I was baptized Christian when I was seven years old. I went to the Catholic school, St. Alphonsus, up to eighth-grade and regularly went to mass throughout the liturgical calendar. I became a member of the Facular family and attended various bible studies. Recently, I exposed myself to Atheist and Christian apologetics such as William Lane Craig, Christopher Hitchens, Lawrence Krauss, Dinesh D'Souza, Stephen Law, and John Lennox. My mom was, and is now, a deep rooted catholic. She had influenced my religious beliefs a lot. However, I was, and now am, very open to other theologies and philosophies, such as Buddhism. Like now, I had a pluralistic viewpoint of life, but mostly stuck to Christian Doctrine.
When I had freely encountered this religion, Dao Yuan (translating to "The Essence of Daoism"), I realized that a lot of the theology had been parallel to my own beliefs. It lined up so cleanly with what I had contemplated, such that I had been deeply intrigued and yearned to learn more. This was definitely the religion that I wanted to pursue. I grew increasingly fascinated of Daoism, and my knowledge of the religion filled my soul and life. This was certainly the most treasured discovery that I had ever come across, and I felt a sensation of completeness with myself.
Ever since participating, my person has improved drastically. School has become much less difficult, as my ability to understand philosophical concepts has greatly increased. From the sense of completeness with myself, I feel a supernatural force that guides me to do good. To name an example, when I would get very frustrated or agitated, I would usually act in the wrong way. However, the more that I practice Daoism; I can forgive or apologize and make peace easier. I will be honest. Last year, I used to be very temperamental and immature. Now, after participating in group studies, I am able to become much wiser. I feel that my spirituality has truly developed much more than the other years studying Christianity. The philosophical realm is where my mind wanders.
This religion is a legitimate reality. I am continually amazed by the power of other fellow Daoists and their super-natural abilities to sense, understand, and move. There is a lot of personal testimony that I accept within the community. I also put my faith in this religion, because I really like what it teaches. I see this religion as an expansion pack to other religions and the connection between them (All religions do not mix for a reason: it's part of our test on this Earth).
I hope you will find your inner peace as I have.