Hiya! What I would like to know is, do you practice the religion your parents taught you? If not, how did your religion find you? How old were you when you found what was right for you? And of course, anything else of interest along those lines!
For what its worth, I'm an agnostic, my parents atheist, so I guess I pretty much follow what I was taught as a child.
I was baptized when my aunt and uncle secretly spirited me away, for they were very concerned that I wasn't. I was baptized Lutheran, but I do not know much about the Lutheran religion myself.
I guess if I really had to label a religion, it would be Presbyterian, for that is the religion my mother's parents followed, my father's parents followed some sect that was radical in its ideals, and I would not want to identify myself with them.
My mother's parents are interesting, my grandfather was an Irish Catholic, my Grandmother English Presbyterian, and they tried to get married in the Catholic church, it didn't work out too well, however, and my grandfather lapsed with Catholicism and turned Presbyterian. He taught Sunday school and everything.
Something else of note: My grandfather was left handed, and the nuns tied his hand down and beat him until he learned to use his right. My mother and myself are both lefties. I thank goodness that I didn't have to go through what my grandfather did, for I am clumsy enough now, I'd be an insidious menace to society if I had to change hands! *giggle*
I'm told that it is the twenty first century now, and that nuns don't do that anymore! I guess we can all breathe a sigh of relief.
I was raised Catholic, but even at a very young age I was exposing myself to all sorts of odd things. I came up in the catholic church but didn't really think about anything for a long time.... I was reading Earthsea, which Fist says has major Taoist themes... talking to people online who were much older than me about their various emotional and philosophical stuff.... Just in general being bombarded with various bits and peices of spirituality. I stole my first pack of Tarot cards when I was 12 I think.
A lot of my childhood I don't remember, and I'm only 22 now.
When I went to John Carroll University I discovered Platonism, which is a philosophy but can be practiced like a religion. I put a lot of faith in that. Eventually, that faith fell apart, and I became what I am now: Atheist existentialist. Making my own way. I came to it from a combination of everything around me, and my own life experience... I guess that's how everyone comes to everything though.
EDIT: By the way Lady Revel, did you ever do any online roleplaying?
Start where you are,
use what you have,
do what you can.
I was raised SDA, which is a subset of Fundamental Protestantism. I went through 12 years of their school system, and spent every night from ages 8 to 12 wondering if I was going to see the right side of Judgement Day.
Unfortunately for the church, at the time I was a member, they were very adamant about personal Bible study and finding out the truth of things for yourself. They lost most me and of my generation when we decided to study of not just the Bible, but also Biblical times, sources for Biblical writings, Biblical history, etc. (When kids in Religion Class started asking whether this or that text was translated from Hebrew or Greek, I think they knew they were in trouble. I know that they aren't so big on "personal study" now.)
Now I'm an Agnostic. I figure that there's got to be Someone up there, but I'm not about to try and tell you Who They Are, What They Want, or If They're Paying Attention.
Jem, sorta.....I was at the WOT Tower boards for a very short time, and didn't do much of anything there, I rarely posted, I was sort of forced to post, but I spent most of my time in chat
I ended up leaving, because they really wanted active participation, and it wasn't fair of me not to give it to them.
Anyway, I'm having much more fun over here at the Watch.
My "religious" development has been pretty haphazard.
Nominally raised Catholic, and always a voracious reader, I decided at about 13 or 14 (in the middle of my love affair with logic) that something didn't quite seem right.
Spent the next couple of years devouring every text on comparative religion I could find, before resigning myself to the sort of atheism that is practically fundamentalism, so rabid was it in its insistance that there was no god.
Since, I've moderated my view a good deal, losing some of the arrogance I was so richly endowed with, and coming to a greater realisation of exactly how little we (and I in particular ) know.
Effectively, I suppose that I'm still really an atheist. Just not as radically as before. There may well be something, some "force" out there, (hell, there are plenty of "forces" out there) but I personally find the likelihood fairly small.
In the meanwhile, I amuse myself with a religion that doesn't give much of a damn about what I think, and is quite happy being purely imaginary.
I was raised Catholic.
