What do you believe in - and why?

[AnyDream]

Arimeh, new age fluff = variants on a theme which basically involve the ego. for eg, I get tired of hearing about people who went for a past-life reading and get told they were ancient priestesses or some other similarly romantic sounding thing. Genuine past life regressions (in my direct personal experience) usually involve fairly mundane (but traumatic) incidents, and my reading on the topic supports this. Starships, Lemuria, Atlantis, Ascension theory pretty much all fall into the "fluff" box IMO. People like to feel they belong to something special, so getting caught up in this stuff often means they don't get down to the real business of sorting themselves out and living their best possible life, kwim? I won't say it's all blatantly untrue (I admit the possibility that there are truths that lie outside of my own experience/framework) but I have a problem with it when it holds people back rather than helping them to heal and evolve, or when it keeps them ungrounded. Probably because in my own journey learning to stay grounded has been so important.

ETA - wanted to add - didn't mean for that to come across as a blanket criticism of the new age movement, as it encompasses many things of great spiritual significance and value, it's more the flakey practitioners - not grounded in reality - that give the rest of it a bad name. Also happy to acknowledge that many people would consider my beliefs to be "new age fluff" .

[luna moth]

FSM - there's as much logic behind it as any other religion, so why not?

But - as I eluded to in the other thread - I disagree with evangelism. Which includes evangelical atheism. I'm cool with lots of religions existing, and I am definitely cool with people believing in them, even for the various illogical reasons that they do. But I am NOT cool with trying to change someone else's belief.

[squidipa]

Lets start with im pentecostal Christian.

i was raised Catholic as good as my mom could. Church on Easter and Christmas and Sunday school and weekly school and from time to time depending on where we moved i also done daily religious instructions. I was baptized catholic. Holy communion too and continued with regular religious instructions in school and out side of school.

As i got older i needed more and more questions being left un-answered regarding what the bible was saying and moved from being a catholic to a pentecostal christian. I felt more at home here and had a better understanding of things and made more sense of things. I did resist it to start with but the more understanding i got the better my heart felt at home.

My eldest kids at school do religious instructions non denominational and they attend church and my eldest goes to weekly youth group. They did have other weekly activities but we moved on from that.

I have not found the right church yet locally and honestly been so busy havnt looked as much as i could have but my heart remains the same. All the kids are and hubbie to christian. Hubbie was baptist now pentecostal baptist lol he comes form a baptist family who is heavily involved in church. Actually we met in a Christian chat room lol

EDIT

i believe profoundly in free will and that opening gates. oh and also the kids have had dedications but not baptized i believe thats there choice when ready.

[Indadhanu]

I was not raised any religion. My parents were very spritual but not very religious. I discovered Buddhism when I was about 15, and found when I read about Buddhism it was what I already felt, and knowing the specific details seemed to light up a part of me that was in darkness.

I follow Buddhism as a religion, not just a philosophy.
I don't believe in a God or any Gods or Goddesses.
I believe in rebirth or reincarnation, onto one of 31 planes of temporary existence.
I believe in Karma. But not that 'karma is a b~tch' (and I absolute detest that phrase...).
I don't believe in fate or predetermination. I believe that we do start life with lessons we need to learn or experiences we need to have but I believe these could come in a range of forms and they aren't 'set' to happen. I don't know how to explain it, thats as good as I can do without going quite deep

Ummm, so, yeah

[sneakysparkle]

Great thread Mel!

Well, I'm a Christian.
I believe that God is in 3 persons (the trinity) the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
I believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for humanity's sins, and that he rose again 3 days later
I believe that faith in Jesus is the only way to God and eternal life with Him
I believe in Heaven, and I believe in Hell and that Satan is a fallen angel, who has other fallen angels (demons) working with him

I grew up in a Christian home - going to church and Sunday school, but as I reached my teen years I chose to reject God and stopped going to church. Its funny, because I never stopped believing in God, I just didn't want to acknowledge him in my life.

When I was 16 I started having singing lessons - and my teacher - through example more than anything, taught me what having a relationship with God is all about - not about being a "good Christian" or following religious rules.

That started my journey back to God. Now - I feel like I have purpose and confidence in my life. God is a very real and present part of my life and even though life is still tough sometimes I wouldn't have it any other way

Does that answer your question? Sorry if that was a bit of a sermon, just trying to answer the "what" and "why" as honestly as I can

[squidipa]

Great thread Mel!

