Jarlaxle 56 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I was 1 and 4, up until a couple of years ago I followed Christianity without knowing of any alternatives. Now I refuse to follow any religion, I'll follow what I've learned from everywhere, not from one narrow minded sect of people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eidolon Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 λέγει αὐτῷ Ἰησοῦς· ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή· οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν πατέρα εἰ μὴ δι’ ἐμοῦ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eidolon Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 And if you listen very hard... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firekisses Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 My great-grandmother taught me the craft from birth until she passed away when I was age 16. Both my grandmother and mother chose to follow the Roman Catholic religion, mostly because it was more socially accepted and they had me attend Catholic school. I appreciate the nice education, but I'm still a witch and I continue to choose that religious path as my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eidolon Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I won't say what happened in my family along those lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Action Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I am also Atheist. You're not alone. Another non-subscriber here. It seems to me that religion is just a man-made invention used to satisfy his own selfish beliefs. And start wars over. With that said, I do respect other people's beliefs. Just don't try to lay it on me, because it ain't happenin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
59LesPaul Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 There's two kinds of Catholics in the world:devout and fallen. I fell. Then;I had an epiphany............. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Action Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 There's two kinds of Catholics in the world:devout and fallen. I fell. Then;I had an epiphany............. I'm more into Zeppology, and the teachings of Keithfucius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthekingshorses Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I've always like this quote.... "When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion." ~Abraham Lincoln Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Action Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I've always like this quote.... "When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion." ~Abraham Lincoln That's called a man taking responsibility for his own actions, rather than using a crutch. We need more of that in this world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 #3 with bits of #1. 7th generation Latter-Day Saint (Mormon) here. I like my religion. I'll be sticking with it. When someone said they are a witch a few posts ago becareful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firekisses Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 When someone said they are a witch a few posts ago becareful. Why be careful? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manderlyh Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I guess all you witchies have a bad rap, eh, FK? I'm not scared of you guys. Love the witchies on here, each one of them are some of my favorite people! :kiss: :kiss: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firekisses Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I guess all you witchies have a bad rap, eh, FK? I'm not scared of you guys. Love the witchies on here, each one of them are some of my favorite people! :kiss: :kiss: I guess we do. Thanks Manders! I really appreciate the sweet words!!! We're pretty cool if you take the time to get to know us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I guess all you witchies have a bad rap, eh, FK? I'm not scared of you guys. Love the witchies on here, each one of them are some of my favorite people! :kiss: :kiss: I may even know witches around where I live and don't even know it.i think witches are cool people too!! You may open up something that's more powerful that you.I just care about you that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattmc1973 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 I've always like this quote.... "When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion." ~Abraham Lincoln That being said, Lincoln was a very religious man... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanna be drummer Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 I was born into Catholicism and been religious ever since. I truly believe in Christ and accept Him into my life. I'm probably never going to convert because I believe Jesus was divine and thus I can't really convert unless I stop believing that (which I won't) or that would mean I'd have to convert to another Christian sect, and I apologize to any non-Catholic Christians here, but they all split from Catholicism in one way or another. Basically, I think the Catholic Church is the true Christian religion considering our beliefs haven't changed since it was created, in the time of the Apostles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 . Guilt-free fully-recovered Catholic here. I was born into a Roman Catholic family, was baptized Catholic, went to Catholic middle school, and was confirmed Catholic. However, I was never really deeply moved by Catholicism. Although I had (and still have) very deep respect, admiration, and compassion for Jesus, I was quite put off by the Catholic "institution" and the hypocrisy therein. So I left the Catholic church and embarked on a spiritual path of my own; a path on which I explored atheism, agnosticism, Hinduism, Advaita Vedanta, and ultimately Buddhism, the