Religiously Stuck

[horsejody]

Quote:
You are never alone.

 

[arabookworm]

I just wanted to say that if you want to exlore different religions, don't just stick with the common ones. look at many different faiths so that you find the one that is right for you. do what feels right.

btw, I personally am a muslim, and if you have any questions about islam, you can pm me.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Quote:
You are never alone.

That is so good to hear.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

I grew up Catholic. Went to a Catholic grade school.
Was baptized, received communion and was confirmed. But I remember the EXACT moment I began to walk away from the Catholic religion.

It was in CCD and the section was on the Book of Genesis. I LOVE that story. But that is exactly what it is. A story written by man.
I had been doing a lot of reading on how the modern horse came to be and how you could trace the evolution through the bones in the legs.
Two months after I was confirmed I was baptized LDS. Two years later after having my eyes opened again. I walked away from "church based" religion as a whole. I didnt feel lost. I felt free and more in tune with myself and the rest of the world than I ever had been before.

After 9/11 and the loss of my best friend I had a tough time. But I sat quietly. Went, sat on the wall at Nantasket beach and felt whole again. Connected.

More recently, during some hard times for my family, I reeled against the higher powers I believe in and spent many hours sitting and asking questions of them. And talking to my dh who is agnostic.

Always a good sounding board. And very patient at that.
I do not belong to a group. coven or otherwise. You guys here on BYC are about it for belonging to a group of "like minded" individuals

But I also do not "need" a church family like so many others seem to.

I have a pentacle. Which I havent worn it in nearly 8 months. I also have a cross. Two bibles. A book of Mormon. And several charm and nature "spell books"

The fact that I havent worn it does not mean that God is whispering for me to come back to "Christianity" Because I never left.

To me and my family(my dh is half Jewish- maternal side) being a Christian means being a good person. It has nothing to do with being a Catholic, Baptist, Unitarian etc.

We celebrate Easter, Christmas, Hanakah (sp) Kwanza, Solstice, Yule etc
If its on the calender we celebrate it in this house.

Maybe not all the traditional "correct" way. But we know what the day is and we acknowledge it.

I have to admit that I find such comments like "God is whispering for you to come back to the true path" or "He has a plan for you"
bothersome.

My "god" doesnt care what path you are on as long as you are a kind, caring person that doesnt abuse children, beat other people, kick puppies (or chickens) etc, cheat on their significant other, murder or rape innocents or steal. You know. All those BIG things that are just not right, good or nice.
My "god" is forgiving to those truly sorry in their hearts and souls and repentant no matter what they have done. My "god" will leave no one behind besides those that are unrepentant of their crimes or behavior.

My "god" doesnt care if you are straight or not. Or what religion or church you follow. Or what you did in the past. It's how you treat others. Or how you treated others in your past that counts. Not what you "did" or what path you were on.
I worked at a job many here would consider unsavory. But it didnt make me a "bad person" or take me away from "god" I was still the same person. I have also done something that I know would send some of you off to pray for my soul. But I know my soul is fine and that "god" is fine with me and my soul as well.

If you are confused. SIT. You have to be at peace with yourself before you can move in any direction. And the "path" you were on is not "bad" or any such thing. Just know that what ever power, being or "god" that you feel knows who YOU ARE.
Thats all that matters.

 

[SpottedCrow]

My "god" doesnt care what path you are on as long as you are a kind, caring person that doesnt abuse children, beat other people, kick puppies (or chickens) etc, cheat on their significant other, murder or rape innocents or steal. You know. All those BIG things that are just not right, good or nice.
My "god" is forgiving to those truly sorry in their hearts and souls and repentant no matter what they have done. My "god" will leave no one behind besides those that are unrepentant of their crimes or behavior.

My "god" doesnt care if you are straight or not. Or what religion or church you follow. Or what you did in the past. It's how you treat others. Or how you treated others in your past that counts. Not what you "did" or what path you were on.
I worked at a job many here would consider unsavory. But it didnt make me a "bad person" or take me away from "god" I was still the same person. I have also done something that I know would send some of you off to pray for my soul. But I know my soul is fine and that "god" is fine with me and my soul as well.

Very very well said, R&Smom...
Nantasket Beach is a good cure all...​

 

[arwmommy]

I believe we are all looking for what is true. I also believe that there are times when we hear or feel something that resonates with us, even if we don't fully understand it. Follow that.

Pray for the way to be clear for you. Pray for His Truth to be clear. Then walk on the path. That is faith.

Truth is always true. Miracles still happen. Prophets still teach. Temples are still built. Apostles of Christ still testify of Him. He still loves everyone, and wants them to follow Him.

Good luck! PM me if you wish!

Leanna

 

[EweSheep]

After reading this post, I must admit my upbringing was Methodist but never devout in any religion or attend services in my later years due to the fact to bad ministers (money grubbers) that our family has experienced.

