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What do you find most challenging in the religion you follow?

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Sometimes when following a religious teaching, a person can come across difficult person the teaching, either as in understanding the teaching it self, or certain things the teaching say we should not do, but we can not understand why it is seen as a wrong thing to do?

PS: this thread is about the things you find difficult, not the understanding or views of @Conscious thoughts, so it's not a thread to say you are wrong or I am right.
 

SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
My religion makes no demands of me nor does it ask anything of me, so there is nothing I can think anything that is challenging in my religion.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Lack of resources and community. Ancestral veneration practices are highly demonized in the states. That and my blood living family wants to keep most our family history to themselves. Also being a family member is hard since everyone is so spread out.

But I know from past experiences it's mostly been protection that my deceased family (speaking of body) has been doing. Love I'm not familiar with other than deeds not affection and words. Least growing up. So trying to build that.

There are religions that focus on ancestors and energies between god and man. The word god is such a convoluted word I don't use it. I guess language is also a difficulty. But I live alone and have a lot of time to work on myself with my family's help. Those in spirit and flesh. I agree with rival it's lonely.
 
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Eddi

Agnostic
Premium Member
For me the most challenging thing in Christianity is understanidng the Hebrew Scriptures, I find them very daunting

I find the Christian Scriptures much more accessible but I know the Hebrew Scriptures are important and I know that I need to understand them more
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
I'll jump on board with @Rival and @Unveiled Artist .... My temple is a 2 hour drive away, and unless the event is a large festival, I require a babysitter to be able to visit(pre Covid, can't go at all now). So, its in for the event, and out again so I can pick up the kids; 4 hour drive round trip. We don't really get an opportunity to engage in any kind of community. I have no friends or acquaintances that share my beliefs, and I can feel isolated at times because of it.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
The lack of community and infrastructure.

While not entirely absent in contemporary Paganism, it is comparatively absent and that comes with a lot of pitfalls especially as a minority religious demographic.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I'm a minority, culture wise, within my faith. I find that challenging, as I make many false assumptions. The first is with language. I falsely assume my friends understand what I'm saying. A simple example is when I told one friend that I had itchy feet (idiom meaning you have the urge to travel) and he figured he should buy some anti-itch lotion.

Much religious stuff by friends is in Tamil, or Sanskrit, and I miss out on the devotion, the meaning, the humour, and more. When I'm around, it's a challenge for them as well, as they may not do it justice by a rough translation.

This isn't all that big of a deal though, as it's been 40 years. We've overcome may challenges since we started.
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
I'm a minority, culture wise, within my faith. I find that challenging, as I make many false assumptions. The first is with language. I falsely assume my friends understand what I'm saying. A simple example is when I told one friend that I had itchy feet (idiom meaning you have the urge to travel) and he figured he should buy some anti-itch lotion.

Much religious stuff by friends is in Tamil, or Sanskrit, and I miss out on the devotion, the meaning, the humour, and more. When I'm around, it's a challenge for them as well, as they may not do it justice by a rough translation.

This isn't all that big of a deal though, as it's been 40 years. We've overcome may challenges since we started.

I had to giggle a little at the misunderstanding with the feet, though it was very kind of your friend to care enough to buy some lotion.

The first time my husband and I went to a temple, it was for a Shiva Abishekam. We understood so little of what was going on... but each time we went back, we understood a little more. There are times I recognize something without having to think about it, and it always makes me feel good.

In pujas at home, I typically do the opening prayer to Ganesh, but I couldn't find my book with the prayer in it... and then all the sudden I realized I knew it! I didn't need to read it... that was a personal achievement that took me by surprise.
 

Loaai

A Logical Scientific Philosopher.
Having to wake up middle of sleep to do Fajr prayer (even tho it's not required). I find it really challenging waking up everyday at 4am, but that extraordinary feeling after praying is just unmatched!
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
The lack of community and infrastructure.

While not entirely absent in contemporary Paganism, it is comparatively absent and that comes with a lot of pitfalls especially as a minority religious demographic.

I remember your initiation (lbw) years ago. Was that within a community setting?
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
In pujas at home, I typically do the opening prayer to Ganesh, but I couldn't find my book with the prayer in it... and then all the sudden I realized I knew it! I didn't need to read it... that was a personal achievement that took me by surprise.

Tossing the book away is a godsend, isn't it, as then you can focus on beseeching from the heart. I know two complete astottarams (Ganesha, and Siva) Sometimes, because the same name appears in both lists, I accidentally cross over to the other set. In the learning stages I'd discover that because I was thinking about being correct. Now, when it happens, I can actually feel the difference. Huge jump that was.

Very little beats a Siva abhishekam done well. I've been so lucky. I saw it at Thanjavur by myself, of all things, and at Chidambaram, up close, because I have a friend who knows a priest there well. We are so incredibly blessed.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Two of Meher Baba's statements about how to love God especially when it comes to truly negative people:

To love God in the most practical way is to love our fellow beings. If we feel for others in the same way as we feel for our own dear ones, we love God.

If, instead of seeing faults in others, we look within ourselves, we are loving God.
 

Suave

Simulated character
Sometimes when following a religious teaching, a person can come across difficult person the teaching, either as in understanding the teaching it self, or certain things the teaching say we should not do, but we can not understand why it is seen as a wrong thing to do?

PS: this thread is about the things you find difficult, not the understanding or views of @Conscious thoughts, so it's not a thread to say you are wrong or I am right.

I find it difficult having Faith in beliefs I have no way of knowing if they are in any way true.
 
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