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Post by ! w o l f o x. on Jan 24, 2010 13:35:10 GMT -5
((Yes, religion is a touchy subject. If anything in here offends you, I'm sorry, it was not meant to harm anyone. If I get anything wrong that is about your religion, please tell me so that I can fix it up right away.))
[/blockquote][/blockquote] Religion. It serves as a breaking point and a starting point for relationships. We worship, we admire, and we follow. As a person who has dabbled in many religions to try and find a fit for myself, I see life from many sides. It is a perfect existence- a neverending cycle- a time to devote yourself.
My own journey started when I was born. My mother Jewish, and my father Catholic. Each wanted nothing more than for me to be happy and allowed me to choose which one I wished to be. Age 12, I refused to become either one and looked to another major religion that today, is seen as hostile. Islam. I do not give out this information freely, as where I live even having a Jewish mother gets me insults like no other. But yes, I worshiped Allah for some time, prayed 5 times a day- but nothing seemed to fit right. I gave it up in exchange for Atheism. But, to believe in nothing- to not have something to strive for didn't seem right. It felt like nothing mattered, that everything I did would be forgotten and I would never make a change like I long to do. Age 14, I switched to Wicca. Everyone sees this as an evil religion. But it is not. Wicca is about being in tune with mother nature and believing that the earth has everything we need to live. The Wiccan Reed- "An ye harm none, do as ye will", the Threefold Law- "What you do comes back to you threefold", and the Golden Rule- "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you" prevent the use of their magick for 'evil' deeds. But I couldn't hold to it. This past year, I have been striving to find who I was in the world. And the closest four that match me are Ancient Roman, Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Greek, and Norse.
So, religion, a touchy thing, is a part of life. We must accept others and their ways. But we can't shove our own beliefs down their throats. I live in the bible belt, where they force everyone in school, once a year to take a free bible. I feel ashamed. I have nothing against Christianity, in fact, some of the aspects of the religion I quite admire, but all of the Islamic kids, all of the Jewish kids, and all of the Heathens* in our school are forced to take one or be disliked in the eyes of their friends. What happened to the seperation of church and state? I don't approve of the force, but I don't approve of what some kids did to the bible- lighting it on fire or ripping it up. I gave mine to my Mormon friend, letting her take it to her church to give it back- I didn't disgrace it. How would they have liked it if someone had sent their holy text on fire or disrespected it? I know I would throw a fit
I did in history class. The biased book speaks lies about what happened to the Vikings and the Norse. It says that we willingly gave in to Christianity- that is a load of bullshit. We did give in, but not willingly. Our sacred tree- the World Tree Yggdrasil was cut down because we would not conform. And to add insult to injury, a church was built on top of it. Once again, I have nothing against Christianity, only against the History text books.
Every religion has good and bad points. Chrisitanity- God loves everyone, yet he sent them out to kill millions during the Crusades. Wicca- love the earth and the earth shall love you, yet some use their magick for more 'evil' pratices.
It is sad that religion, a beautiful thing, has torn apart the world so much. Insults, pity, and hate. But it has brought so many together. Love, peace, and embrace. It has caused tensions and bloodshed. But it has opened eyes to the world.
What is true religion?
((As you can tell, I dislike using the words 'Good and Evil' as there is no such thing. I'll put a link to the page about that when I finally put it up.)) [/size][/color]
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Post by - [s][w][a][y] - on Jan 24, 2010 23:19:18 GMT -5
I, too followed the Wiccan Rede for quite some time, before finding a path more along Native American Shamanism for myself, with a little bit of druidism in there. I love nature and always have felt a deep connection with nature. It took quite some time for me to find this path, but I am learning new things.
I too, have looked at many different religious paths and have found that there is no good and evil, per-say. Everyone has a right to believe what they want... and if you really take the time to look, there is no right or wrong path. Throughout all religions are SEVERAL different parallels. Several different religions talk about great floods, all over different parts of the world, and I have to find this to be no coincidence.
I'm glad to see someone finally post something in this part of the forum. Me and another staff member were discussing potentially getting rid of it, but now that there is at least a post, I am glad to have something to discuss through this.
