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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 9:41 am
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:08 am
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:35 am
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:47 am
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:48 am
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 4:11 pm
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 5:17 pm
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 7:16 pm
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Quote: icon_arrow.gif What was your religion before you chose to walk a Neopagan or alternative religious path? Roman Catholic. I was actually going through Confirmation classes at the same time I started studying what I now know as eclectic paganism.
Quote: icon_arrow.gif How do you reconcile with your previous religion? How do you feel towards it? Now? I quite like the feel of Catholicism at its best, like Romuel. At its worse, its Scholastic. So its hit or miss.
Quote: icon_arrow.gif What similarities, if any, can you see between what your old religious practice was and what your new one is? The pomp of ritual. Until I started studying Hellenic Ritual (I had to know what it was) I didn't appreciate the beauty of the Catholic Ritual. There are some similarities, but then -- thats where the Catholics got it from.
And of course, the love of scholarship. I may not write papers, but I love doing research and reading other peoples papers. Things well-loved in both religious areas.
But in most ways, where it matters, there's a lot different. The main reason Catholicism and I broke up was because at my heart, I know that humankind does not need nor require salvation.
One thing I have always wanted to bring from Catholicism is a monastic ideal --living simply and with intent. I was at a monastary not too long ago (my brother is studying to be a Priest) and it was one of the most calming places I've ever been. If I could get myself into a pattern like that, it would be amazing.
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 7:05 am
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 7:22 am
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 9:45 am
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 12:40 pm
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 2:16 pm
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 3:09 pm
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What was your religion before you chose to walk a Neopagan or alternative religious path? I was Episcopalian. After awhile, I decided that I couldn't hold with several Christian ideals (which were required to be Christian). I didn't like the whole jealous God concept, either, or the fact that Christians have a 50-50 shot at either eternal happiness or eternal suffering (In my opinion, the former's almost as bad as the latter). Reincarnation fits my belief system better. Anyway, I became agnostic for awhile. I still believed in YHWH, but had no real interest in worshipping Him. I started getting into "neopaganny stuff," and here I am today. As of right now, I have no formal religion, seeing as how I still don't have anything to worship. I have a kinda weird philosophy going around in my head, but that's about it for now.
How do you reconcile with your previous religion? How do you feel towards it? No problems with Christians (except Jehovah's Witnesses, I can't stand proselytizers). Like I said, still believe in YHWH, don't believe everything he says, don't want to worship Him.
What similarities, if any, can you see between what your old religious practice was and what your new one is? Err... none, really. XD
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Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 3:46 pm
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What was your religion before you chose to walk a Neopagan or alternative religious path? technically, it was general christianity, but i never came from a practicing family. rather non-religious. i'd say agnostic leaning toward christianity, if anything at all.
How do you reconcile with your previous religion? How do you feel towards it? well, considering i didn't really have much of a religion, there really wasn't anything to reconcile with. traditions, yeah, but i still do those (still living with family). i never felt a real connection to the christian God (YHWH, i believe it's called; we've always just said God, but meh), so i didn't feel any kind of obligation to be like "hey, its just not working out. its not you, its me" you know? i just never gave much thought to it, i guess.
as far as how do i feel towards christianity....meh. i don't think that the bible can be taken as the word of god simply because errarum humanum est (to err is human), and thus its just completely possible that (in addition to the multiple translations) the message got skewed. i'd say i believe the idea is there (you know, convert the heathens, worship god, dont kill people a lot) but i don't think much of the bible can be taken literally. i feel like quite a few christians realize this and/or are quiet in their faith, so...more power to em.
What similarities, if any, can you see between what your old religious practice was and what your new one is? well, as opposed to many christians, when i think of christianity, i do not think of heaven, god, etc. its a faith, not an order, not an obligation. in that aspect, its similar. i think moral-wise, its probably very similar (shouldnt kill a lot of people, shouldnt steal, embrace oneself and others, etc). really...the only way i can find similarities between my faith and christianity is by taking the strict adhereance to the bible out. it's more of a "the moral of the story is" similarity....might be stretching it and/or just my own values playing into my current faith.
but bible wise...my current faith is pretty different than christianity (one major different is mine is matriarchal rather than patriarchal, but not to extremity).
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