“I am not sure if God exists or not. These things cannot be proven and will always be a matter of faith, whether or not I believe in a higher power. I used to. But, I lost my faith in a god, because to me, it did not make sense in light of the fact […]

“I know G-d exists because there is no way to prove how perfect science works without Him. I believe in Heaven, I believe there is a lesser form of heaven that some would call Hell. I do believe in the soul being reincarnated, but that the person is completely different from the one the soul […]

“I grew up in a Christian household, so pretty much from day 1 I understood the basics of what it meant to be a Christian. I remember “asking Jesus into my heart” every day when I was 4 years old, in case it “didn’t work” the time before. But it was not until the summer […]

As baby, her parents used marijuana to sedate her. Her father was shot during a drug deal. Her mother abandoned her and her sister. As an adult, her infant son endured heart surgery. It would be understandable if LaDonna were upset with God. “But God is good”, asserts the 24-year-old Texan. This is her extraordinary journey, guided by tragedy and faith.

“I came from a physically and mentally abusive background. I spent the majority of my life in some form of addiction - drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, stealing, lying, cheating - if it was wrong, it had my name all over it. Deep seeded depression was a way of life for me.
Every relationship I was in […]

“I see the reason behind all those ‘why me?’ questions. We are here to learn; sometimes the lessons are harsh, and sometimes they are kind.
I have always wanted to ‘know’. I love science, the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of everything and have always asked questions. My mom used to tell people my first […]

“There is a situation in my life that I have yet to mention to my closest family members. I’m afraid of their reaction; I fear that it’ll crush their dreams and expectation of me.  I ask God to forgive me for not being true with my close ones
I came to Florida in 2003; I was […]

“I grew up in a Christian family and at 12, my parents divorce crushed me. I began a journey on a downward spiral and wishy-washy relationship with God culminated in an unplanned pregnancy - I was 23, and not married.
I hit a bottom emotionally and spiritually. After all of my sin and mistakes […]

“There have been major ups and downs in my life, and the only time I’ve been ‘up’ is when my relationship with God was strong. He has always picked me up when I’ve fallen; and when I was down for a long time, He allowed me to recover and come back stronger. I am where […]

“God exist because he communicates with me daily; he heals me , meets my needs, and brings me peace, love and joy.  I have had numerous healings medically documented.  As a young adult, I made several very bad life choices, but I always knew that God’s hand was upon me.   In 1984, I came […]

I was so upset. I knew what was coming so I ran from the house fighting the emotion welling up in my chest and throat. I jumped into the car with one of my aunts and said, “Please take me with you. I can’t stay”

“Most people don’t know Taoism, and I assume you’re like them. ‘God’ exists as a human construct to explain the energy force that binds the universe. Because it’s too much for minds to comprehend, it had to have a man made structure that was simpler to understand.”
Patricia, 50+/F, Central Florida, Taoist

PROFILE:
I strongly believe in my […]

I do believe that gods or higher beings exist. I believe in Odin and all of the Norse deities. It is hard for those around me to accept the fact that I am a pagan. I was raised Catholic and most Catholics are against polytheistic religions. I bet people around me would think that I […]

My mother was breastfeeding me, and she was often high or drunk. She didn’t realize until it was almost too late that I had lost a lot of weight and was very ill.

My parents would want to party or do something. And if I started crying and became a nuisance, they would inhale Marijuana and cup their hands around my face and exhale the smoke until I breathed in enough to pass out. You do that long enough to a baby, instead of feeding it, and you will kill it. Not to mention, the brain damage that could cause.

“No one would think I had a belief set just by observing me. I was raised Christian, and say that I am one, but I really don’t think I am at all. I’m not agnostic and I never do organized prayer. Don’t get me wrong - there is a higher being. I […]

“I was an addict living on the streets in San Diego. I was pregnant, homeless and strung out. When I overdosed and didn’t die, I felt sure that something greater exists. I prayed that somehow God would help me change my life and that this baby would not die - even if she wasn’t healthy. I begged ‘please give me a chance to love and raise her […]”

“Now I am single, raising one of my four grandchildren, the child of our teenaged son….The divorce was devastating for our son and me. I barely survived - and only by the grace of God. Our son, unfortunately, turned his loneliness onto girls, and now we are all paying […]”

