For religious "switchers"

[Satyagrahi]

Being on RF for a while, I have noticed that many people change their religion relatively frequently. What leads you to switch your religion? What has your path been like?

I have changed my religion almost daily, even each moment so far, hoping that it would stabilise to a final outcome. One tests whether what one has acquired up to a point in time is justified and sustainable as a philosophy even, for there is no proof that has come my way of any coherent manner in which I have conducted my life that fits into a specific belief system that would be called 'a religion' What I do is dharma, so what is dharma, dharma is just a way of living. When have you perfected dharma? It is when one is going about life in utter nonchalance, spontaneity and unpremidatedness as the manifestation of truth. So truth is dhama. One can put labels on this to describe it as something other than what it is. But in essences living the truth is what I have been doing all the while at each moment of my life. Through this process one is calm and peaceful and the right actions thereby come about for me.

I used to explore all avenues but never was satisfied that my actions could be classified as a religion. So now I do not say any more that I do have a religion at all, other than Satyagraha, a person struggling for the truth for his actions.

 

[paarsurrey]

I went googling because I did not understand which method you were referring to, is there a step-by-step impartial "Religious Method" you like to use? Provide a link, or the steps if so. An impartial method would be good, starting by treating everyone the same without bias. Not trying to debate or anything, I do find it interesting to see what spiritual journeys everyone takes, and what thinking patterns are used.

The "Religious Method" was mentioned by me in my post #182 in another thread:
It was read out with its application authored by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 1835-1908 in the Conference of Great Religions held at Lahore in 1896 in the then British India. The lecture titled ” The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam”* has since been translated in many world languages and is available online.
The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam – Wikipedia
The principle is elaborated in first two pages of it:
” It is necessary that a claim and the reasons in support of it must be set forth from a revealed book.”
I quote here first two pages of the above book to elaborate it further:

Quote-
"ISLAM
The essay of Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib, the Chief of
Qadian, which was read out by Maulana Abdul Karim Sahib
Sialkoti, in Lahore in the Conference of Great Religions Dharam
Mahutsu 9
on 27th December 1896. 10
It is necessary that a claim and the
reasons in support of it must be set forth
from a revealed book.
In this auspicious Conference the purpose of which
is that those who have been invited to participate in it
should expound the merits of their respective religions
with reference to the questions that have been
formulated. I shall today set forth the merits of Islam.
Before I proceed to do so I deem it proper to announce
that I have made it obligatory upon myself that
whatever I state will be based upon the Holy Quran
which is the Word of God Almighty. I consider it
essential that everyone who follows a book, believing it
to be revealed, should base his exposition upon that

1. This is Hindi expression for Great Religions.
2. This sentence is by the conveners.

book and should not so extend the scope of his
advocacy of his faith as if he is compiling a new book.
As it is my purpose today to establish the merits of the
Holy Quran and to demonstrate its excellence, it is
incumbent upon me not to state anything which is not
comprehended in the Quran and to set forth everything
on the basis of its verses and in accord with their
meaning and that which might be inferred from them,
so that those attending the Conference should
encounter no difficulty in carrying out a comparison
between the teachings of different religions. As all those
who believe in a revealed book will also confine
themselves to statements comprised in their respective
revealed books, I shall not make any reference to the
traditions of the Holy Prophet, inasmuch as all true
traditions are only derived from the Holy Quran which
is a perfect book comprehending all other books. In
short this is the day of the manifestation of the glory of
the Holy Quran and I humbly beseech God Almighty to
assist me in this undertaking. Amin." Unquote

Regards


*https://www.alislam.org/library/books/Philosophy-of-Teachings-of-Islam.pdf

 

[Windwalker]

Being on RF for a while, I have noticed that many people change their religion relatively frequently. What leads you to switch your religion? What has your path been like?

It's hard to answer that question, depending how you look at it. I'd say I've always had one faith, but it's taken different pathways. My first experience with religion was after I had already had a spiritual awakening experience.

