Unveiled Artist
Veteran Member
Religion to me is how you practice your faith. So, if I were a Christian, Id find ways to express Christs message to others both in word and in deed. Likewise, if I were Wiccan Id find ways I can physically helped nature and ways to let the Goddess and God know you love Her.
With that said, we all have religion. We all decide on what we want to focus on in life we try to put them in action, say go to school, have a family, to devotional callings to be a priest, or work overseas for the homeless.
In this thread, Im focusing on how we practice our faiths.
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Can we make up our own religion?
By the definition I gave above, one might say yes. We (or God, perhaps) decide our own lives and do what we want to do in it.
My point....I feel there is are issues when creating your own religion. The problem is based on two things:
Tradition (what has been laid down before cannot or shouldnt be changed)
The rules of the game. (This is how the game plan is set. Cant change the rules to fit your own needs) Of that be the case, everyone can "pass-go"
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Having a non traditional faith is fine. However, I see that we become eclectic when we go outside traditional values.
This is my personal opinion. I feel eclecticism puts more emphasis on believes as abstract philosophies. For example, if someone is a Christian Wiccan, they could say "I believe the love that Christ has and I believe in Mother nature because she takes care of us". Yet, Christ did not promote mixed beliefs. He did not promote that you can worship Mother Earth and still find goodness in Christ and Not believe in His Father.
Likewise with Buddhism (Nichiren and Zen) and Muslim. While the Buddha did not have a strict code for layman as he did monks, he also said not to look outside yourself for answers. So you cant look outside to God to find the Buddha nature in you. The Buddha taught the opposite. So how can you mix the two?
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Making up a faith upsets the "rules of the game." I see many seekers still wondering because they have abstract concepts to pull from and overlaps in all faiths....love, charity, finding oneself, humbleness, and so forth.
However, I see so many question because the "religion" cannot mix as concepts can. How do you geneflex to thr Eucharist one day and bow to the Buddha the next? In my opinion, it is unethical to make up your own rules so you can "get out of jail free" card. In Christianity, Christ gives you the card. In Buddhism, you have to be comfortable where you at to help others get out first. How can they both match, religious wise not concept?
I find when we mix religions (practices) we walk on egg shells. I feel to be a spiritual person you must donso in Action. If your actions, or religion, are not the same in practice, how do you justify it by concept.
Yes, you can create your own religion. I just find tradition and sticking to the rules helpful in spiritual growth.
