What do you believe?

Okay, SG made me start this topic and she wouldn't even help me figure out where to put it, so if this all goes awry, it's HER fault!!!! (Had to put that disclaimer in there!) This came about because I said in another forum that I wanted this place to be safe enough for me to express what I believe...and SG called me on it! (She's so sweet!)

I have heard many of you state what religion or path you follow, but to be honest, I don't really know what that means. I'm curious as to exactly what you believe, why you believe it, do you follow your religion/faith to the letter or just take away what makes sense, etc. This isn't a debate topic, just one of curiousity without judgement. How can we learn from one another if we don't even know what the other believes?

So I guess I'll start....I was raised American Baptist (which is the non-scary, non-fundy version) and I continue to be very active in my church. I teach Sunday School and sing in the choir. I don't necessarily believe everything that the religion teaches me, but the beauty of this church is that I don't have to. I'm encouraged to ask questions. I don't take the Bible literally....simply because there are WAY too many contradictions. It's also far too misogynistic for my liking. So I've learned to take from that religion what makes sense to me and discard the rest. I have also found my own spiritual path and found that there are things from other paths and religions that make total sense to me. I have come to view the Holy Spirit as the feminine side of God who shows herself as Mother Earth. I also very strongly believe in reincarnation......since I have experienced past life memories (scared the HECK out of me....but that's a topic for another day). I believe in Karma. I believe in spirit guides....actually met mine about 2 months ago. Some of my Christian contemporaries may have a problem with some of my beliefs, but I've found that I don't really care. My soul is my responsibility....and I take that responsibility very seriously. My path continues to evolve as I progress through this life....who knows, maybe it will be completed different this time next year?!?

Okay....you're turn! Let's hear what you believe!

I am Asatru, which means that I am a polytheist honouring the Aesir and the Vanir, the two tribes of gods of our folk. I also venerate the Alfar (male ancestral spirits who aid us in our struggles) and Disir (female ancestral spirits who guard our line), as well as the wights of the land and waters that share our world with us.

I believe that we are all connected, from the most distant of the sacred ancestors, to the least of the children as yet unborn. What we do today echoes in eternity, and we hear the whispers of the past and future upon the winds.

By your deeds will you be judged. Our gods are our instructors and guides, but our challenges are our own, and our earthy service is owed to our folk first, and our gods last. Those among us who face their challenges without flinching will be gathered unto the sacred gods, that we may bring to them the lessons we have learned, and may offer that wisdom and strength in their service. It matters less if you prayed to them, than it does that you served them in the nurturing and defense of the folk.

Our gods are for our folk. There are other gods, who call to other folk. We may learn much from those who are grown strong upon their path, even if they follow other gods. The only truth you can know is your own; accept that others have found different truths.

The only form of riches you can take with you are love and honour, likewise they are the only things that cannot be taken from you by force.

Wow, John, that's amazing. Thanks for sharing! You're much better at describing what you believe than I am!

I am a Celtic Reconstructionist, of the Falachus tradition. CR is a polytheistic, animistic, religious and cultural movement which seeks to reconstruct the beliefs and culture of the Pagan Celts (in my case the Irish). This is done through rigorous study of manuscripts, texts, tales, folklore and the living Celtic customs (i.e. those practiced in Celtic countries). CR is a polytheistic, animistic, religious and cultural movement.

In terms of (Irish) deity, there are the Gods (the Tuatha De Dannan, and to a lesser extent the Formoians), the Aes Sidhe (fair folk/ people of the mounds/ animistic spirits) and the Ancestors (both recent and ancient). There is a bit of fluidity between the three catergories, but thats neither here nor there.

The relationship we have with our Gods is contractual, and they are our ancestors (see fluidity), our mentors, teachers and in some cases our Patrons (as the relationship is generally on a Patron-Client basis). We give up offerings, sacrifices and live our lives according to certain principles.

We interact with the dive through divination, ecstatic poetry, meditation, dreams and offeratory/sacrifical rites.

We are unsure of what comes after death (though there are some ideas), so live a life worthy of rememberence.

I believe that there is something greater. I tend to fall back on some monistic ideas, acquired from my days of studying Advaita Vedanta. However, I assume a degree of hard polytheism, not from UPG, but because I fail to see any better explanation for the diversity of religious experience.