My mother was Presbyterian, my father doesn't hold a religion (To my knowledge), but my mother always told me that I could believe whatever I wanted, just as long as I believed in something. I don't believe in a god... I have a hard time putting so much power into one being.
Everything you've said has great points to it, and I could go on with other things to add to it. I have no issues against any religion, just some of the people who follow them. Every religion has its good and bad points... no religion is honestly perfect, which is why I don't see why we can't live in harmony with everyone.
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Post by ˟ PunkWolf on Jan 25, 2010 21:53:06 GMT -5
I take comfort in the fact that this is it. This life is all we have, nothing afterwords and nothing before.
It means that our existence is not merely a test.
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Post by xwhispersx on Jun 6, 2010 0:47:45 GMT -5
My mother was raised strictly on a cristian religion but ended up studying almost every religion i can think of and taking her own veiws into her own sort of relegion. I myself have done much the same and although i can not call myself anything strictly i prefur just saying i have no beleif. As a kid a would tell those who asked that i was wiccan but ended up being called a poser so now if anyone asks i say i dont care. I think its unfair that because of modern shows like charmed and buffy i cant even mention what i beleive is true. Next i dont care what other people beleive. Not my problem but i have a story to tell
at the bus stop one day a little girl about 4 was at the bus stop when a guy came over with panflets. the kid was asking her mum if she could go to her friends halloween party so this guy rages up thrusting panflets (with fake information regarding wiccan beleifs) and starts screaming at this girl and her mother
"you are allowing your daughter to worship the devil, she is going to hell for this and so are you" etc etc. this went on for half an hour and this little kid was in tears the poor thing. it is even worse then it sounds and i found this WRONG
A: he wasnt even giving them the right information on the wiccan version of the holiday. instead he said that wiccans burn baby skulls to call the demons from the night WTF
B: it was unneccesary. beleive what you want but dont force it on someone else especially the way he tried to.
C: he was demanding they redeem their souls by going to his church, this gives everyone there A bad label because of him!
its just bugged me so i had to share...
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Post by ˟ PunkWolf on Jun 6, 2010 3:43:24 GMT -5
Sharing is always good, especially when it includes ranting about stupid people. So here's a funny picture to bring a smile to all our faces::
: ]
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Post by xwhispersx on Jun 6, 2010 4:43:21 GMT -5
Epic x3 i feel so much better LMFAO
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Post by Imaginatio on Jun 12, 2010 9:42:01 GMT -5
I love that chart SO MUCH.
But yes, back on topic. I had a personal experience with the Church of Christianity. Basically in year seven (i was 12?) I had a 'friend' who told me basically my whole family and myself all my friends etc. would go to hell if I wasn't a Christian. Naturally this upset my little mind A LOT. So this 'friend' of mine got me to recite this poem or something that would say I was now a Christian.
Now I went home, all happy and such to tell my parents about this. Needless to say they were FURIOUS. They told me not to worry, that Hell is simply peoples perception of where you might go when you die, and also not to worry because I had been baptised and christened and was ALREADY Church of England, so technically Christian.
I've never been brought up on strong beliefs, the only belief I can actually remember if my parents telling me I was allergic to chewing gum so I wouldn't have any, so thats the only sort of limitation I was given. I was allowed to do whatever holidays, watch all sorts of films. etc. etc.
Now whilst my mum has never really spoken about her beliefs, my dad has very strong opinions of Religion or lackthereof. He believes that Society, People need to be able to believe that there is something out there looking out for them, otherwise they feel as if their struggles, their hardships are meaningless. So I guess I've kind of taken on that aspect. I'd like to believe that there was something more, but I don't see any rational explanation to it. So I'd rather just enjoy my life whilst I have it, and bitch about all those preachers who think they can stick their noses in my business before they even know me.
rant over xD
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Post by xwhispersx on Jun 13, 2010 20:12:30 GMT -5
^^ nice one tio. i agree!
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Post by ˟ PunkWolf on Jun 14, 2010 19:40:05 GMT -5
Excellently put, Tio. : ]
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