That religion was Christianity, since that was the culturally familiar religion for a young white boy from a middle class family home in the late 70s early 80s. Of course, ask those who know about God, was the general thinking of an 18 year old trying to figure out the nature of the Divine after just taking a full immersion swim into the deep end of Absolute Reality.

That led to throwing myself into the first form of the Christian religion which promised me Answers with capital A's. Just what a young pup primed for Knowledge was after! So I threw myself into that, and entered into formal theological training, as this dry sponge seeking Water. It didn't take long for that sponge to realize what it was absorbing didn't feel right. It didn't match up with what I had experienced, tasting the Absolute nature of everything. It finally became evident that this was not going where I'd hoped.

I tried to transition to a less "we're right and everyone else is wrong and lost" form of Christianity, but those more 'mainline' forms were essentially dry and lacked any of the more spiritual, mystical aspects of the faith. So that then led to shelving the religion as didn't meet the need being tangible spiritual growth.

Later, as I encountered others who had left the more literalistic, prerational, forms of Christianity, who used logic and reason to "debunk" the myths of Christian faith, I found that an important tool for faith (unbeknownst to me at the time). That period of deconstructing faith, allowed me to cast off the voices of fear that the more literalistic, fundamentalistic perspective of God dominated the subject of religion. This was confronting the power it held head on. It was empowering, to be able to critically examine why it was failing, in part.

It proved to be an important period of time, building the rational critical mind, yet also coming to recognize that the "baby in the bathwater" was still there, and it was finding the fresh air that it needed, not having to be fearful of the fearful teachings of the fearful fundamentalists with their fear-based faith in a fearful God.

I was a "spiritual atheist", and not-well received by my fellow neo-atheists, for the most part. I found that the "I'm so glad I have the truth now", through rationality claim to be just a religious as the fundamentalists whom I left behind. That led to my pushing the boundaries of where reason could go, and understanding its inherent limitations in regards to shaping a fuller perspective of reality, which of necessity had to include the spiritual. That was not anything one could reason away, anymore than I could reason away breathing.

The value of deconstruction cannot be overstated. However, if all you end up with is a deconstructed, "It's all BS!", heap of rubble on the floor, it doesn't go the next necessary step of re-construction. You tear something old down, in order to build something new. You have to break the bone all the way sometimes for it to heal right. Deconstructing faith is not for the purpose of congratulating yourself on how smart and thorough you are as a demolitions expert. That's a shallow reward for the ego, and it's not nearly as clever as we might wish to tell ourselves.

Today now, I find myself being able to begin to rescue that Baby from the bathwater of myth and prerational thought about the Divine. I find myself interested in finding some form of Christian community that isn't flying at the mythic-literal, prerational altitude, but rather flies at post-rational level, which does not take things literally, and understands the nature of these ways of speaking of the Divine, are simply tools to unlocking the spiritual in ourselves, in ways that do not violate the rational mind, but rather respects it and does it no harm as we sail beyond its limited perspectives.

Learning about other religions has been an important part of that building upon the ruins of mythic-literal stage, but as I was training theologically in Christian language, that is my native tongues as it were. I find it enjoyable to be able to reclaim those parts of the faith which did benefit me, without being dragged down into a prerational reality which warred against reason and modernity out of fear. And that, is empowerment.

 

[idea]

The "Religious Method" was mentioned by me in my post #182 in another thread:
It was read out with its application authored by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad 1835-1908 in the Conference of Great Religions held at Lahore in 1896 in the then British India. The lecture titled ” The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam”* has since been translated in many world languages and is available online.
The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam – Wikipedia
The principle is elaborated in first two pages of it:
” It is necessary that a claim and the reasons in support of it must be set forth from a revealed book.”
I quote here first two pages of the above book to elaborate it further:

