What does your religion mean to you?

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[color=darkviolet]I'm hoping that this thread will be understandable.
I'm curious as to what someone's religion means to them. Either what they beleive in general or how they were raised. Also what religion they are. I'm sorry that I'm rambling, I haven't made up a thread in a month and it's 2:13AM.

As for myself, well, I was raised Catholic, but I haven't been practicing for about two years. I started getting interested in Wicca June 2003 but the people at the class I was in made me feel out of place and the whoel thing there was a bit political so I wasn't too impressed. But I'm taking a class again and I feel a bit more at ease.

What my religion means to me...I haven't decided yet. In the past it brought me a bit of strength and comfort until this whole deal with this priest in the church my mom's parents went to. HE was doing something he felt was right (performing marriage rites on samesex couples) and all the other churches actually started praying that he;d come to his senses. Now with what I'm learning I feel a bit calmer than I did before. I also feel a bit more in control of myself. Does that make sense to anyone?

Well, I tried. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go huddle in a corner somewhere[/color]

[lcrisler]

Religion has always been a matter of personal choice to me; I think I'm quite lucky in that regard. If I ever set foor in a church before the age of 10-11, I don't remember it. I always had the option of saying "Hey Mom, this bites!" and leaving. My mom got bored with the Catholic Church a few months before me, and got into the occult. I read some of the books she bought, and what I read made sense. Hence, minor soulsearching detours notwithstanding, I've been Wiccan for about (holy crap) going on ten years? Wow. That's a lot of time...haven't thought about it in a while.

My faith gives me a framework with which I can relate to the world and a way to put ideas into perspective for those who come to me for guidance. It lets me be as tolerant and open-minded as I want to be (and so far, no one has managed to top me) and pushes me to be better at the same time.

Thats about it, without writing a book.

[Godelsensei]

[COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]I'm an atheist, namely because religion never made sense to me. I simply can't [i]believe[/i] in any god, just as I can't [i]believe[/i] in fairies.

This probably has alot to do with the negative experiences my family has had regarding religion, however.

My grandfather grew up in a Quebecois orphanage, run by crazy, bitter-towards-the-world nuns, [i]that was intact with a mental asylum on the top floor.[/i]
They would send the poor kids upstairs to bring the patients their meals, when they weren't making them do farm work or telling him he was going to burn in hell for writing with his left hand.

Of course, since he married a devout Catholic, my dad and his two sisters ended up in a Catholic school, where they had a slightly, [i]slightly[/i], less torturous affair, simply because they didn't have to live there. And because of the lack of a mental asylum in the attic.

At this school, one of the nuns told my dad that he was going to burn in hell because he was using his left hand to colour the Virgin Mary's robe purple, since my father is both ambidextrous and colour-blind. Go figure.

Apparently, they would also line them up to sit in a pitch-dark confessional, so they could admit their "sins" to a drunken priest, who could totally see who they were.

Also, a family who was friends with my father's family while he was growing up happened to go along with the Catholic tradition of handing over your first-born child to the Church.

When he finally quit, thirty years later, the priest said, in front of the entire church, that they should pray for the salvation of the son's family, even though they were going to hell, anyway.

My aunt's friend's mother got divorced, the priest found out, said something along the same lines, resulting in her having to wait around with her children, in a broken-down car, during a heavy snowstorm, while the rest of the church attendees drove away. Apparently, they didn't want to have to suffer eternal damnation, along with her and her children.

Neither myself, my sister, nor any of our cousins on my dad's side, have been baptized. But you probably derived that from the rest of the post.

So, no, religion doesn't really mean more to my family than the thought of a crazed nun slapping some poor six-year-old's left hand with a ruler and telling him [i]she[/i] wouldn't be praying for his salvation.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

Well I've been a devout Roman Catholic for practically all my life, there was a time when I was around thirteen that I lost my faith for a while, I just couldn't believe any more but eventually I regained my faith and I've never felt better spiritually. To me my faith represents a set of guidelines through which I can help lead a better life, in the knowledge that after this existence I will go on to something better because I believed. I personally believe that everyone has the right to have their own religion, or like Godel have none at all, we are all unique.

