What Is A Beleif System?

Introduction

Growing up, I was exposed to many things that my parents felt was healthy and right for me. My father was raised in a Muslim environment, but when he relocated to the United States, he felt that it was proper for him to abandon his faith and adopt Christianity. He felt that if he or his family were to prosper in this country, it would behoove him to adopt blend in with the majority. Like many other parents, mine insisted we attend church as much as possible. If we did not, we would not only have to endure immediate consequences by my father’s strictness, but also quite possibly suffer eternal damnation by God’s will. For most of my childhood, I believed in God because I was supposed to believe in him. As I became older, I began to question my faith and wonder why so many years of my life was spent fearing God.

Belief System

I am a Christian, however, I find myself still doubting my faith in God. I do not doubt God, but I doubt my commitment to him. My beliefs are that God is the Creator of all things and through his son Jesus Christ, we will find the path to eternal salvation. I strongly believe that a person’s heart, mind, and soul must be with God at all times. I have not yet reached that stage in my life and that is why I doubt my commitment to God. Nonetheless, I believe there is a God, so that somewhat qualifies as having belief. “A belief system provides a core set of values on which we base everything we do, say, or believe” (Toupin, p. 1). My belief make up a religious belief system because I believe in all that is good, loving your neighbor, and doing what is right even when no one is looking. These are all elements of my life that keeps me grounded, which also define who I am and who I strive to become.

Faith

Faith is defined as strong trust or confidence in a person or thing. There is no physical or visual proof that God exists, but I am that he does in fact exist. Having faith in a supreme being is a pertinent element in any belief system. Without faith, there is no belief. In Christianity and most other religions, faith in God is the basic foundation of achieving true salvation. Typically, a saved person relies on his or her faith on a daily basis. The notion that my faith in God will only draw me closer to heaven lurks in every true Christian’s mind.

Community

The element that most represents my belief system is, community. We are all told by our elders that to love our neighbors and treat everyone as you would like to be treated. A strong and healthy Christian community is a good community. As mentioned earlier, my parents introduced Christianity to me through nurture. The community also played an integral part in my upbringing. I remember everyone went to the same church and most of the kids that attended school with me were in my Sunday school class. We all were raised to trust in God, parents and be respectful to others, especially our elders. The love that I had for my community and parents drew me towards God.

In my community, it was a tradition to attend church every Sunday. As a Baptist, it is also a tradition to be baptized. A baptism draws an individual closer to God. The most common tradition in my religious belief is to pray. We thanked God when we woke up, ate, and before we went to sleep. These traditions are common in Christianity in general.

Benefits

One the benefit of having my belief system is that it gives me a reason not to fear death. Christians believe that if they have faith in God and do what is expected of them, there will be everlasting life in heaven. Another benefit of my belief is strength. Having strong faith in God gives most individuals strength. When it seems that there is no hope for me, I often find solace in God