Quote-
"ISLAM
The essay of Hadrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Sahib, the Chief of
Qadian, which was read out by Maulana Abdul Karim Sahib
Sialkoti, in Lahore in the Conference of Great Religions Dharam
Mahutsu 9
on 27th December 1896. 10
It is necessary that a claim and the
reasons in support of it must be set forth
from a revealed book.
In this auspicious Conference the purpose of which
is that those who have been invited to participate in it
should expound the merits of their respective religions
with reference to the questions that have been
formulated. I shall today set forth the merits of Islam.
Before I proceed to do so I deem it proper to announce
that I have made it obligatory upon myself that
whatever I state will be based upon the Holy Quran
which is the Word of God Almighty. I consider it
essential that everyone who follows a book, believing it
to be revealed, should base his exposition upon that

1. This is Hindi expression for Great Religions.
2. This sentence is by the conveners.

book and should not so extend the scope of his
advocacy of his faith as if he is compiling a new book.
As it is my purpose today to establish the merits of the
Holy Quran and to demonstrate its excellence, it is
incumbent upon me not to state anything which is not
comprehended in the Quran and to set forth everything
on the basis of its verses and in accord with their
meaning and that which might be inferred from them,
so that those attending the Conference should
encounter no difficulty in carrying out a comparison
between the teachings of different religions. As all those
who believe in a revealed book will also confine
themselves to statements comprised in their respective
revealed books, I shall not make any reference to the
traditions of the Holy Prophet, inasmuch as all true
traditions are only derived from the Holy Quran which
is a perfect book comprehending all other books. In
short this is the day of the manifestation of the glory of
the Holy Quran and I humbly beseech God Almighty to
assist me in this undertaking. Amin." Unquote

Regards


*https://www.alislam.org/library/books/Philosophy-of-Teachings-of-Islam.pdf

Thank you for explaining, I had not seen the earlier post. Many different religious groups survive through study of various texts - from the oldest scriptural text - Rig Veda of Hinduism, to more modern scriptures such as those written by Sun Myung Moon of the unificiation cult. While ancient texts which have withstood the test of time do warrant study and contemplation, I judge faiths based on their actions more than hollow words.

Luke Skywalker : [Yoda appears as a ghost] Master Yoda.
Yoda : Young Skywalker.
Luke Skywalker : I'm ending all of this. The tree, the texts, the Jedi. I'm going to burn it all down.
Yoda : [Yoda summons lightning to burn down the tree and the Jedi texts. He laughs] Ah, Skywalker. Missed you, have I.
Luke Skywalker : So it is time for the Jedi Order to end.
Yoda : Time it is for you to look past a pile of old books, hmm?
Luke Skywalker : The sacred Jedi texts?
Yoda : Oh, read them, have you? Page-turners they were not. Yes, yes, yes. Wisdom they held, but that library contained nothing that [the girl Rey does] ~ our hearts ~ do not already possess. Skywalker, still looking to the horizon. Never here, now, hmm? The need in front of your nose.

 

[paarsurrey]

It's hard to answer that question, depending how you look at it. I'd say I've always had one faith, but it's taken different pathways. My first experience with religion was after I had already had a spiritual awakening experience.

That religion was Christianity, since that was the culturally familiar religion for a young white boy from a middle class family home in the late 70s early 80s. Of course, ask those who know about God, was the general thinking of an 18 year old trying to figure out the nature of the Divine after just taking a full immersion swim into the deep end of Absolute Reality.

That led to throwing myself into the first form of the Christian religion which promised me Answers with capital A's. Just what a young pup primed for Knowledge was after! So I threw myself into that, and entered into formal theological training, as this dry sponge seeking Water. It didn't take long for that sponge to realize what it was absorbing didn't feel right. It didn't match up with what I had experienced, tasting the Absolute nature of everything. It finally became evident that this was not going where I'd hoped.

I tried to transition to a less "we're right and everyone else is wrong and lost" form of Christianity, but those more 'mainline' forms were essentially dry and lacked any of the more spiritual, mystical aspects of the faith. So that then led to shelving the religion as didn't meet the need being tangible spiritual growth.

