# Religious Dopers - Why did you choose your religion? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 7, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-dopers-why-did-you-choose-your-religion/238649 "2004-04-07T00:02:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Star\_Was](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Star\_Was](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Star_Was)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-dopers-why-did-you-choose-your-religion/238649/1 "2004-04-07T00:02:57Z")
For those of you who are religious, why did you choose your particular religion? What makes you believe the religion you are a part of is the only true religion? If you don’t believe your religion is the only true, why are you not member of multiple religions? How much of your choice was made because of the religion you were raised in? Was your choice totally based on faith? Or are other reasons? Do you try to convert people to your religion? If so, why and how? If the mods feel this better for IMHO, please move it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Lilairen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lilairen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilairen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-dopers-why-did-you-choose-your-religion/238649/2 "2004-04-07T00:27:55Z")
> [@Star Was](#): > > For those of you who are religious, why did you choose your particular religion? 'Cause it was consistent with my experiences, provided an extensive framework for already-established ethics, and vocabulary that enabled me to express my beliefs better. It also contains support for my needs and ways of addressing my failings, a great wealth of imagery and symbolism that works well for me, and is . . . for lack of a better way of expressing, full of colour. It has not only increased the variety and depth of my experiences with the divine, but given me inspiration and focus in my life. > [@](#): > > What makes you believe the religion you are a part of is the only true religion? Nothing. > [@](#): > > If you don’t believe your religion is the only true, why are you not member of multiple religions? Depending on how you look at it I am. 😛 I follow the path that works most effectively for me. I do not follow other paths because they’re not going where I want to go or otherwise fail to meet my needs. > [@](#): > > How much of your choice was made because of the religion you were raised in? I’m not even sure that I can say I was raised in a religion at all, honestly. The only significant involvement with my earliest religious affiliation (which I shared with neither of my parents) I have these days is a romantic involvement with someone of that religion. > [@](#): > > Was your choice totally based on faith? Or are other reasons? I’m not sure any of my choice was based on faith, unless you mean faith that something that appeared to work for me does, in fact, work for me. > [@](#): > > Do you try to convert people to your religion? If so, why and how? No. No point, really. Unless they’ve asked me for advice on finding their path (in which point I’m honorbound to help them figure out what path is best for _them_, not push the one that’s best for _me_) it’s not any of my business. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-dopers-why-did-you-choose-your-religion/238649/3 "2004-04-07T00:42:45Z")
> [@Star Was](#): > > For those of you who are religious, why did you choose your particular religion? It chose me. > [@](#): > > What makes you believe the religion you are a part of is the only true religion? I don’t necessarily. Maybe it is. Maybe not. > [@](#): > > If you don’t believe your religion is the only true, why are you not member of multiple religions? Not enough time? This is a very silly question. > [@](#): > > How much of your choice was made because of the religion you were raised in? Ah, does anybody really know? Does anybody really care? > [@](#): > > Was your choice totally based on faith? Or are other reasons? 31% Faith, 34% Personal experience, 19% Logic, 7% empirical evidence, 5% Group discount on life insurance, 3% Way to meet chicks, 1% undecided. > [@](#): > > Do you try to convert people to your religion? If so, why and how? I’m usually comfortable telling people what I believe and why. If it seems appropriate, I may do something really wacky like give them a book. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-dopers-why-did-you-choose-your-religion/238649/4 "2004-04-07T01:14:09Z")
I am a priest of the Church of the SubGenius, a so-called “joke” religion – of the “Ha-ha, only serious!” variety. Like all great religions, the Church of the SubGenius is based on a few core spiritual insights which might or might not be true, but are undoubtedly profound. E.g., the Christian doctrine of Original Sin: It might or might not be true that all human beings are “born in sin,” but it is definitely a very important way of looking at the human condition and coming to terms with it – based on an intuitive perception, which most people in all cultures probably have shared at one time or another, that the Universe we live in is “flawed” or “broken” in some fundamental way. Buddhism is based on the insight that humans live their lives in pursuit of “grasping desires” and this is the source (or at least, a source) of suffering – which is hard to dispute, although it might not be whole story in the sense some Buddhists think it is. In the case of the CotSG, the core insight is this: **There is only a small minority of “human” beings (the SubGenii) who really know what it’s like to be alive.** The majority ( the “Normals” or “Pinks”) just shuffle (or rage!) through life, eat, shit, and die, and in consequence are completely expendable, even execrable, by any reasonable standard of values. What is more, the difference between the SubGenii and Pinks is rooted not in “intelligence,” but in imagination, creativity, lust-for-life, and orneriness. This insight is not only profound but **true.** I chose the way of “Bob” for that reason, and also because the CotSG is far and away the funniest religion in human history (with the possible exception of Mormonism). [www.subgenius.com](http://www.subgenius.com) ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-dopers-why-did-you-choose-your-religion/238649/5 "2004-04-07T02:08:41Z")
> [@Star Was](#): > > For those of you who are religious, why did you choose your particular religion? Well, one day I was shopping in Theist-Mart, you know, just to pick up some soul cleanser, but I saw that they had it on 2-for-1 clearance. O\_o I didn’t choose it, I stumbled into it. It’s kinda like asking, “which political party did you choose.” You just kinda… do. > [@](#): > > What makes you believe the religion you are a part of is the only true religion? Um, nothing, thanks. Not all religions are like that. > [@](#): > > If you don’t believe your religion is the only true, why are you not member of multiple religions? I am. However, it is usually only possible to practice one at a time, unless you want to be bowing towards Mecca with a crucifix on a Wiccan altar O\_o > [@](#): > > How much of your choice was made because of the religion you were raised in? None. I was (thankfully) raised to have an open mind and experiment with many religions. > [@](#): > > Was your choice totally based on faith? Or are other reasons? Not so much faith as knowing what works for me. > [@](#): > > Do you try to convert people to your religion? If so, why and how? Never, though I’m more than happy to explain the basics of it to people who are curious for purposes of education; I don’t want to convert anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2004, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religious-dopers-why-did-you-choose-your-religion/238649/6 "2004-04-07T06:31:43Z")
> [@Star Was](#): > > For those of you who are religious, why did you choose your particular religion? For me, it answers the profound questions in my life in the best way. Besides, it’s fun. It’s not a chore, but rather a joy to participate. > [@](#): > > What makes you believe the religion you are a part of is the only true religion? I don’t believe any religion is the “one, true religion.” I believe they all have some truth to them. For me, Wicca provides a philosophical framework that is internally consistent and effectively helps me handle moral problems. YMMV. > [@](#): > > If you don’t believe your religion is the only true, why are you not member of multiple religions? As I said, all religions, IMHO, have some truth to them. I practice Wicca 'cause it fits me best. Again, YMMV. > [@](#): > > How much of your choice was made because of the religion you were raised in? Was your choice totally based on faith? Or are other reasons? Yes, I left Xianity because I saw many moral/philosophical problems with it. That was a large part, say at least 50% if you want to try and quantify it. > [@](#): > > Do you try to convert people to your religion? If so, why and how? Nope. I think most folks are intelligent enough to figure out their own spiritual or religious path. If they want to ask me questions about my own faith, I’ll be happy to answer, but otherwise, I give folks the benefit of the doubt. I believe that in the over-all scheme of things, it’s not so much which religion one practices but rather if one is a good person or not. Again, YMMV.