So technically, how many religions have you been in your life?

[Rainbow Mage]

A list will suffice, or give details if you like, if you don't mind sharing.

I guess I'll start:

I was born into an Episcopalian (US Anglican) household and was baptized at 8 days old and raised as a liberal, thinking Christian. At about age 15-17 I had my bout with Atheism, and said I didn't believe in God for awhile. That was just a rebellous phase, and at 17 I returned to the Episcopal Church. I began practicing Christian Mysticism, in which I melded Gnosticism with my Christianity. By the age of 19 I was no longer convinced of all Christianity's claims and converted to Islam, in which I became a Shi'ite, and was so for two years. I never felt Islam was quite right for me, so I decided to become a Buddhist, since I'd always respected the Buddha as a teacher. Buddhism shaped my life in a major way, and I am very much a changed individual because of it. At 22 I became interested in the Kemetic religion, and felt a draw to certain Kemetic deities, especially Heru-sa-Aset. I wasn't ready to join Kemetic Orthodoxy at that time, so I continued in my Buddhism, and for a short while was something of an Agnostic Deist, who wasn't quite sure what I believed about God. At 23 I considered Kemetic Orthodoxy again and asked the gods of Egypt if they were real, to show me they were. I had several dreams and experiences in which the Egyptian gods started to come into my life, so I became Kemetic Orthodox at 23. I practiced KO and Buddhism together for a time, but stepped back from Buddhism for about a year. I felt something was lacking in my life, so I picked it back up. Here I am 24, soon to be 25, and have come from Christianity to where I am now. It's been quite a journey.

Anyone else dabbled with a bunch of religions before coming to their current choice? I'd be interested to hear.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I've been a non-denominatinal fundamentalist Christian since I accepted Christ about 20 years ago. Before that I was self-indulgent.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

So Sandy does self-indulgent have a definition? A religion behind it?

 

[xkatz]

I have been Jewish all my life, but I have tried to be Sikh and Buddhist before, to no avail.

 

[tumbleweed41]

1. Conservative/Southern Baptist Christian
2. Agnostic
3. Deist

 

[sandy whitelinger]

So Sandy does self-indulgent have a definition? A religion behind it?

Pentacostal?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

"I believe in the Church of Baseball. I've tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones. I've worshipped Buddha, Allah, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva, trees, mushrooms, and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I heard that, I gave Jesus a chance. But it just didn't work out between us. The Lord laid too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics to theology. You see, there's no guilt in baseball, and it's never boring... which makes it like sex. There's never been a ballplayer slept with me who didn't have the best year of his career. Making love is like hitting a baseball: you just gotta relax and concentrate. Besides, I'd never sleep with a player hitting under .250... not unless he had a lot of RBIs and was a great glove man up the middle. You see, there's a certain amount of life wisdom I give these boys. I can expand their minds. Sometimes when I've got a ballplayer alone, I'll just read Emily Dickinson or Walt Whitman to him, and the guys are so sweet, they always stay and listen. 'Course, a guy'll listen to anything if he thinks it's foreplay. I make them feel confident, and they make me feel safe, and pretty. 'Course, what I give them lasts a lifetime; what they give me lasts 142 games. Sometimes it seems like a bad trade. But bad trades are part of baseball - now who can forget Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas, for God's sake? It's a long season and you gotta trust. I've tried 'em all, I really have, and the only church that truly feeds the soul, day in, day out, is the Church of Baseball." Opening narration of "Bull Durham"

 

[emptybe]

Oh dang let's see here.. I was born into a non-denominational protestant family but we usually went to baptist churches. I was on forums trying to debate AGAINST Roman Catholicism and found that as I was studying the Catechism it had much more logic in it. But instead of making the full conversion to RC I instead went to Anglican because my family was so anti-Catholic.

After looking at the history though I wanted a much more traditional church with clear apostolic tradition. So naturally I went Eastern Orthodox. But after a while it all just seemed ridiculous. I tried for all those years to avoid leaving Christ but it was inevitable if I was to use ANY of my God given reason.