Yes there are those who represent the Roman Catholic Church that have done truly horrible things, the paedophile priests for one, but one thing people don't realise is that back then people were pushed into becoming a Priest/Brother/Sister when they didn't want to. I mean can you imagine leading a life that you absolutely hated and having to continue for the sake of your family, being lonely all your life because your father and mother decided you were to be the priest in the family. I'm not condoning what they did, it was horribly wrong but there are those of them that I feel sorry for.

Now in saying that there were fellow who did such evils because they wanted to, those who used violence on children but they're different and will burn in Hell for it. I personally think that at some stage the Catholic Church is going to have to take a serious look at what's been happening to it and try and fix those problems. I say this as a loyal Catholic who doesn't want to see the Church become an institute of evil instead of great good, I also think that George Bush should stop using God's name to justify his actions. Just my thoughts on the subject. [/SIZE]

[Adahn]

[b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=darkolivegreen]Wow, that's some rough ****. Have you ever thought to yourself that even though they are obviously wrong, there might be something good and right in this world to believe in?[/color][/size][/font][/b]
[b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=#556b2f][/color][/size][/font][/b]
[b][font=Trebuchet MS][size=2][color=#556b2f]As for me, I wasn't raised a Christian or anything. My neighbors were devout Christians, though, so they bitched at my parents and got them to agree to let them take me to this Awana thing. It was a little church boy scout sort of thing. It was pretty fun. I had my photographic memory back then, so I memorized Bible verses and got candy bars. It was a pretty sweet deal. I didn't learn jack ****, though. So, years passed, and I was this nice little pseudo-Christian. I didn't know anything, just that there was this heaven place, and this hell place, and that since I said a little thing about accepting Jesus, I got to go to the heaven place. That was good enough for me, for a while. As time progressed, life got easier, and I found myself with time on my hands, and thoughts. I contemplated existence and God and anything else you can imagine. I checked out OB, and saw that it was pretty cool. I met someone there who said a bunch of things I didn't understand, but I was oddly compelled to read the Bible. So, I did that, and was mostly objective with the whole thing. I took it as truth. I thought of reincarnation then, even though I was reading the heavily watered-down NIV. I debated it with Jordan, and he couldn't refute me, which was rather annoying. Then, I started going to Church with Jordan and his family. I love those guys :D Church was okay, I just didn't feel what they felt. I stopped going eventually, because I felt alone. Then I talked to that person from OB again, and started thinking again. I guess religion really means alot to me. Ever since I got into more discussions about it, I've felt very much at peace. It's odd. I'm not sad, and I'm occasionally happy. I don't worry about anything, or have any problems. I don't make any mistakes that hurt me. When I moved into my dorm, I wasn't scared or excited or anything. It was just a different place. I have what's important to me now, and I don't really need anything else (not that I don't get everything I want, anyway). I suppose my advice is that just because you've had bad experiences with certain religions doesn't mean all religions are bad. Give something a go, maybe you'll find peace. If you're at peace without one, that's good too. It's not for me, though.[/color][/size][/font][/b]

[Onix]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][SIZE=1]Religion...such a strange topic. I've never gotten too far into Religion, my motto being pretty much "I don't want to piss off the wrong God." For that reason, I've been an Agnostic for most of my life. Unlike Atheism (the absence of any religious belief, and generally the belief that there is no God and/or afterlife), Agnosticism is the absence of faith in any one thing, but the belief that anything COULD be right.

My parents were both Agnostic (well, still are, I guess), and my grandmother and grandfather are Catholic (or Christian. To tell you the truth, I STILL don't get the distinction.), so I've had a little input from those two fronts. I've watched a lot of debates on TV about religion, had discussions with friends (one who's fairly devout, the other not so much), and have never really restricted myself to any one faith. I mean, I thought, maybe there is some guy up there watching us, and some guy below trying to get his hands on us. I've read Dante's Inferno, and plan to read the rest of the Divine Comedy. I've researched mythology, am in the process of reading the Chinese folktale Monkey (or Xi You Ji, Hsi Yu Ki, Saiyuki, etc.), and have even researched Demonology.

