Please Tell Me About You!

[KatLearns]

Hello, everybody, I am a college student in the northeastern United States and I am currently enrolled in a religious studies course with an assignment where I am to interview someone who is not from my religious background (Catholicism/Christianity). Beyond this assignment I am also really interested in hearing about all sorts of different religions from around the world, so, please feel free to answer these questions or just add in your own beliefs or experiences with your religion! Thank you all for responding!

Some questions to answer:
1. What was it like for you as a child to be a member of this religion?
2. How do you feel about other people’s reactions to you as a member of your religion? What are some common misconceptions about your religion?
3. What are some of your earliest memories participating in your religion?
4. Are there any friends or family members who especially affected you in your religion?
5. What is a strength of yours that has helped you get through your life?
6. Describe how a typical day/worship looks for you.
7. What are some key values you agree/disagree with in your particular religion?
8. What would you say to someone thinking about converting to your religion?
P.S. Please identify what religion/sect/denomination you identify with. Thank you again!

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Are you interested in responses from people of no religion?

 

[Jainarayan]

Some questions to answer:
1. What was it like for you as a child to be a member of this religion?
2. How do you feel about other people’s reactions to you as a member of your religion? What are some common misconceptions about your religion?
3. What are some of your earliest memories participating in your religion?
4. Are there any friends or family members who especially affected you in your religion?
5. What is a strength of yours that has helped you get through your life?
6. Describe how a typical day/worship looks for you.
7. What are some key values you agree/disagree with in your particular religion?
8. What would you say to someone thinking about converting to your religion?
P.S. Please identify what religion/sect/denomination you identify with. Thank you again!

I'll bite.

1. I was born into a different religion (Roman Catholic) than I am now (Hindu). I participated in all the rituals and milestones of the Roman Catholic Church. My family is Italian-American.
2. Some think I'm weird (my family), coworkers and friends don't think anything of it. My family thinks I worship cows or am some type of Buddhist.
3. Even as a teenager still being RC I was fascinated by Hinduism. Something attracted me to it.
4. No, it was all on my own.
5. Faith in the gods and being half Sicilian... we're a stubborn lot.
6. Prayers, listening to devotional music, occasionally attending the local Hindu temple.
7. None. It's not a religion as much as a way of life... live life rightly.
8. There's really no conversion process. You just start living by the principles of Hinduism, or as it's properly called Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Way. It's for everyone.
9. It's Vaishnava Hinduism, I'm a devotee of Vishnu and his avatars, primarily Krishna.

 

[KatLearns]

Are you interested in responses from people of no religion?

Absolutely! Anything and everything is welcome, I’m very interested in all beliefs!

 

[Sunstone]

I'm more inclined to mysticism than to any religion (apart from the ancient and noble religion of Erotic Dancing Girls).

 

[KatLearns]

I'll bite.

1. I was born into a different religion (Roman Catholic) than I am now (Hindu). I participated in all the rituals and milestones of the Roman Catholic Church. My family is Italian-American.
2. Some think I'm weird (my family), coworkers and friends don't think anything of it. My family thinks I worship cows or am some type of Buddhist.
3. Even as a teenager still being RC I was fascinated by Hinduism. Something attracted me to it.
4. No, it was all on my own.
5. Faith in the gods and being half Sicilian... we're a stubborn lot.
6. Prayers, listening to devotional music, occasionally attending the local Hindu temple.
7. None. It's not a religion as much as a way of life... live life rightly.
8. There's really no conversion process. You just start living by the principles of Hinduism, or as it's properly called Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Way. It's for everyone.
9. It's Vaishnava Hinduism, I'm a devotee of Vishnu and his avatars, primarily Krishna.

Thank you very much for your reply! I’d like to agree, as well, even growing up as Catholic I always seemed to find myself looking at traditionally “eastern” religions, there’s something very empowering about Hinduism and Buddhism in particular that -as someone who doesn’t know too much about either- makes me want to know more and more.

