Kaya
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Cali
Christian? Pagan? Wiccan? Buddhist? Muslim? Other?
Just curious.
Just curious.
What's your faith or spiritual belief?
- Thread starter Kaya
- Start date
Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
I'm an independently minded Christian who is a member of a non conformist denomination - the Uniting Church in Australia.
It was formed in 1977 as an amalgam of the Australian Methodist Church coming together with some Presbyterian and some Congregational congregations. At my age I've grown past simplistic faith and my moral compass is steered by the principles contained within the parable of the Good Samaritan. Not much else matters when it is all boiled down.
It was formed in 1977 as an amalgam of the Australian Methodist Church coming together with some Presbyterian and some Congregational congregations. At my age I've grown past simplistic faith and my moral compass is steered by the principles contained within the parable of the Good Samaritan. Not much else matters when it is all boiled down.
SifuPhil
R.I.P. With Us In Spirit Only
- Location
- Pennsylvania, USA
Taoist.
Kaya
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Cali
I don't think there is a name for my "beliefs". I think most follow their own path and each one is unique and individual. I guess the closest I can get is pagan-christian. Maybe pantheism. I just can't describe it, because it is mine..and only mine. I believe in Christ, and the christian God, but not much on the bible itself because my belief is it was written by man, FOR man. Too many gospels were left out by the catholic church way back when...and too many translations. Most of the bible is parables, anyway, so interpretation can be whatever tickles someones ear.
My path is kind of neat. I like it. Sometimes I have company along the way. Sometimes I travel it alone. Sometimes I am down in a ditch that is next to the path, sometimes I stop and help someone out of their own ditch...but I always wind up going further completely alone and I think thats as it should be.
I also believe in animal spirit guides because who knows me best? God does. And He knows I mistrust most humans...therefore, I am led certain ways on my path, if it comes to a fork, by animals that appear to me. I think most humans have animal guides just as much as angels but I never was much one for the angel fad myself. I have a deck of animal spirit cards and my own totems. Everyone does...they just don't listen or think it is too pagan to even consider such creatures guiding us. Which is fine. It fascinates me, personally. Which is why I am so in tune with nature and its inhabitants.
Some folks may be uncomfortable about that..so I was curious about SeniorForums members, and hope I never offend anyone if I say something that may seem...paganish.
:love_heart:
My path is kind of neat. I like it. Sometimes I have company along the way. Sometimes I travel it alone. Sometimes I am down in a ditch that is next to the path, sometimes I stop and help someone out of their own ditch...but I always wind up going further completely alone and I think thats as it should be.
I also believe in animal spirit guides because who knows me best? God does. And He knows I mistrust most humans...therefore, I am led certain ways on my path, if it comes to a fork, by animals that appear to me. I think most humans have animal guides just as much as angels but I never was much one for the angel fad myself. I have a deck of animal spirit cards and my own totems. Everyone does...they just don't listen or think it is too pagan to even consider such creatures guiding us. Which is fine. It fascinates me, personally. Which is why I am so in tune with nature and its inhabitants.
Some folks may be uncomfortable about that..so I was curious about SeniorForums members, and hope I never offend anyone if I say something that may seem...paganish.
:love_heart:
Kaya
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Cali
I found this many many years ago...probably about 1999, somewhere on the net. I have held on to it for a long time because it describes my own thoughts about religion and fits pretty much what I believe myself. :love_heart:
The Path
Well, it had been yet another bad day in the office, and once again it was the fault of that new girl, MaryAnne. She is one of those Wiccans, a so called witch. How can anyone in their right mind make this claim, knowing that it goes against God and all of the teachings of the bible? She doesn’t even have the common decency to keep her satanic symbol, her pentagram necklace hidden from the view of the decent, God fearing people in the office. She has some nerve. I find that I cannot hate her for this though, for I know that she has been deceived. Satan works his evil in ways that she cannot see. I’ve seen that so called Wiccan Crede that she has tacked to the wall above her computer. On the surface, it looks like a decent loving belief, but all one must do is look, look closely and see that by practicing this way, and not embracing Jesus Christ as savior, she is on the pathway to hell.
As I’ve said, it was a bad day in the office. Three times in the past few weeks I have been called in to see my supervisor, and he has told me that I am not allowed to preach to MaryAnne the word of God, to show her the error of her ways. Today, my supervisor told me that if I continue to “harass” MaryAnne, he will be forced to terminate me. How can he say this? He himself is a God fearing man. And, how can he be so tolerant of the evil that he sees insinuating itself into our workplace?