Recently, while talking with my (Buddhist, if it matters) friend, I discovered a website called Godchecker.com, a great website that provides information about the Gods from Greece, Egypt, China, and many other sources. While looking at it later, I found a link to a website about Integrated Polytheism.

I realize that many of you are think "wha?", and that was my reaction. I pretty much went, "Wow! Big word, sounds interesting." When I read up about it, I discovered that it was this "religion" (not sure if I'd call it that per se) that believed that any and all of the Gods from any and all mythologies could and possible were real, and existing to this day. It also stated that wisdom could come from any source, be it a four-year-old or a televangelist. There are some other principles, I think, but I can't really remember exactly right now.

The point is, is that there was this faith that it could be argued was saying, "pray to everyone in case you pray to the wrong person." This is a crude, lose, and fairly offensive interpritation, but one that also, on a fundamental level, keyed in with my previous beliefs. I thought, if so many people believed so strongly that there were all these beings, and that some of them even entered the world, isn't there some possibility that they are real? Also, the finding wisdom in every source is a brilliant ideal, something that I had strived to do.

That was pretty much my religious ephiphany. And almost all of it took place on the same Wednesday.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[MissWem]

[quote name='Godelsensei][COLOR=Gray][FONT=Courier New]I'm an atheist, namely because religion never made sense to me. I simply can't [i]believe[/i] in any god, just as I can't [i]believe[/i] in fairies. [/FONT'][/COLOR][/quote]
[COLOR=DarkRed]I just find that statement funny yet true in so many other ways.

Okay, so I'd be lying if I said religion meant nothing to me. Although I'm not religious either, I've spent about half of my school life being brought up as a Catholic and I suppose for a while it clicked then it suddenly didn't for very long, silly but smarter reasons.

I suppose I'm agnostic leaning towards aethiest : / if that works.. If there's a God/God's/Goddesses then so be it, but they aren't going to change how I believe I should set my principles and boundaries.

I can't forget all the hours I spent having to study the bible, I can't forget the time I lost spent trying not to fall asleep while the rest of my baptized friends went up for Eucharist.. but because of all those hours spent analyzing a religion that is so ingrained into a majority of society and it's past I understand thing all the better for it.

I enjoy studying literature in English and the fact is a lot of it has biblical references, due to my upbringing I can spot them and actually discuss the significance in an intelligent manner. I get why people want a separation of Church and State. I don't know a lot about the other religions, but many of them haven't been around or have had as much influence throughout societ.

The best thing that ever happened to me was finally forcing my Dad to let me to go a non-religious (especially non-Catholic) school. Besides it wasn't fair anyway, my Dad is a non-practicing Christian of all silly things and my Mum is Buddhist.
[/COLOR]

[Boba Fett]

[color=green]My parents are both off and on practicing Christians, and I went to church pretty irregularly up until seventh grade. At that point I began attending Catholic schools, which continued until the end of my freshman year of high school.

Religion doesn?t really mean a whole lot to me; I?m pretty ambiguous at this point as to what I believe, probably closer to a deist at this point. It?s not so much that I?ve had negative experiences spiritually or been turned off by Catholic schools, just that I don?t see any kind of involvement by a higher power on the earth today. It doesn?t seem possible that any kind of caring god would allow the world to reach the state it?s in.

I find religion very interesting, and have great respect for those who follow one. I?ve completed a CCD course as part of my schooling, and found it to be very interesting and enlightening as far as Catholicism goes.

I still go to church with my parents with the rest of my family and participate out of respect for everyone else there. I do not, however, sing hymns or pray. That?d be rather hypocritical and, I feel, disrespectful.

