A Religious Thread

[RabbiO]

I'm finding weekly Torah study a bit demoralizing -- not because I find the Torah to be any less intriguing, but because those with whom I study seem deeply disinterested in and immune to biblical scholarship.

Can you describe what you are experiencing in a bit more detail?

 

[osgart]

Just to even things out around here, I thought I'd create a thread about... well, religion. And how its affecting you currently in your daily life. (And I mean you, not the guy next to you, or your country, or your dog's squirrel friend.)

What's going on in your religious life? Examining any scriptures, or reading any religious texts? Find a new bhajan? Have an upcoming ritual? Taking part in your church's community? Content with your beliefs, or re-examining? How are things, religiously speaking?

Been wanting to understand the concept of evil and study what that means, the motivations that drive it, and the tactics behind it. It's a topic that's always bothered me, and I want to dispel myths about it, and really try to get at what it actually is.
I've studied quite a bit about what goodness, and virtue is. Now it's time to confront the other side.

I know the Bible has interesting insights into a type of spiritual battle of and between powers and principalities, pride and arrogancy, vs. humility and charity. I don't think the Bible is perfect whatsoever but it has interesting stories that compel and reveal a lot about the battle between lies vs. honesty, malevolence vs. benevolence, false appearances of truth and glory vs genuine actualities.

I tried looking into some of the movie portrayals of characters such as Emperor Palpatine of Star Wars, and others.

I've come to some pretty interesting perspectives about the topic. It's pretty horrifying, and gut wrenching to think about what evil is. I don't enjoy the study, but I feel it's necessary for spiritual growth to get at this topic.

Basically evil is like a substitute for all that is true and good. It creates False glory, false promises, and dangerous deceitfulness.

The most disgusting and disturbing character is a version of Satan that some Christians believe in. A masterful liar that seeks to destroy souls, and recruit monsters to do his bidding. It basically wants to steal the good to do bad. It wants the seem of truth and good. I hate this character the most. It's cruel ambitions are boundless, and without moral completely. From what they say it don't want anyone to know anything factual and true at all. Nothing.

This particular study really heightens my appreciation for what is truly good, innocent and true, wise and beautiful. That's why I put myself through it. Putting the pursuit of truth first and foremost is my faith. So I needed to study this out.

 

[sayak83]

Just to even things out around here, I thought I'd create a thread about... well, religion. And how its affecting you currently in your daily life. (And I mean you, not the guy next to you, or your country, or your dog's squirrel friend.)

What's going on in your religious life? Examining any scriptures, or reading any religious texts? Find a new bhajan? Have an upcoming ritual? Taking part in your church's community? Content with your beliefs, or re-examining? How are things, religiously speaking?

I am currently watching a set of very informative and entertaining talks on Indian religious traditions and books by Nrisingho Prasad Bhaduri. The talks are in Bengali, so kind of useless to share. He is one of the living giants with immense knowledge of India scriptures and traditions.
Nrisingha Prasad Bhaduri - Wikipedia

 

[Solskinn Jente]

Just to even things out around here, I thought I'd create a thread about... well, religion. And how its affecting you currently in your daily life. (And I mean you, not the guy next to you, or your country, or your dog's squirrel friend.)

What's going on in your religious life? Examining any scriptures, or reading any religious texts? Find a new bhajan? Have an upcoming ritual? Taking part in your church's community? Content with your beliefs, or re-examining? How are things, religiously speaking?

I quit christianity a year ago. I just couldn't stomach being a part of everything that is happening, and has happened, in the name of this religion anymore, it all felt so fake and destructive. Leaving left a void in my life, but not an unhappy one. I had to really examine my beliefs and thinking around religion, and that is ongoing. I grew up in norway, where pagan traditions are interwoven into modern holidays (Julebokk, May day, Summer solstice as a few examples). I didn't recognize this until recently. Yet I don't want to replace christian gods with other gods. I fell into druidism and the concept of a mother earth. I am still refining what that looks like for me on a daily basis. Druidry is a spirituality so I am able to pick and choose concepts, traditions, symbols, etc that resonate with me. I love that there is no dogma or any rigid set of beliefs I have to follow, that I can choose. It is a religion with one member and it is everchanging, and I love it. What I have been thinking about today is how in this volatile political climate I am reluctant to share my joy in finding this with anyone because of potential repercussions, a new feeling for me, but maybe not others in this forum.

 

[Aupmanyav]

What's going on in your religiouindu.s life? Examining any scriptures, or reading any religious texts? Find a new bhajan? Have an upcoming ritual? Taking part in your church's community? Content with your beliefs, or re-examining? How are things, religiously speaking?

Religion 'dharma' guides me in every moment in my life, though I am an atheist Hindu. I do not generally read scriptures now. I have done that and I have formed my views. No religious chanting since I am an atheist. No part in religious activities other than respecting traditional festivities. Rarely need to re-examine my beliefs. Very smooth even wrt my theist family.