As I lay down to sleep last night, I asked the Lord for guidance.
“God, grant me a true vision of you, so that I may better lead the faithless onto the righteous path,”
“Oh, a true vision of Me is it? Are you sure that you’re ready, truly ready to see, my son?”
I sat bolt upright in bed, and there, at the foot of my bed, white of hair and beard, in a long, flowing white robe, stood the Lord my God. I made to leap from the bed and fall to my knees in front of Him, but he stopped me with a gesture.
“Kneel not before me at this time my son. Instead, rise and walk with Me, so that you may get a glimpse of what I truly am, as you asked of me in your prayer.”
He took my hand, and as I looked, my bedroom was no longer there, but a pathway thru the woods. We started to walk, and I was too awestruck for words. We took the path to the left, and we were then inside St.Catherine’s Church, in the middle of a service. While still standing beside me, God seemed to expand and fill the whole of the church. I could see smiles of contentment forming on some of the parishioners faces. I felt blessed.
God smiled upon me.”The Catholics hold such pretty masses, don’t they? I like to stop here in this church, because not only do they speak the words, but they live the life, thru teaching, helping the sick and poor, not only with handouts, but helping them learn to help themselves. Now let us walk on,” We walked a bit further, and then we were in a mosque. At least I believed so, as I had never been in one before, but had seen pictures of them. The group of worshippers was not large, but I could see their rapt faces as they listened to the mullah speak. He was speaking to them of purity, both of the mind and the body, bringing them closer to Allah.
And as he spoke, God, dressed now in the robes of the desert, walked among them and briefly laid his hands upon each set of shoulders. And, from their faces, I could see that these men knew that the words of the mullah were true, and that their spirits felt touched by God.
And then we were back on the pathway. After we had walked a bit, we found ourselves in an African village. People with skin as black as night, the women with their breast shamefully bared, were dancing in a circle, to the rhythm of the drums being played by a group of men. Somehow though, I was not offended by the bared breasts, and the music seemed to seep into my soul. God was then a mighty lion, and He let forth a mighty roar. The villagers did not seem to hear, but the drums increased their pounding, and the dancers danced with a frenzy.
And then we were back on the pathway. We walked a bit more, and were on the top of a cliff. There sat, painted and covered with feathers, an old Navajo man. As I watched, he seemed to change into the form of an eagle and take flight, and we were flying with him, soaring high into the air, seeing the vista spread out below us. And God, in the form of an eagle Himself, seemed to guide this other eagle thru the air, over mountains and thru valleys, until he came upon a group of men. As I watched, the old Navajo man was no longer an eagle, but a young boy instead, and he sat at the feet of these men, to listen to the words of his elders.
And then we were back on the pathway. We traveled a bit, and then we were in a forest clearing. I knew this place. It was known as a place of devil worship and evil. In the center of the clearing roared a great bonfire, and kiwi torches outlined a circle of sorts. Inside this circle, in a circle themselves, stood 7 men and 6 women,dressed in robes of varying colors, their arms raised to the moon. Was that one woman MaryAnne? I really couldn’t be sure. And God walked among them in the circle, touching each one. He seemed not to be an older man now, but as he made each of three turns around the circle, he was first a young girl, bouncing with energy, then a woman of middle years, with a tender smile for all Her children, and finally, an old woman, body bent, but holding Her head up with pride.
And a woman stepped forward, and yes, it was MaryAnne, and lifted her head to the sky. “Great Goddess, Mother of us all, thank you for joining us tonight. Stay if You will, go if You must. Know in our hearts You will always be welcome.Blessed be!!”
And we were back on the pathway. As we walked along, ahead in the distance I saw the most beautiful man. Yes, beautiful,though I would never normally think of a man this way. With blonde hair, and a golden robe, he seemed to radiate sunshine. God and this golden man nodded to each other as they passed, sharing a smile together.
“My Lord” I asked, “was that an angel?”
“Well, yes, he is known as that to some. He is also known to some as a god himself. That was Lucifer”
And His words caused me to stumble. I couldn’t believe that we had just passed the ultimate evil.
God looked at me, and He knew my mind. And he chuckled a bit.”Think about it logically My son. The Lucifer that you know is a fallen angel, cast out of heaven for challenging Me. If I am the all powerful being, above all others, how could he do this? How could I allow it?”
“But, in the bible….” I stammered.
“The Bible is a wonderful book, as are the Koran and the Torah and many others, but they are just books, written by the hand of man, not written by Me. And, it’s a bit confusing as well if the truth be known, but that’s not up to Me to fix. These books are wonderful, but only as guidance, for each man and woman must think for themselves.”