 

[KatLearns]

I'm more inclined to mysticism than to any religion (apart from the ancient and noble religion of Erotic Dancing Girls).

If you could expand on your definition of the word mysticism, I would love to hear what that means to you and from where you find inspiration and spirituality.

 

[Sunstone]

If you could expand on your definition of the word mysticism, I would love to hear what that means to you and from where you find inspiration and spirituality.

Good question, Kat! Kind of hard to answer, though, because it involves so much that is probably novel or new to you if you've never studied the subject before.

I myself am much more interested in the study of mysticism than I am interested in myself being a mystic. Kind of like, say, a political scientist who is much more interested in the study of political parties than he or she is interested in being the member of one.

So where do we start? You can read the Standford Encyclopedia's article on mysticism here, but it's a pretty dense article. Jerome Gellman, the scholar who wrote it, can't write worth a damn, in my opinion.

Maybe a good place to start is to point out that most mystics are far and away more concerned with having certain experiences, than they are concerned with beliefs, doctrines, dogmas, or theologies. So, when you ask a mystic about his or her spirituality, religiosity, etc, you should perhaps expect to hear about their quest for this or that experience, rather than about their beliefs, etc.

The kind of experiences mystics might be interested in can range (depending on the mystic) from commonplace experiences of deja vu to relatively rare experiences in which normal ways of looking at reality are replaced by extraordinarily difficult to describe "mystical states".

If and when you find a mystic who in any sense follows a religion, the religion is usually an Eastern one such as Hinduism, Buddhism, or Taoism. There are Christian, Jewish, and Islamic mystics -- in fact, there are a sprinkling of mystics in virtually every religion on earth -- but it seems that the Eastern religions attract most of the ones who are at all religious.

I see you're a Catholic, Kat. Catholicism, by the way, has a pretty substantial mystical tradition within it -- so far as Western religions go.

Last, I've been interested in the study of mystics and mysticism for about 40 years now. Long enough that I have formed a few wacky, offbeat views of my own, rather than in every instance following the conventional scholarship, or the conventional teachings of some religion. For instance, I am of the insufferable opinion that the neurosciences will eventually tell us more of value about mysticism than all the world's religious literature -- a lot of which I see as being corrupted. Relatively few people would agree with me, though.

 

[KatLearns]

Good question, Kat! Kind of hard to answer, though, because it involves so much that is probably novel or new to you if you've never studied the subject before.

I myself am much more interested in the study of mysticism than I am interested in myself being a mystic. Kind of like, say, a political scientist who is much more interested in the study of political parties than he or she is interested in being the member of one.

So where do we start? You can read the Standford Encyclopedia's article on mysticism here, but it's a pretty dense article. Jerome Gellman, the scholar who wrote it, can't write worth a damn, in my opinion.

Maybe a good place to start is to point out that most mystics are far and away more concerned with having certain experiences, than they are concerned with beliefs, doctrines, dogmas, or theologies. So, when you ask a mystic about his or her spirituality, religiosity, etc, you should perhaps expect to hear about their quest for this or that experience, rather than about their beliefs, etc.

The kind of experiences mystics might be interested in can range (depending on the mystic) from commonplace experiences of deja vu to relatively rare experiences in which normal ways of looking at reality are replaced by extraordinarily difficult to describe "mystical states".

If and when you find a mystic who in any sense follows a religion, the religion is usually an Eastern one such as Hinduism, Buddhism, or Taoism. There are Christian, Jewish, and Islamic mystics -- in fact, there are a sprinkling of mystics in virtually every religion on earth -- but it seems that the Eastern religions attract most of the ones who are at all religious.

I see you're a Catholic, Kat. Catholicism, by the way, has a pretty substantial mystical tradition within it -- so far as Western religions go.