religion that I currently practice. The form of Buddhism I practice is that of the Karma Kagyu lineage (Vajrayana Buddhism), from Tibet. Last March I went to Sherab Ling monastery in the Himalayas of northern India (Himachal Pradesh region) where I received Mahamudra teachings from my beloved root guru, *H.E. The 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche*. After leaving Sherab Ling I went to Dharamshala where the Dalai Lama resides (though he wasn't there at the time) and I went to Guyoto monastery where I was fortunate enough to have an audience with H.H. The 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, *Ogyen Trinley Dorje*, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage. In April this year, I'm going back to Sherab Ling for more Mahamudra teachings. Among the many reasons that Buddhism appeals to me are the facts that although Buddhism is a 'religion', its unlike other religions in that 1. Buddhists do not believe in a "God", or gods, that is/are separate from oneself (ie, Buddhism points toward non-duality as being the ultimate truth), 2. Buddhism encourages its practitioners to actively question and scrutinize Buddhist teachings, and 3. Buddhism is genuinely rooted in the core value of generating loving kindness and compassion for all beings. Om Mani Padme Hung! Sherab Ling monastery: Guyoto monastery: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Klu Posted January 8, 2008 Author Share Posted January 8, 2008 Basically, I think the Catholic Church is the true Christian religion considering our beliefs haven't changed since it was created, in the time of the Apostles. Does the bible specifically say there must be an organization/Pope overseeing Christianity? All I know about the origins of the church is that there was a long free-for-all period between after Jesus died and The Council of Nicea. . Guilt-free fully-recovered Catholic here. The form of Buddhism I practice is that of the Karma Kagyu lineage (Vajrayana Buddhism), from Tibet. Last March I went to Sherab Ling monastery in the Himalayas of northern India (Himachal Pradesh region) where I received Mahamudra teachings from my beloved root guru, *H.E. The 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche*. After leaving Sherab Ling I went to Dharamshala where the Dalai Lama resides (though he wasn't there at the time) and I went to Guyoto monastery where I was fortunate enough to have an audience with H.H. The 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, *Ogyen Trinley Dorje*, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage. In April this year, I'm going back to Sherab Ling for more Mahamudra teachings. Among the many reasons that Buddhism appeals to me are the facts that although Buddhism is a 'religion', its unlike other religions in that 1. Buddhists do not believe in a "God", or gods, that is/are separate from oneself (ie, Buddhism points toward non-duality as being the ultimate truth), 2. Buddhism encourages its practitioners to actively question and scrutinize Buddhist teachings, and 3. Buddhism is genuinely rooted in the core value of generating loving kindness and compassion for all beings. Om Mani Padme Hung! Now thats some groovy jazz there. My reading at the moment is of the Theravada branch. Buddhism is much more... perceptual[?] than I would have figured. You have to really want to know and absorb it. You can't really say you're Buddhist, yet not actively practice it. Dunno if I could totally get into it.....I kinda enjoy a bit of suffering now and then.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzyMerkin Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 . Guilt-free fully-recovered Catholic here. I was born into a Roman Catholic family, was baptized Catholic, went to Catholic middle school, and was confirmed Catholic. However, I was never really deeply moved by Catholicism. Although I had (and still have) very deep respect, admiration, and compassion for Jesus, I was quite put off by the Catholic "institution" and the hypocrisy therein. So I left the Catholic church and embarked on a spiritual path of my own; a path on which I explored atheism, agnosticism, Hinduism, Advaita Vedanta, and ultimately Buddhism, the religion that I currently practice. The form of Buddhism I practice is that of the Karma Kagyu lineage (Vajrayana Buddhism), from Tibet. Last March I went to Sherab Ling monastery in the Himalayas of northern India (Himachal Pradesh region) where I received Mahamudra teachings from my beloved root guru, *H.E. The 12th Tai Situ Rinpoche*. After leaving Sherab Ling I went to Dharamshala where the Dalai Lama resides (though he wasn't there at the time) and I went to Guyoto monastery where I was fortunate enough to have an audience with H.H. The 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, *Ogyen Trinley Dorje*, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage. In April this year, I'm going back to Sherab Ling for more Mahamudra teachings. Among the many reasons that Buddhism appeals to me are the facts that although Buddhism is a 'religion', its unlike other religions in that 1. Buddhists do not believe in a "God", or gods, that is/are separate from oneself (ie, Buddhism points toward non-duality as being the ultimate truth), 2. Buddhism encourages its practitioners to actively question and scrutinize Buddhist teachings, and 3. Buddhism is genuinely rooted in the core value of generating loving kindness and compassion for all beings. Om Mani Padme Hung! Would that include your fellow posters then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanna be drummer Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Does the bible specifically say there must be an organization/Pope overseeing Christianity? All I know about the origins of the church is that there was a long free-for-all period between after Jesus died and The Council of Nicea.The Bible doesn't specify on how the Church should run nor should