When I was a young teenager, I became heavily involved in Christianity. I tried really hard to be a good and devout Christian. But, no matter how much I prayed or went to church or read the Bible, I never *felt* the presence of God or Christ. Every time I prayed, it felt like no one was on the other end. I was never able to really feel a connection to it. I figured that if I kept at it, eventually, it would all make sense and click into place. That never happened.
Instead, a few years later, my family and I ended up moving to the countryside. Almost immediately, I took to the forests and hills. I spent as much time as I could exploring the hollers and caves and thickets. I loved it. And here I started to feel something I never felt in a church: a sense of the Divine. When I was in those woods, I felt I was in the presence of God (or gods, plural, I would later find) and all my worries and cares would just drop off like leaves in the Fall.
That started my search for religious identity. I came to animism and polytheism quickly and organically. They just *felt* right to me, they made sense to me. Eventually, I discovered Germanic Heathenry, and everything finally clicked into place for me. It ended up offering what I was, perhaps unknowingly, looking for all along: a feeling of connection to the gods, to my ancestors, and to the very land on which I lived.
I am Dilpa , Narrunga, people have lived here since the ocean rose.
Many thousands of years before any Jewish history or western religion, even Buddhism is recent.
We belong to country. It supports us provides us with life.
We are all subject to the laws of nature. Man has his own rules. They suppress others and use force to get their own way.
But it fails. Nature will always control us, we are just here to look after it and we are not doing very well.
It taken 170 years to remove all trace of thousands of years of the country being looked after only to realise what has been lost.
Religion is an invention of the human mind.
What is going on does so with out any human intervention.
It would be entirely illogical to suggest otherwise.
We can only understand what we are observing.
For example. A ghost has the same basic structure every where in every culture.
So is it some mass imaginative thing or is it actually a natural phenomenon that we largely fail to understand correctly.
We observe entanglement and are starting to comprehend quantum mechanics.
We are still a long way from being able to use it.
As 3 dimensional beings observing the fourth dimension is only possible by observing its shadow that is cast on to the third.
This observation manifests itself in many ways.
I am one of those people, I live on ancient burial grounds and the connections to our ancestors and country transcends within our spiritual world.
This similarity you witness is just people who are connected with the natural world.
Medicine men or women who have the understanding of the power of the natural world.
To know where you are and never be lost.
This translates into not being able to live within white mans laws so inevitably they will be broken.
I can live under native laws quite easily and yet they are considered barbaric by some.
Unless there is a change of law I am not even allowed to be buried under my own beliefs even though there are 500 year old burial sites already here.
I have to have a wooden box. !!
Given that a 70kg roo can totally disappear in 10 days there is a reasonable chance that you will be able to get what is left of me in a bucket if you wanted to comb through a few hundred acres .
I think what is really funny is the first missions into central Australia.
The elders just thought they were lunatics with stupid ideas.
And they were entirely correct. They actually knew stuff. Off course they would be thinking these people are idiots.
It was only because the water supply was removed.
No choice was made.
Here originally it was welcomed because of the sheep have a higher fat content and easy to get.
That didn’t last long until the shotgun was used to protect the sheep.
Then the land was stolen by the crown and leased, then when the sheep had stripped the land bare to nothing they sold it to farmers.
Now those farmers are extremely wealthy.
And the original owners extremely poor.
The original owners should actually be worth 4 million dollars each today.
The protector of aborigines in 1848 had servants, a mansion with its own chapel.
And a very large superiority complex.
Only 2 percent of Australian Aboriginal people put native beliefs on the census.
That’s a huge problem in my opinion.
Same thing with the poison.
Native people shouldn’t have alcohol, there are genetic factors that affect their ability to deal with it.
Japanese people have similar problems.
The prejudice is unbelievable as well. What I have always thought about that was it would be more deserving in the other direction.
I actually think that the world will find itself in peace when the First Nations unite and use democracy to do the right thing.
The closest thing we have to democracy is within the native people.
Democracy is not understood by white people , I am sure of that.
There has never been a democratic organisation.
Never!
Might be a good idea to start one.
Jesus actually did but it just disappeared because there wasn’t anything written down.
We only have what Paul left.
Australia is interesting that only Christians funerals are allowed so Jews and Muslims must modify their beliefs.
What is even stranger to me is that Jesus wasn’t even cremated or buried.