That?s my two cents on the matter, anyhow.[/color]

[Kanojo]

Kanojo is free to seek truth
Not truth as she wants truth to be
but truth as it is
Not truth as taught by men
but truth only taught by Love itself
Unsystematic
Burdenless
Perfect
Incorruptible
Holy
Forever free
Free indeed!

[Lady_Rin]

I see christians, an atheist, an agnostic and Kanojo. Ka-no-ho?

I am Church of England (christains), my husband jewish. My children have been raised Jewish as I practice Judaism although I have never officially converted, I don't think I need the blessing of a rabbi to tell me if I'm jewish or not or what my beliefs should be.

My husband also believes in the Earth Spirits and the things he learned from the Indians where he grew up. Gaia, mother earth and her children air, fire, and water and the spirit ancestors. He believes in the Tibetan wheel of life, Taoism, Zen and others while keeping his faith in being a Jew. He also believes in the Indian spirits that inhabit the desert and tells interesting stories some of which I have verified, of what can happen in a place that is sacred to a people and when you disturb that sanctity.

As a child I sought refuge in the Celts and those beliefs which included faeries and faerie rings and all that they encompass including the danger if you tread on their sanctity. I still believe and hold faith in that as well as believing in God.

As a rule christains, especially cathlolics, are stuck in a dogamatism that precludes consideration of any of the above and a suspicion of other christain religions, lutherans, protestants, and all others that are not specific to them. Many of them teach intolerance to those outside of their own nonsecular world and unfortunately I also have to say the same of Jews and Muslims whose tolerance for outsiders is almost non-existant

Before I got married I asked Ranger what he believed in and he told me of the earth and sky and how the people he grew up with taught him some of their way of life at the same time he went to Shabbis school on Sundays. He was open enough to accept what I spoke of earlier and somewhere along the line I asked him if he believed in what I had said,the Celts and the faeries as I did. His response was an emphatic no. I then asked him, and remember this was the naievete of a 20 year old girl talking to someone 17 years older, if I believe in what you have told me then why not hold a belief in faeries, the power of the stone rings and what I believe. He didn't really have an answer but did admit his answer was a bit closed minded.

As we got to know each other I took him on a trip to show him Stonehenge and the rings at Aylesbury. On touching the blocks at both places he said that they held great power, the same kind of power he felt in the mountains of his home at a place called Tahquitz Canyon. We also went to North Wales for a weekend to see the Celtic ruins and rings there. One evening in Bangor N. Wales shortly before dark we parked by a faerie ring near the shore to explore. I didn't want to go, I've always known it's not good to be near a faerie ring after dark while Ranger insisted we go and have a look. After awhile he came to me and said something like; see nothing to be afraid of and took hold of me for a hug, maybe a kiss? Then something happened; and to this day I'm not exactly sure what it was. Certaintly nothing I had ever felt before. I suddenly felt as if we were physically being pulled apart then hot and flushed all over, that I being violated. I was terrifed and that was something I had never experienced before. Ranger grabbed me pulling me away from there and practically dragged me back to the car talking nonsense about; we didn't belong there, guns won't work, it was the wrong place like someplace near his home and that we had to leave at once. His hands were ice cold and he was scared, something even to this day I don't see except in his nightmares. As we got to the car he started to sing something I found later was called a Wyxla, a song of great power and magic used by by some Sonora Desert Indians for protection or against an enemy depending on how it's sung. We were still shaking when we went back to the hotel and to the bar for a drink.

After we were married and had moved to his home he took me into a place called Tahquitz Canyon and told me the stories of the shaman named Taqeesh, the Eater of Souls. It is a beautiful place with a tall waterfall, Sycamore, oak and cottonwood trees. It is the only place in the desert where there is water and none of the palm trees found whereverelse there is wate in the desert. He told me the reason had to do with a good shaman named Maul who became the palm tree when he died giving back to the people the good he had recieved from them and that palms wouldn't grow in a place of evil. He told me others and about the Wyxla, how it protected some and injured others and the only other time in his life he ever sang a Wyxla was in that canyon when he was 16. It didn't take much to figure out this was the palce he had talked about the night we went to the faerie rings.

