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...