Author Topic: What is your religion?  (Read 48300 times)

Offline JT

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Re: What is your religion?
« Reply #100 on: July 15, 2006, 12:39:32 pm »
I was born a Catholic but by 18 yo, I became an Athiest.  My mind understands logic and science more than religions, but I have no problems with anyone else'a believes as long as they can grasp the concept of "equal rights for everyone".

Offline delalluvia

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Re: What is your religion?
« Reply #101 on: July 15, 2006, 01:22:10 pm »
I'm a Catholic - borned, raised and confirmed.  However ... I'm also pro-choice, believe VERY strongly in gay marriage, and am a hard core liberal democrat.  Apparently I don't fit much of the "catholic" label.  I do attend mass occassionally - mostly because I find it a peaceful hour of my life where I feel fully relaxed ... unless they are talking about money or marriage during the homily *lol*  In my opinion people just need to find what works for them - churches and religions aren't for everyone and that is fine by me ... but it's what works for me and so I let it be.

Not picking on Amber or anything, but this post raised a question.  For those who still consider themselves Catholic/Jewish/Luthern or whatever but have radically differing views of how things are and should be, how do you reconcile your worldview as it is with your religion's dogma on how it's supposed to be?

Some religions have very strict rules about what it means to be a member (Muslim/Catholic etc) so to my mind, if my ideas differ from what my religion says they must be, I don't consider myself 'one of them'.  That's why I left Christianity behind.  I couldn't rightly call myself one if I no longer 'followed the member rules' so to speak.

Offline David In Indy

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Re: What is your religion?
« Reply #102 on: July 15, 2006, 05:54:31 pm »
Not picking on Amber or anything, but this post raised a question.  For those who still consider themselves Catholic/Jewish/Luthern or whatever but have radically differing views of how things are and should be, how do you reconcile your worldview as it is with your religion's dogma on how it's supposed to be?

Some religions have very strict rules about what it means to be a member (Muslim/Catholic etc) so to my mind, if my ideas differ from what my religion says they must be, I don't consider myself 'one of them'.  That's why I left Christianity behind.  I couldn't rightly call myself one if I no longer 'followed the member rules' so to speak.

This is the whole reason I no longer attend Mass. I was baptized Catholic at birth, Confirmed in 6th grade, attended Catholic grade school.... everything. But recently I realized that not only do I not agree with much my faith (and Christianity) teaches, I am not really welcome there either. So I stopped going to church. It's sad and pathetic. But apparently this is the way they want it, and I was only more than happy to oblige them.   >:(

But I agree with you Delalluvia. The church cannot have it both ways, and neither can we. At some point we must draw some lines.
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vkm91941

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Re: What is your religion?
« Reply #103 on: July 16, 2006, 01:23:23 am »
Not picking on Amber or anything, but this post raised a question.  For those who still consider themselves Catholic/Jewish/Luthern or whatever but have radically differing views of how things are and should be, how do you reconcile your worldview as it is with your religion's dogma on how it's supposed to be?

Some religions have very strict rules about what it means to be a member (Muslim/Catholic etc) so to my mind, if my ideas differ from what my religion says they must be, I don't consider myself 'one of them'.  That's why I left Christianity behind.  I couldn't rightly call myself one if I no longer 'followed the member rules' so to speak.

Well Del...My Grandfather was a Pentecostal Preacher.  He traveled all over Southern Virginia and North Carolina doing tent revivals during the Depression when he wasn’t working the docks in Norfolk as a long shore man to support his wife and 7 children, of which my Mother was the youngest.  My Mother defied and balked at the strictness of the Pentecostal way and when she married my Father, a Roman Catholic, they made the decision to baptize their children in the Lutheran Church as a compromise.  However being military brats and living in many different places in the world, over the years we attended whatever church was available and consequently my brothers and I now find ourselves to be rather ecumenical in our theological outlook.

I am and always have been a person of faith. But this is a faith that I have arrived at in my own way, it is based on love, a faith I have a certain amount of gut feeling about because of the deductions that have lead me to it. It is my faith and it works for me, and probably for no one else. But it serves as my myth - my story about myself and my relation to the world. It is as good and righteous as any other faith I know. Does that make me a heretic? I don’t know.  Probably as few as 300 hundred years ago I would have been burned at the stake.

I found my home in the Episcopal Church.  First because they are more tolerant than a lot of other Christian denominations I have encountered, second they invite the faithful to use the brains that God in his wisdom gave us all.  They encourage you to THINK, to REASON, to QUESTION.  This is at the heart of my personal faith experience and they are not threatened by it. My questioning does not break down their faith.  It was like coming home for me.

Offline David In Indy

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Re: What is your religion?
« Reply #104 on: July 16, 2006, 02:04:55 am »
Victoria, I have heard many good things about the Episcopal/Anglican church. If I was ever to ever to attend church again, the Episcopal Church would probably be the church I would attend. For two reasons:

1. It is very close to the Catholic church (from what I understand). I have attended some Anglican Masses before and they are very close to the liturgical structure of the Catholic church.

2. They are more accepting of gay people than my religion (the Roman Catholic Church) is.

However...

It seems that nearly (if not all) Christian religions teach of a vengeful God. A judgemental God. My God is not like this. My God is a God of Love. My God tells me in my heart that it is good to love others and accept others. My God says that it is not only okay, but good to love another human being.. no matter who he or she is. My God teaches me that love is never wrong. My God tells me that I am a good person, and He loves me because He created me. My God always loves me, and He always encourages me to try to be a better person. My God believes in me... and He believes in you.