And, I believed He was right in this.
“Now, come forth, we must journey a little more before you go back” and He took my hand once again.
As we followed the pathway, we soared thru the stars, listening to the music of the heavens, we became a little flower and a mighty oak, we became a babbling brook, and a mighty ocean. We flitted from flower to flower as a little honey bee, and ran across the plains as a mighty stallion.And, all too soon the pathway returned us to my home. God held my hand a moment longer, and smiled into my face.
“My son, you prayed tonight for a true vision of Me. For vision, you must only open your eyes and see what there is to see. Good night to you”. And then He was gone, and I was back in my bed. A dream I thought, only a dream, that couldn’t have been real.
At that time, a bolt of lightning lit up my room thru the window, and thunder crashed thru the sky, and I thought I heard, from seemingly far away, “Remember, the Lord works in mysterious ways My son”.
This morning as I entered the office, I went to the machine for a cup of coffee, and standing there, I spied MaryAnne. As I approached her, I could see her barely cringe, and I could see in her face that she was expecting yet another onslaught from me and my book. She seemed to cast her eyes about about for a way to escape, but there was none.
I walked up to her and smiled. “I think I owe you a bit of an apology” I said. “I’ve been a bit narrow minded of late,and I really had no right to subject you to what I did. It’s not up to me to say how you find your path to your spirit, and I was wrong to think that was so,”
MaryAnne just stood there, not knowing what to say.
“So, I just wanted to say that I’m so sorry, and I hope you will forgive my trespass. God bless you MaryAnne"
The Path
Well, it had been yet another bad day in the office, and once again it was the fault of that new girl, MaryAnne. She is one of those Wiccans, a so called witch. How can anyone in their right mind make this claim, knowing that it goes against God and all of the teachings of the bible? She doesn’t even have the common decency to keep her satanic symbol, her pentagram necklace hidden from the view of the decent, God fearing people in the office. She has some nerve. I find that I cannot hate her for this though, for I know that she has been deceived. Satan works his evil in ways that she cannot see. I’ve seen that so called Wiccan Crede that she has tacked to the wall above her computer. On the surface, it looks like a decent loving belief, but all one must do is look, look closely and see that by practicing this way, and not embracing Jesus Christ as savior, she is on the pathway to hell.
As I’ve said, it was a bad day in the office. Three times in the past few weeks I have been called in to see my supervisor, and he has told me that I am not allowed to preach to MaryAnne the word of God, to show her the error of her ways. Today, my supervisor told me that if I continue to “harass” MaryAnne, he will be forced to terminate me. How can he say this? He himself is a God fearing man. And, how can he be so tolerant of the evil that he sees insinuating itself into our workplace?
As I lay down to sleep last night, I asked the Lord for guidance.
“God, grant me a true vision of you, so that I may better lead the faithless onto the righteous path,”
“Oh, a true vision of Me is it? Are you sure that you’re ready, truly ready to see, my son?”
I sat bolt upright in bed, and there, at the foot of my bed, white of hair and beard, in a long, flowing white robe, stood the Lord my God. I made to leap from the bed and fall to my knees in front of Him, but he stopped me with a gesture.
“Kneel not before me at this time my son. Instead, rise and walk with Me, so that you may get a glimpse of what I truly am, as you asked of me in your prayer.”
He took my hand, and as I looked, my bedroom was no longer there, but a pathway thru the woods. We started to walk, and I was too awestruck for words. We took the path to the left, and we were then inside St.Catherine’s Church, in the middle of a service. While still standing beside me, God seemed to expand and fill the whole of the church. I could see smiles of contentment forming on some of the parishioners faces. I felt blessed.
God smiled upon me.”The Catholics hold such pretty masses, don’t they? I like to stop here in this church, because not only do they speak the words, but they live the life, thru teaching, helping the sick and poor, not only with handouts, but helping them learn to help themselves. Now let us walk on,” We walked a bit further, and then we were in a mosque. At least I believed so, as I had never been in one before, but had seen pictures of them. The group of worshippers was not large, but I could see their rapt faces as they listened to the mullah speak. He was speaking to them of purity, both of the mind and the body, bringing them closer to Allah.
And as he spoke, God, dressed now in the robes of the desert, walked among them and briefly laid his hands upon each set of shoulders. And, from their faces, I could see that these men knew that the words of the mullah were true, and that their spirits felt touched by God.