Last, I've been interested in the study of mystics and mysticism for about 40 years now. Long enough that I have formed a few wacky, offbeat views of my own, rather than in every instance following the conventional scholarship, or the conventional teachings of some religion. For instance, I am of the insufferable opinion that the neurosciences will eventually tell us more of value about mysticism than all the world's religious literature -- a lot which I see as being corrupted. Relatively few people would agree with me, though.

Wow, that is a very interesting understanding. I can’t say that I completely understand, especially as it seems very few people if any are capable of doing so. But I’m interested in hearing more. I must agree that the neurosciences would be the most “practical” way to go about learning more on mysticism and as an ignorant student majoring in psychology I may have to look further into the beliefs of mystics who follow different teachings and how that affects their ability to cope with their surroundings in comparison to their non-mystic or non-religious counterparts. Any thoughts?

 

[Kenny]

Hello, everybody, I am a college student in the northeastern United States and I am currently enrolled in a religious studies course with an assignment where I am to interview someone who is not from my religious background (Catholicism/Christianity). Beyond this assignment I am also really interested in hearing about all sorts of different religions from around the world, so, please feel free to answer these questions or just add in your own beliefs or experiences with your religion! Thank you all for responding!

Some questions to answer:
1. What was it like for you as a child to be a member of this religion?
2. How do you feel about other people’s reactions to you as a member of your religion? What are some common misconceptions about your religion?
3. What are some of your earliest memories participating in your religion?
4. Are there any friends or family members who especially affected you in your religion?
5. What is a strength of yours that has helped you get through your life?
6. Describe how a typical day/worship looks for you.
7. What are some key values you agree/disagree with in your particular religion?
8. What would you say to someone thinking about converting to your religion?
P.S. Please identify what religion/sect/denomination you identify with. Thank you again!

1) I wasn't a member of any religion as a child. My decision was actually made when I was 28
2) Different reactions by different people from indifference and antagonistic to sincefely interested. I don't think there is as much as a misconception but rather lack of knowledge. For those sincerely interested, probably two of the most common misconception is that they have to work to have a relationship with God and that He is running around with a bat waiting to smack you when you are doing something wrong.
3) How God changed and cemented my marriage from certain divorce within 24 hours and the abundance of what I would call miraculous manifestations in the first year.
4) No. I was the first to accept Jesus and then led the rest of the family (parents/grandparents/brothers/sisters/nephews/nieces) to the same faith in Jesus Christ.
5) I would have to say "God's strength working through me". Love and patience.
6) Praise constantly on my lips. Time of reading. Praying off and on all day. Sharing (even through this venue ) and trying to share the life of Jesus in my walk and talk. (That includes fishing, basketball, exercising and just having a normal life)
7) Probably too long to list but in context of Romans 14, people can express their faith differently. It isn't wrong, just different so that there is enough room for diversity. An example would be church day. For some they believe it should be Saturday and if that is what they do for God... great. For others, they believe that church should be on Sudnay and if that is what they do for God... great. For others every day is a God day and if that is what they do for God... great.
8) Let's sit down and just have a Q & A.


Christian. Non-denominational. Belief in the Charisma which is sometimes refered to as Full-Gospel.

If I didn't quite answer in the context that you wanted... just let me know

 

[Sunstone]

Wow, that is a very interesting understanding. I can’t say that I completely understand, especially as it seems very few people if any are capable of doing so. But I’m interested in hearing more. I must agree that the neurosciences would be the most “practical” way to go about learning more on mysticism and as an ignorant student majoring in psychology I may have to look further into the beliefs of mystics who follow different teachings and how that affects their ability to cope with their surroundings in comparison to their non-mystic or non-religious counterparts. Any thoughts?

There are a number of psychologists, neuroscientists, and others who have been studying mysticism for more or less the past thirty or forty years now. Some very exciting information has come out. One of my favorite authors (except that his books are sometimes a wee bit on the light side for my taste) is Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist who's been at it about as long as anyone. His writings are very accessible, very easy to read, and I find that he is methodologically rigorous (even though he writes in a easy style that sometimes hides just how rigorous is his thinking). In one of his most recent books, How Enlightenment Changes Your Mind, he to some extent addresses some of your concerns about how mystics cope with their surroundings.

