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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.

bound4life4ever PLATINUM said...
on Sep. 24 2010 at 7:04 pm
bound4life4ever PLATINUM, Jamaica, New York
32 articles 0 photos 111 comments

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

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greed! with bennyb katie grey,snickelove nd all of u in that catagory. as for     fibonaccimathgenius, that was just rude. as if u dont go online nd just use caht lingo once in a while!
bound4life4ever PLATINUM said...
on Sep. 24 2010 at 7:01 pm
bound4life4ever PLATINUM, Jamaica, New York
32 articles 0 photos 111 comments

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

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o plez kelz1141!  leave her alone! its not really a big deal to spell thingz incorectly on a TEEN websit. i been spellin mad thing rong nd cuz we r all teens w.e if u wana spell thingz correctly go ahead. illl b w olican16 nd stick to my chat lingo.  ;-)

 

poeticspirit12334 PLATINUM said...
on Sep. 24 2010 at 5:12 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. , "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord "They are plans to give you a hope and a future.'' Jeremiah 29:11

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ok, whatever. I'm not going to play this game with you. GOD BLESS YOU AND ALL THAT YOU ARE!

 

KellyR GOLD said...
on Sep. 24 2010 at 8:07 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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Actually, you misspelled 5 words, and most of your sentences were not grammatically correct. Though I wasn't going to point out your sentence issue because it is only a comment and not an article, but you should atleast try to spell correctly.
poeticspirit12334 PLATINUM said...
on Sep. 21 2010 at 5:58 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. , "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord "They are plans to give you a hope and a future.'' Jeremiah 29:11

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um i misspelled 2 words and that was an accident... and i know a lot about literature
SelahSky said...
on Sep. 21 2010 at 3:57 pm
Nodiscriminate, your comment is very interesting. But your arguments refering to the origin of energy are a wee bit weak. You are looking at the matter through your world view only. To convince someone of your opinion you must try to understand what they think. Your comments about God show a lack of understanding of His nature. The supernatural is, in fact, supernatural and thus does not need an energy source. Do you see how your argument does not even fit in? I say this all out of curiousity about your opion and with deepest respect for your ideas.
KellyR GOLD said...
on Sep. 21 2010 at 12:28 pm
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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Please, don't act like such a child. I'm simply trying to inform you that when you misspell every other word you write on a LITERARY website it is hard to take you seriously.
poeticspirit12334 PLATINUM said...
on Sep. 20 2010 at 7:02 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. , "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord "They are plans to give you a hope and a future.'' Jeremiah 29:11

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ohhh. nice comeback... where did u get that... the dumpster where it BELONGS?
KellyR GOLD said...
on Sep. 20 2010 at 12:59 pm
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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When things go wrong in your life what is God trying to say? Also if it God causing things to go wrong in my life trying to show me that I need him then I obviously don't need him because he is causing the bad things to happen to me.
KellyR GOLD said...
on Sep. 20 2010 at 12:47 pm
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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You should be carefull with your words, and maybe try spelling them correctly.
poeticspirit12334 PLATINUM said...
on Sep. 14 2010 at 8:07 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. , "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord "They are plans to give you a hope and a future.'' Jeremiah 29:11

View profile

um...i really hat4e how you put this saying:

Who cares if there is a God or not at all?

WElL 1st of all lots of people  do

And 2nd u shud be careful how you put your words they rnt like a ball that u can just throw around

spiritualrevelationrevealspainandrevolution PLATINUM said...
on Sep. 11 2010 at 1:32 am
spiritualrevelationrevealspainandrevolution PLATINUM, Eugene, Oregon
23 articles 0 photos 212 comments
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nicely put, wish everyone didnt refer to what they think god is as a guy
spiritualrevelationrevealspainandrevolution PLATINUM said...
on Sep. 11 2010 at 1:29 am
spiritualrevelationrevealspainandrevolution PLATINUM, Eugene, Oregon
23 articles 0 photos 212 comments
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to ravenbird-YES! thats what iv experienced too
anonymous said...
on Sep. 6 2010 at 11:33 am
I know right?
Scribo BRONZE said...
on Sep. 3 2010 at 6:16 pm
Scribo BRONZE, Richmond, Other
1 article 0 photos 5 comments

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"Why care about the weather? It only ends, it ends in darkness" - The Promise Ring

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If you know you can't believe, stop trying!  If you can achieve and maintain a state of self-sufficiency, you won't need anything else to rely on, and you'll feel much more happy about it, and if you're like any other human, you're supposed to like being happy.
Shelby.L2013 said...
on Aug. 29 2010 at 11:57 pm
Shelby.L2013, Forks, Washington
0 articles 0 photos 5 comments
View profile

I completely agree with what you are saying. I was raised sort of half heartedly in a Christian household, but I finally decided to think for myself. I see no logic in believing in God, or any other deities. If there really was a God, why can't S/he just tell us that S/he exists? And with everyone thinking that their religion is the correct one, how do we really know which one is? There is no substantial proof. I am just fine living life knowing that what happens is because of me, and other people, not "fate".

While I wish everyone could be an atheist like myself, I know there is no way in hell it will ever happen, so I really don't care what people believe in as long as they don't try to shove it down my throat.

writinlikecrazy said...
on Aug. 25 2010 at 11:14 pm
I volunteered at a church for three summers in a row.  I have thought about God again and again and again.  However, I cannot believe in it.  I think particles appeared out of gas that started when the universe was small and hot and dense.  I believe the universe is within something bigger, but not a Heaven.  It is physically impossible to think as a spirit, without a brain...hope you know that.  I think it's cool that you can truly have faith in a religion, but I must say--please don't try to convert people.  They will believe what they want.  I personally don't need a faith to be happy. 
writinlikecrazy said...
on Aug. 25 2010 at 11:09 pm
Okay.  I have to say that you are my new favorite person in this world.  I completely agree, even though I have some fairly religious friends.  Who cares if there is a God or not at all?  I am perfectly happy believing that when i die, I will just rot in the soil.  I don't need the faith of having an afterlife.  If others need it, then whatever.  I think I'm right, they will think they are right, so in the end, as long as we both lived a happy life, it's okay.  We shouldn't try to convert people to a religion or force people out of it. 
Katie_Grey DIAMOND said...
on Aug. 23 2010 at 10:56 pm
Katie_Grey DIAMOND, Leipsic, Ohio
58 articles 10 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
Difficult is not impossible - Relient K, "Hope for Every Fallen Man"


If all I had was love, would I still be lovely?
If all I gave was love, would you give up on me?
-House of Heroes, "Love is for the Middle Class"

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I agree with BennyB, religion and having a personal relationship with God are very different.
EmilyMichelle PLATINUM said...
on Aug. 23 2010 at 7:26 pm
EmilyMichelle PLATINUM, Manassas, Virginia
33 articles 4 photos 90 comments

Favorite Quote:
"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."
- Madeleine L'Engle

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I'm not atheist, but that is a great way of explaining it. It really enlightened me. Thank you.