I think I might be the only religious person who’s replied so far. I know I believe authentically because my parents raised me lazy-Catholic, and I ended up more interested and invested in religion than they did. They’re very vocal about the importance of being Catholic, but don’t back it up with good deeds. I ended up studying (to various degrees) Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hindu, and Buddhism over the course of several years as an adult, and Christianity still felt like the fit best at the end of the day.

For what it’s worth, the religion’s core teachings have been wildly perverted for selfish gains, but at their heart, they’re asking people to practice humility, compassion, and love, without judgment. That resonated with me a lot. I also love a good statue, so…