I tend to believe in reincarnation, but lately have had to reexamine the events that led me to that conclusion. It's not entirely important to me. If there's something after this, great, but if there isn't I won't care much when I'm dead anyway.

I believe only in the moment. The concept of past and future is distracting in my eyes. I believe life is all illusion. Organized belief systems are concepts I don't understand. Anything that quantifies, qualifies and boxes in is something I'm not a part of. I am alpha and omega. I am everything and I am nothing.

I believe in the power of ridiculous shoes.

sacrificialgoddess wrote:I believe in the power of ridiculous shoes.

For there is no god but fashion, and Immelda Marcos is its prophet. My daughters all preach this faith.

Small rant because I read a little from Luv - and I bet I'm not the only one who remembers her!

She shares something in common with a good friend. Namely both of them have decided upon their world view and it can be summed up "You are all worshipping my god you just don't know it." In Luv's case she has decided that her god is the Ubergod and all the other gods are the children of her god. In my friend's case, she has decided that everyone just sees a different facet of her god and are using different names.

Why is it that some people cannot allow other's to simply have their own gods and faith? It's not okay until the other people are worshipping your god - they just don't know it. Why does everything have to be united?

Beribee wrote:
So I guess I'll start....I was raised American Baptist (which is the non-scary, non-fundy version) and I continue to be very active in my church. I teach Sunday School and sing in the choir. I don't necessarily believe everything that the religion teaches me, but the beauty of this church is that I don't have to. I'm encouraged to ask questions. I don't take the Bible literally....simply because there are WAY too many contradictions. It's also far too misogynistic for my liking. So I've learned to take from that religion what makes sense to me and discard the rest. I have also found my own spiritual path and found that there are things from other paths and religions that make total sense to me. I have come to view the Holy Spirit as the feminine side of God who shows herself as Mother Earth. I also very strongly believe in reincarnation......since I have experienced past life memories (scared the HECK out of me....but that's a topic for another day). I believe in Karma. I believe in spirit guides....actually met mine about 2 months ago. Some of my Christian contemporaries may have a problem with some of my beliefs, but I've found that I don't really care. My soul is my responsibility....and I take that responsibility very seriously. My path continues to evolve as I progress through this life....who knows, maybe it will be completed different this time next year?!?

Okay this is weird, replace American Baptist by Roman Catholic and it's almost identical

gillyflower wrote:Small rant because I read a little from Luv - and I bet I'm not the only one who remembers her!

She shares something in common with a good friend. Namely both of them have decided upon their world view and it can be summed up "You are all worshipping my god you just don't know it." In Luv's case she has decided that her god is the Ubergod and all the other gods are the children of her god. In my friend's case, she has decided that everyone just sees a different facet of her god and are using different names.

Why is it that some people cannot allow other's to simply have their own gods and faith? It's not okay until the other people are worshipping your god - they just don't know it. Why does everything have to be united?

I suppose it's a step up from "I have the only god, and the rest of ya'll are demon worshipers" Which I seem to recall hearing expressed by her as well.

Maybe she is trying to reconcile the exclusivity of her beliefs in a manner that doesn't involve the rest of us burning in eternal hell fire?

all

Now that is a kind way of putting it! If that is the case, then great, but don't ask everyone to agree. It can just be her secret.

I don't know why we all have to end up in the same afterlife. I personally wouldn't like to join some people for eternity or enjoy what their idea of a good time is.

gillyflower wrote:Now that is a kind way of putting it! If that is the case, then great, but don't ask everyone to agree. It can just be her secret.

I don't know why we all have to end up in the same afterlife. I personally wouldn't like to join some people for eternity or enjoy what their idea of a good time is.

It kinda is a lose-lose proposition, isn't it?

Not anything that I can really agree with, and I think it might be a new idea for her, so she is testing it out. Well, new is probably a relative term as that discussion goes, but you know what I mean.

I agree with you, I don't know why we would even want to think that there was only one after life. I can't even think of people that I could handle for more than about a week, eternity sure would suck.

all

When someone takes the stance that they have exclusive access to the only legitimate source of truth, then these sorts of issues are bound to occur. Though it does appear to be a step up from the "everyone else is being decieved" rhetoric, some degree of reconciliation is none the less visible, which is good. Still in their particular context of course, one can only reconcile other beliefs so much within such a cosmologcial framework. It does not help that this particular perspective also comes with built in safe guards, attesting that any challenge to its authority is a test of ones faith, it is in essence the perfect tautological package;from such a perspective it must either entirely true or it is entirely false.