Later, as I encountered others who had left the more literalistic, prerational, forms of Christianity, who used logic and reason to "debunk" the myths of Christian faith, I found that an important tool for faith (unbeknownst to me at the time). That period of deconstructing faith, allowed me to cast off the voices of fear that the more literalistic, fundamentalistic perspective of God dominated the subject of religion. This was confronting the power it held head on. It was empowering, to be able to critically examine why it was failing, in part.

It proved to be an important period of time, building the rational critical mind, yet also coming to recognize that the "baby in the bathwater" was still there, and it was finding the fresh air that it needed, not having to be fearful of the fearful teachings of the fearful fundamentalists with their fear-based faith in a fearful God.

I was a "spiritual atheist", and not-well received by my fellow neo-atheists, for the most part. I found that the "I'm so glad I have the truth now", through rationality claim to be just a religious as the fundamentalists whom I left behind. That led to my pushing the boundaries of where reason could go, and understanding its inherent limitations in regards to shaping a fuller perspective of reality, which of necessity had to include the spiritual. That was not anything one could reason away, anymore than I could reason away breathing.

The value of deconstruction cannot be overstated. However, if all you end up with is a deconstructed, "It's all BS!", heap of rubble on the floor, it doesn't go the next necessary step of re-construction. You tear something old down, in order to build something new. You have to break the bone all the way sometimes for it to heal right. Deconstructing faith is not for the purpose of congratulating yourself on how smart and thorough you are as a demolitions expert. That's a shallow reward for the ego, and it's not nearly as clever as we might wish to tell ourselves.

Today now, I find myself being able to begin to rescue that Baby from the bathwater of myth and prerational thought about the Divine. I find myself interested in finding some form of Christian community that isn't flying at the mythic-literal, prerational altitude, but rather flies at post-rational level, which does not take things literally, and understands the nature of these ways of speaking of the Divine, are simply tools to unlocking the spiritual in ourselves, in ways that do not violate the rational mind, but rather respects it and does it no harm as we sail beyond its limited perspectives.

Learning about other religions has been an important part of that building upon the ruins of mythic-literal stage, but as I was training theologically in Christian language, that is my native tongues as it were. I find it enjoyable to be able to reclaim those parts of the faith which did benefit me, without being dragged down into a prerational reality which warred against reason and modernity out of fear. And that, is empowerment.

I understand that one's good intentions could be easily accomplished with the use of impartial and equitable "Religious Method" which works wonderfully within the denominational , within the Revealed Religions perspective as also non-revealed one's to search and find Truth, please. Right?

Regards

 

[idea]

... I find myself interested in finding some form of Christian community ....

Yes, there is a precious baby in the all-to-dirty bathwater. Interesting that you are choosing to keep connections with Christianity. I agree there are some very beautiful things there, but find myself needing to expand to a more universal faith including additional books of scriptures and spiritual leaders to avoid backsliding into older harmful mindsets. I do appreciate the new versions of Christianity which are emerging through adherents such as yourself.

are other religious communities similarly expanding? Muslim, Jewish, Hindu - with some followers embracing a more universal non-literal understanding?

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Just googled, and found:
How to Find the Right Religion for You: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

Which warn about cults haha, really nice wiki-how actually! Taoism fits me best now I think if I had to choose.

Ha. Those steps don't sound very productive in my opinion.

 

[Sundance]

Being on RF for a while, I have noticed that many people change their religion relatively frequently. What leads you to switch your religion? What has your path been like?

This is a very thoughtful question, @Orbit, and I think one which, like many of my Forum mates, I’ve given lots of thought to.