Well, I'm a Christian.
I believe that God is in 3 persons (the trinity) the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
I believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for humanity's sins, and that he rose again 3 days later
I believe that faith in Jesus is the only way to God and eternal life with Him
I believe in Heaven, and I believe in Hell and that Satan is a fallen angel, who has other fallen angels (demons) working with him

well said if i had more time i would have included that lol thanks

[Inanna]

What a great thread Mel!

I was raised by a fundamentalist Christian mother & an atheist father - interesting combo!!!

I have always been deeply interested in faiths and religion. I think by it's very nature "faith" is subjective & is sacred & exempt from judgement. I find it disturbing when anothers Faith is ridiculed, judged or questioned. For it's my belief that Faith is a heart space not intellectual. It's something felt not necessarily proved...

I have studied many religions quite intensely. Not the least Christianity due to my family situation. I also had a great many Jehovah's Witnesses in my family which was contentious with my own mothers faith. But all agreed that Jesus was the one and only. Which confuzzled me when I couldn't understand why it depended on where one was born what religion they would predominantly be exposed to... That to me wasn't "righteous" or "Godlike"...

Also in pulling apart for years and in great depth the chapters of the Bible I found that they were so similar to the Koran & other Holy books that to me it was a thread of great similarity that couldn't be argued away...

I too was drawn to Eastern religions and faiths due mainly to the way these peoples actually "live" their faith not just mouth it. Religion in many countries is intricately part of their culture not just something that is done on a day a week - it's lived in each breath, in each bite of food, in each greeting. To me that is spirituality in motion.

I studied Buddhisim & continue to. I have incredible and humble respect for the way Buddhisim is a psychology, a way of life. That it actually transforms people. I have personally seen very ill people turn their lives around through the study of Buddhist psychology. To me that was a massive testament.

However, this led me to know that what I was seeing was true spirituality. An embracing of that element of us that we all have that speaks in quietness. Years of meditating & seeking the stillness within has shown me that until we stop the chatter of the outside world we will never know peace on the inside.

I am also very aware and embracing of the pagan - I honour our Moon & the Goddess in her many carnations.

I believe firmly in reincarnation. I believe that we have karma that we have to work through - that for every action there is a consequence. That those lessons will come to us in differing ways until we have worked through them. That these lessons however hard, tragic or difficult are for our evolution as a Being that is seeking enlightenment.

I hold a deep respect for all Faiths & find religious persecution/faith persecution repugnant. I think it curious that we accept the crossing of a baby with holy water as "normal" but the chanting of a mantra to Quan Yin bizarre or the removal of shoes at a temple silly... Or the belief of a food being not okay to eat wierd...

To me it's about respect for where each of us as Beings on a spiritual journey - & I believe there are many many many paths that journey will take us & most of us have a very different path to the next Being...

[meow]

I wasn't raised with any religion- rather just to respect all religions and keep an open mind that I may choose to join one of them when I grow up.

I am an atheist. I don't believe in any gods or supernatural events such as life after death.
I believe we all have the power within ourselves to dictate our lives.
I believe in the magic and power of nature- the mind blowing universe we live in, the phenomenon of evolution and the interconnectedness of life such as communities and eco-systems.

These beliefs stimulate my spirituality as I reflect on the beauty of a sunset, moss on a tree, the meaning of a spider in my life and the purpose of life in the here-and-now to be a good and respectful person to the world around me (which includes all living creatures). I am a vegetarian, take care of the environment and try to be a good, kind person. I find my knowledge and understanding of the wonder of our universe to be very empowering and inspiring.

[LimeSlice]

Thank you Mel for the thread! I think everyone has done an ace job at keeping judgement to a minimum

I'm Pagan. What I mean by this is that I believe in a higher power which inhabits all of us and to which we return when we 'die'. I believe this higher power not only inhabits humans, but all life forms - it's what makes it 'life'. I revere nature and treat all natural things as sacred.

I believe that we choose to come 'earthbound' to learn lessons to evolve (and to help others to evolve). When we have a baby - I believe that 'spark' or 'soul' has chosen us as it can learn the most from us or it can teach us the most. I feel very blessed every day that my son chose me.

My mother was catholic (as is the rest of her family) and my Dad was a non-practicing C of E. I was baptised catholic at birth (or close to), but it never 'rang true' for me. My parents never forced religion on us - but encouraged us to decide for ourselves what we believed in.

It was only after my Mother's passing that I really started to understand what my beliefs are. I believe too that my Mother helped me come to this understanding and that some of the 'information' I have - came from her.