Yes, I believe in Hell. But I don't believe a person goes there for loving another person. People go to Hell because THEY want to. They go there because they do not love God. They CHOOSE to go there. They NEVER go to Hell because of love. It is unfortunate Christianity disagrees with my God and what He speaks to me in my heart each and every day. My God loves His Creation, and He believes in them....  He believes in us. He believes in us all. And He will NEVER give up on us.

I wish Christians would only understand and accept this. And I cannot attend a church that tells me otherwise.
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vkm91941

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Re: What is your religion?
« Reply #105 on: July 16, 2006, 02:30:40 am »
Victoria, I have heard many good things about the Episcopal/Anglican church. If I was ever to ever to attend church again, the Episcopal Church would probably be the church I would attend. For two reasons:

1. It is very close to the Catholic church (from what I understand). I have attended some Anglican Masses before and they are very close to the liturgical structure of the Catholic church.

2. They are more accepting of gay people than my religion (the Roman Catholic Church) is.

However...

It seems that nearly (if not all) Christian religions teach of a vengeful God. A judgemental God. My God is not like this. My God is a God of Love. My God tells me in my heart that it is good to love others and accept others. My God says that it is not only okay, but good to love another human being.. no matter who he or she is. My God teaches me that love is never wrong. My God tells me that I am a good person, and He loves me because He created me. My God always loves me, and He always encourages me to try to be a better person. My God believes in me... and He believes in you.

Yes, I believe in Hell. But I don't believe a person goes there for loving another person. People go to Hell because THEY want to. They go there because they do not love God. They CHOOSE to go there. They NEVER go to Hell because of love. It is unfortunate Christianity disagrees with my God and what He speaks to me in my heart each and every day. My God loves His Creation, and He believes in them....  He believes in us. He believes in us all. And He will NEVER give up on us.

I wish Christians would only understand and accept this. And I cannot attend a church that tells me otherwise.

Oh David I could not agree with you more! Everything you said is at the very root of my personal belief system.  All the negativity and judgement comes from man not God.  We are his creation, all his children and he knows us better than we know ourselves, yet he loves us unconditionally, we only have to open our hearts and receive the gift no strings attached.

Offline delalluvia

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Re: What is your religion?
« Reply #106 on: July 16, 2006, 05:37:35 pm »
However...

It seems that nearly (if not all) Christian religions teach of a vengeful God. A judgemental God. My God is not like this. My God is a God of Love. My God tells me in my heart that it is good to love others and accept others. My God says that it is not only okay, but good to love another human being.. no matter who he or she is. My God teaches me that love is never wrong. My God tells me that I am a good person, and He loves me because He created me. My God always loves me, and He always encourages me to try to be a better person. My God believes in me... and He believes in you.

Yes, I believe in Hell. But I don't believe a person goes there for loving another person. People go to Hell because THEY want to. They go there because they do not love God. They CHOOSE to go there. They NEVER go to Hell because of love. It is unfortunate Christianity disagrees with my God and what He speaks to me in my heart each and every day. My God loves His Creation, and He believes in them....  He believes in us. He believes in us all. And He will NEVER give up on us.

I wish Christians would only understand and accept this. And I cannot attend a church that tells me otherwise.

So the gist of what I'm getting from this David is that you pretty much worship a god not recognized by the Christian Church.

Yes, many churches emphasize the goodness and love of the Xtian god, but unfortunately, if they call themselves a Christian Church and/or have a cross sitting around somewhere in their houses of worshp, then at the core of their theology is the bible and its teachings.

And the bible is full of rules and regulations that are still in force as far as that god is concerned and you disregard them at your own peril.

I was like this once.  If anyone I felt comfortable with asked me my religion, I'd say 'I made up my own religion' because everything I believed and supported and was dedicated to wasn't in the bible or part of Jesus' or Paul's or Moses' teachings and therefore was of my own making.

After many years I had to finally leave the Christian Church because I could no longer honestly say to others or to myself that I was a Christian and loved god and followed Jesus' teachings when I didn't.  I am very spiritual myself, so I had to be honest with myself and the universe and didn't want the bad karma - if you will -  of saying one thing and being/acting another, so I left.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2006, 06:24:45 pm by delalluvia »

Offline Luvlylittlewing

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Re: What is your religion?
« Reply #107 on: July 16, 2006, 08:46:31 pm »
I am  a member of a sect called Pentecostal, or holy rollers.  We are also called Holiness, the "noisy group!"  We were called holy rollers because members of the church got "happy" fell on the floor and started rolling.  The holy rollers were wrapped in blankets and allowed to do their thing.  People in my sect speak in tongues, do the "holy dance," sing and shout, thus the designation, "The noisy group!"  If you have ever witnessed a "Snake Handlers" service, there is little difference in the manner of worship, except we don't handle snakes!

I haven't been to church in many months for a variety of reasons.  Perhaps one day I will return, but I can't say for sure.

Offline Daniel

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Odd Request, but may be suitable to place here.
« Reply #108 on: July 16, 2006, 09:27:57 pm »
Does anyone know where I can buy Tincture of Gold for an alchemy ritual I'm performing...?

Or if not Tincture of Gold, where I can buy pure gold by the gram?
Why do we consume what we consume?
Why do we believe what we believe?
Why do we accept what we accept?
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vkm91941

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Re: Odd Request, but may be suitable to place here.
« Reply #109 on: July 16, 2006, 10:13:43 pm »
Does anyone know where I can buy Tincture of Gold for an alchemy ritual I'm performing...?

Or if not Tincture of Gold, where I can buy pure gold by the gram?

Yes actually, you can buy Tincture fo Gold here:

https://www.thecountrygoddessshop.com/displayProductDocument.hg?productId=1073&categoryId=productDisplayInfo&sourceCode=froogle

I buy my incense from them.