[ChloeJaneR]

I've been maintaining an agnostic approach to religion for years now because I came to the conclusion that if there is something, a God of some sort, then I wouldn't have the capacity to understand it. However I find this very frustrating. I'd love to believe in something that I could rely on and pray or meditate to for help and thanks but I honestly don't know which religion best suits me or if I could even comprehend 'something'. I've reached breaking point now to the point where I took a test last night to be told I am:
100% agnostic
90% satanic
55% pagan
40% christian
All of the other major world religions were on there (but I noticed Sikhism wasn't?) but those were the percentages that stuck in my head. My mum was pagan and is soon to be baptized as a born again christian after 'finding God' and my dad is a devout roman catholic, I've gone to catholic schools my whole life and attended both catholic churches and pagan festivals. Now I don't actively worship or practice either but I have practiced in both religions growing up and was shocked to be so highly suited to satanism! and so unsuited to Christianity and paganism.
I'm just so very confused. I take philosophy and ethics of religion as an A level (which has only confused me further) and I plan to take a theology degree out of interest, not faith.
To be fair, I do over think a lot because I'm a natural thinker. I want to be a novelist so I contemplate a lot of issues when I write shorter stories and it can almost drive me to not sleep for a whole night.
Do you think I should talk to someone? Maybe my mum's pastor or my dad's priest?
Sorry for how long this is I just really need some help :')

[Pearl Lake]

Firstly I don't think an (online?) test should define your faith. It's most likely all cow excrement.

Secondly I think confusion over what to believe is very commonplace in modern, atheist tolerant society. I'd imagine a theology degree to be rather frustrating if you had a set group of beliefs.

Nonetheless, questioning all and everything is very intellectually healthy.

If it frustrates you too much you can always read Schopenhauer...

[Gofre]

I'd love to believe in something that I could rely on and pray or meditate to for help and thanks but I honestly don't know which religion best suits me or if I could even comprehend 'something'

You can't really decide to base your beliefs on what you find most appealing or "suits you" best, your beliefs are what you actually believe. I don't know about you but I would find being unsure but honest with myself a hell of a lot more preferable to trying to delude myself into a religion on the basis that it sounds nice. Explore other religions by all means, and if you find one that you find genuinely convincing that's great, but simply picking out of a hat and hoping it becomes real to you eventually is a pretty terrible idea.

[ChloeJaneR]

(Original post by Gofre)
You can't really decide to base your beliefs on what you find most appealing or "suits you" best, your beliefs are what you actually believe. I don't know about you but I would find being unsure but honest with myself a hell of a lot more preferable to trying to delude myself into a religion on the basis that it sounds nice. Explore other religions by all means, and if you find one that you find genuinely convincing that's great, but simply picking out of a hat and hoping it becomes real to you eventually is a pretty terrible idea.

When I said 'suits me' I meant more like accepts the things I already believe (e.g acceptance of all people regardless of their beliefs/orientation/gender/race etc.) rather than finding a religion that looks appealing, however that is what it sounded like, sorry I should have made myself more clear It's not a case of deluding myself either (but again that is what it sounds like I meant, apologies) I just feel like there is something more and I need to find it. I could really do with a little bit of hope and faith in something.

[Christ Is Lord]

Accept Christ as your Saviour today, and you'll never look back.

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/how_to_be_saved.html

[The Mr Z]

(Original post by ChloeJaneR)
When I said 'suits me' I meant more like accepts the things I already believe (e.g acceptance of all people regardless of their beliefs/orientation/gender/race etc.) rather than finding a religion that looks appealing, however that is what it sounded like, sorry I should have made myself more clear It's not a case of deluding myself either (but again that is what it sounds like I meant, apologies) I just feel like there is something more and I need to find it. I could really do with a little bit of hope and faith in something.

I'm not sure you'll find any religion that truly does that. Though my experience of satanism or paganism is limited, all the major religions discriminate in some way against personal choices or beliefs, and all quite heavily.

I've been maintaining an agnostic approach to religion for years now because I came to the conclusion that if there is something, a God of some sort, then I wouldn't have the capacity to understand it. However I find this very frustrating. I'd love to believe in something that I could rely on and pray or meditate to for help and thanks but I honestly don't know which religion best suits me or if I could even comprehend 'something'.

Having come from a background like yours and given your obvious scepticism towards blind faith, I don't think you'll find any religion you can "rely on" because I think you will always have doubt and therefore wont be able to properly suspend your disbelief and accept the religion.

In other words, all religions fail when looked at critically and without the ability to suspend your criticisms of its faults you will never get any benefit from it.

It's fine to remain an agnostic, many people do, just don't think about the issue too much. Or research into non-religious philosophies, and see if you can find the answers there.

You don't need something to pray to, that's really what's causing you problems - feeling a need to follow a religion in order to devote yourself to a deity you don't really believe in or believe you can comprehend.

[MrHayden]

Is there really a need to find a belief? And surely if you just pick a religion that you will follow because you think it suits you, it wouldn't actually be a "belief" anyway? It would just be something you say you believe because it makes you happy, and that doesn't really seem right to me. Don't be fooled into thinking that you "need" to talk to anyone about this stuff, all other people will do is try to make you believe what they believe. Ultimately, I think it's most sensible to consider the evidence and arguments put forwards by each religion to establish which, if any, makes sense. Come to your own conclusions, and be your own woman - and remember that religion is not something necessary for that.