By the way, Kat, may I suggest that you don't bark up the belief tree with mystics? I made that mistake for a few years when I first started studying them 40 years ago. But it isn't beliefs that determine how they cope with their surroundings. It's their experiences. To, say, "experience the Oneness of All Things" is in most cases to be changed, transformed. Apparently that transformation happens regardless of whether or not you think of that "Oneness" as, say, god or not. You don't need to have the "correct" or "proper" beliefs to be changed by a mystical experience such that, say, you now cope with stress a dozen times better than you did before, or you now have lost the fear you once had of dying.

Mystics have often told me that believing or disbelieving in god is for folks who've never experienced god, but not a concern of theirs.

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Hello, everybody, I am a college student in the northeastern United States and I am currently enrolled in a religious studies course with an assignment where I am to interview someone who is not from my religious background (Catholicism/Christianity). Beyond this assignment I am also really interested in hearing about all sorts of different religions from around the world, so, please feel free to answer these questions or just add in your own beliefs or experiences with your religion! Thank you all for responding!

Welcome to our forum!

Here's a little about me ...

I was raised a Catholic but never really believed in it too much.

Then I spent many years as a very cynical and angry atheist - I thought all religion was a crutch for very weak people.

Then I had a "religious experience" on a psych ward - I figured I would be the VERY last person to have such an experience!

I was in the psych ward because I have been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

That experience totally transformed my outlook and how I deal with people.

Before that experience, if you had suggested to me that I would get RIGHT into meditation and reading books like "Conversations with God" and treating everyone with kindness & compassion ... well ... I would have absolutely laughed in your face!

So ... nobody is MORE amazed than me!

I don't currently subscribe to any specific religion - I try and take the best from each religion. I also try to respect and look at my fellow beings in terms of what we all have in common - we all want to experience happiness & love and don't wish to experience too much suffering.

I love what the Dalai Lama has to say about happiness and have a few of his books. Here's a few videos you might enjoy -

happiness dalai lama - YouTube

I meditate and read most of the day - having schizophrenia and a VERY limited income I have to find cheap ways of filling in my time!

Not sure if I have specifically answered your questions but hopefully my story is of interest to you.

Best of luck in your assignment - hope the people at the forum give you some useful material.

If you have additional questions for me, please feel perfectly free to ask away ...

All the best!

 

[Buddha Dharma]

Welcome to RF. Answer some questions. Sure, I'd be delighted

Some questions to answer:
1. What was it like for you as a child to be a member of this religion?

I was raised in an agnostic secular home. I didn't have a religion.

2. How do you feel about other people’s reactions to you as a member of your religion? What are some common misconceptions about your religion?

I think that other people will think what they want to think about my practice. Trying to talk them out of it may not do very much.

Common misconceptions about Buddhism is that it's nihilistic, takes a low view of life, and rejects the supernatural.

3. What are some of your earliest memories participating in your religion?

I became Buddhist at 29, so my earliest memory is taking refuge in the Buddha with some lay Buddhists bearing witness. A friend brought me to Buddhism.

4. Are there any friends or family members who especially affected you in your religion?

In Buddhism, no? However, my grandmother was a lifelong secular Catholic. She retained aspects of the faith and she was one of the kindest, most giving people I've ever known.

5. What is a strength of yours that has helped you get through your life?

My ability to look at the bright side of life, and try to find good in bad, or at least some ultimate benefit from the bad. In example: the Holocaust was horrible, but it gave humans a shocking wake up call about how low we can go when hatred and anger take over.

6. Describe how a typical day/worship looks for you.

I'll try not to be lengthy. I begin by doing homage to the Triple Gem, bowing before my Buddha shrine three times as I say homage to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.

