find a religion that suits me

My parents are christian, I come from a family of very religious people. I went through with joining the family church about three or four years ago, but its been about a year that I have lost all faith for this religion. A lot of the things I have read in the bible, I just cannot believe and cannot see that this actually happened, this is a personal thing and I wish I could believe it because I want more than anything to have an afterlife, I fear death so much that I have panic and anxiety attacks all the time, every day or few days its the same thing. I really do wish that I could find a religion to suit me, which I can believe.

The Bible is the best selling book ever.

I was reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown the other night and it’s really made me think about religion. I’ll admit, before I read that book, I was an Atheist. But now, I know I can’t be that (I think) because I DO believe in God. But it’s not the traditional view of God. I think God is like, some big force out there. He’s (or should I say ‘it’s’) not a person and it/he doesn’t know what we do. When they say God is all around us, I take that to mean when a miracle happens, it was God. When we achieve something that we want, that’s God. When you give spare change to a homeless person, that’s God too. Basically he/it’s every good thing in this world.
Ok, sorry if I confused anyone there! But here’s where it gets more complicated. I don’t believe in Jesus. I don’t think there ever even was a Jesus. I also don’t believe most of what the Bible says.
The closest religion I can find that suits my beliefs is Jehovahs Witness, but that even doesn’t suit me! Because they think God is coming or something, and I don’t believe that!
If you could leave a comment saying which religion you follow and a brief description about that religion, I’d find that extremely helpful. Cos at the moment, I don’t have the slightest clue!

I’ve definitely reached a crossroad in my life with regards to religion. In the past I wouldn’t have necessarily called myself the religious type, but I tended to think upon the spiritual and metaphysical. But I don’t want to wander around without purpose or a creed in my life to live by. My current religion (Roman Catholicism) is something of a travesty, and I may very well renounce it sometime in the near future if I find something that suits me better.

I’ve been doing a lot of research into other religions ever since and been wondering which one is right for me. It may take some time, but even if I don’t find the right one, I want this to be an exploration for myself. It’ll be something of a personal journey, too, I believe, as it would require some soul-searching.

to find out who is Muhammed
click here
http://www.rasoulallah.net/index_english.asp

MISCONCEPTION TWO:
Islam oppresses women.

The image of the typical Muslim woman wearing the veil and forced to
stay home and forbidden to drive is all too common in most peoples
thoughts. Although some Muslim countries may have laws that oppress
women, this should not be seen as coming from Islam. Many of these
countries do not rule by any kind of Shari’ah (Islamic law) and
introduce their own cultural standpoints on the issue of gender
equity.

Islam on the other hand gives men and women different roles and equity
between the two is laid down in the Quran and the example of the
Prophet (peace be upon him). Islam sees a woman, whether single or
married, as an individual in her own right, with the right to own and
dispose of her property and earnings. A marriage gift is given by
the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she keeps her
own family name rather than taking her husband’s. Both men and women
are expected to dress in a way that is modest and dignified. The
Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: “The most perfect in faith
amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his
wife.”

Violence of any kind towards women and forcing them against their
will for anything is not allowed. A Muslim marriage is a simple, legal
agreement in which either partner is free to include conditions.
Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to country. Divorce is
not common, although it is acceptable as a last resort. According to
Islam, a Muslim girl cannot be forced to marry against her will: her
parents simply suggest young men they think may be suitable.

MISCONCEPTION ONE:
Muslims are violent, terrorists and/or extremists.

This is the biggest misconception in Islam, no doubt resulting from
the constant stereotyping and bashing the media gives Islam. When a
gunman attacks a mosque in the name of Judaism, a Catholic IRA
guerrilla sets off a bomb in an urban area, or Serbian Orthodox
militiamen rape and kill innocent Muslim civilians, these acts are not
used to stereotype an entire faith. Never are these acts attributed
to the religion of the perpetrators. Yet how many times have we heard
the words ‘Islamic, Muslim fundamentalist. etc.’ linked with violence.

Politics in so called “Muslim countries” may or may not have any
Islamic basis. Often dictators and politicians will use the name of
Islam for their own purposes. One should remember to go to the source
of Islam and separate what the true religion of Islam says from what
is portrayed in the media. Islam literally means ‘submission to God’
and is derived from a root word meaning ‘peace’.

Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps
this is because religion doesn’t dominate everyday life in the West,
whereas Islam is considered a ‘way of life’ for Muslims and they make
no division between secular and sacred in their lives. Like
Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of
religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly
from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat which include
prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops,
trees and livestock.

NOWHERE DOES ISLAM ENJOIN THE KILLING OF INNOCENTS.. The Quran says:
“Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not
transgress limits. God does not love transgressors.” (Quran 2:190)
“If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is
the One that heareth and knoweth all things.” (Quran 8:61) War,
therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous
conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term ‘jihad’ literally
means ‘struggle’. Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad.
The other ‘jihad’ is the inner struggle of the soul which everyone
wages against egotistic desires for the sake of attaining inner
peace.

I’M A MUSLIM ..ALWAYS HAVE BEEN ..
I’M SO GRATEFUL THAT I WAS BORN AS A MUSLIM..
AND I WOULD LIKE EVRYONE TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT ISLAM..

HRER ARE SOME FEW FACTS ABOUT ISLAM:

1.ISLAM IS THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING RELIGION, YET THE MOST MISCONCEPTED..
JUST ASK YOURSELF WHY IT IS STILL SPREADING AT THIS RATE WHILE MANY PEOPLE THINK OF IT AS A RELIGION FOR TERRORISTS AND MANY OTHER MISCONCEPTIONS..
I THINK THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE;WHEN PEOPLE GET TO KNOW IT,THEY KNOW IT IS THE RIGHT THING!
VIEW THIS LINK FOR MORE INFO ABOUT ISLAM http://islamtoday.net/english/discover_islam.cfm?cat_id=6&sub_cat_id=41
2. ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF SCIENCE..
MANY SCIENTISTS WHO HAVE MADE SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS HAVE CONVERTED TO ISLAM AFTER KNOWING THAT THEIR DISCOEVRIES WERE MENTIONED IN THE HOLY QURAN 1400 YEARS AGO.
GO TO THE QURAN MIRACLES ENCYCLOPEDIA FOR SAMPLES
http://www.55a.net/firas/english/

SURE THESE ARE NOT THE ONLY THING ABOUT ISLAM BUT I CHOSE THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE PROOF THAT THIS IS FROMGODAND NOT MAID UP BY HUMANS.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO STATE SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM
1. Muslims are violent, terrorists and/or extremists.
2. Islam oppresses women.
3. Islam was spread by the sword and intolerant of other faiths.
4. Muslims are a barbaric, backward people.
5.
Muslims don’t believe in Jesus or any other prophets.

Crazy hippies, but I love the Universalist Unitarian take on things. I fit. Not sure if I’ll stay at this particular church, but the religious doctrine, or lack thereof, is good.

I’m tempted, so tempted to give up. I’ve had this goal for more than a year and it’s going nowhere. I just feel that if I set this goal, I’m going to be rushed. Maybe religion isn’t for me. Maybe I don’t need it right now. I really believe that if something’s meant to happen, it will, so I’m gonna let it happen.