How different types approach religion/spirituality

[Doctor Cringelord]

I'm curious to learn just what the thread title states.

Personally, I've always looked at religion (particularly the organized variety) with a great deal of skepticism. I didn't really take an active interest in any religions until I started reading up on Zen Buddhism and Taoism at the age of 17. Zen, in particular, held a certain appeal to me because it seemed a more practical and personal religion (if it can even be called a religion). I've always had anger issues, because I naturally repress emotions until I explode like a soda bottle. I found that zen meditation was very useful in helping me calm down and look at the world from a more neutral standpoint. I also think it helped me become a much more compassionate person in my dealings with the human race.

I should also note that I am an atheist, although some would consider me agnostic. I don't think zen and atheism have ever been mutually exclusive of one another. Likewise, I've met a couple christians who also practiced zen.

What are your types and, if you've had any experience with religion, do you mind sharing your experiences and insights?

Edit: I have to add that the karma thing has never really sat well with me. To put it bluntly: shit happens. I think it's how we deal with shit happening to us which really defines us. I'm not going to wallow in self pity because bad shit happens to me and try to justify it as the consequences of actions in some past life.

 

[Agnes]

Personally, I've always looked at religion (particularly the organized variety) with a great deal of skepticism.

same. I was raised in a certain religion, but my parents never really forced me about it. There were only some rare forced situations that I had to do for formal sake. But I never liked it. I also noticed that most people practice religion only formally.
When I was in my teen years I started to seriously think about it and did find some enlightenment. I always considered 'religion' as something personal. Believe me or not, after just some personal thinking about the subject and my own conducted research (mostly talking to people) I 'felt' a certain bliss. I don't think that feel or bliss are maybe the best words, but there aren't any for it actually. After a while that state was gone and I felt big nostalgia for it. At that time I believed in God as some higher being and not any offered religion. Then I got a lot of bad experiences in life and felt like 'God is gone'. Not that I never suffered a lot, but that period of my life was the worst. So I knew my beliefs cannot stay the same. The truth after all is of up most importance to me weather I like it or not. So I thought a lot, to u point of madness. I still don't have answers, but I can tell you that I believe in afterlife, as in some other shape of living/being. I 'feel' that is true, as maybe my N says so. I am not fearful of death at all, it's just my skepticism that I don't hink we're getting of the hook so easily as by dying. I also believe there is some higher power, maybe not necessarily God. I believe in 'laws of nature' but there are always exceptions. I definitely don't believe in karma, never did. I also believe in intelligence of universe so I'm not an atheist.
But if you want the truth you should know you will never have it until you die and maybe not even then. You cannot know if there is an afterlife or not until you die. And you cannot know is there or if there isn't God until you 'see' him. So all of it is a choice. Some believe there is, some that there is not, and some accept that they don't know.

EDIT: I also believe that all of it is something so complex that we maybe cannot understand it even if we want to.