But when my father abandonded my mother, me and my siblings for another woman and the priest told my Mother that she was at fault and that because she was divorced that she shouldn't take communion, we stopped going.
My Mother never badmouthed the Church in front of any of us when we were children but thought it best if we followed whatever path we came up with ourselves.
So I think I've got it pretty good.
A basic understanding of Christ's teachings without all the Catholic Church baggage.
I'm raising my own children in a similar way.
I want them to have a basic understanding of the message of Jesus.
I want them to have a place in their hearts to go to if something really terrible happens in their lives.
My wife will take them to Church and *hopefully* I will be there to navigate them through the Church sillyness to solid ground.
And I'll let them know that it's ok to change their beliefs as they grow and go through life.
I hear a lot of parents talk against religion and heaven, calling it a "fantasy for children" and if I mention how it will make it easier for their child if a parent were do die by giving them some hope for a future reunion in that young childs mind they usually respond with a shrug or make some mention like "so religion is just a comfort?"
And I say "Yes! You'll go out of the way to make sure your kid has a safe home and comfortable shoes a warm bed then leave them on their own if you die?"
Well that's my take on it.
Last edited by High Lord Tolkien on Mon May 09, 2005 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I was raised (Irish) Catholic, and took it pretty seriously as a kid. My parents, school, and church told me it was so, and intellectually I believed them. But despite my efforts, I never managed to deeply believe that wafer in my mouth was anything other than a piece of bread.
Around my junior high years, it gradually occurred to me that christianity was just another mythology, and I realized I was an atheist. Then followed years of fighting with my mother about not going to church or being confirmed, and awkward moments in catholic school when I decided that I would not kneel during mass, religion grades dragging down my GPA because I refused to reflect on what the stations of the cross meant to me, etc.
I envy my wife, who was raised entirely religion-free. She considers herself an "apatheist."
Raised Mormon (Jack Mormon, mostly ), found myself unable to believe when I was about 16, a couple years later had what I thought at the time was enlightenment (actually was awakening)... considered myself a zen solipsist ever since.
born Catholic. raised in a Congregationalist Church.
wandered a bit through a few Christian Churches. Baptist, Salvation Army, 7th Day Adventist, Foursquare Gospel. rededicated myself to Catholicism as I felt a void in the churches I went to. I liked the music, the preaching. but I was missing reverence. started at the local Catholic Church. the wife converted, we went to RICA. got remarried in the Church and now I am an active member. attending adoration and volunteering in the food pantry, bingo...wherever they need me. and i joined the Knights of Colombus.
JemCheeta wrote:I'm reading The Illuminatus! Trilogy... basically the Upanishads to the Principia's Gita.
Don't neglect the Schrodingers Cat trilogy either.
Nuk-- Luckily for me, my parents were quite willing to let me make up my own mind, regardless of what they personally believed.
HLT-- While I see what you're saying in terms of providing something for the yung child to believe in, I'm pretty much of the opinion that it's fantasy type stuff. It's difficult for me to argue, not hving kids of my own, but when they do come along, I'd like them to make up their own minds too.
I'm also not a fan of telling kids about easter bunnies, tooth fairies, and father christmas. (I recently read something where a woman said that the realisation that there was no Santa was what led to her no longer believing in god. Your kids find out you've been lying to them all this time, I can't see that as good.
Do You Believe In Magic?, Or, how I came about my spirituality.
My father was a wizard of sorts. Earliest memories are unclear to me but somewhere , when I and my sister were quite young and brother was in his mid childhood, dear ole dad produced The Magic Wand.
…The Magic Wand , in keeping with the natural bent, was made of Oak, stained medium dark, with spent brass casings on each end. I do remember well that one was marked “ Winchester 45-70” and the other, I think, was marked “ Remington 50” for an idea of the ring gauge of the silent stick.
…And such a stick it was. I don’t remember its first demonstration. Perhaps my older brother would know. But I knew of its persuasion. Its mere presence could make me stand in the corner of the room and “ think about it” for as long as Master Merlin Dad wished. I suppose behavior of 3 wild rabid children evoked The Magic Wand from the confides of wizard dads desk. Dad felt free to teach us some religion. The simple magic of the Wand was his preferred dogma.
