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What Experiences Have Shaped Your Beliefs?

By Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT

Please Note: This article is a companion to Why People Believe What They Believe and To What Should You Surrender?

"Religion is a candle inside a multicolored lantern. Everyone looks through a particular color, but the candle is always there."

— Mohammed Naguib

It is fascinating to observe the wide variety of religious ideas held firmly by other people. Our views, naturally, are sensible and reflect the way things really are. But when we hear of "strange" (to us) religions, we can understand why the science fiction writer Robert Anson Heinlein said that "one man's religion is another man's belly laugh."

Part of our reaction comes not only from the fact that we don't share that set of beliefs. We also can't figure out why in the world anyone would arrive at those beliefs in the first place. So we ridicule not only the beliefs—because we don't see any point to them, but we also marginalize the believers—because we don't understand the experiences that led to those beliefs. And as history and current events demonstrate, not recognizing that people might have legitimate reasons for believing as they do can lead to war and terrorism.

In the hope that Learning Place Online might make a small contribution to better understanding between people, we want to create discussions on why different sets of beliefs or dogma makes sense to people. We aren't as interested in what people believe (many websites explore the similarities and differences between various religions) as in what has happened in a person's life to cause them to accept a set of beliefs—or to reject beliefs.

Therefore, we invite you to submit an article describing the process by which you've arrived at your current beliefs concerning a supreme God (or lack thereof), religious faith, spiritual practice, or simply your perspective on life in general.

To give you an idea of what I mean, you might want to read my article entitled An Agnostic's Encounter With God, which tells the story of my metamorphosis from believer in a religion to agnostic to one who strives to put my spiritual awareness into practice.

Whether or not you decide to share your spiritual or religious autobiography, this may be a good time to explore why your particular faith appeals to you. Here are some of the kinds of questions you might want to consider. Also, you may want to see Questions to Begin or Expand Your Spiritual Journey.

Have you continued in the church of your parents? If so, why have you stuck with it?

If you've left the faith of your parents, is there anything in their faith that you miss?

Have you chosen a different faith than your parents out of rebellion? If so, what is there about the new faith that fills a need to make a statement separate from your parents?

What stories, myths, and sources of authority have given meaning to your life?

How much would you defend your faith? For example, would you go to war because of it?

If your faith is not one of the mainstream religions, but one that sets you apart from others, does being "different" appeal to you, giving you a sense of being "special?"

If the members of your religion have many ways to show you are included as part of that community, would you still be a supporter of that faith if such a sense of connection did not exist?

What doubts do you have about the church to which you belong or the spiritual practice you follow?

Do you feel you have had a revelation or a peak experience that caused you to see your faith in a different way?

What experiences both inside and outside of your religious community have contributed to an epiphany that has changed your life and deepened your faith or caused you to turn away from your faith?

If you have lost your faith with the certainty you used to accept as valid, what has been the reason?

© Copyright 2002, Arlene F. Harder, MA, MFT