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WHEN & HOW
- Thread starter NZboy
- Start date
Green Gaia
Veteran Member
It was about 5 or 6 years ago, (it seems longer), that I began searching for a spiritial home and along the journey I learned of Unitarian Universalism and decided almost right away that was where I belonged and thought of myself as a UU. I was like coming home. Becoming an official member of a UU church took a little longer, though.
Bishka
Veteran Member
I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was 8 1/2 years old, as tradition if the rest of your family is LDS, but I didn't truly find that it was my 'path' until I was about 17 or 18.
I decided while in my sophmore year, I think, to try other faiths to see what they had to offer because I decided I was sick of mine.
I finally decided this path was for me when I went on a Pioneer Trek, it helped me see what the pioneers went through and they went through it for their faith, and i thought, pondered and prayed a lot of that trek, that really brought me to what I believe now.
I decided while in my sophmore year, I think, to try other faiths to see what they had to offer because I decided I was sick of mine.
I finally decided this path was for me when I went on a Pioneer Trek, it helped me see what the pioneers went through and they went through it for their faith, and i thought, pondered and prayed a lot of that trek, that really brought me to what I believe now.
Aqualung
Tasty
I joined the Church a couple months ago because I, a fairly good anti-mormon, got into a debate with a mormon and he, unlike a lot of the people who perceived me as being hostile, actually took the time to answer my questions. He proved me wrong in my thinking, so I had no other recourse but to join.
Jaymes
The cake is a lie
I first learned about Taoism 6 months ago, give or take. At the time I was trying to figure out just what I believed. I had been a Christian until I was 16. I turned to paganism, but it seemed like too much of the same things I had issue with (afterlife, gods, etc) under a more tolerant set of codes. Reading what Master Vigil had to say about it prompted me to read more about it myself, and I found myself agreeing with just about every word of the Tao Te Ching.
I still think it's a little egotistical for me to call myself a Taoist, since I still have so much to learn, but it's what I consider myself.
I still think it's a little egotistical for me to call myself a Taoist, since I still have so much to learn, but it's what I consider myself.
Skavau
Member
Been non-religious all of my life and in 2004 (only last year), I took a deep sudden interest in philosophy, and hey - it's still here now! I changed from someone who had no religious/non-religious affliation to someone who is now an Agnostic Realist. My religious story isn't really that interesting, to be honest.
NZboy
New Member
Skavau: could you explain to me more about what being an agnostic realist actually entails? my story is the same as yous only i have been primarily reading the teachings of buddha
Also to aqualung and becky: i live about 2 mins away from a church of latter day saints so i get the guys going door to door all the time, and most people kinda talk for a minute then kick them out but im probably the only one around here that really get into it, but 90% of what we discuss is not about religion. if it wasnt for buddhism i would probably be a mormon.
Also to aqualung and becky: i live about 2 mins away from a church of latter day saints so i get the guys going door to door all the time, and most people kinda talk for a minute then kick them out but im probably the only one around here that really get into it, but 90% of what we discuss is not about religion. if it wasnt for buddhism i would probably be a mormon.
Bishka
Veteran Member
NZboy said:Skavau: could you explain to me more about what being an agnostic realist actually entails? my story is the same as yous only i have been primarily reading the teachings of buddha
Also to aqualung and becky: i live about 2 mins away from a church of latter day saints so i get the guys going door to door all the time, and most people kinda talk for a minute then kick them out but im probably the only one around here that really get into it, but 90% of what we discuss is not about religion. if it wasnt for buddhism i would probably be a mormon.
Well if it wasn't for Mormonism, I'd probably be a Buddhist.
Skavau
Member
Well, I've effectively warped an atheistic ideology based on Reality. The Ideology relies on this (from an ethical viewpoint):
"We are One Planet - we are all here together - and we are committed to making the future better than it is today."
It's essentially about the exploration of reality and the search for what is truely real in the objective sense. Realism is a doubt based philosophy with a huge amount of ethical and philosophical documents behind it. The Philosophy of Realism relies on the "Tree of Knowledge", which is known as the collective understanding of all human knowledge. It is a metaphorical idea built up to represent the sum total of all human understanding and in line with my previous quote, it seeks to build up this total amount of human understanding and grow the seed of the Tree of Knowledge even further.It goes as far as saying that humanity as a whole is defined by this tree of knowledge.
Adding with this idea even further, Realism has it's own moralistic guidelines and objectives for all those who choose to follow them. There is the Sacred Principles and the Sacred Choices. The Sacred Principles is the ethical foundation of the Church of Reality, and these principles are designed to help benefit humanity both intelligently and knowledgably.
You have then got the Sacred Choices, which is essentially what a Realist should follow and believe in and finally there are the Sacred Goals which points out the objective aims of a Realist. There's more information on here:
www.churchofreality.org
I don't want to say too much more, we're getting off topic.