 

[sun rise]

Some churches can be quite peaceful, whether you subscribe to the religion or not.

When I was on a trip to Italy in the 1990's, I walked into some magnificent basilicas and cathedrals and marveled at the feeling they evoked. I kept thinking that if my reaction was so strong, when they were built, people of the day would have been lifted out of themselves and felt they had a taste of heaven.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Something that has been on my mind a lot is the different Hindu calendars. In Vedic texts such as the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇam, the solar calendar is based on the seasons, and the names of the months (Madhu, Mādhava, etc.) reflect them. There is apparently nothing about the 12 zodiac houses until later on. The Balinese Hindus have a solar calendar known as the Pawukon or Wuku Calendar. It’s 210 days long and features 10 types of concurrent weeks that run during the 210 days. The weeks with three, five, and seven days are the most important. There are 30 seven day weeks, and each has a deity associated with it. The Wuku Calendar sounds complicated, but it’s very easy to follow. At this time, I’m not sure if I want to follow the Vedic Saura Calendar (based on India’s seasons) or the Wuku Calendar (not based on any natural phenomena).

Here is the Vedic calender for 'Yajnas' according to BG Tilak in his 'Arctic Home in Vedas': The Arctic Home In The Vedas : Tilak, Bal Gangadhar : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
The first day in the Vedic calendar was Spring equinox (followed even now as Nav Roze, new day, in many Hindu calendars, and by Zoroastrians). It was based on asterisms (27 Nakhatras). Mid-year day being Autumnal equinox, called the Vishuvan day. Month names generally being the same as now.
>>> However, the starting month changed thrice in 6,000 years to account for 'precession of equinoxes' - a month in every 2,000 years. It was not always chaitra. At times it was Phalguna, Magha, Pausha and Margashirsha (Originally, as indicated by Krishna in Gita, 'Among months, I am Margashirsha').

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

I quit christianity a year ago. I just couldn't stomach being a part of everything that is happening, and has happened, in the name of this religion anymore, it all felt so fake and destructive. Leaving left a void in my life, but not an unhappy one. I had to really examine my beliefs and thinking around religion, and that is ongoing. I grew up in norway, where pagan traditions are interwoven into modern holidays (Julebokk, May day, Summer solstice as a few examples). I didn't recognize this until recently. Yet I don't want to replace christian gods with other gods. I fell into druidism and the concept of a mother earth. I am still refining what that looks like for me on a daily basis. Druidry is a spirituality so I am able to pick and choose concepts, traditions, symbols, etc that resonate with me. I love that there is no dogma or any rigid set of beliefs I have to follow, that I can choose. It is a religion with one member and it is everchanging, and I love it. What I have been thinking about today is how in this volatile political climate I am reluctant to share my joy in finding this with anyone because of potential repercussions, a new feeling for me, but maybe not others in this forum.

Hello, and welcome to RF. I'm also a former Christian, but it's been nearly three years since I left Christianity. I was a devout Christian for thirty years, and I genuinely believed in God for ten years prior to my conversion to Christianity when I was seventeen years old. I steered clear of spirituality or anything else even remotely religious for several weeks after my deconversion because of all the negativity I experienced while I was still a Christian. But not long after joining RF, I became interested in paganism after reading posts from fellow pagan members, and that eventually led me to Wicca. My interest in multiple deities led me to polytheism, and in the meantime, I became involved in Spiritualism. And now I am studying Druidry and have begun integrating it with practicing Wicca. Personally speaking, I find both Wicca and Druidry to be quite liberating after spending the majority of my life being constrained by the many rules and restrictions of Christianity. I decided to respond to you after reading your post and thinking about how I could relate to what you said.

 

[Rival]

I wondered if those beliefs would ever catch your interest(based on your location). Can you tell me more of cardomancy?

It upsets me rather that my forebears were uninterested in book writing and philosophy and theology, thus produced none. I didn't really want to be a local Pgan because it seems inferior compared to what the Ancient Egyptians and others had. The Middle Eastern people, the East and Southern Asians have these wonderfully thought out religious philosophies and Nothern-Central Europeans are stuck with basically nothing so people are essentially forced into Christianity, yet this is also my forebears' fault for not writing stuff in the first place! I feel as Europeans we've been incredibly short shafted and our current religious tradition is foreign.

Cardomancy is where you take a card deck, often a kind of Tarot, and usually pick 3 or more cards at random that you have chosen carefully using insight as to which you should pick (drawn to the purple cards? The red?) And then consider which cards you picked and why the God/s are telling you that.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Can you describe what you are experiencing in a bit more detail?

Yes, but I honestly do not see what it would accomplish.