…Like all application and beholdings of Power, corruption eventually followed. The Wand demonstrated amazing powers. When applied across buttocks , a razing of welt was the clear sign of guilt. Amazing abilities it had. It mattered not who’s butt applied to, its Power never failed. Now, Sunday was a day of tradition. An Italian meal was had early evening and us kids were allowed a small glass of vino. Dad was expanding his application of Magic. The red potion tended to becalm all who drank.
…So it was with great surprise, the Sunday evening Dad erupted with great malevolence. Upstairs!!!, all of us, now!!!. In the bedroom, NOW!!! All to soon the magician and his wand was bellicose in front of us. “ Who Wiped Their Bum on the bath Towel!!??..The charge was as unthinkable as applying it to any of us was. Yet, the Wand guaranteed , some magic was about to take place. From nothing,,absolutely nothing,,something would appear. This realization answers this threads question, on how was religion brought to me.
…Many options occurred to me. All kinds of magic was possible. And like Tom Convenant upon first ignition of the White Gold,,even I was mystified by what I let take over me. First of all, I found out what abject begging is; Tears rolling down my cheeks, pleading there was no way I would use a bath towel to swab the bum. The Wand was evoking some Magic out of me. Mother took pity, and as I gathered myself and left the bedroom,,wow,this is tough,,I think I head the sound of magic oak being applied to bare buttocks, evoking a different type of response from my siblings.
…The Magic had possessed me tho. I had know idea how or why, I was guided and went to the bathroom. I looked at each towel until there,,there it was, the godawful Truth. I had searched as I was found. It was too late to save my brother and sister but I was found. My Magic was more Powerful than my ole mans. I beheld the Pure Truth. After diner I had washed up and left a stain of spaghetti sauce on the towel. Perhaps the Wizards amount of imbibed red potion distorted his vision.
…Now, the Truth was Pure infront of me. I had done this. But, it wasn’t what it was purported to be. Yet, my magic had to be demonstrated. Don’t mess with me old man.
And I came to know the other side of that sentiment as well. How can you clash with someone who isn’t there?
…Not too much longer, Mom decided we needed the civilizing effects of Religion. First my brother then myself and sister, off to catecism(spl) classes and the Confirmation. There has been talk here of the Nicene Creed. I remember the pastor introducing the class to the Nicene Creed of the Faith and what it stood for. I remember the distinct impression of the amount of Faith that was required in the dogma.. But I already had something I believed in. It was beautiful in all manifestations, dark or light. I had beheld its Power and Majesty many times.
…Soon after classes, my sister and brother made dads magic wand disappear. She told me that she threw it down the sewer. It mattered little to me. I had surpassed it and feared it not. But, I respect it. It had introduced me to world that I have learned to respect and enjoy. There is magic in this existence, and it is a wonder to behold….MEL
I was raised by free methodist parents, and we went to a free methodist church until I was 13. When I move out, I started trying different churches; Church of Christ, Baptist, Southern Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Christian churches mainly. I pay little attention to anything other than the bible, though; I'm just not interested in the minutae.
I am left-handed as well, though I'm not sure what that has to do with my salvation.
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion
I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.
"the priest told my Mother that she was at fault and that because she was divorced that she shouldn't take communion" HL Tolkien
This sort of thing is exactly what turned me off of organized religion and the various idiotic denominations. When religion turns from the big picture and starts to legislate personal individual actions on that level, I lose all interest, and in fact actively rebel.
I was raised in the midwest, in one of the younger protestant denominations, and I found the hipocrisy almost unbearable. My grandfather, who I loved with all of my heart, was a minister, and was a truly kind and good man. My mother is the same. My dad is the kind of person who goes to church because he "thinks he should" which I have no use for. However, he said something that really stuck with me: "I feel closer to god when I'm hiking in the mountains than I do in a church".
It really pains me to have no faith in something that my family lives by, but I can't fake that faith, nor would I if I could. I guess I consider myself to be a seeker who believes basically in the golden rule.
I also think the Bloodguard's creed that limits violence is a genius concept on SRD's part, and I think of it often.
My "religious" development has been pretty haphazard. 
* 