So after that I jumped around between gnosticism, hermeticism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Asatru, etc. If it's moderately known I've studied it in some form or another and have taken what is logical. Right now I believe the 7 hermetic principles in the Kabalion, the 9 noble virtues of Asatru, the 8-fold path and 4 noble truths of Buddhism, among other things. I'm still searching and never quite satisfied with what I find.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Oh dang let's see here.. I was born into a non-denominational protestant family but we usually went to baptist churches. I was on forums trying to debate AGAINST Roman Catholicism and found that as I was studying the Catechism it had much more logic in it. But instead of making the full conversion to RC I instead went to Anglican because my family was so anti-Catholic.

After looking at the history though I wanted a much more traditional church with clear apostolic tradition. So naturally I went Eastern Orthodox. But after a while it all just seemed ridiculous. I tried for all those years to avoid leaving Christ but it was inevitable if I was to use ANY of my God given reason.

So after that I jumped around between gnosticism, hermeticism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Asatru, etc. If it's moderately known I've studied it in some form or another and have taken what is logical. Right now I believe the 7 hermetic principles in the Kabalion, the 9 noble virtues of Asatru, the 8-fold path and 4 noble truths of Buddhism, among other things. I'm still searching and never quite satisfied with what I find.

Wow, you've had quite the journey yourself.

 

[Breathe]

Born to parents who are religious in name only - and different religions.

Briefly very briefly flirted with Paganism for a while, but didn't get into it or join it - even if I do kind of observe the holidays, magic and I keep away from each other. I don't feel I need to go messing in magical things, for example.
Practised Buddhism during my teenage years - loved it
Tried Christianity for a short while, but it didn't work out - it's just not for me, at all, no matter how much I admire Jesus' teachings.
Sought for a while, especially into Sikhism and Hinduism
Started following Hinduism, in which I still feel new


None of these have truly left me, though, and I'm still adding more to them as I go along.

For example, I believe in and follow the practices of Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths, Three Marks of Existence, Noble Eightfold Path, Five Noble Precepts. The 9 virtues of Ásatrú, the Ten (although for me, nine. I want liberation before others ) Precepts of Taoism, the equality of the Sikhs, and so on, Jesus' command to love God and your neighbour, etc. Overall I'm just a very syncretic person.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I tried being an atheist but they don't have any holidays.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I've attended a few churches and read various scriptures (both Christian and not) with the intent of seeing whether they might be for me, but I've never been a member of any religion or actually accepted their tenets.

When I was little, if someone asked me what religion I was, I'd usually say "Baptist", but that was only because I had the notion that everyone was supposed to have some sort of religion, and my grandmother's Baptist church was the only one I went to with any sort of regularity, and even that was only a few times a year.

 

[BucephalusBB]

I tried being an atheist but they don't have any holidays.

I discovered that it is fairly easy to steal other holidays

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I tried being an atheist but they don't have any holidays.

This church takes atheists and they make every Friday a holiday:

SubSite - Start

 

[Rainbow Mage]

None of these have truly left me, though, and I'm still adding more to them as I go along.

For example, I believe in and follow the practices of Buddhism: The Four Noble Truths, Three Marks of Existence, Noble Eightfold Path, Five Noble Precepts. The 9 virtues of Ásatrú, the Ten (although for me, nine. I want liberation before others ) Precepts of Taoism, the equality of the Sikhs, and so on, Jesus' command to love God and your neighbour, etc. Overall I'm just a very syncretic person.

That's how I feel too. When I say Kemetic and Buddhist, I just mean those are my primary ones.

 

[Breathe]

Awesome.

 

[Jacksnyte]

Southern Baptist
Wiccan
Ceremonial magician
Satanist
Hindu studies
Buddhist studies
Gnostic studies
Chaos magician
Taoist studies
Discordian
Kemetic Orthodox
Shaivite studies
Demonolator
Afro-carribean studies

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Let's see if I can share some of the things I got from my other religions that are still with me. For Christianity it's definitely the love unconditionally and always forgive thing, because I first learned those things from Christianity. From Islam it was purity, like water ablutions before prayer, which is considered important to Kemetics too actually. From Gnosticism it was a mystic mindset before I ever encountered Buddhism. In fact in a way I feel Gnosticism led me to Buddhism.

 

[Rainbow Mage]

Southern Baptist
Wiccan
Ceremonial magician
Satanist
Hindu studies
Buddhist studies
Gnostic studies
Chaos magician
Taoist studies
Discordian
Kemetic Orthodox
Shaivite studies
Demonolator
Afro-carribean studies

Awesome

 

[Revoltingest]

Zero.