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Post by rjhangover on Nov 8, 2017 11:02:45 GMT -5
....I actually look forward to dying....it's just the next adventure. I have always said that I’m not afraid of dying. That’s the easy part.
It’s the leaving of this thing we call “life” that I’m afraid of.
Might as well embrace it, cause there's no getting out of it. "Death is like a doorknob, everybody gets a turn."
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Post by dragonlady on Dec 1, 2017 14:21:47 GMT -5
I'm not so much afraid of dying as of the process, but I'd just as soon not hurry it along
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Post by tinkerhale on Dec 4, 2017 15:53:38 GMT -5
In my nearly seven decades of life on this earth, I've come to realize a great many things. Religion gets in the way of faith. Did you know that there are nearly 600 different denominations of religion worldwide and that there are over 400 man made rules? I was raised in a strict Italian-Catholic family where even asking a question about religion was chastised. I left the church decades ago and no longer have anything to do with organized religion. I have faith. Faith in humankind? No...faith that I can feel in the core of my being. I've lived in the deep South more than half of my adult life and I've met all kinds of people. I've been asked, "Do you read the Bible?" My reply, "I sure do." Next question, "Have you been born again?" I never fully understood that question until my husband's recent death. You see, I keep a picture of him on my refrigerator and I say "good morning and that I love you" every day. When is birthday came around a few months after his death, I looked at his picture and wished him "Happy Birthday." I heard him say just as if he was standing right next to me, "Today is not my birthday. The day I died is my birthday. "Read the book of John, Chapter 3." I was so stunned that I thought I was losing my mind... quite literally. So I opened the Bible to the book of John, and went to Chapter 3. So I thumbed through the pages and the setting is where Jesus is sitting in the garden and Nicodemis (a Rabbi from the Jewish Temple) sits down next to our Lord. Jesus talks about the wind blowing through the trees..."The wind blows, we know not where it comes from or where it's going. Such is the spirit." I thought...hmmm...okay. Next I read that in order to get into heaven a person must be "born again". Ah...When Nicodemis questions Jesus, "How can I be born again? I'm an old man! I can't crawl back into my mother's womb and be born again." Jesus replies, "Flesh is born of the flesh and the spirit is born of the spirit." Now I understood what my husband was trying to tell me! We as humans are born of the flesh...but...when we die, we're born again in the spirit to return to our ethereal form. "One must be born from the water and the spirit." The water is the word of God and belief in His Son's message. Only then can we be "born again." Three days before my husband died, he took a nap in his recliner. When he awoke, he said to me, "I had a dream." I asked him what he'd dreamt about. He replied, "I had a dream that I was fishing in a lake with my dad. The sky was so blue, the sunshine warm and bright. I've never seen grass so green! There was an overwhelming feeling of peace, love and joy!" I got a lump in my throat and when I could speak I told him, "You've just had a glimpse of heaven!" I asked my husband, "How old was your Dad in this dream?" He replied rather shocked, "He was in his 30's!" I knew in my heart that God was going to call him home soon. I didn't know why or when but three days later, my husband died. I was also led to a passage in the Bible where Jesus says, "There are those who will see heaven before they taste death." So people can argue about religion until the cows come home...Me? I prefer faith and knowing in my heart that heaven is for real.
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Post by birdgal on Dec 4, 2017 17:22:39 GMT -5
"All religions are perceptions of the Truth, including science and atheism."
Atheism is not a religion.
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Post by tinkerhale on Dec 5, 2017 15:10:18 GMT -5
I saw the post from Rebecca2013 and dragonlady about Death. I'm not afraid to die because I had a near death experience 40 years ago that totally changed my life. Trust me, there's nothing to fear!
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Post by TheSource on Dec 5, 2017 17:42:49 GMT -5
....Religion gets in the way of faith. .... Organized religion gets in the way of a lot of things.....just sayin'....
I'm not afraid to die because I had a near death experience 40 years ago that totally changed my life. I would very much like to hear about your experience if you care to share. Either in the open forum or through a PM if you're not comfortable talking about it in the open.
