To anyone who even remotely considers themselves a spiritual being:

How can you determine your own motives when it comes to calling yourself a believer?

That might not be very clear, but let me try to explain.

My concern is that a person can claim to believe in this religion or that religion or even some combination thereof, but there is no way for him or her to know why he or she is among the faithful.

Example: I think I believe in God, but I am not sure why. Is it because I was raised in a culture of guilt/shame where I believe because I want a reward (paradise)? Or do I believe because I'm taught that I am supposed to believe, whether it has meaning or not? Or do I believe simply because I have faith?

In sum, do I believe because I'm supposed to do so? Or because I truly desire to do so? In either case, how do I recognize my own motives?

---I'm here---

"Ten out of ten heroin addicts started out on milk."---from Arliss

"So I dropped Sense like Common..."---Mocha Lab