“I know God is there for me. Every time I think something is as bad as it can be, He gets me through it. When I’ve no idea where I’ll get the money for, let’s say, my house payment, He always provides it somehow. (I’m not homeless yet)! When my 16-year-old daughter’s car […]

“I know God is real. He is intimately aware of us, our trials, our thoughts, and our innermost fears and needs. I know this because He alone saved my life when I tried to commit suicide. He saved my son from being shot.
When I was 21, I had a two-year-old son who loved to go […]

“I am going to be a Rabbi, and I don’t believe in G-d. I believe in Judaism, in our shared history, culture, and experience, but I don’t believe in a creator, in sins and repercussions. I believe that G-d is what binds people together, positive energy, inner morality and goodness. I want to be a Rabbi to connect the community together in a positive way, but I feel like a hypocrite[…]”

“I know God exists because: my husband has the strength to go on after losing his 4-year-old daughter to cancer; I have the strength to go on after being beaten and abused in a previous relationship; and we both have the courage to not be afraid to trust after all of our hardships. Religion is […]

“I was not raised to believe in God; there was no mention of deities in my house. But I spoke/prayed even when very little (I had no idea of WHO in my head) and in middle school, was strongly drawn to explore religion. I felt strongly that Jesus was a psychopath, not God and Son […]

“We were raised Catholic, but I was never sure how we could belong to something that did nothing to provide for us. Through years of soul-searching, I found that God was everywhere. God was NOT about a church or a sanction; God was about trying to be a good person everyday.
I grew up in a […]

I experienced a spritual awakening about six years ago. It transformed my life and how I see the world. It filled me with a joy that nothing could diminish.
I know that god exists because I know what I am. Once you know that “the father and we are one” you know that the […]

“I know God exists because, in my view, it would be impossible for any being to spontaneously originate from nothing. There was definitely a creator or creators.
I appreciate all faiths. When I found the one that does not require giving up what I already believed but enhanced everything I knew to be true, […]

Spiritual Surprise? “Occasionally I know things that others don’t.”
“I was raised Catholic, lapsed in my teens and early twenties, then came back to the Church because I read that many Catholics didn’t believe in the Real Presence. I didn’t understand what that meant, so I set out to find out. I’ve been told ‘never […]

I know Hashem exists because I survived toxic goiter that was supposed to kill me. Doctors did nothing; I had to beat it out.
I was Xian, and knew it was all wrong. When I converted to Judaism, it felt right. It’s ironic that I conceived my son only days after conversion.
JAC, 33/F, Chicago, Jewish

PROFILE:
I […]

“I know God exists. It’s not a feeling, it’s a knowledge. He instantly healed my body more than once. He healed my son’s heart condition; the doctors were amazed. So I know God.
As a child, I believed in God at the time He healed me of a horrible disease, but I didn’t know God. […]

Spiritual surprise? “Most people see me as a tough, hard-nosed person, but they don’t know how often I am enraptured by God.”
“I am a parishioner and church staff person. I believe in the Triune God. I believe in Heaven and Hell, but not in the clouds or brimstone versions. I pray nearly every hour, […]

“At 16, I had the choice to work or go to church.  I chose work because it seemed that, in my church, no one understood what they were saying or believing in.  That turned me off from organized religion.
I lean towards atheism, yet I tend to think about Karma and reincarnation.  I believe science has […]

Is there a surprising aspect to your spirituality? “No, but there are some things that are personal and we are taught not to share since it is unique to us.”
“I know God exists because I know that there is a living Prophet today. I know that He loves and cares for us. I know that […]

“I was supposedly barren, but had a baby at age 38. She was the last thing I ever wanted and the best thing that ever happened to me. She shouldn’t be…so I feel like she has to be here for a reason. Therefore, I must be here for a reason […]”

Surprising aspect of your beliefs? “I practice Buddhism.”
God exists because? “My son is not dead.”
“My son was injured in a motorcycle accident. It was serious, but he is alive. Paralyzed, but alive. I keep hearing, ‘everything happens for a reason’. I am not blaming anyone, but I am tired of hearing, ‘everything […]

“Heaven & Hell exist and are real places.
Jesus Christ said he was the Son of God, that he and the Father are one.  So, he was either a liar, a lunatic, or he was and is who he said he was.  Based on the archeological and historical evidence, I believe that the bible is true; […]