I have always been intrigued by peoples' experiences/tales/stories of their NDE('s).
Perhaps you would be interested in reading this and adding some of your thoughts to the discussion: takerefuge.freeforums.net/thread/3868/after-brain-knows-dead-study
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Post by birdgal on Dec 5, 2017 18:11:44 GMT -5
I'm an Atheist.
I was born and raised Catholic. In my 20's I became a born again Christian and joined a Baptist church. I'm 72 and believe organized religions are good at collecting money, making people feel guilty and afraid, using their religion to affect politics, sexist, judgmental, homophobic, and build walls instead of bridges with family, friends, and neighbors. So, I decided to give up religion in my 30's. It felt as if I opened a window and all this clean fresh air came rushing in.
I'm drawn to the spiritual mindset of Native Americans and Pagans. Honor and Respect for Mother Earth works for me. ;)
Peace!
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Post by smitty45 on Dec 5, 2017 19:29:04 GMT -5
Like I said before,,, I'm Spiritual,, more spiritual than what organized religion is, that's for sure. I believe in an all loving God, no matter what race, color, ethnic group, sexual orientation, etc .. Everything that organized religion falls short on.
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kaya
New Member
Posts: 25
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Post by kaya on Dec 6, 2017 2:43:17 GMT -5
I posted this on SF, and now I post it here because it is the path I wander along. I consider myself a pagan Christian...which is what most Christians are anyway since what they worship got it's beginnings in paganism. Don't kill the messenger, lol. Just stating what I believe to be true in saying that.
Anyway...this gem describes my own journey:
(Author Unknown, more’s the pity)
Well, it had been yet another bad day in the office, and once again it was the fault of that new girl, MaryAnne. She is one of those Wiccans, a so-called Witch. How can anyone in their right mind make this claim, knowing that it goes against God and all of the teachings of the Bible?
She doesn’t even have the common decency to keep her satanic symbol, her pentagram necklace hidden from the view of the decent, God-fearing people in the office. She has some nerve. I find that I cannot hate her for this though, for I know that she has been deceived. Satan works his evil in ways that she cannot see.
I’ve seen that so called Wiccan Rede that she has tacked to the wall above her computer. On the surface, it looks like a decent loving belief, but all one must do is look, look closely and see that by practicing this way, and not embracing Jesus Christ as savior, she is on the pathway to Hell.
As I’ve said, it was a bad day in the office. Three times in the past few weeks I have been called in to see my supervisor, and he has told me that I am not allowed to preach to MaryAnne the word of God, to show her the error of her ways. Today, my supervisor told me that if I continue to “harass” MaryAnne, he would be forced to terminate me. How can he say this? He himself is a God fearing man. And, how can he be so tolerant of the evil that he sees insinuating itself into our workplace? As I lay down to sleep last night, I asked the Lord for guidance. “God, grant me a true vision of you, so that I may better lead the faithless onto the righteous path.”
Bible“Oh, a true vision of Me is it? Are you sure that you’re ready, truly ready to see, my son?”
I sat bolt upright in bed, and there, at the foot of my bed, white of hair and beard, in a long, flowing white robe, stood the Lord my God. I made to leap from the bed and fall to my knees in front of Him, but He stopped me with a gesture. “Kneel not before me at this time my son. Instead, rise and walk with Me, so that you may get a glimpse of what I truly am, as you asked of me in your prayer.”
He took my hand, and as I looked, my bedroom was no longer there, but a pathway thru the woods. We started to walk, and I was too awestruck for words. We took the path to the left, and we were then inside St. Catherine’s Church, in the middle of a service. While still standing beside me, God seemed to expand and fill the whole of the church.
I could see smiles of contentment forming on some of the parishioners’ faces. I felt blessed. God smiled upon me. “The Catholics hold such pretty masses, don’t they? I like to stop here in this church, because not only do they speak the words, but also they live the life, thru teaching, helping the sick and poor, not only with handouts, but helping them learn to help themselves. Now let us walk on.”
