An Introduction to Religion: why I am the way I am.

It would be a lie if I where to claim that I am not religious in any sense of the imagination. Over the course of my life religion has played a great role in shaping who I am. Not long ago I posted a blog in which I attempted to explain my views clearly and in a compact manner. To my knowledge the intent has succeeded. However I myself do not feel that my thoughts on the manner where clearly defined. [Therefore] I wish to once again make an attempt to clearly define the many thoughts, experiences, and longings that radiate throughout my heart. 

One blog will not do that. So I have decided to discuss each core belief in different blogs, with this first one being a simple introduction.

How does one introduce their beliefs? Our beliefs are the result of experiences, heritage and our cultural reaction to the two(my thoughts, not necessarily reputable). Behind each of us is a long line of individuals who had their own experiences responded to by their own cultural responses to these experiences. We are extremely subjective individuals; made up of stories up stories. Each story we have existed within contains other characters who build the story and add dynamic. By other characters being a part of our stories we are effected by their stories. 

So what does this have to do with my beliefs? They are not necessarily my own. They are built up off of the story of my parents, the stories they come from, and my friends and the stories they come from. I did not simply sit in a dark room trying to figure out whether I exist or not. No, my beliefs(which make up a good portion of who I am) stem from many many different factors. The main factor of which that ties many of the stories that effected me the most together is the story of Christianity. 

Christianity is {quite possibly} the most embarrassing story to come from. When being truly honest with oneself, who could disagree? Some of the craziest nuts have associated themselves with the Christian religion. In all honesty, I try to avoid this term at all costs when it comes up in a conversation. It's not that I find it 'uncool' or 'irrelevant', I simply find many of those who associate themselves with this term 'uncool' and 'irrelevant'. But I shall not spend much time on this issue in this blog. Wait a few and you'll hear more of my thoughts on the Christian religion. Simply know that this is the story that has had the greatest impact on my life and I value it. 

I truly believe that in order to embrace who one truly is, one must embrace the truth of the stories that have impacted ones life. These next few posts will be a written expression of the truth that I have {thus far} found in life. It is incomplete, for I have only experienced two decades of life. That and God is quite big. There is a lot of living, and a lot of exploring left to do.

What I hope not to accomplish with these blogs are to write down a systematic 'this is the only way to think of things' theology. I have by no means systematically exhausted all means of knowing what it is that is true. Speaking of truth, this is a conversation about truth. It is not a debate about what truth is and isn't. Please sit back in your armchair with a cup of tea(because I love tea) and discuss what I have to say with me. If you do not have a blogspot, feel free to message me via facebook(I am assuming that those who read this have a facebook and are friends with me).

The three areas we will be discussing are what follows:

1) a/theism-Who/what is god? How does god relate to our lives? How do we know that god exists? How am I to experience god?

2) humanism-What is the difference between love and law? How does god relate to the are of ethics and morality?

3) Jesus-How does Jesus fit in with the following two areas? 

Sit back and enjoy. Do not expect these to be really academic, for I am not much of an academic person. I simply wish you to understand what it is that I have experienced.