Then I use a traditional liturgy opening to ask the gods from all over the universe to come observe and listen to the Dharma. I ask them to protect the Dharma in the world, and in case any semi-malevolent presence has come- I state that the Dharma keeps the practitioner safe. There are traditional prayers for this invoking the protectiveness of the teaching.

I do homage to Shakyamuni: Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhasa and re-affirm taking refuge in the three jewels: that to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha I go for refuge.

I do the gatha of repentance, acknowledging any evil karma I may ever have done, while acknowledging they are produced by ignorance and the poisons. I ask the Buddha as my teacher to accept my repentance. Then I affirm the ten precepts of Mahayana Buddhism: not to kill, steal, and on so on.

I say the Four Immeasurables, which purifies the practitioner for chanting because it is a pure wish: may all sentient beings be free from suffering and it's causes. May all sentient beings have happiness and it's causes. May all sentient beings be not separated from joy. May they be peaceful, free, and without aversion (prejudice), greed, or anger.

I do sitting meditation for a time, chant the Heart Sutra, and chant several Bodhisattva Mantras. An example is one to Tara: Om Tare Tu Tare Ture Soha. Bodhisattva mantras are considered meritorious in many ways.

I chant a mantra to Amida and Vairocana, who are primal manifestations of the true Buddha body that encompasses and transcends all phenomena.

I ask any deities present to take refuge in the Triple Gem if they choose. I then honor my deities with various prayers and ask them to protect me and create situations for practice.

I make especial reverences to Indra, Brahma, Yama, Vishnu, and others said to either have become Buddhist, or are benevolent gods that produce good for people.

I end with the verse of the Kesa: vast is the robe of liberation, a formless field of benefaction, I wear the teachings of the thus come one, saving all the many beings.

7. What are some key values you agree/disagree with in your particular religion?

I think some in my religion emphasize Anatta (doctrine of not self) too strongly.

8. What would you say to someone thinking about converting to your religion?

Give it some thought, but you'll be doing a great good for everything that exists and taking part in the Buddha's work to save everything that suffers.

P.S. Please identify what religion/sect/denomination you identify with. Thank you again!

I am Tendai, a Japanese school of Mahayana.

 

[Jesster]

For context, I am an atheist who grew up Christian.

1. What was it like for you as a child to be a member of this religion?
I grew up Christian. Looking back on it now, I'm not a fan of all of the indoctrination that happened. It definitely halted a lot of personal growth for me that would have helped earlier.

2. How do you feel about other people’s reactions to you as a member of your religion? What are some common misconceptions about your religion?
I don't belong to any religion. Where do I start with misconceptions there? All sorts of wacky things get attributed to me because of that.

3. What are some of your earliest memories participating in your religion?
I remember being discouraged from asking a lot of questions involving Christianity. I had to accept what other people told me. That included multiple churches, my parents, and bible studies. I guess it makes sense since asking more questions as I grew older is what started to break me away from Christianity.

4. Are there any friends or family members who especially affected you in your religion?
My parents for sure. They shoved Christianity at me all the time. My uncle too, but he was a lot nicer about it. I don't think anyone else really did, other than just having it be present in every-day culture. Almost everyone I knew growing up was Christian.

5. What is a strength of yours that has helped you get through your life?
I've been able to stop myself from suicide plenty of times. That tends to help with continuing life.

6. Describe how a typical day/worship looks for you.
My typical day is pretty average. I don't have anything that stands out much.

7. What are some key values you agree/disagree with in your particular religion?
No religion here, so no answer.

8. What would you say to someone thinking about converting to your religion?
Again, no religion here. I just let people believe what they want.

 

[shunyadragon]

Hello, everybody, I am a college student in the northeastern United States and I am currently enrolled in a religious studies course with an assignment where I am to interview someone who is not from my religious background (Catholicism/Christianity). Beyond this assignment I am also really interested in hearing about all sorts of different religions from around the world, so, please feel free to answer these questions or just add in your own beliefs or experiences with your religion! Thank you all for responding!