CoffinAnd we were back on the pathway. We traveled a bit further along, and then were in the parlor of a funeral home. A young woman was kneeling before the casket, resting her head on it and crying. I could see by the similarity, that this dead man must be her father. God knelt beside her, and drew His arms about her. “Miss him, that is all right, but weep not for him, for now he is with Me”.
She wiped her eyes, and stood with a sad smile upon her face, and said “Good-bye Daddy. I’ll miss you,” and turned and left the room.
And we were back on the pathway. We walked a little ways, and we were in front of a large lodge of some kind. I could hear music and laughter spilling out of the windows. I turned to look at God, and was shocked to see, not the flowing white robe, but Him wearing leather and animal furs, his hair and beard now the color of wheat, and a sword strapped across His back.
He strode forth, and I saw him approach a figure I had not seen before. As I looked close, I was shocked to see that it was the same face that I had just seen dead, but looking young and strong, and dressed in ancient looking garb, an ax strapped to his waist. God strode up to him and grabbed him in a great bear hug. “Welcome my son. We’ve been waiting for you. Now, go inside and raise a cup or two, and meet with your brother.” And, with a hearty slap on the back, he sent the man inside.
MosqueAnd then we were back on the pathway. We walked a bit further, and then we were in a mosque. At least I believed so, as I had never been in one before, but had seen pictures of them. The group of worshippers was not large, but I could see their rapt faces as they listened to the mullah speak. He was speaking to them of purity, both of the mind and the body, bringing them closer to Allah.
And as he spoke, God, dressed now in the robes of the desert, walked among them and briefly laid his hands upon each set of shoulders. And, from their faces, I could see that these men knew that the words of the mullah were true, and that their spirits felt touched by God.
And then we were back on the pathway. After we had walked a bit, we found ourselves in an African village. People with skin as black as night, the women with their breast shamefully bared, were dancing in a circle, to the rhythm of the drums being played by a group of men. Somehow though, the bared breasts did not offend me, and the music seemed to seep into my soul.
lionGod was then a mighty lion, and He let forth a mighty roar. The villagers did not seem to hear, but the drums increased their pounding, and the dancers danced with frenzy.
And then we were back on the pathway. We walked a bit more, and were on the top of a cliff. There sat, painted and covered with feathers, an old Navajo man. As I watched, he seemed to change into the form of an eagle and take flight, and we were flying with him, soaring high into the air, seeing the vista spread out below us.
And God, in the form of an eagle Himself, seemed to guide this other eagle thru the air, over mountains and thru valleys, until he came upon a group of men. As I watched, the old Navajo man was no longer an eagle, but a young boy instead, and he sat at the feet of these men, to listen to the words of his elders.
eagleAnd then we were back on the pathway. We traveled a bit, and then we werein a forest clearing. I knew this place. It was known as a place of devil worship and evil. In the center of the clearing roared a great bonfire, and kiwi torches outlined a circle of sorts. Inside this circle, in a circle themselves, stood 7 men and 6 women, dressed in robes of varying colors, their arms raised to the moon.
Was that one woman MaryAnne? I really couldn’t be sure. And God walked among them in the circle, touching each one. He seemed not to be an older man now, but as he made each of three turns around the circle, he was first a young girl, bouncing with energy, then a woman of middle years, with a tender smile for all Her children, and finally, an old woman, body bent, but holding Her head up with pride. And a woman stepped forward, and yes, it was MaryAnne, and lifted her head to the sky.
“Great Goddess, Mother of us all, thank you for joining us tonight. Stay if You will, go if You must. Know in our hearts You will always be welcome. Blessed be!!”
And we were back on the pathway. As we walked along, ahead in the distance I saw the most beautiful man. Yes, beautiful, though I would never normally think of a man this way. With blonde hair, and a golden robe, he seemed to radiate sunshine. God and this golden man nodded to each other as they passed, sharing a smile together. “My Lord” I asked, “was that an angel?”
