Ask Sherry: Do I believe in God?

You asked, and I am answering every Friday once I have enough questions!

You can ask any question using the form here.

Hi Sherry, are you religious?

100% no.

I will say that I could be said to be a little spiritual. This is a throwback from my mother and her family who are deeeeeeeeply religious, but not the holy water flinging Bible thumping kind (but … maybe a shade or two just before that).

Let’s just say my family has donated a lot to local churches to the point of pretty much re-building them.

I am nothing like that.

I do not go to church. I do not pray to any gods. I do not believe in any stories told about anything religion-wise. I do not go to temples, synagogues, etc.

I may visit them for cultural-sake — like when I went to Buddhist or Hindu temples when I traveled, and I respected their rules in covering up, but I do not go there to pray.

I do believe in the goodness that religion CAN bring however.

I don’t hate it, it is just not my thing.

I have friends who have cited religion as changing their lives around and bringing them back into the goodness of it, and I am all for it.

I do believe in people coming together for whatever reason makes sense to them (e.g. religion, god, etc), helping each other, and then using that as a stepping stone to give back and do good to the rest of those around them.

I don’t love all the negativity that comes with religion (you know what I am talking about), with rigid rules, strict punishments and disciplines that some higher being has meted down as the way we should live our life especially if these rules were formed way back when and have never, ever been updated to include women, diversity, and equal rights.

I do believe in karma however, which is why I say “I’m a little spiritual”…. I believe in doing good to receive back good.

I believe in sometimes just letting things flow and you can’t explain anything.

I also don’t want to use religion (EVER) as a way to say: That’s just the way _____ intended it to be and to use it as a way to get out of tough situations, as an explanation for everything that happens and to take zero responsibility for it.

So am I religious? No. But I know people who are.

Still have a burning question?

You can ask any question using the form here and all of my previous Ask Sherry posts are here.