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Aside from being the religion (or not) based on how your parents raised you. How do you find your religion? Where do you look? First i thought I as christian and I even thought I was Muslim. But now i don't know. It's like weed has totally cracked up my crusty mind and i'm now seeing things clearly.
I think spirituality is important. in fact, I kinda feel a spirtual connection when I toke.
Any ideas?
You formulate your spiritual beliefs by examining yourself entirely and yes weed can help you do this. Personally, I have long since moved on from religion, I think its all garbage. Though I am highly spiritual.Quote:
Originally Posted by deadfan420
You don't find religion, religion finds you.
Heh, I'm an atheist mainly because I grew up in America and went to good schools :D
Make a religion up. You can have the feeling of connection to something spiritual and not be part of any religion. I once got a very profound feeling that I was connected to some higher power. The thing is in my reality I know that a feeling and the connected belief are only an interpretation of what reality really is and I know that some other explanation could be as plausible. Someone could feel a similar feeling and connect it to an entirely different meaning that has no spiritual meaning. Religion will give you THEIR answers but you are not that religion. You are an individual whose subjective experience is unique.Quote:
Originally Posted by deadfan420
Went to catholic schools......The bible and religion has been white washed by man. True religion is in your heart. I follow the teachings of JAH. The bible back in the day was used to control. Many teachings have been left out and were lost. So we don't know the truth. Only the truth as we know it by King James." Emancipate yourself from mental slavery Non but ourselves can free our minds" BOB Marley.
Free you're mind Neo.
Like others here are mentioning, I would say that you shouldn't feel you have to fit yourself into the mold of someone else's beliefs. Think for yourself. Question religious authorities.
That said, I would offer one other piece of advice for you to consider (as always, with a grain of salt):
Be open to the truth. It sounds simple enough, but it's not always easy. If you put your faith in beliefs, and those beliefs are destroyed by the truth, the ground will crumble from beneath your feet. If you put your faith in truth, no matter what the truth may turn out to be, you will not be devistated when your beliefs are destroyed.
The first step is admitting that you know nothing... the second is remembering it. Therein lies the challenge.
this:
Unitarian Universalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
is what i am. i like it because i can pretty much choose what i want to believe, and the church that i sometimes attend here in my little town is a total hippie church. they embrace everyone and their differences, they don't care how you dress when you attend, and everyone is so laid back. not all unitarian universalists churches are like that - i'm fortunate to have found the one i did. but i really like this because i feel as if i've been able to choose what i believe based on my own personal exploration.
"General beliefs of UUs
Unitarian Universalists (UUs) believe in complete but responsible freedom of speech, thought, belief, faith, and disposition. They believe that each person is free to search for his or her own personal truth on issues like the existence, nature, and meaning of life, deities, creation, and afterlife. UUs can come from any heritage, have any sexual orientation, and hold beliefs from a variety of cultures or religions.
Concepts about deity are diverse among UUs. Some believe that there is no god (atheism); others believe in many gods (polytheism). Some believe that God is a metaphor for a transcendant reality. Some believe in a female god (goddess), a passive god (Deism), a Christian god, or a god manifested in nature or one which is the "ground of being". Some UUs reject the idea of deities and instead speak of "universal spirit" or "reverence of life". Unitarian Universalists support each person's search for truth and meaning in concepts of deity."
Religions All Out, Please Try At A Later Date.
my dads family was strictly Catholic.. i mean really strict. But in the 80s he started reading about books on Islam and then he converted.:thumbsup:
The best way is to make a really big chart with all the religions of the world, blindfold yourself and chuck something that will make a mark on your chart. Whatever part it lands on is your new religion. If it lands on a border, you get two or more religions to follow!
I think the only way to find a religion for ones self, if one feels the need to embrace a religion, is through self exploration. No one can tell you what religion you are, and being in a religion doesnt mean its your religion.
Explore all religions, see what is in them that you like, and what you dislike. Find the things that ring true to you, as a person, and embrace them. Dont feel a need to have a specific religious title, such things are just words, its the actions and beliefs that you can learn from studying religions that are important.Quote:
If the heedless person recites the sacred text, but does not apply what they say, they are like a cowheard counting someone else's cows, they will not enjoy the benefits of holy life.