If only she could figure out how to turn that logic on her own beliefs....

Mintie wrote:

Beribee wrote:
So I guess I'll start....I was raised American Baptist (which is the non-scary, non-fundy version) and I continue to be very active in my church. I teach Sunday School and sing in the choir. I don't necessarily believe everything that the religion teaches me, but the beauty of this church is that I don't have to. I'm encouraged to ask questions. I don't take the Bible literally....simply because there are WAY too many contradictions. It's also far too misogynistic for my liking. So I've learned to take from that religion what makes sense to me and discard the rest. I have also found my own spiritual path and found that there are things from other paths and religions that make total sense to me. I have come to view the Holy Spirit as the feminine side of God who shows herself as Mother Earth. I also very strongly believe in reincarnation......since I have experienced past life memories (scared the HECK out of me....but that's a topic for another day). I believe in Karma. I believe in spirit guides....actually met mine about 2 months ago. Some of my Christian contemporaries may have a problem with some of my beliefs, but I've found that I don't really care. My soul is my responsibility....and I take that responsibility very seriously. My path continues to evolve as I progress through this life....who knows, maybe it will be completed different this time next year?!?

Okay this is weird, replace American Baptist by Roman Catholic and it's almost identical

Were we separated at birth???? LOL

I knew there was something scary about you two

Look out, Mintie, she's onto us!!!!

Beribee wrote:Look out, Mintie, she's onto us!!!!

Shhhhhh not too loud, we can still pretend with the others

He he he..... It'll be our little secret! LOL

You two......hee

What do I "believe"?

I believe my children are amazing.. they changed my life forever.

I believe that my family and friends are beautiful people.. and I'm one lucky guy to have them in my life.

I believe that people should be free to live the life they want to live.. as long as they aren't harming anyone else.



But as for gods, spirits, spirit world, afterlife... etc...etc.. No, I have no belief in any of that. IMHO, all of that is created by people who need something to "believe" in.

That's what I "believe".

Rob

Well I primarily identify as a Hindu. But I am shaped by other spiritual experiences in my life. I grew up in a mixed religious home. My mother is nondenominational Christian, my father is Jehovah's Witness. My parents decided to leave it up to me to decide religious matters for myself. I have cousins who are Salvation Army and I used to go with them from time to time. In high school I joined an Assembly of God church. After high school I met Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and many other people of other faiths and those interactions helped shape me, too. I explored religions and found Hinduism through that exploration. While living in Norman I came across Unitarian Universalism and that influenced me some. Today I am also part of United Church of Christ church that is open and affirming here. So what do I believe. Well let's break it down a bit:
For the most part I believe that there is one God, but that it manifests in many forms and expressions. I see no conflict of the idea that God is one and that God sacrificed part of that oneness to create the entire universe from God's own self (Hindu thinking). I believe that God is pure consciousness, not something physical (Hindu thinking). I believe that we are often disillusioned to the idea that we are part of God, and through this illusion we believe we have become seperated from God (Hindu thinking). I believe that chanting any of the numerous names of God is one of the simplest, easiests ways to detach from the ego and let our soul awaken and thus connects us with God (Hindu thinking). I believe in the power of meditation, in its many forms (Buddhist/Hindu/Jain/Sikh/Taoic thinking). I believe that God is not something that can easily be described and that whatever is described as God is probably not the real God (Taoic thinking). I believe that not letting ourselves get too attached to things or emotions brings us peace and calmness (Buddhist/Hindu thinking). I view God as the greatest teacher in life (Sikh thinking). I believe in not intentionally harming another (Jain thinking). I believe that submission to God's will is important (Muslim thinking). I believe that Jesus was both a great teacher and an incarnation of God (Christian thinking), but I reject the idea that he is the only incarnation of God. I reject that there is only one path to God (Unitarian Universalist and Hindu thinking). I believe in the worth and dignity of all people (Unitarian Universalist thinking). I believe that all people have the right to search and explore for truth and meaning in their own lives and that spiritual places like churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, should be places that encourage that exploration and spiritual growth (Unitarian Universalist thinking). I believe that God cares more about this world than he does about our afterlife (Judaic thought) and that we have an obligation to care for one another and the Earth and other living beings because God has called us to this obligation (Judaic thinking). I don't believe in evil in the normal sense of the word (Hindu thinking), but that evil can be different for different people. That there is no personified form of evil...no evil beings...there is only God (Hindu thinking). Ignorance, not evil, is the cause of all suffering. If we'd just awaken to the reality that we're all divine sparks and treat each other with the same respect and dignity we treat God with, then the world would not suffer so much (Hindu thinking). I believe in karma...that one's action cause reactions. I believe in reincarnation, that this is not the only life. I believe that one's character is important, not what one believes. That God looks at each of our characters, not our beliefs. I believe that God is everywhere. I believe that God knows everything, including what is in our hearts and thus knows to whom our prayers are offered regardless of what name we call God by. I believe that God is all powerful, that God can use any path to lead a person back to God. I believe that the ultimate goal in life is to return back to God, to reconnect with the Supreme Soul, the Ultimate Reality, the Pure-Root-Consciousness. I don't believe any sacred texts should be taken literally, but instead I believe that there are multiple layers of truth imbedded in those texts and that as one progresses spiritually those layers of meaning are revealed to you. I don't believe that any one sacred text is more valid than another. I don't believe that sacred texts are the only source of spiritual learning, that there are other sources that may work well for people, too. I don't believe Athiests do not believe in anything, but am fully aware that while they may deny the existence of a God or gods, etc, or even reject specific religions...they do indeed believe something, and I respect their nontheistic approach to life. I don't believe any one person has all the answers or any one book or any one religion, but that God, being so infinite and eternal, is merely grasped in parts. I don't believe that one needs to try and convert others, or that traditions are always right. Traditions are meant to be challenged, questioned, and if necessary done away with or modified. I believe that everything is constantly changing, that nothing is static. I believe that all paths lead to the same goal, even though we cannot truly know what that is until we get there, until then we simply live by faith.