“Well, yes, he is known as that to some. He is also known to some as a god himself. That was Lucifer”
And His words caused me to stumble. I couldn’t believe that we had just passed the ultimate evil.
God looked at me, and He knew my mind. And He chuckled a bit. “Think about it logically My son. The Lucifer that you know is a fallen angel, cast out of heaven for challenging Me. If I am the all-powerful being, above all others, how could he do this? How could I allow it?” “But, in the bible….” I stammered. “The Bible is a wonderful book, as are the Koran and the Torah and many others, but they are just books, written by the hand of man, not written by Me. And, it’s a bit confusing as well if the truth be known, but that’s not up to Me to fix. These books are wonderful, but only as guidance, for each man and woman must think for themselves.”
Galaxy IconAnd, I believed He was right in this. “Now, come forth, we must journey little more before you go back.” and He took my hand once again. As we followed the pathway, we soared thru the stars, listening to the music of the heavens, we became a little flower and a mighty oak, we became a babbling brook, and a mighty ocean. We flitted from flower to flower as a little honeybee, and ran across the plains as a mighty stallion.
And, all too soon the pathway returned us to my home. God held my hand a moment longer, and smiled into my face. “My son, you prayed tonight for a true vision of Me. For vision, you must only open your eyes and see what there is to see. Good night to you”. And then He was gone, and I was back in my bed. A dream I thought, only a dream, that couldn’t have been real.
At that time, a bolt of lightning lit up my room thru the window, and thunder crashed thru the sky, and I thought I heard, from seemingly far away, “Remember, the Lord works in mysterious ways My son”.
office I love my workThis morning as I entered the office, I went to the machine for a cup of coffee, and standing there, I spied MaryAnne. As I approached her, I could see her barely cringe, and I could see in her face that she was expecting yet another onslaught from me and my book. She seemed to cast her eyes about for a way to escape, but there was none.
I walked up to her and smiled. “I think I owe you an apology,” I said.”I’ve been a bit narrow minded of late, and I really had no right to subject you to what I did. It’s not up to me to say how you find your path to your spirit, and I was wrong to think that was so.”
MaryAnne just stood there, not knowing what to say. “So, I just wanted to say that I’m so sorry, and I hope you will forgive my trespass. God bless you MaryAnne, and…uh….Blessed Be?”
You know, I always thought that it was just a saying; about people’s jaws dropping to the floor, but MaryAnne did her best at that moment to prove me wrong.
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Post by Fireheart on Dec 6, 2017 21:10:51 GMT -5
I posted this on SF, and now I post it here because it is the path I wander along. I consider myself a pagan Christian...which is what most Christians are anyway since what they worship got it's beginnings in paganism. Don't kill the messenger, lol. Just stating what I believe to be true in saying that. Anyway...this gem describes my own journey: (Author Unknown, more’s the pity)
Well, it had been yet another bad day in the office, and once again it was the fault of that new girl, MaryAnne. She is one of those Wiccans, a so-called Witch. How can anyone in their right mind make this claim, knowing that it goes against God and all of the teachings of the Bible?
She doesn’t even have the common decency to keep her satanic symbol, her pentagram necklace hidden from the view of the decent, God-fearing people in the office. She has some nerve. I find that I cannot hate her for this though, for I know that she has been deceived. Satan works his evil in ways that she cannot see.
I’ve seen that so called Wiccan Rede that she has tacked to the wall above her computer. On the surface, it looks like a decent loving belief, but all one must do is look, look closely and see that by practicing this way, and not embracing Jesus Christ as savior, she is on the pathway to Hell.
As I’ve said, it was a bad day in the office. Three times in the past few weeks I have been called in to see my supervisor, and he has told me that I am not allowed to preach to MaryAnne the word of God, to show her the error of her ways. Today, my supervisor told me that if I continue to “harass” MaryAnne, he would be forced to terminate me. How can he say this? He himself is a God fearing man. And, how can he be so tolerant of the evil that he sees insinuating itself into our workplace? As I lay down to sleep last night, I asked the Lord for guidance. “God, grant me a true vision of you, so that I may better lead the faithless onto the righteous path.”