By which, of course, I mean you should believe what I believe :P

[ChloeJaneR]

(Original post by MrHayden)
Is there really a need to find a belief? And surely if you just pick a religion that you will follow because you think it suits you, it wouldn't actually be a "belief" anyway? It would just be something you say you believe because it makes you happy, and that doesn't really seem right to me. Don't be fooled into thinking that you "need" to talk to anyone about this stuff, all other people will do is try to make you believe what they believe. Ultimately, I think it's most sensible to consider the evidence and arguments put forwards by each religion to establish which, if any, makes sense. Come to your own conclusions, and be your own woman - and remember that religion is not something necessary for that.

By which, of course, I mean you should believe what I believe :P

haha! Very clever

[E.Blackadder]

(Original post by MrHayden)
Is there really a need to find a belief? And surely if you just pick a religion that you will follow because you think it suits you, it wouldn't actually be a "belief" anyway? It would just be something you say you believe because it makes you happy, and that doesn't really seem right to me. Don't be fooled into thinking that you "need" to talk to anyone about this stuff, all other people will do is try to make you believe what they believe. Ultimately, I think it's most sensible to consider the evidence and arguments put forwards by each religion to establish which, if any, makes sense. Come to your own conclusions, and be your own woman - and remember that religion is not something necessary for that.

By which, of course, I mean you should believe what I believe :P

good post, that point in particular.

[Norton1]

(Original post by Christ Is Lord)
Accept Christ as your Saviour today, and you'll never look back.

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/how_to_be_saved.html

Unlike Lot's wife amiright?

[ShocknAwe]

(Original post by ChloeJaneR)
I've been maintaining an agnostic approach to religion for years now because I came to the conclusion that if there is something, a God of some sort, then I wouldn't have the capacity to understand it. However I find this very frustrating. I'd love to believe in something that I could rely on and pray or meditate to for help and thanks but I honestly don't know which religion best suits me or if I could even comprehend 'something'. I've reached breaking point now to the point where I took a test last night to be told I am:
100% agnostic
90% satanic
55% pagan
40% christian
All of the other major world religions were on there (but I noticed Sikhism wasn't?) but those were the percentages that stuck in my head. My mum was pagan and is soon to be baptized as a born again christian after 'finding God' and my dad is a devout roman catholic, I've gone to catholic schools my whole life and attended both catholic churches and pagan festivals. Now I don't actively worship or practice either but I have practiced in both religions growing up and was shocked to be so highly suited to satanism! and so unsuited to Christianity and paganism.
I'm just so very confused. I take philosophy and ethics of religion as an A level (which has only confused me further) and I plan to take a theology degree out of interest, not faith.
To be fair, I do over think a lot because I'm a natural thinker. I want to be a novelist so I contemplate a lot of issues when I write shorter stories and it can almost drive me to not sleep for a whole night.
Do you think I should talk to someone? Maybe my mum's pastor or my dad's priest?
Sorry for how long this is I just really need some help :')

All religions are bogus, what's there to be confused about?

[K the Failure]

Have a look at this: http://wiki.ironchariots.org/index.php, more specifically the links under 'Starting points'.

If you still feel like you 'want to be a theist' then may I suggest you obtain a roulette wheel and a labelmaker.

[Mister Dead]

I wouldn't trust any test that told me I could be 285% percent something

[Kittythecat]

(Original post by ChloeJaneR)
I've been maintaining an agnostic approach to religion for years now because I came to the conclusion that if there is something, a God of some sort, then I wouldn't have the capacity to understand it. However I find this very frustrating. I'd love to believe in something that I could rely on and pray or meditate to for help and thanks but I honestly don't know which religion best suits me or if I could even comprehend 'something'. I've reached breaking point now to the point where I took a test last night to be told I am:
100% agnostic
90% satanic
55% pagan
40% christian
All of the other major world religions were on there (but I noticed Sikhism wasn't?) but those were the percentages that stuck in my head. My mum was pagan and is soon to be baptized as a born again christian after 'finding God' and my dad is a devout roman catholic, I've gone to catholic schools my whole life and attended both catholic churches and pagan festivals. Now I don't actively worship or practice either but I have practiced in both religions growing up and was shocked to be so highly suited to satanism! and so unsuited to Christianity and paganism.
I'm just so very confused. I take philosophy and ethics of religion as an A level (which has only confused me further) and I plan to take a theology degree out of interest, not faith.
To be fair, I do over think a lot because I'm a natural thinker. I want to be a novelist so I contemplate a lot of issues when I write shorter stories and it can almost drive me to not sleep for a whole night.
Do you think I should talk to someone? Maybe my mum's pastor or my dad's priest?
Sorry for how long this is I just really need some help :')

What test did you take?
I wanna take it tooo

[ChloeJaneR]

(Original post by Kittythecat)
What test did you take?
I wanna take it tooo

I have no idea sorry :') I tried looking for it again for you and couldn't find it

[ChloeJaneR]

(Original post by norton1)
unlike lot's wife amiright?

hahahahahahahahaa!

[ChloeJaneR]

(Original post by Luminique)
i recommend watching these, since Islam wasn't on your list

It was on the list, I just don't remember the percentage it gave me I'll watch them, thanks

[EonBlueApocalypse]

Going to talk to priest= ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL.

[SEHughes]

(Original post by ChloeJaneR)
.

You don't need religion.

[chickenonsteroids]

You don't need to label yourself. Continue searching if you want to do that. There's no rush to define your belief(s) to anyone. It's ok not knowing

It might take you a while but it'll mean more when you decide for yourself