So there it is a belief, not a religion but a belief in things that most people don't accept because they are "faerie tales".

I believe, enough so that I take white ribbons each night and tie them to the wrists of my children and husband before I go to bed. Like Rangers Wyxla it protects.

Now is this all Bravo Sierra as Ranger says? Do you believe it or is this just a faerie tale I made up? Which brings me back to the question I asked Ranger over 20 years ago; if I believe in what you have told me about your beliefs then why not hold a belief in faeries, the power of the stone rings and what I believe?

From what I have read here about those who practice Wicca you should but I also expect disbelief since it is outside your personal experience, and that is a very stron teacher. It seems the only people who belive are people who have experienced.

You people make me work too hard.

Open your window tonight and wish on a star. Then leave a place in your garden for faeries to dance.

.

[Mitch]

My religion means jack **** to me, because I have none.

I am agnostic. I don't care if there's a god or isn't. I believe that our understanding of god at this point is beyond us. I believe that there's likely more than just one god, contrary to most religions' monotheistic beliefs.

[Adahn]

[font=Courier New][size=2][color=blue]I will tolerate any religion that doesn't send good people to a bad place. Those who preach anything that goes against this are bad people who deserve to go to a bad place.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Courier New][size=2][color=#0000ff]My religion is set in stone, but I have a hammer and chisel. It is not my will for my religion to suit my desires, but rather for it to encompass all that is right. I hope I am not as wise as I will be when I am older. For this reason, I am prepared to learn and change for the better.[/color][/size][/font]

[Sara]

[quote name='Lady_Rin']I don't think I need the blessing of a rabbi to tell me if I'm jewish or not or what my beliefs should be.[/quote][size=1]Aside: I thought your post was very interesting.

This quote sums up a great deal of what I believe...about belief, I guess.

I spent ten years of my life (ages 8 through 18) going to small Lutheran schools. I don't know if I'm happy about that or not, but it's certainly made me who I am, so I suppose I wouldn't change it. I learned a great deal about Christianity (well, Lutheranism. The differences between Lutheran and other Christian denominations were heavily emphasized) during that time, and it's shaped a lot of what I do and do not believe.

I definitely grew up in a very Christian (again, Lutheran) environment. And I consider myself Christian. I can't [i]not[/i] believe the basic tenets of Christianity. I learned them right next to addition and subtraction. I could say "Christianity is all a load of nonsense," but I would be saying it with the same conviction as if I said "Seven plus eight is twelve." (It's fifteen, by the way. ;))

However, having said that...there are a lot of things on which I don't agree with the Lutheran church. Especially during high school Theology classes, I found myself disagreeing with certain things that were being said. I had many questions that were only answered with "Read the Bible, Sara." or "This is what the Bible says." I suppose it's an admirable answer, but I've read the Bible, and I simply don't agree with certain beliefs that have been derived from it. I don't see where they come from...or if I do, I personally believe that something else outweighs it.

Particularly my senior year, I took issue with several things covered in Theology class. I disliked the callous, patronizing way the teacher (and the students) spoke of other beliefs. ("You won't believe the crazy stuff the Morons--whoops, I mean [i]Mormons[/i]--believe.") Putting it mildly, it pissed me off. And turned me off of many things I had previously just "gone along with."

In the end, I am still Christian. That's part of the core of who I am, and whever I become unsure of that, I become very upset and depressed. I don't necessarily consider myself Lutheran, and I'm much happier for it.

And here's the point of my post. [b]Before you commit yourself to any specific religion or set of beliefs, you need to think about what [i]you[/i], personally, believe. Don't try to shape your beliefs to fit into someone else's set of standards. [i]Know what you believe[/i], and find a religion that fits you. It should not be the other way around.[/b]

[I realize this whole "Lutheran" thing probably seems very petty to whoever bothered to read my entire post, heh. I guess, you have to understand that whenever we were taught about anything religious, it was always with the understanding that these were [i]Lutheran[/i] beliefs. Even more specifically, a certain sect of Lutheranism. Whenever other beliefs/denominations were brought up, it was always with a sense of "So we're right, but here's what some of the wrong people think; aren't they dumb?" For a kid who didn't know what else to believe, those ideas were pretty hard to shake.][/size]

[Guest ScirosDarkblade]

The most meaningful religious experience I've ever had is when I prayed to Batman to let my metallic car pass a fully developed $$ street in Monopoly (the green spaces, Park Place, Boardwalk, 1 of a complete set of railroads). It was rough going, but my faith in the Dark Knight got me through. I won that game, actually.