And then we were back on the pathway. After we had walked a bit, we found ourselves in an African village. People with skin as black as night, the women with their breast shamefully bared, were dancing in a circle, to the rhythm of the drums being played by a group of men. Somehow though, I was not offended by the bared breasts, and the music seemed to seep into my soul. God was then a mighty lion, and He let forth a mighty roar. The villagers did not seem to hear, but the drums increased their pounding, and the dancers danced with a frenzy.
And then we were back on the pathway. We walked a bit more, and were on the top of a cliff. There sat, painted and covered with feathers, an old Navajo man. As I watched, he seemed to change into the form of an eagle and take flight, and we were flying with him, soaring high into the air, seeing the vista spread out below us. And God, in the form of an eagle Himself, seemed to guide this other eagle thru the air, over mountains and thru valleys, until he came upon a group of men. As I watched, the old Navajo man was no longer an eagle, but a young boy instead, and he sat at the feet of these men, to listen to the words of his elders.
And then we were back on the pathway. We traveled a bit, and then we were in a forest clearing. I knew this place. It was known as a place of devil worship and evil. In the center of the clearing roared a great bonfire, and kiwi torches outlined a circle of sorts. Inside this circle, in a circle themselves, stood 7 men and 6 women,dressed in robes of varying colors, their arms raised to the moon. Was that one woman MaryAnne? I really couldn’t be sure. And God walked among them in the circle, touching each one. He seemed not to be an older man now, but as he made each of three turns around the circle, he was first a young girl, bouncing with energy, then a woman of middle years, with a tender smile for all Her children, and finally, an old woman, body bent, but holding Her head up with pride.
And a woman stepped forward, and yes, it was MaryAnne, and lifted her head to the sky. “Great Goddess, Mother of us all, thank you for joining us tonight. Stay if You will, go if You must. Know in our hearts You will always be welcome.Blessed be!!”
And we were back on the pathway. As we walked along, ahead in the distance I saw the most beautiful man. Yes, beautiful,though I would never normally think of a man this way. With blonde hair, and a golden robe, he seemed to radiate sunshine. God and this golden man nodded to each other as they passed, sharing a smile together.
“My Lord” I asked, “was that an angel?”
“Well, yes, he is known as that to some. He is also known to some as a god himself. That was Lucifer”
And His words caused me to stumble. I couldn’t believe that we had just passed the ultimate evil.
God looked at me, and He knew my mind. And he chuckled a bit.”Think about it logically My son. The Lucifer that you know is a fallen angel, cast out of heaven for challenging Me. If I am the all powerful being, above all others, how could he do this? How could I allow it?”
“But, in the bible….” I stammered.
“The Bible is a wonderful book, as are the Koran and the Torah and many others, but they are just books, written by the hand of man, not written by Me. And, it’s a bit confusing as well if the truth be known, but that’s not up to Me to fix. These books are wonderful, but only as guidance, for each man and woman must think for themselves.”
And, I believed He was right in this.
“Now, come forth, we must journey a little more before you go back” and He took my hand once again.
As we followed the pathway, we soared thru the stars, listening to the music of the heavens, we became a little flower and a mighty oak, we became a babbling brook, and a mighty ocean. We flitted from flower to flower as a little honey bee, and ran across the plains as a mighty stallion.And, all too soon the pathway returned us to my home. God held my hand a moment longer, and smiled into my face.
“My son, you prayed tonight for a true vision of Me. For vision, you must only open your eyes and see what there is to see. Good night to you”. And then He was gone, and I was back in my bed. A dream I thought, only a dream, that couldn’t have been real.
At that time, a bolt of lightning lit up my room thru the window, and thunder crashed thru the sky, and I thought I heard, from seemingly far away, “Remember, the Lord works in mysterious ways My son”.
This morning as I entered the office, I went to the machine for a cup of coffee, and standing there, I spied MaryAnne. As I approached her, I could see her barely cringe, and I could see in her face that she was expecting yet another onslaught from me and my book. She seemed to cast her eyes about about for a way to escape, but there was none.
I walked up to her and smiled. “I think I owe you a bit of an apology” I said. “I’ve been a bit narrow minded of late,and I really had no right to subject you to what I did. It’s not up to me to say how you find your path to your spirit, and I was wrong to think that was so,”
MaryAnne just stood there, not knowing what to say.
“So, I just wanted to say that I’m so sorry, and I hope you will forgive my trespass. God bless you MaryAnne"
I was a 'born again' Christian as a young person. However I lost my faith as soon as the doubts became too overwhelming, and I realised I didn't believe the Bible to be more than the production of its authors with no input from any deity. I have not missed it and feel no need of a deity or spirituality in my life.
