Re Tekla's comment: "I think of it as a spiritual guide, a philosophy, a book of collected wisdom, but not a religion."
I don't disagree. But is there a difference for you between these things and the role you need a religion to play in your life? Cuz that's about all I need.
Re FairyGirl's comment: "I had an epiphany one day over the passage that says basically the Tao contains everything, there is nowhere you can go where it is not and nothing that you can think of that isn't a part of it. This made me realize that included me too..."
Yup, yup! Figuring out life the world and everything AND your place in it.... and it doesn't matter if your life choices are outside of traditional norms. Within Taoism, you can still speak to that. And (for me at least) it still resonates with truth and connection to the world around you.