Master Vigil
Well-Known Member
Well let's see. This could take all day. But I'll try to break it down as much as possible. Here goes.
Born, baptized, confirmed, etc... catholic.
Started working with the spirits when I was about 9 or 10.
Wanted to become a Franciscan Friar.
Was not accepted because of my "spiritual insight."
Started questioning catholicism shortly thereafter.
Started studying Taoism, Shinto, Buddhism, Zen, Animism, Shamanism, etc...
Decided Taoism best fit my learning from the spirits.
Decided though that Taoism didn't completely cover everything.
So I started putting together my teachings from the spirits and Taoism, plus my teachings of the martial arts and zen, and called it Spiritual Vigilance.
Now I consider myself a Vigil.
I have begun teaching this way of understanding the spirit world with a meditative exercise called Pulsus, and therefore am a Master Vigil.
I now have 3 students that have achieved the level of Junior Vigil and am very proud of their progress and their understanding of the spirit world.
That's it in a very small nutshell.
But I'll try to break it down as much as possible. Here goes.Born, baptized, confirmed, etc... catholic.
Started working with the spirits when I was about 9 or 10.
Wanted to become a Franciscan Friar.
Was not accepted because of my "spiritual insight."
Started questioning catholicism shortly thereafter.
Started studying Taoism, Shinto, Buddhism, Zen, Animism, Shamanism, etc...
Decided Taoism best fit my learning from the spirits.
Decided though that Taoism didn't completely cover everything.
So I started putting together my teachings from the spirits and Taoism, plus my teachings of the martial arts and zen, and called it Spiritual Vigilance.
Now I consider myself a Vigil.
I have begun teaching this way of understanding the spirit world with a meditative exercise called Pulsus, and therefore am a Master Vigil.
I now have 3 students that have achieved the level of Junior Vigil and am very proud of their progress and their understanding of the spirit world.
That's it in a very small nutshell.
Feathers in Hair
World's Tallest Hobbit
Hehee, I'll borrow MV's approach!
Was born and baptized into the Christian faith.
At four, realized to do things that others didn't seem able to, or that frightened people. Decided to keep this quiet, but only after I made trouble for myself.
Grew up among almost all versions of the Christian faith- from the extremely conservative to the extremely liberal. Started seriously studying the faith at about 14.
Began to question faith at about 18, though continued in it. At 20, attended class on shamanism. My willingness to accept what I was able to do began to be restored.
Around 23, became upset with not being able to share my spirtual triumphs within my spiritual community. Started studying paganism as something more than 'I need something to read and this was handy at the library' and more as an approach to faith. It spoke to me on a very deep level. It took about two years before I was ready, on all levels, to dedicate myself to the religion, and I did so on my 25th birthday, a little more than a year ago.
Was born and baptized into the Christian faith.
At four, realized to do things that others didn't seem able to, or that frightened people. Decided to keep this quiet, but only after I made trouble for myself.
Grew up among almost all versions of the Christian faith- from the extremely conservative to the extremely liberal. Started seriously studying the faith at about 14.
Began to question faith at about 18, though continued in it. At 20, attended class on shamanism. My willingness to accept what I was able to do began to be restored.
Around 23, became upset with not being able to share my spirtual triumphs within my spiritual community. Started studying paganism as something more than 'I need something to read and this was handy at the library' and more as an approach to faith. It spoke to me on a very deep level. It took about two years before I was ready, on all levels, to dedicate myself to the religion, and I did so on my 25th birthday, a little more than a year ago.
The Black Whirlwind
Well-Known Member
Let me show you down into this wretched hive of scum and villainy
First, i started to play George Lucasa's greatest creation, Knights of the Old Republic, and RPG for Xbox, which initially made me a manslave to Star Wars
Two, i watched the movies (originals) repeatedly, and got interested in Jediism.
Three, I used The Google as a beacon on my path, and found the Jedi Realist Academy.
Four, took some classes, and i have been a practicing member since February of this year.
First, i started to play George Lucasa's greatest creation, Knights of the Old Republic, and RPG for Xbox, which initially made me a manslave to Star Wars
Two, i watched the movies (originals) repeatedly, and got interested in Jediism.
Three, I used The Google as a beacon on my path, and found the Jedi Realist Academy.
Four, took some classes, and i have been a practicing member since February of this year.
James the Persian
Dreptcredincios Crestin
I was brought up Lutheran, left that church at about 14 or so and started trying various religions out (lots of them, including, as my longest lasting flirtations, Wicca and Karma Kagyu Buddhism). I then became a sort of non-specific semi-Christian (liberal would probably be the term, I guess), went out to work in Romania for a Protestant charity, encountered Orthodoxy for the first time and began a long process of investigating the faith. I eneterd the catechumenate and some time later (about 4 years now) was Chrismated into the Orthodox Church.
James
James