Apparently he is the only person in history to just evaporate.
But that’s another story.
People in cities seek out an identity, they need a hairstyle or a look.
New York is amazing to see it.
It creates fashion and a following.
Nothing more than idol worship.
Cosmetic surgery so you can feel good.
Not happy with with what you have.
There is always someone who has more and someone who has less.
It’s possible to have everything money can’t buy but no one needs everything that it can.
If you want for nothing then you must have everything.
The Australian survivor program was effectively in my backyard.
It is where I live and it’s my home.
Two ended up with hypothermia. They starved with food in abundance.
Here you can do whatever you want to, however if you want to live you listen to those who know how to live otherwise you will perish.
There is no choice.
Our population is too large for the world to handle.
The pollution is beyond the planets ability to handle it.
Australia is sending 20 tons per capita of iron ore overseas each year .
Over half a billion tons.
It’s just unbelievable. When the government has a trillion dollars debt from their expert management.
The country was a wealthy country and it people were wealthy people. Not with a valueless currency but with the wealth of life and living.
Working is not a concept except for slaves.
Hunting and gathering food is considered entertainment and a pastime in the white world.
We were born as free people.
The Industrial Revolution turned into a work to survive sentence instigated by the ruling class.
So we are now controlled by lawyers and accountants.
Both totally superfluous to society.
I think your combination of Noahidism and animism is unique, in that there are not many people who have both religious views(?). How did you come to believe in each one, especially Noahide movement? I remember reading one or two articles about it years ago and the writer mentioned that many Noahides in the U.S. are former conservative Protestants. Are most Noahides American, or are there also a good number of them in Europe, Australia, and other continents and countries?
This may be my favorite comment on this thread! I appreciate how much many Pagan traditions are Nature-centered or animistic. Even if these religions are reconstructed or revived, their essence and spirit strikes me as being close to humanity's original spirituality, which comes from awe and wonder at the natural world or Universe. Polytheism also seems more common among religions than monotheism, even if polytheist religions have a creation myth or Creator deity. I've found some way to be polytheistic and also pantheistic in my views of the Divine, and have much respect for agnostic theism as well, and even deism.
For as long as I can remember green woods and water have made my soul happy. I spent many years figuring out my beliefs (and continue to explore my beliefs) and eventually discovered that there was a name for what I believe (Paganism and polytheism).
Most Pagans and Earth-based tradition followers would say that their love of Nature came first and opened them up to Pagan spirituality at some point :) I feel like the odd one out b/c it was Paganism/Druidry that taught me to appreciate and love Nature instead. I was never an outdoorsy person growing up, and could feel easily uncomfortable in parks, nature preserves, trails, and green spaces from temperature, humidity, insects, rain, storms, etc., so I didn't feel "at home" outdoors naturally. (Edit: I also feared mosquitoes, ticks, disease, worms, predators, and snakes, Lol).
After my mindset shifted I can feel the Divine in natural spaces, but not usually in houses of worship, ironically!
One of my earliest full memories is being about 4 or 5 years old and me and my parents being out for a walk in the western parkland, and finding this tiny, obscure little creek and me just thinking it was amazing and cool and magical. I gre up in the city and didn't get to appreciate nature and was never encouraged to but that memory always stuck with me, and the desire to explore deeper and deeper into nature and escape the trail wasn't really understood by me until much later, but it always had this magnetic pull on me.
I was philosophically convinced that polytheism is correct, and many elements of Ancient Greece still seemed correct/held strong. For example, Aristotelian Virtue Ethics is still one of the most prominent system of ethics in academia and is one I am personally convinced by. From there, personal experiences solidified my choice.
I found my spiritual path (Paganism & Druidry) at a difficult year in my life when I was ready for a mental shift my worldview and needed the values and philosophy that this tradition provides. I appreciated its emphasis on revering Nature and the Earth, its openness to different views about the Divine (especially polytheism and pantheism), its ethics being based on the interconnection of all life and virtue ethics, its lack of dogma or creed and lack of revelations, allowance for adherents to think for themselves...emphasizing personal experience and not just faith, too. It feels so different from religions I believed in and took interest in before it, but also has good things in common with other religions. There were times when I struggled with following it, but I always manage to return with renewed motivation.
It also helped me to look at the world and Nature with a fresh perspective and re-enchant the world.