I think, more so, that my own understandings of religion have changed the more I learn about it and give more consideration to my own speculations regarding the universe. For instance, I was always taught that there was only one God as a kid, but I’ve learned about religions that were polytheistic, like Hinduism, Shinto, or Pagan religions. Hinduism especially opened my mind to this conception, early on in life. I did experience some tension between the monotheism that I knew and the polytheism that I began to make sense of. So, I thought, “You know, unity and multiplicity are both everywhere in the world! The human body, cars, organizations, the Universe itself: all of these express both of these, right?” I looked for a conception that reflected some kind of balance between monotheism and polytheism. Then, it hit me: henotheism (the belief in many gods, but worshipping one — many times as the supreme one). I found it! It provides me with the balance I was looking for, and it reflects my own heavy tendency towards religious paths that have a single point of devotion.


Now comes the part two: finding a strong system of moral or ethical principles to guide my religious path.

 

[Windwalker]

Yes, there is a precious baby in the all-to-dirty bathwater. Interesting that you are choosing to keep connections with Christianity. I agree there are some very beautiful things there, but find myself needing to expand to a more universal faith including additional books of scriptures and spiritual leaders to avoid backsliding into older harmful mindsets. I do appreciate the new versions of Christianity which are emerging through adherents such as yourself.

I wouldn't quite call myself an adherent at this point. More testing the waters in which I may explore to swim within, as part of expanding that faith beyond the deconstruction phase. It's more coming out of that now, trying to find some way to genuinely integrate my personal religious past. As faulted and failed as that ultimately became for me, there was still a part of me which was able to was able to find some spiritual Light during that time. The language of the mythologies took on symbolic significance for me.

And that is no small thing in matters of faith, where symbols are the branches of a tree upon which we hang our ornaments of the Spirit. They act as our mediator between our human mind and the Divine.

For me that path to consider attempting to be part of a church at all, is one of great fear and trepidation. I developed a rather severe allergy to any system of religion at all. Even while exploring Buddhism with some local friends who are connected with the local Tibetan monastery, and I attended maybe two or three times to a service, but I just avoided making it a path into the religion itself. I spent a lot of time with the folks there, helped them out attending a booth for them about their culture, and so forth. I've learned a lot from Buddhism, as well as some Hinduism. I'm a regular meditator, and so forth. But being part of an organized religion in that way? Nope.

I think for myself, like you it sounds, worried somewhat about getting sucked into a mindset of others, and foreit my gains. Or perhaps was unsure of myself in some regards. Or, fearful to see something that would scare the hell out of me when confronted by the same sorts of things that made me want to leave and stay away in the first place.

The universal faith thing has been part of my emerging out beyond the deconstruction of faith. You see the Universal nature of the Divine, and "God" is no longer just some person or entity who watches over you, but rather is seen, felt, tasted, and lived in everything that exists, and in all religious faith systems as all faces of the Divine. It's an impulse towards the Divine that humans create these symbols in order to place those ornaments of Spirit, upon them in order to see them, contemplate them, be transformed by them, and become them.

So for me, to walk back into a church again, would certainly not be a return to a prior mindset. That cake, cannot be unbaked. The hope is that that baby of community could be rescued from the bathwater of my prior experience. But it's more than that as well, which is hard to describe. It is to see what it may have to offer, as something I'm more than familiar with, as part of my spiritual path. Except, with eyes wide open. You could call it, trying to make peace with an old friend who meant a lot to me in the past. It was a part of my spiritual path, and it feels like a good idea to try to reintegrate some of that which got lost underneath the rubble of my deconstruction zone.

are other religious communities similarly expanding? Muslim, Jewish, Hindu - with some followers embracing a more universal non-literal understanding?

I would prefer to see it as growing up or awakening to a larger reality that includes others as equals. Yes, I believe there has been movement in that direction, and it continues. But there is also the pull-back of the conservative, withdraw into your silos of us vs. them stances. Fear drives all of that.

But you're going to find just as much magical, prerational, mythic-literalism in other religions as you do in Christianity. It's a universal human thing. It's a human developmental thing. The more non-literal understanding is actually a stage of faith development. Stage 4 in Fowler's stages of faith research. This looks like a good quick summary of those stages: Faith Development Theories

I think modernity helps a lot through exposing people to other cultures, so younger children are growing up seeing more than their parents which will allow them to grow more easily into Stage 4 faith, and beyond.