I dabbled in the Lutheran faith for a short time after my Mother's death as my DH's business partner is a church elder there (and is very fervent!). He and I have some very interesting discussions and I think sometimes we're both suprised by how often we agree! However we both have VERY strong ethics that meet (for the most part).

I don't do ritual (except as prayer or meditation) - but would if I had the time and opportunity! Ritual is almost the same to a Pagan as going to Mass is for a Catholic. Except I run my own 'service'!

I believe in ghosts, reincarnation, karma and the law of threefold (what you do returns to you - times by three; good and bad). I also believe that all faith is true - so long as you harm none. The Gods and Goddesses don't mind by which name you call them!

Thank you Mel for giving us all the chance to discuss this and get a deeper perception of our 'online friends'. I thought I knew most of the Pagans on BB, but I see from this thread that there are more than I thought!

I could have written this verbatim! lol

I began following this path at an early age - by that I mean this path in search of my true self. I was raised as a Christian, went to a C of E school and for a long time tried very hard to believe in that God... I yearned to have the faith I saw in others and thought if I practiced (the faith) hard enough or believed it enough, I would find it (sort of fake it til you make I think! lol)
But it just never sat right with me and as I grew into my mid teens I discovered a world of other theosophies and began looking in to them...and sort of falling in to them, as I met new people, moved outside of my traditional circles and finally after I finished school and moved out of home.

The illness and subsequent death of my mother a couple of years ago really helped me define who I was and these values I have held for many years in a way I had never expected, and continues to everyday. I also believe that my resolution in those beliefs helped my mum to finally understand me, and through that, herself and the End, in a more profound way than she had though possible. There was a shift in her mood, her eyes and her demeanour that still fills me with immense joy when I think of it...

Anyway, I am a Druidic apprentice on hold...meaning I currently am teacherless and on a bit of a solo mission presently, and am finding it really fulfilling and challenging.
I find myself becoming more confortable with voicing my beliefs and my opinions of situations borne out of those beliefs...despite one of the prime 'lessons' I was first taught was one of secrecy and protection of the knowledge.
I practice ritual and celebrate Sabbats when I can and in any way I can at the time, usually through small solo rituals - DH is not of entirely the same persuasion as me, and at the moment I am enjoying the spiritual space and solitude. It is peaceful here alone for now.
I intend to raise Charlotte in line with many of my beliefs, but have no desire to force her into anything...having said that, I would be lying if I said I would be happy if she found her way into a Christian faith.

I have no qualms with anyone practicing whatever faith they find suitable, save those that encroach upon others, have huge issues with people feeling the right to push the beliefs upon me but who turn their backs and refuse to learn about mine, I take issue with people pitying me (as certain paths do) for my choice, or ridiculing me based on their own faith.

I love intelligent and embracing discussions on theosophy whenever and wherever I can and relish a chance to have these conversations with people of learning, honesty and truth. I have the honour of having several friends who hold high rank in Masonary and as such have had some access to awesome teachings, and resources, and challenges.

[Sopdet]

Grab a cuppa and a bikkie

Family background:
Mother - her parents were Jewish, she was raised with the faith of her grandmother which was spiritual/pagan
Father - Raised catholic but his family background is Asatru (heathen)
Siblings - agnostic, catholic, pagan, spiritual

My beliefs:
I say I'm pagan because it is easier to say it than attempt to explain exactly what I am. In saying that, I have started to become more interested in my Jewish heritage & their belief system etc.

But I am going to give it a good try

I believe
in the universe,
in a universal energy (as opposed to a singular "god form"),
in balance (you can't have good without evil, male without female, black without white etc),
in a karmic force,
that we are the masters of our own lives but we are here to gain certain insights,
that we do come back to this realm time and time again to learn certain lessons
in evolution

I don't believe in
the belief that our lives are pre-ordained (ie fate)

I do call on gods and goddesses in my workings but more for a specific energy as opposed to them as "god forms" or "higher beings", I have a familiar and a few totem animals (one in particular who is now inked on my body - well him and a mix of my familiar), my spellwork is like prayers, the ritual component of the spells is to help with focussing and intent, I cast circles, dance naked in the moonlight, I meditate, I journal, I talk to "beings", I don't do spellwork to manipulate free will.

I think that is all. I may come back and add to this as I think of more.

[Nettie]

I could have written this verbatim! lol

sounds like we share a few experiences. I look forward to meeting you someday!