Dhammapada 19
Personally, I found my "religion" through lots of looking. I wanted to know more about other religions, how they saw things, what they taught, and through that I found what I was looking for, in a sense.
There is no one on this planet that can ever tell you what is best or most right for you. Only you can do that, and for something that can be as important as religion is to some, I would think its something that you would want to take your time at, and carefully make your decisions.
I mean, if you havent seen everything that is out there as far as an option goes, how can you ever know that the choice you made/make is the best one for you?
Hey thanks everyone, I appreciate all your responses!
I should probably clarify, however, that in the title I'm using the term "religion" very loosly. I don't mean any organized religion, or any existing religion, I guess I'm just after some sort of spiritual fullfillment.
I'm also not looking to fit anyone else's mold. If I wanted to do that, I'd just follow in my parent's footsteps and be a good, non-questioning Christian. Been there, done that. It didn't work.
In the brief period I've been smoking weed for, I've found it to be highly spiritual. And as my mind opens up, I'm starting to think more about spiritual matters and ask questions. Maybe marijuana will be my religion! Lol! :-)
Thanks again for the responses! Keep em coming!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I do believe in some higher being. But whether it's the god of most organized religions, I don't know yet. I have a hard time believing in the concept of hell. Heck, the idea of any afterlife in general is hard to grasp.
This is just one of the issues I'm dealing with right now.
I'm a big proponent of personal religion.
The idea is that you do not have to call yourself anything, and if you do, you still practice your own way.
The way that I got to where I am was by reading around on Wikipedia. I checked out some stuff, and found a belief system that was in agreement with who I am, and the kind of person that i want to be.
As far as finding satisfaction, the one thing that seems to be an integral part of every religion is self improvement (Should that be hyphenated?).
Live life in a way that makes you feel good about who you are.
Just my two cents.
Before I go on, I want to state I shouldn't be alive. I spun out at 85 MPH on a slick highway this morning. I was left unscathed, my car missed the barriers and other cars got out of the way in time. You are wondering what this has to do with spirituality.Quote:
Originally Posted by deadfan420
Earlier that day, I was blessed by someone special. She's a deeply religious christian women, to the point where it makes others mad because they think she's questioning their beliefs. But, the messages she always tell me are positive and about self-healing. Although I do not believe in Jesus, I do believe every religion ideology are essentially the same. They are interpreted differently.
Yesterday, she stated I came up on her prayers all the sudden. She said I was special, and because of this I'll beat my cancer. She blessed me with holy water by drawing crosses on my hands. She also told to remember about showers: how it cleanses all the impurities. I accepted this gesture, and embraced it.
Not long after, I get a call and they finished my pathology report. They said any remaining tumors were dead scar tissue. This is news I wanted to hear.
I spent the night with a beautiful girl and human being. Life isn't fair, I had a crush on this girl for the longest of time, and so did she. Better late than never :) But she's leaving the country in a couple of days :( I spent the night with her and decided to head home despite much trouble leaving, I didn't want to leave.
Raining, foggy, and slick roads, I spun out. My life flashed before my eyes. That moment I realized: someone up there is watching me. A mysterious power at work that cannot be explained by words, only faith.
You should be open to all customs and ideas. Embrace and accept them all, always question, but you should accept the energy each one evokes. You just have to have the faith and spirituality. That's all :)
if you cant find one start one. sounds to me like you have been looking in all the wrong places. a good place to start would be barnes and nobles eastern thought section.Quote:
Originally Posted by deadfan420
"There are many paths up the mountain. The view from the top is the same." A church is just a collection of people who see their relationship with The Divine in much the same way. As long as a religion says "pray" and makes you a better person, I have no hassle with it. Find you own way. Shine! - Granny:hippy:
that sounds like a cult to meQuote:
Originally Posted by blazed_babe
religions are simply cults with time on their side.
Search your spirituality. Forget about religion, it tries to mold your thought to fit their belief structure.
and more money.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hardcore Newbie