What do you love most about your faith tradition?

[NowHereThis]

What finally made you realize that it was “the one” for you (even though there may have still been many things you admired about other traditions)?

Have there been other paths that you almost followed, but it just wasn’t meant to be in the end? What was the sticking point or points?

 

[JosieN]

I grew up in a large family. We saw each other at meals and during the family rosary and when we were at church . The rest of the time was spent doing homework, playing outside, chores etc. The family rosary in someway brought us closer together as did going to church, receiving the sacraments etc. Our house was decorated with crucifixes and pictures of saints etc. From a young age I new how important it was to believe in God and follow the commandments. There was never any doubt in my mind about my beliefs and so I have to say that what I love most about our faith tradition is the way it gives honor to God. You live your life for God, and try your best not to sin and do daily prayers and hope that one day Jesus will take you to heaven. That is what my parents did, and their parents etc. They have passed away but I rest knowing they made the right choices in life.

 

[arthra]

What finally made you realize that it was “the one” for you (even though there may have still been many things you admired about other traditions)?

Have there been other paths that you almost followed, but it just wasn’t meant to be in the end? What was the sticking point or points?

I was raised in a Baptist church and later began studying eastern religions… including Vedanta and Theravada Buddhism…

Around when I was twenty six years old I discovered Baha’i Faith and accepted it at the time for two reasons… One was that in being a Baha’i I could accept Krishna, Buddha and Christ without having to deny the others… there were no attacks on other religions. Two, at the time I was involved in the peace movement and civil rights I found the Baha’i Faith heavily approves of these movements.

 

[Kliska]

God. The Person, uniqueness, and fact of Jesus Christ and the other two Persons of the Trinity; The Father and Holy Spirit.

 

[drac16]

I’m a convert to Islam. I feel that I have an obligation to follow truth even if truth takes me places that I don’t want to go. To me, it’s not about comfort-- it’s about striving for something that is more important than comfort. If Islam is false, I want nothing to do with it. If it’s correct, I want everything to do with it. So it’s not about outward things like prayer, fasting, Qur’an recitation and whatnot-- it’s about being reconciled with the Creator and I am fully convinced that this path is the means by which one enters into an everlasting relationship with Him.

 

[SalusaSecondus]

What finally made you realize that it was “the one” for you (even though there may have still been many things you admired about other traditions)?

Have there been other paths that you almost followed, but it just wasn’t meant to be in the end? What was the sticking point or points?

The theology of the cross.

 

[jane_doe]

What finally made you realize that it was “the one” for you (even though there may have still been many things you admired about other traditions)?

Have there been other paths that you almost followed, but it just wasn’t meant to be in the end? What was the sticking point or points?

The theology. I find it to radiate great truth, help me understand the world, and gives great comfort during easy and hard times.

 

[meltzerboy]

What finally made you realize that it was “the one” for you (even though there may have still been many things you admired about other traditions)?

Have there been other paths that you almost followed, but it just wasn’t meant to be in the end? What was the sticking point or points?

I was raised Jewish although somewhat more orthodox than I am today. I have always loved the holidays and rituals of Judaism, their beauty, purity, and simplicity. The emphasis that Judaism has on behavior rather than dogma is also rewarding. I admire the focus on the individual atonement for sins no matter how many times one has failed in the past and the fact one is not thought of as a sinner at birth or throughout one’s life, but rather as one who has erred from the mark and needs to change one’s ways for the better. There is more emphasis on doing good than avoiding bad. The awesome mercy of G-d is palpable in the religion.

 

[cjforJesus]

What finally made you realize that it was “the one” for you (even though there may have still been many things you admired about other traditions)?

Have there been other paths that you almost followed, but it just wasn’t meant to be in the end? What was the sticking point or points?

The Eucharist .We receive the Body Blood Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ at every Mass. It does not get any better than God coming down to share in our humanity in order for us to share in His divinity.

 

[boomerang]

What finally made you realize that it was “the one” for you (even though there may have still been many things you admired about other traditions)?

Have there been other paths that you almost followed, but it just wasn’t meant to be in the end? What was the sticking point or points?

I was interested in Wicca at one time. I was almost ready to contact the local wicca group when I suddenly felt that it was ridiculous and not for me. I drifted between agnosticism and atheism for a while.

What brought me back into the CC was reading about the events of Fatima. When I heard there were 70,000+ people who witnessed the Miracle of the Sun, I was amazed. I was really pulled back into the Church because of this. Amen and Hallelujah!

What I love about the Catholic Church is the Eucharist, and all the apparitions of our Blessed Mother and Jesus, and all the saints and their relics and our communion with them.

 

[Horton]

What finally made you realize that it was “the one” for you (even though there may have still been many things you admired about other traditions)?

Have there been other paths that you almost followed, but it just wasn’t meant to be in the end? What was the sticking point or points?

I was raised in a mainline protestant church. As a young adult I fell away from “organized” religion but didn’t stop believing. As I grew older I tried a couple of different churches but none of them held me. I was invited to a Mass and by the end of Mass I knew I was home. The Catholic Church gave me the traditions I knew as a child going to church but it was like that tradition on steroids. Everything made sense for me.

The more I learned the more I wanted. Coming home to the Catholic Church, to Christ’s Church, to the Truth, is my life. While before I would have to say I was a Christian, today I know it’s not enough to say I’m Christian, I have to BE Christian.

There is no other Church than Christ’s Church.