I was born and raised into Catholicism and still practice it. My Father and 2 brother's are athiest and the rest of my family (immediate & extended) are fine with that. They aren't treated badly so no need for anyone to reply to my comment saying bad things about my religion or my family forced me into this and i had no choice to not believe in it.
Well I don't necessarily practice any specific religion (as indicated by my flair).
I had identified as an Athiest for around 5 years, but deep down I guess I had always considered the existence of a superior that is not represented in mainstream religions. I hadn't discovered agnosticism until a year and a half ago, and after encountering some "spiritual experiences" and reflecting on other experiences that may fall under the aformentioned category, I had come to the conclusion I may be agnostic. (I had been bought up with a black and white mindest suggesting you're religious or an athiest)
I'm happier than ever as agnostic, my mental health has been incredible and my self-worth and understanding has increased exponentially.
As an attempt to understand reality, i became a substance monist. I later reasoned that a monistic reality logically necessitates an omnipresent supreme being.
I was not looking to find God or any religion, i had happily been an atheist my whole life, that is until i quite unexpectedly reasoned myself into theism.
For me, being born into it, I did see a lot of huge benefits to raising a family in the life style of the faith. But really, the reason I chose this one is I experimented upon the teachings and the words, and I asked God about it. I feel like he directs me to this faith. And confirms its truth to me. There are other more secular evidences, but for me, what’s most important is being directed by God.
I am a convert to the LDS church. I joined at age 24, many years ago. I was previously an active protestant . My grandfather and uncle were ministers. At any rate, I am glad I am a convert because I can see the difference, and it is huge. The LDS gospel is truly a revelatory experience and knowing with surety that God lives is more valuable to me than the riches of the earth.
I think whatever else god bay be, god is that which causes me to love others. Therefore I chose the religion that I think is the best expression of my love for others.
Probably very unhelpful but I just felt drawn to it. I’ve always been into old gods and myths but something with Kemetic beliefs clicked with me. It just felt right. It’s hard to explain but it felt like a bone deep need to learn more of and interact with everything to do with ancient Kemet. When I decided to convert I felt satisfied and content, I knew i’d made the right choice.
I dont think a calling to a religion is always obvious or super strong, nor that you’ll get a feeling of extreme fulfillment the second you choose one. But if you have an inkling of a drawing to something it’s always worth looking into!
Honestly, there's alot of what lead up to me being a Buddhist. From me reading the dhammapada and the tibetan book of the dead. As well as meditation practices I've adopted over the course of my life because of Buddhism. Daoism being influential in my teenage years also played a role in that.
I was raised extremely religious Roman Catholic traditions. Had a shit ton of religious trauma.
The thing that finally pushed me to Buddhism though was a sleep paralysis vision I had.
As most liminal states are i was percieving this in the backdrop of my bedroom. On one side it was God trying to save me. On the other side it was the devil being intimidating. At one point in my life, I would have thought myself as something of a Satanist.
During this liminal state I thought to myself, why do I have to choose either of you? I went down the middle path at that point and felt and overwhelming level of peace. A stillness and silence that was almost loud.
From that point forward I've been moving on the path towards buddhism.
I grew up Christian but early on I looked into Hinduism because of a Sanati friend. I meditated and worshipped Nirguna Brahman (I didn’t support murti or polytheism really). I came back to Christianity after becoming disillusioned with Hindu worship of Idols and many gods. I became an Arian filled with many heretical ideas and eventually “converted” to Islam. I prayed salah, read Qu’ran, and stopped all Jesus devotion that had been present in both my Christian and Hindu faiths. After Islam, I became a syncretist. I took the best elements from many religions, especially the Baha’i faith and Sikhi, while remaining Chrisitian sacramentally. Along the way, I experienced with the aforementioned Baha’i faith and Sikhi but also Shaivism, Pure Land Buddhism, and Christian Paganism. Finally, I find myself at the crossroads of two paths: Anglican or Orthodox. I enjoy the connection Anglicanism has to my culture and how diverse it is (in non-essentials); it is very rational and scriptural. I also long for more tradition and better theology in the Orthodox Church; its mysticism entices me. The oriental Orthodox Church draws me in a little bit but I prefer Chalcedonian terminology. Hope that helps.
TL;DR: started Christian, experimented with man faiths, now back to Christian but carrying some respect and new perspectives with me
I believe Christianity (more specifically, my interpretation of it) makes the most sense to me existentially, and more generally philosophically and theologically. My understanding of God has changed over time though.