Some questions to answer:
1. What was it like for you as a child to be a member of this religion?

I was raised in the Roman Church in an Irish family. I remember the smell of incense, and I did not feel I belonged.

2. How do you feel about other people’s reactions to you as a member of your religion? What are some common misconceptions about your religion?

My present religion is Baha'i with leanings to Buddhist philosophy. My believe evolved from the church to Buddhism with a strong influence of Arts of the Way (Martial Arts). My family was a bit amused by my involvement with Buddhism, but became more than a bit hostile when I became a Baha'i.

3. What are some of your earliest memories participating in your religion?

Earliest memories? I guess going in the cold rain to dark church with a lot of carved cold wood, gold, and stained glass with the smell of incense. The seats were hard and uncomfortable,

4. Are there any friends or family members who especially affected you in your religion?

In Costa Rica when I was ten I met my first Baha'i, Unitarians, and Quakers.and I was very impressed.

5. What is a strength of yours that has helped you get through your life?

The search for reason and the universal, which is and was justifiably illusive.

6. Describe how a typical day/worship looks for you.

Now? Well, fellowship with the Baha'is, meditating and practicing the moves of the arts with my sword, and walks in the woods.

7. What are some key values you agree/disagree with in your particular religion?

The Roman Church? It is simple I found it did not reflect the universal spiritually. It was a Roman cultural Christian paradigm. The church remains one of many headed by the Bishop of Rome.

8. What would you say to someone thinking about converting to your religion?

Everyone needs to investigate independently the Baha'i Faith and decide for themselves. The main reason people join up or get churched is that they ar looking for the shoes that fit and which sense of community feels good to them.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Hmm.

Well, long ago, I heard wisetales of seeing spirits in our home scaring the bajesus out of our real estate lady. Someone force held my mother down on her bed. Outerbody experiences. Really creepy stuff. Found out my grandmother practiced what notherners (us) would call witchcraft but my aint made fun calling it wiki wiki. That brought my mother interested in the occult. I practiced for a good while. This is before neopaganism and modern witch came into my brain. We just didng call it anything. Probably grandparents picked up the less modern stuff overseas. Wed call it witchy here. Down south and overseas, its nothing. I mean, four years ago my grandmother saved me from getting hit by a car. But back when such experiences was more pronounced.

1. What was it like for you as a child to be a member of this religion?

Interesting. I wasnt raised christian nor witch for that matter. I had no religion until five years ago when I learned about buddhism. I started with Zen, then Nichiren, and emarked on tibetan buddhism which is interesting.

I met a roman catholic friend. I went with her to church. All we talked about was faith. I made a premature jump and became catholic for I think two years or so. I left the church when i knew what christianity was about ignoring the stuff talked about against the church. Nardles my nerves.

2. How do you feel about other people’s reactions to you as a member of your religion? What are some comm

1. Witchy Witchy? No one believes me. Didnt know it was a fad till I discovered the internet. Now its everywhere. Ancestor veneration became the new-craft. I walked into it and never left. Very personal experiences.

2. Catholicism. People hate it with a passion. Its like catholics are put into a bubble because they cant express their faith as a catholic rather than protestant christian. Thats a horrible experience.

3. Buddhism? Long journey. No one hae issues with it. Though they think I worship The Buddha.

3. What are some of your earliest memories participating in your religion?

Ma took us to a pentecoastal church when she thought having two children-boy and girl-, picket fence, christian family, wonderful husband was the perfect family. She never went. I stayed and read the full bible. Somewhat baptized. Didnt believe just liked to study.

4. Are there any friends or family members who especially affected you in your religion?

No. But they dont like to talk about the witchy stuff. My friend is phillipine and she has more superstition in her family than I know of mine. Wed swap stories but we never called it witchcraft. The word is evil but she practices "it" daily. Shrugs.

