My Religion | Teen Ink

My Religion MAG

By Anonymous

I have a magnet on my mirror stating, “Life is not about finding yourself – life is about creating yourself.” This is the statement I live by.

Many people do not believe me when I say I am an atheist. They don’t understand that I simply do not believe in any sort of god or afterlife. I also do not believe in the devil, in angels, or in souls. I believe in myself and the strength I have gained through the help of my parents, teachers, and friends – and my own hard work.

I am not going to try to dissuade anyone from his or her own opinions either. I know that people enjoy having religion in their lives; some need their faith to help them through hard times. And some do not want the responsibility of their misfortunes weighing down on their shoulders.

I do. I abhor the idea of fate – that everything is already planned out and you have no control to change anything. If you believe in fate, when bad things happen, it is not your fault; it’s just fate. When my life is not going well, I know that it is no one’s fault but my own. When I do well in school, when I fall in love, it is not fate and we are not soul mates. I worked hard and paid attention and did the homework. My love and I simply love each other – that is all it is, and for me that is all it needs to be.

For some, life is overwhelming. How can anyone be successful and happy in such a difficult, horrible world? They need someone to help them, someone to guide them, and someone to have faith in to make sure things get better. Placing my success and happiness in another’s hands breaks my heart. I need to be successful because of my efforts. I must be responsible for my own happiness. That is what I need from my religion.

Who will ever know what the truth really is? All I know is in the same way that some have full faith and trust in God to give them hope, I need to believe I am on my own to be truly happy – for how can I create myself if I spend my entire life just looking?



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This article has 764 comments.


on Feb. 3 2010 at 8:49 am
SaraRoxsHerSox SILVER, McVeytown, Pennsylvania
7 articles 0 photos 85 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Brochacho!"

Wow! This article really moved me. And I loved it all the better because you kept it respectful. I am an atheist as well and I completely agree with everything you said here.

Aluna BRONZE said...
on Feb. 2 2010 at 11:04 pm
Aluna BRONZE, Sherwood, Oregon
1 article 0 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
When people say I'm weird, I reply: I'm an artist; I can't be normal!
-Me

Great job keeping it respectful. I am atheist as well, and I have to agree with you. Very well written!

on Jan. 31 2010 at 11:19 am
clumsy_one123 SILVER, Brentwood, Tennessee
8 articles 1 photo 170 comments

Favorite Quote:
"All daring starts from within." -Eudora Welty

well written but i completely disagree with you.

read my article "The Other Side of the Coin: Truths About Creationism" to find out why

on Jan. 29 2010 at 10:29 am
Dustfingers DIAMOND, Grand Rapids, Michigan
86 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love to be Loved"

that is so true

on Jan. 29 2010 at 10:28 am
Dustfingers DIAMOND, Grand Rapids, Michigan
86 articles 0 photos 29 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Love to be Loved"

Sometimes it's easier to say I don't believ in anything at all than to say I ant to put my trust in spemthing higher. I'm a christian and fate doesn't play a whole lot in my life becuase there are simply two roads of life and death. When soemthing bad happens it's my fault but it's up to me to hav a clse relationship with God to change those bad things. The gret thing about God is tha he doesn't force you to do this and that and I am completely respectful of your opinion. I just see it like, your going to live your life trying to do the right thing or not and if you are you might as well find God along the way and develop that realtionship becuase when it's all said and done its better to be safe than sorry and full of regret

ahoneyhalo said...
on Jan. 28 2010 at 10:06 pm
i agree. it only seems logical to me that there's a higher being (God). So I'm christian too.

on Jan. 28 2010 at 5:22 pm
KatstertheMaster SILVER, Like I&#39d Tell You ;-), Florida
7 articles 1 photo 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
"I don't really think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon."
Ellen DeGeneres

Just what I was gonna say! :)

I believe that we look to God for help but there isn't "fate," that you can't control, rather that god know's what'll happen before it does. :)

Henry said...
on Jan. 26 2010 at 8:14 pm
Yes, I completely agree. The concepts of good and evil did not come from God. I strongly disagree that it's a "cold, sterile world" without God, and in fact find the statement incredibly presumptuous. How can someone make such a general, blanket statement from an individual point of view?

on Jan. 25 2010 at 9:10 pm
Emo_Girl09087 SILVER, Greenville, Pennsylvania
6 articles 2 photos 5 comments

Favorite Quote:
" ones who dissobey the rules are scum, but those who betray their friends are even worse scum."

i completely understand you. i am athiest as well. but i might switch to satanism .