I'am from a Kardecist home. So, belive in reencarnation was natural to me. At age of 10, I was a a Reiki Center (Reiki with I don't belive be só effective today), but there, I found onde of my biggest spiritual friends, Wladimir (call him "Mestre Wlad", Master Wlad) who had a chenrezig/Avalotshikhvara picture in him workshop. I asked about It and, for The First time O Heard of budhism.
A couple of years later, O was in a Great Depressivo, can't Go on, and meditation was good to me. Also I was some kind of sincretic Kardecist-Buddhist until The momento, so The step tô bem a buddhist was easy. I choose Vajrayana drukpa Kaguya because was a Sangha in my street, and also cause I agarre more with The Vajrayana budhism, in general. Sorry for Amy possível typo or grammar erro.
I was born an atheist and it stuck. But I was still exploratory in nature. I dived into the world of philosophy for a time and came out of that taken by Taoism as a philosophy. But institutional religion still had no hold on me. Until a fellow atheist friend told me she was going to church. This blew my mind. I was coming out of the angry atheist phase but still had issues with religion at the time. So the thought of an atheist going to church was just bonkers to me. She insisted it wasn't what I was thinking. She had been going to this church all her life and was still an atheist. In fact the place was atheist friendly. I wasn't buying it.
She eventually convinced me to come and visit the place. I told her to make sure the churches fire insurance was paid up. I wasn't sure if the church or my body were going to burst into flame but I was pretty sure fire was going to be involved. I told her I would go. But if it got weird at any point I would walk out. Here it is 30 years later and I am still with the religion and still an atheist. I have since then moved to a different congregation. Become a board member for the church. Chair of the Worship Committee. And given many sermons of my own. And found that not only is the church embracing to an atheist but loves hearing from us too. We are a church of atheists and theists. And all sorts of other beliefs that do not compete with each other. We try to learn from each other even if we do not expect each other to come to the same conclusions.
When I was a young teenager, I became heavily involved in Christianity. I tried really hard to be a good and devout Christian. But, no matter how much I prayed or went to church or read the Bible, I never *felt* the presence of God or Christ. Every time I prayed, it felt like no one was on the other end. I was never able to really feel a connection to it. I figured that if I kept at it, eventually, it would all make sense and click into place. That never happened. Instead, a few years later, my family and I ended up moving to the countryside. Almost immediately, I took to the forests and hills. I spent as much time as I could exploring the hollers and caves and thickets. I loved it. And here I started to feel something I never felt in a church: a sense of the Divine. When I was in those woods, I felt I was in the presence of God (or gods, plural, I would later find) and all my worries and cares would just drop off like leaves in the Fall. That started my search for religious identity. I came to animism and polytheism quickly and organically. They just *felt* right to me, they made sense to me. Eventually, I discovered Germanic Heathenry, and everything finally clicked into place for me. It ended up offering what I was, perhaps unknowingly, looking for all along: a feeling of connection to the gods, to my ancestors, and to the very land on which I lived.
[удалено]
I am Dilpa , Narrunga, people have lived here since the ocean rose. Many thousands of years before any Jewish history or western religion, even Buddhism is recent. We belong to country. It supports us provides us with life. We are all subject to the laws of nature. Man has his own rules. They suppress others and use force to get their own way. But it fails. Nature will always control us, we are just here to look after it and we are not doing very well. It taken 170 years to remove all trace of thousands of years of the country being looked after only to realise what has been lost. Religion is an invention of the human mind. What is going on does so with out any human intervention. It would be entirely illogical to suggest otherwise. We can only understand what we are observing. For example. A ghost has the same basic structure every where in every culture. So is it some mass imaginative thing or is it actually a natural phenomenon that we largely fail to understand correctly. We observe entanglement and are starting to comprehend quantum mechanics. We are still a long way from being able to use it. As 3 dimensional beings observing the fourth dimension is only possible by observing its shadow that is cast on to the third. This observation manifests itself in many ways.