Surprising aspect of your beliefs? “I don’t bother to tell most people I don’t believe in God; it does not go over well in Texas.
I’m a scientist. Science requires empirical proof. Belief in a god requires faith  (”life is too complex for there not to be a creator”). With my current understanding of the universe, […]

“I do not really believe God exists, but I will not say for sure one way or the other. I really don’t care. Either way, it would not effect how I go about living life.
In my teen years, I was forced to go to see a famous religious speaker. I knew then that religion […]

“I believe in God. I believe that every ‘master’ in every religion is the same person.
I’ve never thought about it until now, but God exists in one way or another. God exists in my mind and no one can take that away from me. I also believe in the power of a million minds […]

“I spent my whole life feeling ‘less then’. My family was poor. I was ethnic in an all-white environment in the 70’s….The world seemed biased according to race, sex, education and social caste. And then I read in the Bible that in God’s eyes, “all have fallen short of the glory”. With the Holy Spirit’s interpretation, I realized all are equal. And although many do not have the same starting advantages, because of God’s love, we all have the same potential.”[…]

When I asked Jesus to be my savior, the feeling I received was indescribable, like God himself gave me a hug. Just utter peace.
AA, 33/F, New York, Born Again Christian

PROFILE:
I am a devout follower of my religion
Services: not often enough
Congregation: yes
Heaven/Hell/Reincarnation: yes/yes/no
Pray: daily
One true belief: yes
Plan: yes

One true belief?  “At its core, yes…but I am sure I have some things wrong. I believe that my faith itself is a gift from God.  I know God exists everyday when I look at creation and they way He knit us together.
Reading the bible and learning what Jesus was about changed my view of […]

What experiences defined your beliefs? “First, trying to understand why I was abused as child, why family members hurt me in a way so horrific that it will affect me the rest of my life. I was taught God does things for a reason and we don’t understand - that wasn’t good enough. […]

“I can’t believe in the g-d I was raised to believe in; s/he just couldn’t be cruel enough to dose me with so much emotional pain early in life.”
What defined your religious beliefs? “Mental and emotional abuse by a stepmother who is devout Baptist.”
Surprise aspect of my beliefs? “I am superstitious. For example, I won’t […]

“My beliefs are a compilation of a piece of most religions, or, as I like to say, understandings. My purpose is to be love and give love. My spiritual life became so real and wonderful after a serious car accident I was in and I had an amazing heavenly experience (otherwise known as […]

“It’s not my place to decide the existence of God and also irrelevant. I believe that all of creation’s actions directly or indirectly affect everyone, which leads me to believe that everything is God. God is a communitive energy that is the space in which we exist.Experience that defined my beliefs? When […]

“I am certain God exists because I just am. There is no argument for faith. There is no one single experience that defines my beliefs; it’s like a strand of pearls on a necklace that gets added to and often and grows. Perhaps God has a plan for me, but I think […]

When I chant, meditate, practice Kundalini kriyas, etc, I am accessing the part of my frontal lobe that science calls the ‘God Center’. It’s where activity gets going when I am experiencing a sense of the WOW/GOD, the ultimate. The God Center is within me. I am God, God is me. […]

“There are as many paths as people I am accepting of all paths and choices. Heaven is a place you realize was there all along once you wake up. Hell? We can create our own hell on Earth. And yes, I believe in reincarnation.
I believe we create our own reality and […]

There are too many things that cannot be explained by scientific reasoning. I can see the effects of something even if I cannot prove its existence (I cannot see the wind, but I can feel it and see how it moves things around me).
I had a very bad childhood and it came to head when […]

“I do not know how to identify myself. I just believe in God; somewhat Christian; AA spirituality. I go to Catholic Church for my kids, but have too many problems with the religion to get too involved. I am more into AA spirituality.”

I believe God exists. I do not have to call this higher power God - I choose to. God is in life, in others, in nature, in The Way.

I was raised to believe that Jesus died for my sins, and I choose to believe that. But my focus is on God and living a spiritual life, in my actions and connection to others and the world - not just heaven, but at each persons level.

“I’ve lost my faith and have regained it to lose it again many times. It’s the rebirth of faith that gives me hope that there just may be a God. The rebirth of faith comes so surprisingly and sudden. A total stranger needs assistance and I act without thought to my own safety or […]