 

[kozlosap]

Our Holy Mother, Mary. I am sad for those who look upon the Mother of Our Lord as an insignificant figure that they place in the family creche two weeks before Christmas and then put back in the attic unto the next year. Obviously the reception of the Eucharist is #1.

 

[spedteacherita]

I grew up in a Baptist “fire and brimstone” type of preaching (riding Sunday School bus to church) and it caused a lot of anxiety for me as a child. When I became an adult I was introduced to the LCMS and loved the theology, baptism and communion. I also enjoyed all the opportunities to have had Bible Studies at the time as well.



Almost forgot!!! I also loved the music as well as the liturgy - Lutherans are great singers!

 

[meltzerboy]

I grew up in a Baptist “fire and brimstone” type of preaching (riding Sunday School bus to church) and it caused a lot of anxiety for me as a child. When I became an adult I was introduced to the LCMS and loved the theology, baptism and communion. I also enjoyed all the opportunities to have had Bible Studies at the time as well.



Almost forgot!!! I also loved the music as well as the liturgy - Lutherans are great singers!

And apparently great actors as well: Rod Steiger was born Lutheran.

 

[SJacob7]

I’m a convert to Islam. I feel that I have an obligation to follow truth even if truth takes me places that I don’t want to go. To me, it’s not about comfort-- it’s about striving for something that is more important than comfort. If Islam is false, I want nothing to do with it. If it’s correct, I want everything to do with it. So it’s not about outward things like prayer, fasting, Qur’an recitation and whatnot-- it’s about being reconciled with the Creator and I am fully convinced that this path is the means by which one enters into an everlasting relationship with Him.

I ask this respectfully, but what makes you think that Islam is the correct religion? What makes you believe that Islam will be the means by which you will enter an everlasting relationship with your creator? Just curious…

 

[Sy_Noe]

I was both baptized (as an infant) and confirmed according to the Roman rite of the Catholic Church but honestly when confirmed at age 10, I didn’t know what I was getting into. At age 10 back then my main focus leading up to Confirmation was what Confirmation name I was going to choose. In retrospect I think that was too early of an age for Catholic kids to be confirmed back then. But as I matured I got to the place where the Catholic faith was not for me. That has been reinforced more over the yrs even as I informed my conscience of why the Catholic Church teaches what it does, and still knew I did not believe in it enough or have faith enough in the CC to abide by teachings or practice the faith. It got to the point where my favorite thing was that I liked how many different scheduled times Catholics have for Mass. Catholic churches near me can have 2 Saturday vigils at 4 and 530. And on Sundays as many as 5 or 6 scheduled times between very early Sun morning and Sun evening. I also liked the fact that I knew what I could expect with the order of the Mass being the same each wk. That is one reason why for a mainline denomination I might have familiarity in TEC or maybe ELCA. But mainly for the mainline-progressive churches, the openness including open Communion and their greater celebration of and acceptance of diversity are things I especially love about them. Which opens the doors for me to TEC but to a church such as UCC as well. And perhaps a few inbetween.

 

[Sy_Noe]

I went to edit my post further to add but was beyond the CAF time limit to do so. But another thing I love about the mainline-progressive denominations which is tied into by what I meant by diversity is that things are not as black and white or in a box. I simply don’t breathe as well when so many matters of faith are believed to be in a box. I do much better in gray and with the lid more open. Others though I know are more comfortable in black and white in their walks.

 

[drac16]

I ask this respectfully, but what makes you think that Islam is the correct religion? What makes you believe that Islam will be the means by which you will enter an everlasting relationship with your creator? Just curious…

It’s OK. I welcome discussion.

There are no words that can properly answer that because language is very limited when it comes to describing supernatural things. I’m an intellectual at heart, so I need intellectual stimulation. Over and over again in the Qur’an, Allah challenges people to ponder on things. Think about certain things and be sincere about it.

For me, that was huge. I, for years, always saw through gimmicks that many religions have, where you are simply asked to pray about whether or not a model is true. Truths don’t always need to be prayed about. I don’t have to pray about whether adultery is good or bad.

The Qur’an has knowledge of nations [like Ad, Thamud and such] that are too precise to have come about by chance or guesswork. For example, it accurately describes that the nation of Ad was once full of gardens and other vegetation (surah 26:131-135). We know that, 1400 years ago, which is when the Qur’an was revealed, no one knew that climatic changes over long periods of time can produce, in essence, a nation turning from a lush garden city into a barren city overwhelmed with strong wind, which produced a deadly sandstorm (which the Qur’an also described).

1400 years ago, there was no verifiable evidence that Ad existed, much less that it also was full of gardens, springs and was destroyed by a wind storm. It goes against conventional thinking to claim that a city that is unfound was actually a city which was famous for its gardens. You can read Harun Yahya’s book ‘Perished Nations’; if you want to further study this. I reccomend it.

TL;DR because of evidence.

 

[schaeffer]

what I love most about my religion, Pantheism, is that it makes total sense. There are no mental gymnastics involved. Everything makes sense within it and I understand my place in things.

Whenever I feel joy, it fits. When I feel confused and overwhelmed, my faith grounds me and puts things into perspective. I was lost before I embraced it.

 

[In_His_Grace]

What finally made you realize that it was “the one” for you (even though there may have still been many things you admired about other traditions)?

Have there been other paths that you almost followed, but it just wasn’t meant to be in the end? What was the sticking point or points?

The Savior and Friend of all who trust and follow after Him.