I do believe there is a higher being somewhere out there. I dont know what it is yet but I've got a whole lifetime to figure that one out. Are the bible stories true? I dont know but the History Channel regarding to these matters who wrote the books about a hundred or so years AFTER Christ died. Who knows for sure and there are more books to the Bible and only the chosen chapters were made into the Bible. I am not going to go thru so many details but I have an open mind to any religion and nor do we or they forced it on us. Hubby on the other hand, his family was Methodist upbringing but never attended church nor does he believe in the Bible. We had an understanding that we will NOT impose our beliefs on each other if we are so strongly disagreeable with the topic of the Bible or Darwin at hand. As for our daughter, we will let her choose and if she wants to attend church, I will take her to my sister's church. If not, thats OK.

In time, you will find the right path, it is OK not to believe OR believe in what you are choosing. It will take time and it will come to you more stronger each and every day and you will find it.

The Ten Commandments are there and we all follow the same purposes, not cheat or lie, etc. and the outcome is the same as well as punishments. Or it will catch up with you sooner or later if you do things the wrong way.

Hope in time, you will find the right path. No one can tell you which path you SHOULD go despite of their good intentions.

Good Luck!

 

[CATRAY44]

I was where you are once. A person who really loved the Lord and did not judge me, just loved me where I was helped my find the only Teacher I would ever need- without putting me down for my beliefs or condeming me. All I sought in the supernatural/ psychic realm, I found in a far more real way in the Holy Spirit. I will be praying for you.

 

[Rosalind]

Let me put it this way:

It is up to YOU to decide exactly what you believe in, and IMHO you should have your beliefs grounded in firm theology. Do not feel you have to fit your beliefs into any organized (or disorganized) religious framework, because that way lies madness.

The downside of knowing exactly what you believe, and having unshakable, steady grounding in your beliefs, is that you don't have the same sense of community that you get from fitting in with organized religion. You don't have an instant group of friends and acquaintances for support and affirmation--it's all you, and you're all alone sometimes.

The nice thing about Paganism is that the pageantry is often very good. It rivals that of the Catholic church, only with none of the guilt or hang-ups or misogyny. Many groups are often friendly and cheerful (albeit flaky), and they definitely accept all stripes. In comparison with many Christian churches, where I've seen plenty of parishioners engage in the sport of "more pious than thou" and treat religious observance as a fashion show, Pagan churches don't care if you show up in jeans and a t-shirt, and they aren't just paying lip service to that ideal, either. If you want friendly people to share a green bean casserole and enjoy nature with, Paganism is the way to go. And from your first post, it does seem that a lot of what you get out of religion and enjoy from it is the pageantry and community fun aspects. There's nothing wrong with that.

Some people don't really know or care what they believe, and all they really want out of religion is that companionship, friends, the occasional sip of wine and a chance to play dress-up a few times per year. That's cool. But if you do believe something, or you aren't sure what you believe and it bothers you, then you gotta make up your mind to do that.

Now, no Unitarian or even any Pagan really, is going to castigate you for being unsure or having a philosophical year-and-a-day. Most Pagans have had their share of existential moments and understand if you need to take some time off to think. I would caution you, however, that the Abrahamic faiths DO have a problem with philosophical and existential moments, and consider it Very Bad. So, I'm just saying, if I were in your shoes, I would take time off from all religion and study very long and hard, all the various philosophies, histories and cultures associated with each individual church, before making any commitments--if you decide to make any at all. And figure out what you believe yourself before making any decisions at all. That IS a tall order, and it may take you many years or the rest of your life, and there's nothing wrong with that.

I would also caution you that it's best to think in concrete terms, very clearly, about things like where deities come from (First Cause?), how you view the universe (multiverse? string theory? sneezed into existence by the Great Green Arkleseizure?), how you interact with the universe (prayer wheels? spellcasting? ordinary 11-dimensional space-time?), how you derive morals and ethics (Big Book O' Wisdom? social norms? utilitarian? situational ethics? categorical imperative?). This is very hard work, lots of heavy reading and deep thinking. But I think it's necessary, because if you pick a church based on a feeling of community, you can well end up where you are now all over again without realizing why, really.

Me, personally, I used to be more into the pageantry, but got tired of it after a while. Mostly because I found it was a lot of city folks who had very Romantic, Rousseau-like ideas about Nature as opposed to reality. And I don't need a ton of silver jewelry to demonstrate my beliefs to the world, they hold their own just fine in jeans and a t-shirt or in a business suit. Just because you don't feel like dealing with the local drama scene or wearing your religion (which, in this country, can often be a liability) on your sleeve, doesn't make you less religious. But, I also don't need some dude in a fancy robe to tell me what deities think of me, or how to live my life or where my place is in the universe. That strength of knowledge (as opposed to belief or faith) is a much greater blessing than I could ever pray for.

 

[pdsavage]

I have tried most christian faiths now I have no faith.....