Poll: Religious Rituals

[Exaltist Ethan]

According to 25% of people from Religious Forums, rites and rituals are one of the most important parts of their religious practice. So, I'm making a thread dedicated to that exact premise. Listed above is nine very general religious rituals that are performed by many different religions, typically in an ongoing basis. And of course, for the secular, an option for "None of the above" is also listed.

Please, answer the poll as honestly as you can, and discuss with the community here which ones you chose and why. And also, if there are any rituals I did not cover that you partake in, you can also discuss about those here as well.

To answer this poll myself the only one I might choose is going to service. And I rarely do that. My parents and I celebrate secular versions of religious holidays as most Americans do, but I would not choose that either as the way we celebrate them isn't based in religion. I've done half of these options overall but don't practice them on a continuous basis. So, I'm most likely have to honestly answer this poll with "None of the above", even though I've done: rites of passage, prayer/worship, meditation/yoga, going to service, and tithing/almsgiving before. While I've done those particular rituals before I don't practice these rituals or incorporate them into my life at all. I have started to go to services lately but that has only lasted a few weeks so far, and for most of my life, I haven't gone to service.

When I ask this question I am not asking if you ever done them before, but rather, which ones do you do on a regular basis. And for me, it is typically none of them.

TL;DR - How did you answer the poll and why did you answer it that way?

 

[VoidCat]

I'd put modest clothing as I cover my hair daily and bless my clothes for religious reasons but I don't cover my hair for modest reasons

 

[JustGeorge]

I would like to put 'attending service', but that's not an option for me.

Religion has affected the way I've dressed, but more by exposure to new things than any desire to be modest. Like wearing a saree on Diwali(and shopping for one introduced me to Salwar Kameez). I also keep in mind that color can have an affect, and try to play on that from time to time.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

I would like to put 'attending service', but that's not an option for me.

"Going to service" is there and when I wrote that it meant anything involving service, including attending it.

 

[JustGeorge]

"Going to service" is there and when I wrote that it meant anything involving service, including attending it.

I meant I'd like to go to service, but I live in an area without a temple, and I don't usually have childcare available to be able to take trips to other cities to visit(and taking the kids is somewhat similar in difficulty as it would be to take a frustrated bull).

 

[SalixIncendium]

How did you answer the poll and why did you answer it that way?

Meditation/yoga & fasting.

Why? Well, because that's what I do.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I tried out practicing magic, but I've stopped. Maybe some day I will try again.

 

[ChristineM]

Yoga every day religiously, but not as a religious ritual, i do it to help keep me mobile

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

Yoga every day religiously, but not as a religious ritual, i do it to help keep me mobile

I was thinking about you (and several other atheists) on this forum when I made the "none of the above" option. When I included yoga I meant it as a religious ritual, not for secular reasons. Go ahead, Christine, choose "none of the above". It's calling you. And honestly, I didn't even consider what I thought about it until I asked myself if I did any of these. I'm not consistent with religious ritual practices, therefore, I chose it too.

 

[Quintessence]

Rites of Passage - by their nature, these are not something that can be practiced regularly because they occur only once and at widely dispersed times in one's life often not of one's own choosing. I wanna hear more from @The Hammer who checked this one because I'm quite curious how that works, or if "rite of passage" is understood more broadly by them.

Prayer/Worship/Meditation/Yoga - in simple terms, I pay attention to the gods/spirits and Nwyfre around me on a daily basis and often leverage focused states of awareness (aka, meditation) when doing so. Body movement can be a part of that, but not specifically yoga.

Going to service - I haven't been to a UU service in years and don't have much interest in it anymore when I do my own services. Does that count as "going to" service?

Celebrating religious holidays - I'm not sure if I consider something that doesn't happen at least weekly to be "regular basis" but went ahead and marked this because I do consistently do ritual for certain Lunar/Solar benchmarks.

Tithing/Almsgiving - not really a thing in Druidry so didn't mark in the poll, but it's not uncommon to be of service with our labor or money to nonprofits whose mission aligns with our religious values.

Modest clothing - not even remotely a thing in Druidry; if anything, Druidry teaches about the value of going naked.

Fasting - not really a thing in Druidry, but optional if you want to I guess. Not a thing I do. If anything, ritual preparation of food and making special meals is something important in my tradition.

Practicing spellcraft/divination/energy work - just rephrasing this a bit to make more sense to my brain. In many respects its actually kinda hard to differentiate this from other worship and holiday stuff because it's inherently interwoven in it.

 

[ChristineM]

I was thinking about you (and several other atheists) on this forum when I made the "none of the above" option. When I included yoga I meant it as a religious ritual, not for secular reasons. Go ahead, Christine, choose "none of the above". It's calling you. And honestly, I didn't even consider what I thought about it until I asked myself if I did any of these. I'm not consistent with religious ritual practices, therefore, I chose it too.

Ok, thought it feels !ike a cheat.

