Questions about joining/leaving religion

[awitch]

This informal survey is open to anyone:

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?
Do you think any of these, or other reasons are misguided?
How important to your god(s) is one's motivation for joining your religion?

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?
Do you think any of these, or other reasons are valid?
How understanding is your god(s) when it comes to one's sincere, but failed attempt to belong?

 

[ananda]

This informal survey is open to anyone:

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?
Do you think any of these, or other reasons are misguided?
How important to your god(s) is one's motivation for joining your religion?

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?
Do you think any of these, or other reasons are valid?
How understanding is your god(s) when it comes to one's sincere, but failed attempt to belong?

From my personal experience & interactions:

"What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?": They've experienced great suffering, and have carefully considered it after much searching, understanding it to be the one philosophy that speaks best to both the head and the heart, and are willing to test it out in practice.

"Do you think any of these, or other reasons are misguided?": No

How important to your god(s) is one's motivation for joining your religion?": Not applicable

"What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?": They are usually younger individuals who grew up in a Buddhist household, and are branching out in order to personally experience other religious ideas and/or seek comfort in a celestial parent figure; or, older individuals who have not practiced but are facing fear in light of the imminent prospects of old age, illness, or death, and also seek the comfort of a celestial parent figure.

"Do you think any of these, or other reasons are valid?": It is likely valid for them.

"How understanding is your god(s) when it comes to one's sincere, but failed attempt to belong?": Not applicable; however, along those lines in the samsaric worldview, everyone seeks to personally & fully experience all the highs and lows of samsaric existence until they say "I've had enough of the merry-go-round!"

 

[RaymondG]

1. The most important reason one joins a religion would be: They have a void in their heart/soul that has not been filled by their current activities in the world. They are looking for a filling, for more.....for lifes purpose/meaning.......hope.
- These feelings are not misguided.
- God is very important in this motivation, as it is Him who can fill this void.

2. Most common reason one leave, is that they didnt find what they were looking for; as they did not know what to look for or how to look. They needed to find God, but were looking for a new club to join... one where everyone dances the same and thinks and talks the same. They wanted to fit in and belong to something. So when they become a part of a group, and a few group members do them wrong, or tell them wrong information, they leave.....and go back to the clubs in the world......for they feel them to now to be all the same......so go for the one that is more fun and have less rules.
- I believe their reasons are valid.
-God is very understanding, as He is the one who caused this discomfort in the stability of the club.
-God calls a few out of the Clubs to worship in spirit and in truth. To the outside, it may seem like a lost soul. But to those within...They could have been chosen to walk a narrow path that few find...a road one must travel alone....

 

[Robban]

This informal survey is open to anyone:

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?
Do you think any of these, or other reasons are misguided?
How important to your god(s) is one's motivation for joining your religion?

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?
Do you think any of these, or other reasons are valid?
How understanding is your god(s) when it comes to one's sincere, but failed attempt to belong?

I do not like religion/s.

Home, home sweet home, the green, green grass of home.

I see religion as a sort of fosterhome, orphanage, or somewhere that is not home,
even if it can provide a refuge,

Home is best, there you can put your feet up if you wish,

Not much of an answer maybe, but what first came to me.

 

[FireDragon76]

This informal survey is open to anyone:

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?

Baptism sponsored by their parents and being raised in the church. We do not believe people are born Christians, after all.

After that, I'd say the leading reason is coming from another Christian tradition and favoring our teaching on personal moral agency in matters of ethics, or just our overall general theological approach.

Do you think any of these, or other reasons are misguided?
How important to your god(s) is one's motivation for joining your religion?

Our motives are always mixed and humans are psychologically complicated. God works with us, regardless, if we do not reject his grace.

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?

Disinterest in spirituality/religion. Or preferring a more sensationalistic or emotionalist form of religion.

Do you think any of these, or other reasons are valid?

Sometimes. Since our religion is heavily congregationalist, it really depends on their experience. Sometimes our pastors have problems connecting with younger people, especially ones that are in aging congregations.

How understanding is your god(s) when it comes to one's sincere, but failed attempt to belong?

I believe God is merciful.

 

[jacknife]

I think most atheist are simply in transition with thier faith, they lost it and kind of use it as a place holder till they come back or convert to a differnt belief altogather. Ots why you hear so many "i was an athiest once" stories.