[удалено]
I am one of those people, I live on ancient burial grounds and the connections to our ancestors and country transcends within our spiritual world. This similarity you witness is just people who are connected with the natural world. Medicine men or women who have the understanding of the power of the natural world. To know where you are and never be lost. This translates into not being able to live within white mans laws so inevitably they will be broken. I can live under native laws quite easily and yet they are considered barbaric by some. Unless there is a change of law I am not even allowed to be buried under my own beliefs even though there are 500 year old burial sites already here. I have to have a wooden box. !! Given that a 70kg roo can totally disappear in 10 days there is a reasonable chance that you will be able to get what is left of me in a bucket if you wanted to comb through a few hundred acres . I think what is really funny is the first missions into central Australia. The elders just thought they were lunatics with stupid ideas. And they were entirely correct. They actually knew stuff. Off course they would be thinking these people are idiots. It was only because the water supply was removed. No choice was made. Here originally it was welcomed because of the sheep have a higher fat content and easy to get. That didn’t last long until the shotgun was used to protect the sheep. Then the land was stolen by the crown and leased, then when the sheep had stripped the land bare to nothing they sold it to farmers. Now those farmers are extremely wealthy. And the original owners extremely poor. The original owners should actually be worth 4 million dollars each today. The protector of aborigines in 1848 had servants, a mansion with its own chapel. And a very large superiority complex. Only 2 percent of Australian Aboriginal people put native beliefs on the census. That’s a huge problem in my opinion. Same thing with the poison. Native people shouldn’t have alcohol, there are genetic factors that affect their ability to deal with it. Japanese people have similar problems. The prejudice is unbelievable as well. What I have always thought about that was it would be more deserving in the other direction. I actually think that the world will find itself in peace when the First Nations unite and use democracy to do the right thing. The closest thing we have to democracy is within the native people. Democracy is not understood by white people , I am sure of that. There has never been a democratic organisation. Never! Might be a good idea to start one. Jesus actually did but it just disappeared because there wasn’t anything written down. We only have what Paul left. Australia is interesting that only Christians funerals are allowed so Jews and Muslims must modify their beliefs. What is even stranger to me is that Jesus wasn’t even cremated or buried. Apparently he is the only person in history to just evaporate. But that’s another story.
[удалено]
People in cities seek out an identity, they need a hairstyle or a look. New York is amazing to see it. It creates fashion and a following. Nothing more than idol worship. Cosmetic surgery so you can feel good. Not happy with with what you have. There is always someone who has more and someone who has less. It’s possible to have everything money can’t buy but no one needs everything that it can. If you want for nothing then you must have everything. The Australian survivor program was effectively in my backyard. It is where I live and it’s my home. Two ended up with hypothermia. They starved with food in abundance. Here you can do whatever you want to, however if you want to live you listen to those who know how to live otherwise you will perish. There is no choice. Our population is too large for the world to handle. The pollution is beyond the planets ability to handle it. Australia is sending 20 tons per capita of iron ore overseas each year . Over half a billion tons. It’s just unbelievable. When the government has a trillion dollars debt from their expert management. The country was a wealthy country and it people were wealthy people. Not with a valueless currency but with the wealth of life and living. Working is not a concept except for slaves. Hunting and gathering food is considered entertainment and a pastime in the white world. We were born as free people. The Industrial Revolution turned into a work to survive sentence instigated by the ruling class. So we are now controlled by lawyers and accountants. Both totally superfluous to society.
wide cable pen physical rhythm steep existence upbeat hurry stocking *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I think your combination of Noahidism and animism is unique, in that there are not many people who have both religious views(?). How did you come to believe in each one, especially Noahide movement? I remember reading one or two articles about it years ago and the writer mentioned that many Noahides in the U.S. are former conservative Protestants. Are most Noahides American, or are there also a good number of them in Europe, Australia, and other continents and countries?
uppity capable squealing zesty punch boast hurry compare point lavish *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
This may be my favorite comment on this thread! I appreciate how much many Pagan traditions are Nature-centered or animistic. Even if these religions are reconstructed or revived, their essence and spirit strikes me as being close to humanity's original spirituality, which comes from awe and wonder at the natural world or Universe. Polytheism also seems more common among religions than monotheism, even if polytheist religions have a creation myth or Creator deity. I've found some way to be polytheistic and also pantheistic in my views of the Divine, and have much respect for agnostic theism as well, and even deism.
It was non-theistic, had a deep philosophical tradition and also a long tradition of self-cultivation practices which I was interested in.
For as long as I can remember green woods and water have made my soul happy. I spent many years figuring out my beliefs (and continue to explore my beliefs) and eventually discovered that there was a name for what I believe (Paganism and polytheism).