Other than that I am atheist. I take a scientific approach to interpreting the ways of the universe, and it keeps me happy.

[Meggido]

Religion...Hmmmm... Well I'm supposed to be a Catholic but in truth I'm a self proclaimed atheist. I believe that Religion is a thing constructed by a number of powerful people to control the masses. You look at all the major religious problems in the world over the centuries, e.g. the Crusades. Each one has been a leader controlling people through religion or against a religion to do their bidding.

In summing up. Religion is one of the most dangerous weapons we have.

[Sara]

[QUOTE=Meggido]Religion...Hmmmm... Well I'm supposed to be a Catholic but in truth I'm a self proclaimed atheist. I believe that Religion is a thing constructed by a number of powerful people to control the masses. You look at all the major religious problems in the world over the centuries, e.g. the Crusades. Each one has been a leader controlling people through religion or against a religion to do their bidding.

In summing up. Religion is one of the most dangerous weapons we have.[/QUOTE][size=1]You're supposed to be Catholic? Interesting choice of words.

"I believe that Religion is a thing constructed by a number of powerful people to control the masses."

I'd like to think the world is a better place than that.

I'm sure there's some saying about the most dangerous people being the ones who believe God supports their cause. But at the same time, you have to see that religion--or [b]faith[/b], which doesn't have any negative connotation--helps so many people in so many ways. Regardless of whether or not you believe what they believe is true, the fact that they do have faith is a part of their lives.

Having that to hang on to, and being with others who believe the same way, can get people through extremely harrowing situations emotionally intact. I can't agree that religion is nothing more than a tool to manipulate people.[/size]

[Adahn]

[font=Courier New][size=2][color=blue]Religion is so simple it's kind of scary. It was an understandable response to a fear of death. Very smart people did a very good thing when they created it. It really is perfect.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Courier New][size=2][color=#0000ff]1. You can't prove it either right or wrong.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Courier New][size=2][color=#0000ff]2. It's relatively easy to fit the 'demands' of most people in terms of an afterlife.[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Courier New][size=2][color=#0000ff]3. It's really the best thing one person could do for alot of people.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Courier New][size=2][color=#0000ff]Religion is a fluffy blanket we cover ourselves up with at night; a constant reminder that in the end, everything is going to be ok.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Courier New][size=2][color=#0000ff]Our minds are as fragile as they are powerful. Lacking a religion is truly a virtue, because it takes a very powerful psyche to deal with the fact that one will die a final death. It takes a strong will to embrace oblivion.[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Courier New][size=2][color=#0000ff][font=Trebuchet MS][color=darkolivegreen][b]It's not for me, I'm weak[/b][/color][/font] :D [/color][/size][/font]

[Lady_Rin]

I think you should all replace the word "religion" with "belief".

"Religion is like a crutch, it's only good for as long as you need it. - George Carlin (?)

[Imp]

[quote name='Adahn][font=Courier New][size=2][color=#0000ff]Our minds are as fragile as they are powerful. Lacking a religion is truly a virtue, because it takes a very powerful psyche to deal with the fact that one will die a final death. It takes a strong will to embrace oblivion.[/color][/size'][/font][/quote]

Wow, thank you, thank you, thank you!! (OK, I'm exaggerating...) Actually, the belief that one will die a final death is among my key beliefs. Because of that, I have my own religion, pretty much. But hey, I've heard that one's own religion is the best kind, since it does not abide by anyone else's beliefs...