Bible“Oh, a true vision of Me is it? Are you sure that you’re ready, truly ready to see, my son?”
I sat bolt upright in bed, and there, at the foot of my bed, white of hair and beard, in a long, flowing white robe, stood the Lord my God. I made to leap from the bed and fall to my knees in front of Him, but He stopped me with a gesture. “Kneel not before me at this time my son. Instead, rise and walk with Me, so that you may get a glimpse of what I truly am, as you asked of me in your prayer.”
He took my hand, and as I looked, my bedroom was no longer there, but a pathway thru the woods. We started to walk, and I was too awestruck for words. We took the path to the left, and we were then inside St. Catherine’s Church, in the middle of a service. While still standing beside me, God seemed to expand and fill the whole of the church.
I could see smiles of contentment forming on some of the parishioners’ faces. I felt blessed. God smiled upon me. “The Catholics hold such pretty masses, don’t they? I like to stop here in this church, because not only do they speak the words, but also they live the life, thru teaching, helping the sick and poor, not only with handouts, but helping them learn to help themselves. Now let us walk on.”
CoffinAnd we were back on the pathway. We traveled a bit further along, and then were in the parlor of a funeral home. A young woman was kneeling before the casket, resting her head on it and crying. I could see by the similarity, that this dead man must be her father. God knelt beside her, and drew His arms about her. “Miss him, that is all right, but weep not for him, for now he is with Me”.
She wiped her eyes, and stood with a sad smile upon her face, and said “Good-bye Daddy. I’ll miss you,” and turned and left the room.
And we were back on the pathway. We walked a little ways, and we were in front of a large lodge of some kind. I could hear music and laughter spilling out of the windows. I turned to look at God, and was shocked to see, not the flowing white robe, but Him wearing leather and animal furs, his hair and beard now the color of wheat, and a sword strapped across His back.
He strode forth, and I saw him approach a figure I had not seen before. As I looked close, I was shocked to see that it was the same face that I had just seen dead, but looking young and strong, and dressed in ancient looking garb, an ax strapped to his waist. God strode up to him and grabbed him in a great bear hug. “Welcome my son. We’ve been waiting for you. Now, go inside and raise a cup or two, and meet with your brother.” And, with a hearty slap on the back, he sent the man inside.
MosqueAnd then we were back on the pathway. We walked a bit further, and then we were in a mosque. At least I believed so, as I had never been in one before, but had seen pictures of them. The group of worshippers was not large, but I could see their rapt faces as they listened to the mullah speak. He was speaking to them of purity, both of the mind and the body, bringing them closer to Allah.
And as he spoke, God, dressed now in the robes of the desert, walked among them and briefly laid his hands upon each set of shoulders. And, from their faces, I could see that these men knew that the words of the mullah were true, and that their spirits felt touched by God.
And then we were back on the pathway. After we had walked a bit, we found ourselves in an African village. People with skin as black as night, the women with their breast shamefully bared, were dancing in a circle, to the rhythm of the drums being played by a group of men. Somehow though, the bared breasts did not offend me, and the music seemed to seep into my soul.
lionGod was then a mighty lion, and He let forth a mighty roar. The villagers did not seem to hear, but the drums increased their pounding, and the dancers danced with frenzy.
And then we were back on the pathway. We walked a bit more, and were on the top of a cliff. There sat, painted and covered with feathers, an old Navajo man. As I watched, he seemed to change into the form of an eagle and take flight, and we were flying with him, soaring high into the air, seeing the vista spread out below us.
