Religion/Spirituality Meme

[happyfish]

 

1. What faith were you born into or raised with (if any)?
Protestant. I went to a Salvation Army church as a kid. It was pretty tame, as in, not crazy fundamentalist or anything. Lots of ‘one should avoid misusing alcohol/drugs’ though, due to it being, well, the Salvation Army.

2. Were you devout as a child/adolescent?
I was pretty devout as a child, although I’m pretty sure I didn’t understand a lot of what was being taught. I was mostly just guilty all the time, and certain I would never be good enough no matter what I did.

3. If you are not currently practicing your childhood faith, what led you away from it?
I realized that I feared God more than I could ever love Him, and fear didn’t seem like a good reason to stay in a religion. And it seemed too much like I was living a lie. I decided that I’d rather go to Hell for being true to myself if that’s what had to happen than continue the way I was.

4. How many religious denominations, traditions, and/or groups have you belonged to?
Well, Christian. I was eclectic-Wiccan for about four years or so. I lost interest in Paganism eventually, and now I’m happily exploring Daoism and Zen.

5. How would you describe your religion now?
Daoism flavoured with a bit of Paganism and a dash of Zen. Although, really, I’m not really sure if it’s really a religion. It’s just a mindset that makes sense to me.

6. How long have you been practicing that religion?
Hard to say. I’ve been interested in Daoism for a while, but there isn’t really a date when I ‘officially’ became a Daoist (whatever that means). The interest in Zen has been something that happened in the past month. I don’t know if it will last, or if it’s just my latest research obsession.

7. Do you pray? If so, how?
Yes. Not often, but yes. I have a tradition where I pray to the Goddess every time I see an ambulance go by with its lights flashing. It’s something I’ve done ever since I went to the hospital that one time. Other than that, most of my prayers are semi-joking ‘ohpleasegoddess, let me catch that bus!’

8. Do you practice magic? If so, do you distinguish it from prayer?
No. I used to, back when I was Wiccan, but not much even then. I’ve always had a hard time wanting something enough to do a spell to get it. And the problem I’ve always had with magic is that it works. I’d rather let life do its own thing without interfering.

9. Do you work with divinatory oracles like Tarot, astrology, the Runes, etc?
I have a copy of the Faerie’s Oracle that I use every now and then. I find it an interesting way to meditate, and to see life from a different point of view. I don’t use them often, because it’s generally so true that I have to really make sure I want to know the answer before I ask any sort of question. Oh, and I read my horoscope in the paper whenever I can. But I really don’t take it seriously.

 
10. Describe your personal concept of God/dess/Higher Power/etc.
I have no idea. Well, actually, I have an idea. I just don’t think it’s something I can describe adequately in words. I’d have to resort to interpretive dance and then everyone would be even more confused.

11. How does your religion/spirituality explain the concept of/presence of evil?
Evil exists because we believe in good. And I think it’s distinctly a human thing, as well. Er. I’m going to have to think about this one for a while.

12. Is music and/or dance important to your path? Why or why not?
Music and dance are incredibly important to my life, so I would say that they’re important to my path. There are times when I look at a tree and it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen (which I suppose could be considered a spiritual experience) and all I can think is that it looks like a piece of music or that it’s dancing. In a way I like to think that everything is dancing.

13. What is your concept of the afterlife?
I like the idea of reincarnation, because it doesn’t make sense that our minds/souls/spirits or whatever would be put through life only to disappear. The idea that the afterlife is what we believe it to be and what we truly believe that we deserve also sort of makes sense to me, what with the mind being a trap and all.

14. Do you believe in ghosts, spirits, Faeries, devas, and/or other beings beyond ordinary perception?
Yes? I think there is more out there than we can see, than we will ever be able to see. I don’t really try to have any sort of interaction with Faeries or anything, though.

15. If you have children, are you raising them in your religion/spirituality? Why or why not?
I don’t have kids and I’m not planning on having kids. If I did, I might raise them as my current religion/spirituality, as well as letting them question and find their own way. I can’t imagine what my spirituality will be like when I have kids, though. Not really.