Religions.

[Jade-Dagr]

My family is a mix of catholic, laveyan, atheist, agnostic, and pagan. We fight a lot during the holidays.

I think it's important to always be a thinker, and not blindly follow. Choose whatever religion is the most reasonable and beautiful to you, don't follow a religion just because you're too afraid to say no. (Also, don't hurt people. wink )
edit: this was advice to people who feel bad for being chrisitan and goth, obviously it's not essential to be religious.  

[Shadow__Dweller]

I have a question for everyone with a religious belief...why is it that you follow your particular religion? Does it give you comfort? Is it something you were just brought up with and so believe in it?

I don't get any comfort from religion at all...but I am a firm believer in astrology and that gives me alot of comfort. I dunno how I'd cope without it.  

[Angel of the End]

Shadow__Dweller

I have a question for everyone with a religious belief...why is it that you follow your particular religion? Does it give you comfort? Is it something you were just brought up with and so believe in it?

I don't get any comfort from religion at all...but I am a firm believer in astrology and that gives me alot of comfort. I dunno how I'd cope without it.

It is a set of beliefs, just like astrology is a set of beliefs, when you think about it. There is no difference, honestly. Beliefs are beliefs. I believe due to scientific and personal evidence and conviction, and I disagree with other people sharing my religion on different things. This goes with all religions, politics, and ext.

Example: I agree with, have researched, and thus follow the Libertarian party. However, I do not agree with them on everything. I still have my own personal beliefs which I came to on my own terms, although they fall into the category of Libertarianisim and thus I am a Libertarian.

It does not matter what category you fall into, because ultimately, we all do have our own personal beliefs. Just because some are recognized by mainstream society does not make them any less valid, or the people any less diverse or different in nature (And trust me, a lot of Christians are as different as oil and water from each other... or more like oil and a rock, yeah, that sounds a bit more accurate. A few basic core beliefs we share, in Christ, are what bind us together and cause us to all fall under the same catagory. Just like muslims (either sect), atheists <-- yes, their diversity is nearly as much as there is in the Church, or paganisim).

I hate to say it, beliefs are religion. Nothing is new under the sun, if there is a title to it, then it is what it is.

I hope that helps.

And Jade-Dagr, I do agree with you.  

[Angel of the End]

Also, honestly.... I have so many reasons, it would take me hours and hours to type them all out. As for my life and how that contributed? That is complicated, and rather personal... Does it comfort me? It gives me internal peace, however, believing what I believe, to love God more than myself and to love every neighbor as I love myself (And God loves them more than he loves himself), goes against every single fiber of my lower nature, but there is always this grace tha you can ask for that will help you through. I don't believe in it because I was brought up with it, if anything, I'm nearly the opposite of everything I was brought up liking and being surrounded by actually XD

Anyways, I am always willing to discuss these things with you, that would be interesting 3nodding I do believe in the arrangements of the stars.... however, I just pay more attention the the one who made them and give Him the glory for all of their wonders and beauties. I am very respectful of nature.  

[Shadow__Dweller]

I have respect for people who are religious, but one thing that prevents me from believing is that everyone seems to have their own way of interpreting "the rules" of each religion, and I don't just mean the different sects...each person chooses which parts of the religion to believe and which to not..well, how can you follow a religion if you pick and choose? I'm not saying any of you guys do this, but I find it hard to believe in religion when everyone interprets it their own way anyway. How can you believe those guys who wrote your religion's particular holy book?
These are just questions, by the way..I mean no offense to anyone and I'm just curious.

as for astrology, plenty of people would regard it as stupid and they don't take me seriously when I say I believe in it. It's the equivalent of religion for me. People get their judgements about astrology from newspapers and magazines, and those cheesy, crappy horoscopes are done by people who don't really believe what they;re doing and they just tell you what you want to hear. Proper astrologers, like Jonathan Cainer for instance, really know what they are talking about. I believe in it because my horoscopes are usually always right. People find it hard to believe in because they see the universe in a scientific way...but when I've read my own natal charts and considered how those planets make me the person I am I find it very difficult to not believe in astrology. I see things in my life happening all the time because of how the stars are positioned. And alot of ancient cultures believed in it, and modern people always dismiss their beliefs as ignorant...the western world doesn't believe in many gods anymore..science has explained things where people believed in gods...but that doesn't mean that we should dismiss their ideas about astrology either.  

[Jade-Dagr]

I like the ancient cultures part there, it's like how some cultures had effective herbal remedies that western medical care likes to ignore. Very cool. I personally have never experienced astrology outside of the cheesy newspaper horoscopes, so I never even knew about things like that.  

[Shadow__Dweller]

Jade-Dagr

I like the ancient cultures part there, it's like how some cultures had effective herbal remedies that western medical care likes to ignore. Very cool. I personally have never experienced astrology outside of the cheesy newspaper horoscopes, so I never even knew about things like that.

try a few of these websites, they might give you some of an insight:
http://www.cainer.com/
http://boothstars.com/
http://www.madalynaslan.com/horoscope_weekly

only if you're interested, that is.  

[Jade-Dagr]

So after reading that I was thinking "Even for skeptics, just reading the horoscopes would change your mindset and make you inspired to accomplish your goals". I think some of mine even had advice on how to react to things.  

[Shadow__Dweller]

Jade-Dagr

So after reading that I was thinking "Even for skeptics, just reading the horoscopes would change your mindset and make you inspired to accomplish your goals". I think some of mine even had advice on how to react to things.

horoscopes don't really predict the future but they can give advice for how to react to what is happening in your life. Certain planets and the way they align to other planets create different affects in our lives, and an astrology can tell you those affects and how long they will last.