And God, in the form of an eagle Himself, seemed to guide this other eagle thru the air, over mountains and thru valleys, until he came upon a group of men. As I watched, the old Navajo man was no longer an eagle, but a young boy instead, and he sat at the feet of these men, to listen to the words of his elders.
eagleAnd then we were back on the pathway. We traveled a bit, and then we werein a forest clearing. I knew this place. It was known as a place of devil worship and evil. In the center of the clearing roared a great bonfire, and kiwi torches outlined a circle of sorts. Inside this circle, in a circle themselves, stood 7 men and 6 women, dressed in robes of varying colors, their arms raised to the moon.
Was that one woman MaryAnne? I really couldn’t be sure. And God walked among them in the circle, touching each one. He seemed not to be an older man now, but as he made each of three turns around the circle, he was first a young girl, bouncing with energy, then a woman of middle years, with a tender smile for all Her children, and finally, an old woman, body bent, but holding Her head up with pride. And a woman stepped forward, and yes, it was MaryAnne, and lifted her head to the sky.
“Great Goddess, Mother of us all, thank you for joining us tonight. Stay if You will, go if You must. Know in our hearts You will always be welcome. Blessed be!!”
And we were back on the pathway. As we walked along, ahead in the distance I saw the most beautiful man. Yes, beautiful, though I would never normally think of a man this way. With blonde hair, and a golden robe, he seemed to radiate sunshine. God and this golden man nodded to each other as they passed, sharing a smile together. “My Lord” I asked, “was that an angel?”
“Well, yes, he is known as that to some. He is also known to some as a god himself. That was Lucifer”
And His words caused me to stumble. I couldn’t believe that we had just passed the ultimate evil.
God looked at me, and He knew my mind. And He chuckled a bit. “Think about it logically My son. The Lucifer that you know is a fallen angel, cast out of heaven for challenging Me. If I am the all-powerful being, above all others, how could he do this? How could I allow it?” “But, in the bible….” I stammered. “The Bible is a wonderful book, as are the Koran and the Torah and many others, but they are just books, written by the hand of man, not written by Me. And, it’s a bit confusing as well if the truth be known, but that’s not up to Me to fix. These books are wonderful, but only as guidance, for each man and woman must think for themselves.”
Galaxy IconAnd, I believed He was right in this. “Now, come forth, we must journey little more before you go back.” and He took my hand once again. As we followed the pathway, we soared thru the stars, listening to the music of the heavens, we became a little flower and a mighty oak, we became a babbling brook, and a mighty ocean. We flitted from flower to flower as a little honeybee, and ran across the plains as a mighty stallion.
And, all too soon the pathway returned us to my home. God held my hand a moment longer, and smiled into my face. “My son, you prayed tonight for a true vision of Me. For vision, you must only open your eyes and see what there is to see. Good night to you”. And then He was gone, and I was back in my bed. A dream I thought, only a dream, that couldn’t have been real.
At that time, a bolt of lightning lit up my room thru the window, and thunder crashed thru the sky, and I thought I heard, from seemingly far away, “Remember, the Lord works in mysterious ways My son”.
office I love my workThis morning as I entered the office, I went to the machine for a cup of coffee, and standing there, I spied MaryAnne. As I approached her, I could see her barely cringe, and I could see in her face that she was expecting yet another onslaught from me and my book. She seemed to cast her eyes about for a way to escape, but there was none.
I walked up to her and smiled. “I think I owe you an apology,” I said.”I’ve been a bit narrow minded of late, and I really had no right to subject you to what I did. It’s not up to me to say how you find your path to your spirit, and I was wrong to think that was so.”
MaryAnne just stood there, not knowing what to say. “So, I just wanted to say that I’m so sorry, and I hope you will forgive my trespass. God bless you MaryAnne, and…uh….Blessed Be?”
You know, I always thought that it was just a saying; about people’s jaws dropping to the floor, but MaryAnne did her best at that moment to prove me wrong. I think this story is a great way to approach the understanding of everyone needing to find their own spiritual path. So many want to push religion from their point of view without realizing that just as strongly as you believe in your religion, others believe that strongly in theirs. Just like when people of the Christian faith say, "Blah, blah, blah happened to me and that reinforced my faith in Christianity", there are Pagans or Muslims or Jews who have had similar experiences reinforcing their faith in their own religion or spirituality. If people could stop seeing the world only from their own point of view and start putting themselves into the shoes of others, this world would be a better place.
