To the "alternative" religionists....?

Question

Considering that I've heard a lot about Christ, Allah, etc, I was wondering the following...
To those of you who practice "non-mainstream religion"....
If your Supreme being(s) answers your prayers - which being is it?
Yes, I'm serious, no, its not a slant against anyone.
I have been trying to have a relationship with "god" but its just not working out - I end up more confused than ever...
Any advice appreciated

Answer 1

it's just fine to believe in God as "you understand Him". I usually pray for forgiveness and the willingness to do the next right thing.

Answer 2

Yes, my Gods and Goddesses do answer my prayers and they always make themselves know. To me they are much more real than the monotheist god ever was.

After so long practicing Christianity I had become accustom to praying to what I would call a negligent or absentee Father type God... all I ever felt was cold indifference. Now imagine my shock when I decided I'd try praying to some of the Pagan Gods and my prayers actually got answered. The way I figure it is that the Old Gods have only had a handful of worshipers within the last 1600 years. This is a big change from the way it used to be. They haven't had much to do in that time, and I think they're a little bored, you know. So they tend to take a very keen interest in our lives. Too keen sometimes. ;-)

Answer 3

I am a Spiritual Agnostic - basically I think there's *something* out there, but it can not be defined, so it's almost pointless to try. I also think that the universe was divinely inspired, but not necessarily an "intelligent design" as I know that evolution has been shown to be true in many many tests.

That being said (because I wanted to clear up EXACTLY what I meant by Spiritual Agnostic), I do not pray to a "supreme being(s)" as I believe that the divine spark of what is behind the universe lies in all of the molecules of said universe. As far as a "relationship" with "god"...my relationship is as follows:

I am happy for what I HAVE been given - a family that showed love, a daughter who is happy and healthy, a spouse who loves me for who I am, my health, what little wealth I have (which is more than many people together in small countries, but still small compared to most Americans). I try to take responsibility for my actions (good OR bad) and not to blame what I've done on others (especially other deities).

As far as "giving back" to what I've been given, I am learning more about trying to preserve what is around me, to be more in tune with myself, and hope that eventually I will be a positive influence and someone to be looked up to, if only because I treated others well regardless of creed, color, sex, religion, nationality, or anything else.

I believe that everything done has an impact on something else, and I just attempt to make the impact as smooth and happy as possible.

Answer 4

I have my own interpretation of what it's all about. I dislike the notion of a personified God myself, and so I think of God as an energy. If God is an ocean, then we are all glasses of God. That is to say that we, each and every one of us, is a beloved child of the Universal Energy (commonly called god) that powers this existence. By that divine birthright I am able to direct that energy with my own concsiousness - what I dwell upon in my heart and in my mind is what I get in my life, again and again, for good or bad.

That's how prayer is used and the being is... me. My own personal power in co-creation with the Universal, life giving energy. There are some very interesting people talking about similar theories (like The Secret http://wwwthesecret.tv ).

There is also a fun and interesting quiz you can take online that speaks to your religious beliefs - the Belief-o-Matic (http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html ). The quiz tries to tell you what religion you are, but the questions are multiple choice and that can give you a view of how others are thinking about their interpretations of the Unknowable. Faith.com is another really good resource for diverse spiritual information.

Peace!

Answer 5

If you're actively looking, you might find the Belief-O-Matic quiz over at Beliefnet.com helpful:

http://www.beliefnet.com/story/76/story_7665_1.html

It's fun, and it matches you up with a wide variety of religions and philosophies based on your answers, with write-ups for each one. The results can be very surprising.

Myself, I'm a Wiccan -- I honor a supreme God and Goddess, both of Whom have numerous different aspects. The universe is Their body and the cycles of the seasons symbolize the dance of Their love. I've had positive results after praying and performing spells, so I suppose you could count that as getting an answer from Them (if not purely as coincidence).

I wish you the best of luck on your search.

Answer 6

'not working out' ?

Searching for another 'supreme being' to believe in? Sounds a little strange to me. Maybe you should do some inner soul searching instead of reaching outward.

Answer 7

God, just not a dead guy who people say is/was god..

Answer 8

they are all cults