(I guess I saw an invitation to vent and failed to ignore it. Sorry.)​

 

[Aupmanyav]

It upsets me rather that my forebears were uninterested in book writing and philosophy and theology, thus produced none. I didn't really want to be a local Pagan because it seems inferior compared to what the Ancient Egyptians and others had. The Middle Eastern people, the East and Southern Asians have these wonderfully thought out religious philosophies and Nothern-Central Europeans are stuck with basically nothing so people are essentially forced into Christianity, yet this is also my forebears' fault for not writing stuff in the first place! I feel as Europeans we've been incredibly short shafted and our current religious tradition is foreign.

It pains me too, as we worship some of the same Gods and Goddesses in India as the European pagans did. Dyaus Pitr (Zeus), Varuna (Ouranos), Parjanya (Perun), Vishnu (Vishnye), Ashwinis (Ašvieniai), etc. It is the same Indo-European influence which went to Europe came to India too. We too did not write but we remembered it so faithfully over thousands of years (I think, by 1000 BCE, RigVeda was in its present form, because by 500 BCE, it was being criticized by Buddha and Mahavira of the Jains)..

 

[JustGeorge]

It upsets me rather that my forebears were uninterested in book writing and philosophy and theology, thus produced none. I didn't really want to be a local Pgan because it seems inferior compared to what the Ancient Egyptians and others had. The Middle Eastern people, the East and Southern Asians have these wonderfully thought out religious philosophies and Nothern-Central Europeans are stuck with basically nothing so people are essentially forced into Christianity, yet this is also my forebears' fault for not writing stuff in the first place! I feel as Europeans we've been incredibly short shafted and our current religious tradition is foreign.

I think its one of those things... you can't look ahead and know what you'll need. It is a bummer, though. Even for cultures that had more records, so much of it was destroyed(either deliberately, or through time), we're left guessing there, too.

Cardomancy is where you take a card deck, often a kind of Tarot, and usually pick 3 or more cards at random that you have chosen carefully using insight as to which you should pick (drawn to the purple cards? The red?) And then consider which cards you picked and why the God/s are telling you that.

Sounds interesting!

 

[Secret Chief]

I thought I'd create a thread about... well, religion.

It'll never catch on.

What's going on in your religious life?

Life. Shikantaza. Kinhin. Chopping wood, carrying water, checking the car tyre pressures.

Examining any scriptures, or reading any religious texts?

I'm quite keen on occasional Stalinist purges of stuff (eg decimated my CD collection last year). Recently took most of my books to a charity shop (there weren't loads cos I've purged them several times over the years). Result: I now have no overtly religious books.

Content with your beliefs, or re-examining?

Pretty much content so I'm not expecting a radical change but who knows?

How are things, religiously speaking?

Things are as they are.

 

[RabbiO]

Yes, but I honestly do not see what it would accomplish.

(I guess I saw an invitation to vent and failed to ignore it. Sorry.)​

You have no reason to be sorry. A look back at the post that started this thread indicates that your post was actually well within its parameters.

If you want to share further that would be great. If you don’t want to, that’s fine as well.

 

[JustGeorge]

It'll never catch on.

I know, I was being overly optimistic...

Life. Shikantaza. Kinhin. Chopping wood, carrying water, checking the car tyre pressures.

A coincidence! I was about to make a religious practice of allowing someone else to chop the wood, carry the water, and check the tyre pressure...

I'm quite keen on occasional Stalinist purges of stuff (eg decimated my CD colection last year). Recently took most of my books to a charity shop (there weren't loads cos I've purged them several times over the years). Result: I now have no overtly religious books.

What brings on the 'purges'?

Pretty much content so I'm not expecting a radical change but who knows?


Things are as they are.

They certainly are.

 

[Secret Chief]

What brings on the 'purges'?

An occasional realisation that I have stuff that I no longer have a use for. I've always been very minimalist and am becoming possibly even more anti-consumerism. Possessions as such don't really interest me. I'll probably end up living in a cave.

 

[Secret Chief]

Some churches can be quite peaceful, whether you subscribe to the religion or not.

Whilst on holiday once in Italy, we visited the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. His remains are interred in the crypt, which is open to the public. The atmosphere in the crypt was incredible...hard to describe...it literally made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

 

[JustGeorge]

An occasional realisation that I have stuff that I no longer have a use for. I've always been very minimalist and am becoming possibly even more anti-consumerism. Possessions as such don't really interest me. I'll probably end up living in a cave.

Eventually, the cave will become too much...

 

[Secret Chief]

Eventually, the cave will become too much...

You're right. All those stalactites and stalagmites cluttering up the place.

 

[Secret Chief]

Hey, @JustGeorge! What's going on in your religious life? Examining any scriptures, or reading any religious texts? Find a new bhajan? Have an upcoming ritual? Taking part in your church's community? Content with your beliefs, or re-examining? How are things, religiously speaking?