As a Pagan, I have experienced this backlash first hand...and yes, the majority of it is from those who claim to be Christian. If people would educate themselves (I don't worship Satan. Most Pagans don't even believe in Satan. I don't do blood sacrifices. I believe in the sacredness of all living things.) then that would at least be a start, but many only see things from their perspective and don't even want to venture into the territory of educating themselves on other religions and or belief systems. I want to say, "What are you so afraid of?"
"Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy-of-life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the one true right and only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practices and belief." -Silver Ravenwolf
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Post by highlandannie on Dec 6, 2017 22:05:10 GMT -5
I think this story is a great way to approach the understanding of everyone needing to find their own spiritual path. So many want to push religion from their point of view without realizing that just as strongly as you believe in your religion, others believe that strongly in theirs. Just like when people of the Christian faith say, "Blah, blah, blah happened to me and that reinforced my faith in Christianity", there are Pagans or Muslims or Jews who have had similar experiences reinforcing their faith in their own religion or spirituality. If people could stop seeing the world only from their own point of view and start putting themselves into the shoes of others, this world would be a better place.
As a Pagan, I have experienced this backlash first hand...and yes, the majority of it is from those who claim to be Christian. If people would educate themselves (I don't worship Satan. Most Pagans don't even believe in Satan. I don't do blood sacrifices. I believe in the sacredness of all living things.) then that would at least be a start, but many only see things from their perspective and don't even want to venture into the territory of educating themselves on other religions and or belief systems. I want to say, "What are you so afraid of?"
"Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy-of-life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the one true right and only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practices and belief." -Silver Ravenwolf I am a recovered Catholic. Back in the 90's I was seriously exploring Celtic Paganism. I was a solo practitioner for several years. I was then living in the bible belt and many people thought pagan and satan worshipper was the same thing.
If I had to be labeled now I'd say I was a sort of Pagan and sort of Buddhist. I do enjoy the singing at the church my husband goes to while we are in Thailand, so I go to mass with him.
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Post by Fireheart on Dec 6, 2017 22:19:29 GMT -5
I think this story is a great way to approach the understanding of everyone needing to find their own spiritual path. So many want to push religion from their point of view without realizing that just as strongly as you believe in your religion, others believe that strongly in theirs. Just like when people of the Christian faith say, "Blah, blah, blah happened to me and that reinforced my faith in Christianity", there are Pagans or Muslims or Jews who have had similar experiences reinforcing their faith in their own religion or spirituality. If people could stop seeing the world only from their own point of view and start putting themselves into the shoes of others, this world would be a better place.
As a Pagan, I have experienced this backlash first hand...and yes, the majority of it is from those who claim to be Christian. If people would educate themselves (I don't worship Satan. Most Pagans don't even believe in Satan. I don't do blood sacrifices. I believe in the sacredness of all living things.) then that would at least be a start, but many only see things from their perspective and don't even want to venture into the territory of educating themselves on other religions and or belief systems. I want to say, "What are you so afraid of?"
"Our only animosity toward Christianity, or toward any other religion or philosophy-of-life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be "the one true right and only way" and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practices and belief." -Silver Ravenwolf I am a recovered Catholic. Back in the 90's I was seriously exploring Celtic Paganism. I was a solo practitioner for several years. I was then living in the bible belt and many people thought pagan and satan worshipper was the same thing.
If I had to be labeled now I'd say I was a sort of pagan and sort of Buddhist. I do enjoy the singing at the church my husband goes to while we are in Thailand, so I go to mass with him. Like you, my spirituality comes from more than one path. My paternal grandmother was born and raised on the Cherokee reservation, so many of my beliefs stem from what I was brought up with in regards to the Native American culture & spirituality from that side of my family. I also have a strong background in Wicca, but don't consider myself exclusively Wiccan in my beliefs and practices. So, if I had to be labeled, I would say I am an Eclectic Pagan.
