't think you necessarily have to believe in every practice of a religion to be a part of it. I do know that I identify with Judaism more than other religions that I have been exposed to. I want to believe in G-d. Sometimes, when things are going badly I just get mad and wonder where the heck G-d is.
Then, a post yesterday about AA got me all confused. The whole atheism thing just doesn't make sense to me. As much as I am not sure about G-d I feel like for me at least there has to be SOMETHING. I don't know the point of this post. I think I want validation that I am not crazy for being a grown adult confused about religion. Thanks if you have gotten this far. If you don't practice religion, do you believe in something as far as a higher power?
Re: Is it odd for me to be this confused?
I think it's odd when people STOP asking these questions.
Interro and I had a great conversation about this very topic last night.
I don't think it's odd. In my mind, it's better to question than not, and it doesn't matter how old you are.
I think these questions are normal, I have them and so does FI. I think it's odd when people blindly follow a religion because that's what everyone has told them to do without asking these questions for themselves.
My ex-FI was super religious. Went to church all the time, said he lived his life for the after life. When I questioned him about it, he had no explanation. He didn't know why he believed what he believed, he said that's just what he did. That was one among many issues I had with him.
I think that when you stop questioning deep topics like this is when you've just given in to believing everything that you hear.
This is coming from someone who was told growing up that you just believe what you hear in church and don't question it because then it means that you really don't have faith in God.
I don't question whether or not there is a God, but I do question some of the practices that my church preaches. I take from my religion what I feel is the most beneficial for my life and keep in mind that not everyone believes the same thing. I generally believe what I learned growing up, but it's because I've really thought about it and believe it because I HAVE questioned it...not just because the minister says so in church.
Belief is such a personal thing.
I don't practice a religion and consider myself an atheist. I don't believe in a higher power.
That said, I was raised Southern Baptist and so I am constantly surrounded by religion from family. I will never get away from it, and I'm not so sure I want to.
I mean, it has its positives (treating people with kindness, helping those who are struggling, etc). But overall, those positives, for me, do not outweigh the negatives (racism, homophobia, anti-abortion, anti-any other religion really).
eta: It's not odd to question your beliefs. It's a part of being human and being an adult. It's a good thing to do from time to time.
I think it's totally normal to be asking these questions no matter your age. I also find that I identify more with Judaism as a culture than a religion, especially after living in Israel. There are so many things that I don't agree with, or don't care to agree with (keeping kosher for example).
Some people are in the "go big or go home" camp when it comes to religion and that's fine by me, but I'm more of the "doing one more thing might make you more pious but it doesn't mean you're not a justified member of your religion if you don't".
I also read the Anon posts and started thinking about it...as an ex spouse of an addict who proclaimed that "there is no G-d because my life sucks so much and I can do whatever I want" I think this "higher power" message has many different meanings to different people in these programs, be it accepting accountability for actions, hope for the future, a righteous path to follow, etc.
I hope everyone questions what they're told. I used to question the priests at my Catholic school all the time and received the hairy eyeball in return. It's part of the reason I'm no longer Catholic.
I believe in a higher power, but do not believe in religion. Religion was created by man and is imperfect by its very nature. I want to have a relationship with God, not with a human who tells me what the rules for that relationship should and should not be.
One of the great things about Judiasm (imo, from my limited understanding) is that critical thought, questioning and study are encouraged and are integral to the religion.
You are not crazy for being a grown adult confused about religion.
Is there something/someone that makes you feel odd about questioning your faith?
As many others have said - there is nothing wrong w/ these thoughts. I've done a lot of thinking and questioning about religion myself. And I too want to believe in a higher power, but then I look at some of the crap that goes on and think "how can there be one?".
Now that we have DS, it's been on our minds even more. We are supposedly raising him Jewish, but I'm like "what does that mean?" because neither DH or I are really religious.
~Benjamin Franklin
DS dx with celiac disease 5/28/10
The culture vs faith is a great topic. I grew up where the two were very interwined, and I very much miss the cultural aspect of my faith.
I think that you should never stop questioning your faith-- not so much "do I believe?" but "why do I believe, what do i believe?"
There are very few facts to religion. That's why we have faith and beliefs, and why there are so many different religions.
Hmm I don't know if I agree with this. Religion is based in history and cultural tradition, both of which are backed up by fact.
Yes there are different religions but really, aren't they all slightly different versions of the same idea?
-a Higher Power, a prophet, and an all-encompassing "holy spirit"
-treat others the way you want to be treated
-do good and good will come back to you
Religion is just a system of stories, songs, and culture that support these basic ideas, IMO.
They are different versions of the same idea, but I'd describe it more like this:
A man comes along (never a woman) who may or may not be a deity, and teaches that humans are inherently bad, and they need to be redeemed somehow. Usually that somehow includes good deeds, but more important is the concept of redemption through suffering and sacrifice, even if that sacrifice has no recipient.
Maybe a better way to explain it would be to say that there are many different ways to express religion-- I was thinking more about the differences between Christians (which are the religions that I have experience with).
For example, MIL believe in the same God. We sing the same songs, but at the same time, we are very, very different. I feel like I have three heads when I go to her traditional Catholic church and I've never seen her more flustered than when she was at my Lutheran church for DS's baptism.
The only time she has been angry with me was the time I let her daughter take communion in a Lutheran church, and I have a hard time swallowing a the fact that her husband can't take communion in the same church that he has gone to every Sunday for the last 30 years.
And as far as the facts-- Jesus lived- fact. Jesus turned water into wine- something we believe happened, something we have faith in, but there is no way to scientifically prove that it happened.
I am glad too. It is nice to see everyone respecting everyone else and their opinions.
Questioning your faith (I think) makes you stronger, rather than blindly following something you have been taught. It also shows you are growing, which we all do until we die.
I don't think it's odd at all. I find that some of the brightest minds are confused by religion, and come up with some of the best questions and answers.
I don't practice any religion.... If anyone ever asks me, I tell them that I don't know, and I won't know until I'm dead. I FEEL there is a higher power of some sort, I just can't prove it, nor is it my place to prove it.