J. Rae said...
on Jan. 24 2010 at 12:13 pm
If I tell you who made God you ask who made the person who made God. No one knows but just because we don't know who made him that doesn't mean he doesn't exist.

on Jan. 23 2010 at 10:48 pm
creativemind BRONZE, A City, Other
2 articles 2 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
"never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game"

great article. deffinitaly got your point across in such a respectful way. i agree with you .

Chrissy_L GOLD said...
on Jan. 23 2010 at 6:32 pm
Chrissy_L GOLD, Ramsey, New Jersey
13 articles 0 photos 66 comments

Favorite Quote:
An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

I say religion stole those words, got out its label-maker, and stuck "MINE" over every visible surface. Religion does not own good and evil; they come from human morality and our own conscience. So until religion patents these worlds, I will freely use them as parts of my own, God-free life.

on Jan. 22 2010 at 2:53 pm
HerLittleRed BRONZE, Smithfield, North Carolina
2 articles 0 photos 3 comments
I love your article. It clearly states your belief and explains it in a way that anyone can understand. I used to be athiest because I couldn't understand how there would be a higher power since it doesn't logically make sense. I now have no idea what I am because I realized I'm still finding myself. But still, you're respectful of other people while stating your beliefs, which not many people can do.

on Jan. 21 2010 at 4:29 pm
E.A.Costa BRONZE, Cary, North Carolina
2 articles 0 photos 23 comments

Favorite Quote:
It doesn't matter what color my skin is, how long my hair is, or whether I'm a woman or a man-John Lennon

If there is no higher power than what could possibly make humans this way?

It is not coincidence there is only one life form in our solar system that maintains a state of intelligence superior to any other species. It is not coincidence that humans exist, and monkeys exists. Evolution occurs only when a there is a need to evolve. If humans truly evolved from monkeys than the monkeys that didn't evolve into humans should have died out. It did not simply "happen".

on Jan. 20 2010 at 5:55 pm
shhimhuntingrabbits BRONZE, North Port, Florida
4 articles 0 photos 10 comments
I've always loved that quote.

dfree said...
on Jan. 20 2010 at 3:34 pm
How can an Atheist use words like "evil" and "good." Those are religious words. Only in a world with absolute morals can something be good. Without God there is no good and you cannot say anything is evil.. rape , molestation, murder, and genocide are things that just happen, not evil..It is a sterile heartless world without God.

Chrissy_L GOLD said...
on Jan. 19 2010 at 4:21 pm
Chrissy_L GOLD, Ramsey, New Jersey
13 articles 0 photos 66 comments

Favorite Quote:
An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

Is he both willing and able? Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither willing nor able? Then why call him God?"

I don't expect to convince any Christians with this; I just thought it was a nice quote which some of the Atheists here might appreciate. :)

Chrissy_L GOLD said...
on Jan. 19 2010 at 4:17 pm
Chrissy_L GOLD, Ramsey, New Jersey
13 articles 0 photos 66 comments

Favorite Quote:
An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

If God made the Big Bang, who or what made God?

Chrissy_L GOLD said...
on Jan. 19 2010 at 4:11 pm
Chrissy_L GOLD, Ramsey, New Jersey
13 articles 0 photos 66 comments

Favorite Quote:
An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.

Well sure. It's just a part of the speech we pick up; I don't particularly care to what it refers. Hey, many people say "gesundheit" when someone sneezes. They don't mean it literally as "good health" but it's just something one says...

on Jan. 19 2010 at 9:06 am
Faith-Morgan BRONZE, Cochranville, Pennsylvania
4 articles 0 photos 10 comments
Im glad to see so many people helping! thats wat Jesus would have done