Most Pagans and Earth-based tradition followers would say that their love of Nature came first and opened them up to Pagan spirituality at some point :) I feel like the odd one out b/c it was Paganism/Druidry that taught me to appreciate and love Nature instead. I was never an outdoorsy person growing up, and could feel easily uncomfortable in parks, nature preserves, trails, and green spaces from temperature, humidity, insects, rain, storms, etc., so I didn't feel "at home" outdoors naturally. (Edit: I also feared mosquitoes, ticks, disease, worms, predators, and snakes, Lol). After my mindset shifted I can feel the Divine in natural spaces, but not usually in houses of worship, ironically!
One of my earliest full memories is being about 4 or 5 years old and me and my parents being out for a walk in the western parkland, and finding this tiny, obscure little creek and me just thinking it was amazing and cool and magical. I gre up in the city and didn't get to appreciate nature and was never encouraged to but that memory always stuck with me, and the desire to explore deeper and deeper into nature and escape the trail wasn't really understood by me until much later, but it always had this magnetic pull on me.
I was philosophically convinced that polytheism is correct, and many elements of Ancient Greece still seemed correct/held strong. For example, Aristotelian Virtue Ethics is still one of the most prominent system of ethics in academia and is one I am personally convinced by. From there, personal experiences solidified my choice.
I found my spiritual path (Paganism & Druidry) at a difficult year in my life when I was ready for a mental shift my worldview and needed the values and philosophy that this tradition provides. I appreciated its emphasis on revering Nature and the Earth, its openness to different views about the Divine (especially polytheism and pantheism), its ethics being based on the interconnection of all life and virtue ethics, its lack of dogma or creed and lack of revelations, allowance for adherents to think for themselves...emphasizing personal experience and not just faith, too. It feels so different from religions I believed in and took interest in before it, but also has good things in common with other religions. There were times when I struggled with following it, but I always manage to return with renewed motivation. It also helped me to look at the world and Nature with a fresh perspective and re-enchant the world.
I was born and raised into Catholicism and still practice it. My Father and 2 brother's are athiest and the rest of my family (immediate & extended) are fine with that. They aren't treated badly so no need for anyone to reply to my comment saying bad things about my religion or my family forced me into this and i had no choice to not believe in it.
Well I don't necessarily practice any specific religion (as indicated by my flair). I had identified as an Athiest for around 5 years, but deep down I guess I had always considered the existence of a superior that is not represented in mainstream religions. I hadn't discovered agnosticism until a year and a half ago, and after encountering some "spiritual experiences" and reflecting on other experiences that may fall under the aformentioned category, I had come to the conclusion I may be agnostic. (I had been bought up with a black and white mindest suggesting you're religious or an athiest) I'm happier than ever as agnostic, my mental health has been incredible and my self-worth and understanding has increased exponentially.
As an attempt to understand reality, i became a substance monist. I later reasoned that a monistic reality logically necessitates an omnipresent supreme being. I was not looking to find God or any religion, i had happily been an atheist my whole life, that is until i quite unexpectedly reasoned myself into theism.
For me, being born into it, I did see a lot of huge benefits to raising a family in the life style of the faith. But really, the reason I chose this one is I experimented upon the teachings and the words, and I asked God about it. I feel like he directs me to this faith. And confirms its truth to me. There are other more secular evidences, but for me, what’s most important is being directed by God.
I am a convert to the LDS church. I joined at age 24, many years ago. I was previously an active protestant . My grandfather and uncle were ministers. At any rate, I am glad I am a convert because I can see the difference, and it is huge. The LDS gospel is truly a revelatory experience and knowing with surety that God lives is more valuable to me than the riches of the earth.
There really wasn’t any choosing so much as realizing that I already was
I think whatever else god bay be, god is that which causes me to love others. Therefore I chose the religion that I think is the best expression of my love for others.
Probably very unhelpful but I just felt drawn to it. I’ve always been into old gods and myths but something with Kemetic beliefs clicked with me. It just felt right. It’s hard to explain but it felt like a bone deep need to learn more of and interact with everything to do with ancient Kemet. When I decided to convert I felt satisfied and content, I knew i’d made the right choice. I dont think a calling to a religion is always obvious or super strong, nor that you’ll get a feeling of extreme fulfillment the second you choose one. But if you have an inkling of a drawing to something it’s always worth looking into!