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Post by highlandannie on Dec 6, 2017 22:28:58 GMT -5
I am a recovered Catholic. Back in the 90's I was seriously exploring Celtic Paganism. I was a solo practitioner for several years. I was then living in the bible belt and many people thought pagan and satan worshipper was the same thing.
If I had to be labeled now I'd say I was a sort of pagan and sort of Buddhist. I do enjoy the singing at the church my husband goes to while we are in Thailand, so I go to mass with him. Like you, my spirituality comes from more than one path. My paternal grandmother was born and raised on the Cherokee reservation, so many of my beliefs stem from what I was brought up with in regards to the Native American culture & spirituality from that side of my family. I also have a strong background in Wicca, but don't consider myself exclusively Wiccan in my beliefs and practices. So, if I had to be labeled, I would say I am an Eclectic Pagan. When I first started exploring in the early 90's (in my 40's) I was very drawn to Native American spirituality. I love how they revere the earth and the animals. So I went to many New Age shops, but then heard frequently how Native Americans were angry at non Native Americans 'stealing' their religion. Oh well. Don't really know if this was true or not. So I started reading about all the different paths, and being a Celtophile I found Celtic Paganism. My background though is strict Catholic, although my mother's side of the family was Methodist. My husband was also raised Catholic and is still Catholic although he believes a lot of rules out of the vatican are ridiculous. But he also thinks of himself as a mix of Pagan-Buddhist.
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Post by Fireheart on Dec 6, 2017 22:43:09 GMT -5
Like you, my spirituality comes from more than one path. My paternal grandmother was born and raised on the Cherokee reservation, so many of my beliefs stem from what I was brought up with in regards to the Native American culture & spirituality from that side of my family. I also have a strong background in Wicca, but don't consider myself exclusively Wiccan in my beliefs and practices. So, if I had to be labeled, I would say I am an Eclectic Pagan. When I first started exploring in the early 90's (in my 40's) I was very drawn to Native American spirituality. I love how they revere the earth and the animals. So I went to many New Age shops, but then heard frequently how Native Americans were angry at non Native Americans 'stealing' their religion. Oh well. Don't really know if this was true or not. So I started reading about all the different paths, and being a Celtophile I found Celtic Paganism. My background though is strict Catholic, although my mother's side of the family was Methodist. My husband was also raised Catholic and is still Catholic although he believes a lot of rules out of the vatican are ridiculous. But he also thinks of himself as a mix of Pagan-Buddhist. I can't speak for all tribes of course, but my family and most Cherokee that I know actually enjoy teaching those interested about our culture and beliefs. Of course, there are some things passed down through the generations that are considered sacred and not for outsiders, but in general it's not taboo.
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Post by highlandannie on Dec 6, 2017 23:36:55 GMT -5
When I first started exploring in the early 90's (in my 40's) I was very drawn to Native American spirituality. I love how they revere the earth and the animals. So I went to many New Age shops, but then heard frequently how Native Americans were angry at non Native Americans 'stealing' their religion. Oh well. Don't really know if this was true or not. So I started reading about all the different paths, and being a Celtophile I found Celtic Paganism. My background though is strict Catholic, although my mother's side of the family was Methodist. My husband was also raised Catholic and is still Catholic although he believes a lot of rules out of the vatican are ridiculous. But he also thinks of himself as a mix of Pagan-Buddhist. I can't speak for all tribes of course, but my family and most Cherokee that I know actually enjoy teaching those interested about our culture and beliefs. Of course, there are some things passed down through the generations that are considered sacred and not for outsiders, but in general it's not taboo. Makes sense to me that they would want to teach those who want to learn. But also that some are sacred and not to be shared. I follow 500 Nations on FB and often get quotes that I love.
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