Expanding on that thought, more of the key beliefs of my religion include this:
-That death is merely a transportation from the Real World to the Spirit World, where one still "lives" inside the hearts of others but is free from all thought, all pain, all existence of the soul.
-That true happiness and nirvana doesn't have to be achieved in the Real World.
-That God takes on different forms for every person, and even is nonexistent to some, or split up into multpile gods for others.
-That ghosts are memories of people, that those who "see" ghosts have somewhere in their soul a memory of that person, that ghosts cannot in any way physically affect the real world but mainly serve as reminders or messengers of Fate.
-That when one dies, one becomes one of these ghosts.
-That everyone makes the difference in this entire being, that its entirety is corrupted in the case which one individual, however seemingly unimportant, is removed from existence, unless that existence is eliminated by the hellish force which wipes out all memory of that someone...
-That we are all descendants of the Divine Dimension and therefore share a special bond with It, that which bonds with all of us individually.
-That we all walk the path of Fate which intertwines among all, that all thought processes and decisions lead along that fate, that the Divine gives guidance and predicts in Its knowing what one's destiny is, provided that one takes a certain course along the Path.
-That there are many uses for the three main Spirits--of the Body, the Mind, the Heart; none superior even if one looks to a particular Spirit most often.
-That dreams are inspirations given by a non-realistic force, be it a ghost or God Itself, which may very well clear the Path of Fate if one looks into these, and other inspirations as well.
-That there are no limitations to what Fate can hold, that only one's Belief fuels the energetic force that leads them along the Path.

Well, I'll stop before you all get confused... That's basically (sort of) copied and pasted from my "bible", but there are countless other things as well... I'm basically my own religion because I can tolerate any religion. I'm completely opposite of religious extremists who bash and snitch on other people's religions because they believe that only their religion is the right one. I hate people who are like that! I'm not saying my family's like that, because they're not, except maybe my grandma, but that's a different story. I'm kind of unsure about my parents' religions, though my mother may be (partially) Wiccan. But, I have little or no influence from them. Rather, I have influence from my church, which talks about things from a lot of different religions... Anyways, I think religion is OK--it's just an expression of a certain individual's beliefs. And religious groups are just people who agree on similar things, or are composed of some people who can't come up with their own set of beliefs. But there are very few people like that. But, in a nutshell, that's my views on religion, though I can go on and on...

[Gavin]

[quote name='Lady_Rin']As a rule christains, especially cathlolics, are stuck in a dogamatism that precludes consideration of any of the above and a suspicion of other christain religions, lutherans, protestants, and all others that are not specific to them. Many of them teach intolerance to those outside of their own nonsecular world and unfortunately I also have to say the same of Jews and Muslims whose tolerance for outsiders is almost non-existant.[/quote]

[SIZE=1]Actually that statement is completely farce, the vast majority of Catholics, myself included hold the ideal of consideration and fairness whatever the religion quite close to heart. Yes I will admit that at times different Christian groups have had violent exchanges between them, Catholic in Ireland faced persecution at the hands of both Anglicans (Church of England) and Presbyterians for being Catholic. The same has occurred in Germany between Catholics and Lutherans because of the corruption that had nearly brought down the Catholic Church.

I will admit that the Catholic Church has had it's problem but the idea that we distrust people of other faiths because they don't believe as we do is a complete farce. In fact it's usually people of no religion who are the most intolerant, as well as this in any faith you will have extremists who want to stir stuff up in the name of their God. While on holiday in Turkey I spoke to several Muslim people who said that they had no problems with Christians because they too believe in Christ, they seemingly dislike Jews because they neither accept Christ or Mohammed as saviours.

When it comes to Wiccans and Satanists and other such unorthodox religions I'm not sure what to think, I suppose the consideration ideal applies though I'm not sure what the Catholic Church's standing on them is. Well I suppose they're against Satanists because they worship the Devil and he is considered the greatest figure of evil in Christianity. Hmm I suppose the old idea of "[I]Do unto others as you would have them do unto you[/I]" applies in this situation.[/SIZE]

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[quote name='Kane][SIZE=1']. Well I suppose they're against Satanists because they worship the Devil.[/SIZE][/quote]

[color=darkviolet]Actually that's a big misconception of Satanism that they worship Satan or the devil (the same with Pagans) since Santan is a purely Christian belief. Neither true Satanists nor WIccans/ Pagans worship the devil.