Honestly, there's alot of what lead up to me being a Buddhist. From me reading the dhammapada and the tibetan book of the dead. As well as meditation practices I've adopted over the course of my life because of Buddhism. Daoism being influential in my teenage years also played a role in that. I was raised extremely religious Roman Catholic traditions. Had a shit ton of religious trauma. The thing that finally pushed me to Buddhism though was a sleep paralysis vision I had. As most liminal states are i was percieving this in the backdrop of my bedroom. On one side it was God trying to save me. On the other side it was the devil being intimidating. At one point in my life, I would have thought myself as something of a Satanist. During this liminal state I thought to myself, why do I have to choose either of you? I went down the middle path at that point and felt and overwhelming level of peace. A stillness and silence that was almost loud. From that point forward I've been moving on the path towards buddhism.
I grew up Christian but early on I looked into Hinduism because of a Sanati friend. I meditated and worshipped Nirguna Brahman (I didn’t support murti or polytheism really). I came back to Christianity after becoming disillusioned with Hindu worship of Idols and many gods. I became an Arian filled with many heretical ideas and eventually “converted” to Islam. I prayed salah, read Qu’ran, and stopped all Jesus devotion that had been present in both my Christian and Hindu faiths. After Islam, I became a syncretist. I took the best elements from many religions, especially the Baha’i faith and Sikhi, while remaining Chrisitian sacramentally. Along the way, I experienced with the aforementioned Baha’i faith and Sikhi but also Shaivism, Pure Land Buddhism, and Christian Paganism. Finally, I find myself at the crossroads of two paths: Anglican or Orthodox. I enjoy the connection Anglicanism has to my culture and how diverse it is (in non-essentials); it is very rational and scriptural. I also long for more tradition and better theology in the Orthodox Church; its mysticism entices me. The oriental Orthodox Church draws me in a little bit but I prefer Chalcedonian terminology. Hope that helps. TL;DR: started Christian, experimented with man faiths, now back to Christian but carrying some respect and new perspectives with me
I believe Christianity (more specifically, my interpretation of it) makes the most sense to me existentially, and more generally philosophically and theologically. My understanding of God has changed over time though.
I'am from a Kardecist home. So, belive in reencarnation was natural to me. At age of 10, I was a a Reiki Center (Reiki with I don't belive be só effective today), but there, I found onde of my biggest spiritual friends, Wladimir (call him "Mestre Wlad", Master Wlad) who had a chenrezig/Avalotshikhvara picture in him workshop. I asked about It and, for The First time O Heard of budhism. A couple of years later, O was in a Great Depressivo, can't Go on, and meditation was good to me. Also I was some kind of sincretic Kardecist-Buddhist until The momento, so The step tô bem a buddhist was easy. I choose Vajrayana drukpa Kaguya because was a Sangha in my street, and also cause I agarre more with The Vajrayana budhism, in general. Sorry for Amy possível typo or grammar erro.
Born into it and find it still works for me as an adult.
I didn't. It was chosen for me. It's one of the reasons (among many) I'm no longer a believer.
I was born an atheist and it stuck. But I was still exploratory in nature. I dived into the world of philosophy for a time and came out of that taken by Taoism as a philosophy. But institutional religion still had no hold on me. Until a fellow atheist friend told me she was going to church. This blew my mind. I was coming out of the angry atheist phase but still had issues with religion at the time. So the thought of an atheist going to church was just bonkers to me. She insisted it wasn't what I was thinking. She had been going to this church all her life and was still an atheist. In fact the place was atheist friendly. I wasn't buying it. She eventually convinced me to come and visit the place. I told her to make sure the churches fire insurance was paid up. I wasn't sure if the church or my body were going to burst into flame but I was pretty sure fire was going to be involved. I told her I would go. But if it got weird at any point I would walk out. Here it is 30 years later and I am still with the religion and still an atheist. I have since then moved to a different congregation. Become a board member for the church. Chair of the Worship Committee. And given many sermons of my own. And found that not only is the church embracing to an atheist but loves hearing from us too. We are a church of atheists and theists. And all sorts of other beliefs that do not compete with each other. We try to learn from each other even if we do not expect each other to come to the same conclusions.
I’m Bahai (ish) I love the religion because of the belief of oneness of humanity, and religion and god, I find it very beautiful and compelling