And so I think that about sums up what I do and do not believe.

Why do you think that all paths leads to the same goal? Does that happen in life that everyone is led to the same goal?

Welcome! Nice to read your posts.

"Why do you think that all paths leads to the same goal? Does that happen in life that everyone is led to the same goal?"

It just seems that from talking to people, that at the core of what I hear from people it often seems like people are trying to get to the same goal. How we define that goal seems to always be shaped by our religion, our culture, etc. By goal I do not necessarily mean Heaven, or Moksha, or Nirvana. But there does seem, from talking to people, that there is some similar desires to achieve. When asked what is Heaven like or what is Moksha like or what is Nirvana like, etc...you get a lot of the same adjectives "happy", "peaceful", "blissful", "joy", "no suffering", "without worries", "wholeness", etc. So it makes me think that we're all at least trying to reach the same goal...whether it is a place or something else...well that seems to be where religions diverge, but the adjectives describing the "goal" always seem to be the same.

Well, in life it does seem that most people want the same things out of life: they want a sense of purpose to their life, they want to love and be loved, they want to be viewed as important in some way, they want to connect with others in some way....and we all go around acting on these same things that we want out of life. We seem to want the same goal.....the goal itself just manifests differently for each one of us.

One of the things I always like about Hinduism is that when it talks about Heaven it says that it is created from our own consciousness and thus Heaven is different for different people. I always liked that since some people's ideas of Heaven are more like my version of Hell and if that was Heaven then I certainly didn't want to go. Hinduism seems to have reconciled this thought with the idea that each of us experiences Heaven differently. One Hindu text (one about the goddess whose name I can't remember at the moment) talks about how the Divine One manifests heaven accordingly for each of us. So if in your life you always viewed the Divine as, say, Kali, then it is Kali who will be there and if you loved eating ice-cream then you'd be able to eat ice-cream...but for those who view the Divine as Jesus..then Jesus will be there and if they enjoyed water slides, then there will be plenty of different waterslides there. The reason, according to this sacred text, is because heaven/Divine is pure consciousness and it is our consciousness that creates the heaven our souls experience.

So we are all trying to reach the same goal, but how that goal manifests will be different for each person.

It's just a belief I hold. I do not claim to be right, it's just what I believe right now...since beliefs can change.