5. What is a strength of yours that has helped you get through your life?

Experience and putting peaces together. Catholic was how I learned and experience spirituality. Ancestor veneration made me more appreciative and see things positive. Buddbism got the whole thing and the suttas have everg problem in the book in it.

6. Describe how a typical day/worship looks for yo

Pray morning and evening. Art is my religion. Freedom my goal and life. I read the suttas about freedom. I pretty much put wll the above in one.

7. What are some key values you agree/disagree with in your particular religion?

I agree with all buddhist values. Christian far in between. The other stuff isnt a religion. Art: freedom, crestivity, security, positiveness, inner peace, me.

8. What would you say to someone thinking about converting to your religi

Catholic: Its not for everyone. Go to Mass for a good year or so. Its a life long devotion

Buddhist: We dont convert. The Buddha taught. Knowledge comes from the mind (The Dharma), not The Buddha and not god.

P.S. Please identify what religion/sect/denomination you identify with. Thank you again!

Buddhist. Offically stamped and verrified. The rest are practices. Id say Art is my life. Extends beyond religion; its life itself.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

1. What was it like for you as a child to be a member of this religion?

I was born into Southern Baptists. As a child, it was terrible, it gave me very vivid and frightening nightmares of going to Hell and feeling my flesh burning, and it left me suicidal. I evicted the Holy Ghost from my heart and Jesus from my life when I was 16.

2. How do you feel about other people’s reactions to you as a member of your religion? What are some common misconceptions about your religion?

My current views, which really aren't even religious, most people don't even know what they are so they don't react to it at all. However, when they find out I have no belief in a personal deity or afterlife, the reactions tend to be negative and range from questioning my morality, thinking my life is depressing and meaningless, to incessantly insisting I need god and religion.

3. What are some of your earliest memories participating in your religion?

I remember what got me to leave Neo-Paganism and drift the direction I am in now, which was some numerology divination thing based on a card, and I realized there was no possible way for the millions of people born on all the days that would have that assigned could to have all the same circumstances similar enough for it to be true. Then I realized the same of astrology. Then I realized you just never hear about a "bad" tarot card reader.

4. Are there any friends or family members who especially affected you in your religion?

Family when I was Christian. None where I am now.

5. What is a strength of yours that has helped you get through your life?

That life is sacred. Knowing that going through difficult times usually makes you stronger. That life, the good and bad, should be accepted and embraced as the experience of life.

6. Describe how a typical day/worship looks for you.

I wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, go home, play some music, eat dinner, go to bed, repeat.

7. What are some key values you agree/disagree with in your particular religion?

None.

8. What would you say to someone thinking about converting to your religion?

I would encourage them to shatter their idols and trample their false gods.

P.S. Please identify what religion/sect/denomination you identify with. Thank you again!

I tend to draw from Buddhism, Taoism, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and the Left Handed Path. However, the term I've begun using is "Sagian Agnostic." (an attempt to make it clear that I do not believe in any personal deities, nor am I an atheist)

 

[KatLearns]

1) I wasn't a member of any religion as a child. My decision was actually made when I was 28
2) Different reactions by different people from indifference and antagonistic to sincefely interested. I don't think there is as much as a misconception but rather lack of knowledge. For those sincerely interested, probably two of the most common misconception is that they have to work to have a relationship with God and that He is running around with a bat waiting to smack you when you are doing something wrong.
3) How God changed and cemented my marriage from certain divorce within 24 hours and the abundance of what I would call miraculous manifestations in the first year.
4) No. I was the first to accept Jesus and then led the rest of the family (parents/grandparents/brothers/sisters/nephews/nieces) to the same faith in Jesus Christ.
5) I would have to say "God's strength working through me". Love and patience.
6) Praise constantly on my lips. Time of reading. Praying off and on all day. Sharing (even through this venue ) and trying to share the life of Jesus in my walk and talk. (That includes fishing, basketball, exercising and just having a normal life)
7) Probably too long to list but in context of Romans 14, people can express their faith differently. It isn't wrong, just different so that there is enough room for diversity. An example would be church day. For some they believe it should be Saturday and if that is what they do for God... great. For others, they believe that church should be on Sudnay and if that is what they do for God... great. For others every day is a God day and if that is what they do for God... great.
8) Let's sit down and just have a Q & A.