it. Peter was the first Pope and one of the Twelve Apostles at that. Should we really say that he never should have assumed that role? Again, he wasn't given the title for no frickin reason. The Pope is meant to be the leader of the Church as was shown by Peter. Everyone needs leaders, and yes there has to be organization in a religion for it to function at all, especially evangelical ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Now thats some groovy jazz there. My reading at the moment is of the Theravada branch. Buddhism is much more... perceptual[?] than I would have figured. You have to really want to know and absorb it. You can't really say you're Buddhist, yet not actively practice it. Dunno if I could totally get into it.....I kinda enjoy a bit of suffering now and then.... I don't think you have to worry too much about your desire for 'a bit of suffering', Klu. Until you rid yourself of hope, desire, attachment, aversion, anger, ignorance, etc.. you'll have plenty of opportunities to suffer. You're absolutely right about the practice aspect of Buddhism. Being Buddhist is not something one simply declares oneself to be; it requires specific and persistent practice. While some schools of Buddhism emphasize [various forms of] practice moreso than other schools, ALL schools of Buddhism emphasize the practice of meditation and they ALL stress the importance of generating loving kindness and compassion for all beings (through meditation and generating loving kindness and compassion for all beings, the practitioner develops a recognition that the dualistic perception of "self" vs "other" is merely an illusion). Specific to vajrayana/mahamudra are various tantric meditation practices that involve elaborate visualizations and the recitation of mantras. Theravada is a wonderful form of Buddhism; it's one of the oldest schools of Buddhism and is as sure a path to enlightenment as any other form of Buddhism. Vajrayana and theravada have a few differences though; two of the biggest differences being 1. vajrayana is seen as a more direct path to enlightenment (ie, vajrayana offers the possibility of reaching enlightenment in a single lifetime whereas the theravada path requires several lifetimes), and 2. the goal of theravada is enlightenment of the individual practitioner, whereas practitioners of vajrayana Buddhism take bodhisattva vows in which they vow to assist others in reaching enlightenment; having reached enlightenment, Bodhisattvas choose to take human rebirth again and again until all sentient beings have reached enlightenment. Vajrayana takes theravada to a greater level of compassion. Would that include your fellow posters then? If it includes the likes of death row inmates, Osama bin Laden, George Bush, and Dick Cheney then surely it also includes my fellow LZ.com posters, wouldn't ya think? The fact that I playfully flip people guff on a message board doesn't mean I don't feel loving kindness and compassion for them. Fwiw,.. there's not a person you can think of in all the history of mankind for whom I wouldn't be able to generate a genuine sense of loving kindness and compassion. Feeling loving kindness for those whom we like and already hold in positive regard isn't very challenging, but generating loving kindness and compassion for those we don't hold in positive regard or those who are vile and violent,.. now that's a challenge! It's a challenge that requires an open heart and a willingness and ability to see beyond the deeds and to recognize the suffering that leads that person to act violently/harmfully toward others. From a Buddhist perspective we also consider the future suffering (in this lifetime and/or future lifetimes) that such a person is bringing upon him/herself through their acts of harming others, and we feel compassion for them in that regard (no one escapes their karma, ya know? ). May all sentient beings have happiness and the cause of happiness. May they be free from suffering and the cause of suffering. May they attain the superior joy beyond suffering. May they abide in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion. ~ The Four Immeasurables young monks at Sherab Ling monastery: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigstickbonzo Posted January 8, 2008 Share Posted January 8, 2008 Having one side of my family as Bible-thumping evangelics and having grown up going to Church every Sunday, sometimes Wednesdays and Saturdays too, I've come to have my own beliefs about Christianity and religion in general. For one thing, alot of Christians I've met are the most judgmental people out there. They simply don't like you because you don't follow the Bible the way they do, so you are perceived as wrong and inferior. I think that's my main objection towards organized religion. They promote fear which promotes judgement. The only person who should be able to judge is God, not a minister or a follower or an old woman dressed in her Sunday's best. I've often come to head with my relatives over my belief in God and my interpretation of the Bible. For me, its not to be interpreted word-for-word. There are several passages that contradict one another and also, there are some passages that seem to be written more for context than for thought. Of course the biggest question one must raise with the Bible is it was written by man, therefore it was subject to rewrites from the original word of God. The church will argue the Bible was written directly from God's words, yet the Bible itself has gone through several rewrites since its conception. The version Western Christianity uses today, The King James Edition, was a rewritten version in the 14th Century that benefited the King and his interpretation of the Bible, because, in those times, a king was believed to have been put on the thrown by God's will. But some Christians are ignorant to that piece of history and deny any rewrites, claiming it has been the same since it was first