 

[Exaltist Ethan]

Rites of Passage - by their nature, these are not something that can be practiced regularly because they occur only once and at widely dispersed times in one's life often not of one's own choosing. I wanna hear more from @The Hammer who checked this one because I'm quite curious how that works, or if "rite of passage" is understood more broadly by them.

This is true, however, I was thinking about all the times I go to a Christian church and they take eucharist or communion. I get it that most people don't get baptized or go through religious confirmation twice, but there are some religions in particular that have several sacraments that start in the beginning of life and end at the end of it, between baptism at birth and the funeral after death.

Prayer/Worship/Meditation/Yoga - in simple terms, I pay attention to the gods/spirits and Nwyfre around me on a daily basis and often leverage focused states of awareness (aka, meditation) when doing so. Body movement can be a part of that, but not specifically yoga.

"Body movement" is not this and if you don't do any of which I specifically said, don't include it.

Going to service - I haven't been to a UU service in years and don't have much interest in it anymore when I do my own services. Does that count as "going to" service?

Nope! If you don't do it regularly, don't include it. I've been in and out of UU services for years and don't do it anymore either.

Celebrating religious holidays - I'm not sure if I consider something that doesn't happen at least weekly to be "regular basis" but went ahead and marked this because I do consistently do ritual for certain Lunar/Solar benchmarks.

Good call.

Tithing/Almsgiving - not really a thing in Druidry so didn't mark in the poll, but it's not uncommon to be of service with our labor or money to nonprofits whose mission aligns with our religious values.

I'm thinking maybe I should have called it, "donating" but I think most people here know what I'm talking about. If you regularly donate money to a religious charitable cause, I think it's worth checking this one off. It doesn't sound like you do this as if it's a ritual though, even if it's not uncommon.

Practicing spellcraft/divination/energy work - just rephrasing this a bit to make more sense to my brain. In many respects its actually kinda hard to differentiate this from other worship and holiday stuff because it's inherently interwoven in it.

This makes sense from a Druid-type perspective. And yeah, "magic" is a broad term that can mean many things. It's fine that you labelled it other things and yes, I would include that as part of your ritual practice, even if it's interwoven into many of your other practices.

 

[Ashoka]

I try to pray and perform puja (worship, ritual) daily. It's been difficult lately, but luckily God is understanding.

I do daily yoga and meditation in the morning before work, mostly chanting Om Namah Shivayah or the Hare Krishna mantra

Some of my favorite holidays from Hinduism: Vasant Panchami, Holi, Diwali, Onam.

I fast on what are called Ekadashi's from grains. I also observe Pradosham Vrats (fasts) in honor of Shiva.

Magic? I still practice some sort of magic and divination. I read tarot, I believe in the power of crystals and herbs.

 

[Quintessence]

"Body movement" is not this and if you don't do any of which I specifically said, don't include it.

To clarify, I use the term "body movement" because I have no other term to use. The tradition I practice teaches use of body posture and movement as an important component of ritual practice, but it is not given some fancy special name. In many regards, it has a greater resemblance to traditional yoga than western yoga, if anything.

 

[Twilight Hue]

My ritual is no ritual. I live my religion rather than take it off and on the shelf.

 

[metis]

Rituals can open the door for greater spirituality but shouldn't be an end in and of themselves, imo.

 

[mangalavara]

Please, answer the poll as honestly as you can, and discuss with the community here which ones you chose and why.

Prayer/Worship: Worship in my case is mostly mental and verbal. I do worship because sometimes I have a devotional mood, and worship purifies me internally.

Meditation/Yoga: For more than two months so far, I have been doing 20-minute sessions of meditation every single day. The meditation that I do is mentioned in the Upanishads. I do meditation because I believe the Supreme Self can be experienced in that activity.

Fasting: So far, I have been fasting every Monday for more than two months. Beginning at sunrise and ending at night, I consume only liquids. I do this fast, which is mentioned in the Śiva Purana, because Monday (Somavāra in Sanskrit) is associated with Śiva. In the end, it is a form of devotion to him.

Modest clothing: I dress simple but in a dignified way. I feel that it is important to express self-respect with a dignified manner of dress, and I feel that fancy clothing would promote in me a worldly instead of spiritual mindset.

 

[Viker]

Rites of passage as I am part of an initiatory tradition. I'm theistic (polytheistic) so prayer/worship/veneration are a part. Meditation and even yoga are very helpful. I celebrate holidays and special events. And, of course, practicing magic or witchcraft are most definitely part of the deal.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

The pitiful 8.3% showing achieved by Tithing/Almsgiving speaks volumes, and it's a pretty depressing soliloquy.

 

[VoidCat]

The pitiful 8.3% showing achieved by Tithing/Almsgiving speaks volumes, and it's a pretty depressing soliloquy.

I didnt know what almsgiving meant but tithing aint a thing in my branch of paganism