 

[Vinidra]

I was born into a Southern Baptist family. I went to church regularly until I was 12 or so, but I was never baptized, and the teachings never resonated with me. I was surrounded by that religion, but never felt that I was a part of it.

I spent most of my teens and all of my twenties saying I was agnostic, though I actually did believe in a higher power. I just didn't know what to do with that belief.

I became a Hindu at 30. I'm 37 now, and I think I was always a Hindu. I just didn't realize it for a long time.

 

[ToGodorNottoGod]

I think there is far too much social and family pressure for most, which can really take the joy out of spirituality.

This is actually a good point. Pressure to be in religion really shouldn't exist as it does. It took me a while but I also learned, through experience, that religion is not necessarily spirituality. I view spirituality as far more personal and something I do inside of myself, while religion can have a more esoteric aspect to it.

 

[paarsurrey]

I'm not sure if there is an impartial method to 'choosing' a religion. I don't know how it works for everybody, but the majority of the people I have talked with weren't seeking a religion as they might a new car. Sometimes people hold a belief, only to find out later that those beliefs fit into another framework. Other times, they may learn more of another religion(intentionally or unintentionally) and find that its true for them. While there are a few people who go 'religion shopping', I wouldn't say that's how the majority approach it(though there's nothing wrong with it if one did).

What method did you use to determine your own religion was correct for you?

Excerpt from the post of friend JustGeorge- " What method did you use to determine your own religion was correct for you?"

At a very young age I read the book "Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam"* I have mentioned in one of my posts (#62) in this thread. The very first sub-heading "It is necessary that a claim and the (gist of)
reasons in support of it must be set forth from a revealed book." attracted me and I have searched/researched many great religions (as also no-religions, with a little adjustment as they have no Book) and found out its impartiality , equitability and truthfulness, yes please.
While I am steadfast on Ahmadiyya peaceful Islam, it is incumbent in my religion to accept the Truthful Religion where-ever it is found, and I daily pray for this to G-d:
[1:5] اِیَّاکَ نَعۡبُدُ وَ اِیَّاکَ نَسۡتَعِیۡنُ ؕ﴿۵﴾
Thee alone do we worship and Thee alone do we implore for help.
[1:6] اِہۡدِ نَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِیۡمَ ۙ﴿۶﴾
Guide us in the right path —
OOO
Right?

Regards
________________
*https://www.alislam.org/library/books/Philosophy-of-Teachings-of-Islam.pdf

 

[paarsurrey]

This is a very thoughtful question, @Orbit, and I think one which, like many of my Forum mates, I’ve given lots of thought to.

I think, more so, that my own understandings of religion have changed the more I learn about it and give more consideration to my own speculations regarding the universe. For instance, I was always taught that there was only one God as a kid, but I’ve learned about religions that were polytheistic, like Hinduism, Shinto, or Pagan religions. Hinduism especially opened my mind to this conception, early on in life. I did experience some tension between the monotheism that I knew and the polytheism that I began to make sense of. So, I thought, “You know, unity and multiplicity are both everywhere in the world! The human body, cars, organizations, the Universe itself: all of these express both of these, right?” I looked for a conception that reflected some kind of balance between monotheism and polytheism. Then, it hit me: henotheism (the belief in many gods, but worshipping one — many times as the supreme one). I found it! It provides me with the balance I was looking for, and it reflects my own heavy tendency towards religious paths that have a single point of devotion.


Now comes the part two: finding a strong system of moral or ethical principles to guide my religious path.

