"I don't believe in God, but I really want to."

I am a daily commuter. In that driving time I regularly listen to NPR. It comes on right when I'm driving to work and then helps fill the time on the return trip. This week David Greene, a host on Morning Edition, is focusing on my generation and its problem with religion. The series is called, "More young people are moving away from religion, but why? The article explains how, "One-fifth of Americans are religiously unaffiliated — higher than at any time in recent U.S. history — and those younger than 30 especially seem to be drifting from organized religion. A third of young Americans say they don't belong to any religion."

Here are statements about religion from my generation:

Miriam: I find the practice of sitting and being quiet and being alone with your thoughts to be helpful, but I don't think I need to answer that question [about God] in order to participate in the traditions I was brought up with.

Yusuf: Today if some guy told you that 'I need to sacrifice my son because God told me to do it,' he'd be locked up in a crazy institution.

Kyle:  I don't [believe in God] but I really want to. That's the problem with questions like these is you don't have anything that clearly states, 'Yes, this is fact,' so I'm constantly struggling. But looking right at the facts — evolution and science — they're saying, no there is none. But what about love? What about the ideas of forgiveness? I like to believe they are true and they are meaningful.

LIzz:  I wanted so badly to believe in God and in heaven, and that's where he was going. I wanted to have some sort of purpose and meaning associated with his passing. And ultimately the more time I spent thinking about it, I realized the purpose and meaning of his life had nothing to do with heaven, but it had to do with how I could make choices in my life that give his life meaning. And that had a lot more weight with me than any kind of faith in anything else.

I am a true advocate of having the basic, human right to incorporate any religion into one's life, or having a lack thereof. The eleventh Article of Faith states that, "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where or what they may." I have an appreciation for each of the above's perspective, thought process, feelings, articulation, and conclusion. Their backgrounds contain strong religious traditions, violence, regrets, trials, joy, love, forgiveness, death, and attempts at religion. They are no different than I. Now, I just want to add my 29 year old religious perspective to what they have to say.

Alisa:  I am a child of God. He has sent me here. He has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear. He has lead me, guided me, and even walked beside me. He has helped me find my way. He has taught me all that I must do, to live with Him again. So yes, I believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. I know that my Heavenly Father's work and His glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. My work is to use my agency to continually become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have not touched them or sat on their knees, yet they are very real to me. Their love is real, their guidance is real, their plan is real, and their promises are real. This is probably not enough to prove much to the world, but that is besides the point.

What is your religious statement?

-A 

article link: 

http://www.npr.org/2013/01/15/169342349/more-young-people-are-moving-away-from-religion-but-why