written-which Bible scholars and archaeologists will firmly tell you, is not the case. But anway, religion is a good thing. Unfortunately, the bad outways the good in most cases-which lead the conclusion from outside parties to say that all religion is evil and should be eradicated. I can understand their reasons, but its not justifiable to eliminate something that brings hope and light to so many people who feel lost in life. That's where religion is good. In soothing people and bringing forth hope for a bright future, it can turn people's lives around-which I've seen first hand. I consider surfing to be deeply spiritual and somewhat religious in nature. And those who don't understand that will just have to live with it and take my word for it. There's something about it that just releases me and my pain when I have it. It's better than sex. Just a complete spiritual experience that clenses the soul and leaves room for more to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I consider surfing to be deeply spiritual and somewhat religious in nature. And those who don't understand that will just have to live with it and take my word for it. There's something about it that just releases me and my pain when I have it. It's better than sex. Just a complete spiritual experience that clenses the soul and leaves room for more to come. As a former surfer myself, I can relate to what you're saying about the spiritual aspect of surfing. I just came across this article about surfing.. ..written by a Buddhist surfer. The Zen of Surfing How to brave life's choppy waters and ride the perfect wave by Jaimal Yogis I remember listening to a dharma talk five years ago by one of my favorite teachers, Ajahn Amaro, a witty British monk in the Thai Forest tradition who lives in a humble hut in the Mendocino Forest in Northern California. He used a surfing metaphor to explain samsara, the endless cycle of birth and death. The Ajahn laughed as he talked about the ridiculousness of surfers. They struggle to paddle through the crashing surf in search of their perfect wave. But when they finally catch one, they get a fleeting rush of adrenaline, get shoved underwater, come up breathless, and then struggle to get back out again for another round. This, he said, is dukkha-suffering. Ajahn Amaro was pointing out that we are addicted to the emotional patterns that continually pound us down. We chase after them for a fleeting rush, but that rush is never quite enough. I agree. But, as a Buddhist surfer, I would like to suggest another lesson we can glean from the sport. I believe surfing can teach us to ride samsara, even enjoy it, like a wave, while still seeing through its illusory nature. One of the highest insights in the Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions is to realize that samsara is, in fact, nirvana: that there is no need to escape because everything is originally pure and perfect. In a small way, surfing has begun to teach me this. When I started surfing on the island of Maui at 16, I was just beginning to meditate regularly. I was living on the north shore of the island, where the waves are extremely big and powerful. For a beginner, it seemed impossible to paddle through the breakers. I would see a huge, frothy wall charging toward me, and my body would tense up. The wave would break on top of me and send me rolling back toward the sand. I felt like a failure, unable even to get out to the point of takeoff. But after a few weeks of daily beatings, I learned the most important principle of surfing: a wave, no matter how large, is still just water. If you understand the wave and how it moves, you don't have to be afraid of it (or at the very least, you can be less afraid). After all, when you break a wave down to its basic nature, it is just cycling energy moving through water. When the conditions are right, when the water is shallow enough, the wave is born. *remainder of article* -------- I also came across this nice little tidbit.. "Surfing means paddling out into the ocean, often at dawn, often alone, and sitting there on your board waiting for waves. You look at the horizon and watch. Minutes go by while fish, seals, dolphins, and sharks swim underneath your legs. You breathe in, you breathe out. It is not surprising that there is a connection between surfing and meditation. Except for those exceptional days, when wave after wave rolls in, you have nothing to do except float there in the ocean, in relaxed alertness. " ~ Lorin Roche, Zen surfer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waterwitch Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I'm currently 3 because of 1. I was raised Christian (Protestant, Methodist to be completely accurate) and I liked my church all right, I liked the teachings for the most part, and was marginally satisfied by it. But as I went on in life, I found that it just didn't feel *natural* to me, that it felt like I was still missing something. So I "converted" to Paganism. I still don't define, directly, any one path or another (for example, I am not devoutly Wiccan but that's probably the closest description) and I still make an effort to learn as much as I can about all kinds of religions, both Pagan and Monotheistic. Really my spiritual path is a mish-mash of all sorts of things- a little from here, a little from there... whatever fits. Really, the pastor that I had at church during the time I was going through confirmation described it the best and probably planted the seed that lead to my abandonment (not entire, though) of the Christian faith. He said that faith is sort of like going on a shopping trip. You take an item from the shelf, you examine it, decide if it's really going to fit into your life, whether it's something you need or something you want, and some things you put in your basket- others, you leave on the shelf. I liked that description immensely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.