It is common in the United States to think of one's religion as a single box one is allowed to check on a survey. I'm not one of the people who agrees with this perspective, but a recent Pew study confirms that this is still the overwhelmingly pervasive model in America with only about 6% of those surveyed identifying with more than one religion. This is in spite of a relatively high number of Americans who grew up in inter-religious households (around one in five). The full report goes into more detail about those who identify with multiple religions if you want to give it a read.
What do you think about identifying with multiple religions? Do you believe this is possible?
Are you someone who identifies with multiple religions, and if so, why do you do so?
Of course it is possible. People do it
But rather than accept people as being in more than one box I regard them as a new box. Do not forget that religions as Christianity are themselves syncretic religions taking from many other traditions.
I see it like this. When someone says I like to have sex with men and women, I do not see such a person as heterosexual or/and homosexual, but rather a different kind: bisexual.
I have a problem when a bisexual goes to heterosexuals and says, part of the heterosexuals is also a homosexual, just look at me. You should accept homosexuality as part of heterosexuality. And vice versa.
Where does this thinking lead to? That there is no distinction, just sexuality.
In the same way, I understand some people here identify as Pagan, Satanist and Catholic at the same time. But I dislike it when they come to the Pagan forum and try to sell their Satanist or Catholic ideology as Pagan or they try to sell Catholics movements as pagan.
Some people think that we need to strive for unity to overcome differences. They think differences and distinction are the root of discrimination and conflict. This is a serious misconception. The root of conflict is the unwillingness to accept that others are different and give them the same respect. This leads to some great but unrealistic universal ideal that is imposed on people by great force and creates endless conflicts. The universal religions all want to be the only one and can not accept others.
People who combine religions are simply inventors of new syncretic religions. Just like there are cooks who use spices from the Chinese kitchen and combine it with the Western food, creating new dishes. Fine with me, but do not sell it as either Chinese or traditional western food. That is a lie.
Sure the Chinese and Western traditions can slowly naturally absorb influences from other cultures, and thus evolve. But then it stops being combinations of different traditions. When Italians eat spaghetti they are no longer eating Chinese food, even if it came originally from China. They made it into their own food.
I also reject the idea that real cultural traditions can be easily adopted by outsiders, like it is some coat one puts on. This is true for proselytizing religions like Christianity and Islam. Read the book, accept the teachings, accept it as your beliefs and you are part of the new family. Those ideology religions were made as a replacement for cultural religious traditions to be spread all over the empire to create a common imperial identity and belonging. This gives people of Christian and Muslim background the idea that religions can be adopted by superficial things like accepting ideas and adopting customs. And when they mix ideas and customs from different religions they feel they are all of them, while in reality they are none of them.
Sure you can say you are a Catholic and a Pagan, but do not expect me to accept Catholicism as a belonging to Paganism because of that. Without clear distinctions their is no identity. Without identity there is no belonging. Without belonging there is no commitment. That is the difference between a temporary employee and a regular worker with a steady job.
Rather than saying I am Buddhist and a Muslim, people should say, I created my own religion, or I have not found yet what I am looking for. For neither Islam nor Buddhism was enough for them. Sure for some men one wife is not enough either. but most people do not want more than one partner, but rather deepen the relationship with one partner. People that spread out do not create commitment and belonging, they want to be free of that. People who seek deep involvement seek belonging and find gratification in that.
You can combine all the wisdom of all the religions and stay superficial yourself. You become Donald Trump with an estate, expensive furniture, a butler and a pinup wife and still have no culture. I do not like these cherry pickers who read all the books and flaunter with a wisdom lent. Or like a famous person once said: They are the beggars that hand out the jewels of the world.