Christian. Non-denominational. Belief in the Charisma which is sometimes refered to as Full-Gospel.

If I didn't quite answer in the context that you wanted... just let me know

Thank you for your response, I definitely understand what you mean when you say expression of faith isn’t wrong, just different in some people. Thats something I think a lot of people need to think about.

 

[KatLearns]

There are a number of psychologists, neuroscientists, and others who have been studying mysticism for more or less the past thirty or forty years now. Some very exciting information has come out. One of my favorite authors (except that his books are sometimes a wee bit on the light side for my taste) is Andrew Newberg, a neuroscientist who's been at it about as long as anyone. His writings are very accessible, very easy to read, and I find that he is methodologically rigorous (even though he writes in a easy style that sometimes hides just how rigorous is his thinking). In one of his most recent books, How Enlightenment Changes Your Mind, he to some extent addresses some of your concerns about how mystics cope with their surroundings.

By the way, Kat, may I suggest that you don't bark up the belief tree with mystics? I made that mistake for a few years when I first started studying them 40 years ago. But it isn't beliefs that determine how they cope with their surroundings. It's their experiences. To, say, "experience the Oneness of All Things" is in most cases to be changed, transformed. Apparently that transformation happens regardless of whether or not you think of that "Oneness" as, say, god or not. You don't need to have the "correct" or "proper" beliefs to be changed by a mystical experience such that, say, you now cope with stress a dozen times better than you did before, or you now have lost the fear you once had of dying.

Mystics have often told me that believing or disbelieving in god is for folks who've never experienced god, but not a concern of theirs.

I’ll have to look into that book, it sounds very interesting. So are these experiences caused by anything? Is it different for everyone or reletively similar? Would you compare these experiences to that of an epiphany (like something of a spiritual revelation)? Sorry for asking so many questions, I just know so little.

 

[KatLearns]

Welcome to our forum!

Here's a little about me ...

I was raised a Catholic but never really believed in it too much.

Then I spent many years as a very cynical and angry atheist - I thought all religion was a crutch for very weak people.

Then I had a "religious experience" on a psych ward - I figured I would be the VERY last person to have such an experience!

I was in the psych ward because I have been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

That experience totally transformed my outlook and how I deal with people.

Before that experience, if you had suggested to me that I would get RIGHT into meditation and reading books like "Conversations with God" and treating everyone with kindness & compassion ... well ... I would have absolutely laughed in your face!

So ... nobody is MORE amazed than me!

I don't currently subscribe to any specific religion - I try and take the best from each religion. I also try to respect and look at my fellow beings in terms of what we all have in common - we all want to experience happiness & love and don't wish to experience too much suffering.

I love what the Dalai Lama has to say about happiness and have a few of his books. Here's a few videos you might enjoy -

happiness dalai lama - YouTube

I meditate and read most of the day - having schizophrenia and a VERY limited income I have to find cheap ways of filling in my time!

Not sure if I have specifically answered your questions but hopefully my story is of interest to you.

Best of luck in your assignment - hope the people at the forum give you some useful material.

If you have additional questions for me, please feel perfectly free to ask away ...

All the best!

That’s really incredible! I’m so glad you could find comfort while seeking treatment not everyone is always so fortunate. I’m happy that you feel that you can share so freely, as someone who has been in and out of treatment for a very long time. Meditation is a wonderfully grounding experience, as well as many of the teaching we can find from religious and spiritual texts. Thank you very much for sharing!