 

[MehGuy]

I think most atheist are simply in transition with thier faith, they lost it and kind of use it as a place holder till they come back or convert to a differnt belief altogather. Ots why you hear so many "i was an athiest once" stories.

Wonder if this has to do with a generational gap. My father was an "atheist" although I don't think his lack of belief was built on any solid foundation. Atheists these days are probably more informed and less likely to be religious again.

 

[PloverWing]

An interesting survey.

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?

As I reflect, I can't think of anyone I know who converted to Christianity from a completely different background. That is, I know people who were atheist or agnostic, but who grew up in a family of vaguely Christian heritage, here in our majority-Christian culture, and who became Christian; for them, it's a decision to participate actively in something that's always been generally around them. And I know plenty of people who "converted" from one Christian denomination to another. But I can't think of any Christian friends who were formerly Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist. I need to go off and think for a while about what that means.

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?
Do you think any of these, or other reasons are valid?
How understanding is your god(s) when it comes to one's sincere, but failed attempt to belong?

The reasons that come to mind are:

1) They've been hurt by the church. They were sexually assaulted, or they were gossiped about, or people said cruel things to them, or they were excluded from participation because they were female or divorced or gay.

2) They've come to believe that the basic teachings of Christianity are false. They think there's insufficient evidence for the existence of God, or for the Incarnation, or some other foundational belief.

3) They become uninterested in religion.

I think reasons #1 and #2 make a great deal of sense. Reason #3 I can't fathom; I can imagine becoming Pagan, or maybe a member of another religion, and I can imagine (with great reluctance, but one must follow wherever truth leads) becoming an atheist, but I can't imagine not caring about the Sacred aspects of life.

How understanding? I believe that we are saved through the work of Christ and not through our correct belief. My faith and my hope is that the work of Christ was powerful enough to save all of us, regardless of the flaws in our understanding.

 

[dlamberth]

This informal survey is open to anyone:

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?
Do you think any of these, or other reasons are misguided?
How important to your god(s) is one's motivation for joining your religion?

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?
Do you think any of these, or other reasons are valid?
How understanding is your god(s) when it comes to one's sincere, but failed attempt to belong?

I'm not in a religion. I follow a spiritual path that has no dogma, beliefs or requirements. It's based on inner experience and Love. And I think that's the most common reason why others are pulled towards the spiritual path I follow.

For the most common reason why people leave? I have to think about that a moment. I don't really know for sure. Maybe laziness in the inner work?

How understanding is God? God is 100% forgiving and full of Love. We are like leaves on a tree. No two are a like yet we are all of the same Human tree. So what matters is not what God thinks, but in how we become a more human, Human Being.

 

[dlamberth]

I think most atheist are simply in transition with thier faith, they lost it and kind of use it as a place holder till they come back or convert to a differnt belief altogather. Ots why you hear so many "i was an athiest once" stories.

Your talking about me.

 

[jacknife]

Wonder if this has to do with a generational gap. My father was an "atheist" although I don't think his lack of belief was built on any solid foundation. Atheists these days are probably more informed and less likely to be religious again.

Most people never take the time to find thier spirituality, think of all the christians who barley know anything about thier faith. Thier stuck in it beacuse of those around them, then one day they start exploring that aspect of thier life and they realize they never really believed that stuff after all. I think it happens something like that

 

[Robban]

Most people never take the time to find thier spirituality, think of all the christians who barley know anything about thier faith. Thier stuck in it beacuse of those around them, then one day they start exploring that aspect of thier life and they realize they never really believed that stuff after all. I think it happens something like that

That is probably true in many cases, depending on a lot of things,

but in the usual run of things we hear before we can read,

Therefore I am sure that what we first hear never leaves us.

There maybe a filter in the brain that blocks it out, everyday life,
a thousand things we have to take care of.

Maybe something happens that will bring the words we first heard back.

If not, as we grow older and all systems start to shut down,
the filter in the brain becomes worn out and lets through things in clearest detail
what happened even when we were so young that we thought we had forgotten.

But there we have it, we cannot forget.

 

[Chesterton]

nm

 

[Zoness]

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?
A different religious paradigm that has more open values and more tolerance for the individual. Some of them join for a special closeness to nature. Others join for a spiritual experience that's radically unlike the large Abrahamic faiths.

Do you think any of these, or other reasons are misguided?
Nah, people do what they do. Everyone is on a different path. Humans have very human motivations, it would be unfair to expect perfection out of them.