Kaya
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Cali
Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Kaya, I've found a link to that piece of writing, but there is a little bit more in it. I thought you might like to compare the two versions.
Link removed due to a possibility of malware discovered by Kaya.
It wasn't all that important anyway.
Link removed due to a possibility of malware discovered by Kaya.
It wasn't all that important anyway.
Last edited:
Mirabilis
Member
- Location
- South Florida
When it comes to that topic "I only know that I know nothing".
Falcon
DV8
- Location
- So. California
I don't need any "faith" to run my life.
Kaya
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Cali
Well, thanks to those that responded. 
I know religion is an iffy subject, but I also believe we can all be kindred spirits in some form or another and accept the differences without it affecting how we treat each other. Yeah, I know...naive of me. lol
Dame Warrigal...I did click your link but a malware warning popped up so I backed out quickly. You might want to ask Matrix to remove it...just in case others do not have protection. But thanks for the attempt to show me more of the Path. Wish I coulda seen it.
I know religion is an iffy subject, but I also believe we can all be kindred spirits in some form or another and accept the differences without it affecting how we treat each other. Yeah, I know...naive of me. lol
Dame Warrigal...I did click your link but a malware warning popped up so I backed out quickly. You might want to ask Matrix to remove it...just in case others do not have protection. But thanks for the attempt to show me more of the Path. Wish I coulda seen it.
RCynic
Member
- Location
- New Market, Md
Everything I've experienced in life falls into two categories nicely. The first is that things are explained by logical scientific principles, the second is that if the first does not supply an answer, then it's "I don't know". In other words, I believe in nothing supernatural, I harbor no superstitions. We're discovering things but we've only been at it, in a professional way, a couple hundred years. There's a lot we don't know yet, some we might not have the minds to ever understand...I don't know is an OK and honest answer.
Ina
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harris County, NE of Houston, Tx.
Dame Warrigal, I had no trouble with the link. I am an agnostic. To me that means that all paths lead to the same destination. That there is a greater force than myself, whether I or no one believes in anything.
The Powers that Be
ARE
Regardless of Designation
The Powers that Be
ARE
Regardless of Designation
Kaya
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Cali
I was not insulting Dame. I have webroot virus protection that I pay 40 bucks a year for and when they stop me from a website saying Malware..I listen.
Just clarifying.
Just clarifying.
I'm a liberal Christian. I try to follow the teachings of Christ, not man's interpretation of them. I also don't put God in a box and try to define him. My beliefs include that I am a spirit inhabiting a temporary body. I don't judge others faith or lack thereof. I try to live by the golden rule. I love studying science but I believe God's creation holds so much more than we know or will ever know on this earth. I believe in prayer, in serving others, God's grace, and that good will ultimately triumph over evil.
Ina
Well-known Member
- Location
- Harris County, NE of Houston, Tx.
Kim, I think you said that we'll!!!:yougogirl:
Kaya
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Cali
Agreed!
Well, thanks to those that responded.
I know religion is an iffy subject, but I also believe we can all be kindred spirits in some form or another and accept the differences without it affecting how we treat each other. Yeah, I know...naive of me. lol
Dame Warrigal...I did click your link but a malware warning popped up so I backed out quickly. You might want to ask Matrix to remove it...just in case others do not have protection. But thanks for the attempt to show me more of the Path. Wish I coulda seen it.
That is what these admittedly few responses show, we are all different but there is no put-down of or by anyone here. I find it refreshing!
Warrigal
SF VIP
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
By all means remove the link I posted. I didn't get any warning of malware from my McAffee protection but if you did that is a worry.
Have you pm'd Matrix? If not, please do so.
Never mind. The simplest thing was to remove the link myself. Anyone who clicked it should do a security scan on their own computer just to be safe.
Have you pm'd Matrix? If not, please do so.
Never mind. The simplest thing was to remove the link myself. Anyone who clicked it should do a security scan on their own computer just to be safe.
Kaya
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern Cali
I used to have McCaffee...but I kept losing pcs due to it not catching really bad stuff. So..when I bought this last pc, I got WebRoot with it free for 6 months and if I liked it, then it would be 40 bucks a year. I have kept it because I have had this pc for about 3 years now with no problems. A window pops up that says WARNING, and BACK OUT, and MALWARE. I wanted to read the link, but I did what WebRoot told me to do.
Yes, I did inform Matrix but it is Friday and he is probably out dancing with his wife.layful:
Yes, I did inform Matrix but it is Friday and he is probably out dancing with his wife.
layful: