Non-debating religious thread...let's learn!! :)

I thought it might be fun to learn a vit about the religions present here on Pet Talk. So here's a thread for just that! No criticizing anyone, but please talk about your religion and ask lots of questions!!

I'll start....I'm Pagan. I don't consider myself Wiccan, but I do consider myself a Witch. :)

I'm not really sure where to begin....Some of us work with literally hundreds of Gods and Goddesses, some work only with one Goddess, some work with one Goddess and one God. Notice I say "work with" not "worship". I do not worship any deity, but I will ask one or several for help when it is needed.

I personally tend to work with the Celtic Panthenon, which includes Danu and Dagda as the mother/father deities, as well as Brigid (goddess of healing), Morrigan (Goddess of War), Belenus (Sun god), Nuada (God of Valor) and many others.

There are eight Sabbats, or holidays:

Samhain is celebrated on Hallowe'en. It is a fall festival, a harvest festival, and a time to honor the dead.

Yule is in late December (Just before Christmas). It is a celebration of rebirth and renewal.

Imbolc (sometines called Candlemas) is in early February. It celebrates new growth, and the end of winter.

Ostara is the first day of spring. It celebrates, well...the coming of spring! (well, and fertility too, but that's not for me personally) The custom of giving eggs on this holiday dates WAY back before Christian times. :)

Beltane is May day. It celebrates the appearance of the mature horned God after being reborn on Yule, fertility, protection of animals and gardens, and love.

Midsummer is in June. Its main focus is love.

Lammas is in the first two days of August. It is a celebration of bounty, and the first harvest. It involves lots of sporting games, blessings, and payments of debts. (Physical or spiritual)

Last but not least is Mabon, near the end of September. Mabon means "Divine Youth". It is the second of the three harvest festivals (Samhain being the last).

I realize that I have WAY oversimplified, but I still feel like I've written a LOT. Please post any questions, and following this post up with pictures. :)

http://nasicus.ophiophobia.net/image...f/cauldron.jpg
This is my cauldron. I should have taken a size comparison shot...it's small enough to hold on the palm of my hand (though that's not very easy). It's probably about 5" across.

http://nasicus.ophiophobia.net/image...ragonknife.jpg
This is one of the knives I have used in ritual. It's not exactly a traditional style, but it feels comfortable to me. I don't use it anymore though, because pewter is not a good material to use in ritual. I still think it's beautiful though. :)

http://nasicus.ophiophobia.net/image.../knifeback.jpg
http://nasicus.ophiophobia.net/image...knifefront.jpg
This is the knife I currently use in ritual. My great grandfather found this while out hiking in my area. It's a very old stone knife. The tip may be broken off, but it's still beautiful and works for me very well.

http://nasicus.ophiophobia.net/image...f/pentacle.jpg
A fuzzy picture of my lovely Pentacle. It's about 1" across, and those are oak leaves around the outside and part of the star.

http://nasicus.ophiophobia.net/images/mystuff/wand.jpg
My GORGEOUS wand! This piece is my pride and joy....she's spectacular in my eyes. She was a gift from an old co-worker who usually sells the wands she makes. She made this one for me for my birthday a few years ago. Nobody but me has touched her since the day I got her. Unfortunately, she is still unnamed, but a name will come to me eventually. Just holding her gives me a rush of energy and makes me smile.

http://nasicus.ophiophobia.net/image...f/wandbase.jpg
A close-up of the base. I LOVE the spiralling knots.

http://nasicus.ophiophobia.net/image...f/wandhead.jpg
And her head. She really is gorgeous! *Sighs happily*

Yay, all done! :)

This is very interesting! One thing I wanted to ask, though, is you said you used knives in ritual.. I was wondering what ritual is? Is it like a form or prayer?

Thanks for sharing this :)

That's pretty much what Rituals are...I use them to ask deities for help (I try to dothis only rarely), to thank them for help recieved, or on sabbats as part of the celebration. :)

The knives are used (For me anyways) to "cut" a "door" in a circle of energy once it has been raised. The circle is like a "bubble" of energy...half above ground, and half below ground. Walking through it would mess up the energy, so the knife is used to "cut a door" if I need to leave the circle for any reason. I also use it when releasing the circle, but I don't know how common that is. ^_^

This will be an intresting thread ,we did something like it a while ago . I think it was to explain some Jewish holidays I think.
I have a hard time explaining my belifs as they are a combanation of many different belifs.

I'm LDS (aka mormon). I probably can't answer much question wise though as I haven't been to church in like 5 years...
I don't consider myself very religious at the moment, maybe it's just a 'stage' lol.

I have no Religion. I don't consider myself Athiest, or anything for that matter. I'm just Kay. :)

I don't necessarily have an opinion on how we became, or how life started, or how it's going to end. I take everyday how it is. We're here, and we'll never know what's going to happen to us after-death until we're there.

I've actually read the Bible before, many of times (not everything) since my family is Catholic. I have gone to Church, I have prayed before dinnertime.

I have friends of many beliefs and I enjoy hearing from each and everyone of them. I have no problem with that, and as I said I enjoy it - as long as other's beliefs don't step in front of other people's lives.


Spiritual things interest me alot, but I'd much rather just be Kay, and stay that way. ;)

I am a Protestant. Currently Methodist, but the denominations don't change a whole lot one to the next, other than in governance structure and minor details. Started life as Baptist - Northern Baptist, not Southern, in a little French Baptist church in a teeny part of a small town. My family became Methodist when I was 4, and I've pretty much stuck with it since.

I believe in God.

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Originally posted by WolfChan
I thought it might be fun to learn a vit about the religions present here on Pet Talk. So here's a thread for just that! No criticizing anyone, but please talk about your religion and ask lots of questions!!

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Do you perform magic? What kind if so? Does it work and can you tell us about something magical that happened? If you do magic - is it you or does a god help you? Is it good or white magic?

Why is your wand a "she" ? Is this usual? Would a man have a wand that was a "he"?

What do you call a man witch in your religion?

How are you different from Wiccan? That is the only "witch" I have heard of.

Do you dress differently to identify yourself?

Do you find that people are fearful of you? Are they curious? If fearful, is it better if you explain what you believe?

Do you have a group to meet together with? If so, is it regular like a service most people would be familiar with - that is - a Saturday or Sunday weekly service?

Do you believe in the Judeo-Christian God at all?

Do you believe in evolution?

Where will you go when you die? Do you believe in a heaven?

Are people basically good or bad in your religious belief?

Sorry so many questions!!!!
I also have TONS of LDS questions but guess I need an active and practicing LDS member to ask and who is not out to save my soul ;)

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Originally posted by sirrahbed

I also have TONS of LDS questions but guess I need an active and practicing LDS member to ask and who is not out to save my soul ;)

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I'm not out to save anyone's soul..well maybe my own haha. ;)

You can ask questions but no guaranteed answers. I will read and ponder..reply if I feel like it. ;) I know it's a religion that many people DISLIKE so I don't want this to turn into an anti-mormon thread.

I am a Christian - the particularly "brand" is Lutheran but that is not important. I believe God created the earth in 7 days even though it doesn't make sense but He can do anything. I believe He created man to be perfect but we messed up and that is called sin and we all do it. Since God is perfectly Loving but also perfectly Fair, he could not just "put up with it". So he had a plan to become man Himself and that is Jesus who was both God and man at the same time. The plan was for Jesus to die on the cross and that way He took all the punishment for the bad (sin) things we do, so God does not have to punish us, only love us and this is called grace. Jesus took all the anger we deserve when He was on that cross. He actually came back to life (ressurrection) after three days in a tomb and curiously, this has never been disproved as you might expect something so bizzaar to be dispelled. None of it makes sense, but it is all recorded in the Bible which I believe was inspired by the Holy Spirit which is also God in the third person of the trinity. In some mysterious way, when you read that Bible, that Holy Spirit enables you to belief all these hard to believe things and everything about life makes sense again. I believe this all and it makes me feel peace. I believe that the reason I am on earth is to love God, honor and serve Him - because He made me and I belong to Him and He loves me even though I am rotten. When I die, I will be taken back to Him in Heaven. I come from a non-believing home, but reading the Bible brought me to this faith and this is what I believe. Christians are not better than anyone else. In fact, some are much worse.

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Originally posted by wolf_Q
I'm not out to save anyone's soul..well maybe my own haha. ;)

You can ask questions but no guaranteed answers. I will read and ponder..reply if I feel like it. ;) I know it's a religion that many people DISLIKE so I don't want this to turn into an anti-mormon thread.

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I do not dislike the LDS in any way. In fact, I admire their zeal and the lives they lead. I wish Christians could be better models of family ideals and wholesome living. But I do have questions...

What is the purpose of sealing a marriage for eternity in the temple? Do the individuals believe they are still married after death and continue with sexual relations to produce souls for babies?

What is the purpose of the special underwear that are worn after a temple sealed marriage? What do they look like?

Why is water consumed at communion rather than wine? Does it not represent blood?

Was Jesus God's only Son or not?

Do LDS's believe they will some day be god's of their own planet?

Do my LDS friends pray for my soul and research my anchestors in their geneology work? Is this required?

What is a "Jack Mormon"? Is it a Mormon who has left the church??

Why do LDS members cross their arms in prayer? Is this significant?

Can a woman get to heaven without being married to a mormon and sealed in a temple? What happens to her?? Isheaven the same as the planets?
Thanks!!

I think this is a great idea for a thread--very interesting.
I love to hear about things that I am not familiar with.

Personally, I was raised Catholic, but I haven't been to church in years. My husband was raised Lutheran, but hasn't been to church in a while either. We were married by his uncle, a Lutheran minister, but not in a church.

I have a hard time with Catholicism for a lot of reasons, but the main one is my mother. She is the most hypocrytical person I have ever met, yet considers herself to be the perfect Catholic. She puts on all of the airs (going to church, reading at church, donating $$$ to the church, and so on), but doesn't practice this in her life. Just for one example, I thought Christians were supposed to love everyone and treat everyone as they would like to be treated--not in my mother's eyes--if someone isn't exactly like her--they are going to hell, because their soul is not protected.

Anyway, I would love to hear more about everyone else.

I was raised as a presbyterian in the church of scotland, but I have dathered at another religion mentioned here when I was in my teens, however I practice no particular faith and have no religion, but I do believe there is something , a higher power, but that is about it.

I just wanted to mention that I think this is a GREAT subject for a thread! :D


"*5 Stars*"

Do you perform magic? What kind if so? Does it work and can you tell us about something magical that happened? If you do magic - is it you or does a god help you? Is it good or white magic?
I use magick every day. If you mean casting a spell towards a specific goal...Only very rarely. I'm not really sure what you mean by what kind of magick. Magick is not good or bad, black or white, it simply is. It's a tool, and it can be used for good or bad purposes. However, one of the most important rules to remember is the rule of three "What thou gives out comes back to thee", which means that the energy you send out comes back to you threefold. It's essentially Karma...you do nice things, good things happen. You do bad things, bad things end up happening to you.

The magick that I use every day can be as simple as sending well-wishes to a good friend, or channeling soothing energy to my abdomen to relieve cramps. (This came in VERY handy in class today! :( ) The more complex things I do are usually asking for help solving a personal problem, or asking for help for a (consenting) friend. I wouldn't cast a spell for someone who hadn't consented, because I would be insulted if someone did something like that to me.

Magick can either be just me - channeling energy towards a goal, or it can be me with the help of a deity, if I ask. (If you ask for help, you do need to thank the deity once they have helped you! Something magickal that has happened...well...*Thinks* Ah!

A few weeks ago, one of my friends got in some serious trouble at work. His business credit card had been stolen....his card issued by the military!! NOT GOOD. Someone had been charging thousands of dollars to it. I asked Goddess (Danu from the Celtic panthenon) to help him find the person, FAST, so that he didn't get kicked out of the military and put in prison. I don't think I've ever put that much energy into anything. First thing the next morning, I woke up to my phone getting a text message. He had looked at the charges, realized that one was in Florida, during the time when his roommate was in Florida. He's gathering evidence for a court case now, and things are working in his favor. I'm STILL really relieved just thinking about it.

Why is your wand a "she" ? Is this usual? Would a man have a wand that was a "he"?
It's pretty common for certain tools (Wands and brooms specifically come to mind) to have names, and to an extent, personalities. They can be male or female, and the gender of the Witch using it doesn't affect it. My want just struck me as a "she"....and I think it's at least partially because the woman who made her for me works exclusively with the Egyptian Goddess Bastet. (The Goddess of cats, and protection from evil) I think she was simply made with a lot of feminine energy, as opposed to a wand made by someone who works with a Goddess/God pair.

What do you call a man witch in your religion?
Simply that, a male Witch. the word "Warlock" means "Oath-breaker", and we wouldn't want to imply that all of our male Witches had broken their oath to their deities(or deity). :)

How are you different from Wiccan? That is the only "witch" I have heard of.
I really don't know what to consider myself. There are many sects of Wicca, and most of them seem to revolve around working with a group. I know that there IS a circle in my area, but I lost touch with them awhile ago...and I never did get a chance to meet with them. I just didn't feel like I "clicked". Right now I prefer to work alone. There are also Druids, as well as other sects that practice Witchcraft.

Do you dress differently to identify yourself?
I don't tend to, aside from wearing my pentacle around. I've never seen a Witch dressed in a way that immediately identified him/herself, mostly because we still get a lot of persecution in this day and age. :(

Do you find that people are fearful of you? Are they curious? If fearful, is it better if you explain what you believe?
Sometimes people are afraid of me...usually because they know nothing about Witchcraft. It's very hard to explain the concept to someone who has "Hocus Pocus, I'll curse you!" stuck in their heads. I find it extremely disrespectful when people jokingly say "oooh, you gonna cast a spell on me?" If someone is curious, or afraid and willing to listen, I explain as best I can what the religion and the practices involve. Hopefully I've alleviated a few worried minds!

Do you have a group to meet together with? If so, is it regular like a service most people would be familiar with - that is - a Saturday or Sunday weekly service?
A lot of people meet with "circles" or "Covens", with a circle usually being a group of friends who het together on holidays and/or whenever they want and talk, exchange tools/ideas, or practice ritual/spellcasting. A Coven is usually amore formal environment, often organized and run by a High Priestess and High Priest. I don't know much about the inner workings of a Coven, unfortunately.

Do you believe in the Judeo-Christian God at all?
I don't, but I know there are some who do.

Do you believe in evolution?
I certainly do! As far as I know, most pagans do, but I'm not sure.

Where will you go when you die? Do you believe in a heaven?
We believe in reincarnation. After a person's life, their spirit, soul, whatever, goes to Summerland, a place of rest and rejuvenation, for as long as they need before they are ready for another life. (Perhaps they need to wait for a loved one, or had a horrible life to recover from)

Are people basically good or bad in your religious belief?
People just innately are. Every person knows right from wrong, it's up to the individual how they turn out. :)

Don't worry, I love answering serious questions! :)

I'm also going to add that I DO celebrate with my family on their holidays, but without any Christian religious elements. I don't expect them to participate in my holidays, but I do expect them not to stop me from practicing them. YAY for two sets of holidays!! *Chuckles*

One more thing!! The only real "law" or "commandment" to be followed is this: "An' ye harm none, do what ye will". This means that you can live your life how you choose, make your own decisions, but do not harm anyone, yourself included, in the process.

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Originally posted by sirrahbed
I do not dislike the LDS in any way. In fact, I admire their zeal and the lives they lead. I wish Christians could be better models of family ideals and wholesome living. But I do have questions...

What is the purpose of sealing a marriage for eternity in the temple? Do the individuals believe they are still married after death and continue with sexual relations to produce souls for babies? Yes you would still be married and together after death. I've never heard anything concerning "sexual relations" in heaven...

What is the purpose of the special underwear that are worn after a temple sealed marriage? What do they look like? I know what they look like but I don't think it's something I am supposed to talk about, they are considered sacred. I don't really know much about them as I haven't been through any temple sessions or anything.

Why is water consumed at communion rather than wine? Does it not represent blood? Consuming alcohol is against the Word of Wisdom. Thats about all I can tell you on that.

Was Jesus God's only Son or not? Yes and no..he's God's only begotten son in the flesh but we are all considered sons and daughters of God.

Do LDS's believe they will some day be god's of their own planet? I can answer yes to that in a degree but I don't know enough about that to fully answer it.

Do my LDS friends pray for my soul and research my anchestors in their geneology work? Is this required? I don't know? I know many people are involved in geneology work..it's not like required to be a member.

What is a "Jack Mormon"? Is it a Mormon who has left the church?? I *think* it's somebody like me..not absolutely sure...kinda like an inactive member.

Why do LDS members cross their arms in prayer? Is this significant? I think just in reverence to God, I'm not aware of any specific significance.

Can a woman get to heaven without being married to a mormon and sealed in a temple? What happens to her?? Isheaven the same as the planets? People who have already passed on are in the Spirit World which is a place of learning and preparation. They will not be in heaven until the resurrection. People who were not married here on earth have opportunities there. That's about all I know on that.
Thanks!!

Sorry I'm not much help, I'm not really qualified to answer religion questions lol.

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I'm technically Catholic. I was baptized in a Catholic church, had my first communion, and went to CCD for five years. (A sort of 'program' to learn more about the religion, and what you have to take in order to have your first communion.) I could honestly say, that I forgot *most* of what I learned. :o

I don't consider myself an athiest; I do believe in a God, but I don't agree with what the religon teaches.

I have a question for Christians- Is it true that you have to be 'saved' in order to enter heaven? if so, could you explain a little bit about that, please? Just wondering. :)

All the information about Paganism is absolutely fascinating. I also met and briefly dated a Mormon, and, absolutely was mesmerized by his beliefs. He is one of the most amazing genuine people I have ever known. :) He's the reason I have learned to at least accept other religions and/or beliefs. I guess I'm agnostic? I think that's what it is when you're undecided. Someone correct me, if that's not right. :) I don't consider myself lost, necessarily, but, definitely unsure about what I believe in. Sometimes, the idea of an all encompassing deity is overwhelming to me. I've always been probably most interested in Buddhism. I know nothing about it, though, so, if there's anyone here that cares to educate me, I'm all ears. :) If someone can be as open and full of info as Wolfchan, that would be awesome. I do like what you said, Wolfchan, about the karma thing, and, about not harming yourself and others. How does the Pagan religion look at premarital sex, drinking, swearing, etc? Those are the things in Christianity that I just can't get over. It's why I don't go to church. I mean, I know if I ask for forgiveness, then, I'll be forgiven. But, considering I know I'm not going to abstain if I'm not married, it would be ridiculously hypocritical of me to ask for forgiveness. :) And, I drink hard on occassion, and, swear like a sailor. I don't lie to people, I don't hurt people or things, I am a compassionate person. And, because I have a weakness for Patron that surfaces once every few months, and, a weakness for sex with my boyfriend, I just can't fathom that being bad enough to be damned for eternity. I don't know, that's why I don't go to church. Anyway, I'm rambling......I love this thread. I'm all for learning about new things. What makes me the most sad about religion and the people involved in it, is that they shut down to all other ideas. I mean, fine....if you have your beliefs and you have no inclination or desire to change them, that's awesome. But, it's when folks have NO INTEREST whatsoever in learning what makes other good, compassionate people the way they are, that I shed a tear for humanity. Again, my signature rings really true in situations like that.

Great thread!!! I'll post my beliefs and questions for others in a short while..............little busy right now, but I want to say this thread is very interesting. Perhaps it will help us all to understand/get to know each other better. I'll be back! :D

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Originally posted by popcornbird
Great thread!!! I'll post my beliefs and questions for others in a short while..............little busy right now, but I want to say this thread is very interesting. Perhaps it will help us all to understand/get to know each other better. I'll be back! :D

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What stinks about it is that the people who really need to open their minds will probably not read this thread because of their closemindedness (is that all one word?!). At least, that's how it usually works. It's like these awesome shows on Animal Planet showing how to take better care of your pets, or the plight of animals in the country, etc....the people that abuse animals are not going to be the ones to watch them, although they're the ones who SHOULD. But, it's still a really cool thread. :)

I don't normally post in thread like this one but I just have to share and maybe you can tell me what I am because I don't have a clue. :confused:

I don't go to church except for Midnight Mass on Dec 24th.
I don't read the bible
I don't give money to churches

I do believe in a higher power, I call him God
I do believe in Heaven
I do pray on a daily basis
I do believe that God hears me and answers my prayers in one way or another
I do try to love thy neighbour (although that's hard sometimes)
I do treat others as I would want to be treated
I do look forward to death because I know I will be reunited with my loved humans and pets again
I do know the ten commandments and try to live by them
I do get more pleasure out of helping others than helping myself
I do believe that all living things are God's creatures and we should look after them

Some background:
My parents are Atheist, but when I was very little my Mother had me baptized just in case I decided to follow religion when I grew older. She explained to me that she did not want me to be embarrassed by not being baptized. Can't quite figure that one out, but oh well.

I came to know God when I was about 7 yrs old and He's been with me ever since. I have no doubt.

So what would you classify me as???

Wow this is a really interesting thread. Woflchan your religion id really interesting, i don't know anyone else with that reigion. it sounds pretty cool!

as for me, i'm not religius. i don't believe in anything. i'm a very simple person i guess. i'm not against other religions, i'm very open to try them and visit the church, temple, etc. but i prefer not to have any religion. maybe someday if i really feel connected to something then iwill join that religion, but for me to say that i'm any kind of religion right now would feel like i was forcing myself in to it and that's not what it should be about.

lol i hope that made sense :p

Interesting thread.

I was raised fundamentalist Christian ... Nazarene, to be exact.

I had quite enough of that when I was about twelve years old.

I have no idea what I "am" now. I'll tell you what I believe and you can label me as you see fit. ;)

I believe there is a higher power.

I call myself Christian, because that's how I was raised and that's what I'm familar with. I do not, however, believe every single word written in the Bible was meant to be taken verbatim, literally. I also don't believe that "my" religion is in any way, shape or form "better" than any other religion. I call my higher power "God", also because it's what I'm familar with. I don't for one second believe that is actually His/Her/Its "real name."

I believe that the higher power doesn't really care what people call Him/Her/It ... be it God or Allah or whatever. I think there's only one "god", and humans - with our tiny little pea brains - have invented all "religions". I believe organized religion, for the most part, has done more harm than good in the world.

I believe that if you follow the Christian "golden rule" ... "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", or as WolfChan's religion so elegantly puts it, "An' ye harm none, do what ye will." ... that you will pretty much be ok in this world, and the next.

I also believe that if you are a religious person, and you follow the doctrine and rules of the religion you belong to, that you will ok. I have to think that God hates a hypocrite. If you are born in India, are born a Hindu, live your life as a good Hindu ... that God will think that is just great. Likewise if you are born in Iraq and are a Moslem, or are born in the USA and are a Christian. I think what religion you happen to practice is, for the most part, a function of where you/your family was born. And I think that's ok with God.

I think that "heaven" is whatever you want it to be, or think it will be. If you think you will walk streets of gold, eat milk and honey (gag!) and play harps with the angels ... then I think that is what you will get. I think that if you believe in reincarnation, you will be reincarnated, etc. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt, if there is only one "heaven" ... about 99% of the people there are going to be miserable. For example, in my heaven, there's going to be lots of dogs. In my mom's heaven, there won't be any dogs, because she is afraid of dogs. I think we'll all have all we want.

I believe, more strongly than anything, that I am probably dead wrong about all of this, and that God is laughing at my puny, meager attempts to comprehend all this. I believe that ALL of you are wrong, too, and giving God a chuckle, as well. I believe NO mortal human being on earth can ever begin to comprehend one tenth of the glories of God. Hopefully, we'll all see it one day.

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I personally tend to work with the Celtic Panthenon, which includes Danu and Dagda as the mother/father deities, as well as Brigid (goddess of healing), Morrigan (Goddess of War), Belenus (Sun god), Nuada (God of Valor) and many others.

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Wolfchan, my brother is pagan, and (I think) also hangs out with the Celtic folks.

Ok, here goes. I'll start with my beliefs and end with some questions for others.

I am a Muslim. We believe that there is only One God, that He has no partners. We cannot associate anyone to God. He is Supreme, the One Who created us all, created the heavens and the earth, and everything within. We believe God created mankind to serve and worship Him alone. The God we worship is the God of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, and all other Prophets.

We believe Adam was the first man, that God created him from clay, and then put life into him. Eve was the first woman, Adam's wife, and we are all the children, or say the offspring, of Adam and Eve.

We believe that God sent Prophets and Messengers to mankind, time after time, to give the people of this world His message, on how to live their lives, etc. Some of these Messengers were sent with guidelines, or books, for people to follow. The Prophets that received revelations, include David, Abraham, Moses, Jesus (we believe him to be a Prophet/Messenger of God.......not God's son), and lastly Mohammad, (peace be upon them all), who we believe to be the last Prophet sent to mankind with the completed and final Message from God. The Quran, which was the book revealed to Prophet Muhammad, was revealed to him, through Angel Gabriel, over a period of 23 years. The entire Quran was compiled during the Prophet's lifetime.

I'm going to say a bit on what believe about Jesus, because I figured perhaps the Christians here might be interested.

We believe Jesus was a Prophet, that his birth was a miracle. He was born to Mary, his mother who was a virgin. His birth was a miracle because he was born to a blessed woman, who no man had ever touched. We believe Jesus talked as a baby. We believe he was a Prophet of God, that He brought God's message to his people. We do not believe he was God's son, because it is against our faith to associate anyone with God.........we believe it kind of equates to comparing God to humans and animals, who mate and have offspring. God, in our faith, is much too supreme to have a son, a daughter, a wife, or anything. This is probably the *major* difference between Islam and Christianity. We believe Jesus was never crusified.........that the disbelievers plotted against him, and set a cross up to crusify him on, but God took Jesus up to heaven before they killed him, and replaced him with one of the disbelievers, who God made to *look* like Jesus, and that disbeliever (who was one of those plotting against Jesus) was crusified instead. We believe God took Jesus up with him, alive, that he is still alive, and that he will return to earth before the end of time. He will live on earth for 40 years, a time in which there will be peace throughout the land, and he will rule until his death (40 years later). A person cannot be a Muslim without believing in Jesus, and loving Jesus.

Ok, that's all about Jesus........though we do believe much more about him. I don't think I can go on forever!!! :p What else? We believe in the Day of Judgement, when God will Judge each and every human being for how they lived their lives in this world. Those who lived good lives according to God's teachings will be handed their book of deeds in their right hand. Those will be the people who will go to Heaven. Then there will be people who did wrong in their lives, never repented........never felt bad about their sins, etc. These people will be handed their book of deeds in their left hand, and they will be the people of Hell.

We believe the life in this world is temporary, and that the life to come will be for eternity. Those who will go to Heaven will be there forever, and those who will be unfortunate enough to go to Hell, will also, be there forever.

We believe that every child is born sin-free.........that no child carries the sins of their parents. We do not believe in *Original sin*. We believe Adam and his wife sinned by eating the fruit in Paradise which God forbade them to, but we do not believe every human carries that sin, or the sins of their parents, etc. Sins begin to *count* after a person hits puberty. If a child under the age of puberty dies, he/she, no matter what the faith/religion of his/her parents will go to Heaven. There is much more.......much much more, but I'm tired and this is all I could think of right now. Any questions are welcome.....though I may not know the answers to them all! :p You may check this site out if you have too many questions though. It probably has the answers to most of them. http://www.islam-guide.com/


Ok, now my questions..........for Christians.

Do you really believe children are born sinful, and that they need Jesus to *save* them, otherwise they are destined to Hell? In other words.........do you believe anyone who is *not* a Christian is going to Hell?

What do you believe about Jesus? How much do your beliefs differ from our's?

Do you worship Jesus, or do you worship God? How do you differenciate God from Jesus?

What does Trinity mean? I have never quite understood it, and would like an explanation. :o

What does it mean to baptize a child? What do you do in this process, and what does it symbolize?

I guess I may have more questions with time, but that's all for now.

PCB ... Wow. I'm stuck so much by your post ... because for all the centuries of war and hatred between Moslems and Christians and Jews ... the are almost the same religion ... the same God. So sad that people don't see that, and stop fighting. :(

I'll try to answer some of your questions, although I'm sure others will have differing opinions.

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Do you really believe children are born sinful, and that they need Jesus to *save* them, otherwise they are destined to Hell? In other words.........do you believe anyone who is *not* a Christian is going to Hell?

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Some branches of Christianity believe that a baby must be baptised to have everlasting life (for example, Catholics) but many others do not. For many denominations of Christianity, baptism is an outward sign of an inward commitment, and therefore one should not be baptised or "saved" until they are old enough to make a conscious choice to follow God. These denominations believe that a baby is born free from sin. I believe the latter.

Sadly, most Christians probably do feel that if you aren't a born-again Christian that you aren't going to heaven. I don't believe this at all, that is one reason I won't join a Christian church.

I should leave your other three questions alone ... they are more for the mainstream Christians out there. I'm sure my views would be a little "off". ;)

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Originally posted by slick
I don't normally post in thread like this one but I just have to share and maybe you can tell me what I am because I don't have a clue. :confused:

I don't go to church except for Midnight Mass on Dec 24th.
I don't read the bible
I don't give money to churches

I do believe in a higher power, I call him God
I do believe in Heaven
I do pray on a daily basis
I do believe that God hears me and answers my prayers in one way or another
I do try to love thy neighbour (although that's hard sometimes)
I do treat others as I would want to be treated
I do look forward to death because I know I will be reunited with my loved humans and pets again
I do know the ten commandments and try to live by them
I do get more pleasure out of helping others than helping myself
I do believe that all living things are God's creatures and we should look after them

Some background:
My parents are Atheist, but when I was very little my Mother had me baptized just in case I decided to follow religion when I grew older. She explained to me that she did not want me to be embarrassed by not being baptized. Can't quite figure that one out, but oh well.

I came to know God when I was about 7 yrs old and He's been with me ever since. I have no doubt.

So what would you classify me as???

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I agree with you 100%.

You're just like me! I know exactly what you mean. I have "known God" since before I could talk, and have never once doubted that a higher power exists. I was baptised as an Anglican, and I was raised (on and off) in that church, until Mum got sick of the hypocrisy that went on after her and my step-dad split. All that was important to a large segment of the church goers there was how much they donated, and yet they still went home to their mansions while fellow parisioners went home to their housing commission homes. Not to mention my good friend who was bullied until her self-esteem was left in tatters at a "good Christian school" where all the kids think they are fantastic Christians.

That is something I want explained ... how can a Christian, Jessica Simpson for example, be comfortable living in a huge mansion with every luxury when so many suffer in poverty? I am not a Christian, per se, but if I won Lotto, I certainly wouldn't hang on to it and would not live in luxury while others suffered ...

I am also curious about what we would be classed as ...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by popcornbird
Ok, here goes. I'll start with my beliefs and end with some questions for others.

I am a Muslim.
In all my years, I have never met or spoken with a Muslim and I appreciate you laying out your beliefs so simply and easy to understand...although I know this is a nutshell version. It is so very similar to my own Christian faith - I am surprised. We have the very same God!! The God of Abraham. There are crucial differences of course, but what you wrote was very good - thank you!

Ok, now my questions..........for Christians.

I will attempt this - but Christianity has so many different man-made denominations that what I say will only reflect my Lutheran teachings as I understand and believe them - although I believe I am Christian first - before Lutheranism - that is simply a group I belong to who all believe and worship in a similar way.

Do you really believe children are born sinful,
yes, we are all born sinful - I believe this because the Bible says so and I believe that the Bible is God's Word and is all I have to go on
and that they need Jesus to *save* them, otherwise they are destined to Hell? In other words.........do you believe anyone who is *not* a Christian is going to Hell?
I cannot say when salvation occurs. It is God's miracle and happens through faith when a person hears God's Word and believes it. I do believe there is a hell. I know we cannot earn our way to heaven, but only go to heaven through faith in God through Christ Jesus. God is so supreme and righteous that He could not possibly stand us the way we are. That is why Jesus had to die - to take the wrath and anger of God and cleanse us of our sinfulness, and make us right with God again. It does not all make sense and seems almost too easy in some ways and even barbaric in other ways - but I believe it happened and because it happened, God redeemed all of his creatures so we could go back to Him someday. I don't know who goes to hell. I only have the hope that I will be in heaven because I believe that Jesus's death on the cross was all that was necessary once and for all, to save me and all people from sin. This is why I go to church - to thank Him for doing this for me and for everyone, to praise Him and seek His help to make me a kinder and more compassionate person that perhaps because of me, someone else may seek Him also, receive His peace and live with Him in eternity. I do not know who is going to hell - only God knows that and He does not want anyone there - He wants all of us with Him!

What do you believe about Jesus? How much do your beliefs differ from our's? Do you worship Jesus, or do you worship God? How do you differenciate God from Jesus? What does Trinity mean? I have never quite understood it, and would like an explanation. :o
Well, I do believe Jesus was actually God 's Son - that He was both true man and true God at the same time. He could have avoided the suffering at any time but chose not to because He loved us and wanted to take the punishment so we would not have to. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the Trinity - three persons but one God. Sort of like ice water and vapor are all the same substance. It is a mystery I do not understand and can't explain. When I worship - I am worshipping all three because they are the same. I might address God in His majesty and supreme power, I might address Christ because as man he understands how I feel and hurt and am tempted and how hard life is, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter - the Spirit who is so close to me at all times and in my heart, thoughts and mind through the Words of the Bible and helps me have faith even when my logical mind fights it and thinks nothing makes sense. When I think I can't pray, the Holy Spirit lives inside me and prays for me because i am lazy, rotten and not like God at all - and so He enables me to be patient and loving and kind to other people. As far as the Crucifixion - I absolutely believe it was Jesus as true man and that he actually was put to death and died - and at that moment, the world turned dark as there was a momentary separation of his human nature from His divine nature and it must have been so horrifying! It is how we are without God - empty and lost. But, he did not stay dead. He rose again, scars healed and was no longer humiliated but exalted, sin and death was finally conquered and after a period of time, He ascended to heaven and there He is at present with the Father. I do not know if they are still separate or not - but the memory of what he went through is surely there for us to remember always and believe. That is why we have communion - to remember His body and blood that was shed for us. It is a moving and amazing thing to drink the blood and eat the body of Christ at a sacramental supper - to be reassured that all of the above events happened and that they happened for me! - and for anyone who believes through faith. I also think believing has become very difficult because wellmeaning believers have acted so hypocritically and made it difficult. They have added too many rules and things to the simple Gospel message. Churches are so organized and have so many rules. I suspect there are many "closet Christians" like I was for many years. I did not know what to believe, just knew something big was out there! I guess I was agnostic. Reading the Bible made things clear for me and this is how I believe. God forgive me if I ever lead anyone wrong or astray or cause anyone to stumble! This world is so very painful and confusing! I am thankful for the opportunity to share my faith here without criticism. Some will scoff i suppose. But I know there is a God and he knows we are trying our best to find Him and live for Him. We are weak and do things wrong all the time. If we had to live a certain way to belong to Him, none of us would be fit. Nobody. I heard a good quote and wish more lived by it - "the Christian Church is no showcase for saints - it is a hospital for sinners"

What does it mean to baptize a child? What do you do in this process, and what does it symbolize?
This one defers widely. In churches that baptize infants (such as mine, we believe that when we sprinkle or pour water over the babies head while speaking God's Word, that God miraculously puts His Holy Spirit into that child and it is up to the parents or guardians to promise to continue to raise that child in the faith so they will continue to learn and understand when they are older. Other churches wait until the child is older and "decides" but we do not believe a person is able to decide such a thing unless the Holy Spirit enables it and so we have a "confirmation" for the older kids to declare their beliefs publicly and thus continue in catechism clases, etc. The above churches also normally require a full immersion while we only require water in any form and the Word. We do not know the actual moment of conversion like some other churches claim such as "bornagain" movements, Baptist, etc. We just believe it happens at some time and the person grows in grace.
Hope I answered clearly enough.

:)
What an interesting thread... i love to see how open everyone is being!!!...

I want to start with a few questions before I tell about me....

Wolf Chan...
You believe in several gods and dieties.. where do you (and others in your belief) believe they came from?

Popcornbird....
As much as i have learned from you already...:) ... You say muslims believe Jesus will return and bring peace for 40 years.. What do muslims believe is the purpose for Jesus doing this.. what is going to be accomplished from it?

Popcornbird...
After Jesus dies then what happens? Most christians believe in the rapture (Jesus' *God's son* return) and we will be taken to heaven in the rapture...
How do muslim's believe life on Earth will end?


i am sure i will have more questions later... :)

now to answer the best way i know how...

What do you believe about Jesus? How much do your beliefs differ from our's?
I believe Jesus is the son of God. That he came to earth and was the last sacrifice.. so I can simply ask and be forgiven of my sins. I believe He died on the cross and rose from the dead three days later and with that took the keys to death and hell. I believe He is alive in heaven now sitting at the right hand of God.

It seems to me our beliefs in Jesus are completely opposite..;)

Do you worship Jesus, or do you worship God? How do you differenciate God from Jesus?
like in your next question.. i believe in the trinity.... so i don't really differenciate God from Jesus but that they are one.

What does Trinity mean? I have never quite understood it, and would like an explanation. :o
the trininty is very hard for me even to understand... i have seen posters and different studies to try and explain.. and with that my faith is elevated... i just know that it is what the Bible says... and i know God is so ALMIGHTY that I will probably never fully understand until i get to heaven...

What does it mean to baptize a child? What do you do in this process, and what does it symbolize?
i think but am not sure that, that is something catholics do.. and i am not even sure if they call themselves "christians"... but i believe when you are at the age of accountability that you ask Jesus into your heart and then you are baptised with water... simbolizing your death from a fleshly life and rebirth into a spiritual life..



now about me...:)
I was raised in a baptist church... and now am a member of a church of God church....

I couldn't find who posted it but agree that organized religion is more hurtful than helpful ... and has been proven since Jesus' time... BUT i believe it is healthy for a christian to attend church for the fellowship.... the teaching... and the testimonies.

I attend a church of God church because that is what suits ME best..

I believe in the holy Bible and everything written in it. I believe if you pray and ask God for His help to understand the Bible that He gives you spiritual insight.

I am saved and with that meaning that I believe Jesus is the son of God.. that he died on the cross for our sins and was reserructed after three days... that He is now alive in heaven and sits at the right hand of God. I have asked Jesus into my heart and am establishing a relationship with Him. I believe very soon Jesus will return again and that the dead in Christ will rise and those who remain (in Christ) will be taken up.

(and now my life is an AWESOME testimony!!! :D )

I could go on forever and forever.... it is just really too deep a topic to discuss in one sitting...

but to say I love God with all my heart... I have lived a life without Him and will NEVER again... my whole life and testimony is a miracle and testimony for the glory of God!!!


*good thread*

I'm also Pagan/Wiccan.

I was baptised and raised Catholic. Attended CCD and did confirmation. Though it never sat well with me. When in 6th Grade my mom stopped going to Church and said we (my sisters and I) wouldn't have to go either if we didn't want too. So we didn't.

I was pretty much agnostic till late in High School. Then my friend told me how she was looking into the Pagan religion and it was like a beam of light. I feel at peace and comfortable with myself.

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Originally posted by sirrahbed
Do you perform magic? What kind if so? Does it work and can you tell us about something magical that happened? If you do magic - is it you or does a god help you? Is it good or white magic?

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I believe there is good magick and bad magick. It all depends on who is practicing and what their purpose is. I only perform good magick. I am not out to harm anyone.

This past Ostara, during our coven ritual, I asked the Goddess and her consort to bless Kia with good health this year. So we'll see. :)

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What do you call a man witch in your religion?

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A witch. :) The word warlock is not used by myself or anyone else I know.

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How are you different from Wiccan? That is the only "witch" I have heard of.

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I'm Pagan and Wiccan. Like Wolfchan said, there are many different sects of Paganism.

All Wiccans are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccan.

It's like all German Shepherds are Dogs, but not all Dogs are German Shepherds.

Make sense? :)

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Do you dress differently to identify yourself?

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Nope. I'll wear Rennasiance type dress for rituals, but on a whole, I don't wear anything different than what you might wear. I'm a jeans and t-shirt kind of gal. :)

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Do you find that people are fearful of you? Are they curious? If fearful, is it better if you explain what you believe?

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I don't go around broadcasting that I'm a witch and since I don't have it written on my forehead, I tend to find that people are not afraid of me. I only tell those I'm most comfortable with... if the subject of religion comes up.

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Do you have a group to meet together with? If so, is it regular like a service most people would be familiar with - that is - a Saturday or Sunday weekly service?

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I do now. :) I found a Yahoo Group of local pagans and we had a meet and greet at a local restaurant. It was there that I was invited to an Ostara ritual and that night we decided to become a coven. :) I'm new to the whole experience, but it's a wonderful group. Every Saturday night our coven tries to get together for a lesson of sorts. The Saturday before the full moon or a Sabbat we'll have a ritual.

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Do you believe in the Judeo-Christian God at all?

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No.

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Do you believe in evolution?

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Yes! :) No true evolutionist will say that we came from Apes. That's false.... but we did evolve from something.... far down the family tree.

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Where will you go when you die?

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In the ground. ;) Seriously... I think when I die, I'll just die. No biggie. But if I'm lucky, maybe I'll be reincarnated. But if not, I'm not going to worry about it.

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Do you believe in a heaven?

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No. Nor do I believe in hell. These are Christian beliefs.

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Are people basically good or bad in your religious belief?

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That's a pretty vague question. I'm a good person and the women in my coven are good people, but I can't speak for everyone else. I would hope they are good people.

It's like me asking you if Christians are basically good or bad.

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Originally posted by Sara luvs her Tinky
You believe in several gods and dieties.. where do you (and others in your belief) believe they came from?

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They just are. I don't dwell on where they came from. They could be aliens for all I know. :) There is just this spiritual energy about the Earth and that's all I know and care about.

Where do you believe the Christian God came from?
:)

My question is one about food.

All my aunts and uncles were/are Roman Catholic and they always ate fish on Fridays which (I think) symbolized Jesus when he feed a city on 1 fish and 1 loaf of bread.

PCB: Muslims don't eat pork do they??? Why??? What does a pig symbolize??

My best friend is Jewish and she does tries to keep kosher and she does not eat pork either.

For other religions, are there any food restrictions??

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Originally posted by ramanth

Where do you believe the Christian God came from?
:)

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The Bible says that He has always been...:D

I got another question for Wolf Chan or Kimmy...
Do you guys have any sort of religious books that you study like I have the Bible?

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Originally posted by Sara luvs her Tinky
I got another question for Wolf Chan or Kimmy...
Do you guys have any sort of religious books that you study like I have the Bible?

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No. There are many books of information ABOUT the religion(s) published, but most people make their own "Book of Shadows" that encompasses their own practices and beliefs. In mine, for example, I have the sabbat rituals I have written for myself, a dedication ceremony I am currently writing for when I feel ready to officially commit myself for life, and all sorts of other information I've found useful over the last few years. (recipes for sabbat celebrations, magickal uses of stones/colors, and lots more!)

Any two Books of Shadows will be completely different, but essentially the same, if that makes sense. ^_^


You believe in several gods and dieties.. where do you (and others in your belief) believe they came from?
I honestly don't know. :)

:D This is nice. Ya'll are good people... but you already knew that. :)

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Originally posted by Sara luvs her Tinky
I got another question for Wolf Chan or Kimmy...
Do you guys have any sort of religious books that you study like I have the Bible?

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Not really. I read Pagan/Wiccan books that I pick up from the book store.

Our coven is putting together a Book of Shadows. It's a book commonly used by witches but doesn't have to be used by everyone.

Here's a definition:
BOOK OF SHADOWS- A book of spells, rituals, recipes, traditions, and other guides and materials written by a witch or coven. The Book of Shadows is usually a very personal book to the Witch or Coven which created it, and the information within is rarely shared with outsiders, even other Witches.

*edit* I posted at the same time as Wolfchan. :D

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Originally posted by slick
So what would you classify me as???

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Slick, my question for you would be - you say you believe in God, but do you believe in Christ and all he stands for? If so, you can classify yourself as a Christian - no further explanations necessary. If not then I don't know what to classify you as. ;) Maybe just a good person trying to live a decent, moral life? And what's wrong with that?

I don't have time right now to get into my whole background and what I believe, but it's real similar to Slick. Like someone mentioned about their Catholic mother, I think a lot of so called "religious" people are really hypocrits (sp?) and I don't want to be that way. I may not go to church on a regular basis, but I do pray and I try to leave a decent - basically moral - life. I was raised Catholic, but there is so much about it that I don't agree with and can't live by - but those are arguments for another day - so I, like Slick, really don't know what you'd classify me as. I guess I believe in Christ so the easy out would be to call myself Christian.

Anyway, great thread and I really wish more of this type of discussion would go on world wide. It would really help people understand different cultures and religions and maybe we could all just get along a little better. :( :rolleyes: :)

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Originally posted by ramanth
I don't go around broadcasting that I'm a witch and since I don't have it written on my forehead, I tend to find that people are not afraid of me. I only tell those I'm most comfortable with... if the subject of religion comes up.

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I guess this means you're really comfortable with us PT'ers, eh Kimmy? Thanks for feeling that way. :D

And thanks to everybody for sharing. People are so often afraid to discuss religion and it's refreshing to have a civil discussion about it.....so far anyway. ;)

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Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom
I guess this means you're really comfortable with us PT'ers, eh Kimmy? Thanks for feeling that way. :D

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Yes I do. :D

I found this posting absolutely fanscinating. I would like to thank everyone for thier willness to share their believes and to answer the questions we have posted.

I am not sure what I would be classified as. I was raised as a fundamentalist Roman Catholic (yes there are plenty out there). But I had a difficult time accepting many of the beliefs, rule, regulations (what ever you want to call them) of the Catholic religon. (I was even asked to leave the Catholic High School in my town because of that.)

Over the years I have explored many different types of religions including Anglicanism, Lutherism, Buddism, and even Taoism. I haven't found one that fits yet, but I do know some of the things I believe in:
- A supreme being who can be called many things including God, Allah, or Yahweh.
- We were all put here on earth for a reason and we need to grow and search for that reason.
- We should all try to lead a "moral" life. Although this may have different meanings for different people I think we can all agree on some basics like "Don't murder someone".
- I am not sure if I believe in heaven or hell (but I grew up being told I was going to burn in hell ... a long long story), but I think there is somekind of afterlife.

I guess my over riding belief is to treat others as you would want to be treated, because it will come back to you eventually.

Slick - a person who believes in God without the other stuff is a Deist. Thomas Jefferson was one.

There are many dietary restrictions if you are an orthodox Jew. No milk and meat together (forget the cheeseburger!), no shell fish, pork. Animals must be slaughtered a specific way (and under the supervision of a rabbi) to be kosher. There are special rules for ice cream, butter, cheese, chocolate, just about any processed food.