I get for one, that one has got disillusioned/dissatisfied lately with Pauline-Christianity that has never been Monotheistic and is a disguised polytheist or non-monotheistic, (though Jesus was a strong Monotheist), I understand. Right?
Dharmic Religions (aka Hinduism) are also many denominations some of them are monotheistic, some polytheistic and some atheistic (not the Western way) so which one is these days one interested in, please. Right?
Kindly correct me if I am wrong with good reasons if any, please. Right?

Regards

 

[paarsurrey]

Ha. Those steps don't sound very productive in my opinion.

I agree with one here, please.

Regards

 

[paarsurrey]

I was born into a Southern Baptist family. I went to church regularly until I was 12 or so, but I was never baptized, and the teachings never resonated with me. I was surrounded by that religion, but never felt that I was a part of it.

I spent most of my teens and all of my twenties saying I was agnostic, though I actually did believe in a higher power. I just didn't know what to do with that belief.

I became a Hindu at 30. I'm 37 now, and I think I was always a Hindu. I just didn't realize it for a long time.

Vinidra said -" I became a Hindu at 30"

Hindu or Hinduism is an umbrella term, the correct term is Dharmic Religions that includes monotheistic denomination/s, polytheistic denominations and as well as atheistic (not Western type), I figure, so which one did on join exactly, please? Right?

Regards

 

[Sand Dancer]

Being on RF for a while, I have noticed that many people change their religion relatively frequently. What leads you to switch your religion? What has your path been like?

After leaving Christianity after 28 years, I wanted to try them all. I like the idea of having a religion, but none are perfect, so it's been frustrating.

 

[paarsurrey]

After leaving Christianity after 28 years, I wanted to try them all. I like the idea of having a religion, but none are perfect, so it's been frustrating.

Please read my posts #65 and #62 , the Religious Method will enable one to find the right denomination/religion for one and one's frustration will end, please . Right?

Regards

 

[ToGodorNottoGod]

After leaving Christianity after 28 years, I wanted to try them all. I like the idea of having a religion, but none are perfect, so it's been frustrating.

Agreed, but perhaps your expectations are wrong? However did you possibly arrive at thinking something in this world is perfect? That's ideology, not a bad thing to keep in mind mind you, but.... ya know, here we have to deal with reality and that means the only solid reality is change. ALL things change, which means perfection is not to be had here on this plane of existence, right? So don't be frustrated, and if, like us all, you end up being frustrated anyway, perhaps something along this line may help......... look WITHIN not without........

 

[goledensilence]

I voted yes. Growing up in a state that falls under a section of America that is known as the Bible Belt, all I knew was the ways of Christianity from a protestant perspective. I was surrounded by small towns that were filled with churches on every corner and people that only read the King James bible. Once I reached the age of where I started to do my own research on everything that affected my daily life, I started to become what we black people label as "conscious". This is when I decided to drop the Christian title and become Agnostic. From there I started paying more attention to people within the conscious community because I loved the way they not only represented their religious texts but how they researched things on a historical level.

I spent most of my time on Youtube watching religous debates on a channel called "Sa Neter TV". He would have people the Kemetic community, Hebrew Israelites, Christians and Muslims all compare and contrast their viewpoints on a scholarly level that made me interested in wanting to belong to one of their groups. That's when I decided that I would focus on being part of the Kemetic community because of how they would break down their information. Some of my favorite scholars from the Kemetic community include people such as Jobari Osaze, Shakka Amose, Brother Polight and Dr. Reggie. ( I would encourage others in the Kemetic community to check them out.)

While I am Kemetic, I still take time to study other forms of religion because I believe that all religions contain some sort of truth to them which is why I have certain sections of the Quran & Bible I've highlighted because they described the type of person I am and what I believe. This also is because I have a lot of respect for certain members of the Nation of Islam (Rizza Islam) as well as certain Hebrew Israelites (Divine Prospect & Zion Lexx).

 

[goledensilence]

Here's a fun quiz, although it has a bit of an Abrahamic bent to it.

Spiritual Belief System Selector A Religion Selector

I took the quiz and Hinduism was my top result followed by Buddhism.