In response to Skyla...

Skyla asks, "What constitutes as your religion and what beliefs do you have that are unique to other religions of the world?"

From preschool up through 6th grade, I attended a Catholic elementary school. I remember consciously trying to believe in God and Jesus, praying the rosary trying to understand Christianity and have faith in it... to no avail. My attempts were completely futile, and I promptly relinquished the title of "Christian." Since then, I've bounced between atheism and agnosticism, educating myself in bits and pieces of the ways of other religions along the way. I suppose I've retained some of the teachings from the Bible (such as the Golden Rule), but I've definitely strayed from the concept of standardized religion. I have to agree with Skyla that a "non-religion" seems to be ideal. I instead try to live my life under the principles of kindness, acceptance, respect (for myself and for others), and doing what I think is right or ethical. I think thats really what matters anyway; people should concern themselves with the philosophies of their so-called "religions" rather than the label or the stories. I obviously have some Catholic influences, but I'm also intrigued by the natural spirituality of Native Americans, the concepts of Buddhism, and many of the teachings of philosophers we've studied in class. Furthermore, I can't help but include my modern twist from a contemporary standpoint. The more I learn, the more influences I incorporate into my lifestyle of a religion. I guess I'd say my 'religion' is still evolving, and may never cease in its progress.

Q: Why do many people just accept the religion they were taught as a child?