From my understanding Satanism is a form of self worhsip and indulgence instead of restraint for which most Christian religions are known for.

Ask anyone who truely follows Satanism or Levayism (called that because teh Church of Satan was formed by Anton LeVay) and you'l find out that there's really no devil worship.

Whoa, ok, that was a bit redundant and I wish Lincoln was on so I could have him help me with this. But I know I got the whole thing about Satanism not being about Devil worship correct.[/color]

[MissWem]

[quote name='Kane][SIZE=1]When it comes to Wiccans and Satanists and other such unorthodox religions I'm not sure what to think, I suppose the consideration ideal applies though I'm not sure what the Catholic Church's standing on them is. Well I suppose they're against Satanists because they worship the Devil and he is considered the greatest figure of evil in Christianity. Hmm I suppose the old idea of "[I]Do unto others as you would have them do unto you[/I']" applies in this situation.[/SIZE][/quote]
[COLOR=DarkRed]Of course they'd be agains Satanists, that's pretty much a given, as you have said. However they don't worship him.. they actually view him as a symbol to guide them or something much like that.

However, as for Wicca I believe they're also against that too because Wicca believe in nature or perhaps they choose their own god/goddesses to worship and in many regards is seen as devil worship by the Catholic faith.

Isn't that why they don't believe in Halloween? Because it encourages the celebration of a day of sorcery, witchcraft and paranormal?

Sorry if I'm out of touch, I haven't been to a Catholic school for over 3 yrs ^^"

EDIT:Yea, what CHW said.. she got to it before me[/COLOR]

[Queen Asuka]

[color=hotpink][size=1]My religion means a lot ot me because I believe that it shapes who I am and how I behave. I think that I grew a lot more mature when I felt like I had a purpose and that I wasn't just an existance...a being that EVOLVED and was just going to die and that be that. But yeah, anywho.

I'm a Latter Day Saint, aka Mormon. (Or Sara's Moron's, lol.) I joined the Church a little over two and a half years ago. I believe that it was one of the best decisions of my life. I've felt such wonderful peace since becoming a member. I'm sure that I have more to say, but since I'm sleepy, I'll have to put more later.

But yeah, go MORMONS! I remember a time when there used to be quite a few of us around here on the OB.[/color][/size]

[Gavin]

[QUOTE=ChibiHorsewoman][color=darkviolet]Actually that's a big misconception of Satanism that they worship Satan or the devil (the same with Pagans) since Satan is a purely Christian belief. Neither true Satanists nor WIccans/ Pagans worship the devil.

From my understanding Satanism is a form of self worhsip and indulgence instead of restraint for which most Christian religions are known for.

Ask anyone who truely follows Satanism or Levayism (called that because teh Church of Satan was formed by Anton LeVay) and you'l find out that there's really no devil worship.

Whoa, ok, that was a bit redundant and I wish Lincoln was on so I could have him help me with this. But I know I got the whole thing about Satanism not being about Devil worship correct.[/color][/QUOTE]

[SIZE=1]Ah my bad, I just assumed with the whole name being Satanism that it was dedicated to the worship of Satan, thanks for the correction Chibi I'm not very knowledgeable about all these new-age religions. I suppose Levayism is a better name because the association with Satan is not as apparent as the name Satanism though as you say there is no devil worship I suppose that makes the point moot. Actually just as I read through you're reply the devil or overall evil figure is quite common to many religions, Islam, Judaism, many ancient religions also held the same belief. [/SIZE]

[Adahn]

[font=Courier New][color=blue]Actually, I met someone from the 'church of satan' at school. She said they believed in God, but didn't think he was right. So, maybe satanism is different from, umm, satanism.[/color][/font]