How important to your god(s) is one's motivation for joining your religion?
Not so important, as there are Atheist, Deist and Pantheist pagans as well as Mono/Duotheists and Polytheists. Though if those gods are real I imagine they'd appreciate the following, faults of the human notwithstanding.

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?
I've seen more people become irreligious (rather than switching religion) from paganism so I'd say lack of convincing proof of the existence of pagan deities or pagan philosophical frameworks do not fit their worldview in light of that conclusion.

Going to a religion I'd say the only experiences I've seen with that where one had a personal experience that convinced them of another religion. They didn't offer up proof but made it clear that it was a personal decision that only they could undertake. I respected that.

Do you think any of these, or other reasons are valid?
Totally! I've on and off toyed with Atheism throughout my adult life. To me, its not a bad thing to be an Atheist. I think you can still be spiritual in a sense while being an Atheist.

How understanding is your god(s) when it comes to one's sincere, but failed attempt to belong?
Very. Honest knowledge seeking is not a quality to be disregarded and I have no reason to see why they'd be angry with that approach. Of course, it depends on the god, cultural context and personality ascribed but only speaking to the gods I've ever conceptualized, it would be fine. The power of the gods is not dependent on quantity of followers. Quality over quantity is fine.

 

[cloudyday2]

As I reflect, I can't think of anyone I know who converted to Christianity from a completely different background. That is, I know people who were atheist or agnostic, but who grew up in a family of vaguely Christian heritage, here in our majority-Christian culture, and who became Christian; for them, it's a decision to participate actively in something that's always been generally around them. And I know plenty of people who "converted" from one Christian denomination to another. But I can't think of any Christian friends who were formerly Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist. I need to go off and think for a while about what that means.

That is a good observation. A lot of non-Christians are nevertheless familiarized to Christianity by culture.

My roommate in college was an immigrant from Taiwan who moved to the US as a teenager. His entire family was atheist, but he married a Christian woman and converted. Of course he did have a little bit of Christian indoctrination and the incentive of love. IDK

 

[Arthra]

A "witch" asked:

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?

I can't speak for all other people but only for the ones I know of... They seem to welcome our friendliness and openness to their own spiritual search as well as to our principles of recognizing the oneness of humanity and establishing peace.

Do you think any of these, or other reasons are misguided?

Not really... It's more a case of a pleasant awakening.

How important to your God is one's motivation for joining your religion?

We believe God is near us and loves us... and we in turn can respond to that love.

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?

Again, I can't speak for others only the few I know of. Being a Baha'i can be lonely as there are few of us and in some countries acknowledging your faith can be dangerous.

 

[Phil 1:21]

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 1 John 2:19

 

[TheOldWays]

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people join your religion?
I don't really have a religion, but as a seeker I think people will follow this path to explore a different path when their current one isn't meeting their needs.

Do you think any of these, or other reasons are misguided?
Maybe. It's all just steps on a journey. If one wants to seek, they will seek. There may be a variety of reasons why they do so, and some of those could be misguided, but there must be a start to any new journey.

How important to your god(s) is one's motivation for joining your religion?
not really applicable.

What do you think are the most common reasons why other people leave your religion?
Seeking can be a lonely path. People will seek as there is a sense of excitement in new discoveries. But I find the end result of many seekers is that they miss what they had. A religion can offer them comfort, community and a solid base. Seeking is a path of trial and error. Sometimes of floating in limbo. Many people don't like that. But seeking one's proper place in the universe isn't always easy, until you discover it is, which can take years.

I myself was a Christian for many years, and when i began to seek, I went back to the faith several times. It was almost like going exploring in a forest but coming back home each time when I found the forest a bit too scary. But each time I came home I would stay shorter amounts of time until venturing off again. Eventually the forest became my home and my desire to return to Christianity disappeared.

Do you think any of these, or other reasons are valid?
Of course. There is comfort in power structures and communal thought forms. Our world is made up of them. Religious, political, social, etc. It doesn't matter. There is a sense of purpose and belonging found in these. But I do believe each person has their own path, and the more of these groups, ideas, parties they subscribe to, the less control they have over their own path, if they have any control at all.

How understanding is your god(s) when it comes to one's sincere, but failed attempt to belong?
If you allow your world/god/universe to be so, it will be infinitely understanding and compassionate towards you. It is limitless. It's patience will never run out, unless you convince yourself otherwise.