Religion has always been, and still is, a big part of people's lives. Being baptized as Catholic, as a child, I attended a Catholic school for a few years, prayed before every meal, and worshiped every Sunday. Catholicism and Christianity were my guidance in life and I felt like they would steer me in the right direction. When I grew up, I realized religion just wasn't for me.
Just a friendly disclaimer: as an agnostic individual, I will never put down religion by any means. I believe that religion is a great thing. It can steer people in the right direction in their lives, help them as moral beings and be a place to turn to when all else fails. I will never tell someone that their religion is wrong or fake. With that being said, although every religion has some sort of "bible" and a basis for what God is supposed to be according to that religion, I've always believed that everyone has a personal God. I don't think God is the same for every single person. For me, my God and I just didn't work out.
Many people in my life have tried to convince me that I was "just in a rough patch" and I needed to give church a second try. Many tried to make me realize that it's what I needed and that my life would be so much better once I had faith again. I tried my very hardest to have faith, but I couldn't. It's nothing personal with religion; I just didn't feel that spiritual or faithful connection with my God anymore. When I prayed, I didn't feel like anyone was listening. When I asked for guidance, I felt as if my path was the same, regardless of my God "leading" me the right way or not. When I sat in church, I didn't feel the gospel or stories or the music connecting to me.
When I grew up and realized I didn't have a connection with my faith anymore, I decided to live my life based on good morals and humanity. I put as much good energy in the world as I possibly can, and I receive that good energy back in the form of all kinds of blessings, from my family, friends, boyfriend, jobs, etc. I don't necessarily "need" religion to live a good life (not to say that people who are religious can't live a good life, but hopefully, you're catching my point here).
I love learning about different religions. I love learning what other people's Gods are to them. I love hearing people's different interpretations of God and the belief systems. It's a fascinating and beautiful thing. I just hope when I tell people that I'm not religious, they're not offended in any way. I hope they understand that if they pray before dinner, I'll join them in respect. If they need someone to go to church with so they don't go alone, I'll join to help them on their spiritual journey. And, if my God is still out there trying to guide me through life, I wholeheartedly believe He's doing a great job. If He still hasn't given up on me, I am grateful.
